Expectations for next season?
- Thread starter ScrewDuke1
- Start date
I hate to set a fixed number of wins as my "expectation". You never know how the bounces are going to go during any individual game.
I want a tough, disciplined, team that doesn't shoot itself in the foot. A more balanced offense and a defense that can get off the field.
In short, I expect to see a well-coached SEC football team. Everything else will take care of itself.
I want a tough, disciplined, team that doesn't shoot itself in the foot. A more balanced offense and a defense that can get off the field.
In short, I expect to see a well-coached SEC football team. Everything else will take care of itself.
I want to finally have a winning SEC record at worst. At best, I hope that 6-2 in the SEC is good enough for the division title and our 1st ever SEC championship game appearance. Go at least 3-1 out of conference and 6-2 in the SEC gives us 9 wins. I would be ecstatic!
I think it is way too early to come up with a specific number(this season isn't over yet,hadn't been able to say that in a while)but I think a second bowl appearance sould be an expected place to start.
Our defense should be better,our offense as good or better.It is hard not to see us as a much improved team.We are still in the SEC so others may be improved as well,we will still have to prove ourselves starting in the first game(maybe we won't wait till the third game of the year to figure out who we are.)
Our defense should be better,our offense as good or better.It is hard not to see us as a much improved team.We are still in the SEC so others may be improved as well,we will still have to prove ourselves starting in the first game(maybe we won't wait till the third game of the year to figure out who we are.)
Cant even start thinking about next year yet. I have a bowl game to get to.
I think about 8 should be right, and I am an optimist. I said 6 or 7 before the season started last year, and even thought we could get 6 after the first two disasters. I didn't see any way to 7 regular season wins after the tfirst two games though, great improvement AND a new weapon in the improved ground game, if the passing game improves LIKE IT SHOULD could be a great season.
The reason for caution this year is I think most of the teams we beat last year ( in the SEC( will also be stronger, and some of those were one break either way close. But I will write in USM as a sure win this year (like I did last year, LOL) and we certainly have a much better chance of beating Transfer U so nine isn't out of reason. Florida, TU, and Georgia will still out talent us overall I think, but this could be the year when our team surprises even some of our optimists if things break our way. The offense should definitely be much improved, and I think the D will also.
And if our coaches improve like they did this year, wow.
The reason for caution this year is I think most of the teams we beat last year ( in the SEC( will also be stronger, and some of those were one break either way close. But I will write in USM as a sure win this year (like I did last year, LOL) and we certainly have a much better chance of beating Transfer U so nine isn't out of reason. Florida, TU, and Georgia will still out talent us overall I think, but this could be the year when our team surprises even some of our optimists if things break our way. The offense should definitely be much improved, and I think the D will also.
And if our coaches improve like they did this year, wow.
It's hard to put a number of wins on the table but jauk did well. 8 is a nice number. The SEC opponents we faced this yr were down a bit but they'll improve. 6-7 wins is a possibility, but so is 9.
1. Want to see how our D holds in bowl game...if they are a sieve like we've seen down the stretch of this year...I'd tap my brakes on big expectations.
2. Need to see if Boom goes NFL or not...that will be a significant blow to our strength which is running the ball.
3. I'd hope we can pick up the So Miss game as well as Ole Miss at home/Bama from last year losses to next year's games.
4. Can we run the "winnable games" gauntlet we did last year.
- USC on road will be tougher
- Miss St on road should be tougher with Fitzpatrick coming of age
- Vandy on road...hard to call on them. Need to see what Cunningham does with NFL
- I think we hold hte Mizzou game at home
5. UK has to pick up on of the Florida and UT games at home. We have to beat those guys and another sweep by those two will be hard to swallow.
I'm going to argue UK will be a better team but I'm not sure the record will improve...I'll stick with 7 wins.
