I know there's lots of bitching on this forum about what we are not, but from my observation we did an excellent job in this recent football transition. Seems like we got a solid coach, added a strong, veteran staff and secured an excellent recruiting class. Looks pretty good to me! Well done JMU!! Now, back to the bitching...

(02-03-2016 07:54 PM)84Breeze Wrote:  I know there's lots of bitching on this forum about what we are not, but from my observation we did an excellent job in this recent football transition. Seems like we got a solid coach, added a strong, veteran staff and secured an excellent recruiting class. Looks pretty good to me! Well done JMU!! Now, back to the bitching...

Very nice transition after the "Baltimore Colts" packed up and left in the middle of the night.

A++. I think we actually got better with Withers leaving. Don't get me wrong, his first two years he won more games than any other JMU football coach. He got money to upgrade locker rooms and was a star with social media. He ran a clean program. Guys graduated. He won a share of the CAA title. Had a win over an FBS school. No football coach did more his first two years. I just feel we upgraded our coaching staff with this hire.

(02-03-2016 11:27 PM)JMUNation Wrote:  A++. I think we actually got better with Withers leaving. Don't get me wrong, his first two years he won more games than any other JMU football coach. He got money to upgrade locker rooms and was a star with social media. He ran a clean program. Guys graduated. He won a share of the CAA title. Had a win over an FBS school. No football coach did more his first year. I just feel we upgraded our coaching staff with this hire.

Two years ago the reason we didn't have a smooth transition was because we dealt with a "big time" coach. He wanted his players and his players only and didn't want to waste scholarship players on guys he didn't like on film. I understood why he was doing that but it's not healthy for the college morale.

I think we need to wait stop time and games before we state we upgraded or staff.

Indeed. This staff will need to win 10 games before anyone can claim upgrade.

The parts are in place with tons of starters returning. No excuses or claims for a need to build the program.

I think everyone would be happy with 10 wins, but that is a tall order for any coach.

(02-04-2016 12:12 AM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  Indeed. This staff will need to win 10 games before anyone can claim upgrade.

The parts are in place with tons of starters returning. No excuses or claims for a need to build the program.

I think everyone would be happy with 10 wins, but that is a tall order for any coach.

No, JMU doesn't have to win 10 games to claim an upgrade. Could win a playoff game and that would be an upgrade.

As far as regular season:
On an 11 game regular season schedule in 2014 JMU would have been 8-3/6-2. But since had a 12 game regular season schedule with 1 more easy OOC win were 9-3/6-2.

9-2/6-2 with a win over a terrible G5 is the equivalent to 8-3/6-2 with a loss to a good P5. Play UNC last season instead of SMU would have been 8-3/6-2.

Regular season need to hit 8-3/6-2 to equal where have been, 9-2/7-1 for an upgrade.

My early prediction is 8-3/6-2 + a playoff win. Even 1-1 with the playoffs, finishing 9-4, would be an upgrade..

(02-04-2016 01:49 AM)BDKJMU Wrote:  

(02-04-2016 12:12 AM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  Indeed. This staff will need to win 10 games before anyone can claim upgrade.

The parts are in place with tons of starters returning. No excuses or claims for a need to build the program.

I think everyone would be happy with 10 wins, but that is a tall order for any coach.

No, JMU doesn't have to win 10 games to claim an upgrade. Could win a playoff game and that would be an upgrade.

As far as regular season:
On an 11 game regular season schedule in 2014 JMU would have been 8-3/6-2. But since had a 12 game regular season schedule with 1 more easy OOC win were 9-3/6-2.

9-2/6-2 with a win over a terrible G5 is the equivalent to 8-3/6-2 with a loss to a good P5. Play UNC last season instead of SMU would have been 8-3/6-2.

Regular season need to hit 8-3/6-2 to equal where have been, 9-2/7-1 for an upgrade.

My early prediction is 8-3/6-2 + a playoff win. Even 1-1 with the playoffs, finishing 9-4, would be an upgrade..

Going 8-3 regular season, not getting a first round bye but winning and then losing as part of the final 16 teams left will not be an upgrade. Going 7-4 but winning the opening round will not be a upgrade. Going 6-5 like Western Ill in 2015 but winning will definitely not be an upgrade.

Without that crappy G5 FBS win, we weren't getting Gameday. Without Gameday, the Duke Club doesn't see a spike in donations, campus morale isn't as high, alumni interest doesn't rise, decent chance we miss out on at least one of our recruits.

