2010 Cougar Football Expectations
by Brian Floyd on Aug 11, 2010 2:08 PM PDT
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PrintIt seems like everyone has been asking what we, as fans of WSU, expect from the Cougars this year. The football team has hit such a low point that expectations have become a point of curiosity outside of Cougar nation. Whether it's wondering if Paul Wulff can keep his job or if the football program can sink any lower, the questions about the 2010 season won't go away.
The more I think about it, the more I realize I have none. In terms of wins and losses, I'm not expecting anything. I don't care if the Cougs win 1 game or 10 games right now. Wins are unpredictable -- especially with the state of the program -- and trying to nail down a number feels hollow.
Does it matter if we expect the team to win three games and they win two? Is the season a rousing success if WSU jumps over an imaginary bar we, as fans, set for them? Judging success based on wins and losses seems like the wrong way to evaluate this team.
Instead, it's important for this young team to go out, compete, and play to the best of their ability for 60 minutes every week. If that results in a win, great. If it results in a loss, that's fine too. The program is at the point where wins and losses are the smaller issue. Continuing to build the foundation for a solid program -- and subsequently get players to buy in -- should be the goal.
The gap between WSU and the rest of the Pac-10 resembles the Grand Canyon heading into the 2010 season. The statistics from last year illustrate this point.
| WSU | 9th Place Team | |
|---|---|---|
| Yards per game | 248.6 | 334.4 |
| Passing yds/gm | 177.9 | 180.3 |
| Rushing yds/gm | 70.7 | 114.6 |
| Scoring | 12 | 21.8 |
Oregon, by the way, was the 9th place team in passing yards per game.
The Cougs were not only last in the Pac-10 in every major statistical category, but near the bottom of the NCAA. It wasn't just that WSU was bad; it became a chore just to watch them play on Saturdays. Games just weren't enjoyable in person or on TV.
Part of the problem last year was games were over before they began. The Cougs were outscored 162-6 in the first quarter of games, only scoring in the first quarter in two contests. When broken down on a per game basis, opponents scored more in the first quarter than the Cougs did in a whole game, on average. It's tough to settle in to watch a game when it's over before the first bathroom break.
There's no doubt in my mind the Cougs will be improved. They finally have some talent and depth at enough positions to be able to compete and absorb some of the wear and tear that comes with Pac-10 football. The gap between WSU and the rest of the conference is still so large that improvement may not immediately result in wins, however.
As bad as that all may seem, it's important to remember the Cougs are going through some serious growing pains. Not "ouch I'm sore" pains, but "I think my arm just fell off and I threw out my back" pains. At the same time, we're watching a program being built from the ground up. There was almost literally nothing when Paul Wulff got here, giving him a blank slate to shape the program. We knew it would be a rough process, but bemoaning that fact won't speed it up.
So for this year, I want to see the youth movement and the continued maturation of the Cougs. I want to see Jeff Tuel mature as the starting quarterback, James Montgomery make a return to the field, and the enthusiastic youthful defense flying around the field. I want to see the team continue to learn lessons and lay a solid foundation on which to build a program that can be sustained for years to come. To me, that's better than setting a bar and judging success based on whether they meet or exceed it. Besides, it's much more enjoyable to walk into a season without expectations.
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That chart makes me sad.
Passing yards made me less sad for a moment until I read “Oregon, by the way, was the 9th place team in passing yards per game.”
I did the same thing when looking at the stats
9th in passing, 1st in rushing, 1st in overall yards. Their running game and spread option attack was that good.
For the record, the 8th place team in passing yards, Stanford, threw for 209.4 ypg.
That's where I'm at
I’ve wrestled with it for a while now and I can’t come up with expectations to determine whether a season is a success or failure.
Instead, I’m at the point where I’m excited to see the program continue to evolve. I want to see the younger guys play on Saturday and the team to continue to grow. I’ll be happy if we win, but as long as we continue to improve and show signs of life, I think I’ll be happy too.
Its gonna be like christmas where you asked for something reeaallly expensive.
Its not impossible that you might get what you asked for, so you get your hopes up. But its not very likely, either.
you don't care if we win 10 games?
find that hard to believe
This pretty much sums it up
I exaggerated a bit, but I want to see the process continue to play out. I think the process we’re undertaking is correct, though I’m still not completely sure. If it results in wins, of course I’ll be happy.
by Brian Floyd on Aug 11, 2010 2:41 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
When I look at this...
