Topic: Orlando Sentinel Countdown...

[GreenSteve]

http://interactive.orlandosentinel.com/countdown/index.html

[whf]

This certainly won't help our SOS much, just saying it will be hard to be highly considered with these kind of competitive ratings for our opponents.

[IM4DHERD]

We finished ranked #10 in 1999 with a SOS of:

#93 BCS
#108 Sorenson
#111 Sagarin

Not sure of the actual number, but there were certainly less 1A/FBS teams then than there are now, so our SOS was just about as bad as it could be.

[svherd]

We finished ranked #10 in 1999 with a SOS of:

#93 BCS
#108 Sorenson
#111 Sagarin

Not sure of the actual number, but there were certainly less 1A/FBS teams then than there are now, so our SOS was just about as bad as it could be.

Exactly.

[marcbuff]

ohio st plays that schedule every year and think they are great ::)

[W0lfman]

I see this comment regarding UVA and I immediately think this is a program that could potentially be all over Doc.

Virginia coach Mike London is on the hot seat and needs to jumpstart the Cavaliers' offense to earn another season leading the program.

[BHFIOHIO]

the qu-eers never one yr played a schedule anything similar to the Big 10 and now in the Big 12 we see what they got

[The E-Man]

I see this comment regarding UVA and I immediately think this is a program that could potentially be all over Doc.

If we run the table and finish strong with a big bowl win, I'm afraid UVA want be the only team wanting Doc.

[HerdnClt]

If we run the table and finish strong with a big bowl win, I'm afraid UVA want be the only team wanting Doc.

Sure would make for a fun year though. I vote for this and see what happens.

[HERDFAN1999]

If we run the table and finish strong with a big bowl win, I'm afraid UVA want be the only team wanting Doc.

Jeremy Foley at UF likes and respects Doc.  If Muschamp has another bad year the Gators will consider him. 

[goherd24]

Calm down folks. Doc has a lot to prove before anyonr will be snatching him up. We were 2-4 last year on the road with unquestionably the best team each time, including virginia tech.

3 of our first 5 are on the road folks. None of those are gimmes, not even miami ohio. "Should have" doesn't win football games. Got a long road before we have to worry about losimg our coach. 

And I hope it happens, honestly, because that means we had a really successful season.

[2xBison]

I agree with 24.  I don't see Doc winning big at power conference level.  I like him and think he is perfect fit for us but I think he's lost a couple more each year than he should have and I wonder how well he'd do with similar or less talent than most teams he would play.  I think only three teams this past year had equal or better talent than us--good news we went 2-1, bad news we still lost 4 games.  Lastly our schedule continues to lighten up from Snyder years and early Doc years.  Anyone looking to hire him would note that I would think

[svherd]

Agree. Doc still has much to prove before heading to a big time program. Of course he could take an assistant HC position at some schools and almost double his income.

[Sam-I-am]

Calm down folks. Doc has a lot to prove before anyonr will be snatching him up. We were 2-4 last year on the road with unquestionably the best team each time, including virginia tech.

3 of our first 5 are on the road folks. None of those are gimmes, not even miami ohio. "Should have" doesn't win football games. Got a long road before we have to worry about losimg our coach. 

And I hope it happens, honestly, because that means we had a really successful season.

+1.  Doc has really grown as a HC, but IMO, if MU had played UCF, SMU, and Houston during the regular season, they would have lost at least two of those games, and we all wouldn't as quite warm and fuzzy inside right now.  With that said, this 2014 team is legit.

[elginherd]

+1.  Doc has really grown as a HC, but IMO, if MU had played UCF, SMU, and Houston during the regular season, they would have lost at least two of those games, and we all wouldn't as quite warm and fuzzy inside right now.  With that said, this 2014 team is legit.

Coach Holliday still is not good at game management. I think the debacle at Rice in the CG is really more on the players. But there have been many losses where better clock management or being more aggressive offensively late in close games would have likely improved his winning percentage.

Here's what he IS good at, perhaps better than anybody this side of Steve Spurrier: Coach Holliday fosters a close team atmosphere that encourages former players to be part of the family along with the greater community at large.

