I anxiously await this publication each year and it just never lets me down. I always learn something i didn't know before even though I've been following CFB for many decades. One thing I did not know was the growing list of Independent teams who have decided to abandon conference affiliation. It goes against the common wisdom of the experts - myself included. But as an old/young basketball coach at College of Charleston once said, "it is what it is".

UMASS has abandoned the MAC and will play this year as an indy. I had heard something about that before in passing, but it really happened quickly. I don't blame them since the MAC is a league that is falling apart and an example is EMU which has had an attendance disaster for many years (our esteemed AD came from EMU btw). Their home attendance average last year was a paltry 4,897 per game. Eeek! Most HS programs around here exceed that.

But back on point. In a small section of PS magazine is a paragraph that states New Mexico St and Idaho are being dropped by the Sunbelt Conference in 2018 and those schools will go Independent, at least for the short term. So the "new independents" will be UMASS, NMSU and Idaho. My guess is that we'll see NMSU applying for CUSA membership in a move to keep UTEP in CUSA - just a guess.

But for the short term beginning next season the independent group will be Notre Dame, BYU, Army, UMASS(2016-17), NMS(2018) and Idaho(2018).

More Later.

PS has a vast array of information on individual players that includes some of our own. Here are some of the more notable inclusions.

Top Position Players Nationally from TU

#31 QB - Dane Evans
#19 WR - Keevan Lucas
#48 OT - Blake Belcher
#31 ILB - Trent Martin

All-AAC
First Team
Keevan Lucas

Second Team
Dane Evans
Josh Atkinson
Blake Belcher
Trent Martin

Third Team
Matt Linscott

Fourth Team
D Angelo Brewer
Willie Wright
Jeremy Smith
Jeremy Brady

TU is picked 4th in the West behind Houston, Navy and Memphis. Cincy is the top pick in the east.

More Later.

PS rates "units" which means the overall individual position on off and def. I assume the rating has to do with both the starter and strength/depth/potential of that position. So here are the TU ratings:

QB-#26
WR-#33

PS also rates the teams schedules - TU had the 74th toughest schedule last year and the 79th this year. He also rates "experieince" of the team and TU has the 5th most experieinced team in the AAC and 54th in the nation.

I was pleased to see TU listed as a "most improved team" and they are given a rating too for this year. TU is rated the 14th most improved in the nation.

PS has 9 different power ratings he uses and assigns a national rank to them. TU is assigned a PR of #88 which is similar to most of the other mags I've read. Others on our schedule are:
Ohio St - #9
Houston - #30
Cincy - #53
Memphis - #58
Navy - #76
SJSU - #87
ECU - #99
Fresno - #107
UCF - #111
SMU - #113
Tulane -#122
NCAT - none

TU is also listed in the "most improved" categories.
Most Improved Def Rush (run) - #13
Most Improved Def Pass - #11
Most Improved Defense - #13

More Later.

PS rates our second opponent, Ohio St as the favorite to win the Big10 and their first opponent is Bowling Green at home (of course). We are the second team on their schedule. We are of course the opening game for SJSU and they are picked #3 in the MWC west. Fresno St is picked to finish tied for last in the MWC west and we will play in Fresno after the Bulldogs travel to Toledo. There is no mention of the NCAT game or their schedule.

PS actually predicts the offensive production of each team for the 2016-17 season. After that, he predicts the number of yards and points the defense will allow. To the best of my knowledge no other magazine does this. He predicts TU will score about 33 pts per game, but give up about 35 ppg. I assume that means he predicts we will get crushed a couple of times - I assume by OSU and UH. Houston, Cincy and Memphis in the AAC have slightly higher offensive predicted production.

Houston gets a lot of love from PS and is predicted to go to the Cotton Bowl and play Stanford. The Final Four Bowls are #1 Fla St v #4 LSU in the Fiesta and #2 Alabama v #3 OU in the Peach.

TU is predicted to go to the Cure Bowl in Florida versus Louisiana Laf. in December. Also AAC teams Temple, Memphis, Navy, Cincinnati, USF and UConn are predicted to be bowl bound. So the AAC is again predicted to be in 8 total bowls.

More Later.