Topic: We are betting favorites to win 9 games

[Johnnyherd]

I heard this on Paul Swanns podcast, expected to lose NC St +8, Coastal +2.5 and get this +14 to South Alabama.  Is south alabama our new UAB?  i think he said we are -6 to beat Va Tech.  Im going off memory of while I was driving a few hours ago, so doubt check my spreads but they should be close.  Thoughts?

[svherd]

9-3 solid season and with a bowl win = 10 wins. A lot of unknowns and hope luck falls on the side of the good guys.

[herd2win]

Those lines seem off.  Can't believe we are minus 6 to Va Tech and then plus 14 at South Alabama.

[gochneaur645]

USA has quietly turned into a beast. They bring everybody back from last season where their only two regular season losses were at UCLA by 1 and to Troy by 4.

I have a feeling that game might end up costing us the division title even if we're the best team in the East. Neither App nor Coastal have to play them or Troy, who should be by far the best two teams from the West.

Hell, we would have won the East last year if us and Coastal would have switched playing Troy and ULM from the West.

[herdorbust2]

USA has quietly turned into a beast. They bring everybody back from last season where their only two regular season losses were at UCLA by 1 and to Troy by 4.

I have a feeling that game might end up costing us the division title even if we're the best team in the East. Neither App nor Coastal have to play them or Troy, who should be by far the best two teams from the West.

Hell, we would have won the East last year if us and Coastal would have switched playing Troy and ULM from the West.

USA is going to be real good. We have a brutal schedule this year. But I think we just may have the team to handle it.

[Johnnyherd]

Those lines seem off.  Can't believe we are minus 6 to Va Tech and then plus 14 at South Alabama.

Here it is,  he may have said -5 for Va tech,  i m certain about SA being +14

[herd2win]

Here it is,  he may have said -5 for Va tech,  i m certain about SA being +14

I wasn't doubting your comment was just doubting the Vegas odds.  Going to be a wild ride this season I believe.

[Johnnyherd]

Also one game we were less than a half a point favored so thats a pick'em basically.  We are favored on the road against ECU I cant remember maybe by -3 or -5?

[svherd]

Beating ECU on the road in their first home game of the season would be a nice win. Not a gimme but certainly doable.

[HerdEcon]

So Marshall is not favored vs. the conference teams with a high power offense, Coastal and USA?  I miss the days that we had the high powered offense.

I see 8-4 as where we will be at the end of the regular season.  9-3 is possible but leaves no room for that head scratcher game.  Anything less that 8-4 then we are going in the wrong direction.  8-4 is treading water at best.  Behind offense on my list of concerns is the number of players that have not played together prior to this season.  Getting consistent performance out of a bunch of players that are new to Huff's system and haven't played together is going to be a challenge.  Are the players going to know the tendency of the guy(s) playing next to you?

[BigJimslade]

I heard this on Paul Swanns podcast, expected to lose NC St +8, Coastal +2.5 and get this +14 to South Alabama.  Is south alabama our new UAB?  i think he said we are -6 to beat Va Tech.  Im going off memory of while I was driving a few hours ago, so doubt check my spreads but they should be close.  Thoughts?

Take the Herd plus 14
Do it now

[gochneaur645]

So Marshall is not favored vs. the conference teams with a high power offense, Coastal and USA?  I miss the days that we had the high powered offense.

We'd also be underdogs to Troy, and their offense is below average.

We're underdogs to Coastal and USA because they're good teams we play on the road. USA's offense is fine, but their defense is the stronger unit.

[MCA23]

Could you imagine what last year would have been like had we had an offense to go with that defense.  That win in South Bend you would have thought we were an Access Bowl contender and then the offense couldn't get out of 2nd gear the rest of the season.

[HerdEcon]

We'd also be underdogs to Troy, and their offense is below average.

We're underdogs to Coastal and USA because they're good teams we play on the road. USA's offense is fine, but their defense is the stronger unit.

USA ranked 38th in Total Offense last season.  25th in Total Defense.  35th in 3rd down conversion; 25th in pass completion %; 33 in passing offense; 13th in 3rd down defense; 30th in passes intercepted; and 4th in rush defense.

Not to shabby either way.  One wtf game vs. Troy or they would have been playing in the SB Championship game.  Same luck vs. Troy as we had.

[chris88]

Ok i'll bite. Pre-camp prediction anyone? At end of camp you can make adjustments.

