Phil Steele Preview

[TexanMark]

Having OL as a strength would be amazing.

Yes it would...I still think center is unproven at this point.

 

[TheCusian]

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.

I’d toss Lindy out then. Consensus is our LB and CB are near the top of the ACC.

With BC, I’ll say it again: Hafley has two 6 win seasons when they expected more and just lost their best OL. Everyone has been predicting big things for 3 years. We’ll see.

 

[TheCusian]

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.

BC’s run game left with the Dazzler

 

[TexanMark]

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

Jared Verse is joining a team with 8 DL rated higher than our best guy. Sigh

Would have been nice

BTW, Steele projects Nolton to start at DE...kinda of surprising.

Maybe Dino talked him up to Steele?

 

[money3189]

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

Not sure why people will think the Louisville outcome will tell the story of the season. They are no different than FSU BC UVA Purdue. They are 50/50 games. We can lose to Louisville and beat all those teams or vice versa.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Not sure why people will think the Louisville outcome will tell the story of the season. They are no different than FSU BC UVA Purdue. They are 50/50 games. We can lose to Louisville and beat all those teams or vice versa.

I don't think the Lville game is the end all be all but I think the concern is if SU gets taken back behind the woodshed again its probably not the best sign moving forward. Also with this schedule there are only so many 50/50 type games. I know people like to think Pitt and FSU are 50.50 games but if you look at our record the last 10+ years against both, they really aren't. Lville is a game SU at least needs to be competitive in, I don't think they have to win but I also think Babers needs to be .500 to keep his job so...

 

[money3189]

Jared Verse is joining a team with 8 DL rated higher than our best guy. Sigh

Would have been nice

BTW, Steele projects Nolton to start at DE...kinda of surprising.

Maybe Dino talked him up to Steele?

FSU has always had higher rated players than us. They have underachieved in recent years. There is still a culture issue there. They still have a lot to prove imo.

 

[money3189]

think the concern is if SU gets taken back behind the woodshed again its probably not the best sign moving forward. A

I don’t believe that. First game of the season is way too early to determine how the rest of the season will go. Lots of different things can change after one game. Also, some teams are just bad match ups.

 

[MSOrange]

I’d toss Lindy out then. Consensus is our LB and CB are near the top of the ACC.

With BC, I’ll say it again: Hafley has two 6 win seasons when they expected more and just lost their best OL. Everyone has been predicting big things for 3 years. We’ll see.

Did Hafley sleep with your wife or something? Hey I get it we're all Syracuse fans so we're biased. But his first season was the pandemic and last year, his QB was hurt. If that happened to Dino, you'd be screaming asterisk until the cows came home. It'd be a little easier to take you seriously if you could at least be somewhat consistent with your analysis.

 

[money3189]

Did Hafley sleep with your wife or something? Hey I get it we're all Syracuse fans so we're biased. But his first season was the pandemic and last year, his QB was hurt. If that happened to Dino, you'd be screaming asterisk until the cows came home. It'd be a little easier to take you seriously if you could at least be somewhat consistent with your analysis.

Im still some where in the middle with him. I think he's a good recruiter and great DB coach. Still waiting to say he is a good head coach. I go to BC's boards from time to time and they feel the same.

 

[MSOrange]

Im still some where in the middle with him. I think he's a good recruiter and great DB coach. Still waiting to say he is a good head coach. I go to BC's boards from time to time and they feel the same.

I agree. I've just noticed how Cusian is selective on the criteria he uses for his evaluation based on whether he likes the coach or not, so I like to point it out.

 

[money3189]

I agree. I've just noticed how Cusian is selective on the criteria he uses for his evaluation based on whether he likes the coach or not, so I like to point it out.

I agree. Losing his QB was a big loss last year

 

[Boggs59]

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

They replaced them with a whole new set of very good linemen and one returning starter. Their O Line is always pretty good. Plus, that is last game. No reason they shouldn't have experience by tha point.

I don't know why folks see this as a sure win. BC will more than likely be favored.

 

[Boggs59]

I agree. Losing his QB was a big loss last year

You lose your QB for much of season and your season is pretty much toast in this new era... Why? Because in 2022... a lot of time... what does the QB do if edged out for starter? He is gone. Like Devito...they go in portal immediately. So who knows who the backup is...I'd say qualifying for a bowl is pretty good if you lose the starting QB

 

[Dick_in_MI]

This time of year, the tendency for a lot of fans (me included) is to try and be optimistic. You say to yourself "well, we are solid at X,Y, and Z positions and if we can improve at the other positions (and if our opponents don't improve at all or get worse) then we can have a solid year. It is the ultimate twisting of logic but that's what we do.

Dino's "belief without evidence" has long-since proved nonsensical, and in fact if one were to predict this year based on previous actual evidence it would be pretty grim.

However, we have made a number of interesting offseason moves with both players and the coaching staff and a fan might as well have a glass half-full (or 75% full) mentality. I always go into every season thinking we can have a really solid season, and unless (or until) proven otherwise I try to keep that optimism alive. It's what keeps me looking forward to September.

