Let's not get carried away...

Do I think we have a chance at a special season next year? Sure, 7-9 wins are a real possibility. I will post Bogey's pre-season prediction thread around August 1... However, I've read post about NC/Heisman and beating LSU in BR... None of those things will happen. This is why I wanted to play a quality bowl opponent because our game with Rice didn't tell me anything about how much we've improved since the SC and A&M games b/c that's the last games we played with a healthy Dak.. I think on paper we should be better next year at all positions other than OL, which happens to be the most important.. Folks, I watched the LB again and we struggled running the ball with our RB's and I'm a little concerned... If Dak continues to improve and our OL improves we should be fine... 2014 should be fun...

"none of those things will happen".....you can't say that definitively anymore than people saying it can!

Let's ride this wave without worrying about falling of it!

No one is predicting national title.

I agree that our O-line is the weakness. We just haven't recruited well at that position. We haven't been able to run the ball with our backs the last 2 years.

Why can't we enjoy the positive way our season ended instead of we will never do this and that will never happen? It wasn't like someone threw Heisman and NC game predictions out there and said they would happen. You know this is the time of year(recruiting) where it's ok to feel a little overly wooly. Why don't those of you that HAVE to keep it real and make sure the wool doesn't grow give it a damn rest for a month or 2 or maybe until spring practice. Enjoy having a wool coat for a little bit, might make you less depressing.

So 7 wins is a "special season" to you? You should still be celebrating the special season we just had then...not trying to piss on the assured "special season" we will have next year.

We'll all be sitting on pins and needles until August 1.*

next year is the only chance in my lifetime we've got a legitimate dark horse candidate for the Heisman. Next year is only the 2nd time in my lifetime we've got a snow balls chance at hell at making the national championship series. Next year is our best chance to beat LSU in well over a decade.

Lots to be excited about. I doubt any of those things happen, but they're more possible next year than any other in recent memory.

Bogey, I'm not thinking most believe either are that probable. I don't. But they aren't nearly as improbable as they are in most years. Lsu is beatable. Dak is talented enough. The schedule is not nearly as hard.

The running game in the liberty bowl makes sense. They decided to force us to throw by loading the box. And we did just that. Had rice not chosen to stop the run with the extra man, we'd have plowed them due to sheer size difference.

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/3551/khslqtk.gif

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Originally Posted by CadaverDawg

So 7 wins is a "special season" to you? You should still be celebrating the special season we just had then...not trying to piss on the assured "special season" we will have next year.

We'll all be sitting on pins and needles until August 1.*

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#truth

The running game and running backs will be better next simply because we wont have 2 playbooks for 2 different types of QB's. The O-line will be better for that reason for sure.. And it wont hurt that we will have more carries for JRob and Shump..

I agree that some people are getting a little carried away, but next really does set up well for us and there is certainly reason for optimism. And I have yet to see anyone predict that we will win the national title, so I have no idea where that came from.

My expectation is at least eight regular season wins and anything less will be a disappointment.

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Originally Posted by messageboardsuperhero

I agree that some people are getting a little carried away, but next really does set up well for us and there is certainly reason for optimism.

My expectation is at least eight regular season wins and anything less will be a disappointment.

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Well said, what fans tend to forget is that other teams will get better and will have more experience at certain positions as well. Again, my biggest concern is OL... I did notice that we played Clayborn a lot in the bowl game early ... We need him to step up big time.

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Originally Posted by mic

The running game and running backs will be better next simply because we wont have 2 playbooks for 2 different types of QB's. The O-line will be better for that reason for sure.. And it wont hurt that we will have more carries for JRob and Shump..

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I've got a feeling griffin and Williams could be a factor in our running game next season

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Originally Posted by BogeyGolfer

Well said, what fans tend to forget is that other teams will get better and will have more experience at certain positions as well. Again, my biggest concern is OL... I did notice that we played Clayborn a lot in the bowl game early ... We need him to step up big time.

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I don't think guard will be an issue next season barring injuries. Need someone to take our tackle opposite clausell and be ready by lsu game.

I say "Let's get carried away."

It's more fun that way.

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Originally Posted by BogeyGolfer

Well said, what fans tend to forget is that other teams will get better and will have more experience at certain positions as well. Again, my biggest concern is OL... I did notice that we played Clayborn a lot in the bowl game early ... We need him to step up big time.

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I do agree that OL experience is a concern at some positions (especially at Gabe Jackson's spot), but Siddoway is replaceable and we aren't the only team that is losing a couple of offensive linemen.

We get back Malone and bring back Beckwith, Day, and Clayborne (who is ETREMELY talented)- these guys won't replace Jackson, but our interior OL is good enough that there shouldn't be a HUGE drop-off. As for tackle, Clausell is very solid, and I like J. Johnson, Carter, and Senior. All in all, we're not too bad off on the OL. And this is without even talking about some promising young guys like Desper, Flowers, Thomas, etc.

And I'm not sure where your comment about us struggling to run with our RB's comes from. Perkins, Shumpert, Robinson, and Griffin combined for 139 yards on 27 carries (about 5.2 YPC)- just because our backs didn't get 10 yards every time they touched the ball doesn't mean they "struggled."

ETA: And of our RBs that are returning (Robinson, Shumpert, and Griffin), they ran for 92 yards on 14 carries (6.6 YPC). Is that struggling?

Some are getting carried away. I am thinking more along the lines of 8-9 wins. I will be happy with 8, anything over that is gravy to me. However, you are right, our RBs struggled, at least Perkins did, JRob did not in his limited carries. So really, since Perkins is gone, that is not something I'd be worried about.

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Originally Posted by BogeyGolfer

Well said, what fans tend to forget is that other teams will get better and will have more experience at certain positions as well. Again, my biggest concern is OL... I did notice that we played Clayborn a lot in the bowl game early ... We need him to step up big time.

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And a lot of teams will regress in certain positions, particularly the most important position on the field, QB. LSU is losing a ton of players to draft and graduation as well as Bama. We should have beaten auburn this year. We Re better than ark UL Vandy, OM and our OOC's. We should beat A&M without JFF. He's the reason they aren't a 6 win team. We beat LSU and we are looking at a real special season, if we best the teams we are supposed to beat.

My expectations for this year was 6-6, with 7-5 being enough to make me "happy".

My expectations for next year are 8-4, with 9-3 being enough to make he happy.

Damn, just give it a rest at least until spring practice, <17>. Some of you can never be satisfied with anything.