Wildhack on Orange Nation

[690West]

going to be weird facing those donors in NYC if we lose on Friday night.

 

[Cusefan95]

JW shouldn't care about some faux bowl appearance as the barometer. We need to be out there pronto looking for new candidates. We're not alabama and can do this in late December. our feelers need to be out there asap if we're 4-5 on Saturday morning. If anything it provides some national story line for our Yankee Stadium game. JW knows if nothing is said we're really dipping our toes into irrelevancy into a game that should get some pub

I don’t know the etiquette around this in college athletics - but in other businesses you’d already have a firm starting to discreetly search and gauge interest of potential candidates. That’s part of why I cannot see Dino getting fired until after six wins is mathematically impossible - we don’t need to wait for a firing to unofficially start a coaching search.

And I doubt any national narrative is going to be created either way - but the potential exists that the narrative will be “can you believe Syracuse, which has been mostly a dumpster fire for two decades - fired a coach that had a chance to get to a bowl this year? What a bunch of dopes!” if we fired Dino before loss #7.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Early Signing Period runs from Dec 20-23.

If a change is coming, it has to be done long before then so the new staff can try to salvage some of the recruiting class.

 

[Cuse181]

I think they come out and win relatively easily

From player quotes I think there's urgency and I may be wearing orange colored glasses, but for at least this week, I think they get it done

Why wasnt their urgency any of the last 4 weeks?

 

[Cuse181]

Early Signing Period runs from Dec 20-23.

If a change is coming, it has to be done long before then so the new staff can try to salvage some of the recruiting class.

Transfer portal, who needs HS guys

 

[Bayside44]

Biggest difference is that it's Wildhack's first rodeo of this kind as AD. We don't know how he'll do things.

Boeheim and Desko were a little more unique. Alums who'd been coaching here since their playing days ended.

I don't think Dino is ready to be "retired" at age 62.

Total guess but I would not be surprised to see Dino get a soft landing with some TV gigs, heck there are plenty of games to call and talk about.

 

[elimunelson]

I don’t know the etiquette around this in college athletics - but in other businesses you’d already have a firm starting to discreetly search and gauge interest of potential candidates. That’s part of why I cannot see Dino getting fired until after six wins is mathematically impossible - we don’t need to wait for a firing to unofficially start a coaching search.

And I doubt any national narrative is going to be created either way - but the potential exists that the narrative will be “can you believe Syracuse, which has been mostly a dumpster fire for two decades - fired a coach that had a chance to get to a bowl this year? What a bunch of dopes!” if we fired Dino before loss #7.

if we lose 30-3 on Friday I really doubt anyone will believe this or even try and attempt this ridiculous narrative.

We need to stop playing the what if game with this bowl game. Let me attempt to land this plane: We have not, have not, won a game in the ACC this year. Until that occurs we're not going to be playing in a bowl game this year.

I really feel bad for the fine alum who played on the 1993 and 1994 squads. Two teams that would be bowl eligible in 2023, were 100x more talented, and didn't have a chance to play in a meaningless game that at least provides the students with a free vacation, some gifts and per diem money.

I do agree that there's prob some Syracuse moles infiltrating the dark alleys of Worcester, Foxboro perhaps and other outposts gaining some intel on potential hires...but let's be real, the process doesn't start in earnest until the exit interviews occur

 

[Chip]

Total guess but I would not be surprised to see Dino get a soft landing with some TV gigs, heck there are plenty of games to call and talk about.

And back when he was more alive (this job crushes everyone’s will to live eventually), he was very good at this.

 

[CousCuse]

if we lose 30-3 on Friday I really doubt anyone will believe this or even try and attempt this ridiculous narrative.

We need to stop playing the what if game with this bowl game. Let me attempt to land this plane: We have not, have not, won a game in the ACC this year. Until that occurs we're not going to be playing in a bowl game this year.

I really feel bad for the fine alum who played on the 1993 and 1994 squads. Two teams that would be bowl eligible in 2023, were 100x more talented, and didn't have a chance to play in a meaningless game that at least provides the students with a free vacation, some gifts and per diem money.

I do agree that there's prob some Syracuse moles infiltrating the dark alleys of Worcester, Foxboro perhaps and other outposts gaining some intel on potential hires...but let's be real, the process doesn't start in earnest until the exit interviews occur

Well, most people her think BC is a "bad" team or worse, and they think Syracuse is just dormant or something like that. I think BC is one of the better teams in the league right now so the outcome you suggested is possible. If something in that nature were to happen, then the whole narrative will become a lot more urgent.

