It's difficult to have a sunny feeling about things in the moments when crap like this happens, so I won't be "sunny". But I also won't be tragically defeatist. About two months ago I posted a little "exercise" in the possible on another thread. It was about our coming defense and what it might reduce our opponents to --- based on very reasonable past year's data. With apologies for the repeat, here that is:
" Gentlemen, this is not a prediction but some reflection on who we were last year and what that might possibly mean for 2013.
It's first about defense. Last year in the regular season our defense continually held everybody out of the endzone [other than the screwed up Pitt game] at a jaw-dropping rate of about 35% of those teams normal scoring. This number was remarkably consistent across the board. And we were even better than that. We were the best against the best: serving up the lowest scoring totals for Oklahoma, USC, Michigan, Stanford, and Michigan State that those teams had all season.
Well.... let's imagine that we're just as good for 2013. In fact, I believe that we are better. This "better" might not show dramatically, because last year's numbers were so low, but the "better" might make everything seem even more in control, and allow the offense better field position.
But let's dream up some numbers. I'm going to insert our last year's numbers against our opponents, then cheat on the Pitt number [to make myself feel good and list something that I believe anyway], and then put our 35% strangler number on the three new teams. How much would we be scored on?
1). Temple 9pts.
2). Michigan 6pts.
3). Purdue 17pts. {this was probably also a little anomalous}
4). MSU 3pts.
5). Oklahoma 13pts.
6). Arizona State 14pts.
7). USC 13pts.
8). Air Force 10pts.
9). Navy 10pts.
10). Pitt {35% of their average score} 10pts.
11). BYU 14pts.
12). Stanford 13pts.
So, how's the ol' offense going to be?? Think we can score more than two touchdowns per game?? That just might be all we need."
