Gridiron Dynasty - Leahy DIA (BCS)

[joannes3000]

From: John Baxter

To: Coach joannes3000

Subject: Congratulations, Coach!

Sent: 2/20/08 3:05PM

I just got off the phone with the organizers of the Alamo Bowl and I've accepted their invitation. Great job this year, Coach. I think the exposure we will get playing in this game will really help out the program, not to mention recruiting next season.

Keep up the good work!

John Baxter

Athletic Director

Duke University

----------

Yes sir! Our season's body of work resulted in an invitation to a level 2 (out of 5) bowl game. We're matched up against Sunbelt runner-up North Texas, a 12-2 squad. Here's the tale of the tape:

Duke OL vs North Texas DL - advantage Duke. Our OL should absolutely MANHANDLE their DL all game long. We're so much stronger than them (77 vs 66) that our OL should be able to literally push their DL around for 60 minutes.

Duke passing offense vs North Texas passing defense - advantage Duke. Our QBs thrived this season (19 TDs, 0 INTs) in our conservative passing game and while NT's pass defense is comparable to ours, our passing game has hung in there against much stiffer competition. We shouldn't have to throw very often, and I like our chances when we do.

Duke rushing offense vs North Texas rushing defense - advantage Duke. With our advantage up front over their DL, our running game should get on track early and often.

Duke DL vs North Texas OL - advantage Duke. Much like our OL, our DL is a lot stronger than their OL (83 v 72). Their OL will have a hard time keeping our DL from penetrating into their backfield.

Duke passing defense vs North Texas passing offense - advantage North Texas. NT has a gunslinger QB and a good receiving group. They didn't throw much during the season, but they could have success throwing against our young secondary.

Duke rushing defense vs North Texas rushing offense - push. NT has 3 dynamite RBs that have dominated their competition all season. If it weren't for our DL being much better than their OL, this would be a serious cause for concern. As it stands, however, I don't think the NT running attack will be consistent enough to be a true threat.

-----------

On paper, we should be able to handle NT with relative ease. I don't see our running game having a lot of trouble executing our ball-control offense. Their running game is dangerous, however, and it could get hectic if their OL can open up some running lanes. I like our chances, and I think we will be favored by ~7.

[AHF]

How big will the bowl game be for your recruiting and how much bigger will it be if you win?

[joannes3000]

Quote:

---

How big will the bowl game be for your recruiting and how much bigger will it be if you win?

It's hard to say with certainty because team prestige isn't defined - compare that to coach prestige where you can see a letter grade. The best way to determine team prestige is to look at the rolling 4 year win/loss totals. Not counting the bowl game, my record over the past 4 years is 23-29. The beauty of DIA recruiting, however, is the fact that every school can see every available recruit. At lower levels your team prestige plays heavily into whether you can see fringe recruits one level above your own.

Functionally, at the DIA level, our increasing team prestige helps when we get into battles during recruiting. Getting a bowl bid increases your team prestige, as does winning a bowl game, but it's hard to determine the exact effects. The way I see it, I want to get into as many quality games as possible and win as many of those games as possible also.

[AHF]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

How big will the bowl game be for your recruiting and how much bigger will it be if you win?

It's hard to say with certainty because team prestige isn't defined - compare that to coach prestige where you can see a letter grade. The best way to determine team prestige is to look at the rolling 4 year win/loss totals. Not counting the bowl game, my record over the past 4 years is 23-29. The beauty of DIA recruiting, however, is the fact that every school can see every available recruit. At lower levels your team prestige plays heavily into whether you can see fringe recruits one level above your own.

Functionally, at the DIA level, our increasing team prestige helps when we get into battles during recruiting. Getting a bowl bid increases your team prestige, as does winning a bowl game, but it's hard to determine the exact effects. The way I see it, I want to get into as many quality games as possible and win as many of those games as possible also.

Will you get additional money to spend in recruiting as well as a result of the bowl game?

[joannes3000]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

How big will the bowl game be for your recruiting and how much bigger will it be if you win?

