What worries me the most...

[CbusCuse]

6 years is fine for sure although I think Dino may get 7 regardless. I think we will see at least 5-6 wins next year

I see 5-7 wins next year but that depends on how many injuries, as always and what happens with who we can retain regarding senior DL starters and who we can add there. Currently, that unit is the only one that really concerns me for next year.

 

[kcsu]

Focus on what can be controlled.
1: Excellent position coaches at OL, QB.
2: Solid coaches at all other position groups that are excellent recruiters.
3: Great Scouting BRING BACK BOLLER
4: Exceptional special teams.

 

[CbusCuse]

Do we know if Joe Rondi has been injured at all this year or just not good enough to get minutes yet?

 

[AAM62]

Do we know if Joe Rondi has been injured at all this year or just not good enough to get minutes yet?

injured

 

[TheCusian]

Our location never changes but our results do.

Huh? We've actually been remarkably consistent at 4-7 wins over the last 20 years

 

[phil77]

A lot of truth in this post. People just refuse to believe it. They are expecting a staff of miracle recruiters to sell a losing product to 4/5 stars. After 20 years of this, we have to realize that things are different from the 90's. We don't have the freeze option offense and we are not getting one of the top option QB's in the nation. We can be a 7-10 win team but bringing in new coaches every 4-5 years its hurting us more. With that said, 6 years should be enough to know. They have to make a move if we lose again next year.

Do you think Dino is prepared for next season if TD leaves? I don't see how we win next year with the inexperience we will have at QB if he leaves. Bringing in a transfer will be difficult because for some reason Dino thinks kids can't pick up this offense fast enough. If TD leaves and Dino has another 3-4 win season are you ready to cut bait with Dino?

 

[GoSU96]

I know I’m in the minority here but why is everyone so down on a triple option style offense? It has proven to be effective for teams who are not able to compete at the same talent level as their opponents. In my opinion Syracuse will always be behind the eight ball when it comes to acquiring talent, especially versus our southern ACC peers. Finishing in the bottom 3 in ACC recruiting every year will never give us a legitimate chance to be consistently good, let alone occasionally great.

Uh, no

 

[TheCusian]

Huh.? Tell that to Notre Dame or Liberty. Cherry picking doesn't work in sports. Spin doesn't work, we got a beat down by Duke at home. Ostritch thinking. We are on the floor and its sinking.

Ha. Sadly, no. The only thing this season could potentially derail is recruiting if we don't rebound to a bowl game next season. There are far, far too many reasons for us to suck this year. I'm tired of typing them all. I urged folks to see this year as a glorified exhibition season where we build the "underbelly" of the team as we weren't sure we'd make it all the way through and we swapped out Rutgers for Notre Dame and Western Michigan for UNC and don't the freebie FCS win.

It's sports!*

*During a pandemic who cares

 

[SoBristol]

Do you think Dino is prepared for next season if TD leaves? I don't see how we win next year with the inexperience we will have at QB if he leaves. Bringing in a transfer will be difficult because for some reason Dino thinks kids can't pick up this offense fast enough. If TD leaves and Dino has another 3-4 win season are you ready to cut bait with Dino?

Dino might be better prepared next year, than he was this year taking the risk that TD gets injured with Rex as his primary back-up.
Winning might depend more on adding talent at OL, NT, and safety than on whether TD stays. Have to be able to run and defend the run, as top priorities.

 

[money3189]

Do you think Dino is prepared for next season if TD leaves? I don't see how we win next year with the inexperience we will have at QB if he leaves. Bringing in a transfer will be difficult because for some reason Dino thinks kids can't pick up this offense fast enough. If TD leaves and Dino has another 3-4 win season are you ready to cut bait with Dino?

I think he has to do whatever it takes. They went all in on Fortin. They thought they had him and didnt have a back up plan when they missed out. I don't see why they wouldnt try that again this cycle.

 

[upperdeck]

The drop from TD to Rex is much further than the Drop from TD to whoever is the backup now. The issue was always knowing the offense. both of these kids have more upside as QBs since they can actually throw.

 

[Consigliere]

All of the coaches brought in prior to this season had resumes as strong recruiters in key areas. Unfortunately it's not easy to capitalize on those skills with little to no f2f contact. Just anothr thing to chalk up to the craziness of 2020. I'll hold judgement on any uptick in recruiting until we can get back to a somewhat normal environment. That being said, there are certainly some bright spots in the class of 2021 and by all accounts there looks to be very little potential attrition from this group despite the horrendous on the field results.

 

[alphaorange]

And when those teams have great senior leaders we will be very good. Curious who the senior leaders on this team are right now?? I'll hang up and wait...

I don't really see any. However, that happens a lot of times and in every sport. It has happened before and in BBall, too. You always hear about the lack of SR leadership. There are guys that will be leaders from next year forward. Some maybe RSF or sophs...SU has NEVER been a team that could sustain huge personnel losses and win. For schools like us, more things have to go right than wrong. I don't believe any coach would make a more positive difference. He's proven that when things line up, he can win pretty big. 10 wins is likely the ceiling and I expect that in 2 years. Next years class will determine the longevity and sustainability of high level play. I'm hopeful.

We were successful with dual purpose QBs...until other programs found out how effective they were. Now the QBs that we used to get are recruited by (and go) to power schools. The competition is stiff and a school like SU will have to have a handle or gimmick such as this tempo offense. Even now, schools are starting to run the same thing. Football is a copycat sport. I still believe we can win 7-8 games every year with the occasional 5 or 10 win seasons.

