Forget last night. Forget the season. Time now start to look ahead since we appear to be coming to a crossroads with the end of AQ status.

There is a lot of good surrounding the program. New facilities/Nippert. TT seems to really be embracing this town and visa versa. Coaching staff heads into year 2 with their schemes. Good roster. One of the bell cow programs in a new conference, etc.

Some bad too, though. No longer at the big kids' table with regards to conferences. The media deal s not great. The finances are not in the same world with the P5. Losing our biggest rival. Bad bowl games starting next year. Perception of some doors having been closed in recruiting. The new normal might not be a cool place, etc.

So, if this football program was a stock in the national landscape of college football, what is your honest, objective forecast 3 years out. Will next year and the year after be better than this one, equal or perhaps a step back? Why?

I may surprise a few on here with my vote of "Buy", but I do think that the Nippert expansion is a clear sign that we will be back at the big boy table soon. We simply must be.

At the very least UC will be winning around 9 games a year and going to decent bowl games. Nippert Stadium expansion and non-conference games against Miami (FL), Ohio State, Michigan, BYU, and Purdue will give this program a chance to make some noise. Negatives include the lack of a conference rival and TV money.

Overall I selected Buy because I think this program is good enough to continue the recent trend.

IMO it depends on the ability to get skill players,,we get plenty of linemen. If we continue to play fast agressive football, we will be fine.

I'm a "hold" right now. And that is not being negative despite not being sold on the offensive vision in a visor. Yet.

More importantly, barring an invite elsewhere, the new conference landscape effect is the great unknown. We could become TCU and Boise from years past...we could equally also become one of the many also rans in conferences off the main drag. This really is a crossroads, IMO.

I'm at a hold only due to the players we lose and keep for the next season and how that could significantly affect our forward momentum. I'm not as high on our QB's next year as others are (Kiel has looked sub-par in most of the practices I've watched this fall), we'll be starting new DT's again, we lose Blair in the middle, RDA4 is coming back and with a new QB we may be relying on a running game with a 5'6" 160lbs RB that's tailored to a 6'1" 220 RB, and we have a terrible kicking situation. That being said, our DB's gained another year of experience (we had three players with freshman eligibility playing significant time) and Trenier Orr will be back healthy and (presumably) with an added year of eligibility. Ti'on Green has another offseason to try to learn how to block and become the feature back that we know he can become, and our DE's, OLB's, and WR's all return quite a few VERY quality contributors.

If we have a bad season next year in PBS, the graveyard-like environment that place will have will destroy any increasing interest in the program from outside of current fans. The Nippert Expansion is huge, but if we lose the momentum we've gained over the past decade because of a combination of a bad season, playing in PBS, and a loss of fan interest in a town that only cares about college football if its winning, we could have big problems.

Then again, if news breaks in February that we've accepted an invitation to the BIG 12, all of this will be moot.

(12-06-2013 04:30 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Trenier Orr will be back healthy and (presumably) with an added year of eligibility.

I believe that Mr. Orr is no longer with the program.

(12-06-2013 04:34 PM)Ragpicker Wrote:  

(12-06-2013 04:30 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Trenier Orr will be back healthy and (presumably) with an added year of eligibility.

I believe that Mr. Orr is no longer with the program.

Holy crap...really? I thought he was just out for the season after he tore his ACL at Illinois.

EDIT: Just checked and he's still on both official rosters...though that could be due to negligence if you are in fact correct

I'm a definite hold. We should compete for the top of the AAC, but recruiting has been less than stellar. QB situation is a huge ??? And OC needs to change ASAP.

(12-06-2013 04:34 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(12-06-2013 04:34 PM)Ragpicker Wrote:  

(12-06-2013 04:30 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Trenier Orr will be back healthy and (presumably) with an added year of eligibility.

I believe that Mr. Orr is no longer with the program.

Holy crap...really? I thought he was just out for the season after he tore his ACL at Illinois.

EDIT: Just checked and he's still on both official rosters...though that could be due to negligence if you are in fact correct

If Orr is gone, we're going to be in trouble next year at CB with Drane graduating. I don't see much in the way of depth at that position.

(12-06-2013 04:53 PM)Racinejake Wrote:  

(12-06-2013 04:34 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(12-06-2013 04:34 PM)Ragpicker Wrote:  

(12-06-2013 04:30 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Trenier Orr will be back healthy and (presumably) with an added year of eligibility.

I believe that Mr. Orr is no longer with the program.

Holy crap...really? I thought he was just out for the season after he tore his ACL at Illinois.

EDIT: Just checked and he's still on both official rosters...though that could be due to negligence if you are in fact correct

If Orr is gone, we're going to be in trouble next year at CB with Drane graduating. I don't see much in the way of depth at that position.

I had heard the same as Rag.

