Rivals has FIU ranked above UCF

[Bullpride08]

Pride,

  One thing you are forgetting is that we had an entire spring to get better with a brand new offensive coordinator.  Our RB in my opinion is very good.  Kevin Smith? No.  Talented? Yes.  Impossible and I mean impossible not to improve much.  Now, will we be Texas Tech? No.  But to think we won't get better is dishonest. The question remains, how much better.

I also think you underestimate our linebacking corps and our secondary has talent as well.  Our linebackers are deep, deep, deep and if one falter's another will find their mojo.  Our secondary has athletes. Sure, no Joe Burnett, but talent none the less.  We dominated Miami's O-line last year with the exception of 1 long run that misrepresents the actual stats.  Our D got us 4 wins by themselves and got close to you and the U.  This year it only gets better, no question in my mind. 

You've just exemplified the single biggest issue with most UCF fans.  Many of you have some type of inferiority complex because someone has told you to dislike or disagree with others because 'your better'.  You just don't get better by adding a new coordinator.  First, your OC is still a bit of an enigma.  Most of his successes have been in Canada, he sounds more like Hasselhoff than Sarkisian.  I am not convinced, nor do I believe he is ready, that Calabrese is capable of running a more spread offense like your new OC would like to add.  I mean the kid went 38% completion percentage and looked like a keystone cop at QB, and as bad as he looked in his first 1-A game is as bad as he looked in his last against a pathetic UAB team, with a horrible defense.  I also don't believe your OL right now is athletic enough to handle a spread, at least not the guys that are proposed to be starters.  I think Harvey could be a good spread RB....but it's laughable right now to suggest the new OC is going to cure woes.  In fact, for the immediate future I see square peg- round hole situation.  Maybe if/when Nico Flores is ready things will be better because he is more a spread formation kid (although he is not a  good QB and another extreme work-in-progress kind of player), and your younger OL like Moreland, Robinson, and Martin can take over for the older more slothy guys you have now in-place like Reid, Buxton, Bustillo, and Offutt.  For that matter UCF lacks the WR's for an effective slot, and h back to run a great spread.  You've got some solid flankers, but you need those guys in space type players.  Robinson, and McDuffie.

You're entire team on offense is built in the model of an i-formation, play action group.  Big powerful RB's, slower bigger OL, oversized TE's, andbigger flanker style WR's almost exclusively at that position.  Be careful what you wish for an assume, but for now, given the new offensive concept I think your offense could struggle worse early since you'll be relying more on a soft QB to make split decisions passing.  At least last year with the antiquated ball control offense it kept INT's to a minimum-- you had only 11, and Rob had 5...but put him in a pass happy attack with less skill outside, and less protection inside and watch that number double...and watch your defense struggle as they're put in difficult spots.

[UCFChad]

Pride,

  We have a transfer QB who would step in a nonosecond if he doesn't start in the fall. Next, RoCal at QB was a freshman last year.  End of story there, he had a lot to learn.  Third, we have another guy who left the team on the O-line come back in wake of the Plancher death.  He was his roommate.  He will start on the O-line.  If you don't mind, give me a run down of our schedule and wins/ and losses.  Also,  our Emory Allen is a son of a FSU star so he is athletic and Darin Baldwin is a stud from Homestead. You underestimate our secondary prowess.

[smazza]

ftu/ou/oc still  has football?

[Bullpride08]

Pride,

  We have a transfer QB who would step in a nonosecond if he doesn't start in the fall. Next, RoCal at QB was a freshman last year.  End of story there, he had a lot to learn.  Third, we have another guy who left the team on the O-line come back in wake of the Plancher death.  He was his roommate.  He will start on the O-line.  If you don't mind, give me a run down of our schedule and wins/ and losses.  Also,  our Emory Allen is a son of a FSU star so he is athletic and Darin Baldwin is a stud from Homestead. You underestimate our secondary prowess.

First, I watched RoCal (if that's what you call him)...he has a slow release, slow feet, and his field recognition was real weak.  He looked as bad his last start against UAB, as he did the first game.  I know 'true freshman' but a 38% completion percentage in a ball control offense is really atrocious.  I just don't think he has the tools to be extremely effective at QB at this level.  Your transfer is putting a lot of stock in a guy that hasn't played 1-A.

