I wish I could take some numbers and plug them in a formula and get an idea of what the season will hold.
However, it seems to me that the difference between winning 6-7 or winning 10 or more will be our play on defense. Honestly 6-7 is all we can hope for without a solid defense. Every year I convince myself that the new players coming in will fill all the shortcomings of our defense and we will have a solid D. In reality, it seems that about 9 of 10 freshmen aren't ready to play d-1 defense regardless of how highly they were rated as recruits.
Last year we had one of the worst defenses in the country. We did tackle very well. We didn't cover well and we didn't get much pressure on QBs. We gave up tons of yardage, first downs and points.
We need leadership and confidence on defense in the worst way this year. I hope Coach Heater can work some miracles, but I expect a couple tough losses due to lack of defense and growing pains.