"it was a different scenario last year. Everybody knows their role in this game right now whether they are a freshman or senior you know and again that was a little tenuous going into the Maryland game last year". Al Golden
This right there is huge.
Sun Tzu (Art of War) says:
If you know the enemy and yourself, you need fear the results of 100 battles.
If you know yourself and but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer defeat.
If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
Last year the team neither knew themselves nor the enemy.
This year they do and the enemy having played an ACC season under their belt. Therefore we should not fear the results of 100 battles.