8 because need to be 7-5 for a bowl guarantee & if make a bowl may as well win it..is 7 wins really that crazy?
Based on this year's team? Yes.
Go back to the pre-season prediction thread and read about how everyone was going to be xx% improved and how RE coaching alone would lead to more wins. There was improvement for some players but not enough for a huge leap forward especially among upper classmen.
Do the younger guys have a chance to get better? Absolutely. Will they all get 100% better? No way. Do we have an upgrade to QB waiting or coming in? Does the D get at least 50% better by next season? And, finally, let's see how the final recruiting class comes out. Is there an impact player in that group?
As far as coaching goes, at least RE had these kids playing as hard as they could game 1 to game 12. That was a massive improvement. That mentality should help win more games next year.
The schedule is not easier next year with URI and Umass being the only potential OOC wins. Cuse and Boise on the road will be tough and who knows how those two teams bounce back from bad seasons. So like this year, you need to be 5-3 in conference to get to 7 wins. I'm not ready to say yes or no, but my leaning is that it is improbable next year just based on how many true freshman may be needed to get this team competitive.
But right now, I am still 100% sober. Maybe after dinner I will see your wisdom.