For this season to be a success what record do we need?

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

I know the first answer by some is going to be beat UGA...but I am talking record wise.

What record would you be okay with?
What record would make you say our season was a success?
What would make you say the season was a failure?

I have been a huge complainer with our recent schedules as we seem to usually get the shaft...but I have to say I don't think I could have made the schedule any better if I got to pick it.

Wofford
@ Tulane
Georgia Southern
@ VT
Bye
Miami
Duke
@ UNC
@ Pitt
UVA
@ Nc St
Clemson
Bye
uga

For me anything less than 8 wins this year would be a major disappointment.

If we hit exactly 8 wins I wouldn't be thrilled but I would not be disappointed...I would just be okay with the season, especially if the losses were to the "big 4" of Miami, VT, Clemson and uga. Let's say we lost to someone like UNC but beat uga it would make the season better to me.

On the flip side 9 or anything above I am very happy with.

What's your take?

Well, to the rank and file, 7-5 will be labeled a successful season, especially if we extend the bowl streak and somehow get an 8th win in the lower bowl game. For me personally 8-4 will not be a successful year if the four losses are the usual suspects of Georgia, Clemson, Miami and Va Tech. If we win a couple of those, but lose to UNC or Duke or Pittsburgh, and still post 8-4, well then I am ambivalent. Probably would take wins against Georgia and Va Tech, get to 8-5 via a bowl win, and look forward to next year. In my heart I want to return to the 9 wins (before a bowl) as a measure of our success, but I just cannot imagine that happening.

 

[Mack]

I know the first answer by some is going to be beat UGA...but I am talking record wise.

What record would you be okay with?
What record would make you say our season was a success?
What would make you say the season was a failure?

I have been a huge complainer with our recent schedules as we seem to usually get the shaft...but I have to say I don't think I could have made the schedule any better if I got to pick it.

Wofford
@ Tulane
Georgia Southern
@ VT
Bye
Miami
Duke
@ UNC
@ Pitt
UVA
@ Nc St
Clemson
Bye
uga

For me anything less than 8 wins this year would be a major disappointment.

If we hit exactly 8 wins I wouldn't be thrilled but I would not be disappointed...I would just be okay with the season, especially if the losses were to the "big 4" of Miami, VT, Clemson and uga. Let's say we lost to someone like UNC but beat uga it would make the season better to me.

On the flip side 9 or anything above I am very happy with.

What's your take?

I agree with this lineup.....we need to win eight and probably will and then we will be back here again wondering if the Hill will let PJ go etc.

 

[jchens_GT]

......When I think about what will make the upcoming season a success in my eyes, the first thing that comes to mind is this one simple thing: will crunch time bring out the best in us? In other words, will we finish out close games?......If we develop a culture of finishing and winning the tough ones, I will be happy regardless of record. However, if that happens, I think the record will be pretty good.

Great points, and basically sums up what I was thinking as well. I remember in '08 and '09 saying several times, "Man, we are winning some finishing some tough games and putting lesser teams away. That hasn't happened at Tech in a long time." I think a return to that kind of team, and I'll be happy.

 

[ATL1]

Success is a 10 win season and an ACC title.

 

[SidewalkJacket]

Even though I just ridiculed a poster calling for a return to some mythical "9 win standard", I actually agree with you, ATL1. I'm not saying we should expect it, and we don't have the top-to-bottom talent to, but it doesn't change my hope. I know we "can" win 10, beat UGAg, and win a bowl. And bc I know it, I want it to happen. Truth be told, I will be slightly disappointed if we don't achieve that. But I won't be calling for anyone's job.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Success is a 10 win season and an ACC title.

So if we don't beat FSU, the reigning National Champion in the ACCCG, the season is a bust?

 

[ATL1]

So if we don't beat FSU, the reigning National Champion in the ACCCG, the season is a bust?

Who said that?

Completely honest real success is going undefeated and lifting the NC trophy.

 

[Sebastian GT]

9 with a win over ugag and it will be a successful season. Anything less than 8 with another loss in Athens and PJ is gone.

 

[ATL1]

9 with a win over ugag and it will be a successful season. Anything less than 8 with another loss in Athens and PJ is gone.

CPJ was just given carte blanche over the program, he's here for awhile.

 

[BUZZ NATION]

I know this might be a little crazy but I think we go into the Clemson game 10-0. If we can win one of the final two in the regular season that will be a GREAT season. I will be happy with 9 wins.

