What Should Expectations Be?

[wolfpackdevil]

I am a huge Duke Football fan living in Durham. I've gone to basically every home game, and a lot of away games for the past 6 or 7 years. It has been tough staying with it, especially after the OT loss to UNC this past season.

So this year we renewed the season tickets and have already got tailgating plans for the first game, August 30th at 7pm vs. James Madison

With a new coach in David Cutcliffe who is one of the most experienced coaches duke has had since Steve Spurrier

Also, and All-American QB in Thaddieus Lewis, WR Eron Riley, LB Mike Tauilili and DT Vince Oghobaase, all capable of great years

And many winable games with home games vs. JMU, Northwestern, Navy, NCSU, UNC and Virginia, and away games with Vandy and WFU....




What should are expectations be for this year??



Because I am expecting 4-5 wins

whats your take?

[Bob Green]

Last summer I was extremely optimistic and predicting 4-5 wins. Football season arrived and with it reality and disappointment. This summer I am once again extremely optimistic and predicting 4-5 wins. Hopefully, reality is nice to us.

[Edouble]

I would say expectations should be 3 wins... 4-5 wins is gravy.

[Uncle Drew]

Nobody and I mean NOBODY wants to be a bigger optimist than me when it comes to Duke football. I was raised going to every bloody game home and away until I graduated highschool. It's very hard for so called experts to guage the difference Cut will make over the long haul, much the less in his first season. I must say there have been Duke coaches take over and have instant success, but I think that was due to the fact they were playing the previous coaches seniors. The following is Dukes schedule. I have no idea how to predict or what to predict. But instead of saying 3-5 wins 1 win or undefeated (leave me alone I'm allowed to dream!) which games do you people think duke SHOULD win, which games do you think they will have a decent chance in and which games are they most likely to lose.

Duke -- 2008 Football Schedule

August
30 -- JAMES MADISON -- DURHAM, N.C.
September
6 -- NORTHWESTERN -- DURHAM, N.C.
13 -- NAVY -- DURHAM, N.C.
20 -- OPEN DATE
27 -- VIRGINIA -- DURHAM, N.C.
October
4 -- at Georgia Tech -- Atlanta, Ga.
11 -- OPEN DATE
18 -- MIAMI -- DURHAM, N.C.
25 -- at Vanderbilt -- Nashville, Tenn. November
1 -- at Wake Forest -- Winston-Salem, N.C.
8 -- N.C. STATE -- DURHAM, N.C.
15 -- at Clemson -- Clemson, S.C.
22 -- at Virginia Tech -- Blacksburg, Va.
29 -- NORTH CAROLINA -- DURHAM, N.C.

This is one preseason poll from one of the magazines, looks like a down year in the ACC but I have seen Wake ranked in the 20-25 range.

1. Georgia
2. Missouri
3. Florida
4. Oklahoma
5. Texas
6. Kansas
7. Southern California
8. Virginia Tech
9. Arizona St.
10. Alabama
11. Texas Tech
12. Ohio State
13. Clemson
14. West Virginia
15. Wisconsin
16. Penn State
17. California
18. Auburn
19. Brigham Young
20. LSU
21. Illinois
22. Tennessee
23. Pittsburgh
24. Oregon
25. Cincinnati

[PumpkinFunk]

But instead of saying 3-5 wins 1 win or undefeated (leave me alone I'm allowed to dream!) which games do you people think duke SHOULD win, which games do you think they will have a decent chance in and which games are they most likely to lose.

I'm saying 6 or 7 wins on an extremely optimistic guess. I see 4 should-wins, 4 with a decent chance, and 4 will-lose games against way better teams. We should be able to win 2 or 3 of the should-wins, and people are saying we may have a shot at Vandy even though it's their homecoming - Cut does have a nice feel for them from his time at UT. So, should be a way up season. If we are bowl-eligible, Cut is a contender for coach of the year. Honestly, we win 3 of the should-wins, beat Carolina at home, and get another ACC win, that's a good season for us.

Should win:
James Madison - They're a tough I-AA game, but they are still a I-AA, and we're the favorites.
Northwestern - See last year. We'll finish better than them this year.
Navy - Without Johnson, this'll be a rough game with a new coach for them. We should've won last year.
UVA - A way down year for them, and a home game for us.

