Hawks vs Musketeers A-10 Tourney Spread/Handicapping
If memory serves I think there was some buzz about the Hawks being a surprise team in the Atlantic 10 conference this season.
If memory serves I think there was some buzz about the Hawks being a surprise team in the Atlantic 10 conference this season.
Huge win by the Bears to close the season. By toppling Kansas, handily by the way, they were able to finish the conference schedule with a .500 record and prove they can play with the big boys.
The Utes might have surprised by winning as many as 5 conference games this season (out of 18). They snuck out of last by sweeping the Oregon teams on the last weekend, including beating a ranked Ducks team by 10.
The Red Storm have become an odd program of late. For years they were trying to reclaim a spot among the upper echelon on the Big East and just when it looked like they might be on that path everything began to unravel.
A couple of weeks ago Arizona State was in great shape…then they lost their last 4 games to finish just 9-9 in a far from stacked PAC 12. They have 20 victories on the season but probably need at least a couple more to improve their position on the bubble.
When you are talking about the West Coast Conference the conversation doesn’t completely end with Gonzaga. That is because the Gaels program has really emerged over the last few seasons.
Is it possible that Kansas State, with supposedly awful coach Bruce Weber, is really a top 10 team? Based on their body of work so far it is tough to argue with as they look to close out the season on a tremendous run – they have won 10 of their last 11 heading into Saturday.
The Explorers are tied for second in the Atlantic 10 conference. Sitting a game ahead of them is St. Louis so this game has even more implications than could have been imagined when the schedule came out.
The Gators have already clinched the SEC but they haven’t been as sharp down the stretch as expected. They are not quite the same team on the road as they are at home which may be part of the reason they are not being talked about as a title contender the way they were a month ago.
The Ball State Cardinals opened the season with a solid home victory against Eastern Michigan. I know it didn’t make national headlines from the opening weekend but it gave them a head start towards competing in the MAC.
The East Carolina Pirates emerged from Week 1 unscathed, collecting an easy win against Appalachian State (at least score wise). They always schedule up in the non-conference so it is no surprise to see them making the short trip to South Carolina.
Given what a dud Alabama/Michigan was this could easily be the best and certainly the most important game of the opening week. Georgia Tech is always in the mix in the ACC and whoever wins this one will have a leg up both in the conference and in confidence.
The Bowling Green Falcons are returning a lot of talent from last year’s 5-7 team. Their 17 starters are among the most in the nation but it still may not be enough to rise to the top of their division in the MAC.
The last time we saw Clemson they were getting one of the worst beatdowns in BCS history in the Orange Bowl at the hands of West Virginia. Some games just get away from you but don’t be lulled into thinking they didn’t deserve their shot to be there.
It is hard to know that much about FCS squads but here is what we do know about the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. They finished 7-4 last year and in a game against another SEC team – Kentucky – handled themselves fairly well losing 38-14.
It has been a steady slide since Turner Gill left Buffalo for Kansas (that didn’t go so well). When Gill was at the helm they were having success and it looked like they were a program on the rise in the MAC, now they are skimming the bottom as other programs have ascended.