ACC has 3 bowl wins...Cuse and Pitt are 2 of them

[GoSU96]

By what standard was this year's defense "much better" than last year's. Seems to me the best one could say is they were even.

Not counting the FCS team, this year we played 4 offensively challenged teams that had trouble scoring 3 TDs in most of their games against teams with even average defenses, but when we faced any team capable of putting up huge numbers, they all did 48, 49, 56, and 59. Our defense last year at least managed to hold some of the better offensive teams we played like Louisville and Mizzou to less than 30. Heck, even Minny that hadn't scored an offensive TD in like forever toward the end of the season, managed two of them to almost pull out the bowl game.

Not trying to minimize the huge contributions that the seniors on defense had over their careers with us, but if you think this year's defense was "much better" than last year, then you are indeed overreacting, imho.

Cheers,
Neil

Last year they ranked in the top 20 in one category, tackles for a loss. Next best was 39th in 3rd down defense. After that they were 43rd or lower in every other major defensive category down to 91st in pass . defense.

This year top 20 in tackles for a loss, sacks, and 3rd down defense. 26th in rushing, 35th in total defense. Lowest ranking was 64th in pass . defense.

Last year the offense carried the defense. This year the defense was obviously the better side of the ball by a wide margin.

They got rolled in four games, in the remaining 9 games SU's defense was the best unit on the field between the two teams, including the losses to PSU and Pitt.

Ave pts against in those nine games, 13. Two shut outs, one game 3 pts, another game 10 pts. 7 of 13 17 or less.

The prior four years 17 of 50 the defense held for 17 or less.

 

[OrangeDW]

3rd best team? Pump the brakes.

Team is losing a ton of leadership and games played at center, DT, MLB, and CB. All five guys are three/four year STARTERS, not just rotation guys. You are losing your two year starting TB, who is another leader. As much as people bust on Wilkes, he played a lot from day one. You are losing a TE who has played a ton and has been a multiple year starter.

Next year's schedule is going to be harder than this years.

They could be significantly better next year and end up 6-6 again.

Why not? Duke was the 3rd best team this year! Nobody saw that coming. I want that type of season.

Yes, we are losing some good players, but that's the nature of college football. So is everybody else. We should be stronger at QB and WR, and while Smith was very good, it's possible that we don't miss a beat at RB with our talent there.

 

[GoSU96]

Why not? Duke was the 3rd best team this year! Nobody saw that coming. I want that type of season.

Yes, we are losing some good players, but that's the nature of college football. So is everybody else. We should be stronger at QB and WR, and while Smith was very good, it's possible that we don't miss a beat at RB with our talent there.

You said you saw no reason. Fact is there are plenty of reasons.

Could they be, maybe, but it's a very remote possibility. There is a ton of work to do.

Cutliffe is one of the best in the business at what he does and he's been building the Duke program for six years.
He was able to win the SEC west at Mississippi, he is the tutor to the Mannings. That's how good he is.

Duke won ten games on the weak side of the ACC and played NCST and Wake from this side. They went the full Rutgers OOC: NC Central, Memphis, Troy and Navy. Add in UVA and they had 7 wins baked into their schedule.

They went 3-2 against decent teams in the regular season, losses to GT and Pitt, wins against UNC, VT and Miami.

If SU played their schedule it would have won at least 8 games.

SU's schedule next year does not have 7 wins baked into it.

 

[Millhouse]

3rd best team? Pump the brakes.

Team is losing a ton of leadership and games played at center, DT, MLB, and CB. All five guys are three/four year STARTERS, not just rotation guys. You are losing your two year starting TB, who is another leader. As much as people bust on Wilkes, he played a lot from day one. You are losing a TE who has played a ton and has been a multiple year starter.

Next year's schedule is going to be harder than this years.

They could be significantly better next year and end up 6-6 again.

It's really hard to judge next year because we either played hopeless jokes or we were the hopeless joke. If you want to find games to project out from, you end up with just a few.

Pitt BC and Minn are keepers. I'm not sure what to do with Maryland. I guess you keep them in the mix even though they suck more than their record indicates.

NC State and Wake are horrible, drop them. FSU Clemson GT drop them too (GT was a giant What outlier, FSU Clemson are too good doesn't tell us much about peers)

Against MD Pitt BC and Minn, we were better per play 3 out of 4 games. The BC game, they were considerably better per play but we had almost double the plays. Overall, we outgained those 4 opponents.

 

[OrangeDW]

You said you saw no reason. Fact is there are plenty of reasons.

Could they be, maybe, but it's a very remote possibility. There is a ton of work to do.

Cutliffe is one of the best in the business at what he does and he's been building the Duke program for six years.
He was able to win the SEC west at Mississippi, he is the tutor to the Mannings. That's how good he is.

Duke won ten games on the weak side of the ACC and played NCST and Wake from this side. They went the full Rutgers OOC: NC Central, Memphis, Troy and Navy. Add in UVA and they had 7 wins baked into their schedule.

They went 3-2 against decent teams in the regular season, losses to GT and Pitt, wins against UNC, VT and Miami.

If SU played their schedule it would have won at least 8 games.

SU's schedule next year does not have 7 wins baked into it.

No, don't have 7 wins baked into it...but I don't see many losses baked into it either. I see a bunch of games that are winnable though.

6-2 in the ACC is my hope! It won't be easy, but I feel like everyone is beatable except for FSU and Clemson. Louisville, NC State, and Duke at home...BC, Pitt, and Wake on the road. All of those are programs we can beat. We were 3-1 against the ones we played this year, and lost by 1 to Pitt. Duke comes to the Dome, we hammered Louisville the last time we played them and we get them in the Dome too. I'm thinking positive and going all in! I only see 2 games on the ACC schedule where I think "no way will we win".

This is the year where I think we should go 3-1 OOC at the minimum! For once, we don't start out with our two toughest OOC games. We should be able to start 2-0. It's not an automatic, but I feel like we should beat Maryland at the Dome. ND is beatable too.

9-3(6-2)! We need a season like that, and we haven't been that far away from it the last 2 years. We lost some very good players, but I feel like we should still be strong up front defensively. We've built depth in recent years where we have more players with the talent to step up and replace our departing seniors. I think our weak positions from this year(QB most of the season, and WR) should be stronger, and I think we should still be reasonably strong everywhere else. Hunt showed he can be an effective QB who keeps the chains moving late in the season, Estime can become a gamebreaker...first one we've had in awhile. It's time! We've gotten the program to the 7-6/8-5 mark and .500 or better in the league...time to take it up another notch! I feel like we're right on the cusp!