So, what is a successful season? | Page 3 | Syracusefan.com

So, what is a successful season?

Let’s run the table at home. Plus BC and Pitt.

What sound level (dB) is required to rupture eardrums? It’d be kind of hard to win at our place with ruptured eardrums.
 
I love your optimism, but "toss up games" is pretty generous.

I thought before the season we should beat FSU and still do. ND is awful on O, we really should beat them. Wake is Purdue with no D. If we can beat Purdue we can beat Wake. If it wasn't for our history vs Pitt, they easily would be a toss up. They just lost to GA Tech after all. NC State beating us would be their 2nd best W of the Doeren era. They are a paper tiger. Clemson probably shouldn't be in the toss up category. I will give you that. So where is the generosity?
 
I thought before the season we should beat FSU and still do. ND is awful on O, we really should beat them. Wake is Purdue with no D. If we can beat Purdue we can beat Wake. If it wasn't for our history vs Pitt, they easily would be a toss up. They just lost to GA Tech after all. NC State beating us would be their 2nd best W of the Doeren era. They are a paper tiger. Clemson probably shouldn't be in the toss up category. I will give you that. So where is the generosity?
For what it is worth, here is what Massey says:


DateOpponentResultPFPA
Sat 09-03
Louisville
62
(2-3)
W
317
Sat 09-10
atConnecticut
124
(2-4)
W
4814
Sat 09-17
Purdue
34
(3-2)
W
3229
Fri 09-23
Virginia
83
(2-3)
W
2220
Sat 10-01
Wagner
(0-4)W
590
Sat 10-15
NC State
28
(4-1)
44 %
2124
Sat 10-22
atClemson
7
(5-0)
21 %
1731
Sat 10-29
Notre Dame
25
(2-2)
30 %
2128
Sat 11-05
atPittsburgh
47
(3-2)
37 %
2430
Sat 11-12
Florida St
39
(4-1)
52 %
2827
Sat 11-19
atWake Forest
31
(4-1)
38 %
2733
Sat 11-26
atBoston College
90
(2-3)
65 %
2821
 
I've been pretty hard on Dino during 2019/2020. Wasn't super pleased with last year but he made the changes I wanted to see so I said he needs to make a bowl game this year and so did most of this board. Just because we started 5-0 doesn't mean we should start moving the goalposts on what the minimum successful season is. Would it be disappointing to only finish with 6? Sure but it's still successful. How many here are really going to start hand wringing if we make a bowl?
 
For what it is worth, here is what Massey says:


DateOpponentResultPFPA
Sat 09-03Louisville62
(2-3)
W317
Sat 09-10atConnecticut124
(2-4)
W4814
Sat 09-17Purdue34
(3-2)
W3229
Fri 09-23Virginia83
(2-3)
W2220
Sat 10-01Wagner(0-4)W590
Sat 10-15NC State28
(4-1)
44 %2124
Sat 10-22atClemson7
(5-0)
21 %1731
Sat 10-29Notre Dame25
(2-2)
30 %2128
Sat 11-05atPittsburgh47
(3-2)
37 %2430
Sat 11-12Florida St39
(4-1)
52 %2827
Sat 11-19atWake Forest31
(4-1)
38 %2733
Sat 11-26atBoston College90
(2-3)
65 %2821

So - NCST and FSU true tossups.
Gotta win (at least) 1 of those.
Let’s win the first. :cool:

Barring major attrition, we should beat BC. They may have fired their coach by then.

The other 4 are tough.
But not impossible.
We can steal one.
1-3 would be not terrible.
(2-2 would be fantastic.)

ND is in the Dome, Wake isn’t some amazing home field advantage for them, and Pitt may be in a nearly empty NFL stadium.

Win 1 tossup, steal 1 win, and beat BC.

8-4.

Book ‘em, Dino!!

PS - OR… just win all our Dome games.
Then @ BC is gravy on the icing.
 
Last edited:
Our team is loaded with NFL talent

the biggest issue we have is that DL. A couple key injuries there have made that scary as well as other spots

I think we need to get to 8+ wins at this point and a warm weather bowl.



Right now in my head tho, there isn’t a team we can’t beat and I can’t wait to see y’all in LA in January!
 
Our team is loaded with NFL talent

the biggest issue we have is that DL. A couple key injuries there have made that scary as well as other spots

I think we need to get to 8+ wins at this point and a warm weather bowl.



