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You can't have playoff contenders without bottom-feeders. The Pac-12 should have both.
As we wind through this 12-part series — two schools per day for six days, paired off by natural rivals — several teams will be pegged for bad seasons.
Please note: It's not personal.
I needed to pick a few for 7-2 or better and a few for 2-7 or worse. That's the only guarantee in an exercise like this. The trick is getting the teams right.
I've pegged the Wildcats as a bottom feeder knowing full well that there's a decent chance they'll prove me wrong.
Coach: Rich Rodriguez
Season: Sixth
Record: 36-29
Win totals by season: 8-8-10-7-3
Contract status: Signed through 2019
Real-world job security: Tenuous.
Notable: The Wildcats were 3-4 at home last year, the first time they've posted a losing record in Arizona Stadium since 2006 (the third year of the Mike Stoops era).
Here we go ...
Sept. 2: vs Northern Arizona
Result: Win
Record: 1-0
Comment: Brandon Dawkins shows off his downfield game as the Wildcats dominate. All is well.
Sept. 9: vs. Houston
Result: Win
Record: 2-0
Comment: Cats are clearly superior but don't put the pesky Cougars away — ex-Houston coach Tom Herman left some talent behind, after all — until the fourth quarter.
Sept. 15 (Friday): at UTEP
Result: Win
Record: 3-0
Comment: Tougher than it looks, especially with one eye cast to the conference opener the following week. But Nick Wilson is the difference. Halfway to bowl eligibility.
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Sept. 22 (Friday): vs. Utah
Result: Loss
Record: 3-1/0-1
Comment: Utah, on the road on a short week, lures Dawkins into a series of mistakes and the Cats lose a game they could easily have won. Grumbling begins.
Sept. 30: Bye
Comment: Rodriquez quietly opens up the quarterback competition ... but Dawkins remains the best of several not very good options.
Oct. 7: at Colorado
Result: Loss
Record: 3-2/0-2
Comment: The high-powered Colorado attack carves up Arizona's defense as reality — another long season for the Wildcats — sets in.
Oct. 14: vs. UCLA
Result: Loss
Record: 3-3/0-3
Comment: With an extra week to prepare, the Bruins roll into Arizona Stadium and roll over the fading Wildcats. Four TD passes for Josh Rosen ... No, make that five.
For more Pac-12 coverage
follow Pac-12 Hotline on Flipboard.
Oct. 21: at Cal
Result: Loss
Record: 3-4/0-4
Comment: Finally, a game the Wildcats should win, except they don't. The bowl math gets much more complicated as the heat on Rodriguez turns searing.
Oct. 28: vs. Washington State
Result: Loss
Record: 3-5/0-5
Comment: Outclassed all the way, on both sides of the ball — on Homecoming, no less. But the sparse crowd speaks volumes. (Hoops opener is four days later.)
Nov. 4: at USC
Result: Loss
Record: 3-6/0-6
Comment: Trojans did as they pleased last year in a 48-14 victory. This is worse. Khalil Tate plays the entire second half in place of Dawkins.
Related Articles
My AP top-25 preseason ballot: Florida State is No. 1, Alabama and Ohio State close behind
Welcome to the Pac-12 Hotline
Nov. 11: vs. Oregon State
Result: Win
Record: 4-6/1-6
Comment: Just when it seemed the Wildcats would be winless in conference, they pounce on the not-ready-to-play Beavers and give RichRod a few hours of joy.
Nov. 18: at Oregon
Result: Loss
Record: 4-7/1-7
Comment: Postseason path is officially blocked as the resurgent Ducks take charge early and beat Arizona at the line of scrimmage.
Nov. 25: at Arizona State
Result: Loss
Record: 4-8/1-8
Comment: Close early, blowout late as the Wildcats watch ASU complete the turnaround season they had hoped to experience. Decision time for new athletic director Dave Heeke.
Article
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/08/15/arizona-football-projecting-the-season-game-by-game/
They say we'll start 3-0 & then just tank? This is the basic prediction that the media will put out because they don't have enough time to really look into what Arizona is doing. The defense is going to be much improved from last year along with the QB play. If we stay healthy we can definitely surprise people and get to a bowl game. BEARDOWN
Quote from: DWIZZ on August 15, 2017, 09:23:21 AM
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You can't have playoff contenders without bottom-feeders. The Pac-12 should have both.
As we wind through this 12-part series — two schools per day for six days, paired off by natural rivals — several teams will be pegged for bad seasons.
Please note: It's not personal.
I needed to pick a few for 7-2 or better and a few for 2-7 or worse. That's the only guarantee in an exercise like this. The trick is getting the teams right.
I've pegged the Wildcats as a bottom feeder knowing full well that there's a decent chance they'll prove me wrong.
Coach: Rich Rodriguez
Season: Sixth
Record: 36-29
Win totals by season: 8-8-10-7-3
Contract status: Signed through 2019
Real-world job security: Tenuous.
Notable: The Wildcats were 3-4 at home last year, the first time they've posted a losing record in Arizona Stadium since 2006 (the third year of the Mike Stoops era).
Here we go ...
Sept. 2: vs Northern Arizona
Result: Win
Record: 1-0
Comment: Brandon Dawkins shows off his downfield game as the Wildcats dominate. All is well.
Sept. 9: vs. Houston
Result: Win
Record: 2-0
Comment: Cats are clearly superior but don't put the pesky Cougars away — ex-Houston coach Tom Herman left some talent behind, after all — until the fourth quarter.
