Great Expectations?!

Submitted by Rescue_Dawn on
Cant sleep and getting pumped we are 22 days and a wake up away the opening game. I hope the intial culture shock of the spread offense has subdued and the program can get back to playing the type of calibre football we are used to seeing. I am interested to hear what other expectations people have..... For me personally it comes down to winning all our non-conference games (Western Michigan, Notre Dame, Eastern Michigan,Delaware State), and dominating the bottom tier of the Big Ten (Indiana,Purdue,Wisconsin,Iowa). Even IF we lost the remaining games (Penn State, tOSU, and Illinois, MSU) I feel like it would be a huge success for a program in its second year to re-establish itself with this type of performance. Then for year three adding two more teams from the upper echelon (Penn State, tOSU, and Illinois, MSU).
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ShockFX

August 13th, 2009 at 12:31 AM ^

Illinois has beat OSU more recently than us. Illinois has been to the Rose Bowl more recently than us. Illinois beat us savagely last year in the Big House. Bottom tier?

Joined: 07/16/2008

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MinorforPresident

August 13th, 2009 at 1:27 AM ^

We better hope we learn to contain Juice better than last year cause he had a career day on us. Didn't he throw for around 350 and run for another 150? I was having fun at that game until the 2nd half. I think Illinois is in the top half of the Big Ten this year for sure. And for all the OSU mentions they lost a lot of starters so they may not be the same team with a few growing pains this year.

Joined: 11/01/2008

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Tater

August 13th, 2009 at 12:52 AM ^

Illinois beating UM "savagely at the Big House" makes it more of a revenge game. A lot of people seem to have overlooked that UM is now in a position that is quite novel for them: they have a lot of revenge games. Historically, UM has been pretty good at revenge games, especially against the little eight. I still think Ron Zook will go back to being the same coach who lost five a year at UF. I like Juice Williams a lot, but I still think that Zook's good year at Illinois was because of the element of surprise, which he no longer enjoys. I would rate them in the first or second level of the little eight, but not a Big Three team.

Joined: 08/13/2008

MGoPoints: 30584

strafe

August 13th, 2009 at 2:37 AM ^

is the only book I've ever given up on out of boredom. And I'd much rather see us post wins over OSU (as always) and MSU (because of my friends that go there) than any of the low-middling Big Ten teams. Of course, I would love to see us go 12-0 even more, so it's pretty tough for me to pick which teams I would be "ok" with us losing to. Then again, I feel like our program should be expected to deal with those out of conference opponents and low-tier B10 teams, so I think if we're going to re-establish ourselves as you said, we would need some solid wins out of our tougher opponents. Winning all of the games except the hard ones doesn't seem as impressive in my mind, I guess.

Joined: 08/12/2009

MGoPoints: 1402

The King of Belch

August 13th, 2009 at 6:43 AM ^

Always looking for the happy ending. Hey, UM has got to beat one of the Big Four this year. There's got to be some good feelings about the program, and even if they go 8-4, if they lose to all of the Big Four--still not good. Especially because the team will probably lose one or two that will make us all go, "How the FUCK did that happen?" My analysis of the season is coming soon--you guys won't want to miss it.

Joined: 07/21/2009

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victors2000

August 13th, 2009 at 7:03 AM ^

This year is sort of year 1a for me; last year was so insufferable, so pathetic, in terms of execution that I hardly feel it counts. Everything was new. EVERYTHING. It was like, unfair to begin from that point. This year, the team understands how to practice, how to play, they sort of know the coaches, the coaches sorta know them; this is the year of no excuses. So yeah, great expectations is a brilliant way to view the upcoming season; we know, now, what we are to expect from the offense-between what has been written here and other places before and after last year-and both the team and ourselves are expecting to take it to the next level and see if Coach Rodriguez can make this offense go in the Big Ten.

Joined: 03/21/2009

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foreverbluemaize

August 13th, 2009 at 9:04 AM ^

I would like to know why it is that everyone on this board is already considering the game against tO$U to be a loss. I understand that they have owned us as of late and last year they destroyed us, but they gradguated a lot (guys like Jenkins, Laurinitus, Hartline, and not to mention Beanie leaving early). This is a rebuilding year for them as well (of course not to the extent that we are going through). By the time that we get to that game our QB will have a descent amount of experience. RR will know who his playmakers are and I think that we have a lot more speed than they do. I think if we get a few lucky bounces and perhaps a favorable call or 2 we may just pull off the win. Call me a blind optimist if you wish but I really think that we have a chance of winning that game.

Joined: 02/03/2009

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MinorforPresident

August 13th, 2009 at 10:43 AM ^

We return more starters than OSU this year and they lost a good bulk of their defense (Jenkins, Lauranitis, Freeman, Washington, Moeller now out for the year) and on offense like you mentioned (Boone,Hartline, Robiskie, Beanie, Maurice Wells, Boeckman as their insurance policy). If they can figure out a good game plan to contain Pryor, and some of that is on Pryor to be a much improved passer now that he doesn't have exeperienced receivers chasing his "floaters" down, then they can win this one. Plus we're at home. We shall see early on what OSU is made of with USC on the schedule.

Joined: 11/01/2008

MGoPoints: 52

victors2000

August 13th, 2009 at 1:31 PM ^

I will feel much better about our chances against OSU, or anyone. Certainly OSU loses some good players but they are a 'reloading' team; whomever is going to be the starter is probably a talented guy who played some last year. We need to see OSU play as well; are Seine/Herron/Berry going to be an adequate replacement for Beanie? How has Tyrelle progressed as a passer? there are definitely key questions for the Buckeyes. We are not in 'reload' mode so injuries will be more key for us than them. If we can get to the game w/o significant injuries I will be confident that we will play like we deserve to win!

Joined: 03/21/2009

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Rescue_Dawn

August 13th, 2009 at 9:18 AM ^

Not necessarily considering tOSU game a loss.....when I sit down on Nov 21st to watch that game I will be expecting them to win just like I will with the other 11 games. However, what are the realistic goals/expectations for this program in the second year......we would obviously love them to go undefeated but in reality....what would be acceptable? That’s all I was trying to get at.

Joined: 07/30/2009

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mgovictors23

August 13th, 2009 at 9:57 AM ^

I see us getting around 7 or 8 wins this year, my opinion on the OSU game is that we really have a good shot at winning it. They lost alot of starters and by then our team should have gotten a lot more experience. Also the fact that they have beaten us five straight times, which shouldn't be sitting with the team to well.

Joined: 05/03/2009

MGoPoints: 99

STAUDACHERBLUE

August 13th, 2009 at 10:11 AM ^

When kick off happens in a fired up Big House against Western I will figure out what my expectations will be. I believe that we will win but how is the question. We pull out a close one and I might worry about the season in the long run. If we roll out and drop 50ish on there ass and our D holds down there passing game(which was excellent last season) the expectations will go through the roof. That being said 6-6 with a bowl and a W at MSU to shut them and ESPN the Fuck up I will be moderately pleased.

Joined: 08/10/2009

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