[Hulk01]

I was being...well, Sunday morningish and sarcastic.

I find it interesting to remember what I expected.  Here's my memory;

1.  A DL that won't be good but won't be as hideous as many feared--including me at times..
2.  I also penned in, once a week, that Gabe Reid would give us some very good moments off the edge.  Not an every down guy, but he didn't have to be to help us.
3.  Barton would be OK but a half-step slower.
4.  Worried about Holder, too, confident Adebo would be solid but make a few rookie errors.
5.  Our safeties would be solid.  Never expected the tackling issues.
6.  Pegged the defense at 22.5-23.0 ppg allowed. 

On offense
1.  We'd be terrific--39 ppg.
2.  Outstanding run game behind improved run blocking, which was not good in 2017.
3.  Excellent and sometimes spectacular passing game behind excellent protection plus AW, Kaden, and Trent
4.  155 PER performance from Costello, with some blips but threaten Herbert for 1st team all conference.
5.  85% of our fans would continue to reflect their total conviction that they know more about offensive football than 95% of all other fans and more than at least 80% of our coaches.

So the surprises:
1.  Injuries.  Startling.
2.  Tackling.  Startling.
3.  Run blocking.  Startling.  Often utterly nonexistent, I rewatched the SC game three  times, certain it couldn't be.  It was.  And it continued.
4.  Bryce's failure to return to 95%.
5.  Mike Williams more effective and W-P less effective than I expected.

I thought the conference would be significantly weaker and have significantly fewer outstanding players. 
I thought Browning would be exposed, at long last, and Rapp would be to, but to a lesser degree.
I was certain Washington State would lose at least five games and maybe eight or nine.
And that USC would win at least eight.
The conference proved to be even worse than I expected.

I usually end up underestimating Stanford's win loss record--every year, in fact, except 2014.  I figured 9-3 this year.  But if you told me we'd have all these injuries (Toohill and Alfieri especially, but also Herbig and the total loack of continuity on OL) and that Love would barely resemble his 2017 version, I'd figure 8-4 at best. thinking Costello would keep us from 7-5, somehow.

[Hulk01]

I was being...well, Sunday morningish and sarcastic.

I find it interesting to remember what I expected.  Here's my memory;

1.  A DL that won't be good but won't be as hideous as many feared--including me at times..
2.  I also penned in, once a week, that Gabe Reid would give us some very good moments off the edge.  Not an every down guy, but he didn't have to be to help us.
3.  Barton would be OK but a half-step slower.
4.  Worried about Holder, too, confident Adebo would be solid but make a few rookie errors.
5.  Our safeties would be solid.  Never expected the tackling issues.
6.  Pegged the defense at 22.5-23.0 ppg allowed. 

On offense
1.  We'd be terrific--39 ppg.
2.  Outstanding run game behind improved run blocking, which was not good in 2017.
3.  Excellent and sometimes spectacular passing game behind excellent protection plus AW, Kaden, and Trent
4.  155 PER performance from Costello, with some blips but threaten Herbert for 1st team all conference.
5.  85% of our fans would continue to reflect their total conviction that they know more about offensive football than 95% of all other fans and more than at least 80% of our coaches.

So the surprises:
1.  Injuries.  Startling.
2.  Tackling.  Startling.
3.  Run blocking.  Startling.  Often utterly nonexistent, I rewatched the SC game three  times, certain it couldn't be.  It was.  And it continued.
4.  Bryce's failure to return to 95%.
5.  Mike Williams more effective and W-P less effective than I expected.

I thought the conference would be significantly weaker and have significantly fewer outstanding players. 
I thought Browning would be exposed, at long last, and Rapp would be to, but to a lesser degree.
I was certain Washington State would lose at least five games and maybe eight or nine.
And that USC would win at least eight.
The conference proved to be even worse than I expected.

I usually end up underestimating Stanford's win loss record--every year, in fact, except 2014.  I figured 9-3 this year.  But if you told me we'd have all these injuries (Toohill and Alfieri especially, but also Herbig and the total loack of continuity on OL) and that Love would barely resemble his 2017 version, I'd figure 8-4 at best. thinking Costello would keep us from 7-5, somehow.