 

[PhatOrange]

JW said we have a good recruiting class coming in ranked 12 out of 17 In the ACC. That means we are 12 of 14 without the new schools. He thinks that’s good? It pathetic. Number 53 will not close the gap on anyone in the ACC. If we aren’t at least top 30 we are not going to have winning ACC records. John is being as naive as Dino. It’s pretty sad.

You can win in the ACC with the kids we recruit.

There are basically 4 ACC teams that finish top 30 every year. Clemson, Miami, Florida State and North Carolina.

Then Louisville, NC State, Pitt all flirt occasionally with the top 30. Sometimes BC, sometimes Duke. It hardly matters. What does matter though is coaching.

 

[Scooch]

You can win in the ACC with the kids we recruit.

There are basically 4 ACC teams that finish top 30 every year. Clemson, Miami, Florida State and North Carolina.

Then Louisville, NC State, Pitt all flirt occasionally with the top 30. Sometimes BC, sometimes Duke. It hardly matters. What does matter though is coaching.

It is funny how when we were winning, both early this year and last, so many people here were crowing that we finally have the talent and athleticism to compete in the ACC. Then we lose and many of those same people start being adamant that our talent is poor and we can't possibly compete.

The whiplash is real.

 

[Cusefan95]

if we lose 30-3 on Friday I really doubt anyone will believe this or even try and attempt this ridiculous narrative.

I’d predict that, if he has an opportunity to spin a narrative that Wildhack is an incompetent clown, Dan LeBatard will take a run at it. He wouldn’t spend a lot of time on it, but he’d find a way to work it into a couple of minutes of conversation on his show to see if he could get that narrative going. And he’d have a chance to, because 99.7% of the people listening would have absolutely no idea how Syracuse had gone about losing, so “they’re only 4-5?!?!?! How do you fire a guy at 4-5 if you’re Syracuse?!?!?!?” would, at first pass, make sense to a lot of people.

 

[Scooch]

Total guess but I would not be surprised to see Dino get a soft landing with some TV gigs, heck there are plenty of games to call and talk about.

Good timing. The SEC, Big Ten, and ACC Networks are all going to need a few more crews to handle their extra games starting next year.

 

[Scooch]

I’d predict that, if he has an opportunity to spin a narrative that Wildhack is an incompetent clown, Dan LeBatard will take a run at it. He wouldn’t spend a lot of time on it, but he’d find a way to work it into a couple of minutes of conversation on his show to see if he could get that narrative going. And he’d have a chance to, because 99.7% of the people listening would have absolutely no idea how Syracuse had gone about losing, so “they’re only 4-5?!?!?! How do you fire a guy at 4-5 if you’re Syracuse?!?!?!?” would, at first pass, make sense to a lot of people.

I predict the ratings for that segment would be negative 5.

LeBatard's hard on for Wildhack is one of the strangest things in media. I literally don't know a single other person who doesn't like John.

 

[elimunelson]

I predict the ratings for that segment would be negative 5.

LeBatard's hard on for Wildhack is one of the strangest things in media. I literally don't know a single other person who doesn't like John.

Bill Simmons seems to loathe Wildhack too. Not sure why and only see the ESPN palace intrigue through the books written but i've heard through the grapevine that he'd be loving any negative Wildhack buzz

 

[Cusefan95]

You can win in the ACC with the kids we recruit.

There are basically 4 ACC teams that finish top 30 every year. Clemson, Miami, Florida State and North Carolina.

Then Louisville, NC State, Pitt all flirt occasionally with the top 30. Sometimes BC, sometimes Duke. It hardly matters. What does matter though is coaching.

North Carolina? Here’s their records since 2015:

2015. 11-3 (15)
2016. 8-5
2017. 3-9
2018. 2-9
2019. 7-6
2020. 8-4 (17)
2021. 6-7
2022. 9-5

It’s more accurate to put them in the “occasionally flirt with the top 30” category. This is part of why them joining a bigger conference would be a football disaster for them - they spend comparably to Syracuse on the sport, which is WAY behind the top 25.

Four ACC school spend in the top 25 of schools nationally on football - Clemson, Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech. Those four will win the ACC 90% of the time. Maybe, if an absolute miracle happens and we get a McNabb level QB and enough talent around him - we could pull a couple upsets and win the ACC. North Carolina had a shot this year because of their QB, but they are in basically the same situation as us (although that is a school we should view as a peer and aim for similar results). Fans thinking we can win the ACC and getting disappointed if we don’t need to buckle in for a lot of disappointment - the likelihood of us winning the ACC in the next twenty years is very low.

 

[orange44]

I just think if we go 6-6 and get to a bowl Dino stays. Personally, I think it is time for a change regardless.

 

[orangenauburn]

Why wasnt their urgency any of the last 4 weeks?