And even more than the great majority of the BCS coaches, including Spurrier, his players seem to love him and that goes a long way in getting their help in landing the recruits he does.

My expectations for our team for any season coached by Coach Holliday: There will always be 2-3 close losses where some head scratching game-time decisions are made that contribute to those losses. AFA wins, 8-11 wins per season.

[Mastodon]

3 of our first 5 are on the road folks. None of those are gimmes, not even miami ohio. "Should have" doesn't win football games. Got a long road before we have to worry about losimg our coach. 

Sorry to digress, but no one can convince me that Miami is anything but a gimme.  Them, Rhode Island, and FIU are absolute guaranteed wins.

[goherd24]

Sorry to digress, but no one can convince me that Miami is anything but a gimme.  Them, Rhode Island, and FIU are absolute guaranteed wins.

I remember people saying that about new hampshire a few years back. Also FAU last year (we know how that went). We should have won at MTSU and Ohio.

As a herd fan, I am not sure how you can still mark any thimg up as a "gimme". Very likely, yes, but a gimme, nope. After the last 3 years, I am scared to death of OU, even at home and even without tettleton

[BHFIOHIO]

the last 3 yrs don't count and you know it but spin on buddy...and last yr was one of the last three and we got votes in the coach's poll. Not one team we lost to (all on the road) was a cream puff.

[BHFIOHIO]

we'll clobber Ohio and be favored in every game. FAU played at in Texas(forget the team) and almost won because they had a good D. Doc didn't drop the ball in OT at VT or turn it over 4 times in Athens and we get what he's got for peanuts. Hell, ISU and Wyoming for heavens sake pay well over a million. I think several CUSA teams pay their coach more. ECU does and Doc ran Ruffin outa Huntington on a rail. That will teach the fat so and so to talk about being pleased they kept us from a Bowl even tho Cato and RB's hurt. We should be on our knees slobbering on Doc. Maybe you don't appreciate last yr in comparison to 2003-2012 but I do. Yeah it took Doc and his youngsters a while to get rolling sorta like Saban at Mich St...so what? Just look at Herd BB and the late news about budget cuts...we got no dough. Doc will get some offers after this yr but maybe at places he couldn't get the Fla kids to commit to. Hard to say what he wants at this stage but we're lucky to have him.

[bbcard1]

I think FAU, Akron, and Rice are the ones i worry about, but two of the three are at home. ODU? Shouldn't be a problem, but we're on the road...and MTSU should not have been a problem last year. I respect what Frank Solich has done and history tells us we should be worried about the bobcats...but we should have beat them by three touchdowns last year and  there's no reason we shouldn't here at home. And we always manage to lose to UAB on the road at the most inopportune times. You also have to watch the conference championship (remember last year?).  Take care of business, don't read the press clippings and we'll run the table and have a nice bowl.

[FlyHawk98]

I agree BHFIOHIO. I think we are very lucky to have Doc and the only head scratcher to me is the fans who don't realize what Doc has done here. Our program was in shambles when Doc took over. He has slowly built a PROGRAM. Not just a team, he has rebuilt the entire program.

[goherd24]

the last 3 yrs don't count and you know it but spin on buddy...and last yr was one of the last three and we got votes in the coach's poll. Not one team we lost to (all on the road) was a cream puff.

Bf, I know you love to see goherd24 and immediately disagree with me, even if my post said the earth was round, but nevertheless....We were favored in 12 games last year. Doesn't mean anything. Doc has a DISMAL road record. Saying anything else is flat out inaccurate,  like it or not. That alone makes me very skeptical of us going 6-0 on the road,  regardless of competition. 9-18, never winning more than 3, and winning 2, 3 times.

And why do people like you always try to act like someone is bashing doc for looking at things objectively? Doc earned everyones respect last year I would hope, even with some disappointing losses, we had a 10 win season and a huge win over maryland. Now, we lose that bowl game and everyone is singing a different tune. I am simply saying we need to win as many road games this year as doc did in his first 3 seasons. Thats a tough task, one that I expect us to achieve and hope that we do. In fact, I actually believe we will go undefeated and have a special year, as we should with our schedule and the talent we have. If we do not, there are no excuses. However, I am being objective and not just looking through green glasses, it is a TOUGH task, and if Doc can pull it off, he goes down as one of our greats.