It's hard to say with certainty because team prestige isn't defined - compare that to coach prestige where you can see a letter grade. The best way to determine team prestige is to look at the rolling 4 year win/loss totals. Not counting the bowl game, my record over the past 4 years is 23-29. The beauty of DIA recruiting, however, is the fact that every school can see every available recruit. At lower levels your team prestige plays heavily into whether you can see fringe recruits one level above your own.

Functionally, at the DIA level, our increasing team prestige helps when we get into battles during recruiting. Getting a bowl bid increases your team prestige, as does winning a bowl game, but it's hard to determine the exact effects. The way I see it, I want to get into as many quality games as possible and win as many of those games as possible also.

Will you get additional money to spend in recruiting as well as a result of the bowl game?

Not exclusively for my team, no. Any postseason money is split evenly between all teams in the conference. We sent 6 teams to bowl games this season, amounting to about an extra 50k in recruiting money for the conference. I have ~200k bankrolled right now, which is nice. A lot of recruiting has to do with perception - good teams and good coaches typically don't get messed with. When coaches see a good coach or team on a recruit, they typically stay away. I know I do.

And while I may not be seen by everyone as a good coach or at the helm of a good team, I'm starting to get more recruits simply by showing up on recruits first. I will never dominate my geographic area because of the number of elites in the SE (FLA, TENN, FSU, MIA), but I'm hoping to slot myself into the 2nd level of teams/coaches (UGA, GA Tech, Clemson, Louisville, South Carolina, West Virginia). Things could get a lot nicer soon, with some neighboring schools having coaches in the hot seat:

Clemson's coach is in jeopardy - they will likely get fired if they don't win their bowl game.

Louisville's coach is in little to no jeopardy - 2 steps away from getting fired.

These two teams play each other in the Motor City Bowl.

Georgia Tech's coach is in little to no jeopardy - 2 steps away from getting fired, and they didn't get a bowl invite.

The other BCS teams in our region aren't much of a threat, because the teams are either rebuilding (UNC, VATech, Maryland, Vandy, Kentucky) or sim teams (NC State, Wake Forest).

Wow, talk about rambling off topic.

[joannes3000]

We started the Alamo Bowl about as good as I could've asked for. North Texas got the ball to start the game and we immediately forced a 3 and out. We got the ball on our 32 and drove the ball effectively 68 yards for a TD, only having to convert one 3rd down. North Texas came out throwing on their next possession and they showed the passing firepower I mentioned on their way to a TD. Our next possession was going smoothly, but just as we got into the redzone we threw a pick; our first of the entire season.

So rather than going into the 2nd quarter with a lead, we went in tied at 7 and North Texas had the ball. NT was killing us through the air again, but our defense came up with a critical 8 yard sack to stall their drive. They missed their FG attempt also, allowing us to dodge a bullet. Our offense got back on track, this time driving 80 yards for a TD. NT took to the air again, needing only 3 completed passes (5 attempts) to go 63 yards for a TD of their own. With 6 minutes to go, we drove for another TD to take a 21-14 lead. We couldn't slow down the NT passing attack though, and we were fortunate to limit them to a FG to end the half.

We started the 3rd quarter with a 21-17 lead and the ball, which is a great position to be in. Our ball-control offense kicked in, as we drove 59 yards and ate up 5 minutes of clock with our opening TD drive. Our defense provided a key stop, and that's when the tide turned for us. We drove 74 yards for another TD and you could sense the NT defense was starting to get fatigued. Our defense forced another punt, and you could feel the last gasp of hope leave the NT sideline. We ended the 3rd quarter driving into NT territory with a 35-17 lead.

We opened the 4th quarter by finishing off a 3rd quarter drive with a TD. NT aired it out on their possession and scored a TD, but it was too little too late. If there was any glimmer of hope left, we extinguished it on our next possession. With 8 minutes to go, we started a drive on our 5 yard line. 6 1/2 minutes and 95 yards later, we scored the final 7 points of the game.

24-49 F

-----------

We ran for 312/3 and passed for 239/4/1. Our offense put up 551 yards and our defense allowed 439. The vaunted NT running game was absolutely crushed, amounting to only 49 yards and 0 TDs.

