Setting expectations for this season...

[Marroniac]

I legitimately think we win 8 games. That is what my brain is telling me right now. Colgate, USF, UConn, Wake, VT, BC, NC State, Pitt.

Edit: I just convinced myself we beat Louisville as well. We win 9.

 

[Ish88888]

I agree with you, but it's always amazing to me how quickly the pitchforks come out in full force.

This is a fairly young team running a brand new, truly up-tempo system. Conditioning has been greatly improved, but it will take longer for these players to play up to Babers & Co's expectations. Mid-year in his 2nd season is what he is claiming. Hopefully it's sooner than that, but I'm ready to be patient.

Either way, cannot wait to tailgate for Colgate!

Dino gives year 2 as an expectation bc he is smart and coy. He gives the fanbase worse case scenario to avoid disappointment and make him and his staff look good. I have a feeling dino and staff were pleasantly surprised with inherited talent like ish, ed, Steven Clark, the lbs, erv, rex, and lineman like Conway and deurig. Go cuse.

 

[Ish88888]

Ooooh and Strickland!!! I do worry about the defensive scheme and will miss shafers attacking style.

 

[orangeinjersey]

It can't get any worse than last year I promise.

Hopefully, I won't be banned as much... But that, I cannot promise.

Seriously, I was banned I think 3x. Last year was such an awful year, hopefully not a repeat this year.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

I'm going with 5-7. Sorry, but I need some evidence with my belief. Been a Cuse fan too long not to be cautious. Last year we had so many new players on defense that a down year by that side of the ball was expected. I expected them to get better this year regardless. I'll be there September 2nd and every home game after rooting like hell for a Cuse victory!!

 

[Orijinal]

Well, Phil Steele, who is the best prognosticator in these things, has us last in the division. But we won't be. Third from last at worst

 

[sufandu]

I'm gonna go 6-6.

Dino won a conference championship his first year at BG, so that raises my expectations. Then I notice that he only needed a 5-4 conference record to do it and my expectations are tempered. But he lost his starting qb that first year and we'll keep ours healthy. Expectations raised. BG had the 69th ranked schedule and played two ranked teams (19th and 25th) in two years, losing by a combined 80 points. We have the 8th toughest schedule with 4 ranked teams (3 in the top 10). Expectations tempered.

Anyone that thinks we're hanging 40 on everyone is wearing multi layered orange colored glasses. BG didn't do that in year two in conference play and we're not in the MAC. I think we'll see a lot more quick scores and yards than we've seen in a long time, and I think we'll see more quick 3 and outs than we've ever seen before.

I think we're going to get impatient waiting for our defense to get the ball back to our quick strike offense so it can strike quickly. We've had 2 truly dominant defensive ends (3 if you count Jones, but his pro success has far surpassed his college production) in my lifetime (I'm not quite 40) and I won't believe we have another until I see it.

I know this sounds like I'm a downer, but that's not how it's meant to sound. I think we'll be back on track but we're gonna have some ups and downs this year.

 

[SUFan44]

Babers has more talent than what he had at any stop, which helps. But a system doesn't make up for everything. 6-6 or 7-5 with an upset mixed in would be great, but 4-8 with an upset might be more realistic.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

expectations are 6 wins and a bowl game. For me, less than that will be disappointing. There are a few glaring weaknesses, some nice pieces but I think Dino is a hell of a football coach. Look forward to it. Shafer won 4 last year, I just cant see us being as bad on both sides of the ball

 

[SoBristol]

Safeties are part of the equation in the secondary, as well, and right now it remains to be seen if our current players fit the new system. Our best safety from last year, Cordy, was running with the second unit coming out of spring.

And I'm not sure how you can make that claim about the DE spot, given that none of our players competing for time at the position have played a snap here. Think about that for a second.

Not to quibble on either count.

Reasonable points. I don't get hung up on "fit the new system" (we have new systems on both sides of the ball, but the coaches have succeeded with inherited talent in their prior stops). I focus on what we have at the safety position this season, compared to Shafer's unit entering 2015. We have 4 safeties who have started -- and the safety unit is in better shape and more experienced than last season.

DE -- they haven't played snaps here, but Wilson played some for Colorado in 2014; Jake Pickard was one of the better recruits Shafer ever landed; Ruff arguably the best recruit in Dino's first class; and Slayton (probably our best defender) has been playing some DE in recent practices. The position is our weakest link on the defensive side, but consider that each of these candidates is bigger than Donnie Simmons, who started at the position last season, or Archinga, the first DE reserve last year (a converted LB).

Overall, better and deeper than 2015's defense. And with an improved offense, it gives us a chance to get to 7 wins.

