This feels different

[kcsu]

When we beat Clemson a lot of this bluster will be forgotten.

We are beat up. Clemson is resting. We have a short week. We most likely are going to get beat.

 

[llandz]

We’re literally inches away from it.

This. Let's just beat Clemson and move forward. Today these kids played really well. There is clearly a difference here and something building. Inches is correct.

 

[blust2i3d4]

It does feel different. The problem is that we are in Year 6 and with Dino's body of work to date, these are exactly the kind of games he needs to pull out.

We would have won today if we had Taj.

 

[RoofBeam]

While there is some talent on this team, SU is not talented enough to overcome the opposition as well as their own coaching staff every game. Throw in the referees most of the time and these kids are facing a formidable hurdle.

 

[Cuseregular]

We are beat up. Clemson is resting. We have a short week. We most likely are going to get beat.

Yep zero chance we best Clemson. As you note they’re coming in rested and ready, we’re beat up BIG TIME physically and mentally. Like with FSU this will be the rehab game that gets them over the hump back to normal.

The mental let down will be huge. Shrader and Tucker will keep us competitive but we will only eek out one more win this year. He’s lost his team would be my guess. Win today and we win 3 more. That ship has sailed, sadly.

 

[Cuseregular]

We would have won today if we had Taj.

Lol ok taj. The only way we win today is if we have a different coach who has a feel for the game with basic decisions.

 

[Orangefizz]

I would agree that the cupboard is not empty for the next coach but this is clearly not the guy.

With the transfer portal the cupboard can become empty very quickly

 

[Stern]

When we beat Clemson a lot of this bluster will be forgotten.

Not in the least. In fact you will have people saying you beat Clemson but you couldn't beat FSU, WF, or Rutgers...lol

Plus beating Clemson this year isn't like beating them in previous years they are clearly down. Losing to NC State and holding on to win to be lucky to win at home vs BC and GT. They aren't the Clemson of the past decade.

Dino is more than "1 upset" away from getting people to forget about all the bad.

 

[qdawgg]

I haven’t been interested in SU football in many years and I only contribute on the hoops board but I will say I like watching this defense play and I like Tucker and the toughness Shrader brings. Sorry for the massive run on sentence

Is it technically a run on sentence if there’s no period at the end?

 

[qdawgg]

Go watch the play before. Tucker got slammed hard onto the turf. when he got up from that he was visibly hurting he took himself out of the game.

Where was Adam’s today?

I’ll have to watch again but I saw the same thing except, I thought the defender intentionally forearmed him in the back of the head as he was going down or when he was down. Then when he got up he was visibly shaken up. He took himself out, rightfully so. But why even call that play in that situation or if you do, why with Lutz?

 

[qdawgg]

Yep no wants to hear about the future after 2 straight gut punches but this team is on the brink of being a winner, might be next year but hoping for a bowl this year(not expecting that)

My problem is, after the 10 win season we thought the program overall was headed in the right direction. With this coach, we’re just as likely to win 3 or less games next year and have no depth at key positions the year after. DB hasn’t proven he can win consistently, he’s only shown inconsistency in 6 years.

So that’s why I can’t get behind the idea that we’re on an upward trajectory. We don’t know. DB has more often than not shown the opposite other than one great season. And what did he do with the momentum from that season, just like he does with any momentum we have in seasons going in to winnable games. More often than not he loses that game.

 

[qdawgg]

We would have won today if we had Taj.

Im sure he would have dropped the same amount of balls. Although maybe not, some of those tougher catches he might not even attempted to go after. But yes, he would have won Instagram after the game that’s for sure.

 

[Bayside44]

Unfortunately this is a very accurate post.
Su is in a very precarious situation.
Baring a very strong finish i fully expect some good players to leave Dino or no Dino.
I also expect 2 coaches to leave. Both would be a major blow.
Giving a coach an extension which i was 1000% behind with a huge 2- way buyout is an excellent move by the school IF and its a critical if the school has the ability and conviction to fire the coach and eat the cost.
If on the other hand the school cant or wont fire the coach solely based on the financial impact the program will erode from within.
Everyone involved. Players Coaches ,support ,staff recruits, Donors ,EVERYONE will know and understand that the patient is going to die that there is no future.
In the past the transfer rules could hold the current players.
Recruiting would still be destroyed and coaches with options would leave but in today's world we are talking about a major problem as the better players will be faced with some very tough choices and some will bail.
SUs in a bad spot if they keep this guy unless he finishes strong.
A very bad spot.

The funny part about other schools is they have players too.

Cuse has a young team that is very competitive. If this was happening with 5th year guys everywhere then maybe.

 

[Bayside44]

Yep zero chance we best Clemson. As you note they’re coming in rested and ready, we’re beat up BIG TIME physically and mentally. Like with FSU this will be the rehab game that gets them over the hump back to normal.

The mental let down will be huge. Shrader and Tucker will keep us competitive but we will only eek out one more win this year. He’s lost his team would be my guess. Win today and we win 3 more. That ship has sailed, sadly.

The last time we beat Clemson what happened the week before? The time we had Clemson beat down there what happened the week before?

 

[orange79]

The last time we beat Clemson what happened the week before? The time we had Clemson beat down there what happened the week before?

No one told me we were having a quiz. I didn't read the assignment.

 

[TheCusian]

Quick cross reference

A) people who think refs don’t decide outcomes
B) people who think losing by 3 in OT to the best team in the ACC is entirely on Dino

 

[alphaorange]

I disagree with most. I liked that he took the penalty but I hated the defense dialed up. He torched the secondary every time he had time so we rush 3?? I put that on whoever called that defense. Full pressure needed. Maybe they get a dump off for 10 but maybe the pass is incomplete. I could live with high pressure and a completion. I can't live with Howell having a ton of time with the receivers he has.

