Will UConn Win More Than 3 in 2018??

[Hoophound]

UMass will be favored. If we’d hired Whip after Edsall he’d still be here and we MIGHT be in the ACC. He’s a pretty good coach and a great offensive mind. He would have inherited a stellar defense to buy him time to get the O going. What could have been. It wasn’t a sure thing, but in retrospect, I think it would have worked out.

 

[Hornet22]

Is what it is. When it comes to sports I’m ok when the team I’m rooting for loses to a better team- no matter how bad my team is. What irks me is when I see lack of effort. As long as these guys play hard and aggressive I can take it one week at a time and enjoy the competition. You’d be surprise how things can turn out when you have guys that play hard and to the whistle. One thing we can all hopefully agree on is that we have better athletes, competition should be at a higher level in practice. Guys on both sides of the ball will be accustomed to faster moving parts on the field which should help in games. And I’m hoping for an accountability culture that causes these guys to take every workout, practice or individual training session more seriously. When you got guys using their keys to get into the film room or practice facility at midnight to put in some extra work is when you begin to see change.
I believe we’re headed in the right direction.
All I’m looking for as a competition purist is to see our young men go hard every play.
I’m excited for the season. Can’t waste my time with the doom and gloom scenarios right now.
Go hard or go home fellas!
August 30th under the lights on ESPN/ESPN 2 against the “National Champs!” What I would do to be a competitive athlete again! God bless em! They should enjoy every minute of this man.
Gotta love sports!

 

[Urcea]

I'll take UMass, Rhode Island, ECU, and Temple. Maybe Cincy for revenge. That's 4-8 or 5-7 and all of us optimists can storm the Boneyard next offseason talking about "8-4 2019 GUARANTEED, all hail HCRE" nonsense

 

[huskysupporter]

UMass will be favored. If we’d hired Whip after Edsall he’d still be here and we MIGHT be in the ACC. He’s a pretty good coach and a great offensive mind. He would have inherited a stellar defense to buy him time to get the O going. What could have been. It wasn’t a sure thing, but in retrospect, I think it would have worked out.

I was huge fan of the possibility of Whipple as head coach.

 

[huskysupporter]

And I agree that progress will be measured his year by effort. I completely understand this team might win one game but I am hoping to see progress. The body language of some players last year was an embarrassment. One DB who once was a pro prospect was a leader in that.

I will also start to judge HCRE v. 2.0 recruits. This will be huge.

 

[RSTuthill]

I will also start to judge HCRE v. 2.0 recruits. This will be huge.

Still a little early for that. Next year or the year after would be appropriate. Anyway, it is a moot point. He has the keys to the kingdom for four more years. At the end of that term UConn gets to decide what to do with FB if the Huskies have not been to a bowl game by then.

 

[Confident Carl]

Trust me. I wish whaler and I were wrong more often and people like you were right even 10% of the time.

Even I agree with Serrano on this ugh! Lotsa work to do.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Even I agree with Serrano on this ugh! Lotsa work to do.

This makes me want to reconsider whatever position I’m taking here.

 

[huskypantz]

Our front-loaded schedule should work out well for us. We are an extremely young team and I expect that things will click in the second half of the season, where we play the weaker teams. I am praying on some transfers and true frosh miracles, of course - but 4 wins looks reasonable.

 

[Austin316]

UCF first game of the season at home...
ConFLiCT is strong.
That game will be sold out.
Huge momentum game to kick off the year!

Side note: SMU will be good with Rhett Lashlee. They will be good this year. I can feel it.

5-7 But 6-6 isn’t out of reach. All depends on how big our guys get in the off season weight room. Numbers don’t lie! Do your thing Randy!

I’ll be at every damn Home game drunk as a skunk.

Go Huskies!

 

[junglehusky]

I can't find two wins on this schedule. 1 Win...This is my reverse mojo, since I predicted 7 last year and 8 the year prior. Reverse Mojo...1 win

You can't say "reverse mojo" in a reverse mojo post!

 

[blue93]

Our front-loaded schedule should work out well for us. We are an extremely young team and I expect that things will click in the second half of the season, where we play the weaker teams.

That’s one way to look at it, but there’s also the fear of a young team getting demoralized after a bad start and quitting on the season. I don’t expect an Edsall-led team to give up, but you never know if the “here we go again” mindset will start creeping into guys heads.

 

[Alum86]

I think we win 2.

Yep. I don’t see more than that. We beat Rhody or UMass but not both, and one other game, a freak win. It is gonna be ugly.

 

[Confident Carl]

This makes me want to reconsider whatever position I’m taking here.

No need to, 6-6 - bowling!

 

[formerlurker]

I sipped, not drank, the Kool-Aid again and renewed my 4 tickets for a 19th season.

If Jimmy and Whaler give me the Blue-White Game as a W, I'll lay $500 to the BY charity of choice right now that we win more than 4.

