jwinslow;1100491; said:
How many more of these negative "reality checks" will you be delivering?
As many as I see fit. You may interpret my posts as negative and maybe even borderline bashing, but it's simply what I see. The occasional "moral victory" is fine, but if we expect to be invited to the big dance we need to win at least one big game. I think it's pretty simple to understand that playing a solid defensive game goes to waste if you don't win the game on the scoreboard. Bernini asked a simple question, "Why would people lament only allowing 58 points against Bucky?" I gave him a simple answer. This time of year, a loss is a loss...period.
Still, if we were improving over the last half of the season, that would be a positive point. Yet, if anything, it seems we're regressing. How many ranked teams have we beaten this year? None. Zero. Zip. Nada.
North Carolina (L)
Texas A&M (L)
Butler (L)
Tennessee (L)
Wisconsin (L)
Purdue (L)
Indiana (L)
Michigan State (L)
Eight games against ranked teams and not a single win. Folks talk about us being "on the bubble" for the big dance, but when you're 17-10, and 8-6 in a conference that many are talking down, it's going to be near impossible.
Going into today, we were playing four ranked teams over our final five games of the season (Wisconsin, @Indiana, @Minnesota, Purdue, and Michigan State). Winning the three home games in that set were crucial, and now we've already lost one of them. Should we win all of the last four, 21-10 and 12-6 in conference may give us a glimmer of hope. Just one loss puts us at 20-11 and 11-7 in conference which likely won't do it. Going 2-2 over the last four will be tough enough to do, and 19-12 and 10-8 in conference puts the nail in the coffin.
You may fault me for not quite sharing your unbridled optimism, but until I see cause for it...
