Mvemjsunpx wrote:EWURanger wrote:
You guys say this stuff every year, and yet we keep bringing in great athletes to replace the ones who leave. 2011's record wasn't due to the schedule, it was a reflection of a team completely decimated by injuries.
So Eastern
started 0-4 in 2011, but
finished 6-1 mostly due to injuries? That's a tough argument to make. It clearly wasn't just the injuries.
We lost 3 OL in the first 3 games, and our 3 toughest games (UW, UM, and MSU) were all in the first 4 weeks while our very inexperienced backups were thrust into the fray. As the season progressed, so did the young OL, and the competition got easier. I'm not saying the lack of a run game didn't have any part in it because it did, but it's hard to give your QB enough time to throw when you have really green OL in there against your toughest opponents.
Mvemjsunpx wrote:
EWU keeps bringing in athletes, but they tend to make the playoffs closer to every other year—not quite every year. The Eags don't look to be as good on paper as they were last season, & I see at least 5 games on that schedule where they're the underdog, IMO (@ Oregon St., @ Toledo, @ Montana, vs. Montana St., @ Cal Poly). They'll have to win 2 of those 5—plus Sam Houston—to have a realistic shot at the playoffs.
At 9-3 we're in for sure, at 8-4 we will still more than likely get in due to our recent history and the expanded field.
