Time to talk (UTEP) football

The football season is a mere 38 days away. It's time to dust off the old keyboards and get hyped (or morose) about the upcoming season.

Here's some quick thoughts on the Miners' 2010 season.

UTEP will not win a game in November. Awaiting the Miners during the last stretch of their slate will be SMU, my pick to win Conference USA’s West Division; Arkansas, a dark horse to win the Southeastern Conference and perhaps be ranked in the top five nationally by November; and a road finale against Tulsa where UTEP has not won since a 40-7 rout in 2000.

That means the Miners have to win six of their first nine games to be bowl eligible.

Give UTEP wins in its opener against FCS school Arkansas-Pine Bluff as well as the sweep of New Mexico schools (NMSU, Sept. 18; UNM, Oct. 2). Sandwiched between these three games are what should be losses at home against Memphis and on the road against Houston. The Cougars have all-world quarterback Case Keenum and revenge on their minds in a Friday night game in front of ESPN cameras. Tough environment for the Miners. Memphis ran all over UTEP in 2009, and with its offensive line returning intact, it’s difficult not to expect the same result. The game will be in the Sun Bowl though.

Given all that, a four-game stretch in October becomes key for the Miners — Rice, Oct. 9; at UAB, Oct. 16; Tulane, Oct. 23; at Marshall, Oct. 30. UTEP must win three of those games, including at least one on the road to become bowl eligible.

We’ll know by Halloween if the Miners are in for a scary year.

Comments

[also]

What a way to be negative. Lose to Memphis at home? Are you serious? I look at the schedule and I honestly see a team that could win 6 or 7 games. It really just depends on the defense. The "bend but don't break" method should be the motto for the defense. The offense is there. It's about time they go back to a bowl. Let's be optimistic and not negative like this blogger Villa.

[Aud]

Conference USA announced their national TV schedule earlier this week...where's the UTEP info?

UCF gets four nationally televised games. Tulane (yes, the Green Wave) gets three nationally televised games....and UTEP gets ONE! (Vs. Houston, Sept. 10).

Where's the public outcry on that?

OK, here's the raw data. There's a story here Pablo, get busy writing it:

http://www.fbschedules.com/2010/07/2010-conference-usa-football-tv-schedule-released/

[RocketScientist]

Dig in! It's going to be a dismal year... again!

[CLEOFITZWITZ]

I can understand picking games based on talent, home field, or style of play. That makes sense. But picking Memphis over UTEP at home is crazy. Memphis brings nothing to the table this year.

Now UTEP has shown themselves to be wildly inconsistant over the last couple of years. So if you're going by that, you should have picked them over Arkansas and Houston. It seemed however, that you were trying to make sense. In that respect, the Memphis pick is straight out of left field.

[miner niner]

I would have to agree with everything said on this post by Pablo. This is pretty much what I would have predicted....

[Wild West]

Pablo makes some good points. In my opinion, UTEP football will go 6-6 and be bowl eligible, but doesnt mean they will be guaranteed a bowl game. UTEP has the ability to upset one of the cusa teams listed as a loss(UH/SMU or Tulsa) but then they will get upset themselves by one of the teams they should have beaten. Under my predictions, If they beat Rice or Marshall, then see them in a lower rated bowl game in New Orleans in early December. Just too much parity in cusa and any team can beat any team on any game day....very difficult to win and be bowl eligible

Pre-season favorites in CUSA: West division:UH or SMU and East division: SMiss, UCF or East Carolina.

UTEP WINS:
Arkansas Pine Bluff
NMSU
UNM
Memphis(close game with new head coach from LSU)
UAB
Tulane

UTEP Losses:
UH(coogs win a close game at home)
SMU
Tulsa
Arkansas
Rice
Marshall

P.S. Remember, Sports Ilustrated picked UTEP to win cusa last year?

[Hayward Smith]

Some sports pages have a game against UNLV posted between NMSU and UNM. Either way, here is how I see the season going:

WINS: APB, NMSU, UNM, UAB, TULANE, TULSA, RICE, MARSHALL

LOSSES: MEMPHIS, HOUSTON, SMU, ARKANSAS

We'll see......

[Danny S]

all the negativity talk and blogs about utep going to lose every game and not be bowl eligible just makes utep look low. our own city doubts utep thats probably why they dont win as much. if we had more positive things to say the players will be in a good motive to win games... i think utep gonna tear it up this year, easy schedule with starters coming back.. think postive.. UTEP 8-4