(08-21-2024, 08:17 AM)Mick Wrote:(08-21-2024, 06:55 AM)SkiBum80 Wrote: Good & interesting coach research.
The three big revenue sports recent coach turnover and new hires would be attributable to Muir, though Coach Paye seems more an assumed ascension than Muir's doing.
I think for Coach TT to get to simply a winning season quickly would be a minor miracle achievement.
Coaches Smith and Paye both seem to have stabilized the roster and achieved good recruiting, their first big challenge.
In Coach Smith's case, I assume getting Raynaud back is due to a big assist from Lifetime Cardinal.
Have to agree. Athlon and The Athletic ranks Stanford at #87, fifth worst among FBS teams, only Purdue, ASU, Cincinnati and Vandy are behind them.
I don't see seven wins on their schedule. Cal Poly. SJSU and Cal, both away games, both have preseason rankings better than Stanford. TCU is a late night home game, they'll be playing the second half after 10:30 p.m. body clock time, maybe Stanford can steal that one. Wake Forest, that's five wins, maybe.
I think losses are Louisville, Notre Dame in South Bend, NC State at Raleigh, SMU, at Clemson, Virginia Tech. Six losses.
Syracuse, at Syracuse? September, 4:30 body clock time...possible. They were 6-7 last year. We'd have to win that to get to 6-6. Agreed, it would be a minor miracle.
Assuming Stanford gets to six wins, maybe a minor bowl and a win. Here's the ACC-affiliated bowl schedule, all but one in the Eastern time zone...of course:
Friday, December 20, 2024
Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa, Florida) – 3:30 p.m. ET / ESPN
Friday, December 27, 2024
Birmingham Bowl (Birmingham, Alabama) – Noon or 3:30 p.m. ET / ESPN
Saturday, December 28, 2024
Fenway Bowl (Boston, Massachusetts) – 11 a.m. ET / ESPN
Pinstripe Bowl (The Bronx, New York) – Noon ET / ABC
Pop-Tarts Bowl (Orlando, Florida) – 3:30 p.m. ET / ABC
Military Bowl presented by GoBowling.com (Washington DC) – 5:45 p.m. ET / ESPN
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl (El Paso, Texas) – 2 p.m. ET / CBS
Thursday, January 2, 2025
Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, Florida) – 7:30 p.m. ET / ESPN
Friday, January 3, 2025
Duke’s Mayo Bowl (Charlotte, North Carolina) – 7:30 p.m. ET / ESPN
TBA
Holiday Bowl
Great notes. Lots I agree with.
Maybe need move this to Football topic? but in the meantime, I'll carry on here:
Looking over our roster again, seems to my amateur eyes, that Coach TT has made improvements:
QB's are a talented group, not tons experience, and some of that experience not great, but nonetheless looks like a talent pool with potential
RB's another talent looking pool, not tons experience
OL looks more experienced and beefed up
DL same
LB's I dunno
WR's hoping Elic stays healthy, but lots other good options too
Secondary maybe improved some
Overall, looks like improved OL and DL and if so, that will be key to making Cards more competitive.
Given where they were and what Coach TT & Co have to work with in recruiting and for transfers, my expectations are:
2 wins - Does Home Depot keep tar & feathers in stock?
3 wins - Treading water, so still alive. But you can only tread water for so long before drowning
4 wins - OK, alright, not worthy of fireworks celebration, but as Dr Marvin said in the movie: Baby Steps, Bob, Baby Steps
5 wins - Pretty dang good, High Fives for moving really well in the right direction. Respect the Tree, if not Fear it.
6 wins - as Vizzini says in the Princess Bride: "Inconceivable!"