Man, it's just going to take time. Saban went 6-6 his first year at Alabama, and Alabama was loaded with talent and did not have to transition from the triple option. Also to my knowledge did not lose 60% of a thin offensive line, and was not as young of a roster.
Time will tell, but despite the record I like what I am seeing. This team plays hard regardless of circumstances, is improving in all phases, and appears to be becoming more competitive overall on the field. Individual players are emerging as playmakers. IMO recruiting in the first class looks like an incremental improvement, and as recruiting depends on long term relationships, I think it can be sustained and possibly improved another increment over time.
I like what I hear from Coach Choice and Coach Key, and I really like what I hear from Coach Thacker. He is a straight shooter who doesn't duck tough questions. Collins is kind of goofy and hard to figure but so is Dabo Swinney. Collins did create defensive monsters at Miss St. and Florida.
I am not terribly optimistic about our record this season, but I do think there is reason to expect a lot of improvement in the years to come. CPJ was 1-10 his first year at Navy before turning them into a machine. I am just going to enjoy the ride.