It somehow reminds me of stats.
by well you win some and lose others on Aug 11, 2010 10:48 PM PDT up reply actions
My expectations are pretty simple
I expect to see a prepared team even if they are totally overmatched. I expect to see a team that is motivated from top to bottom. Seeing comments from players about how the team wasn’t into it is a huge problem. Give me a year like 2000 and I’ll be elated.
Those 1st Quarter numbers are brutal! You score 6 points the entire year? You have up a lot more 1st Quarter points than you manage in all 4 quarter for the year? That simply cannot happen again.
oh my
I’m going to take everything before the jump, change names, and post it on ATQ regarding my expectations for Oregon basketball.
--Dave
Addicted to Quack, your friendly, neighborhood Oregon Ducks blog
Now that I look at it, the parallels work
Obviously we’re farther in the hole and it’s much harder to rebuild in football, but this works for the 2011 Oregon basketball team.
it was a weird season
we were totally noncompetitive in every game we lost.
We only won two games the year before. Nothing resembling a basketball system was in place either year.
Then we promptly lost half the team.
Whatever success we had last year was dumb luck (see Cougfan’s diagram above). Oregon basketball is dreadful.
--Dave
Addicted to Quack, your friendly, neighborhood Oregon Ducks blog
Yep
Looking strictly at W/L doesn’t paint the whole picture about where the basketball team is. This year, breaking in a new coach, new players, and dealing with the personnel losses may make for a painful season.
It’s basically the same thing the WSU football team is going through, except in a sport where rebuilding is a quicker process.
I'd argue that this post will be much more applicable to Oregon hoops in 2012
You’re going to just see a lot of transition this year. A lot of roster turnover after the year’s over, too.
0-12
It doesn’t matter if we lose every game as long as I see a glimmer of hope. I don’t want the games to be over in the 1st quarter or 1st half. The Montana loss would be hard, but I would get over it. As I said in a previous post, I would like to see better special teams play, because that means we have better depth and more athletes. Also, I think we may be a year away from the D-line and O-line being consistently effective. Games are won in the trenches, plus the lines give more time for the playmakers — QBs, RBs, WRs, LBs and DBs. I also hope Montgomery gets a medical redshirt for last year.
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
No, it does matter.
If we don’t beat Montana State then we have BIG problems. I also believe that only one team from this state should be afforded the honor of a winless season.
Hey, Michigan -- the "storied program" -- lost to Appalachian State a few years ago.
Let’s not get D-1 cocky.
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
I agree with jj
it does matter. we’re supposed to be past the nadir of the program and on our way up.
As indicated in the article by Brian (cougfan)
“on our way up” doesn’t necessarily mean wins…even if it is MSU.
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
I understand because it is MSU,
but I guess you guys are gauging the season by a win or loss to MSU. How if we lose to MSU then lose overtime games to Oregon, USC and then lose a close one to Stanford and then win the Apple Cup and end up 1-12? Is that considered “on our way up?”
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
Then I really hope we don't lose.
Colorado won 2 conference games after losing to MSU and went to a bowl game the following year. It think it would be premature to get on the Fire Wulff bandwagon, especially after seeing CU. That was Hawkins 2nd year and he definitely had more to work with than Wulff.
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
I agree as well.
My only expectations this year are to beat Montana State and be competative with at least the lower Pac-10 teams. If they lose to Montana State and aren’t competative, a change needs to be made.
We can still lose to MSU
and be competitive. That is my point. The article above is asking how we are judging the season. My point was that I am not going to just judge the season by a loss to MSU. Yes, it will be a horrible loss, but how we lost and how we handled it and how we played the rest of the season regardless of wins and losses I think is Brian’s point. I hope people are not hinging this season on the MSU game.
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
Possibly
but I think a loss there would kill this young team. Their confidence would be shot and I’m not sure how well they would do after that. I honestly think this coaching staffs future depends on that game. Unless they somehow lost and then found a way to win 2 pac-10 games later in the season.
As I said above,
CU that in 2006.
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
correct
I don’t think anybody is saying that if we lose against MSU the season will be a bust regardless. If we win a few games afterward we’ll look at the MSU game and just say we overlooked them or whatnot. But I think we can all agree that losing to MSU would be a barometer for the rest of the season and feel that it shows how young and inexperienced we really are.
So, we aren’t saying the season is terrible because we lost to MSU but we lost to MSU because we aren’t at the competitive level we want to be at.
