Since our rebirth, is this our best team?

[The Viking]

We have the experience, coaching, and talent that allows us a good chance to upset a few of the excellent teams we will play this year. The issue, I think, is how well we perform against those teams that fans sometimes overlook or consider easy wins. So the character of the Orange, especially their mental attitude is what will carry the team to greater or lower heights - that and the fickle bounce of the ball, the calls, and the injuries. If I'm correct in my assumption, then I feel good about the prospects because last year's team showed real character in the 4th quarter last year.

 

[Trueblue25]

This is a very solid group coming in, and I expect them to raise the bar. But I truly think 2015 is our year.

 

[SU2NASA]

The question is, when we win the national title, how will this team matchup versus the 1959 team?

 

[Oakland]

A good chance of being the best. Seems liking recruiting/RS means more quality depth. Defense probably takes a small step back, but the offense should take two steps forward. The hurry up offense with Nassib was very good, but I see the best SU offense in the last 16 years with an experienced and capable Hunt, a much better receiving corp, a strong O line, and a group of talented and dangerous RBs. BTW, I hope we go hurry up this season. I see an offense good enough to start filling some seats at the Dome. An unknown to me is the STs: quality depth should help out alot but do we have the right coach for it - I don't know.

Almost didn't post this but I think Dan would want us to keep talking Syracuse sports no matter what.

 

[CousCuse]

TH needs to put it to Nova, set the tone in game one. All business every play look to gouge them and get that up tempo offense in midseason form. Then go into the subsequent games with a head of steam, and let the chips fall where they may.

 

[PhatOrange]

interior defensive line and the depth is a huge concern. having lost raymon for the season is a big blow.

 

[RF2044]

interior defensive line and the depth is a huge concern. having lost raymon for the season is a big blow.

Not necessarily. I get that this is the on-paper conventional wisdom, and I totally understand your point of view, but I see it differently--and I think that the roster bears that out.

I expect Crume to have a huge year. He's going to be a stalwart--just watch.

From there, we have lots of question marks, but that doesn't mean that things won't get answered positively. Zeke Johnson got plenty of run last year as a reserve DE, and has all of the tools to be a stud interior lineman. Marcus Coleman had a good spring--can he emerge as a platoon guy? Wayne Williams has lost 50 pounds--can he emerge as a platoon guy... or maybe something more?

What about Ryan Sloan? He's entering his third year in the program.

To say nothing of incoming frosh Jalen Harvey and Kayton Samuels.

I 100% acknowledge that there are lots of question marks on the interior of the defensive line, but as a whole I think that the DL is going to prove to be a relative position of strength. Here's why: we are very, very solid at DE, with two returning starters [Robinson and Welsh], and plenty of players who are more athletically gifted than this dependable duo competing for minutes behind them [Johnson, Thompson, Simmons, Slayton]. Crume is going to give us a third solid starter. That's an underrated foundation to build upon. I am fairly certain that Johnson would give us an impact fourth starter. But even if he isn't ready, we've got several other candidates who might.

I don't think--given the foundation described above--that we need anything earth shattering from the others. The key will be: can we cobble together and effective second unit of depth on the interior from Johnson / Coleman / Sloan / Williams / Harvey / Samuels. My money is on the coaches figuring this out, and the team being stout again up front, where it counts.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I'm a broken record, but I've expected that we can't really consider ourselves to be a "good" football team until we can win by dictating an agenda on offense beyond turtle up and white knuckle out a low scoring game with just enough points on the board for victory.

Realistically, 2012 was the only team like that we've seen in... uh. I want to believe we get there this season, and there are TONS of reasons for optimism, but I just don't know. A lot needs to happen - the line needs to be what we think it should be, the young buck talent at running back needs to shine, Hunt needs to take a huge step forward, we need more dynamocity out of the WR position, the speedy offense needs to really be something we commit to and have succeed, McDonald matures as an OC, etc. The stars can align, I'm just not 100% sure they all will, enough for me to think we're a "good" football team.

2015 though...

 

[bnoro]

Don't sleep on Donnie Simmons. To have a speed rusher like him on one side and a power run stopper like Welsh on the other side will be great. We'll be able to rotate the DT's pretty well too. Marrone made a bowl with Andrew Lewis, Anthony Perkins, Corey Boatman, Deon Goggins before he was good, and a very true frosh Jay Bromley as his DTs. This group is much more talented.

 

[CanadianSU]

Yea we are.

9-3 with upset @ down year Clemson.

Idk its 12:55 just agree with me. 2nd in Atlantic

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

Esk just needed to catch the ball against Cincy. That loss was the worst one.

Wasn't it Reddish who dropped an easy pick 6 in that game?

 

[SmilinBob]

SU will have problems with teams that can pass unless the d-line can get some penetration on their own. Can the D stop a good pass and run qb?

Can this team come back from a 14+ point deficit? How many 3 and outs will the offense have and if they have a few, can they get into a smooth rhythm and move the ball? I'm still not sure with all the bubble/quick outs and how they will move the ball efficiently.

There is a lot of talent and if certain players step up and the ones many of us expect to do well, do...SU will be in all their games and that's all I can ask for, a chance to win and take the game. Breaks, calls and injuries will determine many games this year because a lot of them will be a toss up.

 

[TheCusian]

SU will have problems with teams that can pass unless the d-line can get some penetration on their own. Can the D stop a good pass and run qb?

Can this team come back from a 14+ point deficit? How many 3 and outs will the offense have and if they have a few, can they get into a smooth rhythm and move the ball? I'm still not sure with all the bubble/quick outs and how they will move the ball efficiently.

There is a lot of talent and if certain players step up and the ones many of us expect to do well, do...SU will be in all their games and that's all I can ask for, a chance to win and take the game. Breaks, calls and injuries will determine many games this year because a lot of them will be a toss up.

Exactly. On offense, I want to see consistency from Hunt and the WR's against the non-elite teams. On Defense, I want to see how Shafer and Bullough attack FSU and Clemson after the beat downs last season. Should be very interesting.

Sigh. Is it August yet?

 

[bnoro]

Wasn't it Reddish who dropped an easy pick 6 in that game?

I think you're right actually.

 

[CanadianSU]

Wasn't it Reddish who dropped an easy pick 6 in that game?

Yep

 

[Crusty]

I'm a broken record, but I've expected that we can't really consider ourselves to be a "good" football team until we can win by dictating an agenda on offense beyond turtle up and white knuckle out a low scoring game with just enough points on the board for victory.

Realistically, 2012 was the only team like that we've seen in... uh. I want to believe we get there this season, and there are TONS of reasons for optimism, but I just don't know. A lot needs to happen - the line needs to be what we think it should be, the young buck talent at running back needs to shine, Hunt needs to take a huge step forward, we need more dynamocity out of the WR position, the speedy offense needs to really be something we commit to and have succeed, McDonald matures as an OC, etc. The stars can align, I'm just not 100% sure they all will, enough for me to think we're a "good" football team.

2015 though...

dynamocity?? that's good one.

 

[upperdeck]

We are still waiting for guys who can make plays out of nothing.. The Punt Return last year by Estime might have been the first sign of a real play maker. the Clemson game turned on the one long pass that was just a better athlete out running guys. that one play changes and had them on the run. its been years since we saw our guys make that kind of game changing play. but I think for the first time in forever we have 5-7 guys who might have that potential. if 2-3 of them make those plays the pieces will fill in

 

[OttoinGrotto]

dynamocity?? that's good one.

My goal is to hear Mel Kiper say it at the NFL draft.