Football Gameplan's FCS Kickoff - 2016 SoCon Season Preview

[The Cats]

https://youtu.be/mLDfYxFvcoc

[SU DOG]

The area he claimed to be one of Samford's strengths, is actually my biggest concern for this season, and that is our secondary. Omari Williams is a really good CB, and Jamerson Blount is an all conference FS who will both be back. However, we lost an outstanding CB in Bradberry and Trey Wesley was our SS at the end of the season. I have no idea who will replace those two, and I think our depth there will be razor thin. Hopefully we will have some young players to step up.

I'm also shocked at the pick for #2. While Mercer will definitely be a team to fear, that is a really BIG jump for the Bears IMO. Maybe that just goes to show how balanced this conference may be this year. UTC is no surprise to be picked first, but I could see even them stumbling also.

[JSUSoutherner]

The area he claimed to be one of Samford's strengths, is actually my biggest concern for this season, and that is our secondary. Omari Williams is a really good CB, and Jamerson Blount is an all conference FS who will both be back. However, we lost an outstanding CB in Bradberry and Trey Wesley was our SS at the end of the season. I have no idea who will replace those two, and I think our depth there will be razor thin. Hopefully we will have some young players to step up.

I'm also shocked at the pick for #2. While Mercer will definitely be a team to fear, that is a really BIG jump for the Bears IMO. Maybe that just goes to show how balanced this conference may be this year. UTC is no surprise to be picked first, but I could see even them stumbling also.
I'm not surprised with Mercer at number two. Just look at how close they were last year to being a 10 win team. 5 of their losses were close and they basically bring back the whole team.

I agree with you on Chatty. They have a squad for sure and will likely do well this season, but consistency will be something to watch, especially at the QB position. Fortunately for the Moc's their OOC outside Bama screams cupcake.

[Milktruck74]

I think UTC should be in the drivers seat, and the bottom 3 are right.....but 2-6 are wide open. I'll say Chattanooga is going to be scary good this season, but I'm scared by 5 teams in the SoCon. We could be 10-0 and ranked #1 headed to Bama or we could realistically be 6-4 and not make the playoffs. Let's get this season started!!!

[Milktruck74]

I'm not surprised with Mercer at number two. Just look at how close they were last year to being a 10 win team. 5 of their losses were close and they basically bring back the whole team.

I agree with you on Chatty. They have a squad for sure and will likely do well this season, but consistency will be something to watch, especially at the QB position. Fortunately for the Moc's their OOC outside Bama screams cupcake.

We earned a cupcake OOC schedule, the last few years have been pretty tough.

[JSUSoutherner]

I think UTC should be in the drivers seat, and the bottom 3 are right.....but 2-6 are wide open. I'll say Chattanooga is going to be scary good this season, but I'm scared by 5 teams in the SoCon. We could be 10-0 and ranked #1 headed to Bama or we could realistically be 6-4 and not make the playoffs. Let's get this season started!!!

I agree with this. The season needs to hurry up and get here.


We earned a cupcake OOC schedule, the last few years have been pretty tough.

You're welcome. :D

I look to forward to having you guys come to visit again next season. Maybe if we are lucky we won't have to wait that long for another game. xthumbsupx

[Toby]

Gameplan thinks 3 SoCon teams will make the playoffs.

[JSUSoutherner]

Gameplan thinks 3 SoCon teams will make the playoffs.
They also think Tennessee State will be third in the OVC and we might get 4 into the playoffs...

Therefore,

I wouldn't put too much stock into it.

[KPSUL]

At the rate he is going picking the number of playoff teams per conference, there would have to be a 34 team field in the FCS playoffs to accommodate them all. I've watched all the Game Plan 2016 conference previews released so far, I suspect we will see the final three released this week: CAA, MVFC and Southland

oops! I don't think I've seen the Pioneer yet either.

[Toby]

They also think Tennessee State will be third in the OVC and we might get 4 into the playoffs...

Therefore,

I wouldn't put too much stock into it.

Maybe, but I think his case that the SoCon should be much improved is strong.

[SU DOG]

The SoCon is wide open this year, IMO. One thing that caught my attention was a statement on the Catamount Board. "We lose our QB and because of that, get picked 6th, while UTC loses theirs and gets picked to go to Frisco". I also think the Cats will be better than 6th in the SoCon. They have some really good athletes returning. Overall, this conference is considerably better than most folks around FCS land think it is.

[longtimemocfan]

You just don't know until the games are played to see where the teams are going to shake out. The best thing that could have happened to us is to start out with a easy schedule to help a new starting QB get some confidence early in the season. Bennifield is really good. Not only a better passer than Huesman, but a little quicker runner as well. Intangibles like game management and how poised he becomes will determine a lot of the success we will have going forward as a team this year. This year could see 3 teams get in the playoffs. The conference will have to win their share of OOC battles for this to happen.

[walliver]

You just don't know until the games are played to see where the teams are going to shake out. The best thing that could have happened to us is to start out with a easy schedule to help a new starting QB get some confidence early in the season. Bennifield is really good. Not only a better passer than Huesman, but a little quicker runner as well. Intangibles like game management and how poised he becomes will determine a lot of the success we will have going forward as a team this year. This year could see 3 teams get in the playoffs. The conference will have to win their share of OOC battles for this to happen.

