We'll never progress if we're still in constant death struggles with teams like NC State, VT, and GT. That's what we've been doing over the last 15 years, and it's been a recipe for trash because, eventually, when you slog it up with everyone, you wind up losing some of them.
We need to start playing to our potential. Do that, and and the fans will start buying in. Keep playing like **** and eeking out wins against awful teams, and the skepticism will remain. At the end of the day, yes, wins are what matters, but to truly progress as a team, you need to play better football. Win, but play better too.