(04-23-2017 12:48 PM)Bcatbog Wrote:  

(04-21-2017 03:22 AM)zdiddy513 Wrote:  My guess is 8-4. Tubbs recruits weren't terrible they just needed leadership and our current coaching staff provides that.

Just what is the talent level Tubbs left behind? That to me is the question. My memory is that the recruiting classes were not well rated. Why would we think he did anything right with the mess he left us?

I'm not sure but most of them were 3* recruits and if memory serves me correctly, we had something like 20-25 redshirts last season. That coupled with our very weak schedule and new coaching staff I think 8 wins is obtainable

the one positive thing tubs did was redshirt as many guys as possible. This gave us a young roster last year. I think following his recruiting cycle moving on from butch jones last class everyone should have seen a bit of a down year coming last year based on this recruiting pattern. No excuse for that dumpster fire, because a down year like that should have still produced 7 wins.
I still think his recruits are a little above average talent for the conference and having that heavily redshirted first class become seniors we'll be much more of a full roster this season. along with some improved coaching SHOULD spell out another 9 win season. not sure we have the QB to live up to that and transitions are always tough, but it was clearly expected to be an up year by the previous coaches and should give fickell more to work with than appearances would indicate.

one thing i'm concerned about is fickell's learning curve will be much larger than most people see coming. his one year at osu is given a pass because of the scandal. I agree to an extent but don't look past the facts he had an absolutely loaded roster (12 wins the years before and after), and the osu coaching staff around him virtually intact. now in cincy he'll look to win games when his roster is sometimes less talented than the opponent, with a rookie DC, and low experienced OC.

I think the program is in better hands but this is surely a multi year rebuild as fickell learns on the job. we will see winning/excitement return uptown and if re-alignment happens again in a few years we should be well positioned. 2017 will be 7-5 with some very encouraging points and some frustrations caused by both players and coaches

(05-06-2017 01:24 PM)cincy7718 Wrote:  the one positive thing tubs did was redshirt as many guys as possible. This gave us a young roster last year. I think following his recruiting cycle moving on from butch jones last class everyone should have seen a bit of a down year coming last year based on this recruiting pattern. No excuse for that dumpster fire, because a down year like that should have still produced 7 wins.
I still think his recruits are a little above average talent for the conference and having that heavily redshirted first class become seniors we'll be much more of a full roster this season. along with some improved coaching SHOULD spell out another 9 win season. not sure we have the QB to live up to that and transitions are always tough, but it was clearly expected to be an up year by the previous coaches and should give fickell more to work with than appearances would indicate.

one thing i'm concerned about is fickell's learning curve will be much larger than most people see coming. his one year at osu is given a pass because of the scandal. I agree to an extent but don't look past the facts he had an absolutely loaded roster (12 wins the years before and after), and the osu coaching staff around him virtually intact. now in cincy he'll look to win games when his roster is sometimes less talented than the opponent, with a rookie DC, and low experienced OC.

I think the program is in better hands but this is surely a multi year rebuild as fickell learns on the job. we will see winning/excitement return uptown and if re-alignment happens again in a few years we should be well positioned. 2017 will be 7-5 with some very encouraging points and some frustrations caused by both players and coaches

I feel like the concerns about Fickell's learning curve are mostly mitigated by the staff he put together. Although the coordinators could be looked at in a negative light.

The DC (Freeman) doesn't have much experience, however between Fickell and the two DB's coaches (Martinez and Tenuta [honestly the coach I'm most excited about on this staff) I'm not worried. The OC (Denbrock) has experience, but has traditionally run a different system than what Fickell said he wants. However, he did work under BK and BK has demonstrated an ability to adapt to the talent he has. Plus with Joker Phillips as the WR coach, there is another very experienced coach to help on offense.

(05-06-2017 01:24 PM)cincy7718 Wrote:  the one positive thing tubs did was redshirt as many guys as possible. This gave us a young roster last year. I think following his recruiting cycle moving on from butch jones last class everyone should have seen a bit of a down year coming last year based on this recruiting pattern. No excuse for that dumpster fire, because a down year like that should have still produced 7 wins.
I still think his recruits are a little above average talent for the conference and having that heavily redshirted first class become seniors we'll be much more of a full roster this season. along with some improved coaching SHOULD spell out another 9 win season. not sure we have the QB to live up to that and transitions are always tough, but it was clearly expected to be an up year by the previous coaches and should give fickell more to work with than appearances would indicate.

one thing i'm concerned about is fickell's learning curve will be much larger than most people see coming. his one year at osu is given a pass because of the scandal. I agree to an extent but don't look past the facts he had an absolutely loaded roster (12 wins the years before and after), and the osu coaching staff around him virtually intact. now in cincy he'll look to win games when his roster is sometimes less talented than the opponent, with a rookie DC, and low experienced OC.