2. Need to see if Boom goes NFL or not...that will be a significant blow to our strength which is running the ball.
3. I'd hope we can pick up the So Miss game as well as Ole Miss at home/Bama from last year losses to next year's games.
4. Can we run the "winnable games" gauntlet we did last year.
- USC on road will be tougher
- Miss St on road should be tougher with Fitzpatrick coming of age
- Vandy on road...hard to call on them. Need to see what Cunningham does with NFL
- I think we hold hte Mizzou game at home
5. UK has to pick up on of the Florida and UT games at home. We have to beat those guys and another sweep by those two will be hard to swallow.
I'm going to argue UK will be a better team but I'm not sure the record will improve...I'll stick with 7 wins.
Half the posters will claim 4 wins will be tough and the other half will have UK undefeated.
Considering what we have returning, I would say that 8 wins would be a minimum expectation!!!
Good analysis. No question that next year is a great schedule IF (big if) UK is really a division contender b/c the tough games are at home. Winning in Columbia and Starkville will be tough, much tougher than beating those teams at home this year.
Next year, for the first time in a long time, should provide a schedule in which I think we could realistically win any game. There is no Alabama on the schedule or major juggernaut in which we just hope we escape without injuries. I think we should win 3 or the out of conference games easily and then start the SEC and finish with Louisville. The SEC is tough. If you can split the SEC and maybe even win five, that would be great. Louisville will still have Lamar next year, plus a little motivation, that will be a tough game. To summarize, I want to see a polished team that doesn't make a lot of mistakes, that gets going at the first game (Shouldn't have a learning curve) and battles every week. There is no way we should be blown out of not competitive and let's see where we end up. We can actually survive a few injuries if they happen and should be in a good place. The problem with this year's success is that the fan base will want 10 wins or 12 wins and that is just going to be hard to accomplish. If all the pieces add up one year, it can be possible, but I very happy with having a team that can compete with anybody next year.
I think K Time has it about right with a good possibility to go higher if these things happen.
*Stephen get his release/trajectory fixed on short/intermediate passes. Gotta have those to move the chains and score in the red zone. Also would open up the use of Conrad much more. Just hope it doesn't mess up his downfield touch which his current release works well for.
*Darius West comes back healthy and plays with the talent all know he has. He and Edwards could be game changers together.
*Somebody steps into Miggins role (Bell, Looney, Daniel) and plays at least as good or better
* Improve at MLB. Love has to get better or Kash or Firios have to be given the chance to make that position more aggressive for us.
*Westry play like an All American. He was OK this year but can be much better and needs to
8 wins. I realize that's something that hasn't been done in over 30 years (though in 1998 we did go 7-4 in an 11-game schedule with one fewer automatic win patsy). But we can't be satisfied with just treading water and getting back to the 6-7 win seasons and limp into a bowl with losing SEC records territory. We need to take another step. If we go into next year and, say, beat Southern Miss while falling to a 3-5 SEC record, or go 4-4 again and lose to Louisville, I'll consider it a disappointing result.
We have 5 games on the schedule we should expect to win: @Southern Miss, EKU, E. Mich., Missouri, Ole Miss.
We should win 2 of @Vandy, @South Carolina, @Miss St.
Then pick up 1 of Florida, Tennessee, @Georgia, Louisville.
Failing to do any of those three things will be a missed opportunity.
We have 5 games on the schedule we should expect to win: @Southern Miss, EKU, E. Mich., Missouri, Ole Miss.
We should win 2 of @Vandy, @South Carolina, @Miss St.
Then pick up 1 of Florida, Tennessee, @Georgia, Louisville.
Failing to do any of those three things will be a missed opportunity.
I don't expect a major leap. The hope is obviously that the defense improves next season. I think a realistic goal for next season is 7-8 wins. Anything over that is bonus.
Everyone says we have not won 8 games in 30 years. But in reality we would have won 8 regular season games in 1998 and 2002. Both seasons we went 7-4. Only difference is now we have added a 12 game cupcake.
Not only could the Florida game be for the driver's seat in the SEC East, but ending that streak is a huge psychological hurdle that this program needs to clear. And if we can do that there should be plenty of other victories.
