OK, I'm Ready to Update My Season's Record Prediction

[OrangeinBoston]

3 - 1
USF W
Virginia W
Pitt W
FSU L
Louisville W
Clemson W
NC State W
BC W

10 - 2

 

[Toga]

 

[K Otto XLIV]

We have a ton of potential. The issue is we are very inconstant on both sides of the ball. Which should be expected with all the young players we have out there. There have been moments when the D has looked great, and moments where the D has looked like they can't stop anyone. The O has looked great at times and produced some big plays, but at other times hasn't been able to sustain drives.

We can beat anyone on our schedule, but can also lose to anyone. IMO we won't really know where this team is headed until after USF. Hopefully we can use the 2 weeks to iron some things out and become more consistent on both sides of the ball. If we do it will be a very good season.

 

[upperdeck]

all i want is for the pitt/bc games to be meaningful in some way.

 

[OrangeTarheel]

If we got to eight wins on the season I think most of us would be wildly happy. That allows for a loss to Clemson and one game where yet another injury screws with our ability to game plan.

 

[Cuse'91]

I have the Kool-aid drawn to my lips. Heck, I'll go with 10th win in our bowl game...

 

[FAL]

all i want is for the pitt/bc games to be meaningful in some way.

Meaningful in the sense that we can beat both? Yeah, that is definitely meaningful...

 

[omniorange]

If we stay reasonably healthy:

3 - 1
USF W
Virginia W
Pitt W
FSU L
Louisville W
Clemson W
NC State L
BC W

9-3

Somehow I think we stumble at NC State, when we probably shouldn't. Especially if it is after a big win against Clemson. Hope I'm wrong. Outside the win against Clemson, I especially want to beat both Pitt and BC.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[Delmar]

We caught some breaks today that kept the score closer than it might have been. LSU did not bring their A game today. They are the best team we will play, but other teams will play better against us. Also, we can't expect to have only 4 penalties and 1 turnover in every game. We are likely to stink it up in a game or two. Getting to a bowl is an achievable and reasonable goal this year. Any gravy beyond that will be welcome. Today gave us lots of reasons to be optimistic without being delusional.

 

[RF2044]

We caught some breaks today that kept the score closer than it might have been. LSU did not bring their A game today. They are the best team we will play, but other teams will play better against us. Also, we can't expect to have only 4 penalties and 1 turnover in every game. We are likely to stink it up in a game or two. Getting to a bowl is an achievable and reasonable goal this year. Any gravy beyond that will be welcome. Today gave us lots of reasons to be optimistic without being delusional.

Honestly, so what?

No doubt LSU took us lightly, with a walk on QB starting. But that's why they play the games. Two years ago, we played against the eventual NC and they not only mopped the floor with us, several of our players got injured, etc. It was like watching a JV squad play against the varsity. I didn't get that impression at all today. Great measuring stick, and we rose to the occasion.

No doubt [to your point] they took us lightly. But that's why games aren't played on paper. This is the first time I can remember us holding our own against a top 10 team in forever. With a walk on QB at the helm.

Future looks bright.

 

[jekelish]

Considering how young we are, and coming off of a 3-9 season, anything more than 6 wins is cream cheese. And I firmly believe we could/should get to 6+ wins this season, based on the way we played today, coupled with the fact that Dungey will be coming back and continuing to get more comfortable in this offense.

 

[Delmar]

Future looks bright.

We agree. The future looks bright. But I don't think we are getting to 9-3 or 10-2 this year. I won't object if we do.

 

[bcubs9497]

LSU did bring their A game. Think they wanted it to be so close? HELL NO! They wanted to win, with style. Not dial it in. Our boys took one of the best teams in the SEC and made them WORK for the win. Be proud of their accomplishment.

 

[RF2044]

We agree. The future looks bright. But I don't think we are getting to 9-3 or 10-2 this year. I won't object if we do.

Probably not [we agree on that, as well]. But I am very, very optimistic that we can get to bowl eligibility or better. 6 games is all we need this year. Next year, we can eclipse that by quite a bit.