-----------

After losing 2 gut-wrenching bowl games in Rockne, I finally broke through in my first bowl game in Leahy. And while North Texas isn't in the same league as the teams we played in Rockne, we rightly dispatched a team that we had a talent advantage over. This win should help solidify our team's status as a threat to any non-elite, non-dynasty DIA teams. I've gotten several commendations by other coaches for the job we've done - taking Duke from a sim team to a bowl winner in 3 seasons. Hopefully this will be a springboard to the next level, which for me is the 10 win plateau. 8 wins is the new floor for us. We should be able to beat North Carolina and VaTech every year within our division and we can schedule 5 wins for OOC. And as long as we don't draw Boston College, FSU, and (for now) Clemson from the other division we should be able to make that mark.

[joannes3000]

From: John Baxter

To: Coach joannes3000

Subject: Rebuilding?

Sent: 2/25/08 3:05PM

Coach,

I know it was a tough season for you, so I wanted to let you know that we're still behind you. Both Ali Padilla and myself know that you are the right person for this program and you'll turn things around next year. How's the recruiting class looking?

John Baxter

Athletics Director

-------------

This is getting frustrating to the point that I contacted Customer Service to find out what I have to do to keep my freaking job! For the 3rd consecutive season I've increased Duke's win totals by 2 games. Here's Duke's storied history from the time they were last human-coached. Records are as follows - overall record, conference record, home record, road record, WIS ranking.

35 joannes3000 9-5 4-4 3-3 5-2 39 Alamo Bowl - Won

34 joannes3000 7-6 3-5 3-3 4-3 65 No bowl invitation.

33 joannes3000 5-8 3-5 2-3 3-5 66 No bowl invitation.

32 Sim AI 3-10 2-6 2-3 1-7 73 No bowl invitation.

31 Sim AI 5-8 3-5 3-5 2-3 73 No bowl invitation.

30 Sim AI 3-10 3-8 3-3 0-7 NR No bowl invitation.

29 Sim AI 2-11 2-9 0-7 2-4 NR No bowl invitation.

28 Sim AI 1-12 1-10 0-8 1-4 NR No bowl invitation.

27 Sim AI 0-13 0-11 0-7 0-6 NR No bowl invitation.

26 Sim AI 0-13 0-11 0-5 0-8 NR No bowl invitation.

25 Sim AI 2-11 2-9 2-6 0-5 NR No bowl invitation.

24 Sim AI 4-9 2-9 4-4 0-5 NR No bowl invitation.

23 Sim AI 0-13 0-11 0-7 0-6 NR No bowl invitation.

22 Sim AI 0-13 0-11 0-7 0-6 NR No bowl invitation.

21 Sim AI 5-8 3-8 4-4 1-4 NR No bowl invitation.

20 Sim AI 3-10 2-9 2-6 1-4 NR No bowl invitation.

19 Sim AI 4-9 3-8 2-3 2-6 NR No bowl invitation.

Note the bolded area, which is my tenure at Duke. I mean, really, what the hell else could I have done in 3 seasons? This is pretty much what I asked Customer Service, only in a more civilized manner. Our 9 wins was the 4th most in the conference behind NC runner-up Virginia (14-1), elite FSU (12-3), elite Miami (12-3), and Clemson (11-3). We won more games than Boston College (8-5) and Georgia Tech (6-7).

I guess I can look at Clemson as an example of what I need to do. They just fired their coach after the same stretch as our school:

35 cavone 11-3 6-2 6-1 5-1 45 Motor City Bowl - Lost

34 cavone 11-3 6-2 6-1 5-1 57 Hawaii Bowl - Lost

33 cavone 8-6 3-5 3-4 4-2 54 Las Vegas Bowl - Won

32 cavone 6-7 2-6 3-3 3-4 53 No bowl invitation.

