How many wins (minimum) makes you happy next season?

[TheRazorback500]

Eight.

:razorback:

[ricepig]

You are undoubtedly one of the most uneducated, redneck, clods on this board. And that is saying a lot.

He can't "navigate" the internet, but he knows exactly how much time, down to the millisecond our coaches spend coaching. 

[Biggus Piggus]

Hogsanity, Bret wasn't hired and given the best, by far, compensation package to keep the status quo.  9-3 is not unreasonable to expect and I personally expect our team to compete even in the losses.  If we should go 9-3, we absolutely won't, but if we did, then we would get a decent Bowl competitor and I could see us losing to them but I would still won't us to compete, not fold up.

I am fed up with being called irrational when our team has the 17th best paid coach in the NCAA and he took the damn job knowing about the location, facilities, and the caliber of players he was getting.  If he was too damn dumb to realize the situation he was walking into, hes still a big boy and don't need crying towels and whining humans running interference for him.  Bret Bielema has under achieved here from day one.  John L. could have stayed on at a fourth of BBs price and won those 3 in 2013, likely 4 or 5 and hes an idiot.  In fact, I would offer that the wins being put up by BB since coming here are around John L numbers if he had stayed. 

It is time the Adminstration visit with BB and get him to give the University the time and effort they expected when they hired him.  That alone will increase wins by about 2 per year. 

I know why the revisionists are trying to turn the 2013 season into some kind of criminally poor coaching job. They want to create more "evidence" against Bielema. Dude, we saw that season too. You can't go back and rewrite history. That team was badly depleted. We all know that. You don't have to embarrass yourself like this.

[Hawgar The Horrible]

He can't "navigate" the internet, but he knows exactly how much time, down to the millisecond our coaches spend coaching.

He is a [CENSORED] idiot. That's what he is.

[HogRealism]

9 win minimum... If you do the math since the start of the Broyles era in 1958 the most losses in the first 5 years is by Danny Ford who lost 30 games. BB is tied with Ford who both had 26 losses in their first four years. If BB goes 8-5 he would have lost the most games in a 5 year by any UA coach in nearly 60 years...

[NuttinItUp]

9 win minimum... If you do the math since the start of the Broyles era in 1958 the most losses in the first 5 years is by Danny Ford who lost 30 games. BB is tied with Ford who both had 26 losses in their first four years. If BB goes 8-5 he would have lost the most games in a 5 year by any UA coach in nearly 60 years...

1st post?

[reddogjcss]

It's not wins and losses got us pissed it's the way we blowed big leads to lose games this year! And the way we have lost games with big leads every year Coach B has been here!

[KennyForAD]

1st post?

That was some pretty good propaganda too.  Cuz it sounds really bad till you stop and think about it.  Losing more than Broyles, Holtz, or Hatfield doesn't sound so bad.   And Nutt started of pretty good.  That just leaves Ford, right?

[dallashog83]

I would like to see 8 or 9 wins next year.  With that being said, I do not believe a number of wins is what will be the most important part of the season.  I for one want to see an improvement in our team from top to bottom but since this is a defensive topic I will stick with that.  First I would like to see vast improvement in our defensive front.  I do not believe our front four were well coached and whatever reason or excuse you might find, the consistensy of the front was at best poor.  I dont feel we were quick enough off the ball, fast enough pursuing to the football, or strong enough to maintain consistent play throughout a game or a season.  I realize this may be an off-season/strength coach fix, but I would still like to see improvement in the front four.  The second thing would be improved linebacker play and specifically from the outside guys.  I felt we were late on reads and did not attack our points or angles well enough to their respective gaps.  Lastly I would like to see a little more creative defensive play calling.  Mix up what we do and not be quite so predictable.  Will we see all of these changes I doubt it, but hope each day that they do occur and in the end that is all we really have in this change of D Coordiantors, Hope.  Go Hogs!

[tophawg19]

sometime look over the SEC west and see what each team has averaged over a ten year season

[longpig]

You are undoubtedly one of the most uneducated, redneck, clods on this board. And that is saying a lot.

[hog.goblin]

Hogsanity, Bret wasn't hired and given the best, by far, compensation package

I mean the buyout is good, but the rest of the compensation package is mediocre

[HiggiePiggy]

To me it's 7-5 or 8-4 as long as there are no games that are ours and then we let it go in the second half. 

Should have won 10 2 years ago and lost to Toledo and let Texas A&M come back and beat us in overtime. 

