Is 2016 a discard season?
- Thread starter RUSK97
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Well it could be but I expect the team to be better with the defense and offense. The defense couldn't 't get much worst than the last 3 years. I think we were like 100th in defense and expect to move up to 60-70th. Offensively, I expect the spread will help us to score more.
We have one sure win..the 1aa team
New Mexico ain't going to be a layup either...be intersting to see what they have playing Arizona in Bowl game
I really hope we can sneak up a bit next year Bedause we lose a LOT from 2016 to 2017.
We really need to finish this class strong to help back fill
We are going to be dangerously thin at linebacker for 2016 and maybe 2017
And the lines will have a lot of seniors in 2016 meaning 2017 is green on bith lines in the trenches
New Mexico ain't going to be a layup either...be intersting to see what they have playing Arizona in Bowl game
I really hope we can sneak up a bit next year Bedause we lose a LOT from 2016 to 2017.
We really need to finish this class strong to help back fill
We are going to be dangerously thin at linebacker for 2016 and maybe 2017
And the lines will have a lot of seniors in 2016 meaning 2017 is green on bith lines in the trenches
Are the people that are predicting 6-7-8-9 wins the same people that said Flood can't recruit?
Don't know who we're specifically losing offhand except for Carroo. HUGE loss. OL is losing some talent which probably can't be replaced. On the positive side: we're bringing back a lot of experience (though the secondary may not be talented enough to make experience a difference). Hamilton should be back. Turay will undoubtedly be coached up. Grant. If we run a spread hybrid, Laviano should be more effective (Will Rettig fit into the system?). RBs are exceptional. Game day coaching will be better -- just by default.
But the Schedule: OSU, MSU, Mich, Iowa (no real shot). PSU would take a minor miracle. Minn little chance. And does anyone think we're going to win out the rest? 2 losses from that group and we're 4-8. Hope and positivity are nice, but be realistic.
I'm satisfied at 4-8 with player development, fewer blowouts/closer losses, team Identity, 12-game and 4 qtr effort, return of positive feelings in the media/fans.
Don't know who we're specifically losing offhand except for Carroo. HUGE loss. OL is losing some talent which probably can't be replaced. On the positive side: we're bringing back a lot of experience (though the secondary may not be talented enough to make experience a difference). Hamilton should be back. Turay will undoubtedly be coached up. Grant. If we run a spread hybrid, Laviano should be more effective (Will Rettig fit into the system?). RBs are exceptional. Game day coaching will be better -- just by default.
But the Schedule: OSU, MSU, Mich, Iowa (no real shot). PSU would take a minor miracle. Minn little chance. And does anyone think we're going to win out the rest? 2 losses from that group and we're 4-8. Hope and positivity are nice, but be realistic.
I'm satisfied at 4-8 with player development, fewer blowouts/closer losses, team Identity, 12-game and 4 qtr effort, return of positive feelings in the media/fans.
We also lost 3 games in the last minute. Win two and we are 6-6.
4 starting OL back, plus Applefield and Heeman who both saw a decent amount of time. Hicks and Martin back at RB. 2-4 back at WR, everyone back at TE. D will be better, how much is the question.
Schedule isn't as tough as you make it out to be. Penn State comes here and loses their QB. Minnesota won 5 games this year. Illinois won 5. Washington won 6. All very winnable games. Indiana winnable. Maryland winnable. Howard and New Mexico winnable.
35% of our offensive output is getting drafted in the form of one receiver. We don't have any any other receivers who understand what separation is and that puts a ton of pressure on the run game.
6-6 where I would set the bar. but more importantly i want to see a smart football team. I can live with some L's as long as we look like we know how to play football. My biggest gripe with Flood is that at times we looked like we just learned what a football looked like.
Agree. If you look at our schemes closely offensive and defensive they weren't very good. Especially on the defensive side of the ball where all three units didn't work together. Then look at technical aspects such as tackling and blocking they were also porous. The simple basics were not there. This is something an X's and O's guy like Ash will fix immediately. These little things are what make a bad team better. Then throw in better offensive and defensive schemes and your team gets even better. There will be some learning mistakes next year which should be expected. But, overall I think our play will be more crisp and execution tighter which should lead to a better product on the field.
I really don't think we were far away from being 6-6 this year. So with a few needed adjustments I think 6-6 is certainly possible. I just want a more aggressive attitude. Well that, and I would trade 2 wins for a win against penn state.
I'm looking for improvements in technique and effort. I am not expecting a great record next year, minus Leonte Carroo. Lets face it, he was a huge portion of our offense. Without him we weren't even comparable. I'm looking for better coaching of the receivers. There is talent there, but it hasn't developed at all aside from Carroo. I'm looking for better tackling, more aggressive use of safeties, and better angles of pursuit. I'm looking for guys to fight off blocks better.
