Is 7-5 acceptable?

Submitted by m83econ on

Given today's bed crap, last year's regular season is starting to look more likely.  The horrendous defense of last year has become this year's average defense.  However, the offense of last year has become inept & confused and failed to score as many points against Iowa as UL-Monroe or Minnesota had earlier.  At the end of the year, 7-5 would look like same old, same old 2nd half collapse. 

bryemye

November 5th, 2011 at 11:51 PM ^

Acceptable? I don't think anything could happen record wise from here on out that would cause me to seriously question firing the coaching staff. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth.

Cope

November 5th, 2011 at 11:59 PM ^

I said six months ago that I would be satisfied with 7-5, happy with 8-4, really happy with 9-3, and ecstatic with 10-2 or better this year. It takes time and a lot of work to change schemes and staffs. It takes patience. Look at Hoke's results at each school in the long run. That will happen here. And people shouldn't discount just how difficult each game is to play in the big ten. Just look at the last three years.

We are on an upswing no matter what happens with these last few games. Unless we aren't even competitive, which we were today and will be.

Sione's Flow

November 6th, 2011 at 12:00 AM ^

Remember Lloyd's final season the team finished 8-4 and went on to beat the Gators.  This is the Hokester's first season coaching kids that were recruited by Lloyd and Rich Rod.  He's doing the best with what he's got.  Although Borges needs to stop overthinking his play calling

 

Chuck Harbaugh

November 6th, 2011 at 1:11 AM ^

the team gives its best efforts, any record from 7-5 to 10-2 is completely ascceptable.  I have no problem with a team who is in position to pull out a win at the end of a game.

One Inch Woody…

November 6th, 2011 at 1:20 AM ^

Iowa at home >>>>>>> Iowa away

Michigan at home >>>>>>>>> Michigan away

Illinois at home = Zook

Nebraska at home >>>>> Nebraska away

Ohio State at home >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ohio State away

 

My point is... the Big House is no easy place to play in and it seems no Big 10 team can win on the road this year. I think we beat Nebraska and Ohio State, but Illinois could go either way.

bouje13

November 6th, 2011 at 1:46 AM ^

You think that 7-5 is impossible?
<br>
<br>Clearly it's acceptable because 7-5 is better than 3-9. He should get an extension for 5 years.

snoopblue

November 6th, 2011 at 4:28 AM ^

OP, you are a moron. Typical stupid, ignorant fan. Today wasn't the start of a collapse, wasn't even a microcosm of one. Defense played outstanding given the situations they were put in. We had some GREAT returns on special teams. The offense didn't play well, but I blame that on the play calls. Al Borges, stop trying to make Denard even attempt to be a prototypical passer. For three quarters that's what he did, and when it was too late he let Denard loose. It worked great, but too little too late. That is strike 2 for him. 7-5 is not unacceptable, but not good. Should be able to win two more games. 9-3 is what I expect, and I'll be happy because we'll get a winnable bowl matchup and have a 10 win season.

deejohn

November 6th, 2011 at 7:16 AM ^

Look I'm not calling for Borges' head but just to be more aware of what type of players he has. You'd think he would already know this. Do you that Cal McGee and Greg Mattison would have the the perfect combo. just until Denard left tho

deejohn

November 6th, 2011 at 7:18 AM ^

Look, I'm not calling for Borges' head but just to be more aware of what type of players he has. You'd think he would already know this. Do you that Cal McGee and Greg Mattison would have the the perfect combo, just until Denard left though?

MGlobules

November 6th, 2011 at 8:46 AM ^

is leaving a very bad taste in my mouth. MSU you felt we could have won; this won we should have. 

Worst thing, worse even than the very real prospect of 7-5, is that yesterday may hint at a certin mediocrity that awaits us. 

The other day someone said they were ready to back to 9-3. I got news for you: 9-3 is no longer as easily obtained in the B1G. Think 8-4 and 7-5. I like these coaches, and I have been happy to put the sturm and drang behind. But I'm worried about what they play on offense. 

