2016 College Football Previews

[Leonardfan]

Hey Everyone,

College Football Season is less than 100 days away so I figured I would get the conversation started to see how many volunteers will contribute to doing some write-ups this year.

Heretic had an interesting idea - to have one person take a whole conference. I have no issue with that although taking a whole conference can be quite a bit of work. Also, there are posters who have done a great job covering certain teams (one example is Phall's Michigan write-up which is something I look forward to every year). Perhaps we can split it up - the Mountain West, WAC, Sun Belt and Conference USA are all admittedly not the most desirable conferences to do. Maybe we can have volunteers cover all the teams in one of these conferences.

What are everyone's thoughts? Who wants to volunteer and contribute (even doing one team is a great help)?

 

[Heretic]

I'm in. I'll still take the Mountain West for starters and go from there.

 

[Claimjumper]

I'm in for the Pac 12 (South) and I can bite the bullet for the Sun Belt too if we go the conference route

PS: Apparently the MW isn't as undesirable as youd thought Leonardfan, looks like Heretic beat me to the punch this year lol...if you don't mind, I'd enjoy doing CSU again this year as its my alma mater! (and possibly AFA and WYO)

 

[celticdb15]

Reporting for duty. I'll take whatever! Only preference I'd like to preview Wisconsin again this year!

 

[Leonardfan]

I am going to see if I can find a Google
Doc like site that does not require signing in to access a document. That way I can just post a spread sheet and people can pick their teams/conferences

 

[Leonardfan]

I started a conversation with Heretic, Claimjumper and Celticdb. Let me know if you guys are all able to see the contents of it.

 

[Phall]

Thanks, Leonardfan! I enjoy writing the Michigan preview every year and am glad it is appreciated. If Michigan looked more like an SEC roster, it wouldn't be as much fun to research and write. As such, I usually volunteer for the previews of Michigan's opponents, since I have some vested interest and familiarity already.

One conference per person is a bold idea. I like that it would familiarize the author with the hierarchy, recruiting practices, and ranking of CF preference. This would perhaps augment our template a bit for consuming otherwise-bland games midseason. The downside is a potentially huge workload for some members, perhaps at the expense of detail. Another is that frankly, some conferences are whiter than others. I could probably preview the SEC in a couple easy hours, listing the white contributors with the takeaway "root for the underdogs."

Maybe a compromise is assigning a conference "half" per person, with possibly those teams' non-conference (non-P5) opponents tied in as well. Then we can fill in the blanks from volunteers while assuring that no big programs get missed. I must have searched for last year's missing UCLA thread five times, lol!

Regardless, I will do the Michigan writeup and happily take on another 5-10 teams.

 

[Jack Lambert]

I'm pretty busy this summer, but I wouldn't mind doing my usual Nebraska write-up! I'd also probably be able to do 5-10 other teams as well.

 

[Leonardfan]

Phall, Jack Lambert keep an eye on your private messages

 

[Leonardfan]

Anyone interested in write ups just let me know here and I will send you a private message with details

 

[Vanilla_Sky]

My favorite time of the year! I will gladly aid in this, and do not at all mind doing some of the non-Power 5 conferences! Just let me know what is left.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

I'm glad y'all are getting this going, and it really isn't so complicated that it requires such planning, but that's just my $.02. The level of detail has always been variable with these previews. In 2005 and 2006, when team websites and online info about players in general was much more difficult (approaching indescribably so) to get than today (or even 5 years ago), I was previewing the majority of FBS (1-A) teams by myself, although I didn't generally include info on backups unless they were "high profile" or they became starters during the season. Now, doing THAT many previews in that era required a huge amount of time. I don't think that the SEC can be adequately covered in two hours, although it is a very dark and depressing conference to work on. I do think that some posters would do a great job of previewing one conference and would have the time for doing it right.

 

[Leonardfan]

Col. Reb,

I just like to start this thread up every year to coordinate with everyone who wants to do writeups. I think the more people who do write ups the better. Not trying to complicate things at all just want to make sure everyone who wants to contribute gets a chance.

Also thanks for doing the Ole Miss write up

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Leonardfan, you're doing a great job and I think this thread is exactly what is needed, as coordination always helps things along. I was referring mainly to the suggestions that Phall made as not being necessary. Of course, I could be wrong. It sure wouldn't be the first time.

