Alright everyone, happy Election Day to all of us here in Montana! If you haven't yet, please make sure you go out and vote today and make your voice heard! We are moving onto week 3 of the Big Sky season previews with Eastern due up today. I was traveling yesterday and was not able to get this up, so sorry for being a day late. The big question down In Cheney surrounding this season is who will be the QB. I personally think it's going to be Senior Gunner Talkington who's been sitting behind EB3 patiently waiting his turn, but I know many Eags fans are excited about some of the younger guys, and a transfer from ASU. Keeping this in mind, let's dive in!
September 3 vs. Tennessee State - W. It doesn't matter who the QB is for this one, Eastern will be just fine when Eddie George brings his Tigers across the country to play on the red rug. I do think Eddie George will get this program turned around similar to Deion at JSU, but It'll take some time. Eags roll in this one.
September 10 @ Oregon - L. This will be a tough one. I am a huge fan of Oregon's new head coach Dan Lanning, and I really do like Bo Nix. You looking for a sleeper team to make the CFP this year? I personally think it could be this Duck team. No chance for the Eags in this one.
September 17 BYE. Same week that we had our bye week last year. Absolutely brutal time to have it, especially with a tough schedule, but for the second second straight year, Eastern will get their bye week right before hosting the cats.
September 24 vs. Montana State - L. I'm sorry but I do not think Eastern wins this game. I know that's probably gonna be a hot take with some of you, but I think with schematically what the cats do, it's just not a good matchup for Eastern. Lack of defense and unknowns at QB gives me no confidence the Eags can win this game. Only thing they got going for themselves in this one is it's at home after their bye week. Can they both just kill each other please?
October 1 @ Florida - L. This was the game many of you had questions about. Here's why they're playing 2 money games this year. This was Eastern's scheduled money game for the 2020 season. After it was cancelled, both schools agreed they still wanted to play this game and re-scheduled it for this year. Florida was fine with this cause they needed a game for 2022, Eastern was fine with doing this because at the time, that was when shit really started to hit the fan at Eastern with the budgetary crisis, and they need the money. Good news is with it being a so-called re-build year and the end of the Barriere era, this is a good year to have 2 money games. No chance for the Eags in this one, they're simply just going to cash a $750,000 check.
October 8 @ Weber State - L. This is a 50-50 game. I think both these teams aren't going to be very good this year. That said, there's no excuse why Eastern should have lost to Weber at home last year with how pitiful Weber's offense was. Give me Weber at home in this one.
October 15 vs. Sacramento State - L. At this point, Eastern will be 1-4 and on a 4 game losing streak going into this one, and it will be time to put their money where their mouth is. That said, they're not beating Sac State at home. They lose this game, they'll be 1-5 and only halfway through the year, they'll be eliminated from the playoffs. At this point, you might as well just hang it up and call it a year.
October 22 @ Cal Poly - W. After a 5 game losing streak and not having a win since opening weekend, the Eags finally break through on the road against their old coach. I think this could be a close game, but I like Eastern in this one.
October 29 vs. Portland State - W. I've said this before and I'll say it again. I think PSU will be the worst team in the conference this year. They'll be just fine at home in this one.
November 5 @ Idaho - W. A place that Eastern has struggled immensely at over the years. They lost in Moscow during the spring 2021 season, and lost in Moscow in 2019 as well. The Vandy's may very well find their stride by this time under Jason Eck, but I think Eastern just sneaks it out in this one.
November 12 @ Montana - L. If there was any hope that a 6-5 Eastern team with a difficult SOS could get into the playoffs, their dreams will be squashed in this one. A losing record will not get you into the playoffs, and this will be the final nail in the coffin for the Eags.
November 19 vs. Northern Colorado - W. Good game to send the seniors off. They'll get a nice, comfortable win at home, as they look forward to the 2023 season.
