How many people have wanted to make a post to something like

[IthacaBarrel]

the tune of.. "WE CAN WIN THE BIG EAST" Conference is worse than ever although I do think Cinci looks to be the best team, be interesting to see how WVU rebounds this week and it we can take care of business.. That said, I think we can go 2-3 from here in, who the knows, just nice to have a shot these days

If Pitt and Rutgers recruit so well, why is it they can't separate from the rest of the Big east. Seems like recruiting qb's is a tough business, We can bitch about Hackett as the OC but he seems to be doing a good job as the qb coach, dfeinitely getting the most out of Nassib's abilities

 

[OrangeinBoston]

Oh Boy...here we go rekindling the "stars" debate.

The key, as you imply, is coaching. I don't know what genius stated it but it goes something like this: "He can take hisuns and beat youruns. Then he'll take youruns and beat hisuns."

 

[kingottoiii]

the tune of.. "WE CAN WIN THE BIG EAST" Conference is worse than ever although I do think Cinci looks to be the best team, be interesting to see how WVU rebounds this week and it we can take care of business.. That said, I think we can go 2-3 from here in, who the knows, just nice to have a shot these days

If Pitt and Rutgers recruit so well, why is it they can't separate from the rest of the Big east. Seems like recruiting qb's is a tough business, We can bitch about Hackett as the OC but he seems to be doing a good job as the qb coach, dfeinitely getting the most out of Nassib's abilities

Pitt recruited a big physical team to play an NFL O and D. That type of team can get by with an average QB. Graham has come in and gone Spread on O and 3-3 on D. His system requires speed and a good QB.

RU has a bunch of overrated kids. They haven't really recruited well.

I still think WV is the bets team in the BE. It is their conference to lose.

 

[Chip]

Pitt recruited a big physical team to play an NFL O and D. That type of team can get by with an average QB. Graham has come in and gone Spread on O and 3-3 on D. His system requires speed and a good QB.

RU has a bunch of overrated kids. They haven't really recruited well.

I still think WV is the bets team in the BE. It is their conference to lose.

Actually, that would mean it's our conference to lose. If WVU wins out, they still need help. From us. If we are both 6-1 in the league, I'll toast them from Miami.

Biggest question for us is, was Friday the confidence inducing break through we've been waiting for? Or just a magical night where we used the extra week for a perfect gameplan and had perfect execution. Louisville's D is better than WVUs. Louisville's O is much worse than WVUs.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

At this stage we want a sure defector or probably defector to win out. Might as well be us.

Whatever puts the poor bastard that is the Big East down the fastest.

 

[kingottoiii]

Actually, that would mean it's our conference to lose. If WVU wins out, they still need help. From us. If we are both 6-1 in the league, I'll toast them from Miami.

Biggest question for us is, was Friday the confidence inducing break through we've been waiting for? Or just a magical night where we used the extra week for a perfect gameplan and had perfect execution. Louisville's D is better than WVUs. Louisville's O is much worse than WVUs.

I don't expect SU to go 5-0 the rest of the way. One loss by SU and WV is back in control.

 

[Chip]

I don't expect SU to go 5-0 the rest of the way. One loss by SU and WV is back in control.

I wouldn't be surprised if Rutgers beats WVU Saturday.

As for SU, I know 5-0 is a stretch. But I can't remember a time, other than maybe 2004, where I thought this league was weaker.

 

[SU2NASA]

I don't expect SU to go 5-0 the rest of the way.

I do.

 

[Upstate]

Pitt recruited a big physical team to play an NFL O and D. That type of team can get by with an average QB. Graham has come in and gone Spread on O and 3-3 on D. His system requires speed and a good QB.

RU has a bunch of overrated kids. They haven't really recruited well.

I still think WV is the bets team in the BE. It is their conference to lose.

NJ football is overrated in general.

 

[kingottoiii]

I wouldn't be surprised if Rutgers beats WVU Saturday.

