Polls

[fupaladin01]

This week:

STATS FCS - FU (NR) VMI #22 ETSU #16 (FU essentially #26 with 15 less votes than #25)
FCS Coaches- FU #25 UTC #22 ETSU #17
Athlon Power- FU #23 ETSU #22

Interesting how everyone seems to have a similar assessment of Furman, but very different ideas about 'Nooga, VMI, and ETSU. Craig Haley has never been high on the SoCon or Furman, so I'm pleasantly surprised at his ranking . I think a lot of voters in STATS as well as coaches practice "slot" voting where a team largely stays put unless they lose. Recency bias shows up big here. Are Furman's 2 wins as impressive as CentAK's 2 losses? Perhaps not, but it's tough to see a 0-2 team ahead of a 2-0 team. If we receive a drubbing by NCSU this weekend, will we get the same consideration as others like Austin Peay or Kennesaw after their non-competitive losses to FBS and keep our spot? I doubt it.

Either way, if we're 5-1 heading into the showdown with ETSU, we'll be top 15.

[FUBeAR]

“Showdown” #1 is 9/25.

Surprising to find anyone ‘sleeping’ on the gravity of that contest.

ETSU is “Showdown” #4

Granted, “Showdown” #3, right now, doesn’t appear that it will be much of a “Showdown,” but ALL should treat it that way. Losing 3 in a row to the bellhops is just unfathomable. I would have said “unacceptable,” but some of you would misinterpret that term…possibly because the last 3 seasons that it happened (1977, 1993, and 2016), we had a new Head Coach the following season. Not saying that at all in this case, but it’s certainly would be NO BUENO!

And…we don’t know, really, yet, if “Showdown” #2 will live up to that ‘status,’ but at this juncture, FUBeAR is sure not ready to say it won’t.

It’s a gauntlet of “showdowns,” but it definitely starts on 9/25.

[fupaladin01]

I certainly did not mean to imply I’m looking past Mercer. Or Wofford. Or Citadel. I was looking for a record that I felt for certain would warrant a top 15 ranking and also give some time for the top teams to beat each other up to make room for us. 3-1 after a MU win would look good, but although we know they’re a great team, the poll voters won’t see it as impressive as a 3-1 Montana State or New Hampshire. If we make it to 5-1, I think the herd is somewhat thinned and we’d have a more impressive resume.

[FUBeAR]

I certainly did not mean to imply I’m looking past Mercer. Or Wofford. Or Citadel. I was looking for a record that I felt for certain would warrant a top 15 ranking and also give some time for the top teams to beat each other up to make room for us. 3-1 after a MU win would look good, but although we know they’re a great team, the poll voters won’t see it as impressive as a 3-1 Montana State or New Hampshire. If we make it to 5-1, I think the herd is somewhat thinned and we’d have a more impressive resume.

OK - you’re right…IF FU is 5-1 & ETSU is 7-0 on 10/23, ETSU should be Top 10 & FU shouldn’t be more than a few slots lower.

[FurmAlum]

Why does everyone think ETSU is so good? Heck, we beat them last year on the road. Yes, I know they beat Vandy.

And I agree with Bear. The Mercer game might be the tougher of the first 3 conference games.

[FUBeAR]

Why does everyone think ETSU is so good? Heck, we beat them last year on the road. Yes, I know they beat Vandy.

And I agree with Bear. The Mercer game might be the tougher of the first 3 conference games.

Not exactly what I said.

A Citadel (they’ve recently lost rights to their “The”) appears to be in free fall. If they fall to NGU (led by a QB who has beaten them by double digits there before) on Sat., then, yeah, they should not be able to compete with Furman.

Reserving judgement on Woffraud. Will know a little more after their game with the rapidly declining owlets, then a little more after they play the seemingly retreating Keydets…and we should know all we need to know after they square off with ETSU.

But - yeah, Mercer could be much better than both of them & FU can’t go 8-0 in the SoCon without being 1-0 late in the day on 9/25

[gman84]

The Mercer game is the toughest game on our schedule. !

[The Jackal]

My two cents (these are thoughts, not rankings).

Furman has looked the best to this point. They've got a suffocating defense and an offense that has looked significantly more efficient and should continue to keep getting better.

ETSU and UTC are sort of similar to me. They both have good defenses and good running backs. Both teams have some real question marks at QB. In my view, their defenses are not as good as Furman's and I'm not sure their offenses are either.

VMI feels overrated, but they won the league last year and have not really done anything yet to write them off as a contender. They have arguably the league's best defensive and offensive players. That's a team Furman with a modicum of consistency on offense last season would have beaten on the road.

Mercer is going to be tough. That was another game Furman should have won last year but just couldn't get the ball moving. Coach Cronic will have them well coached. Hard to read too much into their season at this point considering they've played one team that is really bad and one team that is really good.

I've been on the record for a while waiting for Wofford's demise. Ayers players are now gone. Wofford looked bad in the spring. They beat the CAA's worst team by 1. I think they are still dangerous, but probably not a front runner.

WCU has looked a bit more competent with their new coaching staff, but I think still well behind the curve.

The Citadel struggled in the spring. Their offense looks like it lacks a lot of athleticism, and is instead wanting to play games in a phone booth. I'm not sure that offense is going to have a ton of success against the run defenses in this conference. They'll bite someone, but this may be Brent Thompson's last hurrah.