 

[Scooch]

As encouraged as I was today I still think it's very premature to be predicting 8+ wins. This is a young team with scary thin depth at some positions. We almost certainly will lose a game people here now think of as a lock. But we could also jump up and knock off a team we wrote off as s sure loss pre-season.

Next two games will tell us a lot. What I love though is that at this moment I think we can compete with every team left on our schedule.

 

[Delmar]

LSU did bring their A game. Think they wanted it to be so close? HELL NO! They wanted to win, with style. Not dial it in. Our boys took one of the best teams in the SEC and made them WORK for the win. Be proud of their accomplishment.

LSU can play a lot better than they did today. Thus, not an A game for them. But you are right that they didn't mail it in today --Fournette certainly didn't. We played very well, and the team and SU fans should be very proud of the effort today.

 

[omniorange]

As encouraged as I was today I still think it's very premature to be predicting 8+ wins. This is a young team with scary thin depth at some positions. We almost certainly will lose a game people here now think of as a lock. But we could also jump up and knock off a team we wrote off as s sure loss pre-season.

Next two games will tell us a lot. What I love though is that at this moment I think we can compete with every team left on our schedule.

Agreed. But I also think it has become apparent, that outside of maybe FSU and Clemson, the rest of the ACC is pretty much mediocre. Some on here were saying two weeks ago that GT was the best team in the ACC and deserved to be ranked in the Top 10 even though they had played nobody. ND and Duke have shown otherwise.

So my optimism is for two reasons, how well our young talent has played in the first 4 games of this season despite some injuries and how "meh" the rest of the teams on our schedule have played.

I would amend your statement above by saying the next three games will tell a lot. USF and UVa since they will be this young team's first two road games and Pitt because they have beaten us 11 of the last 13 times we have played them. Go 0-3 in these games and the board meltdown will be epic. Go 1-2 and the board's current optimism will be greatly deflated but still hold outside hope for a bowl game. Go 2-1 and the bowl game is virtually a lock. Go 3-0 and talk of a significant bowl game will begin.

LGO!!!

Cheers,
Neil

 

[PhatOrange]

One game at a time.

If we drop usf everyone will be calling for heads again.

 

[RF2044]

One game at a time.

If we drop usf everyone will be calling for heads again.

True.

Fortunately, we have two weeks to prepare for USF, and time to get Eric Dungey healthy again.

We're 3-1 one-third of the way through the season, and unlike the demoralizing loss many predicted, I think our kids gained some confidence today. Bodes well for the next three games. Both USF and UVA could be 1-3 when we play them. Psychologically, I like how we're positioned for the month of October.

 

[PhatOrange]

Edit: not everyone but a certain segment.

Last weekend there were a few of posters hating on Lester/shafer and I noticed those same posters were Lester/shafer fans today. Just sayin

 

[dan7800]

Do we get any top 25 votes for this close loss?

 

[RF2044]

Do we get any top 25 votes for this close loss?

No. But if we get to 5-1...

 

[CanadianSU]

8-4/9-3

 

[PhatOrange]

True.

Fortunately, we have two weeks to prepare for USF, and time to get Eric Dungey healthy again.

We're 3-1 one-third of the way through the season, and unlike the demoralizing loss many predicted, I think our kids gained some confidence today. Bodes well for the next three games. Both USF and UVA could be 1-3 when we play them. Psychologically, I like how we're positioned for the month of October.

First road game. Some of these kids (dungey/Mahoney and others) haven't been on the road yet. Could be hot, muggey, raining who knows. The road is a different animal first time out.

 

[omniorange]

One game at a time.

If we drop usf everyone will be calling for heads again.

As a player, the one game at a time philosophy is most definitely the way to go.

As a fan, I say screw it.

Never understood the mentality that says even though we know truly next to nothing about our team or the other teams we will play we do a prediction thread before the season even begins but once the games actually start we should now abide by this one game at a time mentality.

Cheers,
Neil