 

[Leonardfan]

Thanks Col. Reb

One person taking a conference and laying it all out would be a pretty big undertaking for an individual as everyone has pointed out. I like the original write-up format that you established and it is what I have become accustomed to using over the years when I do previews. I also appreciate that other board members are taking a vested interest in the write-ups and bringing different ideas to the table.

Sometimes it does get a little tedious when searching through page after page to find a team write-up because you want to post a roster update or link to an article of a player. Also, with the information that is out there and incorporating the great work done by members in the HS football recruiting thread into the college football previews is another good idea but also could be somewhat labor intensive. I welcome all input from the participants to see what everyone thinks.

Another idea I had is to just great a thread for each conference and in that thread members could post their team previews. Whoever would like to cover the conference can start the thread and in the first post in the thread they can just update and edit it once all of the team previews are posted.

We could really go down a rabbit hole with this whole thing lol. I would like to hear what other participants think.

 

[Phall]

I would volunteer to try a 2-hour SEC CF preview. Maybe for this site's own charity... let's try it. 12 minutes per team constant. Easy peasy

 

[Leonardfan]

Phall by all means go for it if you want to!

Just bumping this thread to see who else wants to do some write ups.

 

[celticdb15]

I'll volunteer to do some of the leftover and undesired teams in the Sun Belt and Wac, etc.

 

[Leonardfan]

I have been somewhat missing from posting the past few weeks - I have been real busy. Hoping to start posting some of my write-ups this weekend.

 

[Leonardfan]

Is anyone else using ourlads for depth chart info? I typically get two of the preview magazines and cross check with ourlads and the school's official depth chart/roster. Just wanted to see if everyone else uses ourlads as well.

 

[TwentyTwo]

I use a combo of Sporting News & Our Lads(more for the mid-majors)...however noticed some 2-deep depth charts were incomplete..but are being updated as we speak.

Previewing the ever growing; now 128 FBS Teams is a tall order...had the privilege of doing the last few Stanford write-up's as well as a few of the more obscure teams(La.Tech, etc) in the past.

 

[Leonardfan]

Hey everyone I have been busy with school/work but plan to start churning out previews this week.

 

[Leonardfan]

Here is the list of taken, completed and available teams. Please reference this list if you want to take any teams not spoken for by any other member:

