Fireside Chat with your Dear Legend

[ajkreider]

Said this elsewhere, but Pitt was a bad matchup for us and we won anyway.

A team with a great front 7 will give us fits, because Lashlee wants to run, and our receivers are limited. Teams with meh front sevens will get gashed, like the first three teams this year did.

Matchups matter in CFB, as evidenced by Louisville/ND.

 

[Matthew_Suero]

We're in a thread talking about how lucky we were Pitt's starting QB was injured. We'd most likely be in a dogfight against teams like UK and SCAR. We haven't taken a significant leap from years past. We're average.

Saturday was a game we lose each of the past few seasons and we won by double digits. How can you say that is not a significant leap? We were 6-7 last year. We are now 4-1 after 4 conference games. Very few teams at this point can say they haven’t lost to teams they should beat. UF, Oklahoma, LSU, and UNC all have.

 

[Matthew_Suero]

I think everybody needs to step back and look at how inconsistent every team across the country has been this year. LSU, Oklahoma, UNC, and UF all lost to lesser teams. ND struggles with Louisville. Even Alabama struggled to handle Ole Miss. Miami has been one of the more consistent teams to this point which is a huge difference from where we have been. We lost to Clemson yes but they are just too far ahead at the most important positions. Every game we have won we won by double digits and covered the spread and that’s against 3 ACC teams.

 

[streetja]

Saturday was a game we lose each of the past few seasons and we won by double digits. How can you say that is not a significant leap? We were 6-7 last year. We are now 4-1 after 4 conference games. Very few teams at this point can say they haven’t lost to teams they should beat. UF, Oklahoma, LSU, and UNC all have.

All the ACC teams we've beat this year we beat last year. Look, I'm happy with the wins and hate to complain, but if you don't see trouble down the road based on how we're playing then don't be shocked when we drop more than 2 games the rest of the way.

 

[Matthew_Suero]

All the ACC teams we've beat this year we beat last year. Look, I'm happy with the wins and hate to complain, but if you don't see trouble down the road based on how we're playing then don't be shocked when we drop more than 2 games the rest of the way.

Look at the three ACC wins. All three of those were games this site, and myself included, said this is a potential let down game based on years passed. They showed up in every game. That’s a huge step forward. If they stay consistent they won’t lose more than 2 games the rest of the way. I think and hope this is a trend and they rounded a corner mentally.

 

[Go Canes!!]

I think everybody needs to step back and look at how inconsistent every team across the country has been this year. LSU, Oklahoma, UNC, and UF all lost to lesser teams. ND struggles with Louisville. Even Alabama struggled to handle Ole Miss. Miami has been one of the more consistent teams to this point which is a huge difference from where we have been. We lost to Clemson yes but they are just too far ahead at the most important positions. Every game we have won we won by double digits and covered the spread and that’s against 3 ACC teams.

How many games over the last few years has this team had to overcome our offense gifting other teams 10-14 points, only to fail miserably.

Well we just did it and and still won by double digits. 90% of the time this game would have been a sure fire L.

 

[OriginalCanesCanesCanes]

All the ACC teams we've beat this year we beat last year. Look, I'm happy with the wins and hate to complain, but if you don't see trouble down the road based on how we're playing then don't be shocked when we drop more than 2 games the rest of the way.

If the team that’s shown up for our four wins, shows up the rest of the way, we’ll have one more loss (to Clemson) and end up either 10-2, or 9-3 (with an unexpected loss). If we steadily improve, we definitely go 10-2 with no unexpected loss. Both losses to Clemson.

I would say that’s a significant improvement from last year. Let’s see how it goes. If we even regress some, then it’s up in the air, we could end up with three or four losses. But I don’t see it happening, at least not at this point.

I am seeing steady improvement which I did not see last year. If this continues, it bodes well. That’s what we need to look for, continued stepwise improvement. In 2018 or 2019, we would have easily lost the Pittsburgh game from this year. I promise you that.

 

[Trav]

Not so much. Sims is a better QB than the guy who beat us last year. You will be fooled by the Clemson drubbing, but GT is better than last year, and Sims is the type of guy who could give us fits.

