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2nd Half Season Predictions

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DeacAssured

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After watching the Deacs and their upcoming opponents, forecasting the second half record should be more reliable than predicting the record at the start of the season when there is no performance based evidence upon which to rely. Up next: GT, L’ville, ND, NCSU, Cuse, Duke

3-3
 
I hope you are right. Which three of those do you expect us to win?
I would be happy if we go 3-3 over the rest of the season. 4-2 is where we should be right now. We gave away one to Florida State although we were the better team that day, but we stole one from ASU who was the better team that day.
 
I think on the original prediction thread I thought 6-6 was reasonable and 7-5 would exceed expectations. But that our schedule made 6+ wins tough. We will see how it plays out. I think that Duke and Cuse are winnable games getting us to 6, but our schedule continues to be tough getting to those games. I'm afraid tech will grind us down and our defense has a propensity to play well but give up a few backbreaking plays. I don't have us winning that one. And I have us losing big against Louisville. Jackson will pick us apart and that game could get out of hand early. ND is a loss. The team rallies to play NCSU tough, but they are legit and I could see that loss in heartbreaking fashion.

So, the big question is after looking bad and squeaking by ASU, looking good and losing to FSU, and coming off a potential 6 game losing streak do we have anything left to win the last two? We need to surprise GT or Louisville, both of which are tall orders for our team. I think it's make or break time. We are either 7+ wins (surprise somebody and get some momentum) or sub-.500 on the year, both scenarios are far more likely than 6-6 IMO.
 
I could see us sweeping State, Cuse, and Duke to finish the season, and hopefully stealing one of the other three while we're at it. GT is our best shot, I think.
 
I'm still at 5-7 for the year, so 1-5 for the 2nd half.

I think we beat Cuse. If not, then I say we'll beat Duke.

@GT is a tall order. I'm going, so I hope we win... But I think we'll have a hard time slowing them down.
It is reasonable to think we can beat Louisville, but I don't think we'll be able to frustrate Lamar Jackson as much as last year.
@ND looks like a blowout.
@Syracuse is a game we should win, but it's on the road and I think we'll have dropped 4 straight going in there... Big game.
NCSU is winnable at home, but they are probably a better team this year.
We should beat Duke, but I have a bad feeling if it is a "must win" matchup of 5 win teams.

3-3 seems like best case. Odds probably say 2-4. I'll stick with 1-5.
 
GT-L
Louiville-L
ND-L
NCSU-L
Cuse-W
Duke-W

6-6 Quick Lane Bowl Vs Purdue against Wake Forest's Chris Barclay, RB Coach
 
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I'm more optimistic about the GT game. They have Miami this week in a game that will be huge for the Coastal, and Clemson the week after us. We have two weeks to prepare for the triple option. UL feels winnable, especially after watching their defense against UNC and State. @ND does not feel winnable. Neither does State- I think we get blown out. I think we beat Cuse and Duke. So, I think we could go 8-4 but will go 7-5.
 
We feel like a borderline top 25 team so far and I don't think GaTech is much better than that, so I'm expecting a close one. On defense our weakest area is the secondary, and GaTech will only throw it 10 times and run it 60, so at least they'll be playing to our strengths. They combined for 8 fumbles against Pitt and UNC despite beating them easily, and with the extra week of prep time we have a good chance of staying disciplined against the option. Will definitely be interesting to see this matchup, but I expect they'll find us tougher to run against than any other team they've played.

Big question will be on offense - Kelly ran all over them, not sure we have that kind of firepower on the ground. No QB has gotten all that much going against them, so I'd guess it'll come down to whether Wolford can hit the short routes and throw some guys open. First team to 30 wins.
 
Little surprised at all the respect WF fans are giving NC State.

Realize State is solid this year, but they are still very beatable, and until the last trip to Groves, State always struggles at WF, even when WF was terrible. Think State is something like 1-7 or 2-7 over the last few trips to WF.

Obviously injuries can change the dynamic, but think that 3-3 is slightly more likely than 2-4 the rest of the way. WF has a shot in each game, and think almost all of the games will be tight. Hope Weaver gets over whatever funk he is currently in because making or missing FGs will decide at least a couple of games down the stretch.
 
Pilchard said:
Little surprised at all the respect WF fans are giving NC State.

Realize State is solid this year, but they are still very beatable, and until the last trip to Groves, State always struggles at WF, even when WF was terrible. Think State is something like 1-7 or 2-7 over the last few trips to WF.

