University of North Texas Athletics
Green Gang: Some Blue Ribbons And An APR Primer
6/9/2010 12:00:00 AM | Return to Play
By Steven Bartolotta, June 9, 2010, 9:46 a.m.
Football preview magazines are cranking out on a regular basis these days and a sneak peek at the 2010 edition of Blue Ribbon's College Football Yearbook shows four North Texas players named to the Preseason All-SBC team.
Lance Dunbar, Jamaal Jackson, Esteban Santiago, and Craig Robertson were all picked to the preseason teams. The somewhat surprising figure was that North Texas had the second most players out of any school with four selections.
Middle leads the way with five players, including the Offensive and Defensive Player's of the Year but after that its North Texas with four, FAU with four, FIU with four (two are special teams), Troy with three, Ark. State with two, Louisiana (don't call us Lafayette) with two, ULM with one, and Western was shutout with zero.
It's a little shocking that the Mean Green, the doormat of the league for the last five years, would have that many picks and the powerhouse Troy only three, but that's the case.
That's a tip of the cap to the talent returning for North Texas and the fact that the bar has been and must be raised.
On defense Robertson's pick is no surprise but nobody else getting a nod shouldn't be one. The defense has a lot of skeptics to prove wrong this year.
The Preseason poll should surprise nobody, its reads like this. In parentheses is the order of finish last year.
1. MTSU (2)
2.Troy (1)
3. ULL (5)
4. ASU (6)
5. FAU (4)
6. ULM (3)
7. FIU (7)
8. NT (8)
9. WKU (9)
99.9 percent of preseason polls will mirror the standing from last year, and this one is no different.
On a totally different front, the white smoke will be released from the NCAA chimney's today and the APR scores released this afternoon. For all the APR junkies out there salivating, the North Texas report will be a good one and the Mean Green should be out of APR jail.
