Shooter: Season schedule "should easily allow first-year coach PJ Fleck a 5-0 start"

Just because one coach had immediate success, doesn't mean every new hire in the future should "easily" have simiar success.

Exactly. Alabama went 10-2 and 6-7 the two seasons before Saban got there. They went 6-6 in the regular season, 7-6 after winning the bowl game, his first year with what I guarantee is more NFL talent than what the Gophers will have next year. Probably should have fired him.
 

I case you all missed it, the goal is Big 10 West Champion. We won 9 games last year and lost 4 we could shoulda won. 5-0 is mandatory. Maryland at home 6-0. Purdue 7-0. The MSU 7-1 Ilinois 8-1, Iowa 9-1 Michigan 9-2, Nebraska 10-2, Wisconsin 11-2. Big 10 West Champion. Playing Penn State.
 

Exactly. Alabama went 10-2 and 6-7 the two seasons before Saban got there. They went 6-6 in the regular season, 7-6 after winning the bowl game, his first year with what I guarantee is more NFL talent than what the Gophers will have next year. Probably should have fired him.

Saban also was coaching in a tougher conference, and was able to improve the record by a win in his first year, so that means Fleck should be able to at least hold serve. ;)
8 win regular season.
 

Saban also was coaching in a tougher conference, and was able to improve the record by a win in his first year, so that means Fleck should be able to at least hold serve. ;)
8 win regular season.

Then go undefeated in conference and then a National Championship!!!

I think we all agree that trajectory would be nice.
 

Since the success of the last few years was built on good defense, assuming anything is risky until we see how these new guys can coach. Realistically, probably a step back on D with a new system and getting buy in. On offense, assume they can cobble together a better passing attack. Does it come out a wash? Most teams regress in the first year unless the coach is named Urban Meyer.
 


Since the success of the last few years was built on good defense, assuming anything is risky until we see how these new guys can coach. Realistically, probably a step back on D with a new system and getting buy in. On offense, assume they can cobble together a better passing attack. Does it come out a wash? Most teams regress in the first year unless the coach is named Urban Meyer.

Or Chryst, Harsin, G. Anderson, Sumlin, Peterson, Narduzzi, Malzahn, etc, etc,...
 

Why wouldn't these players "buy in"...are they stupid or something? Do they think they're immortal?
 


Doesn't matter if it's 8 or 80. We all want Fleck to be number 9.
With the amount of returning players on the two deep roster from the Holiday Bowl, he is walking into a much better situation than most coaches have. No reason there can't be optimism for him to build off the success of the Kill and Claeys seasons. And that can start in Year 1.
 



So eight out of how many head coaching positions in FBS?

No that's what I mean by etc, etc, etc... Those are just a sample from HC hires in the last few years.

There are more like Harbaugh, Pelini, McElwain, etc...
 

No that's what I mean by etc, etc, etc... Those are just a sample from HC hires in the last few years.

There are more like Harbaugh, Pelini, McElwain, etc...

Yeah, it's absolutely ridiculous that people think a first-year regression is a certainty. There are countless examples to the contrary. We can, of course, have expectations for our lowest-paid head coach in the Big Ten and guy who's "not head coach material," but no expectations are allowed for his successor who makes almost 3x what he did.
 




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