I believe you are one of the ones that hate the 24 team playoff. 8 win team with 3 conference losses isn't promised a bye (W&M). So winning one game in the opening round against a worst caliber team and then losing the next round (the same round we lost this year) isn't an upgrade. If we had beat Colgate in the opening round this year and then lost in the round of 16 to a better team, you would be saying stuff like "We only beat colgate, we never beat a quality playoff team! There use to be only 16 teams in the playoff, the only reason we even won a game was because they expanded the field like a bunch of socialist!!!"

Bottom line is finishing 9-4, being one of the final 16 teams playing and at least a share of the CAA title ISN'T an upgrade. It is EXACTLY what we did in 2015.

EDIT: I'll clarify that doing those three things isn't a season upgrade. Doing those things two years in a row, is a program upgrade though.

(02-04-2016 07:03 AM)DoubleDogDare Wrote:  

(02-04-2016 01:49 AM)BDKJMU Wrote:  

(02-04-2016 12:12 AM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  Indeed. This staff will need to win 10 games before anyone can claim upgrade.

The parts are in place with tons of starters returning. No excuses or claims for a need to build the program.

I think everyone would be happy with 10 wins, but that is a tall order for any coach.

No, JMU doesn't have to win 10 games to claim an upgrade. Could win a playoff game and that would be an upgrade.

As far as regular season:
On an 11 game regular season schedule in 2014 JMU would have been 8-3/6-2. But since had a 12 game regular season schedule with 1 more easy OOC win were 9-3/6-2.

9-2/6-2 with a win over a terrible G5 is the equivalent to 8-3/6-2 with a loss to a good P5. Play UNC last season instead of SMU would have been 8-3/6-2.

Regular season need to hit 8-3/6-2 to equal where have been, 9-2/7-1 for an upgrade.

My early prediction is 8-3/6-2 + a playoff win. Even 1-1 with the playoffs, finishing 9-4, would be an upgrade..

Going 8-3 regular season, not getting a first round bye but winning and then losing as part of the final 16 teams left will not be an upgrade. Going 7-4 but winning the opening round will not be a upgrade. Going 6-5 like Western Ill in 2015 but winning will definitely not be an upgrade.

Without that crappy G5 FBS win, we weren't getting Gameday. Without Gameday, the Duke Club doesn't see a spike in donations, campus morale isn't as high, alumni interest doesn't rise, decent chance we miss out on at least one of our recruits.

I believe you are one of the ones that hate the 24 team playoff. 8 win team with 3 conference losses isn't promised a bye (W&M). So winning one game in the opening round against a worst caliber team and then losing the next round (the same round we lost this year) isn't an upgrade. If we had beat Colgate in the opening round this year and then lost in the round of 16 to a better team, you would be saying stuff like "We only beat colgate, we never beat a quality playoff team! There use to be only 16 teams in the playoff, the only reason we even won a game was because they expanded the field like a bunch of socialist!!!"

Bottom line is finishing 9-4, being one of the final 16 teams playing and at least a share of the CAA title ISN'T an upgrade. It is EXACTLY what we did in 2015.

EDIT: I'll clarify that doing those three things isn't a season upgrade. Doing those things two years in a row, is a program upgrade though.

When people start using bold, italic, and underline in a single post...

this is why we can't have nice things

Nothing smooth about this thread

I tried!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(02-04-2016 11:54 AM)84Breeze Wrote:  I tried!

You did well! We closed on a head coach in 12 days and signed a great recruiting class. About as smooth as it was gonna get.

(02-04-2016 11:54 AM)84Breeze Wrote:  I tried!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

+1

(02-04-2016 12:12 AM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  Indeed. This staff will need to win 10 games before anyone can claim upgrade.

The parts are in place with tons of starters returning. No excuses or claims for a need to build the program.

I think everyone would be happy with 10 wins, but that is a tall order for any coach.

I agree with bdk. When Houston gets his first playoff win against any opponent, he immediately passes withers in my mind. The playoff games are the most meaningful games.
Withers went 1-5 in meaningful Fcs games.

all comes down to qb. if schor takes a step up, we can have a good year, even a great year

I am not going to say we did not have a coaching upgrade if in Houston's first year we dont get good qb'ing.

With regards to the comparisons from new staff to EW staff, let's not forget how much he was buoyed by Vad Lee.

