Is a 5-1 start too crazy to expect next year?

[Trueblue25]

I don't see us coming within 20 points of losing in the next 10-50 years.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

I really hope it is a 6-6 season or we get a new HC. However, we have no clue sadly.

I mean if we go 5-1 then 9-3 should be in play. If we win can beat both USF and UVA on the road we should be able to win @NC State and sweep BC and Pitt at home. That is why 4-2 tells me we should win 2 of those 3 and finish 7-5/8-4.

3-3 means we are going 4-8 at best.

Las Vegas has our O/U at 4.5 wins. They think we are a 4-8 or 5-7 team if you want to pluck down the money.

I'll be doing just that very shortly!

The problem with this line of thinking is that every time over the past decade the schedule was set up in a smiliar fashion or people were saying that SU had to start out with "such and such a record" it inevitably would lose a game or two most penciled in as wins and the high hopes fell apart.

At this point we have no idea what to expect from this schedule outside of the first game and based on the last 6 years of play versus Div 1AA teams not named Wagner even that isnt a lock.

Not just the last decade. It's been going on long before that. Remember NCState in '97? (And yes, I know we went to the Fiesta Bowl)

 

[rosconey]

bat crap crazy imho-

 

[TexanMark]

Agreed. Which could, conceivably, make the USF game the most important game of the season.

Speaking of...tickets still available see my USF thread thumbtacked above

 

[TexanMark]

ill be relieved with a 4-2 start, for a bowl game is still in play.

5-1 will make me happy...and fill my head with unicorns, rainbows and an 8 win regular season
4-2 will be relief and hope for a 7-5 while expecting at least 6-6 (anything less and SS is gone)
3-3 will mean 3-9 and see above

Come on this is Cuse...we could start 2-4

 

[Scooch]

I don't know about 5-1, but if we don't start 3-0 this program is not improving.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

I dont disagree but with Syracuse basically revamping the entire defense and the offense still a huge question mark would it really suprise you if this was relatively close game at half or early in the 3rd? Our play against 1AA's even going back to Marrone has been uninspiring at best.

I would hope that Syracuse could have this type of game wrapped up at half especially with RI being an absolute dreg last year but you just never know with this team.

I was the profit of doom last year before the Nova game. I am not this year. I don't care how green the defense is, or how unready the offense is. We will physically overpower Rhode Island, and it won't be close.

 

[TheCusian]

This wrong IMO. Nova is a far superior 1AA team, but the gap between them and URI is not as big as FSU to Buffalo. Coaching matters a lot more in 1AAthan 1A because the talent isn't that large. 1-85 its like Buffalo is to FSU as Elmhurst is to Nova.

Not gonna argue a small point. I think folks can figure out what I meant .

 

[TheCusian]

I dont disagree but with Syracuse basically revamping the entire defense and the offense still a huge question mark would it really suprise you if this was relatively close game at half or early in the 3rd? Our play against 1AA's even going back to Marrone has been uninspiring at best. I would hope that Syracuse could have this type of game wrapped up at half especially with RI being an absolute dreg last year but you just never know with this team.

Our play vs 1AA's since Marrone has gotten much better. A Shafer led team seems to beat the teams it should, going away (Nova is the outlier). Marrone led teams had a knack for playing to the level of competition (for the most part)... IMO.

 

[TheCusian]

I really hope it is a 6-6 season or we get a new HC. However, we have no clue sadly. I mean if we go 5-1 then 9-3 should be in play. If we win can beat both USF and UVA on the road we should be able to win @NC State and sweep BC and Pitt at home. That is why 4-2 tells me we should win 2 of those 3 and finish 7-5/8-4. 3-3 means we are going 4-8 at best. Las Vegas has our O/U at 4.5 wins. They think we are a 4-8 or 5-7 team if you want to pluck down the money.

I don't think so... I think all of last 6 games are basically peer or above games. USF was really bad last season. UVa is the closest thing to a toss up in the first 6, but I don't think they'd be favored against any of our last 6 opponents.

 

[orangeinjersey]

we have this thread EVEY year lol. We wont be 4-0 or 3-0 or 5-1 etc. We ALWAYS do worse.

 

[TheCusian]

we have this thread EVEY year lol. We wont be 4-0 or 3-0 or 5-1 etc. We ALWAYS do worse.

Schedule is much different than in years past...

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

Our play vs 1AA's since Marrone has gotten much better. A Shafer led team seems to beat the teams it should, going away (Nova is the outlier). Marrone led teams had a knack for playing to the level of competition (for the most part)... IMO.

Hard to call Nova an outlier when that's one of 10 wins Shafer has as a head coach. (I totally get what you're saying. But I sit at my desk right now as a market researcher and have to call out stats.)

