Just for fun. What's everyone predicting for the four OOC games?

I will go first

Tennessee - Dobbs returning for his senior year will be tough to beat. A true dual threat and Tennessee has a stout defense returning. For that reason I have to give them the edge.

ODU - Game will be closer than this season, but Mountaineers win.

Miami - New coach, but a proven coach. Especially on the defensive side. He is being given very athletic players that just need proper coaching. I think their all around team speed and athleticism will be too much even for our talented team. Game will be closer than most think.

Akron - Don't know much about them, but feel we are the mucb better team. Assuming we stay healthy with two of the three first games against P5 teams, we should have no problem with Akron.

2-2 OOC, and 9-3 or 10-2 overall (Before bowl)

Your turn....

Unfortunately I think Tennessee will be an athletic mismatch. Hope I'm wrong but I fear we lose that one badly.

ODU just about can't help but be closer, can it? I think we beat them again though.

Miami - not sure yet. Richt is a good coach but I think he's more of a program builder than a guy who's going to make a huge difference immediately. I think we compete hard with them. Need to know more about how we replace Blair, Harris and Chapman before I guess whether we have a legit shot to win, so for now I'll predict a close loss.

Akron worries me a bit, as they seem to be up and coming, and we get them on the road at the end of that four-week stretch. I'll say we edge them, though.

Sun Belt play, I'll say we beat Southern again but lose one somewhere along the way (Troy maybe?)

I agree with your prediction, although Akron may be tough on the road. They finished 3rd in the MAC East behind Ohio, losing to OU 14-12. No idea what they bring back next year. I'll probably watch their bowl game against Utah St

If we go 2-2 OOC, I wanna call another 10-2 season and a Sun Belt championship. We are dropping Ark St and USA for NMSU and TX st next year I believe

Tennessee game will be closer than the result this year at Clemson. Miami game will be close and I think it is closer to toss-up with it being @ KBS. ODU will be a closer game than the result from this past year and Akron will be no slouch either.

Prediction is we go 3-1 OOC and we go undefeated in Sun Belt play. 11-1 to finish regular season and we are going to either Peach or New Orleans bowl when it is all said and done.

Go 'Neers!

ASUGoose wrote:Tennessee game will be closer than the result this year at Clemson. Miami game will be close and I think it is closer to toss-up with it being @ KBS. ODU will be a closer game than the result from this past year and Akron will be no slouch either.

Prediction is we go 3-1 OOC and we go undefeated in Sun Belt play. 11-1 to finish regular season and we are going to either Peach or New Orleans bowl when it is all said and done.

Go 'Neers!

I second this !

I'm not as optimistic as some here. We have some huge question marks going into next year. I know folks insist we have more talent at the WR position than we had this yeAr. But we will be very inexperienced there, so I take and wait and see approach at WR. I doubt we get the consistency at PK that we got from Matics. Replacing Blair will be difficult though we have good depth there. Our OL will need to jell without Chapman but we do get Nunn back.

I'm not discounting an SBC championship or a double digit victory total. However, in addition to two P5 games, we go to GS, UL, Troy, and Akron. This may be the most difficult schedule App has ever faced.

hapapp wrote:I'm not as optimistic as some here. We have some huge question marks going into next year. I know folks insist we have more talent at the WR position than we had this yeAr. But we will be very inexperienced there, so I take and wait and see approach at WR. I doubt we get the consistency at PK that we got from Matics. Replacing Blair will be difficult though we have good depth there. Our OL will need to jell without Chapman but we do get Nunn back.

I'm not discounting an SBC championship or a double digit victory total. However, in addition to two P5 games, we go to GS, UL, Troy, and Akron. This may be the most difficult schedule App has ever faced.

First season not facing an FCS opponent. The way the schedule lines up it will be a challenging first four games. Tennessee will have all summer to prepare for us, and I can't see them over looking us to face a Beamerless barely bowl eligible this season VT squad.

