POLL: What will our 2023 record be?

[CatManTrue]

Alright, let’s see what we think our record will be. Will the Cats return to a bowl game?

@ Rutgers
UTEP
@ Duke
Minnesota
Penn State
Howard
@ Nebraska
Maryland
Iowa
@ Wisconsin
Purdue
@ Illinois

 

[jensberg]

Based on the poll so far = no. Four Wins is the most anyone has voted for so far

 

[NU Houston]

15-0

 

[wicker]

Ten and two or we get someone new

 

[NNFAN]

I think with plenty of seniors sticking around you guys will go 4-8. Players that have been waiting their turn to start (and smelling a degree from one of the finest universities in the country) will keep the wheels from falling off. Next year will probably be ugly. But I'll be pulling for the Wildcats and Naperville North's Aidan Gray!

 

[cattul]

Can we agree that the logical conclusion, given the balance between the 2-10 “realist” vote and the 4-8 “pollyanna” vote, is to count on the “as good as it gets” 3-9 forecast?

 

[CatManTrue]

Can we agree that the logical conclusion, given the balance between the 2-10 “realist” vote and the 4-8 “pollyanna” vote, is to count on the “as good as it gets” 3-9 forecast?

After watching Nebraska & Minnesota look absolutely terrible last night: 5 or 6 wins looks so much more attainable.

They are awful football teams. And our quarterback situation looks better than what they both had. Sullivan looked better than their QBs before he got hurt last year, and Bryant of course did too.

It’s not too late for those of you who haven’t voted to jump in…

 

[SimpsonElmwood]

After watching Nebraska & Minnesota look absolutely terrible last night: 5 or 6 wins looks so much more attainable.

They are awful football teams. And our quarterback situation looks better than what they both had. Sullivan looked better than their QBs before he got hurt last year, and Bryant of course did too.

It’s not too late for those of you who haven’t voted to jump in…

Sunday will be a acid test. Looking forward to seeing what is unveiled.

I can see a path to 5 or 6 myself if the Cats can elevate their game to competence in each phase of the game (which was not there in any phase last year).

 

[CatManTrue]

Sunday will be a acid test. Looking forward to seeing what is unveiled.

I can see a path to 5 or 6 myself if the Cats can elevate their game to competence in each phase of the game (which was not there in any phase last year).

I honestly don’t know if we’ll know much about our team or season after Sunday.

Rutgers could be good or decent - Schiano’s teams are eerily Fitz like except he has much much much better special teams.

He has anemic offenses, usually solid defenses with some diamonds in the rough. But they may also have a bad year… their QB situation is much worse than ours.

7-5 is now my upside estimate for the season after opening night. I would increase my median guess to 4-8 (3-9 in the poll), whereas 2-10 is a real possibility.

 

[wildcatpn]

After watching Nebraska & Minnesota look absolutely terrible last night: 5 or 6 wins looks so much more attainable.

They are awful football teams. And our quarterback situation looks better than what they both had. Sullivan looked better than their QBs before he got hurt last year, and Bryant of course did too.

It’s not too late for those of you who haven’t voted to jump in…

Please stop. They are not awful football teams.

 

[CatManTrue]

Please stop. They are not awful football teams.

Did you watch last night’s game ??

It put the crap into crapolaawful football

 

[wildcatpn]

Did you watch last night’s game ??

It put the crap into crapolaawful football

Yes, I did. And saying they are both awful football teams is just dumb.

 

[CatManTrue]

Yes, I did. And saying they are both awful football teams is just dumb.

They’re awful, and we may be more awful.

0-12 is now a distinct possibility.

 

[cattul]

They’re awful, and we may be more awful.

0-12 is now a distinct possibility.

I think this team will improve. Not every opponent will make highlight reel touchdown receptions, or convert major downs on deflected passes.

Rutgers flat out beat the Cats today, but the game was closer than the final score made it look.

3-9 or bust!

 

[CatManTrue]

I think this team will improve. Not every opponent will make highlight reel touchdown receptions, or convert major downs on deflected passes.

Rutgers flat out beat the Cats today, but the game was closer than the final score made it look.

3-9 or bust!

It sounds like we watched two different games.

The only part of yesterday’s game that made me think we could be decent was when Sullivan came in.

Braun, Holtz, Jake, and the staff didn’t see that our offense simply wasn’t working with Bryant. Sullivan should have started the second half and maybe we would have had a shot.

We may turn it around. But we were pretty thoroughly handled by a mediocre Rutgers team.

UTEP looks beatable.

 

[shields]

Rutgers has a solid defense.

 

[cattul]

It sounds like we watched two different games.

The only part of yesterday’s game that made me think we could be decent was when Sullivan came in.

Braun, Holtz, Jake, and the staff didn’t see that our offense simply wasn’t working with Bryant. Sullivan should have started the second half and maybe we would have had a shot.

We may turn it around. But we were pretty thoroughly handled by a mediocre Rutgers team.

UTEP looks beatable.

Same game.

Sixteen play drives are examples of pretty much textbook bend don’t break defense, which is what the Cats must play this season. The NU defense gave Rutgers so many opportunities to screw up, but they irritatingly refused to do so. Other opponents will have less luck and discipline.

The team weaknesses are where everyone expected them to be, but some of the strengths are positive surprises.

