Eh, it's improvement year two under a real regime.
Had this conversation with another fan over the weekend; that same "we've heard the same thing every year for the past two decades" not-fooling-me-this-time, gonna-have-to-prove-it energy.
As a fellow jaded fan, I absolutely get that.... but I can also acknowledge it was stupid to buy fool's gold with nice-guy Larry, not-ready-for-prime-time Randy, empty-suit Al, over-the-hill Mark or beta Manny—most from an era where liberal Donna ran the show, had a kill-what-you-eat approach to athletics (refusing to invest in any growth) and the program was flooring it in neutral from the moment Butch walked out the door.
Mario is the first alpha male head coach and proven entity this program has employed since the 2000 football season. To have faith in what's going on right now, simply means you believe and buy into the new leadership and way the program is being rebuilt.
I'm not screaming 15-0 year two of the Cristobal era, but with this schedule and with a revamped roster, attitude and energy (as well as improved play at quarterback)—the ceiling should be 10-2 and the basement 8-4—so 9-3 feels realistic.