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[QUOTE="All4SU, post: 724761, member: 381"]
From a historical perspective, I think the last 4 years offer a pretty good insight.  I think we all thought year 3 of the HCDM would be the "launch pad" year.  Year 1 was just simply trying to wipe the crust of the previous 4 years off of the program.   Year 2 we saw what some improved coaching could do.  Year 3 was our year, or so we thought.  But the reality of a lack of depth caught up with us.  In D1 you have to have a full roster of D1 athletes.  We didn't have that.  We were thin at too many position, and the grind of the season caught up with us. 
 
Year 4 we finally seemed to have some depth.  Not a lot, but better.  And the results showed it.  The team played better and better down the stretch as young guys developed, roles were carved out, and the team came together. 
 
Despite the changes to the roster and coaching staff, this team still kind of feels like last year's team.  Perhaps it's simply because we haven't played a game yet, but I think we pick up where we left off.  Our depth is better than it has been in a decade.  We appear to have more playmakers on offense than at any time since the end of the 90s.  True many of them are thin on experience.  But there were years in there where we couldn't even identify playmakers.  Now we're wondering which ones might step up.  Seems to be a big change.  Add to that a defense that has really achieved at times a lot over the last 4 years.  Yes, DE is uncertain.  And Safety is a little up in the air.  But pound for pound, this is a D1 sized defense, with comparable speed.  And virtually all of these guys have been in the program.  No more 5'8" DBs.  No more LBs who are too slow.  Okay, a little smallish at LB, but they all have speed and that translates well in today's game if they can hit.  Appearances suggest they can hit.
 
So that's where we are.  Did we turn the corner last year?  Is there still a corner ahead.  IMHO, the next corner ahead of us is to become a Top 25 team.  I think we flirt with that this year, despite the difficult stretch to open the schedule.
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