Albany W
@ECU  L (their coach has them in every game and at 4pm on natl TV it's going to be hot and stadium likely jacked)
VT       W (if we don't win this game we are in trouble)
ODU    W
@NC St L
@Ga St L (trap game between Nc State and JMU and can't remember when we didin't lose at least one game we are favored to win)
JMU      W
@Coastal   W
@Appy       L
Ga So         W
@SA          L
Ark St        W

7-5 overall/5-3 SB/6-0 home

[miltonherdfan]

Ok i'll bite. Pre-camp prediction anyone? At end of camp you can make adjustments.

Albany W
@ECU  L (their coach has them in every game and at 4pm on natl TV it's going to be hot and stadium likely jacked)
VT       W (if we don't win this game we are in trouble)
ODU    W
@NC St L
@Ga St L (trap game between Nc State and JMU and can't remember when we didin't lose at least one game we are favored to win)
JMU      W
@Coastal   W
@Appy       L
Ga So         W
@SA          L
Ark St        W

7-5 overall/5-3 SB/6-0 home

1-5 on the road...if we're that terrible on the road, hard to see us beating CCU for our only win.  that (7-5/5-3) is not gonna get it done.

[herdorbust2]

10-2

[Garbanjo]

Ok i'll bite. Pre-camp prediction anyone? At end of camp you can make adjustments.

Albany W
@ECU  L (their coach has them in every game and at 4pm on natl TV it's going to be hot and stadium likely jacked)
VT       W (if we don't win this game we are in trouble)
ODU    W
@NC St L
@Ga St L (trap game between Nc State and JMU and can't remember when we didin't lose at least one game we are favored to win)
JMU      W
@Coastal   W
@Appy       L
Ga So         W
@SA          L
Ark St        W

7-5 overall/5-3 SB/6-0 home

Blazing hot seat for Huff in year 4 if you're right man

[MUsince96]

I think the 9 win projection referenced is from this Power ranking tweet-

https://twitter.com/brett_mcmurphy/status/1676588972003278848?s=46&t=E65q0XChCEy8tKQ5xaYeSw

That isn't to say he thinks we win 9 games but that we should be favored in 9 games.

Vegas has our win total over/under at 7.5

[svherd]

College football and the landscape has changed greatly since our MAC run. We hit that league running and took them by surprise. Tougher schedules now and the playing field is more even. Every school making improvements, using the portal. Excuses? No! But we'll never have a run like that again. That said, I don't think its too much to ask that we play for the league title every 3 years or so, hopefully more often.

[Garbanjo]

College football and the landscape has changed greatly since our MAC run. We hit that league running and took them by surprise. Tougher schedules now and the playing field is more even. Every school making improvements, using the portal. Excuses? No! But we'll never have a run like that again. That said, I don't think its too much to ask that we play for the league title every 3 years or so, hopefully more often.

I agree contending for SBC titles shouldn't be out of reach

It's the SBC folks, not the SEC

Go Herd!

[BigJimslade]

I heard this on Paul Swanns podcast, expected to lose NC St +8, Coastal +2.5 and get this +14 to South Alabama.  Is south alabama our new UAB?  i think he said we are -6 to beat Va Tech.  Im going off memory of while I was driving a few hours ago, so doubt check my spreads but they should be close.  Thoughts?

The Paul Swann Show
Lol

[Flat Tire 2]

College football and the landscape has changed greatly since our MAC run. We hit that league running and took them by surprise. Tougher schedules now and the playing field is more even. Every school making improvements, using the portal. Excuses? No! But we'll never have a run like that again. That said, I don't think its too much to ask that we play for the league title every 3 years or so, hopefully more often.

Another factor to consider is the number of colleges that have added football since our MAC days. The college landscape has changed.

In the old days MU recruited the south; Virginia; Georgia and Florida without must competition. MU has to recruit out of state players since WV doesn't produce enough Division I players. Now MU has a lot more competition of players in these areas. FL Atlantic and FIU didn't start playing football until around 2002. South Alabama didn't start football until 2009; GA State started 2010; ODU and CCU started in 2011; JMU is a relatively newer program. 

The days of MU recruiting the best players against little or no competition are over. The SBC schools are spending a lot of money on football and that is something we never had to deal with in the 1990's. The players we use to get can now stay home and their families can watch their home games.

[Nicks Pizza]

Circa in Las Vegas currently has Marshall's win total at O/U 7 wins.

[herdloyal]

The most important metric is we have a Real football HC who has been to some of the most prestigious football program universities in the country. Why did Nick recommend Huff take the job? Well we are seeing results both on and off the field both in consistency and character! Huff is making us look real good and inviting! this season will be another test up for us to regain the status we once had. WVU is a dumpster fire!
We all might be surprised more than a little this season.