 

[GT Man]

I think we go to the ACCCG this year and lose to FSU. VPI is declining lately, ThUgs are without their QB and Clemson has to make up for no more Sammy Watkins and Taj Boyd.
I also predict Duke to be a wild card this year--not as a title contender, but as a potential upset every week.

 

[GT Man]

So if we don't beat FSU, the reigning National Champion in the ACCCG, the season is a bust?

We'll beat 'em Cheese! I'm tired of your constant negativity!

 

[GTJoeBrew]

Anything less than 8 wins would be extremely disappointing to me. With this years' schedule, we have a real shot to win 10 games.

 

[vamosjackets]

9 wins is the number in my mind for success.

But, it always depends how it happens. I was actually HUGELY disappointed in the whole thing in '09 because of the way we lost to Ugag but still won the ACCCG. I wasn't as disappointed this year in the way we played the Ugag game.

If we only win 7 losing more in the front of the schedule due to Justin and the offense having growing pains, but them coming on at the end and winning our last 4 games or something like that, then I'll be very excited about the program.

I would have to evaluate how I feel about CPJ and the program at the end of the season (even letting a couple weeks pass).

Boomergump struck a major chord when he talked about winning the close ones and how that's really been the main thing holding us back since '09.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Boomergump struck a major chord when he talked about winning the close ones and how that's really been the main thing holding us back since '09.

How much does quality depth play into this? Seems if we can't sub out like the factories, they win by attrition.

 

[vamosjackets]

How much does quality depth play into this? Seems if we can't sub out like the factories, they win by attrition.

Good question. It was THE factor in the Ugag game. I'm not sure it was a factor at all in the VT game.

 

[bravejason]

All I want is for the team to win last three games of the season. Preferably, that is uga, ACCG, bowl; but I'll settle for NC State, Clemson, uga.

 

[alaguy]

It is fun to discuss possible records and to evaluate where we think other programs are in terms of who they are losing and who they have coming back etc. However, none of us really know what direction any of those teams are headed. We don't really even know what WE have at this point. When I think about what will make the upcoming season a success in my eyes, the first thing that comes to mind is this one simple thing: will crunch time bring out the best in us? In other words, will we finish out close games? If the answer to that question is YES, then we will have a record we are all proud of. I have been saying this for a few years now. Failure to finish has been our problem. Go back and look at the record of games that were close at the end. It has been abysmal. If we were just .500 in those situations, the entirety of Jacket nation would still be enamored with CPJ and the system.

I don't think we will be so good that we run through our schedule like crap through a goose. I think many games that we are all predicting as wins will be very hard fought and close. The culture needs to change, not the system etc. If we develop a culture of finishing and winning the tough ones, I will be happy regardless of record. However, if that happens, I think the record will be pretty good.

Boomer,
of course we don't know but we can make a decent guess.
If we really step back as a neutral (like a guy from anywhere Iowa)and look, we lost a TON of talent and experience from an only ok team.Generally the replacements are at least younger and maybe weaker at this point.
So a 7-6 record last yr means a STRUGGLE to get to that this yr even vs maybe a weaker schedule.When you start losing talent like Akins,crenshaw, and Robbins out of the blue from an already lowly rated recruited squad it hurts and we have not got to the season's injuries yet.
This actually may be PJ's weakest team which is a real indictment 6 yrs into the program.

 

[augustabuzz]

Boomer,
of course we don't know but we can make a decent guess.
If we really step back as a neutral (like a guy from anywhere Iowa)and look, we lost a TON of talent and experience from an only ok team.Generally the replacements are at least younger and maybe weaker at this point.
So a 7-6 record last yr means a STRUGGLE to get to that this yr even vs maybe a weaker schedule.When you start losing talent like Akins,crenshaw, and Robbins out of the blue from an already lowly rated recruited squad it hurts and we have not got to the season's injuries yet.
This actually may be PJ's weakest team which is a real indictment 6 yrs into the program.

Did we lose Crenshaw "out of the blue" or did he complete his eligibility?

 

[dressedcheeseside]

This actually may be PJ's weakest team which is a real indictment 6 yrs into the program.

Not necessarily, all teams ebb and flow, nobody is on a continually rising graph. There's turnover in college sports. Some years there's more than others, but again, that happens to everybody.