Big XII Preview Part 2

Big12 pt 2: Arcadavaquero’s Rodeo del Norte Mid-season Preview

MISSOURI coach deenhorvie 140: 11-3 (6-2); WiS #31 141 Guess: #21; recruiting #30 The Program: Missouri’s had the fortune of being human coached for most of its Wilk history, and coach hypnotoad did a fantastic job of assembling arguably the most talented teams the Tigers have ever fielded. Coach H won 10 or more games in five of seven seasons, and added the Tiger’s 4th ever Big12 CC to the trophy case. Despite the wins and the CC, the administration wasn’t happy with the results in the final season polls, and Coach H was unceremoniously (and controversially) fired. Coach: The Tigers had the luck of landing an accomplished coach, though ironically one who had a similarly turbulent exit from his past job. Coach Deenhorvie had a 231-69 record in 21 seasons at Tennessee, and brought in great talent on a regular basis. In his first 15 seasons, the Volunteers never fell out of the top 25. In his last six, the ship hit rough waters, falling out of the top 25 five times, and despite the history and coach DH’s recruiting prowess, the school let him go. Both the school and the coach are doubtlessly hoping that changing the variables in the equation will lead to the results they expect. At the least, the Tigers brought in a great recruiter to replace a great recruiter. Only time will tell if the wins and top25 finishes will come with the talent. 141 So Far: (2-1) An up, down, up start to the Deenhorvie Era at Missouri. A big win over Sim Oregon, followed by a big loss to z32fanatic’s Rutgers, followed by a big win over deaconsoule’s Arizona. 141 Outlook: Two more human coached programs are up next, then five more human coached teams in Big12 play, and any of those games could result in a win or a loss. Three remaining Sims means 5 wins is the baseline. Of the seven humans, Ohio, DePaul, A&M, OK State, and Colorado are the best chance for W’s. Getting three of those would be a decent first season. It won’t be easy, but I’m betting it will happen. Predicted Finish: 8-5 COLORADO coach cjsweat Last season: 12-3 (7-2); #16 141 Guess: #22; Recruits: #13 The Program: After taking over a team that had been on the rise under Coach Lyonzfan37 (who left for Michigan), Coach CJ has kept the Buffaloes one of the best non-elites on the field, and has added some of the best recruit classes Colorado has ever seen. While still the underdog, Colorado is a legitimate threat to Nebraska’s Big12 North dominance. 141 So Far: (3-0) While the two Ws against Sim teams don’t say much, a dominant game 3 win over a good Washington team has to have Coach CJ optimistic. Game 4 sees a re-match from 140 with the non-elite elite Boston College. The Buffs were overmatched in 140, and a win here would be a big factor in any final season ranking. 141 Outlook: Four Sims on the schedule mean 7 wins is the baseline. Of the remaining 5 humans, Colorado has the ability to win them all, though BC, Texas and Nebraska will be uphill fights. If I’m playing the odds, I’d say Colorado goes 2-3 with the remaining humans, though an upset (or two) wouldn’t surprise me, either. Predicted Finish: 10-3 NEBRASKA coach lsusaint Last season: 12-2 (7-1); #13 141 Guess: #8; recruiting: #43 The Program: After a period of decline at the end of Coach Willgibson’s otherwise impressive career, the Huskers saw a quick return to dominance under Coach Jasonfreeman, with back-to-back undefeated seasons in 138 and 139, culminating in a NC in 139. As a result, more National Championships are in Husker Nation’s expectations. Coach: Coach Lsusaint takes over after Coach JF left for oranger pastures in Tennessee. It was an unexpected departure for Nebraska fans, who doubtless feel a bit like Daniel Plainview’s abandoned child. Coach LSU has had a quick rise through Wilk’s coaching levels, with only six seasons at DIA, all at C-USA Memphis. Husker fans can take comfort in his success there, where he brought the program back from the brink of falling apart, finishing the last 5 seasons in the top25, including a #4 finish in season 139. 141 So Far: (3-0) The Coach Lsusaint Era began on a positive note with a strong opening game win over Coach Treyomo’s tenacious South Carolina squad. There’s nothing but SimAI teams until Big12 play, so the Huskers will be 5-0 when they head to A&M. 141 Outlook: Despite Coach LSU’s success in other worlds, Wilk is (many people are saying) a different beast, and there is a question as to whether he can continue Coach JF’s success. While only hindsight will answer that question, there is no indication I can see that Coach LSU will have trouble. As for the remainder of the season, there are 5 human coached Big12 teams ahead, and the Huskers are favored in 4 of those, with the 5th being the rivalry game against OU. Even with a loss, the Huskers would still be in great shape to make it to the Big12 title game for a possible rematch. Predicted Finish: 12-1 Wrap-up: Good luck out there, and in the words of Porky Pig, “Th-th-th-tha-tha-tha-that’s all folks!”