The New York Times on Rice's 2009 football season

You’d think that after forecasting Rice to bring up the bottom of the conference last fall I’d do my best to avoid underestimating the Owls in 2009. Alas, it seems I have yet to learn my lesson. Still, I remain confident that in 2009, extreme losses on offense will prevent a repeat of last fall, when an extremely potent passing attack covered up the team’s continued defensive ineffectiveness. This is a pretty simple premise: Lose your best players, control the ball less often, score less often; control the ball less, the other team has the ball more, they score more. Making matters worse, the schedule is at least equally difficult to a season ago. After the season opener at U.A.B., the Owls take on six consecutive 2008 bowl participants. That’s not a great recipe for success. Still, I’m much higher on this Rice team than I was entering the 2008 season. If all goes right (entering the U.C.F. game at 3-4, for instance), I imagine Rice will reach bowl eligibility. Despite getting burned a season ago, I don’t think Rice will be that good. I predict its losses on offense and a tough first two months will doom the Owls to a 5-7 finish in 2009, with a definite possibility of 4-8 if last year’s understudies don’t take to their new roles.