Take this year's team against last year's schedule

[Biggus Piggus]

Tell me why you believe this year's team would do better.

I'll start.

Rutgers - Better secondary and passing threat. Better speed on special teams.
Texas A&M - Aggies couldn't line up and run over us.
Florida - Probably wouldn't give up 30 points.
South Carolina - We'd show up?
Alabama - See above.
Auburn - Maybe not give up a third-down bomb + not onside kick.
Ole Miss - Not give up on pass coverage when we're in the game.
Mississippi State - So many possibilities.
LSU - Any tiny change could swing it.

[HF#1]

Tell me why you believe this year's team would do better.

I'll start.

Rutgers - Better secondary and passing threat. Better speed on special teams.
Texas A&M - Aggies couldn't line up and run over us.
Florida - Probably wouldn't give up 30 points.
South Carolina - We'd show up?
Alabama - See above.
Auburn - Maybe not give up a third-down bomb + not onside kick.
Ole Miss - Not give up on pass coverage when we're in the game.
Mississippi State - So many possibilities.
LSU - Any tiny change could swing it.

Anyone playing Safety but Eric Bennett could have change the LSU game.

[tophawg19]

i can sum it up  . more experience , depth and now we have big play ability at both WR, and RB . Better o-line play and a whole new Defensive staff will give us a far greater chance in each game

[hogsanity]

6-6. Beat the 3 they did beat, plus Rutgers, one of the MS schools and LSU. I think A&M and Auburn would have done what they needed to do to win, no matter what that was. Auburn just had one of those type of seasons where everything went right, and A&M from last year would still have favorable match ups against this years Hog team.

[jgphillips3]

6-6. Beat the 3 they did beat, plus Rutgers, one of the MS schools and LSU. I think A&M and Auburn would have done what they needed to do to win, no matter what that was. Auburn just had one of those type of seasons where everything went right, and A&M from last year would still have favorable match ups against this years Hog team.

This is exactly how I would see last year going down.

[Shorttimer]

Hoganese.  We'd have gone 7-5.  That's a fact.

[Lake City Hog]

Biggus, my summation would be better coaching on defense!

[Steef]

Hoganese.  We'd have gone 7-5.  That's a fact.

I think so too.

if the defense is one TD better and the offense is one TD better...that would have been 7-5 last year.

I think it's 7-5 this year.

No one we play this year will be appreciably better than last year...and we might be.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

I think so too.

if the defense is one TD better and the offense is one TD better...that would have been 7-5 last year.

I think it's 7-5 this year.

No one we play this year will be appreciably better than last year...and we might be.

True.

[razorbackkid]

I think so too.

if the defense is one TD better and the offense is one TD better...that would have been 7-5 last year.

I think it's 7-5 this year.

No one we play this year will be appreciably better than last year...and we might be.

+1

[Atlhogfan1]

I'm taking it we are working off of these assumptions:
Brandon is healthy in all of the games
D Wilson gives us a reliable receiver capable of making plays downfield and JoJo gives us a legit threat to turn a short throw into a big play
Korliss being used from game 1
Oline is better as a group even though Swanson is gone
TE position is deeper
DLine is better with the continued development and experience of Philon
LB better because ... the JC transfer and Otha might start to realize his potential and Shannon's coaching?
DB better because...coaching, scheme, more experience?
Defense actually creates turnovers and offense reduces theirs
Rugby punting on the road when the punter is kicking away from the planned coverage no longer happens

With these assumptions:

Rutgers: double digit Hogs win, effective passing game, running game would have huge day and no STs mistakes to give RU hope
A&M: Could be a Hogs win although Manziel, Evans would still be hard to outscore if A&M needed to go back to their passing game.  A&M also had a pick 6 last year that may wouldn't happen with a more experienced and healthy Brandon Allen.
Florida: Again, do we see a pick 6 with a 2014 BA?  Probably would still struggle to run and throw consistently against the Florida D.  But take away the pick 6 and the pressure is on Florida.
SC:  Still a mismatch.  Spurrier calling plays with Shaw, their receivers, RB and a good oline.  Closer game but SC double digit win.
Bama: Mismatch still.  You can talk about not trying or giving up, no heart or whatever but we have few players that would make their two deep and maybe three deep.
AU: Take away our fumbles and have an effective passing game and we are close in the 4th qtr.  Better run defense maybe too.
OM: Their wr's were better.  If we are hoping we are better in the secondary and can make Wallace make tough throws, then we could stay close till the end.
MS: another game where we had a turnover deficit: 3-MSU's 1, could have easily been a 10-14 pt win.
LSU: Are we still playing them at the end of the season?  I agree in that anything could happen.  We matched them with 2 turnovers.  At least it wasn't a deficit.  One turnover in our favor could swing it.


When you look at last season, we were such a fragile team not only in terms of depth but competitiveness as well.  We needed breaks to have a chance.  Instead, we gave them away for various reasons and our defense didn't create them for us.  In games where we could have continued to stay in it or even win, our games turned on poor punts, poorly executed or timed risks and offensive turnovers giving pts away or stopping us from scoring.  If the defense can turn this in our favor and the punt team can be a strength, it could make a difference in a few wins.  This would have been the case last season even with BA injured and no playmakers at wr. 

[Nuttcracker, Sweet!]

Anyone playing Safety but Eric Bennett could have change the LSU game.

Didn't the much-abused Eric Bennett complete his eligibility in 2012?