We are MAC level

[Uconnalliance]

Newer Lamborghinis are notoriously known for catching on fire. I'd prefer a Miura.

I'll take the Zo6 vette affordable power that doesn't burn up,just miles of burnouts!

 

[jbdphi]

Let me clarify. There will always be some variance in the number of games a team should win based on talent and preparedness. The ball can bounce strangely. It's a good season when you meet or exceed these expectations.
In 2007, we had a 9 win team and won 9 games.
In 2008, we had a 10 win team and won 8 games.
In 2009, we had a 10 win team and won 8 games, with some very extenuating circumstances.
In 2010, we had a 10 win team and won 8 games.
In 2011, we had an 8 win team and won 5 games.
And now in 2012, we have a better defense, a better QB, better receivers with an O-line and special teams not as good. Based on personnel and the eyeball test, we should very conservatively be sitting on 5 wins with an expectation of 2-3 more. Instead we have 3 and can only expect 1-2 more at the current rate of play.

So when I say PP took an 8 win program and turned it into a 5 win program, it goes beyond the current record.

If, by your definition, NC State and Rutgers are "not good" this year, how many wins are they supposed to have based on your expert prediction? Are they just outperforming their talent and at the same time we're underperforming ours? If we're supposed to be at 5 wins right now (according to you), which two games were we supposed to lose? To the "not good teams" that are NC State and Rutgers? So even if we perform according to what you think we should have done, we would have lost to two "not good" teams? What would that make us? Can you really distinguish so finely amongst the middle of the pack teams in FBS from 40 - 100?

To me, you seem to be falling into the homerism trap where you only assess your team's potential if every player does what they are able to do and then completely ignore other team's potential and / or talent and what they can do. It's completely in line with the preseason predictions when all the hardcores say we should be hitting 9 or 8 wins this year and then we're offended when we lose a game that we assumed we would win. Other teams play the game too and from week to week, many of them play it better than we do.

One last thing. I've heard this from several others. If all MAC teams "suck" which I assume is your position (same with the Sun Belt, WAC and Mountain West), then all the teams that are beaten by a MAC team (or others) must suck too, right (i.e. Iowa, Penn State)? And all the teams that those teams beat must suck as well (i.e. Michigan State, Northwestern) and once you extrapolate all that out (i.e. Boise State, Missouri and many others), there are probably only around 15 to 20 teams at the end of the season which don't suck. I'd love it if we were among that group but we've yet to achieve that as a program.