With the high turnover and Albin getting a late start in recruiting Iām feeling if we were to match last yearās record it would be a huge success.
Iām prepared for a step back record wise but hopeful we will be better organized and improve as the year goes along.
Iām looking for the big step forward in year two.
But hey maybe we will surprise.
While a lot of talented players left, there are some talented incoming players. The new arrivals, together with those that stayed from last year, have the opportunity to build a unified team, one that works together to achieve team goals. If they are unified, and play together, they could win enough games to go to a bowl. After a big sip of green koolaid, I believe that this team will unify, and they will improve. By mid-season, Charlotte will be a good team.
We did go 5-7, if we improve record-wise weāre bowling. I think most of us who are able would be doing cartwheels if that happened but itās our toughest schedule ever with a lot of turnover. Iā'm hopeful but understand if people are being cautious.
This discussion makes me bring up the elephant in the room. How, with all that talent, did Charlotte only win 5? I donāt want to come off sounding negative, and Iām not going to cast aspersions on anyone, so I will try to stay pretty neutral here, and stick to readily apparent observations. First, for whatever reason, against the 7 best teams, they played, Charlotte was only competitive once, that being against Memphis. Against the other 6, Charlotte lost by an average of 30 points. Needing a win against USF to get to a bowl, they laid an egg, losing by 35 to a mid-tier team at home.
Second, Charlotte seems to have no home field advantage. They only played well at home once, that being against ECU. The other 5 games at home were either close wins over teams they should have beaten (Gardner-Webb and UAB), or games where they were not competitive against solid teams.
To be successful, a team needs:
Regardless of the final record, I want to see a team that plays hard each game, from whistle to whistle, and from the start of the game to the end. I want a team that is physical, a team that other teams do not look forward to playing. I want a team that plays each week like they expect to win, but also a team that is resilient when things donāt go their way. I want a team that gets better each week. I want a team that plays especially well in key times. These are the ways I will judge the 2025 team, not based solely on wins and losses.
To answer your question, it is because our staff was awful and unprepared. Our culture was terrible and our strength and conditioning coach was effectively rendered useless by biff.
Simple answer, Poggi. Only thing going for him was his mouth and that apparently got him into more problems
All of the answers above are correct. I was at every home game and an away game. I never knew which team would show up. All I knew is there was going to be a lot of yellow laundry on the field and it would be self inflicted. Even in the ECU game we racked up a lot of penalties. We had the discipline of a teenager on the internet. The game after Biff was removed we had zero penalties.
I think a coach like Albin is exactly what we need. There will be growing pains but I can accept that. I have never been more optimistic about the future of Charlotte football. We finally have a proven leader.
Thank you for the replies. Every coach has strengths and weaknesses. It sounds like Poggiās strengths were in very different areas than Albinās, so in some ways, they may be polar opposites. The one thing I know for sure is that the new strength coach will not ābe rendered uselessā by Albin. There is a reason that the strength coach was one of the first hires. Albin definitely believes that strength and conditioning is essential for winning.
As a fan, I believe that, too. My strong belief is that it is impossible for Charlotte to have a winning season without hard work now. Winter conditioning sets the stage for a solid spring, and a successful fall. Yes, you can, and must, lift a certain amount during the season, but if you donāt work hard at strength and conditioning now, you start out behind, and can never catch up.
Are there any rumors from the local regarding how winter conditioning is going? Are players busting their butts in conditioning and strength activities, or are they out partying? Please tell me that no Charlotte players have been arrested for bar fights, or for punching a horse. (Ohio joke thereā¦Yes, that actually happened at Ohio in 2006, though it wasnāt quite like the below).
A football player had his back to the mounted policeman, who came up behind him, and when the horseās head bumped up against the football player, he instinctively reacted by pushing the horseās head away. Nevertheless, he shouldnāt have been in that situation in the first place.
Insane curious question.
Do we think a top notch heavyweight boxer could actually knock out a horse?
My gut tells me he would break your hand and the horse would get pissed or maybe only irritated.
Always amazed when I read a story about someone taking a punch at a horse. Often involves a good bit of alcohol, like the guy arrested after the most recent Georgia vs Florida game in Jacksonville. And since it usually seems to be a police horse - like at the Gator Bowl - youāre pissing off more than just the horse!
Biffās strength was eating cookies.
And donāt forget smoking cigars, praising Jesus, and head scratching + at times profanity laced media comments while heading to the locker room at halftime. Most egregious of the latter was the āI donāt think theyāre a better team than we areā comment made during the JMU game.
Yes. Supposedly Roberto Duran was drinking at a Mexican bar and someone told him he had lost his punch. He walked outside and knocked out a donkey tied up there.
May be folklore. Obviously no video of it
Solid Art Long reference. Screw the Bearcats and screw Bob Huggins.
I think we will be far better coached this season but Iām still being cautious putting any real expectations on this season. First year of a new staff and there are still a few positions on the team that scare me. What I do know is that I wonāt have to go to games wondering how badly we get outcoached and if our talent will bail us out.
clt asks if tyson fury could knock out a horse?
I hope the horse would kick the S**t out of him!
I think thatās almost as unlikely as a horse cause donkeys are strong as hell.
Iāve been kicked by both. Iād choose āneither!ā
You ask about those games, donāt know if it was adjustments, or conditioning or mental toughness or what. But most of those games, we stayed close
James Madison -we were down 9-7 at half and 16-7 after 3 quarters but lost 30-7
Carolina - we were down 21-13, few minutes into second half but lost 38-20
Indiana - we were down 17-14, few minutes before the half but lost 52-14
Tulane - we were down 10-3 at half but lost 34-3
South Florida- we were down 14-10 at half and lost 59-24
So we played tough for a half and then just rolled over.