What are best case scenarios from here on out?

[mlbball99]

Win out, you get to 10-2 (6-2 in the ACC). This is more than likely not enough to make the ACC title game. Chances of Miami, Clemson, SMU, Pitt getting to 2 ACC losses are extremely slim and even then, not sure we pass them in a tie breaker.

End up with a Sun Bowl, Music City Bowl, Military Bowl, Pinstripe Bowl etc.

 

[David321]

I'd be really happy with 8-4 and then win whatever bowl we get. This would require us to win 3/5 of our remaining games which will not be easy.

 

[Marsh01]

Win out, you get to 10-2 (6-2 in the ACC). This is more than likely not enough to make the ACC title game. Changes of Miami, Clemson, SMU getting to 2 ACC losses are extremely slim and even then, not sure we pass them in a tie breaker.

End up with a Sun Bowl, Music City Bowl, Military Bowl, Pinstripe Bowl etc.

I would take 8-4 right now. We arent going 10-2 so get that out of your head

 

[dwilmont44]

There is zero chance we beat Miami but all the other games are definitely winnable if we play to our potential.

They are also loseable (is that a word?)

 

[sufan59]

There is zero chance we beat Miami but all the other games are definitely winnable if we play to our potential.

They are also loseable (is that a word?)

I wouldn’t say no chance for the Miami game. We got out coached last night, not out matched. I still think we have a very good team that can compete with anyone including Miami. Our coaches need to learn from this and recalculate our approach to the remaining games and our players need to continue to buy in and execute. This is where we find out if the culture has changed.

 

[FrancoPizza]

There is zero chance we beat Miami but all the other games are definitely winnable if we play to our potential.

They are also loseable (is that a word?)

We have zero chance against any remaining opponent sans UConn if they don’t reimagine the passing schemes. What worked in the first 6 games will not cut it in the back 6.

 

[Pyle]

I wouldn’t say no chance for the Miami game. We got out coached last night, not out matched. I still think we have a very good team that can compete with anyone including Miami. Our coaches need to learn from this and recalculate our approach to the remaining games and our players need to continue to buy in and execute. This is where we find out if the culture has changed.

I feel we got outmatched in the trenches and by their secondary. They were glued to our receivers. That's not simply good scheming.

 

[shantydaze]

I do not think we beat Miami. We had better beat UConn. At Cal, to me, is the question mark. Traveling to the west coast, especially if it is a night game there, gives Cal an advantage.

I would love for the players and program to be able to play in a bowl outside of the gray skies of the Northeast, so no Pinstripe, Fenway, or Military Bowl, so one of the Florida bowls or the Texas/California based bowls would be nice.

One of the issues the ACC and its teams has will be the potential lack of teams in the play-off. For every team in the playoff, Syracuse can move up a notch in bowl selections. If the ACC only gets one (although if Miami and Clemson win out, with Clemson winning the ACCCG, I think both get in; if Pitt's only loss is to Miami and Miami wins the ACCCG over Clemson, I think potentially both Miami and Pitt get in with Clemson having an outside shot depending on what happens in the other leagues), Syracuse will likely be stuck in a northeast bowl.

 

[djorange1989]

I have thought all along that we are an 8-4 team. Clearest path to that is beat U Conn and BC and get a split of Va Tech/Cal. Everyone has the right to be frustrated by last night’s debacle but thinking a team with a poor O Line, terrible special teams play, lousy tackling, poor running attack and iffy defense was the formula for a playoff team was on Crack. 8 win regular season is a pretty rare thing for this program so if we can get there, that would be a hell of an accomplishment for a first time head coach who had a ton of holes to fill on this roster and a schedule that has turned out to be more challenging than it looked before the season.

 

[690West]

There is zero chance we beat Miami but all the other games are definitely winnable if we play to our potential.

They are also loseable (is that a word?)

I know we're all disappointed with last night, but people have to stop with the "no chance" stuff with games. We literally saw a 28 point dog win TWO NIGHTS AGO. It happens every week. Feel free to say "i highly doubt we beat Miami" but the zero nonsense becomes tiresome because its just factually incorrect.

 

[Orangello]

UConn and maybe BC. Don't see us beating VT, Cal or Miami after last night and the exponentially increasing injuries.

 

[dwilmont44]

I know we're all disappointed with last night, but people have to stop with the "no chance" stuff with games. We literally saw a 28 point dog win TWO NIGHTS AGO. It happens every week. Feel free to say "i highly doubt we beat Miami" but the zero nonsense becomes tiresome because its just factually incorrect.

I'll give you 100-1

 

[690West]

I'll give you 100-1

Much better than “zero chance”. It’s no big deal. I just have an internal pet peeve with the hyperbole. It’s a me problem

 

[Dmcnabbrules]

UConn and maybe BC. Don't see us beating VT, Cal or Miami after last night and the exponentially increasing injuries.

Cal stinks. VaTech is solid but not a world beater. Miami will be tough, but that game is a long ways away and things change fast in college sports.

 

[upperdeck]

Cal comes down to who is healthy and who makes the big Plays. They thrive on the TOs as well and we dont cause any.

VT/BC will we contain the QB that saves plays.

Miami plays no D. but it doesn't take much to beat our Oline.

Uconn, who knows, They will be pumped. Will we show up or be beaten down.

 

[Orangello]

Cal stinks. VaTech is solid but not a world beater. Miami will be tough, but that game is a long ways away and things change fast in college sports.