31 cavone 7-7 4-4 4-5 3-1 78 Fort Worth Bowl - Lost

30 Sim AI 2-11 2-9 1-6 1-5 NR No bowl invitation.

29 Sim AI 2-11 2-9 1-5 1-6 NR No bowl invitation.

28 Sim AI 5-8 4-7 2-5 3-3 NR No bowl invitation.

27 Sim AI 3-10 2-9 2-4 1-6 NR No bowl invitation.

26 Sim AI 1-12 1-10 1-5 0-7 NR No bowl invitation.

25 Sim AI 0-13 0-11 0-6 0-7 NR No bowl invitation.

24 Sim AI 1-12 0-11 1-6 0-6 NR No bowl invitation.

23 Sim AI 2-11 2-9 2-5 0-6 NR No bowl invitation.

22 Sim AI 2-11 2-9 2-5 0-6 NR No bowl invitation.

21 Sim AI 5-8 4-7 3-4 2-4 NR No bowl invitation.

20 cavone 10-4 8-3 5-1 5-2 NR Emerald Bowl - Lost

19 cavone 9-5 7-4 5-2 3-3 NR Insight.com Bowl - Won

I'm starting to get concerned that I'll have to make at least a level 3 bowl game, which will mean at least 9 wins during the regular season, if not winning a level 3 bowl game. I've heard that a level 4 bowl game appearance will save you no matter what, but we don't have the talent yet to put a level 4 bowl resume together (quality wins, SOS). My job status is now listed as "little to no jeopardy" which puts us two steps before getting fired. If things continue to degrade with my job status, I'll be sitting "in jeopardy" next season. That's still mind-blowing when I think about it. I was a 2nd/3rd tier team in a conference that sent 6 teams to bowl games, one to the NC. Then again, Clemson fired their coach after 4 bowl games in 5 years (1-3) and consecutive 11 win campaigns.

[joannes3000]

We had a small class of 10 to recruit this season and I think we landed extremely high-quality recruits with nearly every one of them. And while my recruit ranking of 35 doesn't reflect that, I think this class has the talent and potential to be one that pushes us into contention before too long. We spent dearly to land the players we did, but it sent another clear message to the schools around me (especially Virginia) - Duke is becoming a legit team and we will contend for nearly any recruit within 300 miles of us.

---------------

Offense

QB John Schmidt has above average athleticism and game instinct; average stamina and technique; and below average work ethic, strength, and elusiveness.

WR Chris Brown is one of the gems of our class - a skilled player at a skill position. he has excellent athleticism, hands, and elusiveness; above average speed; average work ethic and technique; and below average stamina.

TE Patrick Lange is another stud - a polished blocker who will develop into a receiving threat. He has phenomenal athleticism, speed, and hands; excellent work ethic, strength, and blocking; average game instinct; and below average stamina and technique.

OL Frank Smith projects to be a solid backup in our OL rotation. He has excellent athleticism, blocking and game instinct; above average work ethic, stamina, and strength; and below average technique.

OL Christopher Vasquez is a masher coming out of HS and projects to be an all-around monster on the OL once he works on his fundamentals. He will benefit from a RS and should become an immediate impact as a starter next season. He has excellent athleticism, work ethic, strength, and blocking; and below average stamina, game instinct, and technique.

OL Kevin Walton is another gem in our class, who became unexpectedly available when an elite school went with another prospect. Walton's signing allowed us to RS Vasquez. He has phenomenal strength and technique; excellent blocking; above average work ethic and stamina; and below average athleticism and game instinct.

Defense

DL Chris Castillo projects to be a solid starter, but his lack of technique will ultimately hold him back from being an elite presence. We wanted to sign one more DL with this class, but when Kevin Walton became available, he was slightly better than a DL that we had lined up. Castillo has excellent tackling; above average athleticism, strength, and game instinct; average stamina; and below average work ethic and technique.

LB Randall Matthews projects to be an above average starter, although his lack of athleticism will likely limit his playmaking ability. He has excellent tackling; above average game instinct and technique; average speed, work ethic, and stamina; and below average athleticism and strength.

DB Richard Mosely was a LB in HS but he will roam our secondary as a DB. He projects to be an above average starter. He has excellent elusiveness and technique; above average speed; and below average athleticism, work ethic, stamina, hands, and game instinct.

