Topic: RANT SPORTS: Ranking Every Top-25 Team's Biggest Strength Heading into 2014

[biggreenarms]

With the college football season fast-approaching, the slate is clean for every team from the Alabama Crimson Tide to the Purdue Boilermakers, which finished 1-11 in 2013. While each major team has focused on addressing their weaknesses in spring ball and in the months leading up to the start of the season, they can always count on what they do best to win games. Here now are the strengths of each top-25 college football team heading into 2014.

#22 Led by quarterback Rakeem Cato, the Marshall Thundering Herd have one of the best passing attacks in college football. The Herd threw for over 200 yards in every game in 2013 and had multiple passing touchdowns in 12 of their 14 games. Not only is Cato coming back, but he'll also have his favorite target back in receiver Tommy Shuler. Shuler led the Herd with 106 catches for 1,165 yards and was second in touchdowns with 10.

http://www.rantsports.com/ncaa-football/2014/06/09/college-football-every-top-25-teams-biggest-strength-heading-into-2014/#slide2

[IM4DHERD]

Again, the pre-season top ranked of the Group of 5.

[jstherd]

Right on IM4DHERD - right on. Man, this is great and great to be a HERD fan.

[_sturt_]

Again, the pre-season top ranked of the Group of 5.

Please let me know when a Bleacher Report or SBNation or FanSided blogger puts us in his/her top 25, too, won't you?

Wouldn't want to miss that.

[jstherd]

I'lleep you posted DURING the season Sturt. Let me know your reaction. I wouldn't want to miss that!

[MUsince96]

How many losses are you hoping for this year Sturt? Got your UCF or Boise shirt ordered? Lord knows you'd rather be right than the Herd be successful.

[_sturt_]

I'lleep you posted DURING the season Sturt. Let me know your reaction. I wouldn't want to miss that!

I think you miss the point, jst... people, perhaps including yourself, are getting excited because some guy who signed up to write for one of the above blog-sites evaluated all of the Go5 2013 bowl winners and decided to slot us in his article. Now c'mon... every paid media columnist saying anything nice about Marshall pre-season begins his submission by saying something about our competition... who's the fool?

[_sturt_]

Setting aside the fact that I'm not exactly sure how I would ever be "proven right," if we don't go undefeated (link), I seem to have touched a nerve with at least one stalker/poser/poster when I said in another thread...

...the dissenters, though, ultimately will prove to not matter very much... don't let them bring you down.

They like being perceived as "right" and "popular" more than they actually care about the future of the program.

It's all about their own image... only about the team insomuch as their support of the team makes them look good for being a supporter...

... and that's as it should be for someone even BHFIOHIO (ie, notably, on his side of that particular conversation) once declared as probably best to shut it down, having been "owned." (link)

[MUsince96]

[_sturt_]

*laughing*... well, yeah, I suppose the selfie probably says it better than I just did.

More proof that, given time, some stalkers/posers/people eventually just make themselves irrelevant w/o any outside assistance.

[MUsince96]

I think that's just the board's collective response to most of your ramblings.

[MUsince96]

And btw, you would be proven right (regarding your numerous scheduling threads about getting us into an Access Bowl) if we were left out of an Access Bowl after going undefeated.

For this season at least.

[BHFIOHIO]

If we go 13 and 0 and lose the access bowl to an 11 and 1 UCF but draw Big10/12 in the HOD it will be just as cool as the thriller in Detroit vs Ol Miss after Moss and Penny decimated Ball St, EMU and Buffalo etc. How many BCS bowls did CUSA 2 champs go to?

[_sturt_]

Ought-three said it well... [link]

Again, this is what rubbed many of us wrong about MAC fans back-when... they would do well to figure out that there's something to be said for not becoming so caught up in having to see the bright side that you lower your standards.

[IM4DHERD]

All we are saying is that there are certain people who are choosing us, in the way-too-early pre-season, to be the Group of 5 representative.

So far:  

Phil Steele
Athlon
ESPN (McMurphy)
and some others?

These are pretty respected folk.  We are allowed to be excited about our prospects.  If we "just win, baby", we might just do it.  And there is no reason why even if we lose a game we can't make it.  We just need some help, just like the 4 teams who will get to the Playoff will need help...No way there are 4 unbeaten teams heading into that scenario.

[_sturt_]

The three you just listed? Absolutely. All legitimate causes for encouragement.

