9-3

I'll be happy if we arent getting shellacked every week in the B1G. It will be nice to watch a football game where you know that the D holding on third down is not only a precursor to giving it up on 4th down. Ill be happy when we dont have to alter our gameplan entirely simply because we cannot execute a simple FG. Ill be happy to see middle linebackers not lining up 2 yards behind the LOS, perhaps because the D coordinator is being forced to run a system he is unfamiliar with. Ill be happy to see cornerbacks not giving a 10 yard cushion on 3rd and 8.

I am not saying I know for sure these things are going to happen. I sure as hell hope with every fiber of my being that they do though.

Im not into setting # of win benchmarks, at least not yet. Right now its all about the new staff getting settled and out on the recruiting trail. The recruiting dead period ends tomorrow, I think?

I say 9-4 with a bowl game win. We return too much to not be good, no matter what happens with the QB's and our schedule has 8 home games.

I see another 7-5 year. Sure our D returns almost everyone and TWolf comes back, but they are still pretty damn bad. I see 5-1 in our first 6 games, with a loss against ND or NW. But then only 2 more wins against Purdue and then either Iowa or Illinois. 

we should beat the same teams next year that we did this year because we have older players.

And then maybe pick up a win or two on some of the other teams because they lose seniors - think MSU and Iowa. Ithink OSU, Neb and PSU are stronger next year but we don't play PSU and no Wisconsin!

This is thinking that the offense is reset to pro-style.

Sept. 3 WESTERN MICHIGAN  Win, probably. Though Western was pretty young this year, this could be an upset special.

Sept. 10 NOTRE DAME Loss, I know it's at home but Brian Kelley will have that team ready.

Sept. 17 EASTERN MICHIGAN Win, we will have won the Washtenaw County Championship.

Sept. 24 SAN DIEGO STATE Win, though it'll be fun.

Oct. 1 MINNESOTA* Win

Oct. 8 at Northwestern* Loss Could be a win, but it is Michigan's first away game, always tough.

Oct. 15 at Michigan State* Loss MSU has some losses on defense and O-line, but the most of the rest of their offense will be one year better including the running backs, and you know that Dantonio will want to grind his heel into Hoke.

Oct. 22 Bye Week

Oct. 29 PURDUE* (HC) Win? This was an ugly game in West Lafayette, and Purdue probably won't be hit by as many injuries this year.

Nov. 5 at Iowa* Loss

Nov. 12 at Illinois* Loss Payback for this year.

Nov. 19 NEBRASKA* Big Loss.

Nov. 26 OHIO STATE* Huge Loss

So that's 5-7. I don't see four games that switch there, maybe 2 Illinois and Northwestern, but that's it. Even though we're returning starters if our QB is Devin, (and I just can't see Denard running a pro-style offense) that means we have a red-shirt Freshman QB running the show, and it's a show where nobody else on the field has any more experience than he does. Those are ugly shows. Defensively we're returning many players, but again, in a show that they don't know. So let's not try and say 9-3. 9-3 is a fairy tale as no matter what was done the Neb and OSU games are almost guaranteed losses, which would leave it to Hoke to go 9-1 the rest of the season. Games against MSU and Iowa argue that's impossible, and Notre Dame as I noted will be that much better next year.

Lets see, we went 7-6 last year, had one of the worse defenses in the nation, won 3 of those games on last drive of the game, got blown out in 5 of those losses.  We do return many starters, but returning a lot of starters for the worst defense in school history doesn't really mean the defense will be good next year.  I think 9-3 is a little lofty.

I think the notion of Brian that "an average coach should get to 9-3" is ridiculous.  I realize him and many others have defended RR for 3 yrs and are bitter about the firing and hiring of Hoke, but come on.  You can't expect a new coach to go 9-3 minimum out of the gate when we have 15 wins total over the last 3 years and a "decimated" defensive roster.  The defense will still be young next year.

I think its absurd that RR gets every excuse in the world on this cite, now just b/c we didn't get a hire we all dreamed of we're already setting him up for failure, or at best setting it up so if he does succeed RR gets all the credit for building the team.  Pretty weak sauce in my opinion.

EDIT: Also, @MSU, @Iowa, ND, OSU and Nebraska.  Those are 5 really tough games next year that I wouldn't be so sure RR would have won.  I don't know why we're setting up this 9-3 or bust campaign for any other reason than to say "I told you this was a bad hire".

9-3 is a dream scenario. C'mon people. It could happen but to expect it is just a horrible assessment at this point. If they go 9-3 I will be ecstatic. 8-4,  7-5, that's realistic.

In 2010 we faced 7 teams (that includes UConn & BGSU) that had made bowl games the previous season.  In 2011, we play 8 teams that played in bowl games this year ...  so how does this equate to such an easier schedule in 2011 ?    Seems potentially tougher to me ?  Is replacing Wisconsin with Nebraska easier ... don't think so.   We add NW and Minn, but lose IU and PSU  -  pretty even there, so just don't get the expectation of 9 - 3 due to having such an easy schedule.

Go Blue ! 

most of the players stay we will be pretty good next year.