The article was written to see
what we are looking for in the season besides wins or loses. I guess MSU is the exception for many. My point was that I don’t mind the loss as long as we are competitive 70% of the time this season.
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
Neither would I
If we are successful after MSU, that game will be something in our rearview mirror
But I think that if we do lose to MSU, it will most likely mean we aren’t at the competitive level we want to be at, hence an unsuccessful season. I hope and pray that won’t be the case, but thats what I think other people are getting at when they are saying a loss to MSU would ruin the season…that and the crippling affect it may have on the young team’s psyche…
When Michigan lost,
they were not predicted to as bad as we are this year and Montana State is a decent program. In 2006 MSU beat Colorado a supposedly “Pac-10 Caliber” team. CU was 2-10 that year, but probably better than we currently are, they beat Texas Tech and Iowa State that year — that is two Big12 conference wins. I bet CU thought that MSU would be a win that year, just like many Cougs will. But the good news is, CU went 6-7 the next year and lost in a bowl game.
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
I just don't think we can afford a loss to those guys.
Its going to be week 2, so barring cataclysmic injuries against OKst we should be healthy. I also don’t think we’ll be ‘overlooking’ anyone like Michigan certainly did and Colorado probably did as well. With these two things in mind, I just can’t see us losing to MSU and being competitive with the rest of our schedule. I’ll take improvement in every other game. In this one, I need results.
We can't afford a loss to them
And granted MSU isn’t a terrible team, but they are an FCS team. The perception of the program if we lose to MSU will be more than ugly.
It is ugly
but Michigan is recovering, but I would understand the point that it is easier for Michigan to recover than it would be for WSU.
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
It is easier for them.
That’s why this game frightens me so much. A small-to-moderate confidence boost if we win, a devastating blow if we don’t. (feverishly knocks on wood)
there's a difference between ASU beating Michigan and us potentially losing to MSU
when App St won, it was viewed as an upset of epic proportions, one where everyone will always remember where they were when it happened.
If MSU beats us, it will have shades of us actually being worse than an FCS school.
I'm glad we're playing MSU
and not Montana. the Griz are tough.
I'm glad we're playing MSU
Simply because getting your face kicked in prevents you from learning much. This should be an opportunity for the team to grow in an environment where the starters can be successful together, and should provide an environment where the coaches can work on some things.
by Jeff Nusser on Aug 12, 2010 11:29 AM PDT up reply actions
I would be scared to play a lot of FCS teams.
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
From the comments I have read...
on this thread everyone is judging the success of this team based on the Montana State game.
Judging success based on wins and losses seems like the wrong way to evaluate this team.
.
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
Not necessarily
For the state of the program, and probably the mindset of the players, a loss to MSU could be crippling in the eyes of many.
cause and effect
I think you’re thinking they’re saying that the season will be bad because we lose to MSU
but really what I think they are saying is we lost to MSU because we were bad
that's cougfan's opinion
not necessarily the opinion of every coug fan
Exactly
I’m advocating looking at the process. As such, if we do lose to MSU, it may be time to seriously question the process. And I don’t think nor speak for everyone.
BUT
would you question the process if two weeks later USC came to town and the cougs pulled a great upset?
sounds like the Simpson's episode
where they want to tear down the brothel, then some of the town’s folk sing a song about how great the brothel is, followed by Chief Wiggins declaring “now we love the house”
Personally, I'm going to try to stay away from evaluating everything until I see enough to do so
I think it’ll take a whole season to do that. My feeling is that a loss to MSU would create instantaneous backlash, though.
As you said,
Instead, it’s important for this young team to go out, compete, and play to the best of their ability for 60 minutes every week. If that results in a win, great. If it results in a loss, that’s fine too.
with the exception of a loss to MSU.
That is what I have gatherer from everyone on the thread. Competitive in most of the games and a win against MSU is what Coug fans are looking for.
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
And everyone has their own opinion on it
I’m not going to chalk anything up as a win or a loss going into the season because it’s impossible to do given the state of the program and variables involved in a season of college football.
I think from the fanbase as a whole, you’re going to see some serious backlash if the team goes 0-12, losing to MSU in the process.
I understand that,
but if we go 0-12 and lose some heartbreakers, have some players make 1st and 2nd team Pac-10 among other accolades then people might be softer on Wulff, but I do agree wins and loses talk. I think regardless of what happens Wulff gets another year. Unless, it was as bad as last year and we lose to MSU in overtime.
