The long wait is finally over. In a mere three days, Appalachian Football will finally play its first game as an FBS program against the exact same opponent that catapulted them to the upper echelon of college football. Likely, they are plenty of moments that contributed to this moment in time, but that football game seven years ago took support to another level and opened the door to the present day. On the new and improved Sun Belt schedule there are a plenty of teams that Appalachian will be playing for the first time and a couple familiar faces from years past. Georgia Southern and Appalachian will quickly educate their new peers about the hate and respect each program has for the other. Liberty and Appalachian have played sparingly over the years. Appalachian and Troy played twice in the same year back in 1999, with each team winning on the others home field. And, yeah, Appalachian played Michigan back in 2007.

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Big C is back, all is right.

N.P.

OK I'm ready for the season now.

GoApp!

Very nicely done C.


Skunk Bears 41

APP 17

GAS countdown ... Check
WXApp forecast ... Check
Bigcasu prediction ... Check
Kickoff ... Soon, App faithful, soon

I'm hoping our offense can break through UM's defense. If we can score, I'm thinking this will look a bit like the Georgia game.

Michigan - 38
App - 17

Back in '07, I was sitting in the upper nose bleed, just off the endzone where Rauch kicked the game winning field goal. During the coin toss, I noticed a our captains standing in the shadow of a very large, gargantuan beast (Jake Long) and said to my myself, "We are in trouble."

I'm not going to say that this year. We're walking in with nearly 20 more scholarship players, more FBS recruits in our 2 deep, the ability to play more than 27 players, and most importantly, I think our players have something to prove...last year was a fluke. App will step up and pull out a victory.

Low scoring game
App 23
UM 19

If the OL can play well and somehow give Bryant time, and the backs some holes to run in Michigan 27-App 21 If they have another VT game, Michigan 45 -App 10

The only prediction I am going to make is that the Black and Gold covers the 34.5 point spread

App 34
Michigan 32

Heart:

App 27
Michigan 25

Head:

Michigan 34
App 13

Thanks Big C! It is truly football season.
Score will be close for a while ....
App - 20
Michigan - 47

ASU 21

Michigan 38

Critcher booms a 57 yard spiral and puts it out at the Michigan 2 yard line with 57 seconds left. Tyson Fernandez eats up a back on a counter play and gets the safety and App wins 33 - 31.

In 2007 I picked App to win in a close one, this time I'll do the same:

App 33

Mich 32

21-13 in the third. 45-16 final.

38-14 Skunk Bears

41-17 Meeeeechigan.

49-14 Michigan

Satterfield offenses have a tendency to start slow and gain momentum through the season...

Maized and Confused: 53
Black and Gold: 10

Honestly I'm too tired to make a prediction right now. I'm just ready for it to be over. I have been having to go through literally thousands of tweets, posts, and references on my searches in the past two or three weeks. I am so ready to go back to the hundreds I usually have to go through every day.

As said previously I just want us to have a good showing, limited injuries, and come back with a fat check. The first 30 minutes are going to be the most important. Not game time but real time. If we can weather the emotional storm and keep it close we can have a good game. Blood in your eyes and revenge on your mind can work for or against you. Let's hope for the second one and for us to just come out business like and not let our emotions get away.

I know most have been talking about the battle in the trenches and that's where most wars are won but to me one of the most important match ups will be Kam/WR's vs the CB's. Michigan has two of the best CB's in Countess and Taylor. Countess led the B1G in INT's last year. Kam has to make good decisions on ball placement to keep them away. And the third DB to watch is last years #1 DB and #2-#4 overall recruit in the nation in Jabrill Peppers. From all reports he's been blowing it up in camp and he's also their PR. He's a threat to take it back every time he touches it. I just hope we kick away from him or it could be a long day in the return game.