The hope

[Bacon_Bitz]

We need a jump in performance level from 2016 to 2017 comparable to the jump we saw from 2013 to 2014, when we went from 67th in S&P+ to 8th.  We maintained an elite level of play in 2015, coming in at 17th, but then slipped all the way to 48th last year.  Let's hope CBB's first year and last year are the anomalies (I believe they are based on his track record at Wisconsin), and we can return to our elite level of play from 2014 and 2015.

For reference, we were actually 39th in the disastrous 2012 Smiley year, and 41st, 20th, 9th, and 18th in CBP's four seasons.

[Steef]

2015 was 8-5
2014 was 7-6

I'm normally a 'glass half full' kinda guy...but I'm not calling those results 'elite'. Sorry.

I do agree we need to 'bump' 2017 up from 2016. But 16 was so horrid, we could have a GOOD 'bump' and still fall short of 'elite'.

[Boss Hog in the Arkansas]

2015 was 8-5
2014 was 7-6

I'm normally a 'glass half full' kinda guy...but I'm not calling those results 'elite'. Sorry.

I do agree we need to 'bump' 2017 up from 2016. But 16 was so horrid, we could have a GOOD 'bump' and still fall short of 'elite'.

Forget the record, do you remember how the defense played? We held most of our opponents to season lows. Held LSU and Ole miss scoreless in back to back weeks. As the season went on, they got better and better