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robbotis wrote: Right, they need to win the games they should win(including ASU), and then win one of the following:
at Oklahoma
at Texas A & M
Texas

If they do that, they're 10-2, which would be a nice season. One hickup or a swwep of the three above, 9-3, still pretty good.
8-4 doesn't look so hot though.

Oklahoma State is also really good. Baylor and a couple of other teams are capable of an upset.

I think OU is the best team and then it's a coinflip 2-5 with OSU/aTm/MIZ/TEX. I love the roster and I think Franklin will do well, but that's a pretty tough schedule and he is still inexperienced. The pessimist in me says 1-3 in the 4 toughest games and probably one let down game to finish at 8-4, but I'm hoping for better. No one goes into Norman and wins, so I don't have high hopes for that one. Although I think playing them the week after they play Florida State is a possible advantage if they are beat up or come out flat. Most polls I've seen have Mizzou in the late teens or low 20s and I'd say that's about right.

Franklin doesn't have to be great for the offense to do well, he just needs to stay healthy and avoid turnovers. I'm interested to see how much of a running threat he really is. Teams didn't have to respect Daniel or Gabbert very much as a threat to run. If he is able to run the ball effectively it will force defenses to commit extra attention to that and open up more gaps for receivers. It also adds flexibility in short yardage situations that we didn't have. From what I've read he's looked very accurate on short to intermediate passes in camp, and that's all you really need. Moe and Egnew getting 80 catches apiece plus a very good OL and solid running game is a pretty good offense. I hope Josey continues to get more touches because of his big play ability. I'm not too worried about the lack of obvious deep threats. Guys got open enough last year and Gabbert missed them. Maybe Franklin will hit a few and his running ability could lead to more wide open shots downfield. Only a couple teams have defenses good enough to expose that weakness anyway. It's not an offense that would play well from behind multiple scores, but the defense should be keeping most games close. Mizzou will also have the edge over just about everybody in the kicking game.

I'm also not too worried about the DBs because the front seven is so good. The D line could be incredible and should perform better against the run than last year. The linebackers get overlooked, but I also like them a lot. Gooden is a lot of fun to watch and has NFL talent, plus Ebner and the rest are pretty solid if they can keep healthy. The DBs just need to continue to limit big plays and tackle well and things will be fine.

I think I've talked myself into 9-3. This is a good team stuck in a really tough conference to win.

That's a perfect summary, 82. I think in the Big XII North, I'd feel like a 9-3 guarantee and a shot at 10-2. But playing the full Big XII-2, I'm going 8-4 guarantee and a shot at 9-3. 10-2 is possible but it's going to take something special, either from Franklin or the young DB's or the Hunt/Lucas/Sasser trio taking a step forward. It's no knock at all.

It's just a tough schedule, top to bottom. Basically, Nebraska/Colorado/San Diego St./McNeese St. becomes Texas/Arizona St./Oklahoma St./Baylor. Last year, that's three games they you assume they win and a fourth where they had a fighting chance. This year, that's four coin flips.

I don't think it's quite fair to call Baylor(or Arizona State, really) toss up games. Like I said before, they could easily lose to either of those teams, but they're pretty clearly the more talented team, and in a test tube Mizzou wins 3 of 4 times, if not more often. Or at the very least, you can qualify SDSU from last year the same way.

I think they're more talented, no doubt, but the gap with ASU seems pretty small and it's at ASU. You'll have James Franklin making his second career start on the road against a fringe top 25 team. I think Mizzou's the favorite there but how much of a cushion is it?

Baylor's kind of the same thing. There's little doubt at all that Mizzou is the more talented team, but Baylor's had their number in recent years, it's on the road, Robert Griffin will be a senior, and they're returning 14 of 22 starters on a team that went 7-6 in the Big XII South. I find it hard to be confident about that game at all.

Richardson is in camp and from what I hear looking real good.

Starting LT Elvis Fisher is out for the year, and that's after RB Marcus Murphy's injury knocked him into a medical redshirt this year.

Not that I'm too worried about either of the injuries because they have plenty of depth at both RB and the OL, but they're noteworthy injuries.

JL21 wrote:Starting LT Elvis Fisher is out for the year, and that's after RB Marcus Murphy's injury knocked him into a medical redshirt this year.

Not that I'm too worried about either of the injuries because they have plenty of depth at both RB and the OL, but they're noteworthy injuries.

Really says something that Fisher's injury is no big deal. Pinkel has some good football players in CoMo.

Anyone know if the game is on TV this weekend?

cardsfansince82 wrote:Anyone know if the game is on TV this weekend?

I think it's on FSM.

Franklin looks like a beast running the ball so far. If he can stay healthy doing it that is going to be an exciting weapon.