Should have won 9 this year and blew our last 2 games by not showing up in the second half. 

[Torqued pork]

Far too many unknowns, but I voted 9-3. Hog injuries and opponent injuries and how the games unfold regarding crucial penalties and turnovers will matter. No more blowout losses or big leads squandered, PLEASE.

[Jonteviosk]

Wins

Florida A@M
New Mexico State
Coastal Car
Mississippi St

Losses


Bama
@ LSU
Auburn

Toss ups

TCU
@ SC
@ OM
A@M
Missouri

7-5   

In this case I'm not happy

We don't lose at home to Auburn only their place.

[harrisburghog]

So are you going to be rooting against the Hogs?

I feel the same way about BB as I did Nutt who should have been canned  long before he was. I'd rather see the program take the hit and move on. I just don't think BB has the killer instinct it takes to thrive in the SEC.

[jlhogfan]

Championship!

[gmarv]

i picked 9 wins but it could be a sliding scale on the happy meter.You should of let us pick a number between 1 and 10 on the happy meter also.

[NuttinItUp]

i picked 9 wins but it could be a sliding scale on the happy meter.You should of let us pick a number between 1 and 10 on the happy meter also.

Haha, if you want to start a thread with a happy meter, go ahead. I ain't voting on no danged happy meter.

[RedyorNot]

WINS

Florida A@M
New Mexico State
Coastal Car
Mississippi St
@South Carolina
Missouri
TCU

LOSSES

@ Bama
@ LSU
Auburn

TOSS UPS

@ OM
A@M

I see 7 with A&M at a high probability for 8 as Hubenak is an average QB, two new OT's, no Garrett, Hall or Noil. I think Patterson will be better than Kelly and they have a solid WR corp, so Ole Miss will be determined by how well we transition to the 3-4 and how they adopt to their new OC. So 8 wins is my threshold for being satisfied with no blowouts in the losses.

[NuttinItUp]

I see 7 with A&M at a high probability for 8 as Hubenak is an average QB

I sure hope that Kellen Mond kid they signed isn't as good of a QB as they are pumping him to be.

[lakecityhog]

To me there is no "magic" number of wins to make 2017 acceptable. BB let so much stuff slide this year that it will probably take an above average coaching job to get the boat turned around and everyone paddling in the same direction.
Yes, I am basing a lot of my thoughts on the podcast of Mike Irwin mentioned in another thread. What he discussed there explains a LOT of things about the 2016 season. I blame BB for every thing that Mike talked about, just to make sure that you see my position. The how and the why of him letting these things happen are basically irrelevant, he did and it will probably take a BIG effort in 2017 to undo some of that stuff.

What I NOW expect to see is a team playing disciplined, fundamental, TEAM football. A huge cut down on the stupid penalties, NO quitting from the players or the staff and the team making progress towards the future. If he can accomplish that I will be ok with fewer wins. If we see some of the same issues cropping up then it will be my opinion that BB has lost the team. And, once a coach losses the team he is DONE and even he will know it.

BB has an extremely hard row to hoe in 2017 and he had better start the weeding process QUICKLY!
My assumption is simple, Mike told only a PORTION of what was going on(no offense to Mike) and if we knew the whole truth of the locker room issues we might be surprised that we won 7 games!

[GuvHog]

I know why the revisionists are trying to turn the 2013 season into some kind of criminally poor coaching job. They want to create more "evidence" against Bielema. Dude, we saw that season too. You can't go back and rewrite history. That team was badly depleted. We all know that. You don't have to embarrass yourself like this.

I don't blame Bret for 2013 and never have. What happened in 2013 is what happens when a first year head coach inherits a team that was recruited to run an offensive philosophy that is the EXACT OPPOSITE of the one he runs.

[HiggiePiggy]

I don't blame Bret for 2013 and never have. What happened in 2013 is what happens when a first year head coach inherits a team that was recruited to run an offensive philosophy that is the EXACT OPPOSITE of the one he runs.

I don't blame 2013 on him either, but I do see same things that were very similar in 2013 being played today which has been a lot of second half losses

[Biggus Piggus]

I don't blame 2013 on him either, but I do see same things that were very similar in 2013 being played today which has been a lot of second half losses

The 2013 team was fortunate to execute good game plans against superior opponents. Games slipped away because sleight of hand only goes so far when you're undermanned.

This year's team was undermanned at some positions, not across the board like the 2013 team. But the collapses in the last two games were not cases of superior opponents overwhelming a lesser opponent. It was completely different, a team disintegrating under pressure, like some would rather lose than let their teammates succeed.