DB Thomas Terry has the makings of a shutdown DB, with raw abilities that already make him a starter. Once he gets his mechanics down, he will be a QB's worst nightmare. He has excellent speed and elusiveness; above average work ethic and technique; average athleticism and hands; and below average game instinct.

------------

As you can see, we literally broke the bank to land the class that we did. We got into several costly battles with the likes of Virginia and South Carolina, but we won all of them. The only local player that we let walk away was a DL prospect that signed with South Carolina after we decided to offer a scholarship to OL Kevin Walton instead. Beyond that, we were able to land nearly all of the top prospects we had our eyes on. I think our small recruit class hurt our recruit rankings, because we only had the 35th class in the country and the 4th best class in the ACC. I thought we landed a top 25 caliber class myself. One interesting thing to note is that Florida State took on 10 AC recruits out of a class-size of 14, making me wonder if the coach was around for recruiting...

Boston College - 32

Clemson - 70

Florida State - 88

Maryland - 27

NC State (sim)- 115

Wake Forest (sim)- 89

Duke - 35

Georgia Tech (sim)- 90

Miami (FL) - 4

North Carolina - 48

Virginia - 76

Virginia Tech - 53

[joannes3000]

I'm looking forward to my 4th season at the helm of Duke. We've had a steady progression during my time here so far and I don't see any reason why we can't continue to take steps forward.

Our OOC schedule should be cake, save the game against defending NC Alabama. I fully expect to go 4-1 during OOC. Looking into conference play, we drew Boston College again, but our other two inter-division games are against NC State and Maryland - two teams I think we should beat. Divisional play gets easier also, since GA Tech inexplicably turned into a sim team. Of the 5 divisional games I only expect to lose to Miami and Virginia, and Virginia is under new management so there's a bigger chance at an upset this year than in the past. That gives us a chance to hit 9 wins during conference play, which should lock us up for another bowl bid and a shot at 10 wins overall.

From a talent standpoint I think we have continued to progress also. This year's SR class is full of more hits than misses and I don't think we've had a bad recruiting class yet. The result is a team fairly deep with playmakers. My conference preview has us listed as the 6th most talented team in the ACC overall with the 6th best starters and the 4th deepest. Last season we were ranked 7s across the board. On any given day, I think we can upset any team within our conference outside of the powerhouses that are stockpiled with talent - Virginia, Miami, Florida State, and Boston College. BC has been slipping under their new coach lately, having won only 8 games and losing their bowl game last year, so I think we could pull an upset there if we faced off. FSU could be in for some trouble soon as well, as they took on 10 AC recruits out of a class of 14 in the most recent recruiting period.

With 3 full seasons under my belt and a team comprised 100% of my own recruits, it's time for the rubber to meet the road. 9 wins and a bowl victory last year have us on everybody's radar now, and rightfully so. We've got a talented team and I think I've proven myself to be a talented game planner. From here on out we should be a lock for 8 wins and a bowl bid every year.

------------

3/13/08 at Ole Miss

3/14/08 at Buffalo

3/15/08 at Houston

3/16/08 at Alabama

3/17/08 UTEP

[AHF]

Quote:

---

From: John Baxter

To: Coach joannes3000

Subject: Rebuilding?

Sent: 2/25/08 3:05PM

Coach,

I know it was a tough season for you, so I wanted to let you know that we're still behind you. Both Ali Padilla and myself know that you are the right person for this program and you'll turn things around next year. How's the recruiting class looking?

John Baxter

Athletics Director

-------------

This is getting frustrating to the point that I contacted Customer Service to find out what I have to do to keep my freaking job! For the 3rd consecutive season I've increased Duke's win totals by 2 games.

Did you ever hear back about this?

[joannes3000]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

From: John Baxter

To: Coach joannes3000

Subject: Rebuilding?

Sent: 2/25/08 3:05PM

Coach,

I know it was a tough season for you, so I wanted to let you know that we're still behind you. Both Ali Padilla and myself know that you are the right person for this program and you'll turn things around next year. How's the recruiting class looking?

John Baxter

Athletics Director

-------------

This is getting frustrating to the point that I contacted Customer Service to find out what I have to do to keep my freaking job! For the 3rd consecutive season I've increased Duke's win totals by 2 games.