Obviously injuries can change the dynamic, but think that 3-3 is slightly more likely than 2-4 the rest of the way. WF has a shot in each game, and think almost all of the games will be tight. Hope Weaver gets over whatever funk he is currently in because making or missing FGs will decide at least a couple of games down the stretch.
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I think we can beat State, but State has looked very good so far. We knew the D-line would be good, but they've looked good on both sides of the ball. I just dread seeing all the red in the stands when we play them. Maybe we'll pull off a performance like we did against State in 2003 (I think), wasn't that the Phillip Rivers Heismann Tour game where we throttled them?
 
DCDeac said:
We feel like a borderline top 25 team so far and I don't think GaTech is much better than that, so I'm expecting a close one. On defense our weakest area is the secondary, and GaTech will only throw it 10 times and run it 60, so at least they'll be playing to our strengths. They combined for 8 fumbles against Pitt and UNC despite beating them easily, and with the extra week of prep time we have a good chance of staying disciplined against the option. Will definitely be interesting to see this matchup, but I expect they'll find us tougher to run against than any other team they've played.

Big question will be on offense - Kelly ran all over them, not sure we have that kind of firepower on the ground. No QB has gotten all that much going against them, so I'd guess it'll come down to whether Wolford can hit the short routes and throw some guys open. First team to 30 wins.
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Is our weakest area on defense the secondary? I think it's the linebackers. Bates and Glenn are a pretty awesome pair, and Bassey/Henderson have been much improved.

ETA: If Kemp counts as a linebacker, I agree the secondary is the weakest.
 
wakelaw13 said:
Is our weakest area on defense the secondary? I think it's the linebackers. Bates and Glenn are a pretty awesome pair, and Bassey/Henderson have been much improved.
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Considering how much of a strength our LB's have been for awhile, yeah it's probably been a step back this year. I think Jaboree is pretty good, but not Chubb or Lee level, Dawson plays hard and smart but limited, Kemp and Strnad can make some plays.
 
We have "chances" to win each of our remaining games. Thing is, some games are not good chances. At all. Some of our best chances unfortunately are on the road: Syracuse, GT. I like Louisville, frankly, as a chance to win. I also have to look at the Duke game as another. Yet it's not too far-fetched to believe that when each remaining game rolls around, we end up not being favored in any of them.

So, although it violates my earlier post on picking wins based on "expected value" from a string of games we're not favored in individually, I'll stay with my preseason prediction of 6-6. Without seeing any clear wins remaining on the schedule, I want to believe that Clawson and the guys can will themselves to 2 more wins in 6 games to avoid a backslide in year 4 of the Clawson era. We won the first 4 games as I predicted originally, so we still remain on that schedule for 6 wins.
 
What's the argument for the secondary being worse than the linebackers? We have one of the top performing safety pairs in the nation through six games and both Bassey and Henderson have done a solid job thus far.
 
One thing that Clawson hasn't done is to win a game that we aren't supposed to win, the Temple game being the exception. We have come close a few times but never been able to get it done. I think that changes this year and we will beat at least one of GT, Louisville, ND or NCSU to go along with wins against Syracuse and Duke for a 7-5 finish. Independence Bowl win against LSU for a final record of 8-5 and a #23 ranking.
 
LilburnDeac said:
One thing that Clawson hasn't done is to win a game that we aren't supposed to win, the Temple game being the exception. We have come close a few times but never been able to get it done. I think that changes this year and we will beat at least one of GT, Louisville, ND or NCSU to go along with wins against Syracuse and Duke for a 7-5 finish. Independence Bowl win against LSU for a final record of 8-5 and a #23 ranking.
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I would be elated if this is what happens, but still don't think we would be ranked.
 
LilburnDeac said:
One thing that Clawson hasn't done is to win a game that we aren't supposed to win, the Temple game being the exception. We have come close a few times but never been able to get it done. I think that changes this year and we will beat at least one of GT, Louisville, ND or NCSU to go along with wins against Syracuse and Duke for a 7-5 finish. Independence Bowl win against LSU for a final record of 8-5 and a #23 ranking.
Click to expand...

Last year, WF won 3 games where it was a underdog by 5 or more:

- Temple (WF +10.5)
- @ Duke (+5.5)
- @ Indiana (+6)

WF was a slight dog at BC this year.

Beating a ranked Temple team was big upset last year (maybe the biggest out of all the bowl games). Other than @ ND, there is game on the schedule where WF will be a bigger dog than it was against Temple in the Military Bowl.
 
I don't see any guaranteed, no-chance losses on our schedule. Seven wins is realistic, eight is definitely doable.
 
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