I will add to this:
By "every game you're supposed to"....there are 7 of them. Ohio's Miami, Bethune, Temple, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Louisville, Boston College. Those must be 7-0. It's Year 2, you're much more talented than all those teams (I will hear arguments of Louisville being a tougher game than the rest, but it is at home). This has to be 7-0.
You only have to go 2-3 against the other 5 teams to win 9 games this year. A&M, UNC, NC State, Clemson, FSU. Have to win AT LEAST 1 of those. 0 would be a disaster. One would be disappointing. Two would be solid. Three would be great. Four would be a dream. Five and there's no chance I'll be able to put on pants until March or April.
So this is all I'm really looking for. Win those 7 "easier" games. Be competitive in the other 5, and win absolute minimum one of them, hopefully two. That would be 9-3 with no terrible losses, no blowouts, and would show clear progress.