Northwestern is at home. They were 5-7 last year. I expect we will be favored and we will win. I absolutely think we will win 6+ and get to a bowl game. I know the staff fully expects that too. As fans, some like to set the bar low enough so that success can be met by just showing up.
Bees, The only game that we should win for sure on that schedule is Stonybrook. I am not saying it's a good/bad thing whatsoever but just where the program is at. NW and Minny are basically pick em games, Minny is a low level Big 10 program but still a Big 10 program and their coach will have them ready in year 2, IMO. I just don't get anyone who thinks we should beat anybody but Stonybrook, why would that be? We were the worst team in the worst BCS conference last year. People need to temper expectations, IMO. This team is still very very rough around the edges, very rough. If you want to use that as a vehicle to criticize marrone and I am fine with that, I just don't feel like discussing it.
Marrone has 2 more years on his contract and he isn't going anywhere prior to that and will be given every opportunity to turn it around. My opinions of him have been stated 1,000 times but I just don't need to pile on the guy in the 7 month off season for housekeeping stuff or whether is he grumpy or not.
expectations versus reality are two different things. NW comes to play every Saturday and Fitzgerald will have his guys ready, like I said it's a 50/50 game and it was last time but NW had a few starters out as well. It will be a good game but I wouldn't go as far to say that we should win, this team STUNK last year, STUNK. Lots of work to do
I remember the GROB years when we played Miami-OH, sure we SHOULD win that game but was anyone really surprised when we lost? No. Our expectations as SU football fans are still higher than what we see on the field. That is the problem and that is what needs to change and that is what Marrone is here to do, he just hasn't done it yet. He has made some strides but he has also had some rather large setbacks as well, but I don't think the process has to be a steady uphill grind, at this point I think it can take off but will it? You don't have to have back to back 8-5 seasons before you go 10-3, but whatever. I still think this team needs to get tougher in the trenches even downright nasty and that having Sales back will be huge.
Get an O Line and Marrone will be fine, I still think our O Line play stinks and has since George left, Browning was onto something but probably did not have enough time.