How Many Wins for 2016 Wake Football?

[Deacfreak07]

I don't think 6 is "best case scenario". I think if we fail to hit 6 then it's a very bad sign. This is the easiest schedule I've ever seen.

Other than every NCSU schedule the last few years.

 

[BlackjackMc]

...and the AD makes seven figures?

 

[BDL]

I think 3 wins is the floor with Tulane, Delaware and Army. We could sneak up on dook but it wasn't a good sign that we couldn't beat them when they were in an absolute tailspin at the end of last year. Every year we expect to beat 'Cuse and never do. No idea what to think of UVA. If BC is playing for a 6th win and we aren't I don't like our chances there.

2017 has trips to App and ND. Clawson could have an improved team in 4 straight years and not make a bowl. Tough job

 

[Pilchard]

WF will 7 games next year.

 

[jamesda3]

I think 7 as well

 

[DeacsOrDie]

Other than every NCSU schedule the last few years.

This

 

[Beachdeac82]

I will confess to being an optimist, but I really do like Clawson and his approach. Our talent level is higher for sure, and hopefully our O-line is better. The other huge area Clawson seems to be addressing is the attitude of this team. They need to expect to win each game. The fact that most of the players come to lift weights and run when they are not required to do so is a huge jump in attitude. I said 6 wins, but we could surprise a people and win even more-- hoping this is true!

 

[Atlanta Deacon]

What possible metric puts BC at 50? They didn't score 50 points last year.

Tulane, Delaware and Army are must wins (3). Syracuse, UVA and BC we need to find two (5). Then win one of Duke, Indiana or NC St. (6) and stamp our ticket to the weed eater bowl!

 

[deacsrus]

I think we beat BYE on 10-22, so I'll say 4(four).

 

[StrickDeac]

Here's the schedule through 2019:

2016
Tulane
Delaware
@ Indiana
Army

Syracuse
Virginia
Clemson
BC

at Duke
at State
at Florida State
at Louisville

2017
at App
at ND
Utah State
Presby

Duke
State
Florida State
Louisville

at Syracuse
at Georgia Tech
at Clemson
at BC

2018
Rice
Liberty
at Tulane
ND

Syracuse
Pitt
Clemson
BC

at Duke
at State
at Florida State
at Louisville

2019
at Rice
UNC
Elon
Utah State

Duke
State
Florida State
Louisville

at Syracuse
at Virginia Tech
at Clemson
at BC

 

[mikedrum4prez]

4 or 5 wins. While Clawson has been making strides, every other coach in the ACC has been working their ass off also. That seems to always be forgotten.

 

[PhDeac]

I think people are underestimating the leap necessary to get to 6 wins and underestimating the schedule. It would be a huge leap for this running game to be competent.

The offense has strengths at TE and WR although I don't think the WR play is any better than middle of the conference. QB play is mercurial. RBs are either unimpressive or inexperienced. OL play? Yeah. The defense has lost a lot of talent and leadership over the last two years and really needs guys to step up at every position.

We lost our most dependable special teams player who kept our poor offense from hurting us even worse. Can Maggio get the job done at punter? There are going to be some hiccups transitioning from a 25 year old senior to an 18 year old freshman.

Weaver hit 11 of 18 FGs last year. Can we get him more attempts and can he hit them? Will a dependable return man emerge? Will he be behind dependable blockers? Can our coverage teams stop returns?

After two seasons, Clawson has established his coaching identity and the goals for the team, but the team doesn't really have an identity. What are we going to be really good at doing? Even mediocre teams have a key area of strength, a part of the game other teams have to sweat all week. We need a unit for the commentators to highlight. We need a stat aside from total punts to put on the team resume.

The last two seasons were the "Kinal era" of Wake football. What will Wake football be known for going forward?

 

[StrickDeac]

Here's the schedule through 2019:

2016
Tulane
Delaware
@ Indiana
Army

Syracuse
Virginia
Clemson
BC

at Duke
at State
at Florida State
at Louisville

2017
at App
at ND
Utah State
Presby

Duke
State
Florida State
Louisville

at Syracuse
at Georgia Tech
at Clemson
at BC

2018
Rice
Liberty
at Tulane
ND

Syracuse
Pitt
Clemson
BC

at Duke
at State
at Florida State
at Louisville

2019
at Rice
UNC
Elon
Utah State

Duke
State
Florida State
Louisville

at Syracuse
at Virginia Tech
at Clemson
at BC

Based off of this, what is our realistic ceiling in future years?

2016: 6 wins
2017: 6 wins *We're not going to beat App in Boone. It's not happening. Accept that now so it will hurt less later.
2018: 8 wins?
2019: 9 wins?

This is predicated on the team/program improving year over year. The 2019 seniors have yet to play a game yet.

 

[wsc8521s]

We showed flashes of being competitive with Notre Dame, Clemson, Louisville and FSU (the latter two we nearly beat) which gives me hope. We had a disastrous four quarter stretch against UNC and NC State but besides that last year was a step forward

 

[DEACS76]

My guess was 6 wins and a Bowl game in Detroit against Iowa. I'll also predict a special team TD this year (for us). If this doesn't work out, look for Claw to change his offensive philosophy for '17. Because this passive delayed hand off running game doesn't work in a league where the DLs run faster than MAC LBs did.

 

[BirdinBama]

3. Fuck you, Ron Wellman.

 

[Bluegrass Deac]

What possible metric puts BC at 50? They didn't score 50 points last year.

Tulane, Delaware and Army are must wins (3). Syracuse, UVA and BC we need to find two (5). Then win one of Duke, Indiana or NC St. (6) and stamp our ticket to the weed eater bowl!

Patrick Towles is a pretty good QB. Not great, but pretty good. They should move the ball a lot better this year with him at QB.

 

[stratt]

No way we win more than four.

 

[CantStandYa]

Actually it's been 5 seasons (not 6 since) WF's last bowl appearance (2011).

Limiting it to the last 5 years, Wake Forest is the only school to not have made a bowl, the NCAAs or the NIT since 2011, and no other P5 program is as close to as pathetic.

Rutgers hasn't been to a NCAA or NIT in more than 6 years, but they went to bowl games for 3 straight years between 2012 and 2014.

Washington State last went to the NIT in 2011 (they did play in the CBI after that), and played in bowl games in 2013 and 2015.

Oregon State made the NCAA this year (which was a joke) after not making the NCAA or NIT since 2005. The Beavers played in bowl games in 2012 and 2013.

There really is now Power V program that is even remotely comparable to WF's combined lack of football and basketball success over the last 5 years. Nobody is close.

The atrociousness here cannot be understated.

 

[RollWave35]

Actually it's been 5 seasons (not 6 since) WF's last bowl appearance (2011).

Limiting it to the last 5 years, Wake Forest is the only school to not have made a bowl, the NCAAs or the NIT since 2011, and no other P5 program is as close to as pathetic.

Rutgers hasn't been to a NCAA or NIT in more than 6 years, but they went to bowl games for 3 straight years between 2012 and 2014.

Washington State last went to the NIT in 2011 (they did play in the CBI after that), and played in bowl games in 2013 and 2015.

Oregon State made the NCAA this year (which was a joke) after not making the NCAA or NIT since 2005. The Beavers played in bowl games in 2012 and 2013.

There really is now Power V program that is even remotely comparable to WF's combined lack of football and basketball success over the last 5 years. Nobody is close.