I'd probably put Ole Miss into the category with Vandy and friends. They sucked down the stretch but they still have talent. That won't be a game I'll feel great about it, but it is at home at least.
The last category is the tough one. Louisville is the obvious choice but with Jackson back won't be easy.
I'll go with 8-4 for my prediction.
Totally agree that Boom coming back is CRITICAL. We do not have much depth at all at RB. That is a serious problem without Boom.
Our D-Line will mostly determine how good we are again....
Its really tough to predict next season for anyone. USC got much better when the pulled the redshirt off the qb. Vandy got better as the year went on. I expect UGA to be much better next fall, we will lose Chubb and Michel, but not much else offensively and defensively we return 10 and will be a year older. UF lost their DC, but they are talented. I think the east could come down to UK and UGA, UT could be way down, maybe even battleling Missouri for 6th.
All about defense. Offense will be elite. If defense can just be decent I say we are bowl eligible after 6 games.
Fine line between winning 6 and winning 9. I would set myself up for that disappointment
I think 7 or 8 wins would be rational. We play Vandy, South Carolina and Mississippi State all on the road - I very seriously doubt we win all 3 of these like we did this year. I think we win 3 non-SEC games, Missouri, Ole Miss, one from the UF and UT games, one of the above mentioned games on the road, with Stripper U a toss-up.
Veteran team for a change, 19 incumbent starters plus both kickers coming back, so 2017 is another bowl season. Whether we can improve our SEC record basically depends on quarterback play and finding a better pass rush. I am going to predict 8 regular season wins, but it could be anywhere from 7-9.
I tend to agree with all of that ("ain't no free lunch" next year) and hoping you are correct on UK/UGA battling it out for the top of the East (those are my 2 picks as well, but UF won't go quietly).
That being said, I'd start both of our respective teams out with a loss if it meant UT would in fact finish 6th in the East...
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I'm not going to predict the outcome just yet, but I have 2 predictions if we beat GT;
1. We will get national recognition in preseason magazines like Phil Steele's
2. That will lead us to have a preseason top 25 ranking.
After that, the rest is just gravy
1. We will get national recognition in preseason magazines like Phil Steele's
2. That will lead us to have a preseason top 25 ranking.
After that, the rest is just gravy
Defense. We read our own coaches statement he needed more, better or perhaps different players. We can't count on S.Johnson looking like P.Manning .....and sooner or later SEC coaches will stuff a run game. They always find ways.
6 wins, please. Another bowl opportunity anywhere. I really appreciate the direction the offense and the team attitude has taken, but the program has glaring weaknesses in the defensive front seven, and the secondary is not, I repeat not as good as many were planning on it being. If Boom leaves as I now kind of expect, we have no proven speed back. Toth will be a monstrous loss of the O line.
PLUS.,....
South Carolina will be better
Vanderbilt , Georgia and Missouri will be better.
We will sneak up on no one next year.
I would take 6 and nod my head, seven and be extremely pleased, eight and be tickled.
Anything more and drink myself to sleep.
6 wins, please. Another bowl opportunity anywhere. I really appreciate the direction the offense and the team attitude has taken, but the program has glaring weaknesses in the defensive front seven, and the secondary is not, I repeat not as good as many were planning on it being. If Boom leaves as I now kind of expect, we have no proven speed back. Toth will be a monstrous loss of the O line.
PLUS.,....
South Carolina will be better
Vanderbilt , Georgia and Missouri will be better.
We will sneak up on no one next year.
I would take 6 and nod my head, seven and be extremely pleased, eight and be tickled.
Anything more and drink myself to sleep.
Potentially 8 wins (excluding the bowl) is a possibility. 5 to 7 wins is the likely range and one again may be decided by 2 or 3 plays total. Can live with 6, but 5 wins would be a HUGE disappointment.
Our team is learning to win. They made great progress the last 10 games of the season. The Offense is playing with a winning attitude. I want to see the defense begin to flex their muscles against GT. The added experience, depth, and talent of the defense, and the offense, is going to show next year. - And it is going to be fun for the BBN. Go Cats!!