We need a 9 win season

[Cuse House]

We are at a point in the building of our program where we can either remain a 7 to 8 win team year after year, or we can take that next leap. The recruiting is going well and we need to make it show on the field. Four and Five star recruits will not come consistently until were averaging 9 wins a season and in the top 25 consistently. I actually feel that minus a few games, that 9 wins is very possible next season. It is a good time to be an SU football fan because the product should continue to result in bigger, faster, more athletic teams but now is the time for that to happen. Go Cuse!

 

[Marsh01]

I'd take a repeat of this season all day long

 

[javadoc]

I'd take a repeat of this season all day long

I'd like for the win total to bump up by at least one. I think that by the bowl game, we were playing at a legitimate 8-4 level. Defense might take one step backward next year, but I expect offense to take two steps forward.

 

[TexanMark]

I'd take a repeat of this season all day long

Not me...I wanna see us rip off some wins and get in the Top 25 for at least part of the season.

 

[Alsacs]

This season's schedule is better than last year's
Villanova
@CMU
Maryland
Notre Dame Metlife

Villanova > Wagner
@CMU < @Northwestern
Maryland > Tulane
Notre Dame = Penn State

Assuming we go 3-1 in the non-conference our ACC schedule
H-Florida State(L), Louisville(50/50 game), Duke(60/40 game), NC State(75/25 game)
R- Clemson(L), Boston College(40/60 game), Wake Forest(60/40 game its their coaching staff's first season), Pitt(40/60 game)

I would say we have 3-3 off the bat and I don't see us running the table on Louisville, Duke, NC State, Boston College, Wake, and Pitt. I think we are a 7-8 win team in the regular season next year depending on luck. Unless we can upset one of FSU or Clemson I think 9 wins is tough unless schedule 4 easy non-conference games. We can go 5-3 in conference, but getting to 6-2 or better will depend on that individual team's growth year to year.

 

[CUSU]

Not me...I wanna see us rip off some wins and get in the Top 25 for at least part of the season.

I think if we start off strong, depending on the schedule, and beat Nova, WM, Maryland, we have a shot to be close to top 25. If we beat notre dame at metlife after winning those games we will be top 25.

How close do you think we will be TexanMark? How many games do you think it would take.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I'd take a repeat of this season all day long

Normally I'm with you, but the way the schedule is laid out next season I think our expectation should be that it doesn't take until the last play of the regular season to wrap up bowl eligibility.

 

[SUFan44]

I'd take a repeat of this season all day long

No way. Not with the team we have coming back, and the recruits we have coming in.

Can't get whooped by GT & NW. Can't lose to Pitt. Need to be more competitive with higher level teams.

8 wins is definitely attainable. 9 wins would be awesome but will be tough. Would need to beat ND and beat two of Duke/Louisville at home or Pitt on road. Not impossible but tough.

 

[Marsh01]

No way. Not with the team we have coming back, and the recruits we have coming in.

Can't get whooped by GT & NW. Can't lose to Pitt. Need to be more competitive with higher level teams.

8 wins is definitely attainable. 9 wins would be awesome but will be tough. Would need to beat ND and beat two of Duke/Louisville at home or Pitt on road. Not impossible but tough.

My comments were to make a bowl game. 7-8 wins is fine. Baby steps. All of a sudden we need a 9 win season? We were the worst team in college athletics 5 years ago. We have gone through 4 coaches in 10 years. Its ok to progress nicely.

 

[Cuse House]

I just expect us to win those close games that we could not make enough plays to win this year. We won 7 games and lost a few that were definitely winnable (Pitt, PSU, etc). Schedule might be a bit tougher but our offense should really be at a whole different level in my opinion. We just lacked big plays this year and with most of our offense returning, gaining some young talent at WR, and the rise of Estime, I see us making those plays.

 

[TexanMark]

I think if we start off strong, depending on the schedule, and beat Nova, WM, Maryland, we have a shot to be close to top 25. If we beat notre dame at metlife after winning those games we will be top 25.

How close do you think we will be TexanMark? How many games do you think it would take.

If we are undefeated after playing Notre Dame I suspect we'll be barely in the Top 25. If we play/beat a credible conference team on Sept 6th that helps even more.

 

[Cuse House]

My comments were to make a bowl game. 7-8 wins is fine. Baby steps. All of a sudden we need a 9 win season? We were the worst team in college athletics 5 years ago. We have gone through 4 coaches in 10 years. Its ok to progress nicely.

You make a valid argument for sure, but at what point is 7 wins no longer enough?

 

[Marsh01]

You make a valid argument for sure, but at what point is 7 wins no longer enough?

Given the change in conference and the teams we play now (and throw in a coaching change) another 7 win season would not hurt this team. Again, building blocks. Eventually that will hopefully lead us to greater things.

 

[dasher]

Given the change in conference and the teams we play now (and throw in a coaching change) another 7 win season would not hurt this team. Again, building blocks. Eventually that will hopefully lead us to greater things.

Slight disagree and not by much but I really want at least a 7-5 regular season. The bowl game ????