Samford looks exactly what you'd expect. Same players. Same system. Defenses that can come up and tackle against their shifty receivers will give them trouble. If you like a team going three and out in 30 seconds of game clock, they're your team.

[DeepPurple]

The one thing about Mercer, we will have a good idea about their version of the wing and how they attack our D. We will also have a good idea how their D lines up and defends us. In the spring season, there were many unknowns, new coach, etc. Seems everyone took a week off when they needed it except us. I do believe our MOJO will be much better on Sept 25.

[FUBeAR]

The one thing about Mercer, we will have a good idea about their version of the wing and how they attack our D. We will also have a good idea how their D lines up and defends us. In the spring season, there were many unknowns, new coach, etc. Seems everyone took a week off when they needed it except us. I do believe our MOJO will be much better on Sept 25.

I believe you are correct, barring a nasty blowout (by NCSU) in Raleigh (which FUBeAR does not think will happen), the Paladins will have optimal “mojo” at home on 9/25.

Last spring when FU & Mercer squared off in Macon, FU was coming off a painful, narrow loss at VMI, a narrow escape at ETSU, and another painful (and ugly) loss at Home to Chatt - all low-lighted by a struggling O. There was a narrow win (with some positives for the O) over Samford sandwiched in between, but with 2 weeks to ‘stew in it’ after the (ugly) loss to Chatt, the “mojo” heading to Mercer was certainly far from ideal, I would imagine. On the other hand, the Bears were at home coming off a big win over WCU and a solid road win at Chatt. The Bears “mojo” was peaking.

Honestly, with Mercer, to some extent, feeling as if they have won 2 games (they do…even if their record shows 1-1) and 3 nice new pieces they’ve added to their O since Spring showing up big in Tuscaloosa, Mercer will be coming into Paladin Stadium at optimal “mojo” as well.

Gonna be a SlobberKnocker, FUBeAR is tellin’ you right here & now.

If you don’t have tix yet, you better call Dwight!

I’ve heard the ‘81 PS App St. game record attendance game of 19k+ may be threatened.

Knowing Mercer’s Prez a little bit, I would expect to see Mercer’s band (not quite the Blue & Gold Music Machine, but not bad) and just as many (or more) bus loads of students (than) they took to Raleigh, when they beat Duke in hoops a few years back, showing up in TR next Sat…7 buses, I think it was. I know they are having an Alumni Tailgate at the stadium as A&T did. Hyping it big-time already.

#SlobberKnocker

[Jasper]

I think Cronic is far and away the best offensive coach at this level. During his brief time at FU, we had a very exciting and productive offense and I fully expect that Mercer will be the same. That means we have to up our game on the offensive side of the ball and put up a bunch of points. I think we have the tools to do it - Josh Harris looks to be awesome and Sisson is much improved. I worry about the play calling. I hope we will be less predictable and more imaginative.

[FUBeAR]

I think Cronic is far and away the best offensive coach at this level. During his brief time at FU, we had a very exciting and productive offense and I fully expect that Mercer will be the same. That means we have to up our game on the offensive side of the ball and put up a bunch of points. I think we have the tools to do it - Josh Harris looks to be awesome and Sisson is much improved. I worry about the play calling. I hope we will be less predictable and more imaginative.

Not sure that’s the case. FU’s D has looked as solid and opportunistic as any in the SoCon, if not all of FCS.

Mercer’s D is pretty good too. Bama’s Starters put up 4 solid drives & scored 4 TD’s in 3 quarters. That may sound like a lot, but, honestly, the Tide has NFL-ready talent 3-deep at about every position & is better Coached than most NFL Teams.

I’d be more inclined to posit that we will see a low(er) scoring affair with the magnitude of every mistake (turnovers, DAP’s, clock/time-out usage) magnified.

#SlobberKnocker

[apaladin]

Bear, I know a lot of what you said is tongue in cheek about attendance as Mercer has never showed up in force at PS nor has the band ever showed up IIRC. Now about the team, yes they are prolly the best team in the SoCon. Im thinking a 2 score or better victory for the Bears.

[FUBeAR]

Bear, I know a lot of what you said is tongue in cheek about attendance as Mercer has never showed up in force at PS nor has the band ever showed up IIRC. Now about the team, yes they are prolly the best team in the SoCon. Im thinking a 2 score or better victory for the Bears.

…and I’m not joking about what I think they will do to bring a crowd….Covid/Bus being the only reason they would not.

…and I expect this will be a one-score final possession type of game….not 2 scores.

#SlobberKnocker

[The Jackal]

Watched NC State's highlights against MSU.

Having looked at their depth chart, the one major physical difference will be at receiver. They are big at receiver - a bunch of big bodied 6'4 types. I suppose one advantage is we've already played a team (NC A&T) with a bunch of big WRs.

The Pack offense doesn't look particularly impressive. I mean, they're big, but a lot of poor decisions by the QB, a lot of pressure surrendered by the OL, loose hands on the football by RBs, etc. The sheer size of their WRs bailed them out of a few poorly thrown balls.

Defensively they look like they started with a lot of man coverage schemes until Miss State beat them enough in it that they went into zone. They'll be aggressive against us to get the bad taste in the mouths out. Maybe the RPO game we saw heavily used against A&T will be back on the menu.