Reactions to GAC 2023 Coaches’ Poll

[OldBison]

2023 GAC Coaches’ Poll ranks Ouachita Baptist # 1 with Harding and Henderson at second and third, which is what I expected. What do others think?

[ReddieMade]

Standard, no surprises. Ouachita and Harding have earned the right to be 1-2 in the preseason poll in some variation until someone unseats them. Hard to argue there.

Henderson is the clear #3 by votes and should be IMO. By far the biggest threat to jump up and make a run at the title of the remaining teams.

After that SAU, SE, ECU seems about right. ECU/SE both have totally new coaching staffs though, so I agree with SAU at 4th.

There won't be much separation between Tech, UAM, SNU, and SWOSU so I don't put much stock in 7-10.

I do expect NWOSU and OKBU to be the two bringing up the rear this year.

All in all, I'd say it's almost exactly what I expected it to be.

[OldBison]

The Bisons beating Ouachita and Henderson this year depends heavily on Cole Keylon’s ability to execute the Flexbone. He was a red-shirt freshman last year. Quite frankly, I have my doubts. The Malik Young kid from Germantown HS (Memphis area) looks really good on film. He’ll be red-shirted as a freshman this year. Can’t wait to see what he can do as a Flexbone QB.

[OldBison]

Good article on the 2023 Harding Bisons

https://hardingsports.com/news/2023/...ches-poll.aspx

[Tech Boys]

Tech will be playing on a new turf. I hope we can get a win vs an Arkie school for the first time since ... well sorry, too lazy to look that far back.

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[OBUGrad]

Tech will be playing on a new turf. I hope we can get a win vs an Arkie school for the first time since ... well sorry, too lazy to look that far back.

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I feel like it’s in the 4-5 year range…which is baffling to me.

[Tech Boys]

Last win vs

HU - 11/14/15 (H)

UAM - 9/17/16 (H)

OBU - 10/8/16 (A)

SAU - 8/31/17 (H)

HSU - 11/9/17 (A)

[OldBison]

Tech has always had one of the best stadiums in the GAC. The new turf will make it even better. I haven’t been to a game in Russellville the past few years. I’m going to try to make it for the Bisons- Wonderboys match up this year.

[OldBison]

Looks like the D2 AFCA poll falls in line with the GAC coaches’ poll. Is this historically true? Can’t remember if there have been significant differences in how the GAC coaches and AFCA poll ranked the Tigers, Bisons, Reddies and Muleriders in recent years. Has everyone got their hot weather gear ready for these first few games in the GAC? I’m headed to Bethany, OK week after next.

[Tech Boys]

I'll be down in Shawnee for my first ATU game since 2000. A grandson is on his way to college in OKC so I'm going to visit him and take him and a couple of his friends to their first Wonder Boy game.

[ReddieMade]

Looks like the D2 AFCA poll falls in line with the GAC coaches’ poll. Is this historically true? Can’t remember if there have been significant differences in how the GAC coaches and AFCA poll ranked the Tigers, Bisons, Reddies and Muleriders in recent years. Has everyone got their hot weather gear ready for these first few games in the GAC? I’m headed to Bethany, OK week after next.

Ouachita and Harding have both been ranked somewhere between like 7-14 in every preseason coaches poll since 2017. OBU typically gets ranked higher to start the season than Harding does despite the fact Harding has like 90% of all GAC playoff wins ever.

But truthfully, the AFCA poll is always going to mirror the preseason conference polls closely because most coaches don’t have time to dig too deep into leagues that aren’t their own. Most of them are going to use some combo of general knowledge of these programs and the league polls to put their ballot together.

[OldBison]

Thanks ReddieMade. Yes. That seems to always the issue with coaches’ poll vs. sport writers. The coaches know the coaches and overall health of the programs in their conferences but don’t have the time or interest to dig deeper. They rely on input from their staffs and avoid any controversies that could give their opponents motivation.