Realistic Expectations

[UConnDan97]

13-0. In before @UConnDan97.

Clearly that isn't going to happen.
A conference championship and two playoff games ensure the final tally will actually be 15-0. Damned rookies...

(The one day that I take 5 hours off from the Boneyard, and I get scooped!)

 

[Durks07]

Clearly that isn't going to happen.
A conference championship and two playoff games ensure the final tally will actually be 15-0. Damned rookies...

(The one day that I take 5 hours off from the Boneyard, and I get scooped!)

No faith. I made my projection with the understanding that the playoff committee would look at our resume, compare it to the rest, realize we were too good for the other playoff teams, cancel the playoffs, and declare us champion.

Some optimist you are!

 

[UConnDan97]

No faith. I made my projection with the understanding that the playoff committee would look at our resume, compare it to the rest, realize we were too good for the other playoff teams, cancel the playoffs, and declare us champion.

Some optimist you are!

Damned P5 bastards!

 

[DoctorWho85]

15-0 destroying Nebraska's new defense in the national championship game.

But realistically, I thing 6-8 wins with a bowl game.

 

[huskypantz]

Our schedule will be pretty tough. We could have a decent season and go 4-8. With a christmas miracle at QB I think we could go as high as 7 wins. My expectation is going to be 4 wins with a competent o-line and no head-scratching(banging) play calls.

 

[Jimdish255]

5-7 is a realistic outcome but I want to get back to winning seasons and a team the exceeds expectations instead of rationalizing incremental progress as a substitute. 7-5 has to be the bar for success but this is year 1 of raising the Titanic so I'll take 6-6.

 

[freescooter]

4-5 wins would be my expectation with maybe 1 upset and improvement as the season goes on. I have serious reservations about the offensive line. We will have to see about the quarterback situation too.

 

[Stinger92860]

We should improve dramatically over last year. We had 3 wins and one taken away by Fiasco. I am expecting 6-7 wins under new leadership.

 

[FDNY99]

With new systems on both sides of the ball and the OL still a question mark; I think any record .500 or better will be a HUGE accomplishment.

 

[UConnfan4ever]

I'm not a big fan of predicting wins. I especially dislike predicting the outcome of each game at the beginning of the season. I want to focus on winning the first game then the next and so on and so on.. The record will be what it will be. I expect the coaching will be better and hopefully that translates into more wins. So in that regard I'm probably more optimistic this season than what I would have been if there wasn't a coaching change.

 

[weyuo]

Well, in the last 6 years there have been offensive line coaching changes almost every year to no avail. It seems the coaching staffs have tried virtually everything under the sun, including a 6'8" archer from Denmark, to get some kind of production out of that group and until improvements are made your looking at 5 wins tops. Is the new regime going to magically change that group into a legit, functioning Div-1 O-line overnight? I have to see it to believe it. Still, last year they could have won 6 games except for the fact that Bob Diaco couldn't clock manage very well and had no coherent game plan. You didn't really lose much as far as attrition so conceivably the O-line should be better. Plus the fact that many conference foes will be going through regime and/or key personnel changes and 6 wins doesn't look that far from reach. One thing is almost certain, the offense shouldn't be as predictable with Lashlee taking over. That and Edsall can coach a better game. 6 wins, sure why not?

 

[jackl]

15-0 destroying Nebraska's new defense in the national championship game.

But realistically, I thing 6-8 wins with a bowl game.

And embarrassing the black shirt defence in a Bowl Game that is in a Southern Clime.

 

[Palatine]

I do not, nor every will have, realistic expectations. I expect perfection.

 

[IMind]

I usually avoid posting in threads like this, but I'm cautiously optimistic. We've got probably as soft a schedule as you could hope for. Lot's of coaching changes and teams that were just as bad as we were... I think six wins is doable... and if we're any good at all the ceiling might be much higher.

 

[mikedog10]

15-0 destroying Nebraska's new defense in the national championship game.

But realistically, I thing 6-8 wins with a bowl game.

"defense"

 

[HuskyBandDad]

If we crush Holy Cross 52-3 then I will be optimistic.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

Why I am hopeful is that Edsall typically did not lose winnable games -- even if some were close. I do not predict lopsided victories but many wins nonetheless -- that will push UConn up in the rankings.

 

[Husky25]

It is really completely dependent on what J.B Grimes can do with the offensive line. If he turns out to be the second coming of Dante Scarnecchia, UConn could win between five and seven games. On the other hand, they probably won't be favored in any game they play this year other than than Holy Cross.

 

[Nostical]

We probably won't be favored in any game this year other than than Holy Cross.

Get ready to make some cabbage this fall.

 

[huskypantz]

We've got probably as soft a schedule as you could hope for.

I don't see this schedule as soft. As Husky25 noted, it is likely that we're only going to be favored in 1 game. We play 3 P5 teams with only one true home game among those three. I don't feel comfortable with any of the AAC games. Maybe I have PostDiacoStressDisorder.

 

[Husky25]

Get ready to make some cabbage this fall.

I said favored. Whether UConn beats the spread is a topic for a different thread.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

If we crush Holy Cross 52-3 then I will be optimistic.

There's truth in them thar words. I've found in previous seasons that the first game really does set the tone. Even one year where we beat a decent opponent pretty good, but when you thought about the score you realized the D scored 14 of the points and the O had 17, give or take a few. A convincing victory with well played O and D could be a sign of a decent season.

 

[Sky ball]

Realistic Expectations? OK no 13-0 prediction with a NC. So now a 12-1 record and a Fiesta Bowl Win over Oklahoma.

 

[HuskyHawk]

It is really completely dependent on what J.B Grimes can do with the offensive line. If he turns out to be the second coming of Dante Scarnecchia, UConn could win between five and seven games. On the other hand, they probably won't be favored in any game they play this year other than than Holy Cross.

Looking at it right now they may not be favored. But win a few games, while others falter (looking at you BC!) and they certainly could be favored in some games by the time they play them. I expect them to be better in every phase of the game except FG kicking.

I choose to look at it another way. There's not a single really intimidating, "no way you can win this" game on the whole schedule. If USF was a road game, that would be the one. But that's it. So every single game is a sub 7 point spread game as I see it, even if we are underdogs. Those are winnable games.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Our expectations should be more based on the on-field play rather than strictly the results. We should expect an improved offensive scheme that's more geared to the tools we have. Randy and Rhett obviously don't have their guys in the offense yet so they have to work with what they have, thus setting results expectations isn't the most reasonable way to approach this question. We should expect the offense to better adjust in-game to how the defense is playing. We should expect the defense as well to better adjust to what's going on and not do dumb things like staying with lax CB coverage while the opposition dinks and dunks their WR all the way down the field. We should expect general competence in play calling on both sides of the ball. No more going for it on 4th and 12 from the 14. No more fake FGs at the end of the game without the personnel able to pull it off. We should expect special teams to make use of the rule that allows punts to be returned. If we go 3-9 but are competing at the right level, the coaching staff is putting the right schemes on the field, the playcalling makes sense, and the losses come because of a talent gap, then I'd rather that result than go 5-7 or 6-6 where we luckbox our way into two or three wins because we play like garbage but the other team makes unforced errors that hand us victories. Overall quality of play and coaching > results, for this year.