Did you ever hear back about this?

Here's the extent of my conversation with CS:

2/26/2008 12:26 AM joannes3000

Can you please give me some specifics on job security? I can't understand why my job security has dropped two consecutive seasons. I took over a longtime sim team and have increased my win total from 5 to 7 to 9 wins. I can understand somewhat that my job security dropped last season, but this season has me puzzled.

We won 8 games during the regular season and won the level 2 bowl that we got invited to. I'm confused as to what exactly I need to do in order to keep my job security from dropping. I'm in a brutal conference with 2 elites (FSU/Miami) and 2 other schools (UVa, BC) that might as well be (although BC is on the decline). I just hate to see myself getting under the hot seat, because realistically, what more could you expect from our team given the schools and the fact that we have only 3 (currently) sim schools?

2/26/2008 10:41 AM Customer Support

There is no doubt that you have been doing a better job than your predecessor. But, once you get up to Division I-A and I-AA, the administration and alumni of some schools demand success. A change in your job status is one of the ways that they use to get across the message that you need to continue your improvement at a constant rate. Keep winning games and the future will likely take care of itself. Thanks.

2/26/2008 11:35 AM joannes3000

How am I in the same boat as Vanderbilt and Colorado, though? The coaches have been there for 3 seasons and hasn't achieved a winning record. I can see them being in LTNJ at a BCS school. But I've had winning records for two consecutive seasons and made a level 2 bowl game (and won). Hardly seems fair that I'm in the same boat.

2/26/2008 3:01 PM Customer Support

Your job status indicates that you aren't in any danger of getting fired -- it is just a reminder that you need to keep improving. Remember, you are at a BCS school as well and the administration and alumni want to win.

2/26/2008 3:31 PM joannes3000

I'm not worried about getting fired immediately, but do you see my point about me being in the same boat as Vandy and Colorado?

2/26/2008 6:11 PM Customer Support

On the surface, yes, but if you look a little deeper they are in the same category but not on as strong of footing --- you will have an easier time improving your status next season...they'll have to do more. Thanks.

[joannes3000]

Our season kicks off on the road against a sim-coached Ole Miss team. Determined to show that last season was no fluke, we took it to the house early and often; dominating a team that we rightfully should have. We ran for 543/7 and passed for 121/2/0. Our offense put up 664 yards and our defense allowed 233 yards.

63-8 W

We traveled north for game two, this time to face sim-coached Buffalo. Like in game 1, we dominated the game early and didn't slow down until we doubled the point spread for the game. We ran for 613/9 and didn't pass the ball a single time. We didn't turn the ball over, we didn't punt. Hell, we only went to 3rd down once all game and we converted. Our offense put up 613 yards and our defense allowed 218 yards.

63-3 W

Heading back south, we faced our first human team this season in Houston. Their best defense was that they were a team starting a rebuilding process. We ran for 452/8 and passed for 114/0/0. Our offense put up 566 yards and our defense allowed 279 yards.

56-19 W

Things took a dramatic change for week 4, stepping away from our cupcake schedule to face defending NC Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Words were exchanged before the game, with coach ddingo (one of the best in the business) playfully calling our team an abomination after I told him I'd be scared if I had to face Duke. We kept it respectful at the half, only down 24-7, but superior depth took over in the 2nd half as we got laughed off the field. We ran for 134/2 and passed for 105/0/0. Our offense put up 239 yards and our defense allowed 495.

15-52 L

We finally head back to our home field for our final OOC opponent - UTEP. After getting throttled by Alabama, we took out our frustration in the first half by racing to a 28-0 halftime lead. We didn't look back from that point. We ran for 516/6 and passed for 31/1/0. Our offense put up 547 yards and our defense allowed 276 yards.

10-49 W

-----------

We matched my personal expectations of going 4-1 during OOC play with our lone loss against elite Alabama. None of the other teams we played even kept it close at the half, so I think we met expectations there also - we not only beat the teams we were expected to beat, but we beat them soundly. I think we're on a good roll going into conference play although we're a little banged up, having lost two WRs during our game against Houston. Both WRs likely won't be healthy enough to contribute until the start of divisional play.