Agreed but it won't be nearly enough. Their defense still blows. Losing to GT this year would be FIU-level failure. I know you were unimpressed Saturday but you're going over the top on some stuff.

 

[grover]

If the team that’s shown up for our four wins, shows up the rest of the way, we’ll have one more loss (to Clemson) and end up either 10-2, or 9-3 (with an unexpected loss). If we steadily improve, we definitely go 10-2 with no unexpected loss. Both losses to Clemson.

I would say that’s a significant improvement from last year. Let’s see how it goes. If we even regress some, then it’s up in the air, we could end up with three or four losses. But I don’t see it happening, at least not at this point.

I am seeing steady improvement which I did not see last year. If this continues, it bodes well. That’s what we need to look for, continued stepwise improvement. In 2018 or 2019, we would have easily lost the Pittsburgh game from this year. I promise you that.

I also see us improving at most positions, and not getting worse anywhere. That was the opposite in 2019. King needs to bounce back. Hopefully Jarrid Williams is healthy going forward, too, as we still need more help at OT. But the rest should take care of itself as the young guys get more snaps.

 

[305407cane]

It is troubling that we have beaten fspoo loserville and spitt and won but we also beat those teams last year. And we beat Virginia last year also. Gonna have to wait until we play ****** tech, gatech, unc til I make any major declarations. Fuente had manny’s number last year big time.

I know you guys don’t wanna hear it but wake and the Wolfpack will be interesting games. I just get that bad feeling about those games

 

[DC3]

If Miami is average and UNC is average, who is above-average?

Everybody knows about the Clemson, Alabama and Georgia tier. Who currently belongs in the next tier?

The B1G teams start play either this week or next so I'd put Ohio state with those 3.

After that Ok State, Pedo State, Gators, A&M, Miami, UNC , ND, Wisco, Michigan, Cincy and BYU

 

[umiamifan1]

Watching this 2020 UM team has me caught between "we're better than last year" and "we were so horrible last year that we can be better and still not be all that good."

This is how most of us should feel, if we're being honest with ourselves. After seeing numerous "we'll probably win out" posts following the blowout loss to Clemson, I asked and continue to wonder how so many our fans could forget the last 15 years of Canes football? Dogfights-galore is exactly what I expect the rest of the season, most of the teams we play are interchangeable but we're not a great road team and VT is going to be an absolute battle. Given our propensity to drop conference games we shouldn't, I think we'll probably finish the season 8-3 which would at least demonstrate improvement. That said, Manny's not the guy to lead us back to national prominence IMO, and that will be confirmed this offseason if he again refuses to shake up the defensive staff.

 

[Go Canes!!]

This is how most of us should feel, if we're being honest with ourselves. After seeing numerous "we'll probably win out" posts following the blowout loss to Clemson, I asked and continue to wonder how so many our fans could forget the last 15 years of Canes football? Dogfights-galore is exactly what I expect the rest of the season, most of the teams we play are interchangeable but we're not a great road team and VT is going to be an absolute battle. Given our propensity to drop conference games we shouldn't, I think we'll probably finish the season 8-3 which would at least demonstrate improvement. That said, Manny's not the guy to lead us back to national prominence IMO, and that will be confirmed this offseason if he again refuses to shake up the defensive staff.

Because the last 15 years have ZERO to do with this season.

 

[umiamifan1]

Just wanted to add that the best coaches in football are never satisfied with being merely above average, like when Dabo fired Kevin Steele and replaced him with Venables to create one of the greatest modern dynasties in college football. Manny doesn't come off as ruthless to me, but if he expects us to ever be great again I think that he will need to be at some point. Kudos to him for addressing our special teams and offense but our defense has room for improvement and I hope that he'll recognize that.

 

[umiamifan1]

Because the last 15 years have ZERO to do with this season.

You can say that every year, yet every season we continue to finish in disappointing fashion. Those who fail to learn from their history will be doomed to repeat it.

 

[PIPO]

All the ACC teams we've beat this year we beat last year. Look, I'm happy with the wins and hate to complain, but if you don't see trouble down the road based on how we're playing then don't be shocked when we drop more than 2 games the rest of the way.