[hawginbigd1]

I believe I will be happy at 9-3, but if a loss or two was because of bad coaching decisions ala playing for a FG against MSU in 15, then I might be less than happy. On paper 9-3 would be a very good year, we have 2 maybe 3 teams with far superior talent on paper, on the road.

[HiggiePiggy]

The 2013 team was fortunate to execute good game plans against superior opponents. Games slipped away because sleight of hand only goes so far when you're undermanned.

This year's team was undermanned at some positions, not across the board like the 2013 team. But the collapses in the last two games were not cases of superior opponents overwhelming a lesser opponent. It was completely different, a team disintegrating under pressure, like some would rather lose than let their teammates succeed.

So you are telling me that Rutgers were a superior team to us in 2013?

[Tejano Jawg]

To answer the question, I'd say 8 or 9. I see this year as a big setback, so while I'd like to say 10+ (my preseason prediction for this year was 9-3), I think the first priority is re-grouping to a degree. Play some good fundamental ball on both sides.

I've read more comparisons to the 2014 season. The only similarity I see from that year to this year—the last 2 games of this year—was the "cosmic" aspect to it. 2014 seemed surreal at times, we would find a way to do ONE THING that would cost us a game, like a penalty nullifying a game-securing touchdown. This year, we either got pounded, or we melted down (for a NUMBER of reasons.) This season was a blow to my Hog psyche and confidence.

I could answer the question in another way...ONE WIN. If it's Texas A&M.

[3Scoreand10]

Aside from 2 second half meltdowns we should have won 9 games this season. So how do we not have the players to win 9?

Yes, we should have won 9 this year.
But I do not see that for next year because of the players we lost.

[bennyl08]

So, at what point do you start expecting 8+ wins? After 8 years? 10? I don't think it is irrational in the slightest to expect 8 or more wins in year 5 of a coach's tenure. I think that is not accepting mediocrity.

The thread isn't asking how many wins you expect to have. The question is what is your threshold for keeping the pitchfork in the shed.

Assume the worst case of injuries imaginable, that each team we face will have 8 players that are top 3 round draft picks (i.e. the entire first 3 rounds of next year's NFL draft are made from opponents we play). How many wins do we have to get using nothing but third string or worse players across the board and playing nothing but top level opponents to keep a fire Bielema post from coming from you?

Me, I expect 8-9 wins this coming season. However, that isn't the minimum number that I would accept. It is entirely possible that 7 wins next year would be entirely unacceptable depending on how those losses happen. It is also entirely possible that 5 wins would net him coach of the year award depending on the circumstances.

[GuvHog]

The thread isn't asking how many wins you expect to have. The question is what is your threshold for keeping the pitchfork in the shed.

Assume the worst case of injuries imaginable, that each team we face will have 8 players that are top 3 round draft picks (i.e. the entire first 3 rounds of next year's NFL draft are made from opponents we play). How many wins do we have to get using nothing but third string or worse players across the board and playing nothing but top level opponents to keep a fire Bielema post from coming from you?

Me, I expect 8-9 wins this coming season. However, that isn't the minimum number that I would accept. It is entirely possible that 7 wins next year would be entirely unacceptable depending on how those losses happen. It is also entirely possible that 5 wins would net him coach of the year award depending on the circumstances.

Considering that the schedule is more favorable next year and the number of starters returning + players with playing experience returning, if they don't win at least 9 in regular season play then something is seriously wrong.

[hogcard1964]

Has to be into double digits now.  It's do or die for him.

[BleedsRazorbackRed]

15 wins makes me happy ... oh so happy!  However, it's not the number of wins that make me happy.  It's the quality of losses that get me so turned upside down.  It's losing one of the rent a wins, but that can be acceptable if we don't have a big lead or a late lead.  Losing to any or all of the eight SEC teams we play is OK .... That's why the game is played!  Yes, I want to win them all and I hope to win them all, but I just want to be competitive!

I mostly don't want to see our team get a 3 score lead and then change the entire method of our game play.  Kill the clock style of play in football and basketball, just lets the other team come back and give them momentum!  Prevent defenses just prevent a guaranteed win!  Keep playing the style of ball that got you the lead.

Football is all about match ups.  We matched up well against Florida.  Florida matched up against LSU.  LSU matched up well against Arkansas.  Georgia beat Auburn.  Auburn beat Arkansas!  Georgia lost to Florida.  Arkansas beat Florida. 

