Team expectations in comparison to before the season

ibahawkeye

ibahawkeye

Well-Known Member
How do you feel about this team in comparison to prior to the start of the season?

I predicted 6-6 but actually feel better about the team now due to Ruddock's play and the coaching strategies. We are running the no huddle and a much higher number of offensive plays and we are blitzing more on defense than in years past.

I will say I've been disappionted with our Defensive backfield and thought this unit would be better than they have been.

As far as any other units, I would say they are playing as I anticipated. Felt we had a good run game coming into the year and our LB crew was solid. I think we all anticipated our WR And DL to struggle and I would say that has held true.

At this point I would feel comfortable predicting 7-5 which isn't much of a difference but in my 6-6 prediction I was counting on a W over N. Ill. So it's actually a 2 game swing.
 




I still do not feel all that good, beating Iowa State was more of a relief to me than anything as I get tired of ISU fans rubbing it in my nose when they win. I am still smarting over losing to a MAC school on our home field, I still feel that they gave that game away and only being up 1 TD late against Missouri State was unsettling as well. For me I don't know any more about this team than I did before the season, I thought they would start 2-1 but I was off on how they would get to that record. I bet I will still feel this way a week later.
 


ssckelley said:
I still do not feel all that good, beating Iowa State was more of a relief to me than anything as I get tired of ISU fans rubbing it in my nose when they win. I am still smarting over losing to a MAC school on our home field, I still feel that they gave that game away and only being up 1 TD late against Missouri State was unsettling as well. For me I don't know any more about this team than I did before the season, I thought they would start 2-1 but I was off on how they would get to that record. I bet I will still feel this way a week later.
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I feel worse about team than before season. Defensive backfield had been terrible. Losing to a MAC school again is inexcusable. ISU and MSU are terrible.
 


I feel better. Better than expected positions for me are QB and DL. Yes, I know the DL is not getting sacks or enough pressure, however they are holding up great against the run and are keeping the lineman off the LBs. I think as they gain experience this year the sacks/pressure will come. There is hope there. Jake Rudock has impressed me, I was in the "play one of the other guys camp" based on hearing things through the media regarding Rudock being the "safe pick" and "smart game manager" type. I think he's got some moxie to him, and he can move around a little bit too.

The secondary is the biggest disappointment so far, I was thinking they'd be one of the most solid units, but they haven't really shown anything aside from Lowrey's ridiculous interception the other night. Still waiting from someone other than KMM to step up and be a consistent performer at WR.

I think this team has potential to resemble the good development teams in the 2000's that gets significantly better as the season goes on.
 


I would like to see some better blocking past the los. I know we have some youth but imho when jake can throw to a place instead of a person it will help. Those two things will open this o up into what it could be. Still cant get a feel for the d. Improved yes but still needs a lot of work.
 


I thought we had to start 4-0 to have a legit shot at 7-8 wins.

Every game seems a little different, like the coaches are looking for things, which I like.

We asked for more aggression, got it. We asked for more downfield passing, got it. We asked for more blitzing, we got it(too much at times). I even dare say GD has been dynamic with the playcalling at times.

Defense is giving up WAAY too many big plays, D backfield needs to improve...quickly. I do think theres some raw talent but it's gotta get better quick. I have been happy with the D-line overall. Linebackers have been very good.

Rudock has impressed me overall. He's accurate, a gamer, a little speedier that I thought, seem tough. Arm strength has been overargued(his arm is strong enough if his accuracy and timing are good)

I'm sure I'll get called out on this but both the fake punt AND the onsite kick, I think we had guys in position to make the plays(that's the overused buzz term "in position to make plays", they didn't...I don't think this was a coaching issue, guys were there (and yes, Hamilton has shown he's a sure handed-pass catching tight end, so he was as good as anyone to have there, he simply misshandled a perfectly kicked onside. Sometimes...just sometimes...it actually is execution.

Still need to see more depth at a few positions, namely RB and DB/S.

Weisman is a beast. He needs less than 25 to remain effective for the season.

But at the end of it all, I still think we needed to start 4-0 to get 7-8 wins. I believe we get 6(only because I refuse to admit less than 6 until it happens), and if we continue to improve each week and maybe steal one we "shouldn't" we could get to 7.

Western Michigan is, I M O, a very important game.
 


Hope Western Michigan will have a let down after the near win at Meechigan.

Doesn't Boise State have a copyright on their football helmet decals?
 