Bosch

November 6th, 2011 at 9:17 AM ^

should be a full day moratorium before posting afer a loss, and maybe even after a win.  People don't use the best judgement when emotionally charged.

With that said, I don't see the need to cruxify the OP.  I agree with him to an extent that it was disappointing to see our offense struggle against a team that let other, arguably much weaker, offenses walk all over them and only putting up 9 points doesn't really give me a lot of confidence for our last three games.

 

Hannibal.

November 6th, 2011 at 10:12 AM ^

Given that we had about 18 returning starters from a team that went 7-5 last year with a brutal schedule (which included 3 BCS teams, an 11 win team on top of that, and then 3 more bowl teams on top of that), no -- 7-5 would absolutely not be acceptable.

But hopefully, we'll at least end up 8-4 and the discussion won't even take place. 

magonus

November 6th, 2011 at 12:17 PM ^

Absoluely unacceptable. The fact that we're blown two games against inferior competition is mind-rendingly frustrating but to assume we lose out? And that that would somehow be OK? Absolutely ridiculous.

CLord

November 6th, 2011 at 1:53 PM ^

Never seen a season with more home/road play quality disparity.  I hoped for 8-4 this year which would be a great start for Hoke.  That's my expectation.  We have a chance in all three remaining games, but I am not optimistic about any one in particular.

Illinois because they're Illinois, but it's a road game so not optimistic after our two prior road showings.  This game could be a mirror image of the Iowa game in terms of our offensive play quality.  I'd say 45% chance we win because even though we are a better team, we lay big goose eggs on the road.

Nebraska gave us a sign of hope after losing to NW, and given it is at home, we have a chance.  However, our offense has yet to exhibit the ability to do anything against good defenses, and NW aside, Nebraska is a quality D. 50% chance we win because we're at home, but their D could show up and no Denard offense has scored 20 points vs a quality D.

Ohio State gives us optimism because it's at home for us, and they have 1st yr coach and 1st yr QB, and OSU laid an egg (albeit winning) vs Indiana.  However, they key on Michigan, and with their D, a win for us is unlikely. 30% chance we win.

I'm no Mathlete, but I look at the last three games kind of like going all in with a flush draw (with occasional overcards) three times in a row like Phil Hellmuth did vs Brian Rast heads up in the WSOP this year.  On each hand, you are an underdog, but if you add all three chances up, the odds are in your favor you win at least once.  Hellmuth lost all three, crushing his chance at a 12th bracelet.

If you used my random odds to win:

45% chance vs Illinois (cuz we are road egg layin fools so far)

50% chance vs Nebraska

30% chance vs OSU (their D is scary and they key on UM)

Pulling out my probability calculations I learned in Stats class in that building right next to Ulrich's in 1989 (forgot the name) odds we lose all three is thus:

.55 * .5 *.7 = .19 so 19% chance we end up 7-5, and 81% chance we end up 8-4 or better.

.45 * .5 * .3 = .07 so 7% chance we end up 10-2, and 93% chance we end up 9-3 or worse.

Just stray thoughts of a random fan, but the way I see it, 8-4 is the expectation, and 9-3 would be a great.  7-5 and 10-2 are both unlikely.



 

 

08mms

November 6th, 2011 at 5:37 PM ^

 

I would grumble a little bit about 7-5 as it means we weren't able to step up against the mid-/tops of weak big ten for a fourth year running.  8-4 would make me happy as clam though, epecially if that win came against NU or OSU.

NoVaWolverine

November 7th, 2011 at 10:21 AM ^

Yes, coaching change, new systems, etc. It's not easy. But looking at the # of returning starters we had, particularly on offense, and the favorable schedule (just 4 road games, only one rivalry game on the road), and the subsequent 6-0 start, finishing 7-5 would make me very nervous about the long-term future of this program.

8-4 is OK, I guess, but it will be a lot more palatable if that eighth win comes against OSU. We get the weakest OSU team in years, w/out Tressel, at home. That's a game you have to win.

9-3 is a great season, all things considered. Beating Illinois and showing we can actually win on the road against a non-cupcake would be a big step for this team, and then if we can just split the last two at home, we're there.