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I got Eastern going 5-6. If they can beat the cats at home or Weber on the road and finish 6-5, with their strength of schedule and 2 money games, I think they'll get in to the playoffs. If they start 1-4 or even 1-5, which they very well could, you gotta wonder what that does to them mentally. They might just check out for the year and start looking at 2023. They'll have to dig in deep during the second half of the season. Can they do it? I personally don't think they can, but we'll see. That's my prediction. Thoughts???
September 3 vs. Tennessee State - W. It doesn't matter who the QB is for this one, Eastern will be just fine when Eddie George brings his Tigers across the country to play on the red rug. I do think Eddie George will get this program turned around similar to Deion at JSU, but It'll take some time. Eags roll in this one.
September 10 @ Oregon - L. This will be a tough one. I am a huge fan of Oregon's new head coach Dan Lanning, and I really do like Bo Nix. You looking for a sleeper team to make the CFP this year? I personally think it could be this Duck team. No chance for the Eags in this one.
September 17 BYE. Same week that we had our bye week last year. Absolutely brutal time to have it, especially with a tough schedule, but for the second second straight year, Eastern will get their bye week right before hosting the cats.
September 24 vs. Montana State - L. I'm sorry but I do not think Eastern wins this game. I know that's probably gonna be a hot take with some of you, but I think with schematically what the cats do, it's just not a good matchup for Eastern. Lack of defense and unknowns at QB gives me no confidence the Eags can win this game. Only thing they got going for themselves in this one is it's at home after their bye week. Can they both just kill each other please?
October 1 @ Florida - L. This was the game many of you had questions about. Here's why they're playing 2 money games this year. This was Eastern's scheduled money game for the 2020 season. After it was cancelled, both schools agreed they still wanted to play this game and re-scheduled it for this year. Florida was fine with this cause they needed a game for 2022, Eastern was fine with doing this because at the time, that was when shit really started to hit the fan at Eastern with the budgetary crisis, and they need the money. Good news is with it being a so-called re-build year and the end of the Barriere era, this is a good year to have 2 money games. No chance for the Eags in this one, they're simply just going to cash a $750,000 check.
October 8 @ Weber State - L. This is a 50-50 game. I think both these teams aren't going to be very good this year. That said, there's no excuse why Eastern should have lost to Weber at home last year with how pitiful Weber's offense was. Give me Weber at home in this one.
October 15 vs. Sacramento State - L. At this point, Eastern will be 1-4 and on a 4 game losing streak going into this one, and it will be time to put their money where their mouth is. That said, they're not beating Sac State at home. They lose this game, they'll be 1-5 and only halfway through the year, they'll be eliminated from the playoffs. At this point, you might as well just hang it up and call it a year.
October 22 @ Cal Poly - W. After a 5 game losing streak and not having a win since opening weekend, the Eags finally break through on the road against their old coach. I think this could be a close game, but I like Eastern in this one.
October 29 vs. Portland State - W. I've said this before and I'll say it again. I think PSU will be the worst team in the conference this year. They'll be just fine at home in this one.
November 5 @ Idaho - W. A place that Eastern has struggled immensely at over the years. They lost in Moscow during the spring 2021 season, and lost in Moscow in 2019 as well. The Vandy's may very well find their stride by this time under Jason Eck, but I think Eastern just sneaks it out in this one.
November 12 @ Montana - L. If there was any hope that a 6-5 Eastern team with a difficult SOS could get into the playoffs, their dreams will be squashed in this one. A losing record will not get you into the playoffs, and this will be the final nail in the coffin for the Eags.
November 19 vs. Northern Colorado - W. Good game to send the seniors off. They'll get a nice, comfortable win at home, as they look forward to the 2023 season.
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I got Eastern going 5-6. If they can beat the cats at home or Weber on the road and finish 6-5, with their strength of schedule and 2 money games, I think they'll get in to the playoffs. If they start 1-4 or even 1-5, which they very well could, you gotta wonder what that does to them mentally. They might just check out for the year and start looking at 2023. They'll have to dig in deep during the second half of the season. Can they do it? I personally don't think they can, but we'll see. That's my prediction. Thoughts???