[BuyNtelos4]

However, I am being objective and not just looking through green glasses, it is a TOUGH task, and if Doc can pull it off, he goes down as one of our greats.

Please, correct me if I am wrong, but our greats as far as coaches are concerned is about the same as our tradition concerning uniforms!!  To my knowledge, not very many great football coaches, and no tradition in the grand scheme if things as far as uniforms go.  I realize we have has the white helmet with the green M for about 25 years, and to my knowledge we have about 2 great football coaches, and maybe one or two more that did enough to be good...

My point:  taking into consideration that Doc took over a dumpster fire and led us to an East division championship for the first time in C-USA with ECU still in the league and demolishing them in their way out, then getting a Maryland team that nearly hung 70 on the QuEERS in the bowl game... Doc will already be remembered as one of our greats.  I realize he doesn't have the accomplishments of Pruett yet, but Coach P. was basically handed the keys to a bus that was already filled up with gas, and had the routes pre-programmed into a computer system.  While I agree he was a great coach, and an even better motivator, all he really had to do was jump in the Driver's seat and go along for the ride!

On the other hand, Doc walked into a house that had burnt down and was nearly a total loss.  Was forced to tear it down and rebuild from the ground up.  Although there were some bumps a long the way, and he was forced to rethink a couple of the key guys he chose to build the house with him, he learned from his mistakes and has made excellent decisions the 2nd time around, and upon losing a lot of his guy to other Contractors who were able to pay more money, he has seemingly made great decisions the 3rd time around as well!! 

After all of the hard work Doc has out in building this program, and the fact that he is literally HOME, less than 30 minutes from his friends and family, I could really see Dic turning down a lot of opportunities ala Chris Peterson, until he gets to a point the he is either offered his dream job with generational type money, or he just has absolutely nothing left to prove or accomplish here. 

[goherd24]

Pruett led teams to 2 undefeated seasons in 4 years. A national title and a top 10 ranking. Beat our highest ever ranked opponent with a rag tag team with ole Graham Gochenaur (or however you spell it) under center. He beat numerous big name teams. Pruett was an excellent game coach. He made adjustments, something I have never seen with Doc, at least not obvious ones. So you are right there. However, basically saying just anyone could do that is a huge mistake and shortchanging pruett drastically.


Doc has done an amazing job recruiting, and building this program back up, and he did inherit a mess for sure. But its also Easy to forget the Maryland team we beat had their best players injured and out of the game. They dropped 4 of their last 6 after those guys got hurt. Ome could argue Doc has just as talented a team as pruett did in 99 this year. Will we be able to go undefeated? We even have an easier path now than we did in 99. You can't possibly put Doc in the same sentence as BP until he at least beats a ranked team or wins a conference championship... or gets ranked
In the top 25. Or goes undefeated. at least one of those things. And we won an east title, with ucf gone. Had they stayed we would not have. That being said, I dont care if we win the sunbelt at this point. A title would mean so much to all of us.

[Collis P]

Pruett led teams to 2 undefeated seasons in 4 years. A national title and a top 10 ranking. Beat our highest ever ranked opponent with a rag tag team with ole Graham Gochenaur (or however you spell it) under center. He beat numerous big name teams. Pruett was an excellent game coach. He made adjustments, something I have never seen with Doc, at least not obvious ones. So you are right there. However, basically saying just anyone could do that is a huge mistake and shortchanging pruett drastically.


Doc has done an amazing job recruiting, and building this program back up, and he did inherit a mess for sure. But its also Easy to forget the Maryland team we beat had their best players injured and out of the game. They dropped 4 of their last 6 after those guys got hurt. Ome could argue Doc has just as talented a team as pruett did in 99 this year. Will we be able to go undefeated? We even have an easier path now than we did in 99. You can't possibly put Doc in the same sentence as BP until he at least beats a ranked team or wins a conference championship... or gets ranked
In the top 25. Or goes undefeated. at least one of those things. And we won an east title, with ucf gone. Had they stayed we would not have. That being said, I dont care if we win the sunbelt at this point. A title would mean so much to all of us.

THIS ^