Conference play starts tonight, and we have our shot at an upset on the road against Boston College. They're still about two notches better than us in the talent department, but I think we have enough talent in place to pull an upset with my game planning. Looking at our conference schedule, the only games in question this year are tonight's game against BC, our game at home against Virginia on the 22nd, and our regular season finale on the road against Miami. Beyond that, I like our chances against the remaining conference teams. A win tonight would likely give us a 10 win regular season and an outside shot at a BCS bowl game.

---------

3/18/08 at Boston College

3/19/08 NC State

3/20/08 Maryland

[AHF]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

From: John Baxter

To: Coach joannes3000

Subject: Rebuilding?

Sent: 2/25/08 3:05PM

Coach,

I know it was a tough season for you, so I wanted to let you know that we're still behind you. Both Ali Padilla and myself know that you are the right person for this program and you'll turn things around next year. How's the recruiting class looking?

John Baxter

Athletics Director

-------------

This is getting frustrating to the point that I contacted Customer Service to find out what I have to do to keep my freaking job! For the 3rd consecutive season I've increased Duke's win totals by 2 games.

Did you ever hear back about this?

Here's the extent of my conversation with CS:

2/26/2008 12:26 AM joannes3000

Can you please give me some specifics on job security? I can't understand why my job security has dropped two consecutive seasons. I took over a longtime sim team and have increased my win total from 5 to 7 to 9 wins. I can understand somewhat that my job security dropped last season, but this season has me puzzled.

We won 8 games during the regular season and won the level 2 bowl that we got invited to. I'm confused as to what exactly I need to do in order to keep my job security from dropping. I'm in a brutal conference with 2 elites (FSU/Miami) and 2 other schools (UVa, BC) that might as well be (although BC is on the decline). I just hate to see myself getting under the hot seat, because realistically, what more could you expect from our team given the schools and the fact that we have only 3 (currently) sim schools?

2/26/2008 10:41 AM Customer Support

There is no doubt that you have been doing a better job than your predecessor. But, once you get up to Division I-A and I-AA, the administration and alumni of some schools demand success. A change in your job status is one of the ways that they use to get across the message that you need to continue your improvement at a constant rate. Keep winning games and the future will likely take care of itself. Thanks.

It looks like you have been continuing to improve at a constant rate. Sounds like a bias in the software against rebuilding projects (i.e., that schools have certain expectation levels regardless of their past history). Rutgers may get worse than this.

[joannes3000]

Thought I'd change up the way I report games. I'll report the first 3 games of conference play, which are against the opposite division; followed by the remaining 5 games of conference play, which are within the division.

-----------

Conference play begins on the road against Boston College. We were down 14-10 at the half and BC got the ball to open the 2nd half, so we knew we had an uphill battle ahead of us. We met the challenge immediately by forcing a punt at midfield. Sensing a chance to seize the momentum, our offense went on a methodical 8 minute drive that resulted in a TD. The only thing that went wrong is we missed the XP, giving us a 2 point lead instead of a 3 point lead. BC broke off two deep passes on their next possession and took the lead right back with a TD of their own. We started the 4th quarter with the ball just shy of midfield and again went on a time-killing TD drive, taking a 23-21 lead with 8 minutes to go. Our defense came up with a monumental stop on BC's next possession, forcing a 3 and out. We took the field on our 39 and ate up another 4 1/2 minutes on our way to the final score of the game. We ran for 229/4 and passed for 155/0/0. Our offense put up 384 yards and our defense allowed 336 yards.

30-21 W

Fresh of a huge win, we came home to a thunderous home crowd for our game against NC State. We took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, a 28-0 lead at the half, and had scored 56 unanswered points before NC State cracked the scoreboard with a garbage TD at the end of the game. We ran for 597/7 and passed for 38/1/0. Our offense put up 635 yards and our defense allowed 238.

