East Carolina Pirates
Final Overview
I cannot find one single game where I would call the Pirates an out and out favorite in 2017, and that includes the home opener against FCS member James Madison, where I have called the Dukes an early 1.5 point favorite. Any win will be hard fought, and will be a bonus based on the talent that the Pirates have on hand. This team was a mess in 2016, and it seemed that with the firing of McNeill, everything fell apart. I am not saying that the Pirates were a conference contender with him, but the firing seemed strangely political to me. That said, I would be greatly shocked to see East Carolina finish anywhere above the AAC East cellar in 2017.
What Really Happened
East Carolina essentially ended up in the AAC cellar, just I had projected, even if they were in a three way tie for fourth. They finished in the upper tier of that tie by virtue of wins over both Cincinnati and U Conn, but those were their only conference wins in 2017. I also called their loss to James Madison, but it occurred by much more than my 1.5 point projection, as the Pirates lost that game by 20. The Pirates, who also beat BYU, did not beat anyone with a winning record, and Scotty Montgomery will be firmly on the hot seat in 2018.
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