I think the program is in better hands but this is surely a multi year rebuild as fickell learns on the job. we will see winning/excitement return uptown and if re-alignment happens again in a few years we should be well positioned. 2017 will be 7-5 with some very encouraging points and some frustrations caused by both players and coaches

That Ohio State team was not that loaded. They were very much a transitional team in between two loaded rosters. They only had 4 guys drafted-- no 1st rounders and 2 of the 4 went in the sixth road. The starting QB was Joe Bauserman, a 5th year senior who had never taken any meaningful snaps before that season. He was so bad he was eventually replaced by Braxton Miller-- a true freshman. To top it off five of the best players missed half the season due to suspensions handed out following tattoo gate. OSU went 6-7 that year, but 6 of those losses were by a TD or less.

Generally agree with 7-5. QB is a huge "?"

CLF will make mistakes. He's a new coach, you gotta live with it. But he has energy and he can recruit, which is a step up.

I usually chalk the rookie coaches up for a rough year...

I'm not counting Fickell as a true rookie.

I'm pulling for a really good year, maybe as good as 9-3, with a surprising performance (I like our chances at an upset) at Michigan.

I think they win 7 games even if the staff rolls the ball out and takes off on Saturday's for tee times just on the strength of this staff not needing a mirror under its collective nose on weekdays to see if they are still breathing.

(05-07-2017 07:19 AM)BJUnklFkr Wrote:  Generally agree with 7-5. QB is a huge "?"

Same here...I think 7-5 with a good showing in the bowl will be solid footing, then with the (hopefully strong) recruiting class they bring in, I would expect a significant improvement in year two.

The most optimistic media view I've seen on the 2017 Bearcats . They ranked them 3rd in the league behind USF and Houston

3. Cincinnati
Luke Fickell takes over a potential monster of a team. It was a monster of an underachiever last season, but the pieces are there to make a huge turnaround right away. Fickell is a defensive coach, and he’s got the parts with the league’s best linebacking corps, a loaded defensive line, and enough veteran playmakers on offense to hang with anyone in the conference.


conference rankings : http://collegefootballnews.com/2017/prev...e-rankings


team preview: http://collegefootballnews.com/2017/cinc...eview-2017

Best LB corps and a loaded OL?

[quote='Bearcat2012' pid='14408777' dateline='1498059032']
The most optimistic media view I've seen on the 2017 Bearcats . They ranked them 3rd in the league behind USF and Houston

3. Cincinnati
Luke Fickell takes over a potential monster of a team. It was a monster of an underachiever last season, but the pieces are there to make a huge turnaround right away. Fickell is a defensive coach, and he’s got the parts with the league’s best linebacking corps, a loaded defensive line, and enough veteran playmakers on offense to hang with anyone in the conference.


conference rankings : http://collegefootballnews.com/2017/prev...e-rankings



I wonder who this guy is penciling in as our rotation of the league's best linebackers? "a few juco transfers about to step up"

Their team preview reads like the guy who did the conference rankings didn't read it.

(06-21-2017 11:10 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Their team preview reads like the guy who did the conference rankings didn't read it.

Bwahahahaha! Written by the same guy.



Team Preview: At LB it's Kevin Mouhon and some JUCOS who might help....OL returns 3 starters from a position group that wasn't that good.

Conference Rankings: Best LB corps in the conference and an OL position group that is loaded.

I'm confused.

I assume he resides in CO and tokes.

(06-21-2017 11:16 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  

(06-21-2017 11:10 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Their team preview reads like the guy who did the conference rankings didn't read it.

Bwahahahaha! Written by the same guy.



Team Preview: At LB it's Kevin Mouhon and some JUCOS who might help....OL returns 3 starters from a position group that wasn't that good.

Conference Rankings: Best LB corps in the conference and an OL position group that is loaded.

I'm confused.

It's my understanding that Kevin is going to play a hybrid position where he plays DE but will occasionally line up as a linebacker.

The unit will be thin. We moved Tyrell Gilbert from Safety to the Nickel due to lack of depth

In his defense I misread at 1st glance...it was DL he said was loaded.

I think every position group except RB is up in the air at whom the starters will be, truthfully.

I think that Miami is a huge game... It is their homecoming, a night game, largest crowd in years and coming off a string
of near misses in beating us.. They will throw everything they have at us... Need to win that game to keep the momentum going...
Going with a 6 win season (that is a 50% improvement).....

(06-21-2017 02:49 PM)KCat Wrote:  I think that Miami is a huge game... It is their homecoming, a night game, largest crowd in years and coming off a string
of near misses in beating us.. They will throw everything they have at us... Need to win that game to keep the momentum going...
Going with a 6 win season (that is a 50% improvement).....

Bolded, that is so true. Let's hope UC is the aggressor this year under CLF and beats Miami the way UC should have the past four years. Those were some of the most lackadaisical wins we saw under our previous coach.