(12-06-2013 04:53 PM)Racinejake Wrote:  

(12-06-2013 04:34 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(12-06-2013 04:34 PM)Ragpicker Wrote:  

(12-06-2013 04:30 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Trenier Orr will be back healthy and (presumably) with an added year of eligibility.

I believe that Mr. Orr is no longer with the program.

Holy crap...really? I thought he was just out for the season after he tore his ACL at Illinois.

EDIT: Just checked and he's still on both official rosters...though that could be due to negligence if you are in fact correct

If Orr is gone, we're going to be in trouble next year at CB with Drane graduating. I don't see much in the way of depth at that position.

Well, we've still got Payne, Wilder, and the two freshmen coming in, but Thats definitely a blow if he is in fact gone.

I am a buy:
I like TT as a coach. The Bearcats played great second half football after the USF transformation. In addition, the Bearcats played better in the second half of every ball game. This is a sign that the staff makes correct adjustments at half time. I mean TT is certainly better than the guy Louisville has.

We have potential to have a good next year. Lots of talent on the D especially at db and lb. Offense might be challenged due to the loss of our o-line and qb. I firmly believe that Munchie or Bennie is not the answer. Both have odd slow deliveries; however Coney should still get a look. We probably will have a highly regarded inexperienced qb as a starter to play Ohio State and Miami. Not good

I think we can be alright with recruiting. Boise has shown that you can be a BCS contender with 3 star athletes and transfers. Right now, we have enough of a brand name to attract these type of players.

Lastly, we need a power conference in the next 3-5 years or we will become the next Houston, a metro college from a former power conference that rarely is relevant in a national debate. I can remember in the early 80's when Houston played in New Years Day Bowls.

(12-06-2013 04:57 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(12-06-2013 04:53 PM)Racinejake Wrote:  

(12-06-2013 04:34 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(12-06-2013 04:34 PM)Ragpicker Wrote:  

(12-06-2013 04:30 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Trenier Orr will be back healthy and (presumably) with an added year of eligibility.

I believe that Mr. Orr is no longer with the program.

Holy crap...really? I thought he was just out for the season after he tore his ACL at Illinois.

EDIT: Just checked and he's still on both official rosters...though that could be due to negligence if you are in fact correct

If Orr is gone, we're going to be in trouble next year at CB with Drane graduating. I don't see much in the way of depth at that position.

Well, we've still got Payne, Wilder, and the two freshmen coming in, but Thats definitely a blow if he is in fact gone.

right. Two starters and no one with any experience aside from walk-on Grant Coleman. Maybe JC CB Corey Ferguson will make an impact.

I'm a buy. I believe in buying low, which is an easy concept in principle but really against human nature to put into practice. Having said that, one of the biggest problems for UC at this stage is that their biggest obstacle affecting their continued growth isn't really in their control, and that is obviously conference affiliation.

Having said that, Boise just lost Peterson. I would think that would make the BCS game for the one non-AQ much more attainable each year. I'm not sold on Tuberville as an elite coach by any means, but I think his reputation and coaching is more than enough to be the best program in the AAC. We have a lot of talent right now and while we lose Kay, we have a great qb prospect waiting in the wings. The offensive play calling, for all their weaknesses, really seemed to understand the personnel much better as the season went on. We are renovating the stadium.

As frustrating as the last couple of years have been because of the conference BS, I still think there is a good chance that will change, and we are in a great place if/when that does happen.

And most importantly, UC not only has come an extremely long way with the football program, but they are also dedicated to making sure that continues.

Don't forget Rod Moore.

Hold for sure. You can't really buy when the conference situation is in a decline.

Hold, simple reason, AAC. NO idea where this conf. is leading to, must wait for answers.

While I agree with most of the points in BearcatMan's "hold", I'm still a buy. This program has awoken and I don't think there's any going back. Dominate this conference or get an invite. Either way, renovation and fan support are trending this program in the right direction. OOC games are huge now and we have some scheduled for the next couple of years to get us through until the next phase. One caveat is TT and the offense MUST remain explosive or it could really set us back.

(12-06-2013 04:57 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(12-06-2013 04:53 PM)Racinejake Wrote:  

(12-06-2013 04:34 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(12-06-2013 04:34 PM)Ragpicker Wrote:  

(12-06-2013 04:30 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Trenier Orr will be back healthy and (presumably) with an added year of eligibility.

I believe that Mr. Orr is no longer with the program.

Holy crap...really? I thought he was just out for the season after he tore his ACL at Illinois.

EDIT: Just checked and he's still on both official rosters...though that could be due to negligence if you are in fact correct

If Orr is gone, we're going to be in trouble next year at CB with Drane graduating. I don't see much in the way of depth at that position.

Well, we've still got Payne, Wilder, and the two freshmen coming in, but Thats definitely a blow if he is in fact gone.

I am betting they move one of the safeties: Witty, jones or Edwards. There is also a juco named Danzel McDaniel that is showing a lot of interest.