Decent chance:
Georgia Tech - If Cut does what he needs to, we have a shot here.
Miami - Miami's way down since their championships. Last year, we played pretty well against them until a 4th quarter interception. Better coach for us, they have a bit more experience, but are still... not gonna be so great.
Carolina - We've always got a shot here.
State - They're an odd team that always gets a weird win here and there, but they're predicted 6th in their division.

Loss:
Vandy - they're just better. SEC > ACC
Clemson
Wake
VTech

[EarlJam]

Two wins.

[Son of Mojo]

Looking at the schedule, I'd say there are about 9 games that are win-able, but given our track record I'd predict to win about 3 or 4 with hopes of winning between 5 and 7. We've had a lot of games in recent years that should have been wins (games we were showing with play to be the better team but lost) and I'm hoping against hope that Cut will be a difference maker.

[Bluedog]

Last summer I was extremely optimistic and predicting 4-5 wins. Football season arrived and with it reality and disappointment. This summer I am once again extremely optimistic and predicting 4-5 wins. Hopefully, reality is nice to us.

You were even more optimistic than predicting 4-5 wins. You predicted a 6-6 record http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/...72&postcount=3 Yes, I am being stalker-ish...

I think most people predicted 3-5 wins last season and we got nowhere near that. I don't think Northwestern is a "should" win. It's a decent chance - Northwestern did qualify for a bowl last season. I'm predicting 3 wins this season. But could easily see (and am hoping for) up to 5.

[DukeDude]

I'll say 4 wins, and I consider that optimistic. If Duke wins 7 (bowling!), we need to start working on a statue of Cutcliffe.

[Classof06]

I would say expectations should be 3 wins... 4-5 wins is gravy.

Co-sign. If they get 5 wins, I'll be ecstatic.

[Bluedawg]

...which games do you people think duke SHOULD win, which games do you think they will have a decent chance in and which games are they most likely to lose.

Wins next year:
Northwestern
Navy
James Madison
North Carolina
@ Wake Forest
North Carolina State

Long shots:
@ Clemson
@ Virginia Tech
Virginia

Too Close to call:
@Georgia Tech
Miami
@Vanderbilt

[Bluedawg]

Interesting write-up on Duke position battles

Any thoughts? I noticed with interest he didn't list Quarterback.

he ranks Duke 6th in the division

6. Duke -- Well, here we are again. Still at the bottom, but things are looking up. David Cutcliffe is the right man for the job, the administration is behind him and he's got an experienced quarterback

[wolfpackdevil]

Nobody and I mean NOBODY wants to be a bigger optimist than me when it comes to Duke football. I was raised going to every bloody game home and away until I graduated highschool. It's very hard for so called experts to guage the difference Cut will make over the long haul, much the less in his first season. I must say there have been Duke coaches take over and have instant success, but I think that was due to the fact they were playing the previous coaches seniors. The following is Dukes schedule. I have no idea how to predict or what to predict. But instead of saying 3-5 wins 1 win or undefeated (leave me alone I'm allowed to dream!) which games do you people think duke SHOULD win, which games do you think they will have a decent chance in and which games are they most likely to lose.

Duke -- 2008 Football Schedule

August
30 -- JAMES MADISON -- DURHAM, N.C.
September
6 -- NORTHWESTERN -- DURHAM, N.C.
13 -- NAVY -- DURHAM, N.C.
20 -- OPEN DATE
27 -- VIRGINIA -- DURHAM, N.C.
October
4 -- at Georgia Tech -- Atlanta, Ga.
11 -- OPEN DATE
18 -- MIAMI -- DURHAM, N.C.
25 -- at Vanderbilt -- Nashville, Tenn. November
1 -- at Wake Forest -- Winston-Salem, N.C.
8 -- N.C. STATE -- DURHAM, N.C.
15 -- at Clemson -- Clemson, S.C.
22 -- at Virginia Tech -- Blacksburg, Va.
29 -- NORTH CAROLINA -- DURHAM, N.C.

This is one preseason poll from one of the magazines, looks like a down year in the ACC but I have seen Wake ranked in the 20-25 range.