But don't sidestep that this particular thread began... obviously... as a celebration of some Joe Fan like me or you writing something.

*meh*

[BHFIOHIO]

whats griping ol Sturt is that this is exactly the kind of recognition that he has been saying for a yr or more that we couldn't get associated with CUSA 3. But it actually is all about winning and having dynamic players. Its not hard to figure out either.

[MUsince96]

whats griping ol Sturt is that this is exactly the kind of recognition that he has been saying for a yr or more that we couldn't get associated with CUSA 3. But it actually is all about winning and having dynamic players. Its not hard to figure out either.

Ding ding ding.

[Greg H]

Sturt is the kind of guy who would complain about "the mole" which banging Cindy Crawford.

[firstate]

HOLY MOLY!

[_sturt_]

May I testify, your honor?

Thank you.

What gripes ol sturt?

What gripes ol sturt is, first, having people... BHFI listen up, this might apply to you... put words in his keyboard willy-nilly... taking the full truth of what I'm saying, and for their own reasons disingenuously twisting a word or two so that the half-truth completely alters the real message.

You get that, tho, without me saying it, eh BHFI? Yeah. I know you do.

Never talked about preseason recognition by sportswriters. Never. But you know that without me saying it, right? Yeah.

(The philosophy seems to go something like this: Never let words just stated in the previous post even ..."The three you just listed? Absolutely. All legitimate causes for encouragement."... get in the way of a good jab. Right?)

For the uninformed, what I have been talking about is the ultimate goal that ought-three talked about. Recognition by the 13 people whose opinions will matter in the end.

So just because I focus on those 13 and getting the program into a position where, long-term, Marshall is not disadvantaged from being in the pool of schools that they are talking about, doesn't mean that I don't appreciate the media hype that's building right now.

I just don't think hype is going to win the day. Ultimately, those 13 individuals aren't going to be counting Rant Sports articles or even CBS Sports articles.

Appreciate the attention. But stay grounded and understand what really matters--long-term and not just in the short-term.

I know while I'm among the few who will speak about the realities of the emperor's attire or lack thereof, I can't possibly be alone in maintaining these truths. Even some of you taking your personal shots know that the content of what I'm saying is accurate. It's a matter of the messenger, not the message. I'm a big boy. I don't really care about that part. This is not my social circle that I feel some need to be admired... hehe... like that would ever happen. But what that also tells you is that I have no ulterior motives here... I genuinely am just trying to say and do what I can to help make things better.

Second. Going back to where this all started...

What gripes ol sturt is anytime... having everything or nothing to do with Marshall football... someone... anyone, on this board or in every day life... is so gung-ho to prove a point that they'll latch on to even the most trivial and/or barely legitimate source to prove that point... EVEN if I happen to agree with said person about said point.

Sports, politics, religion, or in some area involving my profession. Doesn't matter.

You don't help solidify a point by pointing to a strawman that anyone with any common sense... particularly those who disagree with you... can knock down with the wisp of air caused by batting one's eyelash.

So, the reality is, I'm just looking out for you guys, so you don't embarrass yourselves next time you fail to realize that your "source" of pride and joy is but a mere Anyman who volunteered to write for Rant Sports, or Bleacher Report, or SB Nation, or... whatever.

No thanks needed. Just doing my job.  :P

By the way, tho... what I said about dissenters?... you remember...

...the dissenters, though, ultimately will prove to not matter very much... don't let them bring you down.

They like being perceived as "right" and "popular" more than they actually care about the future of the program.

It's all about their own image... only about the team insomuch as their support of the team makes them look good for being a supporter...

I may be wrong about some things... maybe we lose 3 games and still get the major bowl, for instance... but I couldn't be more right about that.

That's all, your honor. I'll step down now.  

Oh... hold up... one more thing, your honor before I go... I need to correct one more inaccuracy... this one not quite so malicious... that is, actually, I always thought the mole above Cindy Crawford's lip was kinda hot.
 ;D

[HoPPy785]

[fuzzy fillez]

 ;D

[BuyNtelos4]

Sturt, would you create a poll for us regarding whether you should join the once heralded GB60 in herdfans jail, aka the smack board.  You can write a book debating both sides of the argument for us, and then we will all vote to see how the board as a whole feels regarding the matter.  I don't even think you will have to bump (...) it a thousand times to try and create interest for it!

[fuzzy fillez]

 ;D