 

[SUFan44]

My comments were to make a bowl game. 7-8 wins is fine. Baby steps. All of a sudden we need a 9 win season? We were the worst team in college athletics 5 years ago. We have gone through 4 coaches in 10 years. Its ok to progress nicely.

7 win regular season... ok. 6 wins and a bowl game victory I don't think is acceptable with what we have coming back.

I get your point - and agree somewhat. Don't need 9 wins at all. Just like to see progression with so much talent and experience coming back on both sides of the ball.

 

[Marsh01]

7 win regular season... ok. 6 wins and a bowl game victory I don't think is acceptable with what we have coming back.

I get your point - and agree somewhat. Don't need 9 wins at all. Just like to see progression with so much talent and experience coming back on both sides of the ball.

7 regular season wins I agree with. 6-6 would be a disappointment. 9-3? Thats a stretch

 

[Cuse House]

I really think that if we do not have at least 8 wins (with or without a bowl victory) that next year will be sort of a disappointment. I understand that we are still rebuilding, but with what we have returning and with what some other teams lost, I think we are capable of 9. It won't be easy for sure, but it is doable.

 

[Cuse House]

And I want to point out that I realize 7 wins would not be the worst thing for the program, I just think next years team is capable of more. We should be a more talented team without question.

 

[Chip]

I'd just like to start 4-0 next year and see what it feels like. Assuming we won't start ACC play until after conference play (ACC hopefully won't sneak in a Clemson game in that early bye week), then a 3-0 start should be a minimum expectation. 4-0 would require our first NYC win. If only it was Charlie Weiss or Ty Willingham's ND. Not that we can't win it, it would just be easier under their previous leadership.

 

[RF2044]

I'd just like to start 4-0 next year and see what it feels like. Assuming we won't start ACC play until after conference play (ACC hopefully won't sneak in a Clemson game in that early bye week), then a 3-0 start should be a minimum expectation. 4-0 would require our first NYC win. If only it was Charlie Weiss or Ty Willingham's ND. Not that we can't win it, it would just be easier under their previous leadership.

Me too.

 

[Cuse House]

I'd just like to start 4-0 next year and see what it feels like. Assuming we won't start ACC play until after conference play (ACC hopefully won't sneak in a Clemson game in that early bye week), then a 3-0 start should be a minimum expectation. 4-0 would require our first NYC win. If only it was Charlie Weiss or Ty Willingham's ND. Not that we can't win it, it would just be easier under their previous leadership.

I honestly believe that the ND game dictates our whole season. If we can beat ND and start 4-0, there is no reason 9 wins is not possible. Duke had a great year but they lose a ton of players and I think we should beat them. You throw in the other games that we should win and were staring at top 25. Should win, is the key here.

 

[GoSU96]

As a program SU is not that far away.

2012 SU's combined offense and defensive rankings was 64, 16th best in the country. Of the 25 best combined rankings the average wins for those teams was 10.25, only one team finished with 7 wins, six with 8 wins, one with 9, and the other 17 with 10 or more.

It is easy to argue that based on that metric they under performed last year.

This year the only thing statisically worse was the pass game. Defense was nine spots higher, run game one. The combined ranking this year was 120 good for 59th in D-1. Only one team in that group had a 5 win season and three finished with 6 wins, and six finished with 7. The other 49 finished with 8 or more.

If the pass game had only fallen off 1/2 as much as it did this year (700 yds less rather than 1400 yds) the offense would have finished in the 40's and the combined ranking would have been in the 70's. The 25 teams with a combinded ranking up to 80 averaged 9.9 wins.

Maintain the run game and defense and improve the pass game by 50 yds a game and 9 wins is not at all out of reach.

 

[Cuse House]

As a program SU is not that far away.

2012 SU's combined offense and defensive rankings was 64, 16th best in the country. Of the 25 best combined rankings the average wins for those teams was 10.25, only one team finished with 7 wins, six with 8 wins, one with 9, and the other 17 with 10 or more.

It is easy to argue that based on that metric they under performed last year.

This year the only thing statisically worse was the pass game. Defense was nine spots higher, run game one. The combined ranking this year was 120 good for 59th in D-1. Only one team in that group had a 5 win season and three finished with 6 wins, and six finished with 7. The other 49 finished with 8 or more.

If the pass game had only fallen off 1/2 as much as it did this year (700 yds less rather than 1400 yds) the offense would have finished in the 40's and the combined ranking would have been in the 70's. The 25 teams with a combinded ranking up to 80 averaged 9.9 wins.

Maintain the run game and defense and improve the pass game by 50 yds a game and 9 wins is not at all out of reach.

Good perspective, I agree that if we maintain our rushing game and improve the pass game (which should happen) we will have a great chance. I expect a slight drop off on the defensive side of the ball because of losing Spruill and Jay, but it should not be a substantial difference. I would be interested in what the numbers would have looked like if Hunt started from the beginning.

 

[SU2NASA]

We need a 14-win season.

 

[Cuse House]

We need a 14-win season.

And some think 9 is a stretch