What are the 2 games you have us losing? V. Tech & UNC?

I personally don’t see them losing any of them but at most no more than 1 of those games, but I am optimistic type of guy.

Va. Tech & UNC defenses aren’t anywhere near the Clemson and Pitt Defenses nor will they face a good QB until Howell.

 

[TruCane81]

You don’t play Clemson every week, so what they do to you isn’t normal. We got 31 against the other two solid defenses we have played. That is a HUGE improvement over last year.

The disrupted offseason combined with Lashlee’s system/play calling and our weakness at receiver is causing the inconsistency on offense.

The struggle at wide receiver is known. @Lance Roffers told is in the offseason that the pass game would be perimeter oriented and that has been true.

Given what we have seen from our players, the problem is we don’t make teams pay for crashing the inside zone with their linebackers.

We only need a few more plays to open it up and get more efficient. We need to incorporate outside zone/stretch and some pitch plays. Speed option could really put opponents in a bind.

We have to attack the backers in the passing game sending multiple routes through the middle of the field at different levels and spaces. Create some confusion and make defenders chase man beater in breaking routes. It also leaves the flats open against man and increases the likely hood linebackers get caught in traffic, giving our running backs even more room
to work in the open field.

Working Pope and Harley short will help them and keep us ahead of the chains. Smith is the guy we have to use to make teams pay for the press man. If Wiggins is going to play weak, just keep increasing those guys reps. They can’t be any worse.

We can be more efficient on offense even with our limitations.

 

[BoxingRobes]

Great Effing post by the Legend and an outstandingly accurate take on where this Canes team is right now.

As someone posted on the WEZ, we couldn’t beat Clemson, but we could beat any of these other teams. Or they could beat us and we could go winless.

This is still a NY6 Bowl team that will get smoked in its Bowl Game if we were to play Georgia or the Gatah In the Orange Bowl RIGHT NOW.

At the end of the year, we might be a better team and we might be competitive in our Bowl game when it counts to show off in front of the recruits. And we desperately need to win that bowl game. We’ve been the Badgers’ bi*ch for too long

Right now, we’re middle of the pack That’s all we are, until this team shows us different.

This is a good post.

I said it recently, this team needs to re-learn how to win. You don't go from 6-7 to beating Clemson overnight or with a few changes to the function of your team (OC, new QB).

This team need to learn how to navigate a season, get up for games that are tough to get up for and still win when things don't go well.

Before we go 9-1 this year and go to the ACC Championship game and go on to a bowl game against a top team from the SEC/B1G...maybe let see if Miami can get to a bowl game and beat a moderately good team. I wouldn't want to see this team stroll into a Orange Bowl game or whatever against Georgia or a team like Penn State or Wisconsin in the Citrus Bowl.

 

[AmherstCane]

My dude, the difference between Pickett and Yellen is bigger than between King and Perry. I wouldn’t have felt confident going into this game if King wasn’t available for us and Pickett was fully healthy.

I just can’t wrap my mind around that. I don’t see Perry throwing for 277 with 1 TD and ZERO INTs against our defense with the amount of pressure we were getting (And I even have a misguided affinity for Perry). Yellen’s jersey looked like he was a linebacker.

I think Yellen did a heck of a job for Pitt... better than a lot of team’s starters.

Would Pickett have done better? Almost certainly so. But I’m not sure it’s clear how much better he would have done. And I DEFINITELY think there’s less difference between Pickett and Yellen than King and Perry based upon the little we’ve seen this season.

Perry folded under Clemson’s pressure. Yelled didn’t fold, and we got plenty of pressure.

 

[Dwinstitles]

LMAO. Not at all. You're in 10 different threads whining about how we're never going to be back, our players suck, bag teams don't want our recruits so they aren't good, etc. Chise gave a nuanced perspective, which even if I don't fully agree with all of it, I can respect. You just b*tch in every thread bro.

I reply to people who are super fried I guess that's what triggers me then. Dumb **** like we r a good team or this player is elite blah blah blah