 

[TheCusian]

I'm gonna go 6-6. Dino won a conference championship his first year at BG, so that raises my expectations. Then I notice that he only needed a 5-4 conference record to do it and my expectations are tempered. But he lost his starting qb that first year and we'll keep ours healthy. Expectations raised. BG had the 69th ranked schedule and played two ranked teams (19th and 25th) in two years, losing by a combined 80 points. We have the 8th toughest schedule with 4 ranked teams (3 in the top 10). Expectations tempered. Anyone that thinks we're hanging 40 on everyone is wearing multi layered orange colored glasses. BG didn't do that in year two in conference play and we're not in the MAC. I think we'll see a lot more quick scores and yards than we've seen in a long time, and I think we'll see more quick 3 and outs than we've ever seen before. I think we're going to get impatient waiting for our defense to get the ball back to our quick strike offense so it can strike quickly. We've had 2 truly dominant defensive ends (3 if you count Jones, but his pro success has far surpassed his college production) in my lifetime (I'm not quite 40) and I won't believe we have another until I see it. I know this sounds like I'm a downer, but that's not how it's meant to sound. I think we'll be back on track but we're gonna have some ups and downs this year.

Those two losses vs ranked teams are interesting. I think that's where the talent gap finally caught up with them (and where it will probably get us too - FSU, ND, Clemson). But they also beat 3 P5 schools those same years (not powerhouses - Indiana, Maryland, Purdue) - but still a weight class above.

 

[tipphill]

I'm gonna go 6-6.

Dino won a conference championship his first year at BG, so that raises my expectations. Then I notice that he only needed a 5-4 conference record to do it and my expectations are tempered. But he lost his starting qb that first year and we'll keep ours healthy. Expectations raised. BG had the 69th ranked schedule and played two ranked teams (19th and 25th) in two years, losing by a combined 80 points. We have the 8th toughest schedule with 4 ranked teams (3 in the top 10). Expectations tempered.

Anyone that thinks we're hanging 40 on everyone is wearing multi layered orange colored glasses. BG didn't do that in year two in conference play and we're not in the MAC. I think we'll see a lot more quick scores and yards than we've seen in a long time, and I think we'll see more quick 3 and outs than we've ever seen before.

I think we're going to get impatient waiting for our defense to get the ball back to our quick strike offense so it can strike quickly. We've had 2 truly dominant defensive ends (3 if you count Jones, but his pro success has far surpassed his college production) in my lifetime (I'm not quite 40) and I won't believe we have another until I see it.

I know this sounds like I'm a downer, but that's not how it's meant to sound. I think we'll be back on track but we're gonna have some ups and downs this year.

i believe u are on the money but i see only 4-5 wins as our talent level except for a few is mediocre. our best chance for an upset is early on. somewhere i read that our defense will be better .i do not know about that. depth on defense is critical as we will run a fast pace offense and i suspect as u say more 3 and outs.

 

[sufandu]

Those two losses vs ranked teams are interesting. I think that's where the talent gap finally caught up with them (and where it will probably get us too - FSU, ND, Clemson). But they also beat 3 P5 schools those same years (not powerhouses - Indiana, Maryland, Purdue) - but still a weight class above.

They got waxed in last year's bowl game too against a non-P5 too. I'm not sure what to make of that since Babers wasn't there, but the rest of the staff was and the players should've been on autopilot to a certain extent.

This year I expect to see things that make me ask why we hadn't done this sooner and other things that make me shake my head on offense.

On defense, I expect us to see more good qb's than BG saw that will be capable of finding holes in the zone when we fail to apply pressure, which I think will happen more than we like. In the past our lack of pressure has made relatively pedestrian qb's look good when they could set up camp in their back field.

 

[TheCusian]

They got waxed in last year's bowl game too against a non-P5 too. I'm not sure what to make of that since Babers wasn't there, but the rest of the staff was and the players should've been on autopilot to a certain extent. This year I expect to see things that make me ask why we hadn't done this sooner and other things that make me shake my head on offense. On defense, I expect us to see more good qb's than BG saw that will be capable of finding holes in the zone when we fail to apply pressure, which I think will happen more than we like. In the past our lack of pressure has made relatively pedestrian qb's look good when they could set up camp in their back field.

I think it was a case of Tampa 2 vs option football: not a great matchup

There will def be problems vs good well-coached QB's. That's why I think Clemson might be near impossible. But depending how FSU's true freshman does in the dome? Interesting. Same with Louisville's QB. Is he patient? Can he read a D?

We'll give up more points and yards than we are used to - even if the defense is better - due to more plays. But I expect more INT.

 

[cusefan88]

Just make a bowl game!

 

[Lou_C]

i look for improvement in EXECUTION (ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL), stamina, and attitude.i want us to be competitive ---we need to be in all our games. i would like 4-5 wins and maybe an upset(nd) . if we can stay in some the big games perhaps our recruiting will improve.

This is kind of the way I would be looking at it if I were you, after going through the transition to Jimbo which started with two 4-loss seasons (I know...you are aghast). The important thing he emphasized, which was hard for many of our fan base to wrap our head around, was that it was about the PROCESS, not the results, that you need to look at.

I mean, if the play works, and the receiver is open in the end zone, but he drops it...if you have a starting OT go down on the first play of a game...the ref makes a terrible call. Or you have amazing or terrible turnover luck.