I'm a little bit down from when the season started. I thought we had to win our first 4 or 5 games to have a chance to go bowling. I fully expected to beat Northern Illinois, beat Mizzou State by at least 20 points and beat ISU by 10 to 15 points. I expected the offensive line to be better and I'm shocked by the level of play by our secondary. I thought we were finally going to use CJF and the mismatches he provides. I am excited by the potential of Jake Ruddock and some of the young guys. I keep waiting for Nico Law to break out. This team just hasn't seemed to mesh yet. They don't seem to be playing with any confidence even against lesser competition. My hope is they continue to improve and we pull a couple of upsets in the Big 10 and we go bowling. Overall I think we are improving and the fortunes of this team are on the way up.
 




I think they look better than I thought they would. Rudock looks more poised than a soph gettin his first playin time. Very good leader and more athletic than I thought. Offense is getting more plays. Still need to get better at catching but a couple of plays by Smith and Hillyer are promising.

On D, the run defense has been great. They are getting more pressure than last year and it has improved every game. The DBs are still messing up which is concerning. Lowery has to make sure he gets the tackle when he is out there by himself.
I was surprised to see them continuing to blitz when they were up 27-7. I've never seen them that agressive when up that much in the 4th.
 


Special teams and secondary needs a lot of work. They appear to be getting better. Biggest improvement is from game one to game three in our case, as it appeared to me they left a lot of offense on the bench in game two. I don't know what we learn after ISU. I don't know what we learn after the next two games either. Hold your breathe and hope they get to six wins.
 


I had 4-8. I'll go 5-7 mainly because we should have put those 2 FG's in for TDs. But I think that the ceiling is higher then I thought. They appear to be built like a KF team of old where you see the team improve each week even late in the year. If we dominate next week and have a solid win over Minny I'll up the win total.
 


I feel better overall because the QB situation is much better than I thought. Amazing how much more confidence I have watching Rudock that JVB.

I thought the RBs & OL would be a strength and they are. I knew coaches and media were overrating the TE group and that has also proven true. WR are worse than I thought. Scares the crap out of me that no true FR or Powell haven't forced their way in with this group.

Front 7 is a little better than I thought. Back 4 is much worse than I ever imagine it could be. I'm used to watching them give up 10 yard chunks over and over but now they are getting beat deep.

I thought 5-7 going into season, hoping for 6-6. Sticking with that. IF Iowa can beat WMU on Saturday, I think they have a legit shot to get 3 wins in the B10.
 


HomerChampless said:
Hope Western Michigan will have a let down after the near win at Meechigan.

Doesn't Boise State have a copyright on their football helmet decals?
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Yeah because 31-7 defeats that happened over 4 years ago is definitely a reason to have a let down in Week 4 of 2013. In case you dont get it, Homer, 2009 is the last time WMU has played Michigan.

Do you ever have a frickin clue what you are talking about?

Western Michigan Broncos vs. Michigan Wolverines - Recap - September 05, 2009 - ESPN
 




Xerxes said:
I thought 5-7 going into season, hoping for 6-6. Sticking with that. IF Iowa can beat WMU on Saturday, I think they have a legit shot to get 3 wins in the B10.
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I heard a boxing trainer say to one of his boxers, "you could be world champion if you would just go to the body." Well, Iowa could win 6 games if they would just pass down field.
 


I thought 4-8 or 5-7 seems like this is going to right. Defense is worst than I thought the offense if better than I thought. Everything else pretty much status qua.
 


ibahawkeye said:
How do you feel about this team in comparison to prior to the start of the season?

I predicted 6-6 but actually feel better about the team now due to Ruddock's play and the coaching strategies. We are running the no huddle and a much higher number of offensive plays and we are blitzing more on defense than in years past.

I will say I've been disappionted with our Defensive backfield and thought this unit would be better than they have been.

As far as any other units, I would say they are playing as I anticipated. Felt we had a good run game coming into the year and our LB crew was solid. I think we all anticipated our WR And DL to struggle and I would say that has held true.

At this point I would feel comfortable predicting 7-5 which isn't much of a difference but in my 6-6 prediction I was counting on a W over N. Ill. So it's actually a 2 game swing.
Click to expand...


Interesting question - good post -

The team looks imporved - I expected that. The part that is a bit disappointing is giving up big passing plays and dropped passes. As a result of the latter I thought this O would be more potent than it is.

Because I thought the O would be more potent I though this would be an 7-8 win team. Right now I see maybe 2 more wins.







chuckle, ya know Shumpert's reception down near the goal line? He bobbled the ball after he rolled over on his back, good thing he was on his back because when he dropped it it fell on his belly. LOL
 




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