Improvements in these areas and recruiting will be a big sign that the record will follow soon afterwards.
Improvements in these areas and recruiting will be a big sign that the record will follow soon afterwards.
getting to 500 and 6-6 is not unreasonable at all. I don't think its a throwaway season at all. The only expectation I have is the coaching will be better top to bottom. That alone makes it better than this year. Don't be surprised by what a change can bring
I predicted 5-7 with no blowouts.
That being said I dont think anything greater than that is a miracle per se. A few teams on our schedule wont be as good as they were this year, and we bring back quite a bit of talent. I think our secondary is extremely talented and has great potential, they were just terribly green and poorly coached, a la 2013. I see them taking a big step if we could overcome depth issues and injury. A lot of fans in general are downplaying just how freakin incredibly devastating a blow it was to have our entire starting secondary get arrested days before the season started
As for QB, I dont think there's any QB on our roster that can't run the multiple offense. Rettig is no Tebow but he showed some atheticism/versatility against NSU. Also dont forget about Gio Resigno, He could run like the wind and was listed as a dual-threat Quarterback. It will be a much simpler offense so everyone should have a decent shot.
Good rebuttal instead of telling me why I'm wrong. Flood left us with a bone dry roster dude. Deal with reality.
Iowa is not going to be a top 10 team next season. Look at them in 2014. I am not calling that an automatic loss before Ash even has his first practice. Who do they lose next year? I bet none of us really know.
It is not a throwaway season but the sky is not falling if our record is not better. Let's just see what the new staff and next year's team can do to get this ship sailing in the right direction. Like Coach said, it is a process.
It is not a throwaway season but the sky is not falling if our record is not better. Let's just see what the new staff and next year's team can do to get this ship sailing in the right direction. Like Coach said, it is a process.
I think you're overestimating Flood's impact on the program. A good coach should be able to come in and fix most of what's broken within a year and a half. It's mostly the recruiting that takes more time to catch up. And the cupboard's not completely bare.
No he didn't. That is the popular narrative, however while Flood may not have brought in classes full of 4-5 stars, he brought in some pretty talented players. I would say he recruited QB, RB and DL better than GS ever did. The roster without a doubt needs an upgrade in talent to compete with the best in the conference, but out talent level is middle of the pack at worst.
With this year's roster, simply better coaching on defense would have gotten us at least 2 more wins. Next year the only real loss on defense is Gause and we get back Hamilton. With Ash leading the defense we will improve to at least average, likely better. Not sure about offense, we lose a lot of production in Carroo but we also only had him for half the games anyway. We lose Lumpkin which will be hard to replace but the rest of the OL and RBs should be better. Obv. we don't even know who the OC is but it sounds like Ash is in favor of using a system that plays to the strength of the personnel. Call me an optimist but even though I have nothing to base it off of, I think offense will improve.
Everyone here saying we will be 4-8 and that 6-6 will be miracle do realize what our staff consisted of last year right.
HC Kyle Flood 7yrs OL coach RU/ woefully unqualified for a P5 head coaching job
OC Ben McDaniels 1yr. WR Coach/RU If not for his name most would have questioned this promotion
DC Joe Rossi 1yr St Coach/RU 2 yr. Maine/DC Had no business running a P5 defense this early in his career.
OL Mitch Browning there's a reason he was coaching at Davidson U
This is what RU went to war with on the gridiron fellas. This is almost half your staff, with the top three guys being the most unqualified running the show. I believe Ash is going to put together a more qualified staff than this because he has the connections that Flood didn't. I'm sure he's going to get guy's who have coached at this level before and are qualified to handle their respective positions. I think many of us have forgotten what good coaching can do. It's understandable after so many years without it.
HC Kyle Flood 7yrs OL coach RU/ woefully unqualified for a P5 head coaching job
OC Ben McDaniels 1yr. WR Coach/RU If not for his name most would have questioned this promotion
DC Joe Rossi 1yr St Coach/RU 2 yr. Maine/DC Had no business running a P5 defense this early in his career.
OL Mitch Browning there's a reason he was coaching at Davidson U
This is what RU went to war with on the gridiron fellas. This is almost half your staff, with the top three guys being the most unqualified running the show. I believe Ash is going to put together a more qualified staff than this because he has the connections that Flood didn't. I'm sure he's going to get guy's who have coached at this level before and are qualified to handle their respective positions. I think many of us have forgotten what good coaching can do. It's understandable after so many years without it.
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Shields
I usually really like your stuff...but no way on this one
we were 7-5 in 2014 Bedause we were 5-1 in 4th quarter games. I came here and said statistically we were a 4-8/5-7 that found ways to win close games and we would have to be a LOT better on the field to be 7-5 again ...as I got blasted out the door by pro-flood people
We were 4-8 last year Bedause we were 1-3 in c4th quarter decided games. Take a good look at our stat sheet. It's about the same as 2014. Some better, some worse...overall about equal
Unless we find a way to win all the close games again....we will need to better on the field to be 6-6
It is not unreasonable for to be better on the field.
