Topic: After looking over the 2012 football schedule................

[Johnnyherd]

Really, many defenses in the C-USA are somewhat weak and lack depth.....

It would be a whole heck of a lot easier if we had an offense that could take advantage of those situations.....

I look forward to simple offensive baby steps this year.........Score first, build a lead, answer a TD with a TD, score and put a team away

[extragreen]

Doc has improved on recruits and in any league stock piling talent is not bad. Snyder wasn't in Seider and Leggs league in recruiting. This is the most athletic back 7 we have had in a long time. I'm not sure if we should say front 4 is tbd either... We all know Taylor can play and Aiken can rush. If it comes down to it against passing teams we can finally run a 3-3-5 like they have tried forever with the speed on the field. while using Ken Smith, Sparrow, Brooks, Dillon as a DT for any team who wants to run. (OU)

We will be fine in the Joan, just gotta win the road games.

You're telling me what you think COULD be done.
I'm telling you what I think WILL be done.

[Scottyo614]

You're telling me what you think COULD be done.
I'm telling you what I think WILL be done.

Forget coulds then. What I think will be done.

That team that showed up vs. ECU and FIU came to put the city on their shoulders and seein and talkin to some of my boys that mindset has grown even bigger this offseason. Right now based on their feedback 7 wins would be a failure to them. I have two bases... How I feel and how my boys feel. I said Docs first year 3 wins, last 6-6... This year I think 8... Ask a player and less than 10s a failure. Mindset has changed and a culture of winning is being built.

[extragreen]

Forget coulds then. What I think will be done.

That team that showed up vs. ECU and FIU came to put the city on their shoulders and seein and talkin to some of my boys that mindset has grown even bigger this offseason. Right now based on their feedback 7 wins would be a failure to them. I have two bases... How I feel and how my boys feel. I said Docs first year 3 wins, last 6-6... This year I think 8... Ask a player and less than 10s a failure. Mindset has changed and a culture of winning is being built.

Well, I'll start believing when Doc and "my boys" start walking the walk instead of talking the talk.
The culture of winning starts when we win more regular season games than we lose. Until then it's just talk.

[svherd]

No way in hell we beat OU as badly as they whipped us last year. I think we'll win, no doubt, but not dominately. Their QB will single handedly keep them in a lot of games.

I see 7-5 regular season with an RL Carriers Bowl win. Just my opinion. I think we still have too many issues to predict more wins. OL, LB's, secondary and kicking game still big questions. Some talent is there, but that doesn't guarantee a win.
I would be fine with finishing 8-5 and being competitive in every game. No blow out losses. Plus, if Cato gets hurt, we are screwed.

As I said before, we could easily win more games or we could just as easily lose a few more as well. After reading many football publications and seeing what other teams have coming back, we can have a great year with good, solid play and staying healthy. Each unit must carry its own load and Legg HAS to open up the offense more to score more points.
2013 - no less than 10 wins and a title would be a failure.

[catfanatic1979]

Doc has improved on recruits and in any league stock piling talent is not bad. Snyder wasn't in Seider and Leggs league in recruiting. This is the most athletic back 7 we have had in a long time. I'm not sure if we should say front 4 is tbd either... We all know Taylor can play and Aiken can rush. If it comes down to it against passing teams we can finally run a 3-3-5 like they have tried forever with the speed on the field. while using Ken Smith, Sparrow, Brooks, Dillon as a DT for any team who wants to run. (OU)

We will be fine in the Joan, just gotta win the road games.

Overall, I think Doc has recruited better but he hasn't proven it so far at the skill positions where we need it most. We haven't got a Darius Marshall, Darius Passmore or Cody Slate to speak of.

[MUonium]

the snowball is teetering on the edge. its just a matter of staying close in the tough ones and making plays consistently so the confidence spreads throughout all phases to become team swagger. this is the difference in 7 wins or 10. this could be the year that it comes together and the Herd rolls downhill, to greener pastures, that is  ;D

[Buffalo Bop]

Doc got us to a bowl in two seasons compared to five for Snyder, and he did it with a huge depth problem along the OL.