OOC has killed us the last few years. The big difference the last 3-4 years compared to the days when the SoCon usually got 3 in every year (in a 16 team field) is poor OOC performance. A number of teams have scheduled themselves out of an at-large with multiple FBS games, sub-DI games, and **shudder** OVC and Big South losses.

[PaladinFan]

OOC has killed us the last few years. The big difference the last 3-4 years compared to the days when the SoCon usually got 3 in every year (in a 16 team field) is poor OOC performance. A number of teams have scheduled themselves out of an at-large with multiple FBS games, sub-DI games, and **shudder** OVC and Big South losses.

This was an issue directly addressed by the Commissioner last year, I think. The Conference is never going to continue to raise its national profile so long as we keep playing NAIA schools and missing the post season or opportunities to line up against other quality FCS teams.

I get it that schedules change, teams back out and you have to scramble for a game. That happens. Just my take, the last few years, only a couple of teams have really done their job on scheduling. Perhaps only UTC, Furman, and the Citadel most years. Those are really the only programs going out and really avoiding subD1 schools in favor of tough FCS OOC games (Coastal, JSU, CSU, etc.). UTC, for some reason, has Shorter on their schedule this year.

I just think for the conference as a whole, they need to get away from scheduling two FBS games and one or two sub-D1 games. You just leave yourself extremely little room for error to make the post season. Go play tough OOC games against good FCS teams. Makes everyone better.

[smallcollegefbfan]

I guess everyone ran Emory off and now he won't post his own stuff anymore. I was surprised to see it posted by someone else but then realized that may be the only way we see it. Although, I was hoping he would show up and defend his positions before.

[JSUSoutherner]

This was an issue directly addressed by the Commissioner last year, I think. The Conference is never going to continue to raise its national profile so long as we keep playing NAIA schools and missing the post season or opportunities to line up against other quality FCS teams.

I get it that schedules change, teams back out and you have to scramble for a game. That happens. Just my take, the last few years, only a couple of teams have really done their job on scheduling. Perhaps only UTC, Furman, and the Citadel most years. Those are really the only programs going out and really avoiding subD1 schools in favor of tough FCS OOC games (Coastal, JSU, CSU, etc.). UTC, for some reason, has Shorter on their schedule this year.

I just think for the conference as a whole, they need to get away from scheduling two FBS games and one or two sub-D1 games. You just leave yourself extremely little room for error to make the post season. Go play tough OOC games against good FCS teams. Makes everyone better.
Not sure you should count JSU if you're against the non FCS OOC. We have UNA and LSU to go with our Liberty/ Coastal combo.

[ElCid]

Not sure you should count JSU if you're against the non FCS OOC. We have UNA and LSU to go with our Liberty/ Coastal combo.

That's not a bad OOC schedule you have there. Unfortunately, we had a pretty bad one this year. Gardner-Webb, North Greenville(!), and UNC. Uhg! I don't see us having too much problems with the first two although G-W can sometimes surprise, and while I think if the planets align, we may have a shot, at least to keep it interesting with UNC, this OOC schedule is nothing to write home about.

Now that we are back to 9 teams in the SOCON, 11 game seasons allow only 3 OOC and with at least one likely FBS that leaves 2 shots to make a splash outside of the already tough SOCON schedule. I wish we had at least one strong CAA opponent. The travel is not that bad for JMU, Richmond or even Delaware. I hope as we establish a higher caliber team in the next couple years, we look into that.

[catamount man]

This was an issue directly addressed by the Commissioner last year, I think. The Conference is never going to continue to raise its national profile so long as we keep playing NAIA schools and missing the post season or opportunities to line up against other quality FCS teams.

I get it that schedules change, teams back out and you have to scramble for a game. That happens. Just my take, the last few years, only a couple of teams have really done their job on scheduling. Perhaps only UTC, Furman, and the Citadel most years. Those are really the only programs going out and really avoiding subD1 schools in favor of tough FCS OOC games (Coastal, JSU, CSU, etc.). UTC, for some reason, has Shorter on their schedule this year.

I just think for the conference as a whole, they need to get away from scheduling two FBS games and one or two sub-D1 games. You just leave yourself extremely little room for error to make the post season. Go play tough OOC games against good FCS teams. Makes everyone better.

WCU and G-Webb have a four year scheduling agreement from 2016-2019 so we won't be playing any d2 teams during that stretch. The two FBS games will still be played in 2016 and 2017 however because the contracts have already been signed. As of now, I haven't heard anything about a FBS team for the Catamounts in 2018 but we go to NC State in 2019. The Catamount Club has once again broken their own record for giving for the 3rd year in a row and with the new lowered tuition bill being passed in the state of NC, WCU will be able to attract more out of state students, i.e. hopefully more Atlanta-area blue chippers, which will bring in more dollars with student fees towards athletics which should help eliminate, eventually, the extra FBS game that WCU has been so prone to pick up. I'm hoping. One a year is enough but given the long history of poor athletic leadership, it's what our current AD has had to do and we're coming out strong.

Compare WCU football today to just 5 years ago? MUCH better shape. GO CATS!!!