AAC Over/Unders

[Dooley]

For what it's worth, here's an outlook on CBS forecasting the league's over/unders:

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...-2013-american-athletic-over/under-win-totals


Connecticut, 5.5 wins (over -140, under +100)
After back-to-back 5-7 seasons and with Paul Pasqualoni's most experienced team yet, this should be the Huskies' return to the postseason, right? But the schedule isn't helpful, giving UConn just one "lock" win (at home vs. Towson, though they should also handle Memphis in Storrs) and handing them two likely home losses in Michigan and Louisville. A team with this little offensive firepower (one that scored more than 24 points in none if its final 11 games of 2012) and no Don Brown -- the star defensive coordinator that joined Steve Addazio at Boston College -- can't expect to win enough road games to hit this over.Verdict: Under

 

[NEforceUConn]

If we end up at 5-7 I'm spray painting one of my dogs white and shooting him.

 

[ruskin]

Well, if UConn is 4-7 going into Memphis game, I guess the game could be played in Storrs - E.O. Smith could probably hold the crowd.

 

[Stinger92860]

Looking at this from a very high level

I think the offense will improve more then the defense moves backwards. On offense we will improve and it could be dramatic. We could go from bottom 12 to a 60/70 ranking. While I believe the defense takes a step back, we could reduce the impact by improving turnover margin and better d in the red zone. 7 wins are doable.

 

[mattp]

it's a fair number. I'm pretty sure about 80% of the BY, myself included, said about the same thing at the end of last season. We all said that if P couldn't make a bowl with last season's schedule that he wouldn't be able to do it with this year's schedule and then he'd probably be looking for work in December. All that's happened since then is we've lost our beloved DC, and GDL is rumored to have stepped aside allowing TJ Weist to take over on offense, although P and GDL have played the puppet OC game before according to Cuse fans. Personally, I'm really optimistic about what Hughes and Weist are going to accomplish this year, but I can't blame a third party observer for thinking we'll have yet another 5-7 season. If we do go 5-7 I hope to high heck that we go another direction at head coach. I don't care how great we looked in our losses, or how we end on a high note, 5-7 3 years in a row is not good enough. We need to dominate the AAC, not come within a game of bowl eligibility.

 

[Dooley]

My own expectation is 7-8 wins. Here is how the season plays out in my head:

Towson - W
Maryland - W
Michigan - L
@Buffalo - W
USF - W
@ Cincinnati - L
@ UCF - L
Louisville - L
@SMU - W
@ Temple - W
Rutgers - W
Memphis - W

 

[coachcap]

If we go 5-7 or worse this season, WM better clean house the moment the clock reads 0:00 after the season finale.

 

[EJHarrington]

We as taxpayers spend a billion dollars a year on UCONN. We pay the head coach over two million dollars per year. We play in a middle of the pack conference that's ripe for the taking. We beat the favorite of the conference on the road last year. We have four conference home games. We have our starting QB, RB, most of the OL, and our best WR coming back. We won the conference three years ago. Mediocrity can no longer be tolerated. If I'm not booking a hotel/flight to a BCS bowl in December that will be a major disappointment and PP will have to go. I think we can do it and if I find the over/under on line I am putting my money where my mouth is.

 

[huskymedic]

We pay the head coach over two million dollars per year .

Just so the external trolls don't run with it... Per PP's Contract - January 1, 2013-December 31, 2013: Base Salary $400,000, Public Relations and Media Fees $1,300,000; Total: $1,700,000

 

[EJHarrington]

Just so the external trolls don't run with it... Per PP's Contract - January 1, 2013-December 31, 2013: Base Salary $400,000, Public Relations and Media Fees $1,300,000; Total: $1,700,000

Sorry, meant "close to". My general points stand however.

