Mid-Season grades

[Lobot]

The was the first of a few articles I've seen talking about the Bearcats at the mid season stage. I'll post more as I find them

https://theathletic.com/590414/2018/...-expectations/


Personally I'd give the team a B+ overall. They'd get an A+ if we had any semblance of schedule strength so far. If you were to grade on living up to expectations they get an A+ for exceeding that for sure.

Our FPI at Mid season is #51 despite being ranked in the top 25 in both polls.

[Gilenerm]

I'd give the Defense an A-. They have really stepped up from last year and the stats are great. However, it seems like they like getting punched in the face before they wake up and shut the opponent down. For example, Ohio U, UCLA and even the opening drive by UConn.

The Offense gets a B-. The creativity isn't there, but I don't think this team is ready to have a high flying, dynamic offense. This is a run first team and the passing game is coming along. However, we've been punishing on the ground and we are able to control the game and keep the defense fresh.

Special Teams gets a B. Nothing special, but we make the kicks for field goals and our punting is good. We had a hiccup last game on a few returns that we need to clean up, but it's better than last year where I felt uneasy each time we received a punt.

Overall, I'll give them a B grade. I like this team and the progress they've made. I'm hoping they aren't done improving and impressing. A tough test against Temple this weekend and we get to see what we've really got. The rest of the schedule is really tough compared to the first half.