Right now in my head tho, there isn’t a team we can’t beat and I can’t wait to see y’all in LA in January!

Love the optimism!

But, I wouldn’t call us “loaded” with NFL talent.

Yes - we have the most (potential) NFL talent we’ve seen here in ages.

But compared to say, Clemson or FSU, we’re hardly “loaded”.

On O: Berg, Tucker, OGII.
On D: Mikel, maybe Wax? GW & Duce.

Here’s hoping they all continue to crush it this year, lead us to a great bowl W, get drafted, and rep Cuse well in the League.
 
I thought before the season we should beat FSU and still do. ND is awful on O, we really should beat them. Wake is Purdue with no D. If we can beat Purdue we can beat Wake. If it wasn't for our history vs Pitt, they easily would be a toss up. They just lost to GA Tech after all. NC State beating us would be their 2nd best W of the Doeren era. They are a paper tiger. Clemson probably shouldn't be in the toss up category. I will give you that. So where is the generosity?
Its not about if we can beat them or not. Its the fact that they are unpredictable. You can totally outplay a team and still lose. We can't predict injuries. Cant predict which team will bring their A game or not. Cant predict turnovers. I'm not sure how you can predict wins based on outcome in other games. There's many factors that go into match ups between other teams.
 
Its not about if we can beat them or not. Its the fact that they are unpredictable. You can totally outplay a team and still lose. We can't predict injuries. Cant predict which team will bring their A game or not. Cant predict turnovers. I'm not sure how you can predict wins based on outcome in other games. There's many factors that go into match ups between other teams.

Everyone is unpredictable. Why are we predicting the worst for SU and the best for those other teams? Right now we should lose to Clemson and we should beat BC. The other 5 games should be close. Being that 3 of those games are at home, going 1-4 is a bad job.
 
Everyone is unpredictable. Why are we predicting the worst for SU and the best for those other teams? Right now we should lose to Clemson and we should beat BC. The other 5 games should be close. Being that 3 of those games are at home, going 1-4 is a bad job.
Who is we? I didnt predict anything. Nothing is guarantee in football. We might beat Clemson by 20. Doesn’t always go the way you think it should go.
 
For what it is worth, here is what Massey says:


DateOpponentResultPFPA
Sat 09-03Louisville62
(2-3)
W317
Sat 09-10atConnecticut124
(2-4)
W4814
Sat 09-17Purdue34
(3-2)
W3229
Fri 09-23Virginia83
(2-3)
W2220
Sat 10-01Wagner(0-4)W590
Sat 10-15NC State28
(4-1)
44 %2124
Sat 10-22atClemson7
(5-0)
21 %1731
Sat 10-29Notre Dame25
(2-2)
30 %2128
Sat 11-05atPittsburgh47
(3-2)
37 %2430
Sat 11-12Florida St39
(4-1)
52 %2827
Sat 11-19atWake Forest31
(4-1)
38 %2733
Sat 11-26atBoston College90
(2-3)
65 %2821
not saying ND is some cakewalk but how the hell is that 30%? At home vs a 2-2 team that lost at home to Marshall. I hope BYU crushes them this weekend. maybe that will get it to 33%??
 
It was always a bowl game. My expectations don’t change because of the 5-0 start.

Most people were hoping to get out of this stretch 3-2.

100% spot on. Bowl is success, on many levels. Giving the coaching staff something positive to sell on the recruiting trail. And then, taking advantage of the extra practices to prepare the younger players for a repeat bowl appearance next year.

I certainly want to win 8+ games, now that we're 5-0. And I think we have a good chance to get to 8, even with the tough back stretch.

But at the end of the day, getting to the bowl is the primary determinant of whether this season is a success or not.
 
Love the optimism!

But, I wouldn’t call us “loaded” with NFL talent.

Yes - we have the most (potential) NFL talent we’ve seen here in ages.

But compared to say, Clemson or FSU, we’re hardly “loaded”.

On O: Berg, Tucker, OGII.
On D: Mikel, maybe Wax? GW & Duce.

Here’s hoping they all continue to crush it this year, lead us to a great bowl W, get drafted, and rep Cuse well in the League.

