The back and forth trend

GameFAQSAggie · Post by **GameFAQSAggie** » April 23rd, 2021, 5:32 pm

In short, it's interesting how we have swung back and forth between doing better than even the most optimistic fans thought we would do, to doing worse than the most pessimistic fans thought we would do.

Prior to 2006, we weren't used to being great, but we were at least used to winning half of our home games, just having road wins being few and far between. And being a few plays away from 6 wins, but a few plays away from 1 or 2 wins.

When Brent Guy took over in 2005, almost nobody expected him to turn it around right away, but most thought that, after his first year getting 3 wins along with being a few plays away from a few more wins, that seasons similar to that one were at least what we would get while we were rebuilding.

Then remember how down you felt in 2006, which was even worse than we were used to and the most pessimistic fans thought would happen. Some people, including myself, blamed it on us being young, but the reality is going from being that bad to winning was too big of a leap. But in 2006, there was almost NOBODY, not even the most optimistic fans that thought we would within 6 years have a season turn out like the 2012 season. Some were optimistic we would someday have a season like 2011, but not one like 2012. Yeah, there was optimism that we wouldn't be where we were at in 2006 forever, as the 2007 and 2008 seasons were better before Guy was fired. And there was optimism, and rightfully so, that GA 1.0 would turn it around, but being ranked in the AP poll within 4 years was better then even the most optimistic fans thought we would do. It's easy to forget how much we thought John L. Smith walked on water to win 6 games here. Even as late as 2011, few fans were optimistic enough to think a national ranking would ever be reached.

Then as high as we felt in 2012. Most of us knew that we weren't going to be ranked right up there every year, but we could hope. 2013 and 14 were years that turned out like most of us thought they would. A few people were pessimistic enough to thing 2015 would turn out like it did, but 2016 was worse than even the most pessimistic fans, especially back in 2012, thought it would turn out just four years removed from 2012.

Then go to as low as we felt in 2016. We felt that everything GA 1.0 built was gone, and that we would improve after firing Wells after or midway through the 2017 season. Even the most optimistic fans did not think Wells would turn it around and have a season like 2018. Very few were even optimistic we would have a season turn out like 2017 did, but even then, some fans thought that Wells doing just enough in 2017 was the worst case scenario as it still wasn't that great.

Then as high as we felt after 2018. There were mixed opinions on bringing back GA, as some people thought we were getting his younger self back which we weren't, but others like me had concerns especially after his Oregon State stint and turned out to be right. But it seems like even the fans that were the most against bringing him back, most convinced he was burned out and not the same, didn't think we would be so bad within 2 years, and instead thought we would eventually fire him for going 4-8 years down the road.

We have gone back and forth between doing better than even the MOST optimistic fans thought we would do, and then doing worse than even the LEAST optimistic fans thought we would do, so here's to continuing the pattern and the next few years, doing better than even the most optimistic fans think we will do, then finally stopping the trend, and at worst, at least winning as much as the least optimstic fans think we will win.

mcaggie1 · Post by **mcaggie1** » April 24th, 2021, 10:34 am

You should get an award for writing that much in one sitting. I admire your patience.

ususports · Post by **ususports** » April 24th, 2021, 12:40 pm

GameFAQSAggie wrote: ↑
April 23rd, 2021, 5:32 pm
In short, it's interesting how we have swung back and forth between doing better than even the most optimistic fans thought we would do, to doing worse than the most pessimistic fans thought we would do.

Prior to 2006, we weren't used to being great, but we were at least used to winning half of our home games, just having road wins being few and far between. And being a few plays away from 6 wins, but a few plays away from 1 or 2 wins.

When Brent Guy took over in 2005, almost nobody expected him to turn it around right away, but most thought that, after his first year getting 3 wins along with being a few plays away from a few more wins, that seasons similar to that one were at least what we would get while we were rebuilding.

Then remember how down you felt in 2006, which was even worse than we were used to and the most pessimistic fans thought would happen. Some people, including myself, blamed it on us being young, but the reality is going from being that bad to winning was too big of a leap. But in 2006, there was almost NOBODY, not even the most optimistic fans that thought we would within 6 years have a season turn out like the 2012 season. Some were optimistic we would someday have a season like 2011, but not one like 2012. Yeah, there was optimism that we wouldn't be where we were at in 2006 forever, as the 2007 and 2008 seasons were better before Guy was fired. And there was optimism, and rightfully so, that GA 1.0 would turn it around, but being ranked in the AP poll within 4 years was better then even the most optimistic fans thought we would do. It's easy to forget how much we thought John L. Smith walked on water to win 6 games here. Even as late as 2011, few fans were optimistic enough to think a national ranking would ever be reached.

Then as high as we felt in 2012. Most of us knew that we weren't going to be ranked right up there every year, but we could hope. 2013 and 14 were years that turned out like most of us thought they would. A few people were pessimistic enough to thing 2015 would turn out like it did, but 2016 was worse than even the most pessimistic fans, especially back in 2012, thought it would turn out just four years removed from 2012.

Then go to as low as we felt in 2016. We felt that everything GA 1.0 built was gone, and that we would improve after firing Wells after or midway through the 2017 season. Even the most optimistic fans did not think Wells would turn it around and have a season like 2018. Very few were even optimistic we would have a season turn out like 2017 did, but even then, some fans thought that Wells doing just enough in 2017 was the worst case scenario as it still wasn't that great.

Then as high as we felt after 2018. There were mixed opinions on bringing back GA, as some people thought we were getting his younger self back which we weren't, but others like me had concerns especially after his Oregon State stint and turned out to be right. But it seems like even the fans that were the most against bringing him back, most convinced he was burned out and not the same, didn't think we would be so bad within 2 years, and instead thought we would eventually fire him for going 4-8 years down the road.