Better coaching
Fewer distractions
More returning starters
Return of best defensive player
However the Starters that we are losing are huge. On Offense : Carroo, James, Lumpkin
Defense: LB Gause, DE Mera , Lewis.
Will take a huge effort with some needed breaks to get to 6 wins next year.
I don't think it's as bad as you think. There is some talent. Overall the team just seemed to be out of shape physically and mentally. Need a good offseason with the players to buy in. They will be pushed very hard and we'll see who sticks.
Guys: if it wasn't for LC the Wazzou and MSU games aren't even close. Please stop with the "we could have" stuff. Next year is going to be tough, in terms of winning more than 4 games, the key is looking better and being somewhat more competitive against the big boys.
Mostly agree, but Wazzu was close because of Janarion Grant more than anyone else.
The point of my OP being we lose the best player on the team next year. There's a little bit of talent coming back, but where there is talent, it only runs one deep. When guys start going down, the team just goes cold. There's absolutely no plug and play. I'm not saying KF left a Terry Shea-style cupboard, but you've got to be one serious KF supporter if you think he recruited well the last few years.
I'm not that concerned with the record. I want to see improvement on both sides of the ball, especially on defense. I don't want to ever see receivers running around with no one within 15 yards, ever again.
Maybe it's our turn to win the close games this year.
Maybe it's our turn to win the close games this year.
After reading this I'm happy that it's Ash who is the man leading RU football into the future.
You win 4th quarter games with good DEFENSE. Ash will give us that. The coaching upgrade itself should be good for 2 more wins. My bare minimum prediction/expectation for next year is 6 wins. And with the talent in our program next year, we should be able to do it. Also don't forget that Ash knows what works and what doesn't work on O and D in the big ten based on his experiences at OSU and Wisconsin.
People who say we were a play or two away from 6-7 wins this year so we should be ok next year are forgetting that Carroo was the difference in those games. When Carroo played, we had a chance to win when he didn't, we looked lost.
With Carroi gone next year, do we have anyone that can make a similar impact?
With Carroi gone next year, do we have anyone that can make a similar impact?
Bone dry? O line mostly coming back. Hicks and Martin back. Hamilton back. Perhaps Longa. A number of injury guys back and hopefully some healthy enough to play well, e.g. Tray. This is far from bone dry. I don't mind not getting our hopes up too high, but there are quite a few good football players on this team. I haven't given up on them, especially not with some excellent coaching.
You want to choose flight, go ahead.
Definitely not a discard season. Just going on experience, you had to figure this past year would have been rough -- not what we got, but rough - and next year would be better. New coach, new attitude, new energy around program ... no, we're not good enough for big things, but we should be in the mix for a bowl. It doesn't take that much, and that will get the momentum going
I'm not choosing flight. I'm choosing reality. The people who have criticized me ITT are still ignoring my question as to what WR on our roster will consistently get open? The answer is no one, which is why we barely scored more than 7 points against any decent B1G team last year. I won't even discuss the talent drop off at LBer, which is a huge component of Ash's defenses if you read up on him a little bit. Yes, we have some pieces, but so do other teams. All I'm saying is people need to seriously lower their expectations for Year 1. 6-6 is a fantastic job with the current roster.
I wouldnt put much hope into the season that for sure. Enjoy seeing the new coach do his thing - but dont expect alot of wins.
Northwestern didnt have a new coach implementing new schemes on both sides of the ball. They also dont play in the Big Ten East.
This is not a rebuild. The cupboard is not empty.
Aside from possibly LB, where are we truly talent deficient?
No, I'm not planning a Rose Bowl party at my house for next year, but this is VERY different from when GS came in to clean up Shea's mess.
The secondary is going to be much better IMHO, we have 2 very good RBs, the OL line will at least be average. I do not think WR is as bad off as many think. We return a 5th year stud in Hamilton.
Once again QB is a huge question mark. To beat a dead horse I WISH we knew what we have (or don't have) with Rettig. Don't forget about Dare, and Russo is a wild card.
I know the schedule is tough but my goal would definitely be 6 wins.
Aside from possibly LB, where are we truly talent deficient?
No, I'm not planning a Rose Bowl party at my house for next year, but this is VERY different from when GS came in to clean up Shea's mess.
The secondary is going to be much better IMHO, we have 2 very good RBs, the OL line will at least be average. I do not think WR is as bad off as many think. We return a 5th year stud in Hamilton.
Once again QB is a huge question mark. To beat a dead horse I WISH we knew what we have (or don't have) with Rettig. Don't forget about Dare, and Russo is a wild card.
I know the schedule is tough but my goal would definitely be 6 wins.