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
I guess I'm looking for a way to evaluate performance outside of wins and losses
It doesn’t mean they’re completely irrelevant, but setting a bar of X wins and judging the season based on that isn’t how I’m looking at it right now.
Agreed.
but I think many readers see MSU as bar. I understand what people are seeing with the MSU game, but don’t totally agree with it. I can’t wait to see how this season plays out.
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
sorry I meant - a bar - forgot the a
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
You cited one...
…first half scoring differential speaks to a coaching staff’s game plan and the players’ ability to execute (I.e. preparation). I would think that this would be an excellent stat to watch as wulff’s game day ability is a key question for WSU
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
If we lose to MSU,
I think it might be okay if the young player respond with a win against SMU the next week. I will add, SMU is going to be much better this year and it is a SMU home game.
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
losing to MSU would be an even newer low
if such a thing exists.
NDSU beat Minn a few years ago
And didn’t Troy hang with a certain SEC power through 4 quarters last year? It happens.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
My dad's an NDSU alum
And went to that game. Brought me back a t-shirt. And I don’t think they won, but they did out play the gophers and lost on a last second field goal
by tclaus on Aug 12, 2010 7:57 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
All of this maybe talk
is making me want the season to start even more so we can start talking about actual events haha.
Lets spank these MSU Bobcats
and move on with the rest of season.
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
I know I'm late to this conversation
But I couldn’t agree more with Brian. Wins have to be secondary. Building what can be long lasting is what’s really important.
What’s the actual difference between one win and three wins? Or even zero wins and three wins? Granted, you always want wins. It makes everyone feel good. But in the grand scheme of things, what are we really building towards? To me, it’s getting back to 9- and 10-win seasons. In that respect, does it really matter if we win three games this year? Do you have to win three to win six the next year, and 10 the year after that?
I don’t think so. If the lack of wins start compromising the rebuilding process — like, if we start seeing recruits bailing because of a lack of wins — then it becomes a different conversation. But if the guys he’s brought into the program really start to show they belong, and we know the guys he’s bringing in next year are of similar caliber … then wins are irrelevant to me this year.
the way I look at it is
there is no difference between 1-5 (sometimes 6) wins. No bowl = no bowl. (excluding zero wins, that’s just sad).
there are 2 types of bowls, Rose (or a BCS) and the rest. The holiday bowl is nice but it’s still an also ran. What’s the difference between the emerald and sun bowls? Wait, the cougs really need to go to the Vegas bowl. We will be there this year. I never said I was sane.
back to expectations. I expect to have fun at every home game and one road game. A lot of fun.
I am pretty sure most of us
would take 5 wins right now and feel very good about the program moving forward. Getting to 5 with 3 or 4 other close losses would look good to me.
Sadly speaking from experience
0-12 is hell. There is nothing that makes it even a little bit better. No matter what you do, it will never go away. Being slightly competitive in a few games doesn’t help. I see how you might not care about any wins after the 1st, but you do not want to experience 0-12, trust me.
There were so many other factors in play that season, though
That ship was sinking. The biggest issue with that 0-12 is that most everybody thought that team had the talent to win at least three or four games. Willingham was finishing off his final attempts at alienating people, and it was capped with the final indignity of losing to a terrible WSU team.
I know 0-12 is terrible. I know nobody wants it. And because our 0-12 would involve a loss to a FCS team, maybe it would be just as bad. But I don’t think so.
It is just as bad
maybe not worse…but it’s still a big 0fer…and it never goes away.
UW could run the table and win a NC this year, but I guarantee that some asshole broadcaster will say “From 0-12 to National Champions in just 2 years!”
You won't need a broadcaster
We’ll be happy to do it for you.
by Jeff Nusser on Aug 11, 2010 11:21 PM PDT up reply actions
I think that WSU will shock either UCLA or ASU this year. Combine that with a win against Montana State, and you get a one-game improvement from last year.
AtQ's Resident Baseball Purist.
by TennesseeQuackAttack8 on Aug 11, 2010 9:02 PM PDT reply actions
UCLA is a best bet...
… but that ASU defense is kind of nasty. I’ve not seen too many LBs come through that are more talented that Crazy Pills Burfict. I think they are better than most people give them credit. Arizona, with a coaching overhaul, might be prone to an upset. Which of the Ariz schools come to Pullman this year?
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
Yes, you guys visit Tempe and Arizona goes to Pullman.
But I’d say UCLA is WSU’s best bet.
AtQ's Resident Baseball Purist.
by TennesseeQuackAttack8 on Aug 12, 2010 1:56 PM PDT up reply actions
even better than a best bet.
