What are the minimum expectations for 2015

[Scooch]

One thing I expect is wins and offense.

I don't want to hear anyone talk about "progress" or "it's not about wins and losses",

Shafer was hired for continuity. He's almost lost that entirely.

Win.

Now.

 

[Alsacs]

And did I just recently notice that he no longer has TOB by his side due to retirement?

You think London would survive a 6 win season in 2015?

TOB wants all in the press to know he is putting his name in consideration for the job of retirement.

 

[Alsacs]

And did I just recently notice that he no longer has TOB by his side due to retirement?

You think London would survive a 6 win season in 2015?

TOB wants all in the press to know he is putting his name in consideration for the job of retirement.

 

[TheCusian]

One thing I expect is wins and offense. I don't want to hear anyone talk about "progress" or "it's not about wins and losses", Shafer was hired for continuity. He's almost lost that entirely. Win. Now.

People keep saying that: continuity. From what? We can all agree that the season we looked the best was Nassib's senior year. Things clicked on offense to go with our better than average defense. Prior to that we looked mediocre to bad on offense (eerily similar to Shafer's first year).

You know where we've been better than average? Defense. Haven't skipped a beat. Our offense has been consistently mediocre to bad too. So in the rawest of terms: Shafer has brought continuity to both sides of the ball. And that won't be good enough. We need to break through to average to good on offense this season.

(Nassib's senior year is an outlier.)

 

[Alsacs]

I just want the minimum established so that the fanbase can atleast be united on expectations to maintain the status quo. I like Scott Shafer's commitment/energy level/rah rah stuff, but his tenure as HC has not had a watchable product for the most part in 2 seasons and now after 3-9 has to realize injuries are no excuse. Marrone inherited a situation much tougher than Scott Shafer and we looked better even in 2009 in our 4-8 season and 2011 in our 5-7 season.

 

[Chip]

People keep saying that: continuity. From what? We can all agree that the season we looked the best was Nassib's senior year. Things clicked on offense to go with our better than average defense. Prior to that we looked mediocre to bad on offense (eerily similar to Shafer's first year).

You know where we've been better than average? Defense. Haven't skipped a beat. Our offense has been consistently mediocre to bad too. So in the rawest of terms: Shafer has brought continuity to both sides of the ball. And that won't be good enough. We need to break through to average to good on offense this season.

(Nassib's senior year is an outlier.)

That very last sentence is the key. Was it an outlier or did offense drop because of going from Marrone/Hackett to Shafer/McF***it.

But you could also look at the last couple games of 2013 where the offense started looking better. Then fell off a cliff. Can't say it was all injuries either since our OC was demoted. You'd never demote an OC if you thought injuries were the problem. But we do know injuries were a big part of it, which is why Shafer isn't feeling heat from 3-9. That was his mulligan.

 

[AZOrange]

After watching the level of play in the better bowl games, it's obvious we have a long way to go. I'm sorry to say I'm putting my expectation at 4 wins.

Agreed. See 4 wins max.

 

[AZOrange]

Ha. By next year people will make that schedule out to be the Bataan Death March. Same as every year.

Plus we'll have suffered more grievous injuries than anyone else, had some coaching staff shakeup, etc.

 

[Alsacs]

People keep saying that: continuity. From what? We can all agree that the season we looked the best was Nassib's senior year. Things clicked on offense to go with our better than average defense. Prior to that we looked mediocre to bad on offense (eerily similar to Shafer's first year).

You know where we've been better than average? Defense. Haven't skipped a beat. Our offense has been consistently mediocre to bad too. So in the rawest of terms: Shafer has brought continuity to both sides of the ball. And that won't be good enough. We need to break through to average to good on offense this season.

(Nassib's senior year is an outlier.)

Offense in college football in 2014 is not tough execute.

In the 2003 college football season http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/football/sfc/ateamo.htm
There were 117 D-1 teams. The best offense was Oklahoma which averaged 45ppg. Only 37 teams averaged over 30ppg. The median team number 58 Oregon(hilarious) average 27.2 ppg

In 2014 college football season http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/team/27
They are 125 D-1 teams. The best offense Baylor averaged 48ppg. 56 teams averaged over 30ppg. The median team number 62 Tennessee averaged 28.9 ppg.

In 10 years from 2003-2014 we have seen the number of teams average 30ppg go from 37 to 56. Syracuse ranked 118th this year and our coach doesn't seem motivated to go with times and wants to play #hardnosed football in an ERA that doesn't do that anymore and plays his home games in a Dome.

