We might be the most UNDER-RATED team in the Top 25... will know after Oregon in PA, week 6.
Back in 2016, we struggled under Burns / Chryst (newbies), and still went 10-3 with a Sun Bowl win (thank you, Defense).
I submit, the WR Corp we have now was better than young Irwin, JJAW, and Owuzu back in 2016, plus D.Schultz at TE.
-- M.Wilson, Wedington, Fehoko, O.St Brown (as fast as Rector), D.Stewart, maybe Elijah "Arcega" Higgins gets some touches.
Plus All-Pac12 Parkinson at TE (with Harrington, Fisk, Archer)
We got knocked down a LOT (too much) bcuz Love is gone, and over 2,000 receiving yards graduated.
QB: Costello is clearly better than any Burns / Chryst MasterBlaster combo. He led the Pac12 last season in QBR.
The OLine will be fine; at least as good as 2016, but not what we had in 2015 or 2012 -- the two benchmark years, IMO.
OK -- we don't have CMC or Love, but either Scarlett emerges, or Peat or Austin Jones gets an early look.
Better than 11th in Rushing ! The hurdle mark from 2018 is LOW.
I think our Defense is also UNDER-rated. In 2018, we were 11th in PASSING yards allowed, and 7th in RUSHING yards allowed.
I think we improve at every tier -- though we lost talent at LB. Play frosh Sinclair for speed and to force turnovers.
As one dimension that might help our Defensive stats, we face some good QBs, but I think less talent than last season:
NORW: H.Johnson might be an "A"... but untested. Gameplan: keep away by Stanford; Wildcats lost chunks on Defense.
@USC: JT Daniles underwhelmed last season; and USC has not decided with Fink. Ambivalence in Troy.
@UCF: Has TWO Starters at QB injured, OUT. Minton went down; then Mack broke an ankle.
-- Now they just named B.Wimbush as the starter; and we beat him in 2017 vs NDAM in PA. Athletic, but inconsistent.
OREG: Hebert at A+, the best QB we will face all season, but our miracle comeback beat him last year in OT.
@ORST: J.Luton is decent, "B+", with much less talent around him than Costello has.
WASH: Replacing a three-year starter with Eason, who is a "conditional A" on paper, but again UNTESTED.
UCLA: DTRobinson is a highly-touted 4-star out of power school Bishop Gorman, but young. Perhaps a "B+" with upside.
ZONA: Tate is clearly a dual threat, but perhaps more so with the run. I like our Front 7 in this game to stop a potent RUN game.
@COLO: Senior QB Montez is very good, "A-", armed with the best WR in Pac12, Shenault. Triple Team?
-- NFL Scouts are drooling for this matchup between Adebo and Shenault in Boulder, two sure fire NFLers.
@WAST: QB battle looks like Leach settled for consistency in A.Gordon, over arm of Gabrud. Another rookie QB. SACKS.
KALSucks: Bearskies played the worst looking Bowl (Cheezy) of the season last year, losing 7-10. Garbers?, is a "D+".
NDAM: Ian Book burned us last year, "A". He and Hebert give me the most heartburn with the talent around them.
Back in 2016, we struggled under Burns / Chryst (newbies), and still went 10-3 with a Sun Bowl win (thank you, Defense).
I submit, the WR Corp we have now was better than young Irwin, JJAW, and Owuzu back in 2016, plus D.Schultz at TE.
-- M.Wilson, Wedington, Fehoko, O.St Brown (as fast as Rector), D.Stewart, maybe Elijah "Arcega" Higgins gets some touches.
Plus All-Pac12 Parkinson at TE (with Harrington, Fisk, Archer)
We got knocked down a LOT (too much) bcuz Love is gone, and over 2,000 receiving yards graduated.
QB: Costello is clearly better than any Burns / Chryst MasterBlaster combo. He led the Pac12 last season in QBR.
The OLine will be fine; at least as good as 2016, but not what we had in 2015 or 2012 -- the two benchmark years, IMO.
OK -- we don't have CMC or Love, but either Scarlett emerges, or Peat or Austin Jones gets an early look.
Better than 11th in Rushing ! The hurdle mark from 2018 is LOW.
I think our Defense is also UNDER-rated. In 2018, we were 11th in PASSING yards allowed, and 7th in RUSHING yards allowed.
I think we improve at every tier -- though we lost talent at LB. Play frosh Sinclair for speed and to force turnovers.
As one dimension that might help our Defensive stats, we face some good QBs, but I think less talent than last season:
NORW: H.Johnson might be an "A"... but untested. Gameplan: keep away by Stanford; Wildcats lost chunks on Defense.
@USC: JT Daniles underwhelmed last season; and USC has not decided with Fink. Ambivalence in Troy.
@UCF: Has TWO Starters at QB injured, OUT. Minton went down; then Mack broke an ankle.
-- Now they just named B.Wimbush as the starter; and we beat him in 2017 vs NDAM in PA. Athletic, but inconsistent.
OREG: Hebert at A+, the best QB we will face all season, but our miracle comeback beat him last year in OT.
@ORST: J.Luton is decent, "B+", with much less talent around him than Costello has.
WASH: Replacing a three-year starter with Eason, who is a "conditional A" on paper, but again UNTESTED.
UCLA: DTRobinson is a highly-touted 4-star out of power school Bishop Gorman, but young. Perhaps a "B+" with upside.
ZONA: Tate is clearly a dual threat, but perhaps more so with the run. I like our Front 7 in this game to stop a potent RUN game.
@COLO: Senior QB Montez is very good, "A-", armed with the best WR in Pac12, Shenault. Triple Team?
-- NFL Scouts are drooling for this matchup between Adebo and Shenault in Boulder, two sure fire NFLers.
@WAST: QB battle looks like Leach settled for consistency in A.Gordon, over arm of Gabrud. Another rookie QB. SACKS.
KALSucks: Bearskies played the worst looking Bowl (Cheezy) of the season last year, losing 7-10. Garbers?, is a "D+".
NDAM: Ian Book burned us last year, "A". He and Hebert give me the most heartburn with the talent around them.