SDSU is not a "HUGE" drop off.
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SDSU is not a "HUGE" drop off.
Most of these polls are BS because they just consider player turnover from the previous year and the prospective replacements. If the polls took in to consideration some history... like maybe 5-7-10 years the pre-season polls may have a chance to be more accurate. Part of a actual analysis needs to consider the overall program history turnover, not just the individual player turnover.
JMU is on its 3d different administration all with different programs in 5-6 years.
The James Madison Dukes football team, founded in 1972, plays at Bridgeforth Stadium and is coached by Curt Cignetti. The JMU football team was rarely the centerpiece of JMU sports until the hiring of prior coach, Mickey Matthews, in 1999.
Everett Withers era 2013-2016; Mike Houston era 2016-2018; Curt Cignetti 2018-?
So what if JMU didn't have a lot of turnover, they sucked last year with those players. They're going to be better this year with an entirely new coaching staff? We'll see....
I like the content that Sam and B-Mac turn out. That said, maybe you can make a case for NDSU at #2 and someone else at #1 (BIG “maybe” there), but giving it to JMU is just lazy.
I would have went with EWU way before JMU.
Yeah, that would be a smart pick because EWU's conference schedule is as weak as it could possibly be. They don't have to play any of the Big Sky playoff teams from last year... and, as a bonus, they get to play the almost-always-overrated Jacksonville State (albeit as an away game.) Anyway, they are almost guaranteed the Big Sky autobid.
Imagine if NDSU missed every MVFC playoff team from last year? So no SDSU and no UNI... that conference schedule would still be considerably tougher than EWU's.