So, the other day, I got really into thinking about the upcoming Middle Tennessee football season. You know how it gets, you start wondering who’s stepping up, who’s going to be making the big plays. I felt like I needed a solid look at the depth chart just to get my head straight about the team this year.
First thing I did, naturally, was jump online. Checked out all the usual sports spots, the big name sites and some smaller ones focused on college ball. Honestly, it was kind of frustrating. Found bits and pieces here and there, but nothing felt totally solid or up-to-date. Some depth charts seemed like they were from last year, others were just plain guesswork it looked like.
Okay, plan B. Went straight to the Blue Raiders’ official athletics site. Dug around the football section pretty deep. Sometimes teams just post the chart, clear as day. Other times, you gotta sift through press releases or game notes from the previous season, hoping for clues. Found the roster, yeah, easy enough. But a clean, organized depth chart? Nope, not just sitting there waiting for me.
Digging Deeper
Alright, time to put on my detective hat. Started searching for news articles, especially stuff from local reporters who cover MTSU closely. Looked for reports coming out of spring ball or any fall camp updates. Those beat writers, they often drop hints about who’s running with the first team, who’s impressing the coaches. That helped. Also poked around a couple of fan message boards. Sometimes the die-hard fans who follow practices have some good insights, though you gotta take that with a grain of salt sometimes.
At that point, I figured I just had to build my own picture. Pulled up a blank document. Started listing out the positions, you know:
- Quarterback
- Running Back
- Wide Receiver
- Offensive Line
- Defensive Line
- Linebacker
- Defensive Back
- Special Teams
Putting it Together
Then I started plugging in names. Used the official roster as the main source. Then I thought about who started last year and is coming back. Read up on any transfers coming in – those guys can shake things up. Tried to find quotes from the coaches about position battles from any recent press stuff.
I decided to structure it simply for myself.
For each position, like Quarterback, I’d list:
- The guy I think is the starter.
- Then the main backup.
- Maybe a third name if the info was there.
It wasn’t super scientific. Looked at who got playing time last season. Considered who left the team. It’s always a bit of an educated guess before the season really starts. Coaches keep things close to the vest, guys get hurt, things change fast.
But, after a bit of work, I had my own version. It’s not the official paper they hand out before game one, for sure. But it gives me a much clearer idea of the two-deep, who the key players likely are at each spot. It was a bit of a grind, pulling info from all over, but hey, now I feel way more prepared to follow the Blue Raiders this fall. Felt good to get it all organized in one spot.