You're making McCray sound like a savior.  He was a walk-on before, and never your best OL by a long shot.  He was solid two years ago, but that was a long time ago, and as far as I could tell he wasn't there in the spring when OL need to learn and get acclimated.  Don't get excited here, this is like a new starter all over again.

Also, you sound pathetic with the Emory Allen comparison.  Come on man, you sound like a Div II football fan...who rarely sees good athletes and you use something so flimsey for hope.  Baldwin is a stud, neither are good in coverage, but they are improvements on tackling over the past group.  I don't underestimate anything here, you are over estimating.

Your schedule?

Unless some major changes I see losses to USM, ECU (both should be real could and contending for conference titles this year- a bit more complete then UCF right now), Houston, and Rice...the non-conference losses are UM, and Texas

Certain wins are: Samford, UAB (I thought this one last year though), Tulane, and Marshall at home.

Toss-ups:  Buffalo, and Memphis.

My guess:  5-7 if QB struggles.  6-6 if it becomes competent...and 7-5 if it shows significant improvement.  I still think you are year away from being capable of beating USM, ECU, UT, UM, and Houston.

[brazenbull]

You just don't get better by adding a new coordinator.

This.

Coaching staff merry-go-rounds are rarely good for on-field production, at least initially.

I don't have any issues with UCF and wish them the best now that we don't play anymore but I just don't see anything in the cards for them this year other than mediocrity. Not the absolute bottom of the barrel mind you but they're probably not going to set the college football world on fire.

Then again, it is one of those odd years...

[UCFChad]

Anyone who thinks certain coordinators can't make a difference never saw Gene Chizik at UCF.  He groomed and molded the Golden Knights into a top 25 D making 40k a year.  We lost him, picked up a clown the next year with many of the same players and faltered.  That proposition is laughable. Not sure if you know it, but UCF was the worst offense in the entire United States last year (D-1).  Now, with that said, we bring in a new guy.  Neither one of us know how good or bad he will be, but here is the rub, we HAVE to get better.  The players are going to be stronger, RoCal will be a year older and wiser, will have studied film longer and will have spent the spring/summer jelling with his receivers.  You think he sucks, I think he has a ton of potential with a gun.  Did he make some freshman mistakes? Sure, no question about it.  In the event he can't play, we have a transfer and several other D-1 scholarship players. 

McCray is better than who we had last year, so there is another plus.  At the end of the day do we go 12-0? Nope.  I think we go at least 7-5 or perhaps 8-4.  And then to a bowl.  I also think we may upset Miami.  Texas?  Probably not, but just know this.  When I went to UCF in the 90's, we had nothing.  Now I see BCS facilities and are building brick by brick.  You made a lot of good choices at USF, we have stumbled, bumbled and faltered.  What I see is a quick turn around.  O'Leary may not be the guy to bring us to the promised land, but in my view he will be one credited with bringing in the bricks to set up the foundation.  That will be his legacy. I enjoy your posts, for what it's worth.

[Bullpride08]

Chad, coordinators do make a huge difference but not overnight.  For example I am not to concerned with our move taking Coach Canales to replace Gregory.  Not because I believe Canales is better, because he is, but because he's very familiar with the offense, was already a coordinator on our team, and is basically keeping the same offense just making some improvements.  That, my friend, is how you possibly can improve immediately from a coordinator.  Now on defense I am a bit more worried.  Losing Burnham will hurt, he was shrewd and got the most out of guys, I don't know tresey yet but there will be bumps in the road.  Our only solace is on defense we do have about 4-5 future NFL draft picks for the 2010 draft in Selvie, Murphy, Kion Wilson, and Nate Allen.  They should be able to maintain some slack.

Taaffe is a good coordinator, but you don't make orange juice from lemons over night.  Your team is not equipped talent wise to completely run the offense Taaffe likes.  You'd be a delusional fan to suggest otherwise, also, his offense relies on a very smart, very cagy and capable QB.  It's a lot like our offense with some read option, quick hitches, spread formations, reads at the line...the Calabrese I saw last year would need to move a mountain to be effective in that offense.  Also, you need more athletic OL then you have penciled to start.  In that offense there is more zone blocking, more open space movement required from the OL...guys like Jah Reid, and Bustillo would not work.  Your real young guys like Martin, Moreland, are the answers, but they're probably still a year away.  That type of offense takes time to instill...remember Nebraska and Coach Callahan...I see the same thing.  Your offense is loaded with big, over-sized RB's and FB's, no real slot receiver or h-backs...jumbo te's and more run mauling OL...

that formula doesn't work in Taaffe's offense...I am sure there is going to be spots where you all will whine on your message board about Taaffe, like you did for no reason about your last OC....failing to recognize that Taffe lacks the necessary personnel to impliment his offense fully, and so you'll probably run some type of hybrid mix of spread/with an i-formation as the team slowly develops the chemistry and mind-set, and talent to run a more well oiled spread formation.

