With slightly more than one month to go before the 2015 season kicks off, as with every past year, the excitement is growing. Only this year it is accompanied with increasing expectations. For the past several years I "hoped" things would be better than they actually were. Last year, I had higher expectations...and to a degree those were met. After all, it had been a few years since we won five games (I was expecting six), but it was an obvious improvement. But this year I fully expect to see a greatly improved product on the field. Not as good as it is going to get in the next year or two, but certainly an improvement over last season, and a huge improvement over the previous 3 or 4 years. We have a great recruiting staff, and I believe, once the new talent level is on the field and has some game experience, we are going to see some great game-time coaching from the sidelines. The month of August always seems to drag too slowly as the anticipation grows. Can't wait for the first kick off...but this year...this year, I believe our growing excitement and increasing expectations are going to become realities on the field.
Growing Excitement / Increasing Expectations
- Thread starter dyersburgcatfan
- Start date
I'm hopeful for 7, but definitely expecting at least 6. Anything less, and dissension will begin to rear it's ugly head. There's really only 2 games I'm writing off as an absolute loss. I know they won't win 9, but 7 shouldn't be out of the question. It's a very important year for Stoop's and the Cat's. The improvements and recruiting are great, but results are needed on the field. Now.
I'd be very surprised with more than 7, anything between 5-7 seems probable. The good news for Stoops is regardless of how the season plays out he is more than safe for at least the next two years and probably the next 3 years. I think 6-7 regular season wins is a reasonable expectation of improvement; of course if UK were in a different conference I think it's safe to assume UK could win 8-9 games this season. It's just nearly impossible to win at that level in the SEC within 3 years unless the resources were already in place, even where they are 3 years is difficult. People like to point to Auburn's 2013 turnaround as proof that it can be done, but Auburn had the personnel and more importantly had personnel tailored specifically for Malzahn's system. He basically took over a team with players he had personally selected. Stoops is building from the ground up and that kind of rebuild usually takes 4 years or more.
Right there with you brother. I think we can get 8 if the ball rolls right, 6 is reasonable, and hoping for 7. Just tough to say until we really know what we have with the defense.
I said in another thread 5-7 to 7-5. UK will only be as good as it recruits and that will still take time. However, Stoops and company are hitting home runs on the recruiting trail and I have never been this excited about football since I was a kid during the mid 70s. IF Stoops can somehow win 7 games and a bowl game, I think the momentum with another stellar record next year could propel UK to a top 10 recruiting class in 2017 and 2018. I don't think it's a reach to be in the running for a SEC title game in 2018.
Honestly I think 6 wins and a bowl win would give them the momentum needed as long as the season closes on a high note. Had last season been a 5 win season spread out over the entire season it would have been seen as more of a success than it was. Because it ended on a 6 game losing streak it felt worse.
I agree. The team was literally beat down from the back loaded schedule. It needed that open date in that meat grinder stretch of the season more than it did before the UL game.
We absolutely MUST win 6 games and go to a bowl to keep the momentum train on the tracks. If we do (I believe we will), the sky's the limit with the new stadium, training facilities and continued top shelf recruiting. How the defense responds to this season will mean the difference between 6-8 wins.
No - it's not a 'must' that we win 6 but winning at least six and going bowling is a goal of the team. If we fall a game short of that it won't be the end of the world but I really don't think we'll face that eventuality.
I agree 6 wins isn't a must. I don't think there is an amount that is "must win" because I don't think Stoops would be fired even if he won 2 games. That said, bigblue is probably right that 6 wins are necessary to continue the momentum. Stoops has been getting the benefit of the doubt because of his recruiting and because of improvements in the win column. Another 3-5 win season and recruits will start questioning the plan. Half the team would have to go down with injuries to get only 3 wins IMO.
I'm getting more excited now that it's finally August. This month is when sports media starts digging into pre season talk. As I have mentioned I think UK gets six to seven wins.
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