 

[dollarbill44]

I would like to think so, but every year I think SU is better than they actually are. It's frustrating as all he11.
:crazy::noidea:

 

[Alsacs]

I don't think so... I think all of last 6 games are basically peer or above games. USF was really bad last season. UVa is the closest thing to a toss up in the first 6, but I don't think they'd be favored against any of our last 6 opponents.

You haven't paid attention to USF's recruiting. They have sucked because their coach was brand new Willie Taggert from Western Kentucky. He was rebuilding the team from the ground up.
USF has out-recruited us the recent past.

2013- 2 4*star recruits 1 top 300 recruit
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/school/_/id/58/class/2013
2014- 6 4* star recruits 1 top 300 recruit
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/school/_/id/58/class/2014
2015- 0 4* star recruits We finished 57th USF finished 59th
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/school/_/id/58/class/2015



USF is no cakewalk. They have taken their lumps under Taggert and will be better this year. UVA will also have more talent on the field than us. UVA's HC can recruit he has brought in several top 25 classes that will be a year older. If we split these road game we will be lucky.

 

[Full_Rebar]

Our play vs 1AA's since Marrone has gotten much better. A Shafer led team seems to beat the teams it should, going away (Nova is the outlier). Marrone led teams had a knack for playing to the level of competition (for the most part)... IMO.

That's not exactly a ringing endorsement of the coaching staff.

 

[Finwad32]

5-1 should be the expectation.

 

[Alsacs]

Our play vs 1AA's since Marrone has gotten much better. A Shafer led team seems to beat the teams it should, going away (Nova is the outlier). Marrone led teams had a knack for playing to the level of competition (for the most part)... IMO.

A Shafer led team also has a tendency to get its doors blown off. In 2 years he has more blowouts than Marrone did in 4 years. 2013-NW,GT, Clemson, FSU,2014-Maryland, ND, Louisville, Pitt, BC.

 

[TheCusian]

You haven't paid attention to USF's recruiting. They have sucked because their coach was brand new Willie Taggert from Western Kentucky. He was rebuilding the team from the ground up. USF has out-recruited us the recent past. 2013- 2 4*star recruits 1 top 300 recruit http://espn.go.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/school/_/id/58/class/2013 2014- 6 4* star recruits 1 top 300 recruit http://espn.go.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/school/_/id/58/class/2014 2015- 0 4* star recruits We finished 57th USF finished 59th http://espn.go.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/school/_/id/58/class/2015 USF is no cakewalk. They have taken their lumps under Taggert and will be better this year. UVA will also have more talent on the field than us. UVA's HC can recruit he has brought in several top 25 classes that will be a year older. If we split these road game we will be lucky.

Yep. Both schools have underplayed their recruiting rankings that entire time. You can say they'll be better - but their isn't much proof that they will be.



Ye

 

[Finwad32]

A Shafer led team also has a tendency to get its doors blown off. In 2 years he has more blowouts than Marrone did in 4 years. 2013-NW,GT, Clemson, FSU,2014-Maryland, ND, Louisville, Pitt, BC.

Don't necessarily agree with Maryland and ND as "getting our doors blown off."

 

[TheCusian]

That's not exactly a ringing endorsement of the previous coaching staff.

Fixed it for you.

---

I think Marrone's last season covered up a lot of bad games the 3 years prior. Toledo, Tulane, Maine, etc.

This staff has a problem with not playing elite teams well - where it seemed like Marrone could game plan us into the 3rd quarter.

 

[TheCusian]

A Shafer led team also has a tendency to get its doors blown off. In 2 years he has more blowouts than Marrone did in 4 years. 2013-NW,GT, Clemson, FSU,2014-Maryland, ND, Louisville, Pitt, BC.

I'm aware. That wasn't my point .

 

[Alsacs]

Don't necessarily agree with Maryland and ND as "getting our doors blown off."

Maryland I would probably take off the list, but that game was over at halftime. UMD did nothing on offense in the 2nd half but try to kill the clock and end the game. We moved the ball all day long that game, but we weren't stopping UMD when it mattered. Edsall definitely called the dogs off that game.
ND dominated that game. Our D forced 5 turnovers and 1 punt and we couldn't do squat. The pick 6 late made the score closer, but we didn't show anything that game to the rest of the nation.

 

[ThruWayWest]

Maryland I would probably take off the list, but that game was over at halftime. UMD did nothing on offense in the 2nd half but try to kill the clock and end the game. We moved the ball all day long that game, but we weren't stopping UMD when it mattered. Edsall definitely called the dogs off that game.
ND dominated that game. Our D forced 5 turnovers and 1 punt and we couldn't do squat. The pick 6 late made the score closer, but we didn't show anything that game to the rest of the nation.

At one point during that game my friend and I were discussing how Syracuse looked like the best team in America between the 20s. Good god I am trying really hard to erase the memory of last year...on to 5-1

 

[tep624]

I'm not that bullish on the road games at all. Too many question marks on Offense right now in my opinion, I'll really have to see how we look the first couple of weeks to get a gauge.