Akron:
+: Gets Miami and Marshall at home
+: Has easy Out-Of-Division opponents (cmu h, Emu a)
-: Has UCF on the road
?: Are they done being injured. WMU broke their will--and stars' bodies--in 2001.
Buffalo:
+: Home games versus WMU, Miami, UCF
-: at Marshall
?: they're still Buffalo
UCF:
+ Toledo at home, Akron at home
-: WMU, Miami and Marshall on the road
-: Overconfidence and killer OOD opponents
?: Will killer OOC schedule prep--or poop--team for conference. And, traveling 1,000 for road games gets old, quick...especially during cold, wet Oct/Nov games in Midwest.
Kent:
+: Marshall, BG and Akron at home
+: Easy OOC with NH and Cal-Poly sandwiched around Ohio State
-: at UCF, at NIU
?: Kent of old or Kent of last year...returning all-everything QB needs supporting cast and defense will tell the tale
Marshall:
+: UCF at home, Miami at home
+: Pansy OOC with App St and Troy St
+: Simple OOD opponents, cmu and Ball
-: Overconfidence
?: Leftwich wears a bulls-eye for second-consecutive year...No replacement for defensive star Max Yates.
Miami:
+: Iowa, UCF and NIU at home
+: Herd and UCF back-to-back to close season with 11 days between
-: Herd on the road, UT on the road, Akron on the road
?: Will Rothlesburger has sophomore jynx?
Ohio:
+: Marshall at home
-: Too numerous, incl., at UCF, at Miami, at BG
?: Can rebound from atrocious '01 to compete for title? Doubtful.
Ball State:
+: NIU and WMU home
-: at UT, at BG, at Marshall
-: That road schedule is killer for Ball
?: Challenge for title 2 consecutive years even though coach is still on hot seat?
BGSU:
+: Mizzou at home, WMU at home
-: Kent on road, UT on road, NI on road
?: Must replace best LBer in years and still have QB controversy, and QB--not RB--led team in rushing in '01. Meyer's yet to face adversity--how will he and team respond to it in '02.
cmu:
+: Best home schedule in conference: Wyoming, BG, Marshall, WMU
-: UT on road and NIU on road
-: AD should know if DeBord can't field a winner this year, he can't field a winner
?: If WMU is all that salvages the season, cmu fans will be ready for blood long before Nov. 23.
Emu:
+: UT home, Akron home, cmu home, NIU home
+: Two punk OOC games, SEMizzou St and SoIll
-: WMU on road, BG on road
-: Last 3 games versus three West challengers: WMU, NIU, BGSU
?: Are head coach and AD on the chopping block?
NIU:
+: Good OOC games: Wake h, SoFla a, Wisc a
+: BGSU at home, UT at home
-: Road games versus Miami and WMU
?: Can NIU stay at the top of its game two consecutive years?
Toledo:
+: Good OOC games: Cal Poly h, Pitt a, Minn a, UNLV h
+: BG and Miami at home
-: WMU, NIU, UCF on the road
?: Hot shot freshman RB recruit is average and undersized...must replace QB. Can defense hold long enough for offense to develop?
WMU:
+: Home versus UT, UCF and NIU
-: at BG and cmu
?: Is OOC schedule a killer or a message-sender...will there be a QB controversy or will the position be a strength? Defensive returners hold the key--if they perform as a unit as they should, offense can be average-to-good and still win 'em all in league.
+: Gets Miami and Marshall at home
+: Has easy Out-Of-Division opponents (cmu h, Emu a)
-: Has UCF on the road
?: Are they done being injured. WMU broke their will--and stars' bodies--in 2001.
Buffalo:
+: Home games versus WMU, Miami, UCF
-: at Marshall
?: they're still Buffalo
UCF:
+ Toledo at home, Akron at home
-: WMU, Miami and Marshall on the road
-: Overconfidence and killer OOD opponents
?: Will killer OOC schedule prep--or poop--team for conference. And, traveling 1,000 for road games gets old, quick...especially during cold, wet Oct/Nov games in Midwest.
Kent:
+: Marshall, BG and Akron at home
+: Easy OOC with NH and Cal-Poly sandwiched around Ohio State
-: at UCF, at NIU
?: Kent of old or Kent of last year...returning all-everything QB needs supporting cast and defense will tell the tale
Marshall:
+: UCF at home, Miami at home
+: Pansy OOC with App St and Troy St
+: Simple OOD opponents, cmu and Ball
-: Overconfidence
?: Leftwich wears a bulls-eye for second-consecutive year...No replacement for defensive star Max Yates.
Miami:
+: Iowa, UCF and NIU at home
+: Herd and UCF back-to-back to close season with 11 days between
-: Herd on the road, UT on the road, Akron on the road
?: Will Rothlesburger has sophomore jynx?
Ohio:
+: Marshall at home
-: Too numerous, incl., at UCF, at Miami, at BG
?: Can rebound from atrocious '01 to compete for title? Doubtful.
Ball State:
+: NIU and WMU home
-: at UT, at BG, at Marshall
-: That road schedule is killer for Ball
?: Challenge for title 2 consecutive years even though coach is still on hot seat?
BGSU:
+: Mizzou at home, WMU at home
-: Kent on road, UT on road, NI on road
?: Must replace best LBer in years and still have QB controversy, and QB--not RB--led team in rushing in '01. Meyer's yet to face adversity--how will he and team respond to it in '02.
cmu:
+: Best home schedule in conference: Wyoming, BG, Marshall, WMU
-: UT on road and NIU on road
-: AD should know if DeBord can't field a winner this year, he can't field a winner
?: If WMU is all that salvages the season, cmu fans will be ready for blood long before Nov. 23.
Emu:
+: UT home, Akron home, cmu home, NIU home
+: Two punk OOC games, SEMizzou St and SoIll
-: WMU on road, BG on road
-: Last 3 games versus three West challengers: WMU, NIU, BGSU
?: Are head coach and AD on the chopping block?
NIU:
+: Good OOC games: Wake h, SoFla a, Wisc a
+: BGSU at home, UT at home
-: Road games versus Miami and WMU
?: Can NIU stay at the top of its game two consecutive years?
Toledo:
+: Good OOC games: Cal Poly h, Pitt a, Minn a, UNLV h
+: BG and Miami at home
-: WMU, NIU, UCF on the road
?: Hot shot freshman RB recruit is average and undersized...must replace QB. Can defense hold long enough for offense to develop?
WMU:
+: Home versus UT, UCF and NIU
-: at BG and cmu
?: Is OOC schedule a killer or a message-sender...will there be a QB controversy or will the position be a strength? Defensive returners hold the key--if they perform as a unit as they should, offense can be average-to-good and still win 'em all in league.
