2012-13 Football Previews – (Sun Belt) – Troy Trojans
The Troy Trojans are used to being at the top of the Sun Belt and being one of the best small-conference teams in the nation. After many successful years, the Trojans finished last year at a miserable 3-9. They lost seven of their last eight games.
Sun Belt 2012-2013 College Football Previews: Troy
Head Coach: Larry Blakeney
2011 Record: 3-9
Troy Gambling Odds from JustBet to win BCS Championship: (Part of Field) +1,800
Troy Gambling Odds from 5Dimes to win Sun Belt: +500
Troy Team Page – Players Stats – Roster – 2012 Schedule –>
Larry Blakeney wasn’t a bit happy with the team’s performance last year, and he and the rest of the coaching staff have made the offseason workouts grueling in hopes of having the team well-prepared for 2012.
Blakeney decided that this team was going to transition into being a more physical team. The Trojans are still going to run the spread offense, but the expectation is that this team will be nastier and hit harder. For several years the Trojans defense hasn’t been very good, but last year the offense struggled as well. There is still quite a bit of talent here, but the team has to play with an attitude this season.
Team Strengths:
Corey Robinson is an ultra-talented quarterback. Robinson stats weren’t bad in 2011, but they definitely dropped from 2010. Robinson racked up the yardage through the air in 2011, but the team needs to have a better running option to keep opposing defenses honest. He threw for 300 yards seven times last year, and I expect an even better season from him this time around.
Troy’s defense should be led by its linebackers. This is a group that has quite a bit of experience, and their time in the system should help them be more productive this season. Brannon Bryan and Kanorris Davis are both senior leaders for this unit. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Eric Thomas and Chip Reeves should be the two main guys to help the wide receivers be much more productive in 2012. Robinson has the skills to air it out, and I expect these guys to be play makers for the Trojans.
Team Weaknesses:
It’s extremely tough to win games when you turn the ball over as often as Troy did in 2011. The Trojans committed 31 turnovers in 2011, which was the worst mark in the Sun Belt. Troy ranked 114th in the nation in turnover margin. The team must take better care of the ball if they expect to win this year.
There was absolutely no balance for Troy last season. The Trojans finished last in the Sun Belt by averaging a meager 88.67 yards per game on the ground. Robinson is a terrific quarterback, but if the Trojans are going to be successful they’ll need the offensive line and running backs to be much better.
The defensive front is an area of weakness for Troy. Teams ran the ball consistently against the Trojans front last year. There is no defensive stopper in the middle of the field. Last year, Troy’s two safeties combined to make 25% of the team’s tackles. It’s never a good sign when the back line of the defense is leading the team in tackles.
2012-2013 Troy Football Prediction: 5-7
I don’t expect Troy to be as bad as last year, but the Sun Belt has gotten much tougher over the last few years. Don’t look for this team to jump right back to the top. Teams like FIU and Arkansas State simply have much better talent than Troy does right now. Coach Blakeney should get this team turned around, but it might be a slow turnaround. The home game against Lafayette on September 8 will be a good measuring stick for this team. Look for an improvement, but I don’t think this team goes bowling.
2012 Troy Schedule
9/1/12 12:00 PM ET @UAB
9/8/12 7:00 PM ET ULLAF
9/15/12 7:00 PM ET MISST
9/22/12 TBD @NOTEX
9/29/12 TBD @SALB
10/11/12 7:30 PM ET WKEN
10/20/12 TBD FLINT
10/27/12 TBD @FLATL
11/3/12 TBD @TENN
11/10/12 3:30 PM ET NAVY
11/17/12 TBD ARKST
11/24/12 TBD @MTENN