Remember, under Snyder when a lineman or two went down it spelled doom for the offense. Snyder had a huge problem of finding quality lineman. Doc has been working feverishly to correct our line-depth problems and bring our scholarship numbers up, overall, too.

QB was a continuing problem for Snyder as well, except for Bernie's last year. The QB probems followed Doc into his first season, but now with Cato and Fro, things are looking better.

Doc in his first two seasons, won 12 games against FBS teams compared to 7 for Snyder, including a BCS win. Doc has yet to play a FCS team.

So what this all means, IMO, is that it appears Doc is heading in the right direction. And to continue on the path--with six home games-- Doc needs to go at least 7-5 in the regular season.

My prediction: 7-5 reg season and--with a bowl game--8 wins, overall.

[Scottyo614]

Overall, I think Doc has recruited better but he hasn't proven it so far at the skill positions where we need it most. We haven't got a Darius Marshall, Darius Passmore or Cody Slate to speak of.

I wont disagree at all with that. I'd even put Dobson on that list since he was a Snides recruit. If fairness to skill, Dobson and Wilson have sorta been the main WRs for a while. The RBs have a lot to prove as well. I'm hoping Shuler, Fro, Gator and Kelson can build upon last year in their roles, but right now I think we are in a wait and see for Doc WRs till hopefully 2013. The TE and RB positions time is now to show us something.

And the blow out losses last year were embarrassing, but we can just as easily look glass half full at 5-0 in games decided by 7 points or less. 6-1 in games decided by 10.

[Johnnyherd]

we can just as easily look glass half full at 5-0 in games decided by 7 points or less. 6-1 in games decided by 10.

Honestly, much of the reason why we are in so many close games is because we have such a hard time freakin scoring.  

[Scottyo614]

True, but at least we won the close ones... Aka all the wins except UAB. Lol

[Johnnyherd]

True, but at least we won the close ones...

I'm not complaining, brother.....It was huge experience for our players to be in those games (to come from behind at Louisville and to close out FIU, both games on road, HUGE!!!) 

I just want to see us take the next step....

[goherd24]

Extra, i agree, we need coaching and a better offensive coordinator if we are ever going to be relevant. If Bill Legg doesnt change our playcalling and open it up, or Doc doesnt fire him, then Docs on the hot seat.

Less than 8-9 wins is a dissapointment. We always scream recruits but i dont see any improvement on field yet, we scream we're Young, and we havr been young for 8 years.... its time for results, 3rd year, no excuses.

[catfanatic1979]

When you boil it down: Better o-line play, better offensive playcalling and the skill position players need to step up.

That sounds like a whole lot doesn't it?

[herdadreh]

I do feel like to some extent we LEARNED to win the close ones - they weren't all just coin flips, hopefully - but you can't expect to win 6 of 7 close ones in a typical year.  We probably "should have" won 4 to 5 in regular season last year based on our overall quality of play.  So should we really expect to win a lot more than 4 or 5 this year?  Hope, yes.  Expect...

The schedule strength I'll estimate as +1 win relative to last year.  Having an established starting QB will be +1.  Overall roster quality might bump us up another fraction of a win.

6 to 8 regular season wins this year is likely; I really think 7 is probably the expected value.  

Prove me wrong Herd - win 8 or more.

[whf]

Extragreen said it about himself, so I don't mind repeating it; if one feels Doc hasn't improved, that is pessimistic right there. Better recruits, better schemes, more offense, more discipline.  And yes, after his second year, more wins.  In five years, Snider got 7 wins only as he exited the door, Doc got seven in his second year.  Plus he won games late in the game rather than getting blown off the field in the 4th quarter.

[extragreen]

Extragreen said it about himself, so I don't mind repeating it; if one feels Doc hasn't improved, that is pessimistic right there. Better recruits, better schemes, more offense, more discipline.  And yes, after his second year, more wins.  In five years, Snider got 7 wins only as he exited the door, Doc got seven in his second year.  Plus he won games late in the game rather than getting blown off the field in the 4th quarter.

