There's no reason to think this team cannot go 10-2

[orangenirvana]

I think Nate Hackett and the O-Line are directly correlated. I think the lack of any consistency from the line last year really handcuffed what Hackett could do. I expect a better line this year and consequently a better offense.

It's possible. I hope you're right about a better line this year.

 

[Faegan]

I'll keep posting this... sorry if it's annoying. My goal is the same as last year when we were 5-2. Get to a bowl game.

 

[orangenirvana]

I'll be ecstatic if we get to 6 wins.

Our QB and receivers should improve. I think we take a step back at line, runningback and TE. As insane as this sounds to me, I think we're also worse at fullback, which seems to matter in our offense. Net, I'm not certain we have a better offense. LEt's say we have about the same offense as last season.

On defense we lost our big impact player. We have a lot of promising youth though. I think the defense may be a little better this season than last due to growth and depth.

So, hold serve on offense and improve on defense, looking at the schedule I'm just not sure I feel comfortable. While I appreciate that in August every fan should be an optimist, truth us, that's been beaten out of me by the Robinson years and the putrid offense we've rolled out of late.

If we see "about the same offense as last season" with a 5th year senior / 3rd year starter behind center and no signficant departures from 2011 then heads need to roll. Sorry, OPA.

I would be very surprised if RB took a step back. Bailey was a very good little RB, but he was completely worn out in the final three or four games because once Gulley went down we really had no one to give him rest. If Smith is as improved as people say and Gulley is healthy and AAM is in shape and Broyld is as good as everyone says, then there's no way the RB unit takes a step back. The complete opposite is more likely.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

If we see "about the same offense as last season" with a 5th year senior / 3rd year starter behind center and no signficant departures from 2011 then heads need to roll. Sorry, OPA.

There are a couple of different ways to look at what the "same offense" is. Feels weird to write that, but what I mean is that I'm not expecting a dramatic change in the offensive philosophy. Marrone and Hackett have a vision, and I don't suspect that is changing much. If it works, it will be because the talent within the vision has been upgraded. I'm just not sure it has been, so I can't say I'm expecting much different results.

I would be very surprised if RB took a step back. Bailey was a very good little RB, but he was completely worn out in the final three or four games because once Gulley went down we really had no one to give him rest. If Smith is as improved as people say and Gulley is healthy and AAM is in shape and Broyld is as good as everyone says, then there's no way the RB unit takes a step back. The complete opposite is more likely.

Bailey was more than a very good little RB. He was the best dual threat back in school history. That wasn't how he was used last season though, and that shouldn't take away from his talent. I think the staff handled running back horribly last season to be honest - they shoehorned Bailey into a role he wasn't built for, burned AAM's redshirt, and were very hesitant to give Gulley and Smith more than spot carries. I have high hopes for the unit believe it or not, but it's really, really green.

 

[orangenirvana]

I will have to go back and look at the Cincy game.

My recollection is that we were out and out clobbered by the Bearcats - we were physically beaten by that club.

One year earlier, Syracuse pounded UC by 24 points.

The Bearcats must have recruited the greatest class of all-time during that offseason.

Either that, or you're misguided in thinking you can accurately judge the talent levels between two programs based on the most recent contest and therefore are really overestimating the talent advantage Cincinnati's program currently has on Syracuse (if there even is one) based on that one game.

 

[orangenirvana]

There are a couple of different ways to look at what the "same offense" is. Feels weird to write that, but what I mean is that I'm not expecting a dramatic change in the offensive philosophy. Marrone and Hackett have a vision, and I don't suspect that is changing much. If it works, it will be because the talent within the vision has been upgraded. I'm just not sure it has been, so I can't say I'm expecting much different results.

Bailey was more than a very good little RB. He was the best dual threat back in school history. That wasn't how he was used last season though, and that shouldn't take away from his talent. I think the staff handled running back horribly last season to be honest - they shoehorned Bailey into a role he wasn't built for, burned AAM's redshirt, and were very hesitant to give Gulley and Smith more than spot carries. I have high hopes for the unit believe it or not, but it's really, really green.

Gotcha, I tend to agree with you about the offensive philosophy, although I hope we're wrong and Hackett learned some interesting things in the offseason and we see some creativity.

Also agree about the coaching staff's poor handling of Bailey. That's why I think the unit will be improved. I'm not saying it was Bailey's fault.

 

[Czar]

Missouri is down this year, we can definitely beat them. And the entire Big East is pretty shitty, so there's no reason we couldn't win every game.

 

[kingottoiii]

If we see "about the same offense as last season" with a 5th year senior / 3rd year starter behind center and no signficant departures from 2011 then heads need to roll. Sorry, OPA.

We lost our best OL to injury for who knows how long. In addition we lost two 2 year starting RS SR OL, our starting TE, #2 & #3 WRs, our starting RB, and FB. We are replacing these guys with players who have very little PT. Our O has 13 main pieces to it and we only return five guys from last year's team to start the year. I rather have 10 guys returning and a true Frosh QB than 5 guys returning and a 5th year SR QB.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

We lost our best OL to injury for who knows how long. In addition we lost two 2 year starting RS SR OL, our starting TE, #2 & #3 WRs, our starting RB, and FB. We are replacing these guys with players who have very little PT. Our O has 13 main pieces to it and we only return five guys from last year's team to start the year. I rather have 10 guys returning and a true Frosh QB than 5 guys returning and a 5th year SR QB.