I’m calling the upset right now. WSU beats UCLA in the Rose Bowl after the WSU D forces four turnovers (three interceptions and one QB fumble off a sack) and wins 13-7.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
Biggest reason they won't lose to MSU
Mike Kramer. I got the chance to talk to him at one of the Foundation events and I asked him if he wanted to beat MSU. He said that they were going to crush them. I think Wulff will get the team fired up for that game if for no other reason than for the bennefit of Mike Kramer.
By the way, if you're wondering if the team can weather the storm and survive some losses
I suggest you listen to the podcast Jeff did with Paul Wulff yesterday. He addresses those exact questions in it.
Mental toughness is key
if this team is going to show improvement and be able to hang around for all 60 minutes they’ll have to be able to bounce back after giving up a big play. Blackledge touched on that on KJR today and it’s going to be crucial in order to stay competitive.
Aside from that I expect to see a team that brings a much higher level of intensity and plays with a chip on their shoulder. They’re still young and there’s going to be mistakes, but make mistakes at full speed, play defense with bad intentions, and knock the snot out of few individuals along the way.
Cannot afford to lose to MSU
And it won’t happen. Even in Paul Wulffs first year, arguably his worst, we beat an FCS school.
For this season, here is what I expect:
1) Better O-Line. This has got to be the number one priority. I can’t handle watching our QBs get the Not Another Teen Movie treatment anymore.
2) Not get blown out right away. We will probably still lose a few games by wide margins, but I don’t expect to be playing the other schools 2nd teams for 3 quarters of a game.
3) Win over MSU, possibly a victory over ASU or UCLA. Although, the Cougs have not won a road game since AC 07.
4) A light at the end of the tunnel. At the end of this season I expect that we will no longer be a team that gets written off as a complete joke.
by B-Lot tailgater on Aug 12, 2010 8:49 AM PDT reply actions
As long as the side effect of that PSU game doesn't happen (QBs being killed)
A light at the end of the tunnel. At the end of this season I expect that we will no longer be a team that gets written off as a complete joke.
Well said.
RE: QBs during PSU game
This made me more angry than anything that has happened in the Paul Wulff era thus far. How we could let that happen against PSU was flat out pathetic.
by B-Lot tailgater on Aug 12, 2010 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions
It was almost entirely due to missed assignments on the offensive line.
Hopefully, the coaching change helps with that …
by Jeff Nusser on Aug 12, 2010 11:06 AM PDT up reply actions
It's sad....
I expect the Cougs to beat MSU, and hope they compete with the rest of the teams they face just like most of you. However, I expect improvement in the form of a few more wins. If the Cougs are truly competitive than you should expect wins. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and again. I hate reading posts where the blogger wrote they don’t care if the team goes 0-12 or 1-11 as long as the team is competitive. The game is played to win, not simply compete. I was spoiled when I was at WSU. My first year was Price and Leaf going to the Rose Bowl. There were 2 years following that that were terrible with the whole Mencke and Birnbaum debacle, but resulted in Gesser taking the helm. My point is WSU can be successful and we, as fans and alumni, need to start expecting more out of our school and team. Paul Wulff hopefully has built the foundation for success, it’s time we start seeing some proof in the form of wins. Stadium attendance, alumni donations, facility upgrades and recruiting depend on it. Winning determines our future.
by Lone_Star's_Ghost on Aug 12, 2010 9:01 AM PDT reply actions
The point is that there's more than one way to get to that point
Being “competitive” is not the end goal. Getting back to 9-10 wins consistently is the goal. So, in that respect, Brian and I just happen to think that being competitive and seeing definitive signs that the foundation for 9- and 10-win seasons is being laid. To me, that’s much more important than how many games we win. Less than six and you aren’t going to a bowl, so I don’t really find trying to pin down the number of wins as all that important.
by Jeff Nusser on Aug 12, 2010 10:15 AM PDT up reply actions
What do our expectations have to do with it though?
The way I see it, expectations are a personal feeling, or a bar that we individually set to determine whether or not the season was a success. Expecting something out of the football team really has no bearing on their performance. As bad as last year was, season ticket sales are on pace to exceed the sales from last year (yes, Apple Cup helps too, but still).
It’s my belief that in the situation we’re in — and with the enormous gap between WSU and everyone else still lingering — that the team should be judged on other things. It’s part of the rebuilding process that we’re having to go to and expecting that process to be over this year is unrealistic. More likely, it’ll be next year.