 

[orange79]

I'd like to see this group of seniors go out with a measure of success.
I'd like to see Terrell Hunt continue to develop and run an efficient if unspectacular offense that moves the chains and puts us in position to score.
I'd like to see a youthful defense take on the responsibility that their predecessor's set.
I'd like to see Special Teams improve in the coverage units and be successful in the return game, with hopefully at least one TD return.
I'd like to see the younger guys on the roster continue their development, as I think there are a handful of really good young players here.

I'd like to get back on track and continue what we started 6 years ago, moving back to respectability.
I'd like to see the coaches continue to develop and have a measure of success on the field that they've earned.
I'd like to upset one big time opponent.
I'd like and expect to go bowling.

I'd love football to last 40 weeks.
I'd love one of our QB's to develop a howitzer type arm that shoots lazer guided fricking missiles.
I'd love for our skill position players to grow rockets on their behinds and find a 7th gear.
I'd love for our lineman to avg. 6'9 415
I'd love for our KO man to hit people in the face in the fourth row.
I'd love for Riley to send a bullet through the Dome roof to necessitate a new one.
I'd love to win a National Championship.

Orange 2015!

I'd like a pony, but I think I have to stand in line behind Swish for that.

 

[Millhouse]

People keep saying that: continuity. From what? We can all agree that the season we looked the best was Nassib's senior year. Things clicked on offense to go with our better than average defense. Prior to that we looked mediocre to bad on offense (eerily similar to Shafer's first year).

You know where we've been better than average? Defense. Haven't skipped a beat. Our offense has been consistently mediocre to bad too. So in the rawest of terms: Shafer has brought continuity to both sides of the ball. And that won't be good enough. We need to break through to average to good on offense this season.

(Nassib's senior year is an outlier.)

being good causes continuity more than continuity causes being good

being good can cause discontinuity too but let's cross that bridge when we get there.

 

[Scooch]

People keep saying that: continuity. From what? We can all agree that the season we looked the best was Nassib's senior year. Things clicked on offense to go with our better than average defense. Prior to that we looked mediocre to bad on offense (eerily similar to Shafer's first year). You know where we've been better than average? Defense. Haven't skipped a beat. Our offense has been consistently mediocre to bad too. So in the rawest of terms: Shafer has brought continuity to both sides of the ball. And that won't be good enough. We need to break through to average to good on offense this season. (Nassib's senior year is an outlier.)

Huh? Hiring the then current DC was thought to be the best way to maintain the momentum that people felt was occurring in the program following a 21-17 three year stretch with two bowl wins. It would help us keep our recruits in tact. Was thought that was better than bringing in a new HC and potentially stepping back while he implemented his system.

So far, it hasn't worked.

 

[GoSU96]

That very last sentence is the key. Was it an outlier or did offense drop because of going from Marrone/Hackett to Shafer/McF***it.

But you could also look at the last couple games of 2013 where the offense started looking better. Then fell off a cliff. Can't say it was all injuries either since our OC was demoted. You'd never demote an OC if you thought injuries were the problem. But we do know injuries were a big part of it, which is why Shafer isn't feeling heat from 3-9. That was his mulligan.

2013 the run game was pretty good, the OL was the solid. I was expecting a good deal of regression, but not what we saw. And in year two it was a total system failure. By the end of the year as bad as any Robinson season. Real shame.

 

[ForeverOrange]

I expect 7 wins. It's really sad to see us go through so many rollercoaster rides with the team. I don't see how some of you think changing AD's will solve the problem with coach searches though. It's not like we pay money to our coaches. We will just get another coach that will be a toss of the coin. Every coach we get is a 50/50 toss. Hopefully one day we will get heads instead of tails.

 

[GoSU96]

being good causes continuity more than continuity causes being good

being good can cause discontinuity too but let's cross that bridge when we get there.

Really appreciate what Shafer did to help rebuild the program, but if this year is more of the same, time to blow it up.

All he needed to do was not have the offense fall below 70th, and he had the OL and RB's to do that.

 

[Hoo's That]

And did I just recently notice that he no longer has TOB by his side due to retirement?

You think London would survive a 6 win season in 2015?

Yes. TOB did retire. He could be exasperating to me as Welsh's OC back in the day because it always seemed like he wanted to run dive plays when there were 15 people in the box. He certainly made BC into something w/Matty Ice.

We honest to goodness don't know what to think about London anymore. Everyone thought that he had to make a bowl or be gone this year. Then Littlepage says he's coming back for 2015 after the Miami game regardless of how VPI turned out. Folks want to believe that it's still "bowl game or be gone" in 2015. But the president's contract and London's contract both run out in 2016. With all that's gone on, it's unlikely the president's contract will be renewed (she was only viewed as a placeholder when she was hired to begin with). Littlepage is nearing retirement daily. They always say "A new broom sweeps clean". It could very well be that once a new president is named, the wheels could then be set in motion.

