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Having an off week after Arkansas is huge. Could be the difference in a W or L for the Navy game as the Hogs will be a physical contest. I would hate to have to play that option the following week without a week to heal up and extra time to work on it.

That Ark coach is on the hot seat, too. Throw the kitchen sink at them, see if he’s desperate enough to keep his job to take us seriously.

I had thought KJ Jefferson and Raheim Sanders had transferred out. Still listed on roster.

KJ to UCF and Rocket to South Carolina according to their X profiles.

I’m hoping DJ Jones and JD Morgan can relieve us up front vs Navy’s defensive front.

I say 6-6 or 7-5.. anything less, barring some unfortunate catastrophe that is out of the coaches’ hands, is not ok with me and dilfers seat should be on fire. You don’t get much more leeway after his first season.

Like others have said, I don’t see any 100% losses. There were several last year. If we win 1-2 of those, don’t choke in game 2, and win most of the “should wins” and “toss ups,” I could see us having a really good year. If the DST improves even 25% overall that would help us tremendously. I think the offense will take a step forward and be even better than last year too.


Anything less than 6 wins is a failure.

You’ve never been a part of a team that had the wheels fall off. It’s not inconceivable that we start 2-5, and even though going 4-1 is quite possible at the end of the season, it’s less likely with a start like that. You are already starting to build up your odd flex of knowing Dilfer wasn’t the right hire before everybody else in case the season goes poorly. It’s a weird thing to do.

This team still isn’t experienced and doesn’t have guys who have been in the system for more than a season. It will be concerning if the problem areas aren’t improved this year, but expecting a bowl game isn’t 100% reasonable in my mind.

So what’s your point about the fact wheels falling off? Barring major injuries, that’s not OK.

I don’t see what’s odd about expecting a team and coaching staff in year 2 to win 6 games.

Better talent. Better depth. More experience for the players and the staff. Easier schedule.

Barring major catastrophe, I.e. injuries, 6 wins is the minimum for a successful season to me. Others have said the same. We won 4 last year with every thing going against us. Why is it odd to expect us to win 2 more this year?

The wheels can fall of because everything went wrong up to that point. It’s not easy to keep a losing team focused or committed. I don’t think that’s complicated.

The schedule is easier on paper, we haven’t seen one team play yet. I don’t think we stand a chance against Arkansas and sec refs, but who knows. The staff is essentially all in year 2, and so are the most experienced players. I expect improvements, but pure wins and losses isn’t how I’ll rate this coaching job. I want to see improvements in defense and special teams and second half offense. If we can do all those things, but go 5-7, I’m not going to lose my mind over some preseason prediction that was made.

(03-06-2024 12:18 AM)blazers9911 Wrote:  The wheels can fall of because everything went wrong up to that point. It’s not easy to keep a losing team focused or committed. I don’t think that’s complicated.

The schedule is easier on paper, we haven’t seen one team play yet. I don’t think we stand a chance against Arkansas and sec refs, but who knows. The staff is essentially all in year 2, and so are the most experienced players. I expect improvements, but pure wins and losses isn’t how I’ll rate this coaching job. I want to see improvements in defense and special teams and second half offense. If we can do all those things, but go 5-7, I’m not going to lose my mind over some preseason prediction that was made.

I agree. I also imagine that the other teams that we play haven’t been sitting on their hands. An historically weak team can become stronger with a well financed NIL and portal transfers. Wins are not guaranteed and can not be necessarily expected.

(03-06-2024 07:49 AM)MAN4UAB Wrote:  

(03-06-2024 12:18 AM)blazers9911 Wrote:  The wheels can fall of because everything went wrong up to that point. It’s not easy to keep a losing team focused or committed. I don’t think that’s complicated.

The schedule is easier on paper, we haven’t seen one team play yet. I don’t think we stand a chance against Arkansas and sec refs, but who knows. The staff is essentially all in year 2, and so are the most experienced players. I expect improvements, but pure wins and losses isn’t how I’ll rate this coaching job. I want to see improvements in defense and special teams and second half offense. If we can do all those things, but go 5-7, I’m not going to lose my mind over some preseason prediction that was made.

I agree. I also imagine that the other teams that we play haven’t been sitting on their hands. An historically weak team can become stronger with a well financed NIL and portal transfers. Wins are not guaranteed and can not be necessarily expected.

I’m not guaranteeing wins or expecting anything, just simply saying that if the team can’t find a way to win 2 more games than last year, that’s a disappointment to me.

Everything that was against us last year has flipped back the other way to varying degrees.

Pretty much everyone else has said the same thing.