All games can be won and all games can be lost.  I just don't want to be an embarrassment on the field and look like we at least belong there!

[RME]

Like BleedsRazorback said, 15 would make me happy.

But with our away schedule, 7 regular season wins would also make me happy.

[hogsanity]

9 win minimum... If you do the math since the start of the Broyles era in 1958 the most losses in the first 5 years is by Danny Ford who lost 30 games. BB is tied with Ford who both had 26 losses in their first four years. If BB goes 8-5 he would have lost the most games in a 5 year by any UA coach in nearly 60 years...

registered Nov 28th and this is your 1st post? Whose alter ego are you?

[hogsanity]

Considering that the schedule is more favorable next year and the number of starters returning + players with playing experience returning, if they don't win at least 9 in regular season play then something is seriously wrong.

how do you blaNKING figure next years schedule is more favorable?  Have to go TO Bama, SC, LSU, old misses, and play a "neutral site" game against A&M. Hogs only get 3 home sec games.

You keep saying it is a more favorable schedule but never bother to say how that is.

[hogsanity]

Hogsanity, Bret wasn't hired and given the best, by far, compensation package to keep the status quo.  9-3 is not unreasonable to expect and I personally expect our team to compete even in the losses.  If we should go 9-3, we absolutely won't, but if we did, then we would get a decent Bowl competitor and I could see us losing to them but I would still won't us to compete, not fold up.

I am fed up with being called irrational when our team has the 17th best paid coach in the NCAA and he took the damn job knowing about the location, facilities, and the caliber of players he was getting.  If he was too damn dumb to realize the situation he was walking into, hes still a big boy and don't need crying towels and whining humans running interference for him.  Bret Bielema has under achieved here from day one.  John L. could have stayed on at a fourth of BBs price and won those 3 in 2013, likely 4 or 5 and hes an idiot.  In fact, I would offer that the wins being put up by BB since coming here are around John L numbers if he had stayed. 

It is time the Adminstration visit with BB and get him to give the University the time and effort they expected when they hired him.  That alone will increase wins by about 2 per year. 

17th best paid coach in college football, what is he ranked in the sec by pay? Probably kind of like recruiting where a top 20 class might still be 8th or 9th in the sec.

[GuvHog]

how do you blaNKING figure next years schedule is more favorable?  Have to go TO Bama, SC, LSU, old misses, and play a "neutral site" game against A&M. Hogs only get 3 home sec games.

You keep saying it is a more favorable schedule but never bother to say how that is.

It's very simple. SC isn't near as good as the Florida team the Hogs just beat and Ole Miss is in shambles under an NCAA investigation so those are wins by any stretch of the imagination. The toughest home game is Auburn and after what happened this last year, you can bet Bret and the Hogs have that one circled on the calendar. As for A&M, the Hogs are overdue for a win in Arlington and will have by far the most experienced QB. That just leaves Bama and LSU which I predict will be losses.

[Biggus Piggus]

Considering that the schedule is more favorable next year and the number of starters returning + players with playing experience returning, if they don't win at least 9 in regular season play then something is seriously wrong.

Gawd, Guv, do you black out for years at a time?

[Hogsmo Kramer]

9 wins regular season or maybe, maybe, 8 wins with some close fought loses against good competition.

More than that though, I want to see a good start to the season with a strong finish. The last couple years before this we started slow then ended strong. This year we started decent then collapsed late. I want to see more consistency from his teams, much more. No more ludicrous second half collapses and just sloppy play.

Time to start walking instead of just talking on his promises, like playing disciplined football, finishing strong, playing hard, and max preparation.

I'm tired of the nonsense so put up or shut up and fix what's wrong.

Do that and the winning will take care of itself.

But the honeymoon is def over and burnt dinners ain't gonna cut it anymore. 

[GuvHog]

Gawd, Guv, do you black out for years at a time?

This is Bret's 5th year as the head hog, the year he, himself pointed to as being "THE" year. No more excuses, it's time for him to either put up the numbers or pack his bags.

[bennyl08]

how do you blaNKING figure next years schedule is more favorable?  Have to go TO Bama, SC, LSU, old misses, and play a "neutral site" game against A&M. Hogs only get 3 home sec games.

You keep saying it is a more favorable schedule but never bother to say how that is.

Can't believe I'm about to defend Guv, but here it goes.

Let's first simplify the schedule to 2 games to illustrate a point.

Schedule 1: MSU, @Bama.
Schedule 2: @MSU, Bama.