 

[Chip]

2013 the run game was pretty good, the OL was the solid. I was expecting a good deal of regression, but not what we saw. And in year two it was a total system failure. By the end of the year as bad as any Robinson season. Real shame.

And that's their problem. They don't have time to build it back up from the ground floor.

We're doing it all with an OC getting his first P5 experience. Our school either needs its wallet or head (or both) examined.

 

[Millhouse]

Really appreciate what Shafer did to help rebuild the program, but if this year is more of the same, time to blow it up.

All he needed to do was not have the offense fall below 70th, and he had the OL and RB's to do that.

i want shafer to succeed.

i really wished that he would look at mcdonald's offense and say "my god that guy had no idea what he was doing, all he did was buy the n zone, he could barely get plays in, and the offense still had 464,589, and 429 against 3 bowl teams in september. imagine what we could do with a coach who knows what he's doing running that scheme"

instead we're throwing the, uh, bathwater out with the baby so he can feel comfy with his friends

stick with the original offense, get a new OC and punt a little less when you're losing, and i'd be satisfied

 

[TheCusian]

Offense in college football in 2014 is not tough execute. In the 2003 college football season http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/football/sfc/ateamo.htm There were 117 D-1 teams. The best offense was Oklahoma which averaged 45ppg. Only 37 teams averaged over 30ppg. The median team number 58 Oregon(hilarious) average 27.2 ppg In 2014 college football season http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/team/27 They are 125 D-1 teams. The best offense Baylor averaged 48ppg. 56 teams averaged over 30ppg. The median team number 62 Tennessee averaged 28.9 ppg. In 10 years from 2003-2014 we have seen the number of teams average 30ppg go from 37 to 56. Syracuse ranked 118th this year and our coach doesn't seem motivated to go with times and wants to play #hardnosed football in an ERA that doesn't do that anymore and plays his home games in a Dome.

Fair enough. That jibes with what I posted.

 

[TheCusian]

Huh? Hiring the then current DC was thought to be the best way to maintain the momentum that people felt was occurring in the program following a 21-17 three year stretch with two bowl wins. It would help us keep our recruits in tact. Was thought that was better than bringing in a new HC and potentially stepping back while he implemented his system. So far, it hasn't worked.

Well sure - that was the idea. But what we got was continuity of both - a good defense and a mediocre to bad offense. Recruiting as picked up - and we didn't lose any defensive recruits that year that I can remember.

This past year was a regression on offense, for sure.

I maintain that the biggest issue is offense - and it's been that way for 10 years - except for Nassib's senior year.

 

[TheCusian]

i want shafer to succeed. i really wished that he would look at mcdonald's offense and say "my god that guy had no idea what he was doing, all he did was buy the n zone, he could barely get plays in, and the offense still had 464,589, and 429 against 3 bowl teams in september. imagine what we could do with a coach who knows what he's doing running that scheme" instead we're throwing the, uh, bathwater out with the baby so he can feel comfy with his friends stick with the original offense, get a new OC and punt a little less when you're losing, and i'd be satisfied

This is a very, very fair criticism. And it might end in disaster. But we just don't know yet.

 

[rocklloyd]

Shafer thinks that punting in a short field is the best way to win. Because then we'll force a turnover and we're in business.

In business for a field goal attempt from 47yds?

 

[Scooch]

Well sure - that was the idea. But what we got was continuity of both - a good defense and a mediocre to bad offense. Recruiting as picked up - and we didn't lose any defensive recruits that year that I can remember. This past year was a regression on offense, for sure. I maintain that the biggest issue is offense - and it's been that way for 10 years - except for Nassib's senior year.

We're talking past each other.

SS did not have to build his program back from scratch. Therefore, IMHO, he gets a shorter leash.

Every year in one of these threads somebody writes "I don't care about wins, I just want to see progress" or some such nonsense.

SS needs to win. Now. Or fire him after this year. That's it.

 

[TheCusian]

We're talking past each other. SS did not have to build his program back from scratch. Therefore, IMHO, he gets a shorter leash. Every year in one of these threads somebody writes "I don't care about wins, I just want to see progress" or some such nonsense. SS needs to win. Now. Or fire him after this year. That's it.

I hear you and agree with you.

I'm just arguing that Shafer did keep us at the level we've grown accustomed to. Continuity achieved! Badge unlocked!

Now - what will it take to be better than where we were with Marrone?

 

[BlackKnight76]

Bowl game

 

[kirbivore]

Yet we supposedly joined the ACC to save our football program.

Hmmm.

Joining the ACC was simply securing membership in the big boy division of college sports. They'll spend just enough on football to keep Swofford off their ass.