 

[baggerbob]

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

The Louisville game they need to come out the 1st series with Tucker, Rhino and Mang and the 2nd TE and just bash Louisville in the mouth on the way to a TD.
They need to make the defense not want to be there.
The defense needs to make Cunningham run for his life. Every time a receiver cathes the ball hit them hard.

 

[Boggs59]

The Louisville game they need to come out the 1st series with Tucker, Rhino and Mang and the 2nd TE and just bash Louisville in the mouth on the way to a TD.
They need to make the defense not want to be there.
The defense needs to make Cunningham run for his life. Every time a receiver cathes the ball hit them hard.

You really have to stop Cunningham and the offense. The D is usually exploitable. It's when teams let Louisville lower the boom early...27-3...21-0...in the 1st half. They can do it too. But if they don't get that jump start early...they can be very vulnerable with the defense. Which is not that strong.

Louisville is a funny team. They can be 2-0...3-0 early with blowout wins. Then they lose 3 or 4 in a row. Then win next 3. I'd hate to be a Louisville fan who bets on that team. No sense in how they play.

But they are most dangerous in games where teams let Cunningham run wild or pass early. Cause if they are up 21-0 the Cardinals defense can pretty much focus on the opponents passing game exclusively. Makes it much easier for their D which is never real good vs run.

 

[Boggs59]

BC’s run game left with the Dazzler

Huh??? Their lead running back averaged over 5 yards per carry and gained 1100 yards last season...at least back up your bias with facts...LOL

 

[money3189]

You really have to stop Cunningham and the offense. The D is usually exploitable. It's when teams let Louisville lower the boom early...27-3...21-0...in the 1st half. They can do it too. But if they don't get that jump start early...they can be very vulnerable with the defense. Which is not that strong.

Louisville is a funny team. They can be 2-0...3-0 early with blowout wins. Then they lose 3 or 4 in a row. Then win next 3. I'd hate to be a Louisville fan who bets on that team. No sense in how they play.

But they are most dangerous in games where teams let Cunningham run wild or pass early. Cause if they are up 21-0 the Cardinals defense can pretty much focus on the opponents passing game exclusively. Makes it much easier for their D which is never real good vs run.

Keep in mind the pass is what hurt us last season.

 

[javadoc]

The Louisville game they need to come out the 1st series with Tucker, Rhino and Mang and the 2nd TE and just bash Louisville in the mouth on the way to a TD.
They need to make the defense not want to be there.
The defense needs to make Cunningham run for his life. Every time a receiver cathes the ball hit them hard.

I think it was one of the Marrone years when we beat a ranked Louisville team, and one of our OL said afterward that we had been pounding them, and he felt a change when their defense didn't want any more. Mike Schmidt, please distribute brass knuckles.

 

[Boggs59]

FSU has always had higher rated players than us. They have underachieved in recent years. There is still a culture issue there. They still have a lot to prove imo.

FSU continues to bring in very good players. Never seems to translate. They have never produced the offensive numbers they used to do with regularity. I thought the D was better with Johnson who was a beast...but in their glory days...putting up 40+...50+ was nothing...routine. Not anymore.

 

[javadoc]

Huh??? Their lead running back averaged over 5 yards per carry and gained 1100 yards last season...at least back up your bias with facts...LOL

That's one player. I have no idea how they did as a team. Your statement does not provide sufficient evidence to judge the quality of the team's run game.

 

[TheCusian]

Did Hafley sleep with your wife or something? Hey I get it we're all Syracuse fans so we're biased. But his first season was the pandemic and last year, his QB was hurt. If that happened to Dino, you'd be screaming asterisk until the cows came home. It'd be a little easier to take you seriously if you could at least be somewhat consistent with your analysis.

I’m not all that concerned that you take me seriously or not. Anyone who brings someone’s wife into something when they don’t know them (joke or not) is not someone I need to impress.

The only asterisk I’ve made the case for was for Dino’s pandemic year and I’m ok extending that to Hafley too. I’d give him one for his first year too.

Year two losing your star QB? That did happen to Dino lol. And that’s fine too.

What I hate is suggesting that he has actually accomplished anything as a HC. At least with Dino he had a track record at two other schools as HC and had a 10 win season prior to his Covid *

 

[TheCusian]

Huh??? Their lead running back averaged over 5 yards per carry and gained 1100 yards last season...at least back up your bias with facts...LOL

Which was good for 9th in the ACC last year

In 2020, they were 14th
In 2019, the dazzler had them at #1

So

 

[TheCusian]

They replaced them with a whole new set of very good linemen and one returning starter. Their O Line is always pretty good. Plus, that is last game. No reason they shouldn't have experience by tha point.

I don't know why folks see this as a sure win. BC will more than likely be favored.

Yeah, BC ain’t Bama.

New guys might be ok, but unproven. Our level of school doesn’t just replace NFL OL with more NFL OL, esp with Addazzio gone