Early 2015 FCS Poll

[Seminole Indian]

Only two SLC teams ranked #17 McNeese, and #4 Sam Houston State. Stephen F. Austin mentioned.

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/writers/infcshuddle/archive/haley_01_13_2015.htm

[GoHogs1091]

Must be an older poll.  Vernon Adams transferred from Eastern Washington to Oregon.  It will be extremely difficult for Eastern Washington to be the 3rd best team in the FCS without QB Adams, who was a FCS All-American QB.

Sam Houston State does have some good starters, but I am not for sure if their depth will be adequate over an entire season.

Sam Houston State has to go to Conway this upcoming season.  UCA has been able to win against SHS recently in Conway, even against a SHS team that eventually was the National Runner-Up.

I frankly wouldn't be surprised if UCA were to win against McNeese State.  I predicted in the UCA Spring Football thread that McNeese State would win in a very close game, but it is a game that definitely could be won by UCA.

UCA should be able to win against Stephen F. Austin.  SFA is going to have the trouble that every UCA opponent will have to deal with this upcoming season, and that is trying to slow down UCA's Offense.

[Seminole Indian]

Not sure the date just the only 2015 FCS  predictions I've found. Hopefully more pre-season predictions will start coming out soon.

[Seminole Indian]

2015 Sporting News FCS Preseason Poll Rank School :
1 North Dakota State
2 Sam Houston State
3 Illinois State
4 Villanova
5 Eastern Washington
6 Coastal Carolina
7 Jacksonville State
8 Chattanooga
9 Montana State
10 Youngstown State
11 Northern Iowa
12 James Madison
13 Idaho State
14 Eastern Kentucky
15 Montana
16 Liberty
17 Stephen F. Austin
18 New Hampshire
19 Indiana State
20 Alcorn State
21 Southeastern Louisiana
22 Northern Arizona
23 South Dakota State
24 Charleston Southern
25 Eastern Illinois

http://www.csnphilly.com/content/2015-fcs-football-preseason-polls-sporting-news-puts-north-dakota-state-1-villanova-4

[Seminole Indian]

Read in Sun newspaper today where UCA has been picked 6th by the SLC coaches, so top 25 may not be in the cards this year.

Guess the coaches feel the improvements expected in the 2nd year after a coaching change are offset by the loss of some very good players from last year.

Did see where OBU is picked to win their league.

[GoHogs1091]

Read in Sun newspaper today where UCA has been picked 6th by the SLC coaches, so top 25 may not be in the cards this year.

Guess the coaches feel the improvements expected in the 2nd year after a coaching change are offset by the loss of some very good players from last year.

Did see where OBU is picked to win their league.

UCA only lost 2 significant players, those 2 being Wide Receiver, Dezmin Lewis, who the Buffalo Bills drafted, and Offensive Left Tackle, Cole Caruthers.

They signed a highly regarded JUCO WR to replace Lewis.  Caruthers had a lot of playing experience, but since Taylor Reed is a left-handed QB, the Offensive Left Tackle is not blocking on Reed's blind side.

[Seminole Indian]

Most UCA fans seem optimistic, but lets face it that is what fans do.

I normally rely on recruiting data, normally a 5 year composite average to get a feel for how teams compare in talent then go from there, and that is almost impossible to do at the FCS level.

At the FBS level both A-State and UofA fans are optimistic. Looking at the 4 year 247 recruiting rankings A-State is only #82 nationally but # 1 in the SBC. Arkansas is #23 nationally but only # 10 in the SEC. I at least have a feel for how they stack up talent wise to their conference mates.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-recruiting/2015/2/6/7987571/recruiting-rankings-ratings-2015-college-football-teams

Obviously other things factor into winning, but having a feel for how teams compare to each other in talent is a good place to start, and I do not have a feel at all for how the SLC teams stack up in talent, compared to their conference mates.

[GoHogs1091]

Most UCA fans seem optimistic, but lets face it that is what fans do.

I normally rely on recruiting data, normally a 5 year composite average to get a feel for how teams compare in talent then go from there, and that is almost impossible to do at the FCS level.

At the FBS level both A-State and UofA fans are optimistic. Looking at the 4 year 247 recruiting rankings A-State is only #82 nationally but # 1 in the SBC. Arkansas is #23 nationally but only # 10 in the SEC. I at least have a feel for how they stack up talent wise to their conference mates.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-recruiting/2015/2/6/7987571/recruiting-rankings-ratings-2015-college-football-teams

Obviously other things factor into winning, but having a feel for how teams compare to each other in talent is a good place to start, and I do not have a feel at all for how the SLC teams stack up in talent, compared to their conference mates.

I would say, UCA may have the 3rd or 4th best group of football talent in the SLC.

Where UCA is ahead of the rest of the SLC is head coaching.  Steve Campbell is a 2 time National Coach of the Year.

[hogfan14]

Sam Houston should be the favorite but the Southland is a little like the SEC west...you never know how it's going to shake out. A lot of the teams in the middle of the pack are really close to each other.

[HOGGISHABOUTAR]

True, and I do think UCA will do better than predicted. Steve Campbell is the real deal, and they have some studs.

[Seminole Indian]

I'm sticking with my 8 +/- 1 win prediction for three of the 4 Division 1 programs in Arkansas.

Reading the papers the HC at UAPB feels he will have a much improved team but I'm not sure what that means.

A-State has been very lucky with injuries thus far this fall, and injuries destroyed last season from the get-go when their center gave up the game because of concussions.

Arkansas has suffered a major loss at RB , but still has an outstanding RB to pick up the slack.

Not sure about UCA or UAPB on the injury front.