Does this Dino Babers-led football program feel a little different? | Syracusefan.com

Does this Dino Babers-led football program feel a little different?

SUFan44

SUFan44

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I’m too young to remember 1987 and how that season felt, the build up to that perfect* year and how the following 5-6 years progressed. We weren’t great every year but we could beat anyone in the country.

The 1995-98 run with McNabb felt similar in that we could beat anyone on our schedule. But it also felt like we left “a lot of meat on the bone”, as Babers likes to say.

Last year, I felt like we won all of the games we should have and won a couple that we probably shouldn’t have (UNC). Pitt was a disappointment but it was on the road and Pitt isn’t terrible. Clemson & ND were Top 10 teams. Not a lot of meat there, or “shoulda, woulda, coulda”.

So I ask - do you feel that this coaching staff has implemented a system that is close to eliminating the “lay an egg” type performances that we have come to expect from a lot of the top Syracuse teams we have seen in past years? Do we think last year was the start of a new golden era of SU football?

I don’t know... I’m usually not the most optimistic but something about this staff and what they’re doing feels different. Feels sustainable. Feels pretty damn good.
 
Not sure I think our fanbase will collectively be crushed if we don't start off 2-1. Which could trickle down to the team and lead to losses that would have been wins. Our coach will be linked to every job that opens up going forward and we can't convince 4 and 5 stars to come here pretty much no matter what I wouldn't get carried away thinking we'll never have a bad season again.

That doesn't mean we are in a bad spot. I can't believe that I am happy to be in the Atlantic and not the weak ass Coastal given the disparity between the two since joining the league. I thought being in the tougher half and never seeing Miami or VT was akin to a death sentence but last year completely changed that perspective.

I think its just frustrating that we have one good year and the mantra on here is that programs like FSU are dead and buried and we should win by 20+ in Tallahassee and we might as well cancel the Clemson game if we don't smoke a MD team that beat Texas 2 years in a row the week before.

The key for me is our secondary. The offensive system puts the D in a tough spot with so many plays. We are not going to have great defensive stats. If the secondary just holds up and doesn't regress we are a legit 10 win ACC team and outside playoff contender regardless if we get there or not.
 
We have had three great coaches in my life to date. Paul and Doug were good coaches.
Ben, Mac, and now Dino are great coaches and more importantly great leaders. In addition to Dino being a great leader Syracuse is blessed to have as good an AD and Chancellor as we have had in my lifetime. Great leadership, ACC Network, increased revenue, the new Dome... It all adds up to the start of a great and i believe sustainable period of excellence for Syracuse Athletics in general and most especially our football program. It is great to be back!
 
Theres a ton of momentum in this program. But 1 bad season and the fair weather fans are back to b1tching. It's hard to say. Looks like we are going in the right direction. SU is going to have to keep giving raises and paying assistant coaches when they deserve it, like they recently did. I do feel we can reach huge success with this coaching staff, and yes I do have more faith than SS, DM and GR.. But these games are played out on the field. I was in the Dome when Hunt went out the first series, seems like first play. If we avoid injuries at the QB position I feel real good..but this is a tough conference..some new coaches and highly capable coaches. I still like the renovated dome and that should add to fans showing up and higher rated recruits. By the time Doug Marone comes back in 2024 we should be in good shape to move forward.
 
WinRoadGame said:
Theres a ton of momentum in this program. But 1 bad season and the fair weather fans are back to b1tching. It's hard to say. Looks like we are going in the right direction. SU is going to have to keep giving raises and paying assistant coaches when they deserve it, like they recently did. I do feel we can reach huge success with this coaching staff, and yes I do have more faith than SS, DM and GR.. But these games are played out on the field. I was in the Dome when Hunt went out the first series, seems like first play. If we avoid injuries at the QB position I feel real good..but this is a tough conference..some new coaches and highly capable coaches. I still like the renovated dome and that should add to fans showing up and higher rated recruits. By the time Doug Marone comes back in 2024 we should be in good shape to move forward.
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doug aint coming back.
 