Sept. 15 (Friday): at UTEP
Result: Win
Record: 3-0
Comment: Tougher than it looks, especially with one eye cast to the conference opener the following week. But Nick Wilson is the difference. Halfway to bowl eligibility.
Get Pac-12 Conference news in your inbox. Sign up for the Pac-12 Hotline newsletter.
Sept. 22 (Friday): vs. Utah
Result: Loss
Record: 3-1/0-1
Comment: Utah, on the road on a short week, lures Dawkins into a series of mistakes and the Cats lose a game they could easily have won. Grumbling begins.
Sept. 30: Bye
Comment: Rodriquez quietly opens up the quarterback competition ... but Dawkins remains the best of several not very good options.
Oct. 7: at Colorado
Result: Loss
Record: 3-2/0-2
Comment: The high-powered Colorado attack carves up Arizona's defense as reality — another long season for the Wildcats — sets in.
Oct. 14: vs. UCLA
Result: Loss
Record: 3-3/0-3
Comment: With an extra week to prepare, the Bruins roll into Arizona Stadium and roll over the fading Wildcats. Four TD passes for Josh Rosen ... No, make that five.
For more Pac-12 coverage
follow Pac-12 Hotline on Flipboard.
Oct. 21: at Cal
Result: Loss
Record: 3-4/0-4
Comment: Finally, a game the Wildcats should win, except they don't. The bowl math gets much more complicated as the heat on Rodriguez turns searing.
Oct. 28: vs. Washington State
Result: Loss
Record: 3-5/0-5
Comment: Outclassed all the way, on both sides of the ball — on Homecoming, no less. But the sparse crowd speaks volumes. (Hoops opener is four days later.)
Nov. 4: at USC
Result: Loss
Record: 3-6/0-6
Comment: Trojans did as they pleased last year in a 48-14 victory. This is worse. Khalil Tate plays the entire second half in place of Dawkins.
Related Articles
My AP top-25 preseason ballot: Florida State is No. 1, Alabama and Ohio State close behind
Welcome to the Pac-12 Hotline
Nov. 11: vs. Oregon State
Result: Win
Record: 4-6/1-6
Comment: Just when it seemed the Wildcats would be winless in conference, they pounce on the not-ready-to-play Beavers and give RichRod a few hours of joy.
Nov. 18: at Oregon
Result: Loss
Record: 4-7/1-7
Comment: Postseason path is officially blocked as the resurgent Ducks take charge early and beat Arizona at the line of scrimmage.
Nov. 25: at Arizona State
Result: Loss
Record: 4-8/1-8
Comment: Close early, blowout late as the Wildcats watch ASU complete the turnaround season they had hoped to experience. Decision time for new athletic director Dave Heeke.
Article
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/08/15/arizona-football-projecting-the-season-game-by-game/
I think too many sports writer's just piggy back off what other people write. They don't do their jobs. If we avoid the injury plague that hit us the last two years this season will be revival! Yes we have some young talent, but it is mixed with upper class leadership too.
I do see us going 3-0 in none conference play. Let's start there.
Utah @ home is a win. We played them close at their place early last year, but were already injury depleted by the time we faced them. Our O could not keep our D off the field and everything came apart as the D ran out of gas. We win this game at home and open 4-0!
Colorado is a road conference game, but i see this game as a toss up. Colorado is heading in the right direction, but lost a lot of production from last year. Should be an interesting game either way. After a bye week gives us a chance to steal this one, but for the record let's say we lose. 4-1 at this point.
For some reason UCLA has had our number and it isn't even close. They come off a bye week and we lose this game. 4-2
We refocus after UCLA and win one on the road against a terrible Cal team. 5-2
This is our HC upset special. This one we turn the tide on and steal a big win for the team and program. 6-2
USC is USC! While we have stay close in many games over the last 8-9 years, this one may not be. I am not a fan of the SC coach or QB, but the team is stacked with talent everywhere. 6-3
Final home game against an up and coming OSU team and a team we should win against. I think we take this one late for the 7th win. 7-3
Oregon on the road will be a real test and we will come close, but fall in a tight game. This is a game we could steal, but. 7-4
ASU..... They are much in a situation like ours. This one is a toss up game. They are at home and have something to play for. I will call this one a toss up as well. These last two weeks are tough road losses. 7-5.
Bowl game somewhere. 7-5/4-5, another losing conference record but a positive season with a bright future.
Things that will kill us this year will be a repeat of the enormous amount of injuries we have had the last two years. I believe our youth will cost us some of the close games in crunch time. All things turn south we go 4-8, all things go right we steal 9 wins this year. I am splitting that at 6.5 in a realistic view. Because we have the youth we have I should slide it to 6-6, but the run game should be strong enough to push us to 7. If the D is aggressive enough to create some TOs, we could get more than that.
Expect STs to impro e drastically this year as well as the D. Expect the run game to be real! Expect the passing game to be some deal better because of the run support and better OL play allowing the O to hold the ball longer giving the D the time they need for sideline coaching and rest. Every aspect of the team that improves also improves another weakness of last years team. From field position to rest time to scoring more points. We don't start the season in a haze from losing a teammate and avoid those injuries and we will bounce back.
I am callinv the Houston and Utah games possible losses and the Colorado, Oregon, and ASU games possible wins.