What Does The Future Hold With Babers? Look at Baylor

[SUFan44]

Really, really excited for football season - only one month away - and figured I'd take this Saturday afternoon to take a look at what we might be able to expect from Syracuse football this year, next year and in the future.

Art Briles took over a Baylor program in 2008 that had gone 3-9 the prior year, including a miserable 0-8 record in the Big 12. Their wins came against Rice, Texas State and Buffalo, and weren't within two TD's in any of their losses.

Syracuse was much more competitive last season with a 4-8 record and 5 losses within 2 TD's.

The following year, the team faced the 5th toughest schedule in the country, going 4-8 with wins over Washington State, Iowa State and Texas A&M. Lost to UConn (who went 8-5 that season), 31-28, to No. 14 Missouri, 31-28, and to No. 7 Texas Tech, 35-28. Much more competitive.

This year, we will be facing one of the toughest schedules in the country with ND, Clemson and Florida State all potential Top 10 teams.

In 2009, the Bears again went 4-8 largely due to RG3 getting hurt, before finally breaking through in 2010 with a 7-6 record and a bowl game. Baylor was 7-2 before losing its final four games.

Since then, 10-3, 8-5, 11-2, 11-2, 10-3.

Where am I going with this? I'm really not sure. One advantage that Dino has going for him is that the ACC doesn't have as many of these run-and-gun type of offenses in place as the Big 12 had when Baylor began doing it (at least I don't see it). I think we'll be able to sneak up on a couple teams this year and next, and while I am hopeful that we will get back to regular bowl games every year, I'm not sure it will start this season...

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Really, really excited for football season - only one month away - and figured I'd take this Saturday afternoon to take a look at what we might be able to expect from Syracuse football this year, next year and in the future.

Art Briles took over a Baylor program in 2008 that had gone 3-9 the prior year, including a miserable 0-8 record in the Big 12. Their wins came against Rice, Texas State and Buffalo, and weren't within two TD's in any of their losses.

Syracuse was much more competitive last season with a 4-8 record and 5 losses within 2 TD's.

The following year, the team faced the 5th toughest schedule in the country, going 4-8 with wins over Washington State, Iowa State and Texas A&M. Lost to UConn (who went 8-5 that season), 31-28, to No. 14 Missouri, 31-28, and to No. 7 Texas Tech, 35-28. Much more competitive.

This year, we will be facing one of the toughest schedules in the country with ND, Clemson and Florida State all potential Top 10 teams.

In 2009, the Bears again went 4-8 largely due to RG3 getting hurt, before finally breaking through in 2010 with a 7-6 record and a bowl game. Baylor was 7-2 before losing its final four games.

Since then, 10-3, 8-5, 11-2, 11-2, 10-3.

Where am I going with this? I'm really not sure. One advantage that Dino has going for him is that the ACC doesn't have as many of these run-and-gun type of offenses in place as the Big 12 had when Baylor began doing it (at least I don't see it). I think we'll be able to sneak up on a couple teams this year and next, and while I am hopeful that we will get back to regular bowl games every year, I'm not sure it will start this season...

It's starting this season.

 

[SoBristol]

Over a few seasons, so much depends on upgrading recruiting -- and Babers is good at selling his system and his program.

In the short run, so much depends on the players he inherited -- and in particular, what he inherited at QB, WR, OL. And does he have to rebuild a defense, or did he inherit 8 or 9 returning starters (as he did for this season)?

I don't know how you can generalize, short term, from Baylor, or E Illinois, or BGSU -- unless you consider the talent inherited. And, if you look at what SU has back, we are in much better shape in 2016 than we were going into 2015 at QB, RB, LB, DB. Virtually every unit, except P and DE, is better and deeper.

 

[CuseOnly]

Over a few seasons, so much depends on upgrading recruiting -- and Babers is good at selling his system and his program.

In the short run, so much depends on the players he inherited -- and in particular, what he inherited at QB, WR, OL. And does he have to rebuild a defense, or did he inherit 8 or 9 returning starters (as he did for this season)?

I don't know how you can generalize, short term, from Baylor, or E Illinois, or BGSU -- unless you consider the talent inherited. And, if you look at what SU has back, we are in much better shape in 2016 than we were going into 2015 at QB, RB, LB, DB. Virtually every unit, except P and DE, is better and deeper.

And more experienced...

 

[SUskibum]

Also, Babers is starting with something that Briles did not. A proven track record at the D1 level implementing his system. Briles had a track record as well but moving up in competition puts a lot more doubts on recruits minds than if you say you did it at almost the highest level (just below BCS).