My recollection of 1987 is that it was a perfect storm. We were coming off of a season where we had a losing record, McPherson might have broken his leg, but there were some great pieces of the puzzle in place. Mac could recruit -- talent was there.

But I also remember being nervous about the opener at Maryland. And the Penn State game seemed like no sure thing, which seems ridiculous in retrospect given how we rolled them. After that, it was like the season just exploded.

I think that what we're seeing now with the program's resurgence is similar in some respects. We're coming off a time where the program was downtrodden for an extended period of time. The new head coach is charismatic as hell, and has brought in VERY good players. And the breakthrough season happened when it wasn't necessarily expected to. The resurgence is based upon having an innovative offensive system [then and now], which helps us compete with more blue chip programs that recruit at a higher level, on paper.

That said, with all due respect -- because I love Coach Mac -- I think Dino is a better head coach. Another winning season, and things will really take off. They already have.
 
Dino has set this program up to be an actual player for as long as he's around. I've had multiple interactions with him and the guy simply gets it. He's clearly well-respected by his players and staff, has that outgoing personality that the Cuse fans and recruits get to see and runs a style of ball that is growing in popularity in college and now the NFL.

We're lucky to have him and frankly need to continue to feed him whatever he needs to be fed to stay here. The Cuse fans have bought in (season tix sales alone) and others in the country are now watching Syracuse as a budding threat. We got the mojo and need to strike while the iron is hot.

One thing is for sure, it's damn fun to be a Cuse Football fan again. Enjoy the ride.
 
FRANKIEFAN said:
I think its just frustrating that we have one good year and the mantra on here is that programs like FSU are dead and buried and we should win by 20+ in Tallahassee and we might as well cancel the Clemson game if we don't smoke a MD team that beat Texas 2 years in a row the week before.
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This right here. I think it's the nature of any fan base though. Higher than we need to be, and when things get low, lower than we need to be. I do agree that the first two games are much more difficult than people on the board seem to be making out. And Florida State will be back. They may not be there this year, but there are too many natural advantages for that school not to be a player long term.

I'm trying to focus on Game 1. Liberty is a solid mid major, and if the team is looking past them, it will be one helluva tussle. Maryland -- at Maryland. Even with a new coach, that's a tough game. I think SU has a good chance to win both, but very easily could drop one.
 
CuseCactus said:
Please God - don’t let DeVito get hurt.
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Essentially all that matters for our season. If he's healthy we go to a bowl game, if he were to get hurt early on, we don't.
 
Enjoy him while you can...he'll be at USC if Irvin Myers isn't resurrected.
 
chugg21 said:
Essentially all that matters for our season. If he's healthy we go to a bowl game, if he were to get hurt early on, we don't.
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TD is the most important piece, probably, but he isn't "all that matters". There are a lot of guys on the team and they all need to perform to have a successful season. We can get 6 wins without TD because we have a lot of talent on offense and defense. The upside is certainly much higher with a healthy TD, however.
 
While i am not sure how this season plays out .It's different in that i'm not hoping we win 6 games ect ... I can't see how we don't 6 wins or more . Talk to me in a few years when we going to Death valley and win with out killing their QB .
 
bnoro said:
Are we living in a world where Lynn Swann isn't the AD at USC? That place is a dumpster fire right now.
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There is no way Swann survives this year in my opinion.
 
It feels legit to me.

Because I've been burned so often, I try not to get too excited about the unknowns, like, say LB. But then you look at size and speed of those LBs and what they did on specials and think we're going to be ok.

I see legit talent (i.e. could play for almost any P5 team) at QB, RB, WR, couple of the OL, DE, DB.

Biggest obstacle is going from hunter to hunted. It's Dino's mental challenge for this year. If anyone can do it...
 
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