Agreed, like I said I expect the team to be a bit better than last years team, which was horrible and a 5-7 team, this schedule is tougher, so I believe 5-7 wins is reasonable epxectations to be realistic, I don't see a 2 win team but I certainly don't see a 9 or 10 tema but anything can happen. Not off to a good start when your player with the most NFL potential as it appears right now will miss all of camp and be off the first 4 weeks as well. That is not good. The Big east is terrible but we got our asses handed to us for the most part last year in the Big East. Last year was a big step back really but I defeinitely think it was an eye opener for many of the players and people who make up the program, I have no doubt we will see a much more focused effort this year, MUCH MORE. I expect to make a bowl game and I expect to see the same brand of football we have seen, somehat ugly at times and we will struggle to have consistency on offense, I do believe to see a few more bigger plays and better LB play this year.

5-7 wins and I would bet that is where we would end up.

 

[OrangePA]

If we see "about the same offense as last season" with a 5th year senior / 3rd year starter behind center and no signficant departures from 2011 then heads need to roll. Sorry, OPA.

I would be very surprised if RB took a step back. Bailey was a very good little RB, but he was completely worn out in the final three or four games because once Gulley went down we really had no one to give him rest. If Smith is as improved as people say and Gulley is healthy and AAM is inn shape and Broyld is as good as everyone says, then there's no way the RB unit takes a step back. The complete opposite is more likely.

not my post

 

[Millhouse]

Bailey was a very good little RB

groan

 

[GoSU96]

Bailey was more than a very good little RB. He was the best dual threat back in school history. That wasn't how he was used last season though, and that shouldn't take away from his talent. I think the staff handled running back horribly last season to be honest - they shoehorned Bailey into a role he wasn't built for, burned AAM's redshirt, and were very hesitant to give Gulley and Smith more than spot carries. I have high hopes for the unit believe it or not, but it's really, really green.

Gulley was out after Toledo for the year and Smith was dinged up. Not sure what else they could have done.

 

[gocraz4dasu]

Missouri is down this year, we can definitely beat them. And the entire Big East is pretty shitty, so there's no reason we couldn't win every game.

If we beat USC, it's a 50/50 shot that I might cry. There are like 10 NFL prospects on their offense alone and Barkley is the top rated prospect right now. I love the enthusiasm and all but I'm sorry, USC is absolutely loaded right now. Everything would have to go right for us and everything would have to go wrong for them and even then, I still give us a 50% shot.

Not being pessimistic because I expect this team to play better than last years team even if the final record doesn't look like too much an improvement. I just realistically do not see us beating USC this year, under almost any circumstances.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Gulley was out after Toledo for the year and Smith was dinged up. Not sure what else they could have done.

AAM.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

AAM.

Yeah the dive off the center and guards ass was working wonders!!

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Yeah the dive off the center and guards ass was working wonders!!

Sure. Because we certainly couldn't have called something else for him.

 

[GoSU96]

AAM.

And when those two weren't available, what choice did they have, and then he got hurt. And that's not you said before, they weren't hesitant, kids weren't available for stretches. Somebody had to play RB, and as you said, Bailey couldn't take 100% of the carries.

Screw worrying about redshirts, all hands until you otherwise notified.

 

[qdawgg]

I thought 4/20 was the national smoke some pot day?

 

[orangenirvana]

We lost our best OL to injury for who knows how long. In addition we lost two 2 year starting RS SR OL, our starting TE, #2 & #3 WRs, our starting RB, and FB. We are replacing these guys with players who have very little PT. Our O has 13 main pieces to it and we only return five guys from last year's team to start the year. I rather have 10 guys returning and a true Frosh QB than 5 guys returning and a 5th year SR QB.

In spite of that list of future HOF'ers, they managed to finish around #100 among all FBS teams in offense. I'm not shedding tears over their departures.

 

[44PRIDE]

I love your enthusiasm.

But you're setting yourself up for a major disappointment.

And you're underestimating the BE schedule.

And because you are doing so, you will, at the conclusion of the season, necessarily criticize the coaches for not scheming properly.

I hope you're right, but I strongly suspect that a 10-2 record is not attainable this year.

Completely agree. Its this kind of optimism that gets me to drinkin at seasons end.

I'm hoping the OP is right, but I just don't see it.

 

[Crusty]

I too love your enthusiasm but I think this is the seriously delusional thread. However, I do not have it in me to take away your Kool-Aid - instead, I will just root for you to be right.

 

[ElwoodJBlues]

I've been of the opinion since Marrone started that there will be a year when the team just "clicks". As in, they'll win a lot of games out of nowhere and the program will be on a very solid footing. I just don't expect that to be this year. A senior QB and decent offensive line doesn't make up for the fact that the team is still very raw. More growing pains this year.

 

[Scooch]

I think 2-10 is far more likely than 10-2. I don't expect 2-10, I'm just saying that I'll eat the iPhone I'm typing this on if we go 10-2.

But love the optimism.

 

[rrlbees]

7-5. Book it.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[RF2044]

7-5. Book it.

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7-5 is what I think when I look at that schedule, too.