Tomorrow afternoon, the Dogs return to action to take on the Mean Green from North Texas at 3:00 central. It’s Homecoming at the Joe, be there, or be square (unless you’re like me and live 12 hours away).
How to Watch
This week’s game is on Facebook. Which, uhhh… means you have to watch it on Facebook? Not sure what the logistics are of streaming it to a TV. If you have a Chromecast, you can cast your screen to a TV. If you have a streaming device with an internet app of some kind (Ex: an Xbox One with Microsoft Edge), I assume you can login to your Facebook account on that and stream it that way. Otherwise, bust out the laptops, y’all!
Other People’s Predictions
- ESPN FPI: Tech has a 67.3% chance to win
- Massey: Tech has a 70% chance to win
- Vegas (OddsShark): Tech -4.5
- S&P+: Tech wins, 34-29
- BleedTechBlue: Tech wins, 45-34
- NCAA 14 Simulation: UNT wins, 38-30
What to Watch For
It’s Homecoming! And the Dogs are 7-1 and getting votes in national polls! What more could you ask for?
Okay but seriously, this game should be a really fun quarterback duel between the 2019 CUSA Preseason Player of the Year and the 2019 CUSA Player of the Year. That’s right, I’m calling my shot. J’Mar will have a great November and end up winning the POY award. This game is where it all starts! Tune in on *…checks notes…* Facebook to see it all go down!
Hot Taeks
Josh: Mason Fine is the best QB Tech will face all year. Yes, that means I think he’s better than Sam Ehlinger.
Evan: Seth Littrell’s using all that private jet time to visit options for his impending bottom of the barrel P5 coaching gig.
Jeremy: UNT will return the favor from last year and beat us on the last play of the game.
Matt: UNT is a bastion of football excellence and will crush Tech by 69 points by running nothing but QB draws.
Nathan: While North Texas is in the north half of Texas, it is just as much east of the midpoint of Texas than it is north. In my 23-part thesis I wil-
A Random UNT Fan: LA Tech will come out flatter then R.C. Cola! MG win 38-30.
Interesting Tidbit
I didn’t have time to deep dive Mean Green campus life like I normally do, so here’s a link to last year’s story about their campus’s strange affinity for albino squirrels!
Final Predictions
Josh: North Texas hasn’t lived up to expectations this year at all, especially on offense, but it seems like Fine is getting hot right now and has thrown for 12 TDs and 0 INTs in the past two games. My guess is that he’ll have another good game against Tech, but it won’t be enough to overcome the weakness that is the North Texas defense. J’mar and the offense should have a field day, and as long as the defense does a decent job of containing the North Texas offense, Tech should be able to snag a close win. Tech seems to be on top of everything this year and hopefully the bye week was a needed refresh and not a momentum killer.
Tech wins, 34-32
Evan: Tech is a better team on paper and they will be on the field, too. North Texas may have the most talked about player in the league (and for good reason, he’s pretty good), but Mason Fine hasn’t been great against Tech the two times he’s played us. Last year in a losing effort, Fine went 22 for 35 for 296 yards and 3 TDs. That’s pretty good, but it wasn’t enough to beat the Dogs. In 2017, Fine completed 23 of 37, 211 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT. This year Fine is coming to Ruston on a hot streak, but that hot streak was established by beating UTEP and losing to Charlotte. Tech is waaaaaay better than both of those teams in all phases. And Mason Fine isn’t the only player wearing (Mean) Green tomorrow, either, but the rest of their guys aren’t as noteworthy.
Tech wins, 41-30
Nathan: This feels a lot like Southern Miss 2: Electric Boogaloo. Like the Golden Eagles, the North Texas Used-To-Be-Called-Eagles have a very good offense, but Tech should be able to put up points against a defensive front that isn’t all that great. For the first time (probably) all year, I’ll make the same prediction here that I did on the podcast.
Tech wins 41-38