 

[UConnFranklin]

Yes, 6 wins. I'm optimistic

Week 1: UCF --- L 17 - 42
Week 2: @ Boise State --- L 21 - 28
Week 3: URI --- W 35 - 21
Week 4: @ Syracuse -- W 28 - 24
Week 5: Cincinnati -- W 24- 21
Week 6: @ Memphis -- L 28-45
Week 7: BYE
Week 8: @ USF --- L 17-36
Week 9: UMass --- W 31-20
Week 10: @ Tulsa --- W 28 - 24
Week 11: SMU --- L 28-41
Week 12: @ East Carolina --- W 28 - 24
Week 13: Temple --- L 24-27

 

[Waquoit]

We are all in for the trip to Boise for the smurf turf classic. Expect a miracle!

Sure, because those religious platitudes work so well for Ollie.

 

[Pudge]

Gee golly I wonder why anyone would have a negative outlook on all things UConn sports right now given the current state of our Men’s BB and football programs (the only ones that really matter).

BTW ... you aren't entitled to FOUR National Championships; TWO National Championships in Soccer; a solid FBS Football Program; the finest Women's Basketball Program in College ever; great NE Baseball; a up&coming Men's Hockey Program ... and scores of interesting athletes in a broader spectrum of sports.

We are a tiny New England State that has accomplished much. Nope. This is not the the floor or the worst our UConn Huskies AD could be. I actually took heart when Edsall was brought back and infused professionalism back into the building; and I have some notion that Chillious can get Ollie to a full roster that we can develop to get back to the NCAA within a year (though ... Calhoun level?).

Your negativity is about your entitlement. Mine ... I was a 12 year old going to games in Memorial Stadium and sat through scores of BE Tourney games at MSG 17 years in a row. I have hope ... I have an expectations that we will achieve a level of excellence in athletics again.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

I just have zero expectations this year. I think we win anywhere from 1 to 5 games. I'm just looking for progress, especially on defense. If we end the season looking better, that's all I really want.

After taking the over on 3 wins last year and having us march down the field against Cincy, only to blow the game on a missed XP after a taunting penalty, I don't believe in anything.

 

[Urcea]

I just have zero expectations this year. I think we win anywhere from 1 to 5 games. I'm just looking for progress, especially on defense. If we end the season looking better, that's all I really want.

After taking the over on 3 wins last year and having us march down the field against Cincy, only to blow the game on a missed XP after a taunting penalty, I don't believe in anything.

Team did look sharper later in the year with Pindell at the helm against Cincy and UCF. Wouldn't be surprised if they look bad/new in September and look pretty sharp and on a roll towards the end of the yr

 

[Husky68]

Hard to lose 9 or more games with the variance in talent of UConn's opponents without some of them being real ugly (Boise in 2nd game there!). I'd be more optimistic if HCRE2.0 gave me any indication that poor defensive performance wasn't 100% on players and 0% on schemes and coaching. Opponents had few turnovers vs. UConn because they could read our defensive alignment so easy and attach weakness.
If defense gets lit up 1st 2 games and then the fruit put up big numbers boy the season could get ugly.
Last year UConn averaged 23.6 on offense and 37.9 on defense. Spread of about 14 points. So, assuming more likely to have some big point spread loses than wins, if get near even points offense/defense points could challenge for 6 wins. Unfortunately don't see it happening. AAC had 4 of top 12 scoring offenses in 2017. Boise State scored over 30 per game as did UMass. DC has shown me little to suggest he will present "a schematic advantage" (ol' Charlie Weiss of ND comes to mind) for his defense so that gets it down to "my talent on defense against your talent on offense". Don't like the odds there.
My over under is so low think I'll just keep it to myself.

 

[RSTuthill]

a solid FBS Football Program

I beg your pardon? Not at the moment. Wouldn't even have made the FCS tournament in the past few years. Probably not even the third strongest team in New England last year. Please don't lecture people.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I don't think it is complicated. I think the offense will be fine. Pindell has more upside that Shireffs, and more downside. I think he'll be fine and if not, McAfee or Washington will step in. If they play better defense they will win a few games. There are question marks to be sure. But I find it ridiculous (in any sport) where every "question mark" is viewed as an automatic negative. Some of those guys end up being fantastic. The offseason program and S&C should pay some dividends.

So on the whole...better than last year, but not by much. I'd say 4-5 wins.

 

[UConnDan97]

My answer is "yes".

Then again, I have the unique ability to find 15 wins in a 12-game season...

 

[uconnphil2016]

Yes, UMass is better than us, but lets not get carried away here...they just arguably had their best FBS season and won 4 games. I also heard Whipple eats 'sandwiches' that are just mayo and bread, so based on that alone I'll go ahead and say I'm happy he never coached us