Realistic Expectations

[Husky92]

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.

You make a calm rational argument in your post Brass, but I personally have to disagree with the above sentence. From an enjoyment standpoint, I would much prefer 5-7 or 6-6 over 3-9 any day. I just want to enjoy watching UCONN football again and that means seeing some W's, even if some are WTF wins.

 

[UConnFranklin]

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.

I agree with most of what Brassbonanzaa said. My EXPECTATIONS are for improved on field performance and coaching(time clock management and a few punt returns, etc). However my GOAL is to win a National Championship. I won't settle for anything less. This should be the goal of the team and fans every year. Nothing short. My PREDICTION is they will go 4 and 8. What would MAKE ME HAPPY (i.e., that progress is being made toward my goal) would be 7 and 6 (winning in the bowl game we go to) What would MAKE ME SATISFIED with would be 5 and 7. Winning all the games we are supposed to win and beating a team we are not supposed to beat.

 

[Confident Carl]

It all turns on a big improvement at Oline and a QB with the ability to make a read past the primary and deliver a ball with some accuracy. If the Oline is restored to midling to fair, we can win 5-7. If it struggles again, 2-3.

I agree, we need to have major improvements controlling the line of scrimmage (on both sides of the ball) in order to produce significant change. This should improve QB play regardless of who the QB is.

 

[J187Money]

I glanced at the schedule and there is not one team on there that is a guaranteed L. None. That doesn't mean that this team can't lose to any of them, just that realistically they should be in every single game. Even the so called P5 Teams UVA, Missouri, and BC are well within reason for Uconn to be able to grab a W. I'm sure the team's goal will be to get to a bowl game. That is definitely achievable.

Randy only got blown out when he was completely outmatched (I'm sure there are a couple of exceptions but not many). I expect to be in every game.

 

[BlueMAB]

There's no rational reason to prefer a well coached 3-9 over a "lucky" 6-6. Nobody wins 25% of their season based on "luck". If we can play poorly and still win 6 games, then our ceiling is much higher if the coaches can continue to coach the players up.

If we play solidly, but only win 3, then we just suck. That's depressing.

 

[jdb50]

Going to miss the fans counting down the play clock. It was such a continuous problem. Who says we didn't care.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

You make a calm rational argument in your post Brass, but I personally have to disagree with the above sentence. From an enjoyment standpoint, I would much prefer 5-7 or 6-6 over 3-9 any day. I just want to enjoy watching UCONN football again and that means seeing some W's, even if some are WTF wins.

You're right, the results do matter to some extent - I didn't include that line because it would negate everything I wrote before it . The good news is, if the things I listed before get done, that maximizes the chances that the results end up in our favor. The odds that we do indeed luckbox our way into three or four wins we don't deserve aren't high.

 

[DoctorWho85]

I'd honestly be happy with the same win totally as last year, but we look competitive in every game and three offense looks anything but offensive

 

[Confident Carl]

Orlando Sentinel has UCONN with the 4th toughest OC schedule in the AAC.

Ranking the toughest nonconference schedules in the AAC

 

[SubbaBub]

The secret sauce is that you only need to win 2 OOC games (at least 1 is a gimme), and split your conference slate to be bowl eligible. Losing to Navy, BC, and Cuse was the difference. That should not that too big a bridge to cross. It gets smaller if you can beat the Tulanes and UCF's of the world.

I hope we can look back at the end of the year and say to BD and PP, "See, it wasn't that hard now was it?"

 

[Excalibur]

Randy only got blown out when he was completely outmatched (I'm sure there are a couple of exceptions but not many). I expect to be in every game.

I can think of only three examples: at Cincy in 2007, vs. Pitt in 2008, and at Temple in 2010.

 

[sportsart]

I can think of only three examples: at Cincy in 2007, vs. Pitt in 2008, and at Temple in 2010.

Plus almost every WVU game, minus one or two. The almost win in the "Jazz game" and the one with 5 TO's by WVU (a win for us) are the only 2 I can remember close or a win.

 

[SubbaBub]

At Miami.

 

[Excalibur]

Plus almost every WVU game, minus one or two. The almost win in the "Jazz game" and the one with 5 TO's by WVU (a win for us) are the only 2 I can remember close or a win.

I think those were cases of being outmatched. The games I cited were winnable games that we didn't show up for. There weren't many of those.

 

[J187Money]

Plus almost every WVU game, minus one or two. The almost win in the "Jazz game" and the one with 5 TO's by WVU (a win for us) are the only 2 I can remember close or a win.

Right. But we were way outmatched in most of those WVU games. Anyone that thinks we should have played most of those games close were looking through homer glasses.