When, and I do mean when, the team is better then we set the bar wherever we want. For now, I hope they stay on message, keep their heads down, and keep grinding. If they do, it’ll turn into wins sooner rather than later.
by Brian Floyd on Aug 12, 2010 10:16 AM PDT up reply actions
We also have to look at reality.
You may hate it if any of us write that we can handle a 0-12 or 1-11 season. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t upset about 0-12, but I would feel better if we saw tremendous growth in that. That is how I could handle it. This season we could be in every game down to the wire and still lose, it just happens that blind squirrel doesn’t find a nut – the nut could be a year away. This is not considered complacency, it is reality, we are rebuilding. I believe that most of the readers that have been reading this site for a few years now understand where this comes from. Yes, WSU can be successful and we all understand that, that is why we want to see this program going in the right direction and we really hate where we are at. We have been to more Rose Bowls in the last 20 years than 6 other Pac-10 teams, only USC, Oregon and UW have been to more or the same amount. Fact is Doba (who is a great guy) was going through a lot and left the cupboard completely empty. It was ugly and I don’t think most fans know how bad it was. The point of Brian’s article above was how do we measure this teams success besides wins or loses? I hope we do see wins, but I am not going make that my single measuring device. Fact is we have more uphill battles to deal with in Pullman than most other Pac-10 schools and we have to build our program differently. This isn’t USC, Alabama or Texas, where wins are their only measuring stick. Hopefully, some day we will be there or close (because I don’t want to be like those schools, that’s why I am a Coug). We are in baby steps mode right now and think next year will be a true year to look more at wins and loses. I think Moos also determines our future. If he can get funding during this tough time he can make a difference in get good recruits here with great facilities, just like he did ant Oregon. Yes, a blind squire can find a nut every once in while, but the discussion of this article was what other ways are we looking at measuring this season besides wins and loses.
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
This is not considered complacency, it is reality, we are rebuilding. I believe that most of the readers that have been reading this site for a few years now understand where this comes from.
Is that a round about way of saying keep those opinions to yourself new guy? Yes, we should be realistic about where were gonna be this year, but let’s get excited too, I want more than anything to see us kick the sh*t out of some team that’s sleeps on us this year (ucla) that’s something that is much more realistic this year than the previous 2
Trust me, I am ecstatic about this season. I can't wait unitl Sept. 4th.
No, I wasn’t trying to be harsh at all. Everyone has a right to their own opinion, that is why we are here. This particular article/thread was about judging the team on something besides wins and losses. I just think most people on here generally understand who we are and what the program is trying to do. I don’t think there are any Debbie Downers that frequent this site when it comes to the Cougs. This might not yet be the year to judge by wins and loses. I was just trying to point out the overall understand of the Cougar reader base that we have seen here over the years. We understand we might lose a lot of games this year, but this article’s point was to asses this team on more than just wins. It was for fun conversation. I hope we kick Neuheisal’s butt. I am pumped to see more peeps adding to the discussion. And yes I hope that blind squirrel finds 4 nuts this year in Pac10 play.
"They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time." - Brian Fantana
"Is that a round about way of saying keep those opinions to yourself new guy?"
Not at all. Keep the good thoughts coming.
by Jeff Nusser on Aug 13, 2010 12:35 PM PDT up reply actions
Agreed
There’s no wrong answer to this at all. I was offering a different way to look at it, but there’s validity in any way of thinking about the season. It’s all subjective.
by Brian Floyd on Aug 13, 2010 12:53 PM PDT up reply actions
I understand your point.
I just disagree with it. What will recruits judge the team by next year? There are lots of elements, and the ability to win is one of the most important. So, right now I guess I am expecting the Cougs to be competitive, however I am hopeful that competitiveness will result in a few down to the wire wins. MSU, (hopefully not down to the wire), SMU and maybe ASU could be real possibilities. Why not expect wins? I am a Coug, I am used to my heart being broken, so I’ll keep my hopes up.
by Lone_Star's_Ghost on Aug 13, 2010 9:40 AM PDT reply actions
Coming off a terrible year last year, we're sitting on 11 commits right now
Whatever the staff is selling (and it sounds like they’re selling the tradition and rebuilding process) is working, even with the losses mounting up. You’d think recruiting would’ve taken a dip this year, especially looking at Doba’s last year, but it just hasn’t.
by Brian Floyd on Aug 13, 2010 12:25 PM PDT up reply actions
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