Better recruits....on paper.

More offense...where? You'd think if doc had more offense, then we would score more. That's not the case. In docs 2 years his team has scored 514 total points for an average of 257 points. snides last 2 years his team scored 539 points for an average of 269 points. snides average points scored for his entire 5 years averages (269 points), which is once again better than docs.

Better schemes....really? You'd think we'd score more points if that were true.

More discipline...perhaps

More wins...snides last 2 years 11, docs 2 years 12. exactly one win

Keep it up, maybe you can talk your way to wins.

[Scottyo614]

Apples to oranges on offensive schemes. Only thing Snides did well his first year was not putting square pieces in round holes like Doc did year one. Maybe it advanced players in his scheme and we did go 5-7. Compared to the worst record in what 20 years?

And did you really compare a guys last two years (3 years to bring in talent) with someone's first... Doc two years to make a bowl, Snides 5. Convient to leave out the 4-7 year and 3-9 years. But you can't compare someone's last two years with someone who has a whole other philosophy and expect similar results.

[LetsDoThis]

Apples to oranges on offensive schemes. Only thing Snides did well his first year was not putting square pieces in round holes like Doc did year one. Maybe it advanced players in his scheme and we did go 5-7. Compared to the worst record in what 20 years?

And did you really compare a guys last two years (3 years to bring in talent) with someone's first... Doc two years to make a bowl, Snides 5. Convient to leave out the 4-7 year and 3-9 years. But you can't compare someone's last two years with someone who has a whole other philosophy and expect similar results.

Not only that but last years schedule was a doozy and he made a bowl with a young team that would have been a rebuilding year for most programs.

[IM4DHERD]

@WV - L
WCU - W
OU - W
@Rice - W
@Purdue - L
Tulsa - W
@ So Miss - L
UCF - W
Memphis - W
@ UAB - W
Houston - W
ECU - L

8-4

[luvherd]

@WV - L
WCU - W
OU - W
@Rice - W
@Purdue - L
Tulsa - W
@ So Miss - L
UCF - W
Memphis - W
@ UAB - W
Houston - W
ECU - L

8-4

And a realistic shot at Putdue and ECU

[HerdnClt]

and So. Miss with a new quarterback and coach.

[IM4DHERD]

I wrestled with all three but didn't want to be unrealistic.  I really think we may go to Greenville Friday after thanksgiving with that game being for the East Div championship and take it there.

[BHFIOHIO]

USM also lost 9 starters besides A Davis....should be a very competitive contest

[extragreen]

Apples to oranges on offensive schemes. Only thing Snides did well his first year was not putting square pieces in round holes like Doc did year one. Maybe it advanced players in his scheme and we did go 5-7. Compared to the worst record in what 20 years?

And did you really compare a guys last two years (3 years to bring in talent) with someone's first... Doc two years to make a bowl, Snides 5. Convient to leave out the 4-7 year and 3-9 years. But you can't compare someone's last two years with someone who has a whole other philosophy and expect similar results.

In snides first 2 years we scored more points than docs first 2 years. BUT you guys told us negative guys that snides had to totally rebuild from BPs leftovers. You guys told us negative guys that snides was doing it right and was doing a better job of recruiting, and to just wait until snides had his guys in place. Well, snides had his guys in place, so according to you optimists doc should have had better personnel to work with. OR, you were wrong about that genius snides recruiting accomplishments.
You optimists have been calling for 7-10 regular season wins for every season since snides took over. How many years does it take us falling short of that, sometimes way short, for you to understand that maybe us negative know-nothings might actually know something. Just so you'll know, the problem we have had for the last 7 years is NOT talent, the problem has always been coaching. Now maybe, just maybe doc will learn fast enough how to coach to make us successful, but he WILL NOT be able to simply recruit his way to the kind of success we want here.