(12-02-2019 10:00 PM)Foreverandever Wrote: Side question:
Navy has been 7-1 three times in this conference. With some of the inherent limitations with the Academies, I feel like that is damn good to essentially be in competition for the conference every other year. I know while independent Navy ran a 4 win, 4 loss, 4 toss up games type set ups and were very successful. How do Navy fans feel about their current competitiveness in the conference? Would you be ok with two really good years, a solid or good year, and one rough season every cycle? Is that similar enough to the pattern of success you enjoyed as an independent?
Here's our record over the T.O. era:
2019 American 9 2 0
2018 American 3 10 0
2017 American 7 6 0 Military Bowl-W
2016 American 9 5 0 Armed Forces Bowl-L
2015 American 11 2 0 Military Bowl-W
2014 Ind 8 5 0 Poinsettia Bowl-W
2013 Ind 9 4 0 Armed Forces Bowl-W
2012 Ind 8 5 0 Fight Hunger Bowl-L
2011 Ind 5 7 0
2010 Ind 9 4 0 Poinsettia Bowl-L
2009 Ind 10 4 0 Texas Bowl-W
2008 Ind 8 5 0 EagleBank Bowl-L
2007 Ind 8 5 0 Poinsettia Bowl-L
2006 Ind 9 4 0 Meineke Car Care Bowl-L
2005 Ind 8 4 0 Poinsettia Bowl-W
2004 Ind 10 2 0 Emerald Bowl-W
2003 Ind 8 5 0 Houston Bowl-L
We played many of the same schools that we play now (Tulsa, ECU, SMU, Tulane, Temple), and had success against them.
Before we joined AAC, we won more games against P5 schools than any other non-P5 school. We had enough success against them, that they stopped scheduling us, which, in part, drove us to join the AAC.
We went to bowl games in every year from 2003 to when we joined the conference in 2016 (save 2011). In most of them we either won or were very competitive (exceptions being the Houston Bowl in 2003 and the Kraft bowl in 2012).
So, while there have been ups and downs, Navy has done very well, consistently, in the triple option era. So, I'm not sure about this cycle you're referring to.
If your question is really just what my expectations of our football program are, I list them in order of importance to me (YRMV):
1. "To develop Midshipmen morally, mentally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, honor and loyalty in order to graduate leaders who are dedicated to a career of naval service and have potential for future development in mind and character to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government."
2. That we beat Army.
3. Be competitive in whatever league we play in.