(03-06-2024 12:18 AM)blazers9911 Wrote:  The wheels can fall of because everything went wrong up to that point. It’s not easy to keep a losing team focused or committed. I don’t think that’s complicated.

The schedule is easier on paper, we haven’t seen one team play yet. I don’t think we stand a chance against Arkansas and sec refs, but who knows. The staff is essentially all in year 2, and so are the most experienced players. I expect improvements, but pure wins and losses isn’t how I’ll rate this coaching job. I want to see improvements in defense and special teams and second half offense. If we can do all those things, but go 5-7, I’m not going to lose my mind over some preseason prediction that was made.

If the wheels fall off or the staff can’t motivate a team in year 2, do you really think that staff is that good? I don’t think it’s complicated either.

You are already setting made up numbers on what is successful vs not successful this year. We don’t know anything yet.

If we went 7-5, but lose four games by 30+ points, is that successful? There are a lot of outside factors that you aren’t even beginning to consider by saying it’s six wins or bust. I think 6,7,8 wins is achievable this year, but I can also see 4,5 wins. I want to see a better, more consistent team next year. I want our problems from last year to at least look like they have been addressed. I want to see a football team and staff that has grown from where it was last season. I’m not 100% worried about wins and losses and more worried about how the team actually looks.

The team addressing its obvious issues kind of goes hand in hand with winning more games.... No I don't expect the team to look the same as last year and win more games. We kind of have to address those things to win more, even with what should be an easier schedule. I'd accept 5 wins under certain circumstances. Sorry, 4 wins in year two is just not OK with me - barring major catastrophic injuries. 6 wins should be a baseline for this team. I really don't get why that's so controversial to you.

Because we were a 4 win team last year. How are we all of a sudden a six win team? Have we even seen any of the new players in action yet? Do we know if the offensive line has improved? Do we know what the rb situation looks like? Do we know if the linebackers are twice as good as last year? Do we know if the coaches have learned a lot of lessons in the offseason? Are the special teams improved?

I know the answer to none of these questions, but if at least half of them aren’t positive, then we are a four win team again. This coaching staff has one year of running their own show. They are still going to make mistakes, I just hope those mistakes are 25% of what they were last season. My issue is how you are picking your baseline I guess. What makes this a six win team as opposed to 4 in your mind?

(03-06-2024 12:01 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  Because we were a 4 win team last year. How are we all of a sudden a six win team? Have we even seen any of the new players in action yet? Do we know if the offensive line has improved? Do we know what the rb situation looks like? Do we know if the linebackers are twice as good as last year? Do we know if the coaches have learned a lot of lessons in the offseason? Are the special teams improved?

I know the answer to none of these questions, but if at least half of them aren’t positive, then we are a four win team again. This coaching staff has one year of running their own show. They are still going to make mistakes, I just hope those mistakes are 25% of what they were last season. My issue is how you are picking your baseline I guess. What makes this a six win team as opposed to 4 in your mind?

And that would be unacceptable to me. Sorry. That doesn't mean much, but I guess I'd just continue being mad lol.

I've said why I think we would be a 6 win team. Better schedule, players back from injury from last year, experience from other players who are returning who had to play big minutes, better depth, better talent overall, more experience for the coaching staff, more time in the system for most of the players, natural progression of the team.

The RB situation looks good to me from what I know. LSU transfer, Beebee back, jacobs back off injury.

O line should be better. some good transfers, guys back from injury, better depth, etc.

I expect the coaching issues to be better, but not completely go away obviously.

I would conservatively expect all that to equal about 2 more wins at a minimum.

(03-06-2024 12:01 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  Because we were a 4 win team last year. How are we all of a sudden a six win team? Have we even seen any of the new players in action yet? Do we know if the offensive line has improved? Do we know what the rb situation looks like? Do we know if the linebackers are twice as good as last year? Do we know if the coaches have learned a lot of lessons in the offseason? Are the special teams improved?

I know the answer to none of these questions, but if at least half of them aren’t positive, then we are a four win team again. This coaching staff has one year of running their own show. They are still going to make mistakes, I just hope those mistakes are 25% of what they were last season. My issue is how you are picking your baseline I guess. What makes this a six win team as opposed to 4 in your mind?

Its Bowl Game or Bust for Year 2. The schedule is easier than last year (National Champ, CUSA Champ, AND AAC Champ). If we are a 4 win team again this year then there is no progress. If we didn't learn from our mistakes last year especially with more experienced players for this year, then it's a bust.

Look, USF went bowling last year and shut out (45-0) against P5 team in their bowl with a Year 1 Coach with a team that won 4 games combined in the last 3 years.

We just expect us to be better than a 4 win team last year with a Year 1 Coach, last minute dubious transfer of our star defensive player, lack of o-line depth, injured RB1b, and playing way too many freshman than expected.