 

[orlandoorange]

A lot of truth in this post. People just refuse to believe it. They are expecting a staff of miracle recruiters to sell a losing product to 4/5 stars. After 20 years of this, we have to realize that things are different from the 90's. We don't have the freeze option offense and we are not getting one of the top option QB's in the nation. We can be a 7-10 win team but bringing in new coaches every 4-5 years its hurting us more. With that said, 6 years should be enough to know. They have to make a move if we lose again next year.

Do we really need 4 and 5 stars to go 7-5? Who is saying we need that. Get some wins, the stars will take care of themselves.

 

[upperdeck]

give me a stud center and the offense will humm again

 

[money3189]

Do we really need 4 and 5 stars to go 7-5? Who is saying we need that. Get some wins, the stars will take care of themselves.

You are right, my response was influenced by the 100 recruting threads from the last 10 years. lol Yes, I absolutely think we can when 7-10 games a year with with mix of high medium and low star recruits. It takes the right type of kids, culture and development. Kids that have 5 star work ethic once they land on campus.

 

[money3189]

The drop from TD to Rex is much further than the Drop from TD to whoever is the backup now. The issue was always knowing the offense. both of these kids have more upside as QBs since they can actually throw.

Its really that simple. Some people make it more difficult than it needs to be.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

The best thing about all of this is that the teams we need to beat, while they are beating us know, are still not very far ahead.. Pitt/BC are just avg teams in their best yrs. Wake/Duke/NC st nothing special. UL has been an athletic mess for years. Virg took a big step back this yr too. FSU is a dumpster fire.

Clemson while dabo and the D coach are there

UNC/Miami when they have coaches who dont screw them up

VT in a good spot for kids

no one else has shown much of anything.. some good years but not really great teams.

The leap from bottom to top 5 is not very far.

All we need to do is to be consistently a bottom 1/3 of the ACC team and we will make a Bowl every year. We we can't be is miles below that bottom 1/3 like we have been the last 2 years.

FCS+G5+G5-Clemson has you at 3-1 more often than not. Finding three wins in eight games against mediocre teams for the most part and with half of them being at home, shouldn't be all that big of a challenge. It is how BC, Duke, NC State, Pitt, Wake all make Bowls every year despite not being all that good.

 

[ORRange]

Ha. Sadly, no. The only thing this season could potentially derail is recruiting if we don't rebound to a bowl game next season. There are far, far too many reasons for us to suck this year. I'm tired of typing them all. I urged folks to see this year as a glorified exhibition season where we build the "underbelly" of the team as we weren't sure we'd make it all the way through and we swapped out Rutgers for Notre Dame and Western Michigan for UNC and don't the freebie FCS win.

It's sports!*

*During a pandemic who cares

I can't disagree more. We've lost fans, nobody wants to pay to watch this show. Derail recruiting? Lol. Dino has lost everything that the bowl win provided. Don't try to tell me this year doesnt matter. Tell that to a recruit.

 

[All4SU]

This isn't going to be popular or make you feel better, but I tend to agree. Unless there is a some sort of paradigm shift in college football, we are simply in a really, really tough spot. I don't think it's necessarily a matter of speed or talent solely but I'd phrase it this way -- unless you get a coach who is really innovative offensively, super creative in terms of recruiting and running an airtight S&C program, I think we're in trouble.

Obviously the answer is, well then we need to find that coach. Ok, but that's much easier said than done.

As far as Dino, I'd like to see him with a solid QB before I make a final judgment. I'm totally fine with people saying it's his fault we don't have a qb (because it's true), I just don't feel super excited about making yet another coaching change just yet. Just feel like we've seen that movie before. Not saying I know the answer by any means, but that's the way I'm leaning.

I’d like to see us with a solid/healthy, veteran OL. I think people would be shocked.

 

[orangepassion]

I think he has to do whatever it takes. They went all in on Fortin. They thought they had him and didnt have a back up plan when they missed out. I don't see why they wouldnt try that again this cycle.

Going all in on one QB each recruiting year is what got us into this situation. The staff needs to go after several transfer QB's and not lock themselves into one guy and hope he doesn't fall through

 

[Crusty]

SU fans are by nature pessimists, although I'm an optimist. I believe we were positioned to have a decent season until op-outs and injuries, and Covid. Lat years recruiting class is a good one and the next will be even better. Ratings matter, but they are not the end all. We have to accept that our guys will not be the size they need to be as freshman (typically) and will need a year or two on development before we see what they are. When it gets to the point where we are playing mostly Jr and Sr, we will be good.

I think you just underscored my point.

 

[money3189]

Going all in on one QB each recruiting year is what got us into this situation. The staff needs to go after several transfer QB's and not lock themselves into one guy and hope he doesn't fall through

Totally agree

 

[TheCusian]

I can't disagree more. We've lost fans, nobody wants to pay to watch this show. Derail recruiting? Lol. Dino has lost everything that the bowl win provided. Don't try to tell me this year doesnt matter. Tell that to a recruit.

1. we got no fans in the dome anyways, ratings don’t matter right now, it will bounce back with a new dome experience and some wins next year
2. No one will remember this without the asterisk of the pandemic and weird circumstances
3. We’ve put together a nice class, they understand the weird circumstances better than fans do and recruiting is based on relationships as well as wins
4. If you want to hold the team to the same expectations you had pre-Covid, go for it but I think you’ll see it won’t matter

 

[Crusty]

I’d like to see us with a solid/healthy, veteran OL. I think people would be shocked.

When will that happen?