Which schedule is more favorable? Obviously playing Bama at home is better than playing them away. However, playing MSU at home is also better than playing them in Starkville. However, we probably lose to Bama no matter where we play them. So, any benefit from playing them at home is minimal. Therefore, MSU is a game we are much more likely to win, so getting the benefit of playing them at home is much more beneficial.

Now, applying that to the whole schedule, TCU and Auburn are games we get at home that were one the road. Both are games that we can win, but would be tough on the road. Big boosts to get them at home. MSU and Mizzou we get at home as well. Those are both games that we should win, so getting them at home is a boost, but not as big. Switching from UF to SC in the east is a massive boost. The equivalent of replacing the Bama game with MSU if MSU had a worse coach than Mullen. Sure, it's on the road, but we might as well be on the road vs Kansas or Purdue. Should be double digit favorites.

Bama on the road is tougher, but losing on the road isn't any worse than losing at home. That impact is extremely minimal as far as w/l go. LSU on the road hurts, but again, not as much as say having MSU or Auburn on the road. The biggest hurt as far as home/away goes is OM on the road. That is very much a winnable game for us, and being on the road hurts.

Overall, getting MSU and Auburn home improves our odds at winning games this year a heckuva lot more than having to play LSU and Bama on the road hurts our ability to win games. TCU and Missouri at home helps our odds of winning games, while OM on the road is the only significant hurt to our chances to win games next year. By far the worse part of our schedule is the way too early of a bye. However, as bad as that is, the ease of playing SC instead of UF easily compensates.

So, yeah, our schedule next season is more favorable than it was last season as far as winning games goes. The we are most likely to lose already become harder to win, but the games we have the best shot of winning become much easier to actually win.

[Oklahawg]

This is what is so infuriating about modern fandom! We KNOW we are being confronted with staff changes. We don't know if all the weak links will be purged in time to allow recruiting to not suffer. We don't know if all the strengths of the staff will stick around. Why not begin with that?

We are extrapolating a LOT of data without any hint of scheme, staff, or depth chart. What happens if players transfer? What happens if there is a debilitating injury a week between August 1 and October 1 (when it would force UA to possibly rush someone onto the field)?

What happens with the dumpster fire at OM? How quickly can MS State retool? IS USC-E poised to really step forward?

I don't think it is relevant yet, but if Saban wins Monday does he retire? Not going to make a difference in year one but that almost has to bring Bama "back to the pack."

That SEC-average 7 wins is a nice point of departure. Don't obsess beyond that.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

This is what is so infuriating about modern fandom! We KNOW we are being confronted with staff changes. We don't know if all the weak links will be purged in time to allow recruiting to not suffer. We don't know if all the strengths of the staff will stick around. Why not begin with that?

We are extrapolating a LOT of data without any hint of scheme, staff, or depth chart. What happens if players transfer? What happens if there is a debilitating injury a week between August 1 and October 1 (when it would force UA to possibly rush someone onto the field)?

What happens with the dumpster fire at OM? How quickly can MS State retool? IS USC-E poised to really step forward?

I don't think it is relevant yet, but if Saban wins Monday does he retire? Not going to make a difference in year one but that almost has to bring Bama "back to the pack."

That SEC-average 7 wins is a nice point of departure. Don't obsess beyond that.

All good points.

[nwahogfan1]

9-4.  We are deep enough into CBB coaching that we should not expect any drop offs.

[hogsanity]

9-4.  We are deep enough into CBB coaching that we should not expect any drop offs.

7-6 would not be a drop off, 8-5 would be an improvement. Should not expect any drop offs, so a program should always do better than they did the year before? Eventually that becomes impossible.

[Hogsmo Kramer]

7-6 would not be a drop off, 8-5 would be an improvement. Should not expect any drop offs, so a program should always do better than they did the year before? Eventually that becomes impossible.

If that becomes impossible at 7 wins, then we got the wrong coach...

[Youngsta71701]

9 and don't let the 3 losses be embarrassing.

[hogsanity]

If that becomes impossible at 7 wins, then we got the wrong coach...

Not what I said. I said the assertion that a program should never accept drop offs eventually becomes impossible because if you ever go undefeated, then you have to go undefeated every year or you have a drop off.

[Pig in the Pokey]

Not what I said. I said the assertion that a program should never accept drop offs eventually becomes impossible because if you ever go undefeated, then you have to go undefeated every year or you have a drop off.

Capt Obvious