Anyone else finding it harder to suppress expectations for the upcoming FB season?

Temper.

No. At beginning of last season, even I felt confident enough to predict that Michigan would go 8-4. Oops. As the saying goes, "hope springs eternal." We'll find all sorts of signs to indicate that we'll win 8 games this year, but I rather hold off. Too many questions for this team because we are playing so many underclassmen and have true freshmen at key positions (QB, S); hard to gauge how we'll do. We'll know plenty by the end of the Western Michigan game.

I feel the same as you, but there is nothing saying our safety position is any stronger than last year. If it were not for that, we might have been 8-4 last year. I do occasionally get high expectations, but then I keep reminding myself of the ND game, Brandon Minor's first half of the season, etc. I suggest you do the same as to not get crushed or be pleasantly surprised.

I'm very optimistic for the coming season and that is not generally my nature. I think our running game will be pretty dominant and call me crazy, but I think we get eight, maybe even nine wins. Edit: I'm totally fine with any negative points I incur as the result of this post. If I get enough maybe I'll even bookmark it.

If your expectations are anything more than 7-5 than you need to seriously take some time off from following the team.

but you have to look at a bunch of things rationally. Record aside, it's hard to find many bright spots last year. Possible exception was somewhat of a gel in the o-line and the running game looking adequate at times over the last 1/2 of the season. Our defense got lit in the 2nd half by Illinois, PSU and the Bucks, among others. I'd like to think a lot of it was attributable to turnovers and the failure of the offense. So, our hopes are pinned on improved play and contributions from newcomers. It should be damn hard to extrapolate that into 9-3 or 10-2. They should be improvement across the board, and they should surprise a team or two. But I can't see us being the favorite in at least 4, maybe 5 games, and frankly WMU looms a little scary. I happen to share somewhat in your optimism, though. Minor could have a sick season as long as the o-line continues its pace of improvement from last year. And no doubt we have a loaded receiving corps. Whatever the case, the next 7 weeks can't go by fast enough.

... when my heart said 8 wins and my brain said yikes. This year, I'd probably settle for six wins and be perfectly content. Of course I say that now. Come December, I might be foaming at the mouth.

I've been wondering the same thing. I generally try to be cautiously optimistic, but watching the spring game highlights and reading fluff has gotten me pretty excited. Last year I was excited and thought we would surprise a lot of people. Someone posted on this site that when the odds for big games first came out, it was a good risk to bet on michigan because as the season started, and people saw that we were pretty good, the spreads would change significantly. Well they did, but not in the direction I was expecting. I'm generally not a betting man, but I lost a bit of dough on what I thought were some pretty sure bets. HOWEVA, I see a difference this year. Again, maybe this is me being too optimistic. I don't think our defense will be much worse this year (in fact, could be better), and I think our D struggled so much largely because of how incompetent our O was. Last year we had one of the worst O lines and pretty much the worst QB situation in college football. This year we should have a solid O line and a QB who can not only hit open receivers (OMG remember what that's like!), but could also scramble and run. Even if Tate the Great gets hurt, DR can't possibly be less accurate than Threet/Sherideath, and he can run. Also lots of new waterbug playmakers/gamechangers who could break free and score any moment. I see that making a world of a difference, and will build (rather than shatter) confidence for our D. 8 wins I'm happy 7 wins I'm content (and happy if we win a bowl) 6 wins I'm slightly dissapointed less than 6 I'm upset.

I'm fired up already. Not sure on wins and losses but I do expect an exciting competitve team to take the field every week. By the end of the year we will all be excited about a bowl game and speculation for 10 will be through the roof. TATE OWN SHIT!

Nothing wrong with setting the bar high right away. I was of the .500 mindset last year and thinking, "i know it will be a mess AT TIMES, but the offense will be fun to watch..." To no avail. While I know mistakes will be made, I do not expect or accept anything close to what we saw last year. I am confident that, excluding Zoltan, every aspect of the team's play this year will improve. can't fucking wait until kickoff. any fellow chicagoans watching the game at a bar?

Damn the torpedos They wrap fish in yesterday's blog let's get on the bus head over to Kzoo and get this party started early, fuck playing them at the Big Crib lets goooo! yeah I'm excited and totally reasonable.

MINOR RAGE.

We are trained to expect nothing but greatness.. And that is why the 00s have been so painful...especially last year.. Go Blue!

If you have low expectations, you can only be happy with our season. I think we'll do ok though and win around 7 games.

I look at the schedule, and that's why I'm thinking 6-6. I get used to thinking that we'll get better because we're Michigan, but that doesn't mean what it used to... yet. I'm quite optimistic for the offense, in a relative to last year sense. But it's too easy to forget the defense, and if people keep converting 3rd and longs against us we are still in deep trouble. Safeties and defensive line are big weaknesses and I can't see a reason for confidence there.