Cal doesn't stink. They lost by 1pt. to both Miami and NCSt and 2pts. to Pitt. Their DL is going to give our OL fits just like last night.

 

[CuseBlood44]

I had always said 8-4 and glad I wasn’t getting too far ahead of myself for the ACC championship / run the table talk after the last 2 road wins. This team has serious warts and all games are winnable and lose able

 

[MikeSU02]

I would take 8-4 right now. We arent going 10-2 so get that out of your head

Agreed. 8 wins. Take it. Run with it. Build off of it.

It's been 26 years since McNabb left and we've bounced between bad and mediocre for almost all of those years.

8 wins is solid. Work to make it better next year even tho the schedule will be harder (Tenny @ MB Stadium, @ Clemson, @Miami, @ND, @GT and @SMU).

 

[CuseBlood44]

I do not think we beat Miami. We had better beat UConn. At Cal, to me, is the question mark. Traveling to the west coast, especially if it is a night game there, gives Cal an advantage.

I would love for the players and program to be able to play in a bowl outside of the gray skies of the Northeast, so no Pinstripe, Fenway, or Military Bowl, so one of the Florida bowls or the Texas/California based bowls would be nice.

One of the issues the ACC and its teams has will be the potential lack of teams in the play-off. For every team in the playoff, Syracuse can move up a notch in bowl selections. If the ACC only gets one (although if Miami and Clemson win out, with Clemson winning the ACCCG, I think both get in; if Pitt's only loss is to Miami and Miami wins the ACCCG over Clemson, I think potentially both Miami and Pitt get in with Clemson having an outside shot depending on what happens in the other leagues), Syracuse will likely be stuck in a northeast bowl.

Honestly who cares about the bowl though. McCord Meeks OG wax maybe Peña will all opt out

 

[sabach]

I do not think we beat Miami. We had better beat UConn. At Cal, to me, is the question mark. Traveling to the west coast, especially if it is a night game there, gives Cal an advantage.

I would love for the players and program to be able to play in a bowl outside of the gray skies of the Northeast, so no Pinstripe, Fenway, or Military Bowl, so one of the Florida bowls or the Texas/California based bowls would be nice.

One of the issues the ACC and its teams has will be the potential lack of teams in the play-off. For every team in the playoff, Syracuse can move up a notch in bowl selections. If the ACC only gets one (although if Miami and Clemson win out, with Clemson winning the ACCCG, I think both get in; if Pitt's only loss is to Miami and Miami wins the ACCCG over Clemson, I think potentially both Miami and Pitt get in with Clemson having an outside shot depending on what happens in the other leagues), Syracuse will likely be stuck in a northeast bowl.

Don't forget ND. They take an ACC spot if not in the CFP and right now it is a lock that ND goes to Florida (Pop Tarts) if they go 10-2 and miss the CFP.

 

[djorange1989]

I had always said 8-4 and glad I wasn’t getting too far ahead of myself for the ACC championship / run the table talk after the last 2 road wins. This team has serious warts and all games are winnable and lose able

This 100%. I mean, when your O line is bad, your D line can’t generate pressure, your back 8 can’t tackle, your special teams are horrific and you can’t run the ball, how the hell does anyone think this could be a playoff team? Last night being a clear exception, we truly only do one thing well: throw the football. That, and our players have generally played very hard for Fran. That’s it.

 

[djorange1989]

Honestly who cares about the bowl though. McCord Meeks OG wax maybe Peña will all opt out

Yeah the bowl itself is generally a joke, it’s the regular season record that means something.

 

[Irishsecra1]

McCord was off badly from the very first pass
Timing was off and with the most lucky interception that I have ever seen (Pitt defender lying flat on the ground and having the ball literally fall in his hands!) luck definitely was on Pitts side.

Sometimes the QB has a bad day (Josh Allen recently), but the key is how Kyle and the rest of the team bounce back. Fran let Kyle play it out to let him regain his confidence.
it worked but was very risky due to potential injury.
but for anyone who saw Kyle and Fran’s interaction on the sideline just before the half, it was obvious Kyle needed his team to still believe in him.

So while the risk of a physical injury was very real, I think Fran thought there was a greater risk of breaking Kyle emotionally
Time Will tell if this support of Kyle on his worst outing will pay dividends.

it is also important that the fans support Kyle thru this.
Everyone has a bad day, lord knows I have screwed up from time to time.
i doubt if anyone feels worse about this than Kyle.
i will be at the Dome for the Vi Tech game screaming my head off supporting the team

 

[tep624]

I think 9 wins is very realistic as long as this was just an anomaly with Kyle yesterday.

 

[007]

To me, 8-4 was always going to be a "great" season given the state of program. Yeah, sounds like hindsight, but I felt and posted that way preseason. I think the thought that some would now settle for 8-4 is similar to thinking we had a shot at the CFP in the first place. Getting to 8-4 is going to be a monumental challenge and, obviously, lots of stuff will need to go right. Do we have enough talent to get there? Maybe. Do we have enough weaknesses to finish out at 6-6? Definitely.

Let's see how the staff adapts and how the team responds. The learning curve for a first time HC and a new staff was always going to be challenging. Games like Thursday night happen to a lot of good teams. But it is part of the process. The VaTech game is the next step. That game, and learning from what has transpired, is all that matters in the moment.