The 2011 Football Schedule is out and here are my initial thoughts:
-Thursday Night is becoming Georgia State Night at the Dome. I actually love the idea and am thrilled that we can make it ours. Opening vs. an AUC team will boost attendance significantly as Georgia Tech and Georgia will not play an AUC school in football. We are an FCS Independent in 2011 and this was the year to capitalize on playing a local Atlanta school.
-It's actually tougher than the 2010 schedule. How so? In 2010, our opponents combined for a winning percentage of .520 (63-58). In 2011, our opponents have a combined winning percentage of .590 (65-45). Throwing out the non FCS/FBS teams and the percentages jump again from .534 in 2010 to .632 in 2011.
-6 Wins is an Attainable Goal Again. It's not the best exercise to go down the schedule and mark a W or an L next to a name because of varying factors but I believe 6 wins is a worthy expectation. Clark Atlanta, Murray State, UTSA, Lambuth, West Alabama and Campbell are all games that we should equal or better talent. The toss up games begin with ODU, Jacksonville State, South Alabama and SC State. All four will be very difficult and 2 played in the FCS Playoffs last year. While Houston did not come off a National Championship season like Alabama in 2009, they will be extremely formidable and we will be heavy underdogs in this game.
Wow! What happened to Houston's national championship? I guess within the hour the NCAA stripped them of it?
ReplyDeleteEditing error. I blame Georgia Southern.
ReplyDeleteGa State must be pretty good or you're just taking the homer route! You've already put GSU on par with a Top 10 Jax State club and marked up-and-coming Murray State as mediocre. Both those teams are pre-season top 25 in the first FCS 2011 poll of the year (Southern Pigskin).
ReplyDeleteI believe we will be improved in 2011 and 6 wins with this schedule would be very impressive.
ReplyDeleteIn 2010, playing in only our 3rd ever game vs. Jacksonville State we were a dropped INT from knocking off the then #3 Gamecocks off at home. I believe it will be a very competitive game and we've upgraded our secondary to slow their spread offense passing game.
As far as Murray State, they went 6-5 in 2010, 3-8 in 2009, 5-7 in 2008. Not exactly an "up and coming program." Of those 14 wins the last 3 seasons, only 4 have come on the road. The Racers had only 1 win vs. a .500 or better team in 2010 and that was at home vs. UT-Martin. It will be a good game but we should be favored to win that one in the Dome. There's no way they should be ranked in any poll and it makes me doubt what exactly they are looking at.