You're last OC wasn't bad at all, you all just never gave him credit for the limited talent he was required to coach up.  Do you realize how bad your QB position has been since Ryan Schnieder left?  The guy ran a very control, smart offense that usually kept you in games, kept the mistakes to a minimum, and allowed your strengths to shine through....that luxury will not be afforded this year transitioning to a spread.....so on't mental on Taaffe in week 6, when your team is 2-4, and has had some offensive struggles.  Your offense will definitely be better than last year, just by virtue of experience, and openning it up more, but even if  your the 85th best offense, that's still bad.

[UCFChad]

Pride, good post, but Tim Salem totally sucked and the reason G O'Leary won't work out is his Big 10 mentality.  The game is about speed now.  Like I said, I think he in the shorterm will be remembered as  a failure, but I credit him for at least bringing the bricks to build the foundation. Now onto the Bulls. What is your PROBABLE win/loss record.  Would love a breakdown when you get the chance, you know your stuff pretty good.

[Bull Dozer]

Pride, good post, but Tim Salem totally sucked and the reason G O'Leary won't work out is his Big 10 mentality.  The game is about speed now.  Like I said, I think he in the shorterm will be remembered as  a failure, but I credit him for at least bringing the bricks to build the foundation. Now onto the Bulls. What is your PROBABLE win/loss record.  Would love a breakdown when you get the chance, you know your stuff pretty good.

I agree that Salem wasn't very good but i feel the UCF fan base places waaaayyyy too much blame on him for last years horrid numbers.  You can't make chicken salad out of chicken ****. 

[Bullpride08]

Pride, good post, but Tim Salem totally sucked and the reason G O'Leary won't work out is his Big 10 mentality.  The game is about speed now.  Like I said, I think he in the shorterm will be remembered as  a failure, but I credit him for at least bringing the bricks to build the foundation. Now onto the Bulls. What is your PROBABLE win/loss record.  Would love a breakdown when you get the chance, you know your stuff pretty good.

What is USF's win/loss probable record?  That's a toughy this year, we've got lots of good players returning, and the BE is a bit depleted in the 'star' category this year.  Legitimately we've got probably 6 auto wins in the books with the first three games, Syracuse, UL, and Uconn, all are either really weak, or severely depleted talent and star wise.  After that many are toss ups.  The fact our OL is replacing 3-4 starters is a toughy.  I could use the transitive position some UCF fans use and say we've got a bunch of experienced OL guys coming back like Warren, Estenor, Genus, and two top flight JUCO.  But it takes time for an OL to gel, and that could stunt our offensive's development.

On defense we should be solid with a DL loaded with all-conference performers in Selvie, McClain, and Harris, the LB's have a star in Kion Wilson and a few others that are experienced seniors.  The defensive backfield has NFL caliber players in Nate Allen, and Murphy but how do they respond to the new coaching staff is the question.

I think we split the FSU/Miami games, probably sneaking out a Miami win at home...seek revenge against Cinci at home...and then WVU, RU, and Pitt become the rubber games.

Personally if our offensive line is average or below this team goes 7-5, if it produces as good as last year's and our OC opens up the playbook a bit then 8-4/9-3 is likely.  If the newby OL gel and come together nicely then something like 10-2 is possible.

It's hard to say because there is so much certainty on the field except at OL.  A young newby OL can be like a rollercoaster...dominating at times when their athleticism gets going, and lost when they face a formidable foe who game plans for them searching for answers and a coehesiveness.

My guess is the OL, with three easy games early to gel, becomes a push compared to last year's...our new OC opens up and attacks more of the field with all of our playmakers, and our defense proves to be about as strong as last year--dominating at times, and lost in other games.  That should be good for a 9-3 record with a possible home sweep and losses to FSU, RU, and Pitt.  I hope for an edge in one of the games against RU or Pitt, but for now until I see the offense click, and our OL start to gell I'll say 8-4/9-3 and a Meineke Car Care Bowl.