Phil Steele Preview

[TexanMark]

Digital copy was released yesterday.

Highlights:

Sean Tucker and Mikel Jones 3rd Team All American and 1st Team All ACC (RB and LB)

Garrett Williams and Trevor Pena 2nd Team All ACC (DB and KR)

Duce Chestnut 3rd Team All ACC (DB)

Mathew Bergeron, Stefon Thompson and Andre Szmyt 4th Team All ACC (OT, LB and K)

Picked last in the very competitive and strong Atlantic.

He thinks we'll be favored in 4 of first 5 games. He thinks Louisville will be very improved so that is our likely loss. We are rated ahead of UVA and Purdue is slightly ahead of us. Gives us a decent shot at a bowl game. Unit strengths are RB, LB, STs and OL.

Unit Rankings in ACC
QB 10 (Tied with FSU)
RB 1 (Tied with Clemson)
REC 12 (Tied with GTech and VTech)
OL 3 (Tied with Clemson, Miami, NCSt and WF)
DL 13 ( Tied with GTech)
LB 3 (Tied with FSU)
DB 11
STs 3 (Tied with Clemson and Pitt)
Coaching 8 (Tied with GTech)

Sadly we are at the bottom in DL and WR.

My thoughts: if we gel at QB and WR and the DL can contain the run we should be very competitive and 7 or 8 wins is not out of the question. I see big STs improvements. That should help us win 1 or 2 close games.

 

[bigmike]

Thanks for the synopsis. Defensive Backs ranked at 11? Scratching my head on that one.

 

[storange]

DB 11 ?? I don’t think so.

 

[Chip]

Thanks for the synopsis. Defensive Backs ranked at 11? Scratching my head on that one.

He must not think much of our safeties in the 3-3-5 scheme.

 

[bigmike]

He must not think much of our safeties in the 3-3-5 scheme.

Well then, he’s in for a big surprise.

 

[TexanMark]

He must not think much of our safeties in the 3-3-5 scheme.

Zactly what I was thinking. Could be a mistake too.

He has BC ranked 6th in the Atlantic but called them a possible surprise contender. I think that ship floated away like Mahagony wood.

 

[PhatOrange]

picked last in division but decent shot at a bowl game? interesting ying/yang

 

[TexanMark]

picked last in division but decent shot at a bowl game? interesting ying/yang

He thinks we can go 3-1 OOC

Virginia
And two other wins.

We are power rated in the upper 50s...so we have a chance against most average P5 squads.

 

[Trueblue25]

Jahad Carter needs to stay healthy. Our safeties have been meh. Hopefully Barron makes improvements too.

Clemson’s rb’s don’t touch ours.

Stefon Thompson’s my dark horse first team All ACC and second team all american pick. He’s the real deal Mikel should build off last year too. Stef displayed an elite skillset though for an LB.

 

[TexanMark]

Had Atlantic as:
Clemson
NCSt
WF
UL
FSU
BC
Cuse

Not much difference between bottom 5. We are last but within a respectful range of the other teams.

 

[Chip]

Had Atlantic as:
Clemson
NCSt
WF
UL
FSU
BC
Cuse

Not much difference between bottom 5. We are last but within a respectful range of the other teams.

I know it hurts our feelings, but objectively, on what basis would you put us higher knowing what we do right now (and looking at it as an unbiased viewer). Ahead of BC at best, but we play on the road there and it's the last game of the season. We're usually broken down by then.

I think we can surprise a lot of people, but if I were those people, I'd be in wait and see mode. Especially given the QB situations of all the other teams (except Clemson, where they have everything else).

RB, LB, CB, a couple of OL (Berg & healthy Bleich) are as good as anyone in the league. And that's a great thing. But QB, WR, DL (depth especially), Safety, a couple of OL could still be holes.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

...

I'll still see him in Hell.

 

[cuse62]

I think/hope our 2 safety transfers are good. Adding them in the mix with our returners, plus the addition of the CB from Dartmouth, I think we will be better than ranked 11.
I am not going to say anything about the DL. I think it has been brought up maybe once or twice. I feel like I’m living in that commercial, “we all see it, we all see it.”

 

[GoSU96]

I know it hurts our feelings, but objectively, on what basis would you put us higher knowing what we do right now (and looking at it as an unbiased viewer). Ahead of BC at best, but we play on the road there and it's the last game of the season. We're usually broken down by then.

I think we can surprise a lot of people, but if I were those people, I'd be in wait and see mode. Especially given the QB situations of all the other teams (except Clemson, where they have everything else).

RB, LB, CB, a couple of OL (Berg & healthy Bleich) are as good as anyone in the league. And that's a great thing. But QB, WR, DL (depth especially), Safety, a couple of OL could still be holes.

I’d throw Davis in your. Mix at OL. For a true freshman Ellis did great. Hopefully he’s been able to start reshaping his body.

 

[money3189]

Yup QB,DL and Wr groups have to prove themselves. If they play better than their ranking we can have a good year.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Yup QB,DL and Wr groups have to prove themselves. If they play better than their ranking we can have a good year.