Expecting us to be a 4win team again this year is frankly sad and Dilfer should be on the hot seat if that is the case. We aren't expecting a 10 win season this year (although would be nice) we just want 6 wins to be the floor not 4 wins.

I don’t expect us to be a four win team, I just think it’s a possibility. If we are a four win team, I will look at how we got there, and take in the whole picture. We still have a lot of unanswered questions and haven’t seen the team yet. Maybe the spring will change my mind, but for now I just don’t have a specific number of wins I say we must have next year or I’ll calling for the coach’s head.

I know that the transfer portal changed things, but let's talk reality here. Last season was Dilfer's, and much of the staff's, first season coaching college football. Dilfer was hired late, and because he came from high school, he did not have any recruiting ties to lean on. That does not explain some of the glaring issues, but talent and depth were legitimate problems. I'm not saying to write off last season, but I *am* saying that this is his first season with something approaching having his guys.

Point two. It just plain takes a new coach a couple of years to get his schemes, his coaches, and his players in place and knowing what the plan is, what is expected. Sure, if you take over a talented team because their coach was hired away things are different, but a hire because things were going the wrong way will have issues to address. Dilfer had more than most.

This is functionally his first season with most of the pieces in place to succeed, at least on paper. Another five win season would be a disappointment and it would grate on me, but if it was another season with a number of close losses accompanied by legit progress on defense and special teams, I'd be ok with it. I want to see progress, need to see it, but another four to five win season isn't likely to have me hollering to flush the guy and hit reset.

I think the chances of a six to seven win season are good. That's my expectation... but it's not a demand or else hit the highway sort of expectation. That's next year.


If they go out and defense and special teams are as screwed up as they were last season, that's different. Above all I'm looking for progress, for the building blocks falling into place. I just think that in a functional way this is year one for Dilfer. I'm willing to give him a mulligan for last season, because he got handed a very flawed team and a screwed up situation as a complete rookie college coach.

6-6 is a fair medium.

If you took the cameras and microphones away, then asked him what’s a fair expectation given many circumstances in which he took over. I think he’d say bowl eligibility would be the most reasonable and the bottom of what he wants expectations to be for our program in year 2.

I expect to get there late in the season. I think I’m being pretty fair to those on here who hate having any expectations for anything UAB athletics, that I’m giving him a pass to go possibly 3-4 or 2-5 before I expect to see consistent, good football.

The SOS rank ain’t going to be high.

(03-07-2024 11:24 AM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  I know that the transfer portal changed things, but let's talk reality here. Last season was Dilfer's, and much of the staff's, first season coaching college football. Dilfer was hired late, and because he came from high school, he did not have any recruiting ties to lean on. That does not explain some of the glaring issues, but talent and depth were legitimate problems. I'm not saying to write off last season, but I *am* saying that this is his first season with something approaching having his guys.

Point two. It just plain takes a new coach a couple of years to get his schemes, his coaches, and his players in place and knowing what the plan is, what is expected. Sure, if you take over a talented team because their coach was hired away things are different, but a hire because things were going the wrong way will have issues to address. Dilfer had more than most.

This is functionally his first season with most of the pieces in place to succeed, at least on paper. Another five win season would be a disappointment and it would grate on me, but if it was another season with a number of close losses accompanied by legit progress on defense and special teams, I'd be ok with it. I want to see progress, need to see it, but another four to five win season isn't likely to have me hollering to flush the guy and hit reset.

I think the chances of a six to seven win season are good. That's my expectation... but it's not a demand or else hit the highway sort of expectation. That's next year.


If they go out and defense and special teams are as screwed up as they were last season, that's different. Above all I'm looking for progress, for the building blocks falling into place. I just think that in a functional way this is year one for Dilfer. I'm willing to give him a mulligan for last season, because he got handed a very flawed team and a screwed up situation as a complete rookie college coach.

Everything here is essentially what I’m trying to convey. There are ways this team can go 4-8/5-7 that I’ll be extremely upset with, and there are ways this team can go 6-6/7-5 that I’ll not be happy with. On the flip side, there are ways this team can go 4-8/5-7 that I wouldn’t lose my mind over.

I want to see real progress made on the field more than anything this year. The results may or may not show that, depending on how things go. I don’t want to see a repeat of a lot of the things we saw last year, that would be really concerning.

Being realistic about where the program sits and not being reactionary after every single game isn't "not having expectations."

And having ANY kind of expectations in March for the fall, when you are a fan of a G5 program in the era of year round transfer portal and unleashed NIL collectives is kinda delusional in and of itself. Nobody has any clue who is going to be on your own roster or those you'll be playing.