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First things first: it's great to be back. I missed this last year like I'm sure everyone else did. Excited to be playing ball again this fall in the GAC.
I think the top half of the league has a chance to be as good as it has been in a while thanks to the COVID year. Everyone is gonna have a lot of third-year redshirt freshmen who are itching for action and some SUPER seasoned veterans. Coaching staffs should have had tons of time to implement their stuff on both sides, so I think you're gonna see some good football this fall and a very competitive league.
As always, this is just my opinion. Everything is "on paper" as of now.
1. Ouachita Baptist - So as not to seem biased, I'm going with OBU here. I can't disrespect what they've done recently and put them anywhere else as of now. They're riding a 27-game winning streak in the GAC and despite some losses, they're always tough and well-coached. I will say, I think this is the most "beatable" they've been in the last several years. Losing Freeman, Brazeal, Evans, Brown, Thomas, etc. is a lot of really good players. I have no doubt they'll have some good guys waiting in the wings, but I have to see those new pieces before I can anoint them with another GAC title. They're almost certainly going to be the preseason #1 by the league's coaches though, so I won't go against that.
2. Harding - On paper heading into the season they have a strong case to be #1. A lot veterans coming back on offense and despite some defensive departures, we know that unit is always salty. I will say, weeks 3-4 will tell the tale on HU. A trip to SAU and then OBU at home is a tough back-to-back early-season draw. If the Bisons get through that unscathed, they'll be unbeaten coming to the Reddies for HSU homecoming on Oct. 16. You want to play that triple-option offense early IMO because by the middle of the year it will be rolling and good luck stopping it. Chancey is a stud of all studs and they always have new faces step up on defense every year. They'll be right there for the title, per usual.
3. Henderson State - Obviously I could go on and on here, but I'll try to keep it short by saying I think HSU has a very real shot this fall and I think could have the highest ceiling of anyone in the league if everything clicks. Probably their best shot at winning it all since 2015 or 2016. Keep in mind, this team was 9-2 in the GAC in 2019 with a 1-point loss to HU on the road and a 24-21 loss to OBU in a game they led with less than a minute left. Offense should be the immediate strength with almost everyone coming back, the most notable being Curry at WR. WR, OL, RB, TE groups are all very deep and should be strong. Replacing Stammetti at QB is the biggest challenge on that side, but from what I hear the coaches feel very comfortable there and have two good options. That being said, you never know until a new QB gets out there. Defense lost some very experienced pieces and will need some new faces to step up, but ultimately the Reddies have too much talent and upside to drop any lower than this. Like always, SAU in week 4 and HU in week 7 will tell the tale. GAC title could come down to the BOTR once again. At UAM in week 3 and at OKBU the week before BOTR both scare me as trap games.
4. Southern Arkansas - New staff in Magnolia, but the Muleriders are a Top-4 preseason team based on talent alone. Tough early schedule with HU and HSU back-to-back weeks, but I expect SAU to be in the mix as always.
5. Oklahoma Baptist - Lots of people coming back, including the QB Haire who is probably the best returning signal-caller in the league. Cornell the WR is a stud. Defense will be the question mark for them as always, but if they can improve there, this could be the year they make a jump.
6. UAM - I almost put them 5th but OKBU just had so much coming back. UAM is tough and gritty -- no one really wants to play UAM. I like their young QB a lot and with two years of time to prep him, my guess is he'll look really good in that offense. Another team that could surprise people and jump up into that lead group after 3-4 weeks.
7. Arkansas Tech - You just feel like at some point they're going to put it all together, but until they do, I can't put them any higher than this. The perennial "should be better than they are" squad, I think they are at the top of the list in terms of teams that may benefit from the long break. Like always, I expect them to have talent. It will be interesting to see how they look this season. They're very much an unknown to me. I wouldn't be surprised if they were really good and I also wouldn't be surprised if they're 4-7.
8. East Central - While I don't draw huge conclusions from the spring season, what they did certainly highlighted that they should be improved. New staff seems to be doing a good job of bringing in talent. How will an impressive spring translate to real games in the fall? I think everyone in the league has an eye on them now, which I don't think you could say back in 2019.
9. Southeastern Oklahoma State - 2019 was a rough year for them and they were completely derailed by injuries, but this has been by far the most successful Oklahoma program since the GAC was formed. I don't expect them to be world-beaters, but I think they'll be better and more competitive than they were as cellar dwellers in 2019.
10. NWOSU - Nobody likes to play in Alva and they always seem to surprise some people. Not sure what the talent level looks like out there, but they can be a trap game for just about everyone.
11. SWOSU - I just don't see much of an identity when I look at the Bulldogs. They've gone 3-8 in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and I can't say I expect a whole lot more than that this fall from SWOSU. I think that staff could be in trouble with another season like that.
12. SNU - I think SNU has improved a pretty good deal these last several years, but I still can't put them anywhere but here. Could jump up and bite someone, but when 3-8 classifies as a great season for you, you're getting ranked 12th.
