Realistic Expectations Now?

[Grumpyolddawg]

I wouldn't call it an expectation but winning the SEC should be the goal. We are better on paper than everyone left on our schedule except for Georgia who we have at home.

All depends on how healthy we can be the rest of the season.

Beating Georgia is no longer a monumental task but is too far away to even contemplate right now. UT looks really dangerous. Ole Miss can still outscore people. MSU IS ALWAYS a tough victory to earn.

Georgia has the depth to be a brick wall come November, but if we get/stay healthy, I think we can run through it.

Ole Miss won't allow us to turn the ball over or miss scoring opportunities if we're going to win that game.

Same goes for UT and their defense is even better than Ole Miss. We need out defensive line to be disruptive and our DBs to play extremely well in this one.

Vanderbilt plays better against ranked opponents, and it IS a rivalry game. They will beat us if we overlook them.

MSU will beat us if we think we can just walk out there and get a vic. We will be getting everyone's best game from here on out, and this is when we see how well the foundation is built and how far along we truly are. I lean towards winning out in the regular season, but injuries can change that real quickly. I hope we are ready to have to go 3 deep some games.

UK is a real threat to beat us. I think it would have been better catching us early as the new starters are settling in on D.

 

[backinky2018]

I think we lose two from here on out and finish in the Sugar Bowl with the best record of the modern era. Georgia and either UT or MS St. what say you?

I think it's VERY reasonable to expect 9-3. I think 8-4 would be disappointing. I think 10-2 is realistic (on the optimistic side) and is probably the second most probable outcome.

Less than 8-4 would be catastrophic considering we have the UF scalp already on our wall.

11-1 is possible, but a long shot. And a dream b/c it means we're a lock for sugar and a decent shot at the playoff.

12-0. Pinch me.

 

[EliteBlue]

On paper should be 11-1 but we drop to Ole Miss, TN and Georgia

This. I think we end up dropping 2 of those and end up 10-2

 

[Magilla Gorillla]

UK is a real threat to beat us. I think it would have been better catching us early as the new starters are settling in on D.

I hope so but you guys look ridiculous again this year. The class of college football.

 

[CrimsonCats]

Still too early for me to have a good feel for our team yet. The offense hasn’t totally impressed me yet, but the good news is that there’s a lot of room for improvement if the line can solidify, especially once C-Rod comes back.

We’ve been pretty good so far on defense, but the secondary was the question mark coming into the season, and we haven’t played anyone yet who could give them a strong test. Some of our upcoming opponents like Tennessee and the two Mississippi teams definitely can, so how that unit holds up could honestly end up being the key whether we have a great season or merely a good one. Time will tell.

 

[Chum83]

UK is a real threat to beat us. I think it would have been better catching us early as the new starters are settling in on D.

Same for us on offense, Grumpy. We only have 1 guy (Levis) starting on offense in the same spot as last year (CRod will make it 2). I think it’ll be a decent game. Bulldogs look amazing again. Rightfully #1.
Florida, Tenn, @ MS St, @ Kentucky is going to be a pretty tough stretch to finish conference play.

 

[Girthang]

UK is a real threat to beat us. I think it would have been better catching us early as the new starters are settling in on D.

Would've been, but all the pressure will be on Georgia. Cats will still be a big underdog. I hope we're still undefeated when we play each other.

 

[Girthang]

Same for us on offense, Grumpy. We only have 1 guy (Levis) starting on offense in the same spot as last year (CRod will make it 2). I think it’ll be a decent game. Bulldogs look amazing again. Rightfully #1.
Florida, Tenn, @ MS St, @ Kentucky is going to be a pretty tough stretch to finish conference play.

Bates/Upshaw makes it a big 3 starters returning.

 

[know1]

I'm at 2 or maybe 3 losses the rest of the way. I was 3-4 at the start of the year.

 

[ArtLaibsGhost]

Not beating UGA. Offense Much better than last year, defense almost as good. They look like a favorite to repeat as NC to me. If we can finally win on the road against SEC west Ole Miss ,I think we go 10-2

 

[jimmy cowboy]

I will be very happy if we can go to and win the sugarbowl! Anything above that would be awesome!

 

[Backer cutter]

Not beating UGA. Offense Much better than last year, defense almost as good. They look like a favorite to repeat as NC to me. If we can finally win on the road against SEC west Ole Miss ,I think we go 10-2

I wouldn’t rule it out. I wouldn’t rule out anyone on our schedule beating us either. It’s why college football is the best and most popular college sport. Just look at last week’s upsets. Nothing is a given. Don’t care how good you are, you still have to show up and prove it every week. Take a week off and get your ass handed to you, especially in the SEC.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

I hope so but you guys look ridiculous again this year. The class of college football.

Best offense I can remember us ever having. I know Stetson is a small guy, but he knows our offense and has more than one guy who is a p Stettough matchup for any defense. Bowers is a nightmare, TE size and WR speed. Washington is huge, 6'8" 280 and athletic. But McConkey, I coached his mom, best female athlete in my 32 years, meanest too. Stet just has so many options and is very good at reading defenses.

 

[rye48]

Lmao... "leaning toward winning out the regular season" is conservative is it? Gtfoh

Conservative or not, my comments stand.

By the time we play Vandy and UT they will be better teams and, again, will play their best games against us.

Ole Miss will find ways to score. UT will find ways to score. We can't turn the ball over and give them more opportunities and expect to bury them. Can we survive some turnovers and win? Sure. We will get their best games, though, because of our ranking at this point in the season alone.

We thought we arrived last year and lost 2 games we shouldn't have to teams with similar makeup. If you've seen my other posts, you'd know I think we can win out, but none of the SEC games will be easy. Thinking they will be is foolish, doesn't matter how "trash" someone might look this week or next. When you come to play against a ranked opponent, you elevate your game.

So Will We

 

[_ukcat]

I had us at 8-4 this season with losses to Fla.,Ga., UT, and a spilt with the Miss. Schools. So I now at 9-3 but leaning toward 10-2 With how our Defense looks and C-rod back.

 

[SECCountry75]

I think we lose two from here on out and finish in the Sugar Bowl with the best record of the modern era. Georgia and either UT or MS St. what say you?

I think we will have a much better idea after the trip to Ole Miss. Not just because we will know who wins that game. By then, we will have a much better idea how the Oline is settling out, how Jordan Lovett is doing in a starting role, how CRod is doing, and what will be the status of the injury report.

At Knoxville and UGA in Lexington are the two toughest games on the schedule. We will not be favored on either date. But those games are opportunities for a rising team with talented young playmakers like Key and Brown.

Last Saturday, I told my wife that we will be going to Kentucky's bowl game, wherever it turns out to be.