I always try to evaluate the team itself while others get locked into strength of schedule tunnel vision.
Their senior QB is very talented -- among the best in numbers the last 2 seasons. The #1 receiver is very talented as well -- draws comparisons to Pennington & Moss(though on the Moss part they quickly point out he isn't Randy Moss)
They're highly efficient offense built on speed with athletes everywhere. Most of their roster comes up from South Florida. They're a lot like Baylor.
They are undersized in the trenches so they'd probably struggle against a blue collar style -- Wisconsin, Stanford.
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Their schedule is weak though -- 33 Marshall A = 79.78 10 0 54.82( 141) 0 0 | 0 0 | 79.15 33 | 77.70 38 | 82.45 21 -- http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/sagarin/
One thing though, Marshall does a better job of defeating their opponents than the Power 5 conferences do. They score more, allow fewer, a higher average margin of victory.
One picked them to finish #20 before the season.
SEASON BREAKDOWN & PREDICTION:
In a nutshell: Marshall's going to tear this schedule to pieces, dropping 40-plus points on more teams than not and likely rolling through unscathed, a scenario that would leave Marshall as one of the few – if not the only – undefeated teams in the FBS heading into the postseason. Some of this has to do with the Herd's personnel: Marshall has Conference USA's best offense and its best defense, with superb athleticism along the starting lineup and, by leaps and bounds, the finest depth of Doc Holliday's tenure. Add this talent to the smoothest schedule imaginable and you have the expectations of not just a conference title – one year overdue – but the program's best team of its FBS existence.
It's certainly the latter. The offense is dynamic: Cato's a national-award contender, Shuler the best receiver in Conference USA, the backfield still loaded with talent and the line the program's best in years. The defense is also impressive, if working through some kinks in the secondary. The issues, if not of the overwhelming variety, include Marshall's unproven second tier at receiver, changing cast in the backfield and lack of a trustworthy third option at cornerback. I think Marshall overcomes these concerns with room to spare.
The issues are twofold: one, Marshall won't be taken seriously, due to this schedule, and two, a single loss – again due to the schedule – will make the Thundering Herd a national afterthought. Rather than worry about perception, the Herd should embrace the challenge. Don't just win every game; dominate every game. Don't just score 40 points on a bad team; score 50, if not 60. Make an impression not by the quality of competition but by the quality of victory – do what good teams do and dominate inferior foes. If all goes according to plan, Marshall will enter the postseason unblemished. I worry that there's a single loss hiding somewhere, but you have to acknowledge the strong possibility that Marshall ends the regular season as one of two or three undefeated teams across the entire country.
Dream season: Marshall goes undefeated, winning each games by 28 or more points, and battles against perception to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Nightmare season: The Herd lose four games: Ohio, Middle Tennessee, Rice and Western Kentucky.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2014/08/15/marshall-thundering-herd-2014-preview-roster-depth-chart-schedule-football-four/14055393/
I think Marshall is the best non AQ team even though Colorado State has wins against Boston College & Colorado -- and East Carolina who is usually the most talented North Carolina football team. Boise State and Northern Illinois are still in the conversation. I'd favor the Herd regardless of schedule due to efficient, experienced, athletic spread offense attack. Speed is a great equalizer at the college level.
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