The QB and WR ones are so closely linked, they're either going to look exactly the same or take steps forward together.

DL, yeah. Going to have to either overperform on that or have the LBs and DBs be so good that the DL just needs to get by and the defense overall is solid.

 

[Boggs59]

I know it hurts our feelings, but objectively, on what basis would you put us higher knowing what we do right now (and looking at it as an unbiased viewer). Ahead of BC at best, but we play on the road there and it's the last game of the season. We're usually broken down by then.

I think we can surprise a lot of people, but if I were those people, I'd be in wait and see mode. Especially given the QB situations of all the other teams (except Clemson, where they have everything else).

RB, LB, CB, a couple of OL (Berg & healthy Bleich) are as good as anyone in the league. And that's a great thing. But QB, WR, DL (depth especially), Safety, a couple of OL could still be holes.

I don't see us above BC. They could win 8...ACC TV preview show actually had them winning 9. The BC QB they had going in first 2 rounds. Got my Lindy's...also picked Syracuse last...only above Duke in power poll. No respect at all in Lindy's...the Lindy's writer pretty much mocked the FB team outside Tucker.
...said only team in Atlantic that stuck out as non contender was Syracuse. Criticized talent and poor recruiting by Dino.

 

[money3189]

I don't see us above BC. They could win 8...ACC TV preview show actually had them winning 9. The BC QB they had going in first 2 rounds. Got my Lindy's...also picked Syracuse last...only above Duke in power poll. No respect at all in Lindy's...the Lindy's writer pretty much mocked the FB team outside Tucker.
...said only team in Atlantic that stuck out as non contender was Syracuse. Criticized talent and poor recruiting.

It’s easy to criticize a team that has 4 winning seasons in 17 years. We can also keep in mind Cuse were underdogs in every game but 1 or 2 last year and won 5. Should have won more.

 

[Boggs59]

It’s easy to criticize a team that has 4 winning seasons in 17 years. We can also keep in mind Cuse were underdogs in every game but 1 or 2 last year and won 5. Should have won more.

Key is fast start. Have to beat Louisville.

 

[orangepassion]

I don't see us above BC. They could win 8...ACC TV preview show actually had them winning 9. The BC QB they had going in first 2 rounds. Got my Lindy's...also picked Syracuse last...only above Duke in power poll. No respect at all in Lindy's...the Lindy's writer pretty much mocked the FB team outside Tucker.
...said only team in Atlantic that stuck out as non contender was Syracuse. Criticized talent and poor recruiting by Dino.

BC lost their whole OL. If we've healthy, I'm confident we beat them.

 

[baggerbob]

It’s easy to criticize a team that has 4 winning seasons in 17 years. We can also keep in mind Cuse were underdogs in every game but 1 or 2 last year and won 5. Should have won more.

I expect the 3 new offensive, and the ST coaches to pay dividends. 4 players to make jumps Shrader, Mang, Alford, and our kicker will regain his freshman form.

 

[City of Cuse]

Having OL as a strength would be amazing.

 

[JeremyCuse]

I know it hurts our feelings, but objectively, on what basis would you put us higher knowing what we do right now (and looking at it as an unbiased viewer). Ahead of BC at best, but we play on the road there and it's the last game of the season. We're usually broken down by then.

I think we can surprise a lot of people, but if I were those people, I'd be in wait and see mode. Especially given the QB situations of all the other teams (except Clemson, where they have everything else).

RB, LB, CB, a couple of OL (Berg & healthy Bleich) are as good as anyone in the league. And that's a great thing. But QB, WR, DL (depth especially), Safety, a couple of OL could still be holes.

Agreed, I know its not what people want to hear but SU under Babers has only done it on the field once. The schedule is also a bear. Your opening up with a team that scores on us like were a 1AA defense every year save for 11 under Dino. Second this team hasn't beaten Pitt at Pitt in literally 20+ years. We did finally take care of FSU in 2018 but they have now become Miami in the non Mcnabb years where we find a way to always come up short. Forget ND and Clemson. BC seems ripe for the picking but can this DL stop teams from just running down our throats or get any sort of pressure on the QB?

Still way to many question marks for this team especially at two critical positions in the current college landscape WR and DL.

 

[OrangeinBoston]

Agreed, I know its not what people want to hear but SU under Babers has only done it on the field once. The schedule is also a bear. Your opening up with a team that scores on us like were a 1AA defense every year save for 11 under Dino. Second this team hasn't beaten Pitt at Pitt in literally 20+ years. We did finally take care of FSU in 2018 but they have now become Miami in the non Mcnabb years where we find a way to always come up short. Forget ND and Clemson. BC seems ripe for the picking but can this DL stop teams from just running down our throats or get any sort of pressure on the QB?

Still way to many question marks for this team especially at two critical positions in the current college landscape WR and DL.

Yeah, have to agree. I am really surprised, and honestly disappointed that they were not able to bring in an experienced DL transfer.

 

[TexanMark]

Key is fast start. Have to beat Louisville.

That'll help...but more importantly they need to be 4-1 after Wagner