Dwag Teams with Low Expectations Who Overperformed

[PostGameOrangeSlices]

I don't think 2016 was a surprise. The way '15 ended, and looking at who was coming back, anything less than a conference championship and playoff birth the following year was going to be a disappointment to me. I paid a shitload of money on the secondary market for tickets to that Stanford game because I knew I was going to see something special. One of the few tims I've ever been right about anything.

I thought they would be good in 2016, not like CFP good though because the team was still young and I thought 2017 would the year. Ross exploding and I think some defensive guys making major strides brought the big success up a year. I wasn't complaining.

When Joe Mathis was bringing heat from the edge and Azeem was roaming the middle that defense was scary good. The unit dropped a notch with the edge combo of Potatoes O’Brien and P-Salm losing contain on the regular and then DJ Beavers, god bless his heart, was no Azeem. Sad.

That defense still held Alabama to 17 points in Atlanta. With 0 help from its offense. It was dominant.

 

[chuck]

I don't think 2016 was a surprise. The way '15 ended, and looking at who was coming back, anything less than a conference championship and playoff birth the following year was going to be a disappointment to me. I paid a shitload of money on the secondary market for tickets to that Stanford game because I knew I was going to see something special. One of the few tims I've ever been right about anything.

I thought they would be good in 2016, not like CFP good though because the team was still young and I thought 2017 would the year. Ross exploding and I think some defensive guys making major strides brought the big success up a year. I wasn't complaining.

When Joe Mathis was bringing heat from the edge and Azeem was roaming the middle that defense was scary good. The unit dropped a notch with the edge combo of Potatoes O’Brien and P-Salm losing contain on the regular and then DJ Beavers, god bless his heart, was no Azeem. Sad.

The Petekowski defenses were good to great on the DL and great in the secondary. The LBs never really measured up (after Kikaha and Shaq were gone) except in the fleeting period where both Mathis and Victor were healthy.
I'm not saying there weren't other good players too, like BBK. There just never was a full unit or much depth.

 

[DerekJohnson]

The 2006 team started 4-1 which shocked the hell out of me. Of course, we finished 5-7. But still…

 

[JaWarrenJaHooker]

1999 was a weird year. Lost to byu and Air Force to open the season. I don’t really recall what the expectation was at that point… Make a bowl?

Somehow almost made the rose bowl (I know it was a historically bad pac-10, but still).

Almost beat a TOUGH and Ranked Kansas state in the holiday bowl. Don James never had to play a ranked Kansas State

 

[WoolleyDoog]

1999 was a weird year. Lost to byu and Air Force to open the season. I don’t really recall what the expectation was at that point… Make a bowl?

Somehow almost made the rose bowl (I know it was a historically bad pac-10, but still).

Almost beat a TOUGH and Ranked Kansas state in the holiday bowl. Don James never had to play a ranked Kansas State

I was trying to think of seasons I feel like this one could end up being like and 99 definitely was one. New coach, low expectations, but probably expected to make a bowl and then almost won the conference. I'll say part of that was the Pac-10 sucking so much that year a Willingham Stanford team won it, but still.

 

[DerekJohnson]

1999 was a weird year. Lost to byu and Air Force to open the season. I don’t really recall what the expectation was at that point… Make a bowl?

Somehow almost made the rose bowl (I know it was a historically bad pac-10, but still).

Almost beat a TOUGH and Ranked Kansas state in the holiday bowl. Don James never had to play a ranked Kansas State

In fact we struggled to beat a terrible KSU team 20-3 in 1981

 

[TheHB]

I don't think 2016 was a surprise. The way '15 ended, and looking at who was coming back, anything less than a conference championship and playoff birth the following year was going to be a disappointment to me. I paid a shitload of money on the secondary market for tickets to that Stanford game because I knew I was going to see something special. One of the few tims I've ever been right about anything.

I thought they would be good in 2016, not like CFP good though because the team was still young and I thought 2017 would the year. Ross exploding and I think some defensive guys making major strides brought the big success up a year. I wasn't complaining.

When Joe Mathis was bringing heat from the edge and Azeem was roaming the middle that defense was scary good. The unit dropped a notch with the edge combo of Potatoes O’Brien and P-Salm losing contain on the regular and then DJ Beavers, god bless his heart, was no Azeem. Sad.

That defense still held Alabama to 17 points in Atlanta. With 0 help from its offense. It was dominant.

we? had the lead!!!

 

[SonnyShackelford]

DJ Beavers was a very good LB. Injury issues plagued him as well