We have gone back and forth between doing better than even the MOST optimistic fans thought we would do, and then doing worse than even the LEAST optimistic fans thought we would do, so here's to continuing the pattern and the next few years, doing better than even the most optimistic fans think we will do, then finally stopping the trend, and at worst, at least winning as much as the least optimstic fans think we will win.

In short?

TheAKAggie · Post by **TheAKAggie** » April 24th, 2021, 5:27 pm

mcaggie1 wrote:You should get an award for writing that much in one sitting. I admire your patience.

GameFAQS’s posts are as long and short as his bowel movements.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Elkaggie · Post by **Elkaggie** » April 24th, 2021, 5:39 pm

TheAKAggie wrote: ↑
April 24th, 2021, 5:27 pm

mcaggie1 wrote:You should get an award for writing that much in one sitting. I admire your patience.
GameFAQS’s posts are as long and short as his bowel movements.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Gamefaqs posts are awesome. His memory about anything Aggie is second to nobody.

ususports · Post by **ususports** » April 24th, 2021, 6:22 pm

Elkaggie wrote: ↑
April 24th, 2021, 5:39 pm

TheAKAggie wrote: ↑
April 24th, 2021, 5:27 pm

mcaggie1 wrote:You should get an award for writing that much in one sitting. I admire your patience.
GameFAQS’s posts are as long and short as his bowel movements.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Gamefaqs posts are awesome. His memory about anything Aggie is second to nobody.

Please don’t call me nobody. Cyber bullying is unacceptable.

Aggie formerly in Hawaii · Post by **Aggie formerly in Hawaii** » April 24th, 2021, 7:21 pm

Elkaggie wrote: ↑
April 24th, 2021, 5:39 pm

TheAKAggie wrote: ↑
April 24th, 2021, 5:27 pm

mcaggie1 wrote:You should get an award for writing that much in one sitting. I admire your patience.
GameFAQS’s posts are as long and short as his bowel movements.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Gamefaqs posts are awesome. His memory about anything Aggie is second to nobody.

You are both right. Gamefaqs is awesome, but it doesn't mean he doesn't post these during a bowel movement.

El Sapo · Post by **El Sapo** » August 1st, 2021, 3:23 pm

I do remember being very pessimistic prior to 2018 and we ended up going 11-2 in Matt Wells final season. As GFA points out, it was clear to all us Aggie fans that Wells was in over his head and we were going to really suffer because our AD had given Wells another year instead of replacing him.

I've been really high on our 2021 team, but my expectations have taken a pretty big dip lately. Information about vaccinations (USU will likely be one of the least vaccinated teams in the MW), and the reality that we have new coaches, new schemes, new players.

I'm putting my personal over/under at 5, (not 3.5 like Vegas). My high expectation is a Bowl eligible, 6 win season. My low expectation is 4 wins. A 4 win season would be disappointing but not soul crushing like last season.

GFA's theory says we exceed those numbers, but which way? Better than 6 wins, or fewer than 4?

Aggie formerly in Hawaii · Post by **Aggie formerly in Hawaii** » August 1st, 2021, 6:46 pm

El Sapo wrote: ↑
August 1st, 2021, 3:23 pm
I do remember being very pessimistic prior to 2018 and we ended up going 11-2 in Matt Wells final season. As GFA points out, it was clear to all us Aggie fans that Wells was in over his head and we were going to really suffer because our AD had given Wells another year instead of replacing him.

I've been really high on our 2021 team, but my expectations have taken a pretty big dip lately. Information about vaccinations (USU will likely be one of the least vaccinated teams in the MW), and the reality that we have new coaches, new schemes, new players.

I'm putting my personal over/under at 5, (not 3.5 like Vegas). My high expectation is a Bowl eligible, 6 win season. My low expectation is 4 wins. A 4 win season would be disappointing but not soul crushing like last season.

GFA's theory says we exceed those numbers, but which way? Better than 6 wins, or fewer than 4?

I disagree. 2018 was unexpected, but not that unexpected. I would have predicted 9-4 or so. We had a great team.

GameFAQSAggie · Post by **GameFAQSAggie** » August 1st, 2021, 6:58 pm

Aggie formerly in Hawaii wrote: ↑
August 1st, 2021, 6:46 pm
I disagree. 2018 was unexpected, but not that unexpected. I would have predicted 9-4 or so. We had a great team.

The 2018 season was more so unexpected after the 2016 season than after the 2017 season. After 2017, there may not have quite been the expectations of 2018 turning out like it did, but at least expectations we would have a decent team in 2018.

And some people just look at 2017 as being horrible cause we lost to New Mexico State in the bow and forget how low expectations were of us even getting the 6 wins we did get that year.

A number of people after 2017 thought that Wells would continue to do well enough to not get fired, but not great enough to be hired away.

NavyBlueAggie · Post by **NavyBlueAggie** » August 1st, 2021, 9:06 pm

I agree we have seen and enjoyed some fantastic AGGIE teams in Logan and there have been seasons with much promise, only to be wracked with injuries to essential players. I recall the season we went through four (4) Quarterbacks, actually five (5) if you count the bowl game victory. Those were excellent seasons for Utah State.

The authentically fantastic teams I've had the pleasure to see generally played in the 1960's. These were teams that had so many AGGIES go on to play in the NFL and the CFL. The joy of watching truly overpoweringly good AGGIE Football teams may well be from the deep past when we put so many talented players into professional football circles. A couple of Matt Wells led teams could be considered in that mix as well.

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