 

[SubbaBub]

My own expectation is 7-8 wins. Here is how the season plays out in my head:

Towson - W
Maryland - W
Michigan - L
@Buffalo - W
USF - W
@ Cincinnati - L
@ UCF - L
Louisville - L
@SMU - W
@ Temple - W
Rutgers - W
Memphis - W

If I knew we could run the ball like we used to I'd agree with 7-8 with a shot at 9 because the wins would be sure wins and count on flipping one of the L's. But we are banking on personnel development and the coaches not blowing winnable games. Is it possible for a 10 year old program to hope for the good ole days?

Towson - W
Maryland - Flip (lean W)
Michigan - L
@Buffalo - W
USF - Flip (lean W)
@ Cincinnati - L
@ UCF - Flip (lean L)
Louisville - L
@SMU - Flip
@ Temple - Flip
Rutgers - Flip (lean W)
Memphis - W

3 lock wins, 3 probable losses and 6 tossups. Comes out to likely 7-5 assuming we don't blow any of the wins. As many have said, the quality of the wins/losses will say more than just the record. Need desparately to beat two of Mich, MD, Cincy, Louisville just for the street cred. Going 8-4 and losing those four does nothing. 7-5 adding a loss to RU would be a disaster.

 

[CL82]

If we end up at 5-7 I'm spray painting one of my dogs white and shooting him.

Disturbing, funny, but disturbing.

Unless it is this dog, then it's a mercy killing.

 

[Husky92]

If I'm not booking a hotel/flight to a BCS bowl in December that will be a major disappointment and PP will have to go.

Really! BCS or fire the coach!?! That's some high standards. I realize P has been a disappointment, but I'd be thrilled with an 8-9 win season and finishing 2-3 in the conference.

 

[EJHarrington]

Really! BCS or fire the coach!?! That's some high standards. I realize P has been a disappointment, but I'd be thrilled with an 8-9 win season and finishing 2-3 in the conference.

Yes, I have very high standards for the football team.

Chizik got fired two years after winning the National Title. Mack Brown will likely be out this year if he does not at least make a BCS game. A legend like Bowden got forced out after 8-5 became the norm at FSU. We should be holding our coach to the same high standard.

For the record, I did not follow college football until UCONN went Division 1-A so PP had a clean slate with me and I gave him every benefit of the doubt even though my friends from Syracuse and others who followed college football for a long time told me it was a terrible hire. He seems to be doing a decent job getting recruits compared to Edsall but three years is plenty of time to make your mark on the team.

I think the team underperformed last year and I agreed with a recent posting that a lot of it had to do with coaching preparation (Syracuse comes to mind) and the lack of effective in-game adjustments. However, there were keys injuries on the OL that derailed the offense so I know it is not all PP's fault.

I am more bullish on UCONN than most people on this board and the odds-makers. I hope PP succeeds this year, wins the conference, and gets an contract extension.

 

[Husky68]

If Don Brown was a star DC he wouldn't be in the ACC at BCU. Does little offensive fire power last year mean the same this year, with new OC and returning QB, RB and most of OL?

 

[ruskin]

Just so the external trolls don't run with it... Per PP's Contract - January 1, 2013-December 31, 2013: Base Salary $400,000, Public Relations and Media Fees $1,300,000; Total: $1,700,000

Whatever. Horrendous contract by Hathaway. Look at the coaching salaries list. Should have had a lot more incentives in it than straight salary.

 

[huskymedic]

Whatever. Horrendous contract by Hathaway. Look at the coaching salaries list. Should have had a lot more incentives in it than straight salary.

Go look for an argument somewhere else... Only point in my post was that salary wasn't over $2 million. Nothing more/nothing less.

 

[ruskin]

Go look for an argument somewhere else... Only point in my post was that salary wasn't over $2 million. Nothing more/nothing less.

Easy, medic. Not 'arguing' anything. Just pointing out Hathaway highly, highly overpaid for PP, whether it's 1.7 million or 2 million. If you have the freedom to correct the 2 million guy, I have the freedom to say 1.7 million is still way too much.