6 NFL players on one roster is pretty good outside of Bama and Georgia

If we can’t make it to at least the Cheez it bowl this season….I think it’s a failure

However, if we get any bowl game I’ll be happy if that makes sense
 
I would be shocked if ND puts up more than 3 TDs on our D. The only way they win is if it is like 20-17.
yeah, their D is good, so that will be our challenge, but their offense hasn't done anything against a real defense (sorry, North Carolina)
 
100% spot on. Bowl is success, on many levels. Giving the coaching staff something positive to sell on the recruiting trail. And then, taking advantage of the extra practices to prepare the younger players for a repeat bowl appearance next year.

I certainly want to win 8+ games, now that we're 5-0. And I think we have a good chance to get to 8, even with the tough back stretch.

But at the end of the day, getting to the bowl is the primary determinant of whether this season is a success or not.
my take stays the same: a bowl is a successful season... at this point . if we get bowl eligible next weekend, then my take changes a bit, because losing 6 in a row after that would not exactly feel like a success! I think we win between 7 and 9 when all is said and done which would be quite good, this is a program that has been to one bowl game in the last 8 seasons, so getting beyond 6 is a success no question
 
my take stays the same: a bowl is a successful season... at this point . if we get bowl eligible next weekend, then my take changes a bit, because losing 6 in a row after that would not exactly feel like a success! I think we win between 7 and 9 when all is said and done which would be quite good, this is a program that has been to one bowl game in the last 8 seasons, so getting beyond 6 is a success no question


Agree across the board -- I'm just drawing a line between "successful" and what I would find personally satisfying at this point.

Best case scenario, we capitalize on the bye week and knock off NC State at home to get to bowl eligibility.

From there, let 'er rip -- games like FSU / ND at home are achievable, as is Pitt on the road [despite the history]. BC to close things out.

And who knows -- maybe this team exceeds 8. Hope they do.
 
I would be shocked if ND puts up more than 3 TDs on our D. The only way they win is if it is like 20-17.

Maybe but what will our DL look like by then. In the 4th quarter of the UVA game after the injury to our best DT UVA finally started to attack on the ground and started to gash us. Run D is going to be a major major issue moving forward.
 
Agree across the board -- I'm just drawing a line between "successful" and what I would find personally satisfying at this point.

Best case scenario, we capitalize on the bye week and knock off NC State at home to get to bowl eligibility.

From there, let 'er rip -- games like FSU / ND at home are achievable, as is Pitt on the road [despite the history]. BC to close things out.

And who knows -- maybe this team exceeds 8. Hope they do.

The Key is NC State, win that game and its all house money and I think this team can/will play free knowing a bowl bid is locked up. Lose that game and and the next few and I suspect they will tighten up and the whispers about not getting that six win and losing out will become deafening.
 
The Key is NC State, win that game and its all house money and I think this team can/will play free knowing a bowl bid is locked up. Lose that game and and the next few and I suspect they will tighten up and the whispers about not getting that six win and losing out will become deafening.

Maybe amongst the fanbase, I doubt inside the locker room.

But yeah -- let's get win #6 against NC State, and end all doubt. People were saying some of those same things about the 2018 team, and then they met and outshot that minimum threshold. Hoping the same holds true in 2022.
 
The Key is NC State, win that game and its all house money and I think this team can/will play free knowing a bowl bid is locked up. Lose that game and and the next few and I suspect they will tighten up and the whispers about not getting that six win and losing out will become deafening.

We’re beating NC State

We’re winning out

And then you and I are flying to LA for the National Championship
 
For what it is worth, here is what Massey says:


DateOpponentResultPFPA
Sat 09-03Louisville62
(2-3)
W317
Sat 09-10atConnecticut124
(2-4)
W4814
Sat 09-17Purdue34
(3-2)
W3229
Fri 09-23Virginia83
(2-3)
W2220
Sat 10-01Wagner(0-4)W590
Sat 10-15NC State28
(4-1)
44 %2124
Sat 10-22atClemson7
(5-0)
21 %1731
Sat 10-29Notre Dame25
(2-2)
30 %2128
Sat 11-05atPittsburgh47
(3-2)
37 %2430
Sat 11-12Florida St39
(4-1)
52 %2827
Sat 11-19atWake Forest31
(4-1)
38 %2733
Sat 11-26atBoston College90
(2-3)
65 %2821
I think all those are mostly fair except for Notre Dame. I see that game as a 50/50 coin flip at home.
 

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