As for SU, I know 5-0 is a stretch. But I can't remember a time, other than maybe 2004, where I thought this league was weaker.

Last year IMO the BE was worse.

 

[Chip]

Last year IMO the BE was worse.

Maybe it would be better to say I've never seen the Big East worse compared to how we play. Last year I thought UConn was better than us and I thought Pitt was better than us. Losing to them, while disappointing, wasn't all that surprising.

This year we've lost to Rutgers in a game that we just gave away. Destroyed WVU. Now what? Louisville will be tough to play down there, but no one would confuse them with good, their offense has been atrocious. UConn has been covered. USF can't beat anyone and just lost their best WR. Pitt just lost their best offensive player and have been a confusing team to watch. That leaves Cincy, who is winning, but how good are they? When we play them they'll be coming off 4 games in 4 weeks. We'll be coming off a bye. We also get our away games as Saturday nooners, which is to our advantage.

I know it sounds insane, so I don't blame people for being cautious, but this league is very winnable for SU. We need help too though, in the form of Rutgers 2nd loss.

This weekend seems like the most likely loss for us.

 

[Cuseman78]

Maybe it would be better to say I've never seen the Big East worse compared to how we play. Last year I thought UConn was better than us and I thought Pitt was better than us. Losing to them, while disappointing, wasn't all that surprising.

This year we've lost to Rutgers in a game that we just gave away. Destroyed WVU. Now what? Louisville will be tough to play down there, but no one would confuse them with good, their offense has been atrocious. UConn has been covered. USF can't beat anyone and just lost their best WR. Pitt just lost their best offensive player and have been a confusing team to watch. That leaves Cincy, who is winning, but how good are they? When we play them they'll be coming off 4 games in 4 weeks. We'll be coming off a bye. We also get our away games as Saturday nooners, which is to our advantage.

I know it sounds insane, so I don't blame people for being cautious, but this league is very winnable for SU. We need help too though, in the form of Rutgers 2nd loss.

This weekend seems like the most likely loss for us.

I agree with this. I think its just difficult for people to get over that mental edge created by the Grob era, but I think this team jumped a major hurdle last Friday night. That, coupled with the rest of the Big East's putrid play thus far, leads me to believe that we are the front-runner to win the league. I fully expect to come out and beat Lville and UConn on the road, setting up a pretty big last 3 games. And where would be at if we didn't hand the Rutgers game to the 'Girls?

 

[kingottoiii]

I agree with this. I think its just difficult for people to get over that mental edge created by the Grob era, but I think this team jumped a major hurdle last Friday night. That, coupled with the rest of the Big East's putrid play thus far, leads me to believe that we are the front-runner to win the league. I fully expect to come out and beat Lville and UConn on the road, setting up a pretty big last 3 games. And where would be at if we didn't hand the Rutgers game to the 'Girls?

How did you feel after beating WV last year? Did you feel like a corner was turned at the time? Or how about after beating Cincy? At that point we were 6-2 (3-1) with lowly UL, RU, and UConn left to play.

I think people are getting ahead of themselves after one great performance. Hard to forget our poor play for 3 Qs vs Wake, 2nd half of USC, and entire RI, RU, and Tulane games. That is my mental edge, has nothing to do with GRob.

 

[44PRIDE]

Louisville beats us this weekend by a field goal...

 

[Chip]

How did you feel after beating WV last year? Did you feel like a corner was turned at the time? Or how about after beating Cincy? At that point we were 6-2 (3-1) with lowly UL, RU, and UConn left to play.

I think people are getting ahead of themselves after one great performance. Hard to forget our poor play for 3 Qs vs Wake, 2nd half of USC, and entire RI, RU, and Tulane games. That is my mental edge, has nothing to do with GRob.

I thought a corner had been turned last year just in the fact that we were a much more physical, and in shape, football team. But I never thought we'd win the league last year. I know were in the running, but I do remember thinking it was a stretch. That Cincy win was fun, but was against a backup QB who didn't play very well.