Let me know what you guys think and feel free to disagree. Excited to be talking about it again and can't wait for a great 2021 season!
I think the top half of the league has a chance to be as good as it has been in a while thanks to the COVID year. Everyone is gonna have a lot of third-year redshirt freshmen who are itching for action and some SUPER seasoned veterans. Coaching staffs should have had tons of time to implement their stuff on both sides, so I think you're gonna see some good football this fall and a very competitive league.
As always, this is just my opinion. Everything is "on paper" as of now.
1. Ouachita Baptist - So as not to seem biased, I'm going with OBU here. I can't disrespect what they've done recently and put them anywhere else as of now. They're riding a 27-game winning streak in the GAC and despite some losses, they're always tough and well-coached. I will say, I think this is the most "beatable" they've been in the last several years. Losing Freeman, Brazeal, Evans, Brown, Thomas, etc. is a lot of really good players. I have no doubt they'll have some good guys waiting in the wings, but I have to see those new pieces before I can anoint them with another GAC title. They're almost certainly going to be the preseason #1 by the league's coaches though, so I won't go against that.
2. Harding - On paper heading into the season they have a strong case to be #1. A lot veterans coming back on offense and despite some defensive departures, we know that unit is always salty. I will say, weeks 3-4 will tell the tale on HU. A trip to SAU and then OBU at home is a tough back-to-back early-season draw. If the Bisons get through that unscathed, they'll be unbeaten coming to the Reddies for HSU homecoming on Oct. 16. You want to play that triple-option offense early IMO because by the middle of the year it will be rolling and good luck stopping it. Chancey is a stud of all studs and they always have new faces step up on defense every year. They'll be right there for the title, per usual.
3. Henderson State - Obviously I could go on and on here, but I'll try to keep it short by saying I think HSU has a very real shot this fall and I think could have the highest ceiling of anyone in the league if everything clicks. Probably their best shot at winning it all since 2015 or 2016. Keep in mind, this team was 9-2 in the GAC in 2019 with a 1-point loss to HU on the road and a 24-21 loss to OBU in a game they led with less than a minute left. Offense should be the immediate strength with almost everyone coming back, the most notable being Curry at WR. WR, OL, RB, TE groups are all very deep and should be strong. Replacing Stammetti at QB is the biggest challenge on that side, but from what I hear the coaches feel very comfortable there and have two good options. That being said, you never know until a new QB gets out there. Defense lost some very experienced pieces and will need some new faces to step up, but ultimately the Reddies have too much talent and upside to drop any lower than this. Like always, SAU in week 4 and HU in week 7 will tell the tale. GAC title could come down to the BOTR once again. At UAM in week 3 and at OKBU the week before BOTR both scare me as trap games.
4. Southern Arkansas - New staff in Magnolia, but the Muleriders are a Top-4 preseason team based on talent alone. Tough early schedule with HU and HSU back-to-back weeks, but I expect SAU to be in the mix as always.
5. Oklahoma Baptist - Lots of people coming back, including the QB Haire who is probably the best returning signal-caller in the league. Cornell the WR is a stud. Defense will be the question mark for them as always, but if they can improve there, this could be the year they make a jump.
6. UAM - I almost put them 5th but OKBU just had so much coming back. UAM is tough and gritty -- no one really wants to play UAM. I like their young QB a lot and with two years of time to prep him, my guess is he'll look really good in that offense. Another team that could surprise people and jump up into that lead group after 3-4 weeks.
7. Arkansas Tech - You just feel like at some point they're going to put it all together, but until they do, I can't put them any higher than this. The perennial "should be better than they are" squad, I think they are at the top of the list in terms of teams that may benefit from the long break. Like always, I expect them to have talent. It will be interesting to see how they look this season. They're very much an unknown to me. I wouldn't be surprised if they were really good and I also wouldn't be surprised if they're 4-7.
8. East Central - While I don't draw huge conclusions from the spring season, what they did certainly highlighted that they should be improved. New staff seems to be doing a good job of bringing in talent. How will an impressive spring translate to real games in the fall? I think everyone in the league has an eye on them now, which I don't think you could say back in 2019.
9. Southeastern Oklahoma State - 2019 was a rough year for them and they were completely derailed by injuries, but this has been by far the most successful Oklahoma program since the GAC was formed. I don't expect them to be world-beaters, but I think they'll be better and more competitive than they were as cellar dwellers in 2019.
10. NWOSU - Nobody likes to play in Alva and they always seem to surprise some people. Not sure what the talent level looks like out there, but they can be a trap game for just about everyone.
11. SWOSU - I just don't see much of an identity when I look at the Bulldogs. They've gone 3-8 in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and I can't say I expect a whole lot more than that this fall from SWOSU. I think that staff could be in trouble with another season like that.
12. SNU - I think SNU has improved a pretty good deal these last several years, but I still can't put them anywhere but here. Could jump up and bite someone, but when 3-8 classifies as a great season for you, you're getting ranked 12th.
Let me know what you guys think and feel free to disagree. Excited to be talking about it again and can't wait for a great 2021 season!
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