2015 Tulsa Golden Hurricane Preview
For a while there, coach Todd Graham really had this program rolling. Tulsa had three 10-plus-win seasons in a span of four years as their prolific offense was able to put up points seemingly on anyone.
NCAA Football Gambling Lines
- NCAA Offseason Polls
- ***2015 BONUSES***
- [dfads params=’groups=63740&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
AAC Lines
AAC 2015-2016 College Football Preview – Hurricane
Head Coach: Phil Montgomery
2014 Record: 2-10
Odds to win AAC: +5000
Win Total: 5
They even had Gus Malzahn as offensive coordinator for a little while. After he left, Bill Blankenship was able to sustain for a little while, but Tulsa has fallen on hard times, winning a total of just five games over the last two seasons.
Tulsa is not Alabama, but that just wouldn’t stand, so they brought in former Baylor assistant Phil Montgomery to breathe new life into the program.
Working under Art Briles for more than a decade and seeing how the Baylor program has risen was bound to get somebody’s attention.
[dfads params=’groups=63738&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
I think I am writing the same thing for Tulsa that I did for SMU and Tulane, but it remains true that whichever team from this group gets its act together has a chance to pick up some easy wins over the others. The AAC is far from loaded and most of the higher quality teams are in the other division.
Tulsa has no inside track on that progress though. They have no FCS gimmes on their schedule, which I applaud, but it also means there is a chance things could get really ugly if they are not up to grasping the changes Montgomery wants to make quickly.
Team Strengths
Tulsa is going to speed things up on offense and throw the ball a lot – just like Baylor. Fortunately, they have some experienced receivers in Keevan Lucas, a first-team All AAC selection, and Keyarris Garrett. Lucas caught more than 100 balls last season and is shify in space.
[dfads params=’groups=66501&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
On the defensive side of the ball, they will be hoping that venerable coach Bill Young can work some magic. He has a couple of nice pieces to start with in defensive end Derrick Alexander and Jeremy Smith.
The cupboard is not bare, but Tulsa is not brimming with talent on either side of the ball — plus it might take another season or two for Montgomery to get the kind of players he wants.
Team Weaknesses
Adjusting to a new system is not as easy as people think. Playing at a fast tempo means that you need to use more of your roster, and the Golden Hurricane are not exactly blessed with great depth.
QB Dane Evans threw 17 interceptions last season, and switching to the new offense, there is no guarantee that he gets it — certainly not right away.
Last year, the defense got burned by big play after big play, especially long pass plays. They have to start forcing opponents to be more methodical and hope they can force some mistakes. Or they might have to take a lot more chances and hope for the best.
Either way they have to force the issue.
2015-16 Tulsa Hurricane Prediction: 4-8
This may be a broken record, but there is room in the AAC West for someone to make a move. Whichever teams improves the most should be able to bank a few easy victories, but I am not sure Tulsa, as they transition to a new coach, is the most likely candidate to emerge.
[dfads params=’groups=63739&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
In the non-conference, there are no gimmes for this group, but they should win at home against Florida Atlantic to start the season. If they don’t, this team may be in worse position than I anticipated.
When they head to Oklahoma, things could be a little ugly, but they have a perfectly placed bye to recover before starting conference play. I won’t be looking too much at Tulsa betting wise but overs might be in style if they grasp the offense quickly.
Hurricane 2015 Football Schedule
- September 5 – Florida Atlantic
- September 12 – @ New Mexico
- September 19 – @ Oklahoma
- October 3 – Houston
- October 10 – ULM
- October 17 – @ East Carolina
- October 23 – Memphis
- October 31 – @ SMU
- November 7 – UCF
- November 14 – @ Cincinnati
- November 21- Navy
- November 28 – @ Tulane
Check out our Updated College Football Odds.
And…as always click to view our top cappers COLLEGE FOOTBALL daily plays CLICK HERE!
The 2015 College futures betting season is here in full force! If you like to bet on NCAA football, you are in the best possible place for online betting. CappersPicks.com has NCAAF odds up on a ton of futures, and you will also find College football lines up for early games as well.
[dfads params=’groups=63706&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
