Let's recap what the general consensus was before the season started:
--6-6/7-5 was the plurality pick for record prediction (interesting side note is that with each successive game haters increased the win total for their predictions, i.e., some now claim they predicted 9 or more wins...all the sudden)
--General thought was that passing game was in trouble, hope was that Butler and Quarrells would prop it up a bit, TEs, or at least Fant, should be of some value
--OL, as reigning Joe Moore Award winner(s), would be solid
--Questions on DL, LBs solid, DBs had Rugamba, but we would miss Snyder
--Special Teams had question marks (this should have been the bright f'ing red flag, huh?)
--We didn't know who was going to start at QB until late-August
--Losses were "probably" PSU, O$U and Wiscy, with MSU and NW as "also will probably lose";alternatively, thoughts were that we would "steal" one game we shouldn't and lose one we shouldn't; ??? was how good Minny and Nebby would be
What we have gotten:
--6-6/7-5 seems to be right on target
--Passing game HAS had bright spots, but has also given new meaning to the term, "Somebody dropped the ball", including the TEs, and Butler's injury was (possibly) less surprising than the fact Quarrells hasn't seen the field
--OL has been as inconsistent as passing game, and is in fact as much a reason for said inconsistency in the passing game. Won't be defending the Joe Moore Award, may have shot at Dudley Moore Award
--DL, aside from occasional brilliance along with occasional lack of ANY sort of pressure, has been about what was expected; LBs have certainly delivered, with the expected deficiencies in pass coverage; DBs have been surprise at every position, i.e., Josh Jackson came out of nowhere to become all-world, Rugamba has regressed, safeties seem to rotate on a daily basis dependent on performance, depth appears weak, Snyder's return was the epitome of "short-lived"
--Special Teams has been nothing short of unimpressive: kick-off returns are "meh" on a good day, punt returns need significant improvement to even reach "meh", punting is worse than our punt returns, while PATs/FGs/KOs has been pleasant surprise. Punt coverage, when not watching a 22-yard punt roll out of bounds at our own 38-yard line, has been average, while kick-off return coverage hasn't hurt us in any way/shape/form
In short, the one surprise NOBODY saw coming was the spanking of O$U. That's the one we stole. Purdue has improved significantly, which is the one we shouldn't have lost. The fact we also shouldn't have lost to NW and MSU is frustrating, the PSU loss heartbreaking, and the inconsistency mind-blowing.
The apologists have been shocked by the drops, the penalties, the lapses in execution. The haters now (again, all the sudden) now say we have top-level talent but it's being wasted by coaches. Both camps are shocked at the way Wadley is being (mis)utilized and wondering how much effect the Butler injury has had.