Finally, watching a game largely free of JON ‘s signature explosive plays was quite refreshing. That might account for my positive outlook.

 

[CatManTrue]

Apologies to @phatcat , @RutgersLifeR , @Alvious , @Rick Pigeons , @Seattle_Cat , and the others who voted for 0-12!

The B1G is wide open, and a bowl is still possible! Go Cats

 

[NUCat320]

Nearly 48% of us would have already lost our hypothetical UNDER 2.5 wins bet. I was in the 2-10 crowd.

The “9-3 or better” folks are still alive and the “2 wins or fewer” group is already out. Very few would have expected that.

Incidentally, my guess was zero Big Ten wins as well, and I’m happily wrong.

GO CATS GO CATS GO!

 

[CatManTrue]

Nearly 48% of us would have already lost our hypothetical UNDER 2.5 wins bet. I was in the 2-10 crowd.

The “9-3 or better” folks are still alive and the “2 wins or fewer” group is already out. Very few would have expected that.

Incidentally, my guess was zero Big Ten wins as well, and I’m happily wrong.

GO CATS GO CATS GO!

I voted in the median/midpoint based on the pseudo bell curve derived from the votes so far (currently - there are a lot of voters who never weighed in).

The midpoint is currently 3-9. The optimist in me hopes for 5-7 or 6-6 if we stayed healthy. Henning being hurt is a blow.

Bryant has been battered and probably hasn’t been healthy since Rutgers. Sully… isn’t quite there yet based on the Howard game. But he has a bye week to learn from it, right?

Say it with me folks: Vince Lombardi got it right decades ago. Your football team will go only as far as your quarterback and front 4 (defensive line / rush).

Our quarterbacks have been battered for years. We’ve seen how that goes.

 

[SimpsonElmwood]

I placed a wager on the Cats over 3.5 wins. This was the O/U BEFORE July. It would be sad if they don't win any of the next six.

 

[CatManTrue]

I placed a wager on the Cats over 3.5 wins. This was the O/U BEFORE July. It would be sad if they don't win any of the next six.

1 more win = a great probability.

2 more wins… decent odds.

3 more wins… if they get healthy, and pull off an upset or beat the other beatable ones… maybe.

4 or more, hell no. I mean they just barely beat Howard. At homecoming. How??

Keep the faith brother! You can still make money on that wager.

 

[stpaulcat]

Can we agree that the logical conclusion, given the balance between the 2-10 “realist” vote and the 4-8 “pollyanna” vote, is to count on the “as good as it gets” 3-9 forecast?

No. They have already won three. They will win a couple more, at least. If Bryant is healthy.

 

[stpaulcat]

1 more win = a great probability.

2 more wins… decent odds.

3 more wins… if they get healthy, and pull off an upset or beat the other beatable ones… maybe.

4 or more, hell no. I mean they just barely beat Howard. At homecoming. How??

Keep the faith brother! You can still make money on that wager.

Howard was not an indicator of the rest of the season. I hope.

 

[phatcat]

I was in the 0-12 camp (shocker!) So I am giddy about 3 wins. I think it would be ironic if we ended up 5-7 and in the Quick Lane Bowl. Many a time I have eye rolled over 5-7 bowl teams AND the bowl in Detroit. Yet, here we are. I'd be delighted

 

[CatManTrue]

I was in the 0-12 camp (shocker!) So I am giddy about 3 wins. I think it would be ironic if we ended up 5-7 and in the Quick Lane Bowl. Many a time I have eye rolled over 5-7 bowl teams AND the bowl in Detroit. Yet, here we are. I'd be delighted

Amazingly enough, no one chose 8 wins.

Congratulations to @eastbaycat99 , @drewjin , and @ballerog711 for getting the regular season record correct.

What an unexpected and incredible season.

 

[EvanstonCat]

Alright, let’s see what we think our record will be. Will the Cats return to a bowl game?

@ Rutgers
UTEP
@ Duke
Minnesota
Penn State
Howard
@ Nebraska
Maryland
Iowa
@ Wisconsin
Purdue
@ Illinois

I was off by 1 game. If only Bryant hadn’t gotten hurt…

 

[zeek55]

I picked 4-8 because I was bullish that Braun would provide an immediate lift to the defense to win 2 Big Ten games (or beat Duke + another Big Ten team) and do enough to maybe win the job:

8-5 is a completely stunning result. This team has far surpassed expectations to an extent that only the 1995 team would be able to top.

To be in the same company as that illustrious team is quite a statement for what this team accomplished.

 

[phatcat]

I was off by 1 game. If only Bryant hadn’t gotten hurt…

You are exactly right, but, at the time of his injury, he really had only played about one good half of football. I wasn't sold on Sully, especially after PSU and Howard, but wasn't yet sold on Bryant either. He proved himself when he returned.

 

[CatManTrue]

I picked 4-8 because I was bullish that Braun would provide an immediate lift to the defense to win 2 Big Ten games (or beat Duke + another Big Ten team) and do enough to maybe win the job:

8-5 is a completely stunning result. This team has far surpassed expectations to an extent that only the 1995 team would be able to top.

To be in the same company as that illustrious team is quite a statement for what this team accomplished.

Well put. As our announcers pointed out, many of us thought this was a 2-10 team or worse. Back in early September it looked a dreary season was ahead.

I voted 3-9. What a turnaround led by Braun, Bryant, and all.