Something always seemed off with the offense last year, started to feel more hopeless as the season went on, especially the WR position. This year, it feels like it's trending the other way. Graham is coming into his own, taking some pressure off Chew and Lemon, who are healthy and can still make plays. Throw in West, Provo's big year. Bailey is consistent. OL has been improving each week (to me, anyway).

And again, I think there's a big difference between lowly UConn from this year and last year. Louisville might be about the same so we just can't make the same backbreaking mistakes (like dropping a wide open TD pass in the end zone) like we did last year. Their using a true freshman QB instead of a senior last year (albeit backup) has to help us given what Shafer can do to him. Just need to stop their running game better. Our run D has been a pleasant surprise this year.

I know that WVU game was only one game, but it really has me feeling differently about our chances. If we win on Saturday, I'm trumpeting this one a lot more next week. Which game won't we be favored in?

 

[OrangeMuskyFish]

How did you feel after beating WV last year? Did you feel like a corner was turned at the time? Or how about after beating Cincy? At that point we were 6-2 (3-1) with lowly UL, RU, and UConn left to play.

I think people are getting ahead of themselves after one great performance. Hard to forget our poor play for 3 Qs vs Wake, 2nd half of USC, and entire RI, RU, and Tulane games. That is my mental edge, has nothing to do with GRob.

I believe this is different. First of all, I don't believe there is ever just one program-changing win, but a series of them. We did turn a corner against WVU last year, unfortunately rebuilding is a maze and requires a lot of corners to be turned prior to its finish line. Last year's win against the Mountaineers was great, but this one was better. As you say, we have not played well for much of the year, but yet, here we are at 5-2. In 2.5 years we have gone from having to play perfectly to win, to being able to play poorly and still win. So that, in itself is a major corner turned, and then top it off with the fact we beat a top-15 team (and finally playing up to our ability in all phases to do it) and you have another major corner turned.

All that said, I am conservatively optimistic due to the fact that we must take care of business in the next two games. Two winnable games, but not pushovers. If we come out with the swagger we did against WVU, and win those two games, we should be ranked (another corner turned), with the potential for a 10-win season (yet another corner turned), and we should be stacked coming back for the all-so-critical follow-up season to truly cement the fact we are indeed BACK.

 

[Orangemen]

How did you feel after beating WV last year? Did you feel like a corner was turned at the time? Or how about after beating Cincy? At that point we were 6-2 (3-1) with lowly UL, RU, and UConn left to play.

I think people are getting ahead of themselves after one great performance. Hard to forget our poor play for 3 Qs vs Wake, 2nd half of USC, and entire RI, RU, and Tulane games. That is my mental edge, has nothing to do with GRob.

That win was a sign the program had life.

This years win was completely different. It had shades of the big PSU beat down from back in the '80's for me. It was a statement win that said SU can play some ball.

I'm still too beat down by the GROB era to think we can win out,
but I believe our chances to win out this year are far better than they were last year.

 

[kingottoiii]

I know that WVU game was only one game, but it really has me feeling differently about our chances. If we win on Saturday, I'm trumpeting this one a lot more next week. Which game won't we be favored in?

I need this game vs UL to jump all in on this year's team. As good as we were on D for RU and WV, we were as bad for the other 5. I think the O is good enough to pull out a BE championship. Especially the way we have run the ball as of late. However the D is young and has been very inconstant all year. Hard to ignore that and out 115 or so pass D.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I need this game vs UL to jump all in on this year's team. As good as we were on D for RU and WV, we were as bad for the other 5. I think the O is good enough to pull out a BE championship. Especially the way we have run the ball as of late. However the D is young and has been very inconstant all year. Hard to ignore that and out 115 or so pass D.

That's where I'm at too. Back to back 4 quarter performances will push me over the top.