I don't pretend to be rational

But either this team has had enough of the chirping and are serious about their commitment to each other, the season, and the staff

Or they are truly checked out mentally and it will unfold as many expect it to

I'm a sucker, I think they come out and perform well this week.

Doesn't mean I think they will carry it over to the other games, but I feel that for this game in particular, they will be more focused than they have been

 

[Bayside44]

It is funny how when we were winning, both early this year and last, so many people here were crowing that we finally have the talent and athleticism to compete in the ACC. Then we lose and many of those same people start being adamant that our talent is poor and we can't possibly compete.

The whiplash is real.

I think Dino / SU is figuring out a portal system that make a lot of sense. Which makes getting our butt's kicked that much worse.

 

[PhatOrange]

North Carolina? Here’s their records since 2015:

2015. 11-3 (15)
2016. 8-5
2017. 3-9
2018. 2-9
2019. 7-6
2020. 8-4 (17)
2021. 6-7
2022. 9-5

It’s more accurate to put them in the “occasionally flirt with the top 30” category. This is part of why them joining a bigger conference would be a football disaster for them - they spend comparably to Syracuse on the sport, which is WAY behind the top 25.

Four ACC school spend in the top 25 of schools nationally on football - Clemson, Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech. Those four will win the ACC 90% of the time. Maybe, if an absolute miracle happens and we get a McNabb level QB and enough talent around him - we could pull a couple upsets and win the ACC. North Carolina had a shot this year because of their QB, but they are in basically the same situation as us (although that is a school we should view as a peer and aim for similar results). Fans thinking we can win the ACC and getting disappointed if we don’t need to buckle in for a lot of disappointment - the likelihood of us winning the ACC in the next twenty years is very low.

I'm talking about recruiting rankings. Top 30 recruit rankings.

So their records vs their recruiting rankings are ?, funny.

Here's UNC's recruit rankings since 2019

2019 - #31
2020 - #12
2021 - #15
2022 - #11
2023 - #28
2024 - #19

Besides #31 in 2019, I had to go back 10 years to find any of their classes outside the top 30. 2013.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

It was also played in a heavy rainstorm, and we had something like 120 yds total offense before a garbage time TD drive. I was at the game, the conditions were terrible - and at absolutely no point did it look like we had any chance.

I’ll agree that if we get to play top teams in heavy rain conditions, we’ll probably be able to keep the game “closer” on the scoreboard. But that game against Tennessee was a blowout that we were never remotely competitive in. And as far as I was concerned - it was clearly over at halftime.

My biggest memory of that game is Nunes getting hurt, and his parents sitting right behind me concerned about what happened - and relieved when he came over to tell them he was (at least mostly) ok.

I was there as well. Our O was pathetic that day. But I still had hope that by some fluke we would get back into the game. Huge difference between that and shutting a game off in the first half.

 

[Cusefan95]

I'm talking about recruiting rankings. Top 30 recruit rankings.

So their records vs their recruiting rankings are ?, funny.

Here's UNC's recruit rankings since 2019

2019 - #31
2020 - #12
2021 - #15
2022 - #11
2023 - #28
2024 - #19

I had to go back 10 years to find one of their classes outside the top 30. 2013.

…And they finished ranked twice in the last decade.

It’s almost like recruiting rankings are a very course measure of the strength of a program, with a low R squared to on field performance. Using that as a measure of how strong a program is over a decade instead of on field performance is an interesting choice.

 

[Cusefan95]

I was there as well. Our O was pathetic that day. But I still had hope that by some fluke we would get back into the game. Huge difference between that and shutting a game off in the first half.

Hopefully we get to play in a lot of torrential rainstorms when we play top teams, since that might keep your interest longer then. That was the only reason that game wasn’t a halftime blowout on the scoreboard (although it was in reality).

 

[PhatOrange]

I was there as well. Our O was pathetic that day. But I still had hope that by some fluke we would get back into the game. Huge difference between that and shutting a game off in the first half.

Yeah agree. The game was hardly a blowout until late. 12-0 at half. 12-3 midway through 3rdQ.

The offense did struggle that game and we had some crushing TO's but it wasn't like we've seen this season.

I had to go back and check but Coach P actually went for a 4th and 2 on the Tennessee 39 yard line with the score only 9-0 in the 2nd Q. Didn't get it but amazing to think Coach P took bigger risks than Dino, imagine that.

 

[PhatOrange]

…And they finished ranked twice in the last decade.

It’s almost like recruiting rankings are a very course measure of the strength of a program, with a low R squared to on field performance. Using that as a measure of how strong a program is over a decade instead of on field performance is an interesting choice.

Recruiting rankings outside say the top 10 are a total crap shoot and that's why I said coaching matters.