I have a feeling that there were good/great QBs in the portal... and we got Mertz. We need more talented D-line and DBs to play an effective defensive scheme and sets. To be a good effective defense we need to play man/press on the back end. That requires a good healthy pass rush in the front end to be effective. We played that scheme/set in the 3rd quarter of the UGA game and we forced 3 UGA turnovers... till we ran out of talented DBs and D-lineman to keep that going. I think our coaches know what it takes to get better on defense and they just recruited well for that, and are in the portal to fill those needs to be successful on defense. But the one position that we have to find a great player at is at QB... let's hope Rashada is quick study and starts for us because I don't know that we have "that guy" that we need to play to play QB for us in game one at Utah.
Rashada picks up the offense really fast, or we get a totally unexpected transfer. I don't think the other QBs can get us there, and unless our defense morphs into an all pro NFL unit to keep us in games that we used to win. So, we might not win all that many games with the QB situation not being our strongest position. We need a 65% or better passer that almost never turns it over. But I do expect improvement on both the defense and the special teams units. The offense is the wildcard as I see it right now.
I think 7-5 is our ceiling. 5-7 or 6-6 is more realistic: Utah (away) - L (first game jitters, new QB, away game) McNeese St (home) - W Tennessee (home) - L Charlotte (home) - W Kentucky (away) - W Vanderbilt (home) - W South Carolina (away) - L (revenge game, away game, complacency/overconfidence) Georgia - L Arkansas (home) - W LSU (away) - L Missouri (away) - L (deflating loss to LSU carries over to this game, Billy gets outcoached, injuries late in season, away game) FSU (home) - L
7-5 or 6-6. Maybe we steal one and get to 8 wins. The rubber meets the road in '24, either we start trending up or the pitchforks come out if we are sitting here in december of '24 licking our wounds after another waxing in some pos bowl game or not going at all. Fingers crossed we are at least competitive by then. Really don't want another lost decade.
Reports of Rashada's practice and game indicates he has consistency issues, professed difficulty reading defenses and hesitates to run. Hmmm, where have we seen that before? No doubt he has a lot to learn so very doubtful he plays much in year one. It would appear our O with new OL and basically second string qbs will have a tough year. I'm going 5-7 with major noise in the system. We have very good recruits but they are young and doubtful they will contribute much. We have the same DC who will have to make more stops because I don't think our O will score a lot of points and frankly, he's not the answer imho. It grieves me that our football/basketball program has become well, impotent. I think the only thing that saves BN from being fired in year 4 or 5 is recruiting. I'm not sure 7-6 or even 8-4 record in year 4 quiets the noise, especially if we keep losing to rivals like ut, lsu, uga and fsu.
It’s really hard to say when we have no idea who is playing for our team next year. We could have a decent offensive line as well as qb or they could be historically bad. We don’t even know their names. I think our defense will show improvement no doubt but will we have that 30 points a game to compensate for even a top 50 defense. Last year we had hopes of a qb that may have been a heisman candidate. That don’t happen but we would have won a few more games had he developed. It’s safe to say that we won’t have a qb in heisman talk next year nor will we have a top 10 defense no matter how well our coaches do their job. Being a ranked team midway through next year would be a miracle. Putting unrealistic expectations out there is not a good thing. I’m just hoping to see kids that look like future sec players. We will be very young and inexperienced. Progress will be evident by watching the games, not reading wins and losses and stats off a piece of paper.
7-6 in year 4 and it's adios and deservedly so. If that is the record after 4 years of recruiting, then recruiting wasnt all that anyway. Hell, even 7-6 in year 3 is an indictment. Gotta hope that misery ends before that.
Scouting Report and Career Outlook: Gators QB Commit Jaden Rashada this was posted in recruiting forum. Read. One practice week with guys you’ve never played with before is not an indication of any consistency issues. he will be fine.
Rashada is an EE correct? What are the rules regarding him practicing or having contact with the coaches and the receivers to start working on chemistry and film study prior to spring practice?
Wondering what others are thinking after game one. I am not so sure, but I'll stick with my prediction of 5-7. I was pleasantly surprised by the play of Mertz and our entire defense. But I was hoping for better offensive coaching than last year.
