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Record vs. "Improvement"

ghost2

ghost2

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Question for the board -

Let's say for the sake of argument our record this year is 8-4 regular season, just missing the ACCCG but a bowl win gets us to 9-4. Let's assume also that our defense is top-30 (stay with me...) Our offense sustains drives and at times looks unstoppable - we blow out some lower-tier teams, play the good ones close BUT our freshman QB (Olsen or Kaaya or Rosier or whomever) costs us at least one game, maybe even two with an ill-timed INT, costly fumble, failed last drive, etc.

How would you judge a season like that? Failure? Success? Both?
 
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ghost2 said:
Question for the board -

Let's say for the sake of argument our record this year is 8-4 regular season, just missing the ACCCG but a bowl win gets us to 9-4. Let's assume also that our defense is top-30 (stay with me...) Our offense sustains drives and at times looks unstoppable - we blow out some lower-tier teams, play the good ones close BUT our freshman QB (Olsen or Kaaya or Rosier or whomever) costs us at least one game, maybe even two with an ill-timed INT, costly fumble, failed last drive, etc.

How would you judge a season like that? Failure? Success? Both?
Click to expand...

i'd call it same ****, different year. improvements mean nothing if we don't win those games. we'll have been in the acc for a decade this season and still haven't been to the conference championship game.
 
Get it done this year, no excuses. That's how I judge Year 4. Anything less than winning the Coastal is pure failure.
 
I've considered similar hypothetical situations and I think the combination of definitive defensive improvement AND offensive potential, particularly at QB, AND a bowl win would probably buy Golden (and D'Onofrio) another year.

A few factors to consider in your scenario:
-whether the freshman QB shows an ability to "bounce back" from costing us a game (or making boneheaded plays in general), OR whether one mistake-prone freshman is replaced by another who outperforms him (say, Olsen loses us a few but Kaaya steps in and tears it up).
-how close we play fsu. the gap was too big last year, and i don't expect to win this season, but we disappeared in the second half
-whether our bowl win is impressive; if we beat a solid SEC team convincingly, for example, it could set things up for a lot of 2015 hype
-HEALTH and depth; i'm not even going to name names because I don't want to jinx us. But injuries happen and our roster needs to show that it's deeper than its been in a long time.
 
Taking your hypothetical situation as a whole (I don't think that will happen...I think we finally win the Coastal this year)...I think that it will get nitpicked to death by those who enjoy doing that sort of thing, those who are calling for Golden/NoDFrio's head now will get louder, and those who tend to focus on the positive will continue to do that.

There are some people who would complain about an 11-1 season, no matter what. There are some people who will stay positive if we somehow dip below .500 this season. There are folks in between that see the good and the bad...and unless something happens to perk them up or make them snap...they'll remain there.

I would judge a season like that as good because of a bowl win to hopefully set up 2015 to be a better year (especially if we recruit well for the '15 class), but I'd have major reservations about the QB spot. You can be hyper-talented, but if you can't win the big one or perform your best in crucial situations, then you're only "good" and not great...think Aaron Murray at UGA.

TL;DR: Both a success/failure. A little of both. Missed opportunities and losses are still just that even if they're narrow margins, and are just as much, if not moreso, maddening.
 
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No more losing to teams with inferior talent. If our defense is truly is better, we don't have to worry about 4 losses. 10 wins or bust this year for Al.

Very worried about the lack of Oline depth. Outside of that, we have the talent to win.
 
coastal or bust!!

VT is breaking in a new QB and losing to duke back to back years is humiliating
 
I'd say it was a success, and depending on early declarations to the draft from a few key guys, 2015 would could be a huge year given that specific scenario.
 
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Not a success. We have more talent than every team we play with the exception of FSU. Win the ACC coastal, win 10 games that is the bare minimum requirement for this season or should be for every canes fan.
 
Time to really blow this thread up - would you all agree that Duke is the favorite to win the Coastal this year? (Defending champs, return a LOT of starters, etc. etc.)
 
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ghost2 said:
Time to really blow this thread up - would you all agree that Duke is the favorite to win the Coastal this year? (Defending champs, return a LOT of starters, etc. etc.)
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the writers will have it like this IMO

Miami
UNC
Duke
VT
GT
PITT
UVA
 
I just don't see how the casual sportswriter would put us at the top of the division considering how we ended last season. So if we beat Duke this year, did we "overachieve"? :p


I'm such a pot-stirrer...
 
The only improvement is ACTUAL IMPROVEMENT

2011: 3-5 ACC
2012: 5-3 ACC
2013: 5-3 ACC
2014: __________

If Al went 6-2 in the ACC this year, that is actual improvement.

If Al went 5-3 in the ACC this year, that is remaining the status quo.

Like I have said before....here is the low bar

1. I want to improve in the ACC,
2. I want to win the coastal, and
3. I want to win 10 games

It would be cool to beat FSU too.
 
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We have to win more ACC games, beating the crap out of those we should and stop getting the crap beat out us by anyone. A close loss to top teams where we are in the game and they are sweating at the end instead of dancing would be improvement. We got passed by Duke last year--that is unacceptable. They were the better team -- that is unacceptable. We have to stop making every one we play look like they are heading to the NC game.
 
At the end of the day, if I can confidently say we are not taking steps backwards and are moving forward then the season was a success IMO.
 
8-4 doesn't even warm up the seat for Al and Co. now anything less, and a horrid D, and he's going to have to blow 2015 out of the water...

The funny thing is that we say "we should beat "x" team because they're breaking in a new QB".. completely disregarding that we too, are in that situation, and that it's now a Redshirt freshman instead a a Rs SR...
 
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