All those things are going to distract. Obviously, those things could make the difference between 3 wins or 6 wins, and have virtually NOTHING to do with judging the coaching staff.

I would try to focus on whether what they are trying to do MAKES SENSE. Can you see how it WILL work with upgraded personnel? Are all the other things around the program...nutrition, discipline, position by position competition, conditioning, up to snuff with the elite programs?

Or is the philosophy scattershot from game to game like he's figuring it out on the fly? Does he understand things like field position and expected return, and use of time outs?

I think you've got a real deal coach, but I think you'll be able to see confirm that one way or another no matter what the wins and losses are.

 

[sufandu]

i believe u are on the money but i see only 4-5 wins as our talent level except for a few is mediocre. our best chance for an upset is early on. somewhere i read that our defense will be better .i do not know about that. depth on defense is critical as we will run a fast pace offense and i suspect as u say more 3 and outs.

I can't bring myself to expect lower than 6 wins. My glasses have an orange shade to them as well.

 

[sufandu]

I think it was a case of Tampa 2 vs option football: not a great matchup

There will def be problems vs good well-coached QB's. That's why I think Clemson might be near impossible. But depending how FSU's true freshman does in the dome? Interesting. Same with Louisville's QB. Is he patient? Can he read a D?

We'll give up more points and yards than we are used to - even if the defense is better - due to more plays. But I expect more INT.

I'm curious where that line that delineates between a good enough qb and not sits. I recall some lesser qb's that were made to look like heros in the past when we couldn't get pressure, and that wasn't just with the aggressive Shafer defenses. Give a guy enough time and he'll find an open man somewhere eventually. I think that long term the plan is sound. I think this year will be a little more frustrating than some are anticipating.

 

[TheCusian]

I'm curious where that line that delineates between a good enough qb and not sits.

Somewhere between Clemson's Watson and UCONN's QB? .

 

[RF2044]

Reasonable points. I don't get hung up on "fit the new system" (we have new systems on both sides of the ball, but the coaches have succeeded with inherited talent in their prior stops). I focus on what we have at the safety position this season, compared to Shafer's unit entering 2015. We have 4 safeties who have started -- and the safety unit is in better shape and more experienced than last season.

DE -- they haven't played snaps here, but Wilson played some for Colorado in 2014; Jake Pickard was one of the better recruits Shafer ever landed; Ruff arguably the best recruit in Dino's first class; and Slayton (probably our best defender) has been playing some DE in recent practices. The position is our weakest link on the defensive side, but consider that each of these candidates is bigger than Donnie Simmons, who started at the position last season, or Archinga, the first DE reserve last year (a converted LB).

Overall, better and deeper than 2015's defense. And with an improved offense, it gives us a chance to get to 7 wins.

Believe me--I'd love to see that at DE. But, we're talking about fielding a group that collectively has ZERO snaps at SU--which is a very rare thing for any positional unit. Might a few players flash? Absolutely, but I think you are significantly underestimating the growing pains, considering this unit is also immersed in a brand new system.

I am not willing to concede that the defense will be "better" OR "deeper" than 2015's defense--hopefully, but that is no certainty. Especially with major, major questions at DE, corner, and safety.

 

[orangeinjersey]

Babers has more talent than what he had at any stop, which helps. But a system doesn't make up for everything. 6-6 or 7-5 with an upset mixed in would be great, but 4-8 with an upset might be more realistic.

but Clemson, FSU and maybe LVille have more talent than us

 

[Marroniac]

Shafer won 7 games his first year as a head coach. Our first year in the ACC.
This is a better roster and this coaching staff is light years ahead.

It's ok to be optimistic. Things are about to get fun.

 

[Rocco]

If we cut down on mistakes and simply execute, we will surprise some people. There are plenty of dangerous weapons in this offense and Babers KNOWS it.

That shitt's exciting.

 

[orangenauburn]

but Clemson, FSU and maybe LVille have more talent than us

We can beat Ville

 

[OttoinGrotto]

This is kind of the way I would be looking at it if I were you, after going through the transition to Jimbo which started with two 4-loss seasons (I know...you are aghast). The important thing he emphasized, which was hard for many of our fan base to wrap our head around, was that it was about the PROCESS, not the results, that you need to look at.

I mean, if the play works, and the receiver is open in the end zone, but he drops it...if you have a starting OT go down on the first play of a game...the ref makes a terrible call. Or you have amazing or terrible turnover luck.

All those things are going to distract. Obviously, those things could make the difference between 3 wins or 6 wins, and have virtually NOTHING to do with judging the coaching staff.

I would try to focus on whether what they are trying to do MAKES SENSE. Can you see how it WILL work with upgraded personnel? Are all the other things around the program...nutrition, discipline, position by position competition, conditioning, up to snuff with the elite programs?

Or is the philosophy scattershot from game to game like he's figuring it out on the fly? Does he understand things like field position and expected return, and use of time outs?

I think you've got a real deal coach, but I think you'll be able to see confirm that one way or another no matter what the wins and losses are.

I usually rip on fans of other programs that visit our board, but you're good.