This will not be apples to apples. Yes, it's a young team with plenty of room for growth, but Vad was an undeniably huge part of the last 2 years' successes.

(02-04-2016 07:03 AM)DoubleDogDare Wrote:  

(02-04-2016 01:49 AM)BDKJMU Wrote:  

(02-04-2016 12:12 AM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  Indeed. This staff will need to win 10 games before anyone can claim upgrade.

The parts are in place with tons of starters returning. No excuses or claims for a need to build the program.

I think everyone would be happy with 10 wins, but that is a tall order for any coach.

No, JMU doesn't have to win 10 games to claim an upgrade. Could win a playoff game and that would be an upgrade.

As far as regular season:
On an 11 game regular season schedule in 2014 JMU would have been 8-3/6-2. But since had a 12 game regular season schedule with 1 more easy OOC win were 9-3/6-2.

9-2/6-2 with a win over a terrible G5 is the equivalent to 8-3/6-2 with a loss to a good P5. Play UNC last season instead of SMU would have been 8-3/6-2.

Regular season need to hit 8-3/6-2 to equal where have been, 9-2/7-1 for an upgrade.

My early prediction is 8-3/6-2 + a playoff win. Even 1-1 with the playoffs, finishing 9-4, would be an upgrade..

Going 8-3 regular season, not getting a first round bye but winning and then losing as part of the final 16 teams left will not be an upgrade. Going 7-4 but winning the opening round will not be a upgrade. Going 6-5 like Western Ill in 2015 but winning will definitely not be an upgrade.

Without that crappy G5 FBS win, we weren't getting Gameday. Without Gameday, the Duke Club doesn't see a spike in donations, campus morale isn't as high, alumni interest doesn't rise, decent chance we miss out on at least one of our recruits.

I believe you are one of the ones that hate the 24 team playoff. 8 win team with 3 conference losses isn't promised a bye (W&M). So winning one game in the opening round against a worst caliber team and then losing the next round (the same round we lost this year) isn't an upgrade. If we had beat Colgate in the opening round this year and then lost in the round of 16 to a better team, you would be saying stuff like "We only beat colgate, we never beat a quality playoff team! There use to be only 16 teams in the playoff, the only reason we even won a game was because they expanded the field like a bunch of socialist!!!"

Bottom line is finishing 9-4, being one of the final 16 teams playing and at least a share of the CAA title ISN'T an upgrade. It is EXACTLY what we did in 2015.

EDIT: I'll clarify that doing those three things isn't a season upgrade. Doing those things two years in a row, is a program upgrade though.

Forget the OOC, as its been way different every season:
-2014 12 game schedule with an avg P5
-2015 11 game schedule with a terrible G5
-2016 11 game schedule with a good P5.

Just look at the CAA & playoffs. Bottom line is last 2 seasons were 6-2 CAA. This season 6-2 would = that, 7-1 would be an upgrade.

Last 2 seasons lost in the round of 24 when favored at home, and lost in the round of 16 when heavily favored at home. This past season if had played a P5 instead of SMU would have been 8-3/6-2 with no bye & good chance would have lost in the round of 24 again because the defense couldn't stop jack squat. So IMHOP winning any playoff game is an upgrade, although I can see the arguement that only winning a round of 16 game, making the quarterfinals would be an upgrade.

BDK, I want to kiss you, I mean, in a purely JMU fanatic type of way. I can dig it!

Ok, I hope we don't have to revisit this if JMU goes 7-4, beats Fordham in the first round and then loses to Richmond in the round of 16.
That would be an 8-5 season and exiting in the same round as 2015.

The coach = the program.
There are no ifs and buts. Withers was the reason Vad Lee signed. Houston is the reason the remaining recruits signed this year. If Houston doesn't meet the 9 win threshold, then he is to blame for not bringing in a better QB.

Spring recruiting season will be open for FBS QB transfers. I suspect Houston will be looking. Can he seal the deal? It is the most impactful position on the team.

Something to consider...
Cawley, Rascati, Lee. Lots of success

Also, Hyper ' s head would explode if JMU lost to Richmond twice in the same year.

We have to agree that Hyper ' s head explosion would not be an upgrade to 9 win seasons under Withers.

Seriously though, I want to love Houston as a coach like some on here already do. However, he has produced zero wins at JMU. He needs to earn the love and show he can at least match Withers' production.