James Madison's New Era: Analysis of Duke's Football Strategy

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Transcript

00:00Let's take a look at the James Madison matchup from the side of the Dukes against Oregon.

00:05We talked about Oregon earlier in the show.

00:08Let's take a look at James Madison.

00:10Their head coach, Bob Chesney, was hired by UCLA.

00:14James Madison wasted no time hiring former Florida Gators head coach, Billy Napier.

00:20When you look at the Dukes overall, you've coached against this team in the Sun Belt.

00:24What does JMU bring to the table in this potential matchup in Eugene on December 20th?

00:31Well, the thing you've got to know about JMU is that even when they went from 1AA to Division I a couple of years ago,

00:38they are the most well-funded, one of the most highly-paid G5 programs in the country.

00:46They were that way when they got in.

00:47So when Cignetti left to go to Indiana, they dropped for a little bit, but they immediately regrouped under Chesney.

00:54And got right back on top of the conference.

00:56So they don't drop off too much because that program, for a long time, has been committed financially

01:03of supporting one of the top programs in the country.

01:06So they are very well-suited and ready to go.

01:08Don't think they're good enough against the opponents they're playing right now.

01:12But they are not going to fall off.

01:14They'll have a program that will continue to be successful in the future.

01:17I do want to bring up the fact if one of the underdogs does, in fact, strike the upset, whether it be JMU or Tulane,

01:25what does that do to potentially the perception that these teams were not deserving of being in the college football playoff

01:33because they have no shot to win a national championship?

01:36I mean, Joe, that'd be exactly what people would hope to see if you're pulling for these G5 teams that are in that Hoosiers type of atmosphere

01:47where anybody on a given day can move on through the playoffs, but it is only the first round.

01:53But it would be a huge plus for the setup of the operation.

01:56Give these teams a chance.

01:58Give them a chance to be in there, and they'll prove they're worthy.

02:01I think that's exactly what would happen.