 

[sportsart]

Right. But we were way outmatched in most of those WVU games. Anyone that thinks we should have played most of those games close were looking through homer glasses.

You guys are right. I misread the part about the exceptions. Bottom line is, and most agree, RE 1.0 rarely lost a game we should have won. I expect that and even more.

I don't think we realize what kind of staff Randy has this time. I expect year 2 to be pretty special. I also expect year one to be competitive with some growing pains.

 

[UCFBfan]

I went with I believe 8 wins last year and was thoroughly disappointed, as we all were. Seeing how we have even more question marks in personnel and now coaches I can't set my sights higher then 3-4 wins. We don't have a QB. We have a bunch of promise in 3 frosh, a clunker with a shot to improve in DW, and maybe BS? I can't pin hopes on that when we lost our best offensive weapon.

So I'm going low with 3-4 wins this year. I said last year I just want to be competitive in games, even if we lose. That goes again for next season but I wanna see that our Offense is given some freedom to let loose and modernize. No more RRP for me please.

 

[huskymedic]

We don't have a QB. We have a bunch of promise in 3 frosh, a clunker with a shot to improve in DW, and maybe BS?

Just a point of clarification - JUCO QB transfer David Pindell comes is as a Junior.

 

[LIUCHusky]

The secret sauce is that you only need to win 2 OOC games (at least 1 is a gimme), and split your conference slate to be bowl eligible. Losing to Navy, BC, and Cuse was the difference. That should not that too big a bridge to cross. It gets smaller if you can beat the Tulanes and UCF's of the world.

I hope we can look back at the end of the year and say to BD and PP, "See, it wasn't that hard now was it?"

Is that the same UCF that beat Baylor a few seasons back?

 

[UCFBfan]

Just a point of clarification - JUCO QB transfer David Pindell comes is as a Junior.

Thx I knew that but I still consider him just as unknown as the two frosh.

 

[SubbaBub]

Is that the same UCF that beat Baylor a few seasons back?

Same one that also went winless the next season and haven't done much since Leary left.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

We miss Navy and Houston this year. So that's good.

 

[SAMCRO]

We miss Navy and Houston this year. So that's good.

True. Glad not to have to face Navy's offense for a couple years.

As for UH, I think picking up Tulsa and dropping Houston will turn out to be an even swap, or Tulsa will probably be the better team in '17. Tulsa is starting to get it going under Montgomery (an Art Briles protege, without all the "stink" on him), and year 3 for him could be big. He inherited a team that had won 5 games combined over the 2 prior seasons, and got them to 6-7 year one, to 10-3 last season, and , and is returning their QB, 2 of the 3 top WR's, top 2 RB's,, but I am not sure how much of the OL will be new starters.... I predict Tulsa will be competing for the AAC championship, a NY6 bowl, and you will hear Montgomerie's name being thrown around for P5 openings by seasons end.

 

[ktuck911]

Just a point of clarification - JUCO QB transfer David Pindell comes is as a Junior.

Doesn't he have 3 to play 2?

 

[huskymedic]

Doesn't he have 3 to play 2?

He has two seasons of eligibility remaining so if he redshirts this year - he can be reclassified if that occurs (or appropriate classification thereafter).

 

[Devland]

I hope people don't expect too much from the start. Realistically I expect a slow start and a gradual improvement throughout the season. I think the staff will learn a lot more about what individual players can do once the real games start as opposed to preseason practices. They will continue to make personal adjustments and scheme adjustments off of what they learn in the actual games. Some players are better practice players than they are game players and vice versa. There is a learning curve involved here.

 

[warbler1055]

Taking into account that RE2 and staff do not have the time or players they want, anything less than 5-7 is a disappointment. I think last year fiasco was due to BD losing control of team and players. I would expect lots more positives this year!!!

 

[weyuo]

Taking into account that RE2 and staff do not have the time or players they want, anything less than 5-7 is a disappointment. I think last year fiasco was due to BD losing control of team and players. I would expect lots more positives this year!!!

Anything less than 6-6 and a bowl is a disappointment any year including 2017 and it isn't very encouraging for Edsall to make a statement about the O-line needing the most work and that he "hopes" somebody steps up from that group. Everyone knew the O-line was a train wreck. It's been a train wreck ever since he left. He was brought in here to fix that wreck. It should be fun to see how he does it but on day one of Spring practice word comes that he loses a lineman due to loss of......something, faith, desire, whatever. Mamma Mia I hope they are turning over stones looking for a JUCO or Grad replacement.

 

[RSTuthill]

4 or 5 wins. I'd be over the moon with 6 wins but I highly doubt that will happen.

 

[Waquoit]

We had Navy beat last year and left several other wins on the table. Since Diaco was awful, good coaching this year should get us to a bowl game.