Five unranked teams with BCS sleeper potential in 2010

[NUance]

Five unranked teams with BCS sleeper potential in 2010
With the 2010 season rapidly approaching, I've received numerous questions lately from e-mailers, talk-radio hosts, bloggers, etc., about who my "dark horse" team is this year.

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Arizona (8-5 in '09)

Connecticut (8-5)

Boston College (8-5)

Purdue (5-7)

Navy (10-4)

There are no Big 12 teams on this list because, outside of Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska, the Big 12 is not going to be very good.

• I strongly considered Notre Dame. Both of the Irish's last two coaches, Tyrone Willingham (10-3 in 2002) and Charlie Weis (9-3 in '05), produced major improvement in their first seasons, and Brian Kelly is inheriting a more talented squad than either of them. The schedule's just too tough, though, to forecast anything better than eight or nine wins and the Champs Sports Bowl.

• Finally, a few other non-AQ "sleepers" to consider: Houston (10-4 last season, though a Nov. 27 return trip to Texas Tech a week before a potential date in the Conference USA title game comes at a tough time); Air Force (8-5 last season and creeping up on TCU/Utah/BYU in the Mountain West); and SMU (8-5 last season, and playing for a coach, June Jones, who has gotten it done before).

linky

 

[huzkerbob]

• Finally, a few other non-AQ "sleepers" to consider: Houston (10-4 last season, though a Nov. 27 return trip to Texas Tech a week before a potential date in the Conference USA title game comes at a tough time); Air Force (8-5 last season and creeping up on TCU/Utah/BYU in the Mountain West); and SMU (8-5 last season, and playing for a coach, June Jones, who has gotten it done before).

linky

Did this guy see Houston's defense last year? Or SMU's? They where absolutely abysmal! :blink:

It's pretty simple, if Utah didn't make the big game in 08 and Boise St. didn't make it in last year, then I don't give a squirt what these teams records are at the end of the year because they will never get invited to the big game.......NEVER!

 

[huKSer]

• Finally, a few other non-AQ "sleepers" to consider: Houston (10-4 last season, though a Nov. 27 return trip to Texas Tech a week before a potential date in the Conference USA title game comes at a tough time); Air Force (8-5 last season and creeping up on TCU/Utah/BYU in the Mountain West); and SMU (8-5 last season, and playing for a coach, June Jones, who has gotten it done before).

linky

Did this guy see Houston's defense last year? Or SMU's? They where absolutely abysmal! :blink:

It's pretty simple, if Utah didn't make the big game in 08 and Boise St. didn't make it in last year, then I don't give a squirt what these teams records are at the end of the year because they will never get invited to the big game.......NEVER!

Did this guy see Nebraska's offense last year? They where absolutely abysmal! :blink:

That said I know little (as in nothing) about Houston defense or SMU at all other than their coach is June Jones (which is really bad since I went to school there for a semester). Things change from one year to another.

 

[huzkerbob]

• Finally, a few other non-AQ "sleepers" to consider: Houston (10-4 last season, though a Nov. 27 return trip to Texas Tech a week before a potential date in the Conference USA title game comes at a tough time); Air Force (8-5 last season and creeping up on TCU/Utah/BYU in the Mountain West); and SMU (8-5 last season, and playing for a coach, June Jones, who has gotten it done before).

linky

Did this guy see Houston's defense last year? Or SMU's? They where absolutely abysmal! :blink:

It's pretty simple, if Utah didn't make the big game in 08 and Boise St. didn't make it in last year, then I don't give a squirt what these teams records are at the end of the year because they will never get invited to the big game.......NEVER!

Did this guy see Nebraska's offense last year? They where absolutely abysmal! :blink:

That said I know little (as in nothing) about Houston defense or SMU at all other than their coach is June Jones (which is really bad since I went to school there for a semester). Things change from one year to another.

Sorry if something in that statement offended you, but I have seen a lot of their games and I can assure you that even NU's awful 2009 offense doesn't compare to the ineptitude those defenses displayed last season. (If I had the time or patience right now I would list specific examples, but ehhhh.)

Sure one year can make a hell of a difference, but that doesn't mean we should expect any miraculous turnarounds from them. Unfortunately I think the same logic can be applied to NU's offense. The only difference being that NU at least has the benefit of better depth to help them improve in a shorter period of time.......Or at least I hope that's the case.