Then we have to be the ones not looking past ODU because of the Miami game. That along with ODU will be a better team with revenge on their mind.

Then the Miami game. Miami is not The U like it used to be, but make no mistake, they are damn good and very very fast. Watch their bowl game for evidence. Plus Miami has an easy opponent before us.

Then we fly up to face an Akron team which is not bad, which comes after a tough first three weeks.

I'm sure Satterfield and company will have the boys ready weekly, but it won't be easy.

- Tennessee's doing that slow, stair-step climb with Butch Jones. 5-7, 7-6, 8-4. They'll compete for an SEC East title.

So, that'd be an upset and a pretty big one.


- We should handle ODU. They're better than 49-0. But, we should handle them.


- Miami's interesting. While they were looking for a coach, I was thinking that we would be getting them at the absolute perfect time. Then, they hired Richt.

It'll still be early in the Richt era, though. So, it is still a wildcard.

- It took a long time for a lot of us to get a feeling about the 2015 Mountaineers. If we're still unsure at the beginning of the Akron game, I feel like we'll know a lot by the end of it. That's a quality opponent on the road after a big game. If we win that one, I'll feel good about the Sun Belt season.

I expect App to go at least 3-1. Loss will be at Knoxville. I fully expect us to beat Miami in Boone. Just a feeling. Go App!

I sure hope we don't have another "2 Thursday night games" to deal with this year. 7 day cycle time to prep for the next game should be minimum. As we saw, the 4 games in 18 days hurt. ESPN and Sunbelt need to give us a chance.

BlueCreekAppFan wrote:I sure hope we don't have another "2 Thursday night games" to deal with this year. 7 day cycle time to prep for the next game should be minimum. As we saw, the 4 games in 18 days hurt. ESPN and Sunbelt need to give us a chance.

They care more about the money. We should feel privileged to get the exposure though.

For sure they care about the money. And since they do, wouldnt it make more sense for the conference to not give us the Thursday-Saturday-Thursday setup it did this year since in all likelihood we have the best shot at making a NY6 bowl?

I think we can go 2-2. Beating Miami, even in Boone, will be a huge task. Hoping for the upset though. ODU was young this year and should be better next season. Akron loses a ton of talent & starters. Seven of their top eight tacklers on defense were SRs. Two of their top three rushers & 2 of their top 3 receivers were SRs! Both PK & P were SRs and 4 of 5 OL were SRs. Should be favored in this one! Exciting times!!!

Yosef10 wrote:For sure they care about the money. And since they do, wouldnt it make more sense for the conference to not give us the Thursday-Saturday-Thursday setup it did this year since in all likelihood we have the best shot at making a NY6 bowl?

Guaranteed money from ESPN for Thursday night games, or hope Appalachian State finishes 12-0 or 11-1 (Would still need some help) and makes a NY6 game? Finishing 11-2 made us even more appealing for ESPN to fill an open Thursday night slot. If ESPN wants us on a Thursday night, we will play on a Thursday night. The Sun Belt is in no position to make the rules. They will do whatever it takes for the conference to get exposure. Guaranteed exposure.

Our 2016 home schedule will be ODU, Miami, Ga State, Idaho, New Mexico State and ULM. Don't think we have to worry about Thursdays.

What about Thursday away games? Those would be worse for the traveling team I would think.

luvyosef wrote:Our 2016 home schedule will be ODU, Miami, Ga State, Idaho, New Mexico State and ULM. Don't think we have to worry about Thursdays.

GA State could be enticing for Thursday given their finish this year. I hope we do not have Thursday at home or away.

Wouldn't be surprised if we played Ga Southern on Thursday again

We will play in Statesboro on a Thursday, and possibly even a Tuesday (a la stAte and LaLa), The only question is which one. I hate to say it, but so long as us and Gaso are at the top of the conference, I am afraid this scheduling will be an ESPN mainstay.

I'm fine with a weekday away game and maybe one Thursday home game. I don't want more than one five-day turnaround in 2016.