I loved the choice to go for 2 and the win. Hated that we couldn't seem to get a play called. On Babers, I guess. I did not like the odds of beating Wake in an OT shootout, for reasons made obvious. I believe if you get a chance to beat a superior opponent without giving them a chance to win, you do it. With Tucker, GS, and Rhino, 2 yards should be a relative certainty.

 

[sufandu]

It does feel different. The problem is that we are in Year 6 and with Dino's body of work to date, these are exactly the kind of games he needs to pull out.

The year 6 thing is overblown. We haven't been spinning our wheels. We saw initial progress and then regression when we didn't do a good job replacing our star QB or OC/QB coach. Now it seems like we're building again.

We have the best RB we've had in a generation.

The oline is playing the best it has since 2012 with a new coach and some young pieces getting playing time.

The defense is the real deal, also with a bunch of young pieces that are on the field now.

The current OC seems to be figuring out his pieces and has adapted to personnel instead of stubbornly trying to cram a square peg into a round hole. We seem to see a little more variety and a new little wrinkle each game now that we've found a QB.

We've found a QB. He isn't perfect but he makes plays and we have him for more than just this year. Hopefully we have his replacement redshirting.

We had a deep hole to dig out of and progress isn't necessarily linear. I get being frustrated with some of the in game decision making, but I don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. You can see all over college football where programs make that mistake. Even decent programs we could consider peers have trouble consistently keeping it going, look at Northwestern.

 

[CousCuse]

I disagree with most. I liked that he took the penalty but I hated the defense dialed up. He torched the secondary every time he had time so we rush 3?? I put that on whoever called that defense. Full pressure needed. Maybe they get a dump off for 10 but maybe the pass is incomplete. I could live with high pressure and a completion. I can't live with Howell having a ton of time with the receivers he has.

I loved the choice to go for 2 and the win. Hated that we couldn't seem to get a play called. On Babers, I guess. I did not like the odds of beating Wake in an OT shootout, for reasons made obvious. I believe if you get a chance to beat a superior opponent without giving them a chance to win, you do it. With Tucker, GS, and Rhino, 2 yards should be a relative certainty.

You run an rpo there and their D would have bit so hard that that jump pass would have been wide open and Shrade makes the good toss this time, Tebow Gator style. They had it open against FSU.

 

[SU in Hershey]

Yep zero chance we best Clemson. As you note they’re coming in rested and ready, we’re beat up BIG TIME physically and mentally. Like with FSU this will be the rehab game that gets them over the hump back to normal.

The mental let down will be huge. Shrader and Tucker will keep us competitive but we will only eek out one more win this year. He’s lost his team would be my guess. Win today and we win 3 more. That ship has sailed, sadly.

Your points are all valid, but I disagree about one thing (and it was perhaps hyperbole on your part): I won't say we have "zero chance" against any team on the remainder of the schedule. And I'm not talking about the Dumb and Dumber "So you're saying there's a chance..." either. We have a chance against anybody assuming we aren't too physically beaten (to your point). We have a decent enough O and D to hang with anyone. Ironically, I am most concerned about what had been our strength for several years: Special Teams.

 

[721Comstock]

Your points are all valid, but I disagree about one thing (and it was perhaps hyperbole on your part): I won't say we have "zero chance" against any team on the remainder of the schedule. And I'm not talking about the Dumb and Dumber "So you're saying there's a chance..." either. We have a chance against anybody assuming we aren't too physically beaten (to your point). We have a decent enough O and D to hang with anyone. Ironically, I am most concerned about what had been our strength for several years: Special Teams.

Yeah, our ST’s went from all-ACC, to atrocious, in 1 season.

Szmyt has never been the same guy since his Frosh year.
He’s still at least an average kicker, but no longer a weapon.

Our return game has regressed.
Peña still looks like he can break one, but the blocking isn’t as good as it once was.

But the real head-scratcher is the punting game.

Williams has the yips. Badly.
We’ve had more shanked punts this season already, than probably the entire rest of Dino’s tenure here.

I don’t know how or why our punters now all suck, but we need to get it fixed, STAT.

 

[SU in Hershey]

Yeah, our ST’s went from all-ACC, to atrocious, in 1 season.

Szmyt has never been the same guy since his Frosh year.
He’s still at least an average kicker, but no longer a weapon.

Our return game has regressed.
Peña still looks like he can break one, but the blocking isn’t as good as it once was.

But the real head-scratcher is the punting game.

Williams has the yips. Badly.
We’ve had more shanked punts this season already, than probably the entire rest of Dino’s tenure here.

I don’t know how or why our punters now all suck, but we need to get it fixed, STAT.

Quick search on ST rankings (Football Outsiders):
Year and Ranking
2017 55
2018 16
2019 55
2020 14 (Huh?)
2021 78

So, curse of the odd-numbered years...and yeah, we have fallen off the cliff this year.

 

[OrangeTarheel]

I agree with both Dinos supporters and those who see only his warts in this thread. It’s a cruel time to be a Syracuse football fan.

 

[sufandu]

I agree with both Dinos supporters and those who see only his warts in this thread. It’s a cruel time to be a Syracuse football fan.

Maybe that's because both have points. It's possible to see his warts while also admitting he has done some things well, but it seems to be really hard for people to do that. The discussion feels like watching a political debate between people on each far end of the spectrum.

 

[orangencpolice]

With the transfer portal the cupboard can become empty very quickly

The only way he can redeem himself is if he can recruit better and pick up a few highly regarded transfers from the portal to support what we have now. If he does, maybe we can hang onto some that are considering jumping ship. HCDB needs to do something to jumpstart the debacle he has created.