Those were Drink’s words before the season started. It didn’t start as smoothly as some would have hoped. But it certainly seems like we’ve righted the ship. It got me wondering what was on the list that can be marked off as complete:

1) P5 win.
2) First time being ranked in BOTH polls.
3) Highest ranking in school history.

What else belongs on this list that is surely to grow as the season progresses?

Maintaining or improving academic standards. This is college football.

Finish the season ranked and be able to say we were ranked or RV in every poll, win our division, win the SBC, undefeated, and win a bowl game. Then off the field I want all of our players to graduate and stay out of trouble. We have a great group of young men and I not only expect the best of them on the field but off it as well.

Beating the Holes. I don’t downplay it. It was huge.

MAD Doctor wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 3:09 pm

Beating the Holes. I don’t downplay it. It was huge.

Not for me, I expected we could and should win that game.

CVAPP wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 3:18 pm

MAD Doctor wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 3:09 pm

Beating the Holes. I don’t downplay it. It was huge.

Not for me, I expected we could and should win that game.

I believe MAD Doctor was speaking in the past tense about our win over the Holes. It was a big win, that cannot be denied. Keep the streak alive now. 1-0 every week.

The highest ranking for any team in Sun Belt Conference history.

Winning a game while ranked.

CVAPP wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 3:18 pm

MAD Doctor wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 3:09 pm

Beating the Holes. I don’t downplay it. It was huge.

Not for me, I expected we could and should win that game.

Not saying we shocked the world. We’d never done it before. It was huge. Had we lost that game, there would be no Top 25, and no P5 win (to this point).

If we don’t beat USC, I believe that us beating UNC will be considered a case of us catching them early/enter your excuse. It would lose it’s significance outside of the program, in my opinion.

Heels fans might say that but who cares. Nobody with a brain will think that. Each win stands on its own. The only additional thing I'd want to see this season is finish ranked.

Apple@chin1 wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 9:22 pm

If we don’t beat USC, I believe that us beating UNC will be considered a case of us catching them early/enter your excuse. It would lose it’s significance outside of the program, in my opinion.

USC is playing well. It will take a perfect game from the black and gold and some mistakes on their side.

So do we believe that on a neutral field could/would/should we beat:

Washington
Tulane
Iowa State
Temple
Wake
Cal
UVA
Memphis
USC
S Carolina
A&M
UCF
San Diego St
La Tech

All ranked below us currently

bigdaddyg wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 14, 2019 5:58 am

So do we believe that on a neutral field could/would/should we beat:

Washington
Tulane
Iowa State
Temple
Wake
Cal
UVA
Memphis
USC
S Carolina
A&M
UCF
San Diego St
La Tech

All ranked below us currently

YES!!

AtlantaMountaineer wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 3:58 pm

The highest ranking for any team in Sun Belt Conference history.

I think the W-S Journal reported 25th was the highest rank previously achieved for the Sun Belt, Check that one off the list...

Strongly agree with previous statement: Win our division, host/win Sun Belt Campionship, win bowl game, academic excellence... and for our coaches: Stay together and recruit strong.

So far my expectations have been met. We're ranked, we knocked off the Tarheels, and outside of a Lehman Bros. grade collapse are looking again at a post-season bowl game at the least, hopefully a conference championship too. Just keep winning, we should be favored in every remaining game minus the USC game...and even then we still have a few weeks to see whether or not that UGA upset was a one-off or if the Gamecocks have finally figured something out.

A loss at USC isn't a break for the season and UNC can say whatever they want about how and why they lost, going into that game there was a LOT of chatter on here about how we weren't exactly firing on all cylinders either so that "catching them early" excuse doesn't hold water to me. We were the better team and they can deal with it until basketball season rolls around.

It's also exciting to see people throwing our names and "NY6" around in the same sentences now. I still see that as unlikely as long as Boise State continues to do what they do, but I did like during their Hawaii game seeing a "G5 Playoffs" hypothetical bracket where they had us paired up with the Broncos. People are finally starting to talk about us and our program (and not about the Michigan win or how we're this tiny town in North Carolina) and putting us in the national conversation.

BlueCreekAppFan wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 14, 2019 6:34 am

AtlantaMountaineer wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 3:58 pm

The highest ranking for any team in Sun Belt Conference history.

I think the W-S Journal reported 25th was the highest rank previously achieved for the Sun Belt, Check that one off the list...

Strongly agree with previous statement: Win our division, host/win Sun Belt Campionship, win bowl game, academic excellence... and for our coaches: Stay together and recruit strong.

Yeah. Troy and (I think) stAte have broken into the ranks before but they never got it past 25th. So anything we do that goes higher in the standings is trailblazing for the conference.

MAD Doctor wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 8:20 pm

CVAPP wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 3:18 pm

MAD Doctor wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 3:09 pm

Beating the Holes. I don’t downplay it. It was huge.

Not for me, I expected we could and should win that game.

Not saying we shocked the world. We’d never done it before. It was huge. Had we lost that game, there would be no Top 25, and no P5 win (to this point).

Had we lost any of our games thus far, it is unlikely we would be ranked at this point.

NewApp wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 14, 2019 7:16 am

MAD Doctor wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 8:20 pm

CVAPP wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 3:18 pm

MAD Doctor wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 3:09 pm

Beating the Holes. I don’t downplay it. It was huge.

Not for me, I expected we could and should win that game.

Not saying we shocked the world. We’d never done it before. It was huge. Had we lost that game, there would be no Top 25, and no P5 win (to this point).

Had we lost any of our games thus far, it is unlikely we would be ranked at this point.

Any loss (so far) or going forward pretty much kills a ranking. Just look at Memphis. They probably won't sniff a top 25 again unless they win out, including the conference championship and their bowl game. Same for Wake.

bigdaddyg wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 14, 2019 7:31 am

NewApp wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 14, 2019 7:16 am

MAD Doctor wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 8:20 pm

CVAPP wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 3:18 pm

MAD Doctor wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 3:09 pm

Beating the Holes. I don’t downplay it. It was huge.

Not for me, I expected we could and should win that game.

Not saying we shocked the world. We’d never done it before. It was huge. Had we lost that game, there would be no Top 25, and no P5 win (to this point).

Had we lost any of our games thus far, it is unlikely we would be ranked at this point.

Any loss (so far) or going forward pretty much kills a ranking. Just look at Memphis. They probably won't sniff a top 25 again unless they win out, including the conference championship and their bowl game. Same for Wake.

That's what I said. Glad we agree, bigdaddy.