1. Georgia
2. Missouri
3. Florida
4. Oklahoma
5. Texas
6. Kansas
7. Southern California
8. Virginia Tech
9. Arizona St.
10. Alabama
11. Texas Tech
12. Ohio State
13. Clemson
14. West Virginia
15. Wisconsin
16. Penn State
17. California
18. Auburn
19. Brigham Young
20. LSU
21. Illinois
22. Tennessee
23. Pittsburgh
24. Oregon
25. Cincinnati

Everyone is saying the @WF is an automatic loss, but in the past Duke has played very well at Wake.

2 years ago Wake Forest went to the Orange Bowl, and we only loss to them on a blocked 30 yard field goal as time expired.
So I think that game is very winnable

[Bluedawg]

Everyone is saying the @WF is an automatic loss, but in the past Duke has played very well at Wake.

2 years ago Wake Forest went to the Orange Bowl, and we only loss to them on a blocked 30 yard field goal as time expired.
So I think that game is very winnable

Not everybody:

Wins next year:
Northwestern
Navy
James Madison
North Carolina
@ Wake Forest
North Carolina State

Long shots:
@ Clemson
@ Virginia Tech
Virginia

Too Close to call:
@Georgia Tech
Miami
@Vanderbilt

[Classof06]

This is one preseason poll from one of the magazines, looks like a down year in the ACC but I have seen Wake ranked in the 20-25 range.

1. Georgia
2. Missouri
3. Florida
4. Oklahoma
5. Texas
6. Kansas
7. Southern California
8. Virginia Tech
9. Arizona St.
10. Alabama
11. Texas Tech
12. Ohio State
13. Clemson
14. West Virginia
15. Wisconsin
16. Penn State
17. California
18. Auburn
19. Brigham Young
20. LSU
21. Illinois
22. Tennessee
23. Pittsburgh
24. Oregon
25. Cincinnati

Whichever magazine made this top 25 should be shut down. This preseason poll is waaaaay off.

[rockymtn devil]

This is one preseason poll from one of the magazines, looks like a down year in the ACC but I have seen Wake ranked in the 20-25 range.

1. Georgia
2. Missouri
3. Florida
4. Oklahoma
5. Texas
6. Kansas
7. Southern California
8. Virginia Tech
9. Arizona St.
10. Alabama
11. Texas Tech
12. Ohio State
13. Clemson
14. West Virginia
15. Wisconsin
16. Penn State
17. California
18. Auburn
19. Brigham Young
20. LSU
21. Illinois
22. Tennessee
23. Pittsburgh
24. Oregon
25. Cincinnati

Not to hijack this thread, but what magazine is this from? Tuscaloosa Monthly? Alabama at #10? This is the same Crimson Tide team that barely beat Colorado in its bowl game and lost, at home, to Louisiana-Monroe. I'll say that last part again: they lost at home to Louisiana-Monroe.

VT at #8? Although they may be the best team in the ACC (Wake has something to say about that) the Hokies are in rebuilding mode. Ohio State at #12? Buckeyes return 18 of 22 starters, and 39 of their top 44 from a year ago.

To answer the question about Duke, reasonably expectations are improvement. Now, not just improvement in quality of play (the standard under Ted Roof) but improvement in wins. It's reasonable to expect Duke to win the games it should (JMU, NW) and to win a couple more that should be competitive (UVA, Navy, GT). IMO, 3-4 wins is a very good season for the Devils and is a reasonable expectation.

[rockymtn devil]

Whichever magazine made this top 25 should be shut down. This preseason poll is waaaaay off.

You beat me to the punch.

[Bob Green]

You were even more optimistic than predicting 4-5 wins. You predicted a 6-6 record http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/...72&postcount=3 Yes, I am being stalker-ish...

I was trying to forget about that particular prediction.

[TwoDukeTattoos]

After averaging around .5 wins for the past several years, anything above 1 would appear to be gravy. But seriously, given that we competed quite well in a lot of games during the past two seasons, and now with the obvious coaching improvements, I think that 4 is reasonable. With a little luck in a down conference, maybe 5-6.

[Newton_14]

I think 5 wins is an attainable goal. With a good coach in Cut, an experienced QB and WR's, and a decent defense, I believe 5 is realistic. One key area will be the kicking game. Please pray that Cut can find and develop a solid FG Kicker quickly... that has haunted us the last several years...

Call me crazy but I am one of those who believe any school, including Duke can have a successful football program. If Wake can do it, there is no reason Duke can't...

I am looking forward to football this year and hope to attend as many games as possible... I hope more people will join me there.. the kids deserve the support...