GT1992 said:
I know we all would have preferred to win today, but my question is does the 38-35 loss give us more hope for next year than a 6-3 win would have?
I definitely have hope for next year beyond the usual generic “we‘ll get them next year“ rhetoric. 4 Main reasons why:
1) Offense: Our main question mark in the Gailey era has been offense and specifically the QB position. Next year we will have a starting QB in TB who’s been in the system 3 years and showed yesterday that he can make most of the throws if not all the throws. I’m not giving him the nod just yet, but his experience coupled with yesterday’s performance gives me every reason to think he’ll start unless he has a total meltdown in spring and fall practice. If you look at the other skill position players we will have JJ back with either Greg Smith or Demarious Thomas. The line will only lose Wrotto and have a capable replacement in A.J. Smith and a more than heralded recruit competing for the job in Nick Claytor, and we will get a chance to see Colin Peek in action at TE. With all this at his disposal I expect Nix to fully open the playbook next year with crossing routes and underneath reads not seen since Godsey’s senior year, specially with TC running like he can, expect him to be first team all ACC and have roughly 1500 yards. So there the potential is limitless, and there’s always the unlikely possibility of CJ coming back.
2) Defense: This unit will be just as good if not better since we only lose 3 starters (Scott, Anoai and Hall) and with Tenuta’s schemes and ability to replace them as we had seen in prior years there is no doubt we will not miss a beat, heck if Darryl Richard plays up to his potential and Michael Johnson get becomes a starter (he has all that tools) we might not even have to blitz that much at all.
3) Recruits: We will have the best recruiting class ever to come to the flats. Claytor, Dwyer, Everson, Nesbitt, Threet, Jones and Donley among others represent a major upgrade in talent compared to the kids we used to get so there is not limit to how much we can get out of them if they stay eligible and avoid injury. We will probably see only a handful of them play in limited roles next year but the future look brighter than it ever has on this front.
4) The ACC: where is the challenge going to come from? Let’s look at our division, Miami and UNC have high coaching turnover, not to mention unstable QB situations and a new offense, in the Case of Miami the third in 3 years. Duke is Duke, Uva will come into year two of the Jameel Sewel experiment and it still recuperating from losing all those kids they signed that couldn‘t get it lat year, VPI is the only theoretically serious challenge there.
The other division: NCSU and BC will have new coaches FSU a new offense (hope they keep the jumpball for the nostalgics), Clemson finds a way to underachieve every year under Tommy Bowden and must find a QB that can throw it, Maryland must also find a QB, and we will see if Josh Portis overcomes his Urban Meyer heartbreak to succeed in Fridge’s system (he has all the tools), Wake is the only challenge I see.
So things look better for us in 07 not just given our personnel and situation but everyone else’s as well.
