Thankfully, Dannen and Fritz are not looking at 2016 and thinking 3-9. Their public comments suggest as much, but it should be known their expectations are way higher. And to take that a step further, they aren't looking at the '18 game vs OSU as a program "measuring stick" as much as they are looking for a Goliath to knock off.OUG wrote:I would ordinarily hate this, but I actually love it because it is three seasons away and we are in the first year of a new regime.
Dannen understands that you need to have goals to shoot for. You need to have some target to build towards and aspire to.
So he and Fritz can say, "Ok, this is currently the level we are at -- going 3-9. In three years, I have us playing Ohio State. I expect us to build a program where in that game we can legitimately measure our progress. Do we belong on the field in that game or not? Let's make sure we do."
I think it fits with his philosophy of having high expectations. We just hired a former NBA head coach of the year who had taken SEVEN NBA teams to the playoffs. To coach TULANE basketball. This guy is not competing to be an also-ran. He is trying to bring "big time" culture to the school and the athletic department. Everything he does is to project and aspire to that image. This is about "raising the bar."
Also, there are maybe 5 Football Programs in the country that can stroke a paycheck for a road game like Ohio State. I mean it's not like an 0-1 with South Carolina where we would likely also lose and get paid probably 60% of what OSU can offer us. I would bet this payout is substantial.
We no longer have people who are afraid of success or a program like OSU. Willie Fritz inherited an FCS program and in his first 3 weeks with that program he lost to NCST and GT by a combined 5 points. Fritz is not afraid of OSU, nor will the program be by 2018.
Yeah I'm sure we are going to get a nice check for the road game. That being said, this is no longer Rick Dickson's program and rent-a-losses are no longer part of the revenue generating plan. The payout is not a major consideration, it's a nice bonus.
Bottom line is that even the most optimistic fans are missing the bigger picture. By hoping that we can be a "measuring stick" or get a "substantial payout" you are missing the point. We're hiring NBA coach of the year caliber coaches for basketball and have equally high ambitions for football.
Let me suggest the following: It is more likely that Willie Fritz wins 19-20 games over the next 2 seasons and is hired away by a major program (thus giving us a problem in early '18 vs OSU) than it is likely that Tulane wins 3 games in '16.
Raise your expectations.