Boston College Eagles ACC Leonardfan - done
Clemson Tigers ACC Leonardfan - done
Duke Blue Devils ACC Leonardfan - done
Florida State Seminoles ACC Phall
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets ACC Jack Lambert
Louisville Cardinals ACC Vanilla_Sky
Miami (FL) Hurricanes ACC Jack Lambert
North Carolina Tar Heels ACC Leonardfan - done
NC State Wolfpack ACC Phall
Pittsburgh Panthers ACC Leonardfan - done
Syracuse Orange ACC Leonardfan - done
Virginia Cavaliers ACC Phall
Virginia Tech Hokies ACC Jack Lambert
Wake Forest Demon Deacons ACC Jack Lambert
UCF Knights American Phall
Cincinnati Bearcats American Leonardfan - done
Connecticut Huskies American Deadlift - done
East Carolina Pirates American Leonardfan - done
Houston Cougars American Celticdb15
Memphis Tigers American Celticdb15
Navy Midshipmen American Celticdb15
South Florida Bulls American Celticdb15
SMU Mustangs American Celticdb15
Temple Owls American Celticdb15
Tulane Green Wave American Vanilla_Sky
Tulsa Golden Hurricane American
Baylor Bears Big 12 Jack Lambert
Iowa State Cyclones Big 12 Heretic - done
Kansas Jayhawks Big 12 Heretic - done
Kansas State Wildcats Big 12 Heretic - done
Oklahoma Sooners Big 12 Vanilla_Sky
Oklahoma State Cowboys Big 12 Heretic - done
TCU Horned Frogs Big 12 Vanilla_Sky
Texas Longhorns Big 12 Leonardfan - done
Texas Tech Red Raiders Big 12
West Virginia Mountaineers Big 12 Heretic - done
Illinois Fighting Illini Big Ten Phall
Indiana Hoosiers Big Ten Jack Lambert
Iowa Hawkeyes Big Ten Heretic - done
Maryland Terrapins Big Ten Jack Lambert
Michigan Wolverines Big Ten Phall -
Michigan State Spartans Big Ten Jack Lambert
Minnesota Golden Gophers Big Ten Heretic - done
Nebraska Cornhuskers Big Ten Jack Lambert
Northwestern Wildcats Big Ten Heretic - done
Ohio State Buckeyes Big Ten Phall
Penn State Nittany Lions Big Ten Leonardfan
Purdue Boilermakers Big Ten Jack Lambert
Rutgers Scarlet Knights Big Ten Phall
Wisconsin Badgers Big Ten Celticdb15
Charlotte 49ers C-USA Leonardfan - done
FIU Panthers C-USA Leonardfan - done
Florida Atlantic Owls C-USA Leonardfan - done
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs C-USA Leonardfan - done
Marshall Thundering Herd C-USA Leonardfan - done
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders C-USA Leonardfan - done
North Texas Mean Green C-USA Leonardfan - done
Old Dominion Monarchs C-USA Phall
Rice Owls C-USA Vanilla_Sky
Southern Miss Golden Eagles C-USA Vanilla_Sky
UTEP Miners C-USA
UTSA Roadrunners C-USA
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers C-USA
Army West Point Black Knights Independent Jack Lambert
BYU Cougars Independent
Massachusetts Minutemen Independent
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Independent Jack Lambert
Akron Zips MAC Phall
Ball State Cardinals MAC Leonardfan - done
Bowling Green Falcons MAC Leonardfan - done
Buffalo Bulls MAC
Central Michigan Chippewas MAC Leonardfan - done
Eastern Michigan Eagles MAC
Kent State Golden Flashes MAC Leonardfan - done
Miami (OH) RedHawks MAC
NIU Huskies MAC
Ohio Bobcats MAC Leonardfan
Toledo Rockets MAC
Western Michigan Broncos MAC
Air Force Falcons Mountain West Heretic
Boise State Broncos Mountain West Heretic
Fresno State Bulldogs Mountain West Heretic
Colorado State Rams Mountain West Claimjumper - done
Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors Mountain West Heretic
Nevada Wolf Pack Mountain West Heretic
UNLV Rebels Mountain West Heretic
New Mexico Lobos Mountain West Heretic
San Diego State Aztecs Mountain West Heretic
San Jose State Spartans Mountain West Heretic
Utah State Aggies Mountain West Heretic
Wyoming Cowboys Mountain West Heretic
Arizona Wildcats Pac-12 Claimjumper
Arizona State Sun Devils Pac-12 Claimjumper
California Golden Bears Pac-12 Claimjumper
UCLA Bruins Pac-12 Claimjumper
Colorado Buffaloes Pac-12 Claimjumper - done
Oregon Ducks Pac-12
Oregon State Beavers Pac-12
USC Trojans Pac-12
Stanford Cardinal Pac-12 Heretic
Utah Utes Pac-12
Washington Huskies Pac-12
Washington State Cougars Pac-12 Vanilla_Sky
Alabama Crimson Tide SEC Vanilla_Sky
Arkansas Razorbacks SEC
Auburn Tigers SEC
Florida Gators SEC
Georgia Bulldogs SEC
Kentucky Wildcats SEC
LSU Tigers SEC Phall
Ole Miss Rebels SEC Vanilla_Sky - done
Mississippi State Bulldogs SEC Vanilla_Sky
Missouri Tigers SEC Vanilla_Sky
South Carolina Gamecocks SEC Vanilla_Sky
Tennessee Volunteers SEC
Texas A&M Aggies SEC Vanilla_Sky
Vanderbilt Commodores SEC Vanilla_Sky
Appalachian State Mountaineers Sun Belt Claimjumper
Arkansas State Red Wolves Sun Belt Claimjumper
Georgia Southern Eagles Sun Belt Claimjumper
Georgia State Panthers Sun Belt Claimjumper
Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns Sun Belt Claimjumper
Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks Sun Belt Claimjumper
New Mexico State Aggies Sun Belt Claimjumper
South Alabama Jaguars Sun Belt Claimjumper
Texas State Bobcats Sun Belt Claimjumper
Troy Trojans Sun Belt Claimjumper
Idaho Vandals Sun Belt Claimjumper

 

[celticdb15]

You can mark me down for the rest of the American conference and I'll help out with the MAC if needed.

 

[Leonardfan]

31 teams down so far!