6-56 W

Our final interdivisional game was another home affair, this time against Maryland. The coach at Maryland has a little beef with me because we butted heads during recruiting for the past few seasons, so this is becoming a bit of a rivalry game. We took a slim 17-10 lead going into halftime, then put on a clinic in the 2nd half. Our defense pitched a shutout in the 2nd half and our offense didn't slow down until the final whistle, with a Spurrier-esque TD coming with just over a minute to play. We ran for 397/5 and passed for 49/0/0. Our offense put up 446 yards and our defense allowed 269.

10-38 W

-----------

What a start to conference play! Like I had mentioned before, I felt that I had enough talent in place to give a team like Boston College a run for their money. We did more than that by beating them at home; definitely a statement game for us this season. Sitting at 7-1, we are in prime position to hit the 10 win mark, barring an absolute collapse during the back half of the regular season. Our WIS ranking has been hovering around the 30s so far, and I'm hoping that we crack the top 25 by season's end. Divisional play will be tough as usual, with a likely two losses coming against Virginia and Miami. We need to take care of North Carolina, Georgia Tech, and Virginia Tech to hit double digit wins, but I like my chances. We're essentially a lock for a bowl game at this point, and we will be trying to play our way into a level 4 (BCS) bowl game.

----------

3/21/08 North Carolina

3/22/08 Virginia

3/23/08 Georgia Tech

3/24/08 at Virginia Tech

3/25/08 Miami (FL)

[joannes3000]

We began divisional play with our rivalry game at home against North Carolina. We jumped ahead by scoring the first 14 points of the game and never looked back. We ran for 450/6 and passed for 89/1/0. Our offense put up 539 yards and our defense allowed 267 yards.

14-49 W

Virginia was our next opponent at home and it was proof that while we had come a long way, we still have a long way to go. We were down 35-7 at the half and were never in the game. We ran for 207/3 and passed for 177/1/0. Our offense put up 384 yards and our defense allowed 509 yards.

48-29 L

Our final home game of the season was against sim-coached Georgia Tech. After last season's breakthrough win, this season wasn't nearly as exciting due to it being against a sim team. We ran for 485/8 and passed for 72/0/0. Our offense put up 557 yards and our defense allowed 268 yards.

22-55 W

On the road, we face a Virginia Tech team with a chance to hit double digit wins. We came out swinging and took a 24-0 lead into the half and cruised to victory. We ran for 397/4 and passed for 59/0/0. Our offense put up 456 yards and our defense allowed 283 yards.

38-14 W

We wrap up our regular season on the road against Miami. They proved that they not only deserved to be in the top 15 but they should likely be in the top 10. We were held to a season-low 10 points, worse than we fared against defending NC Alabama. We ran for 38/0 and passed for 151/1/0. Our offense put up 189 yards and our defense allowed 508 yards.

10-41 L

------------

We completed our regular season with a 10-3 record, and a 6-2 conference record. Our 3 losses were against top 25 teams, so I'm very happy with what we've accomplished so far. We finished 3rd in our division, but that doesn't look so bad when the top team is Virginia (ranked #1) and the second-place team is Miami (ranked #13). Compare that to the Atlantic Division, where the first place team is 9-4 Boston College (who we beat on the road)! We've already surpassed last season's 9 wins with a bowl game remaining. We should at least get a level 3 bowl bid, although I don't think we're ranked high enough to get a level 4 (BCS) bowl bid.

[joannes3000]

From: John Baxter

To: Coach joannes3000

Subject: Congratulations, Coach!

Sent: 3/26/08 3:00PM

I just got off the phone with the organizers of the Emerald Bowl and I've accepted their invitation. Great job this year, Coach. I think the exposure we will get playing in this game will really help out the program, not to mention recruiting next season.

Keep up the good work!

John Baxter

Athletic Director

Duke University

------------

Our 10-3 season culminates with a spot in the Emerald Bowl, a level 3 bowl game. This is a step up from the level 2 Alamo Bowl we played in last season. We match up against #25 SMU, the 3rd place team from the south division of CUSA. SMU went 10-3, 6-2 in their conference, and 1-1 against top 25 teams. Here's the tale of the tape:

Duke OL vs SMU DL - advantage Duke. We have a little bit of an advantage up front, with our OL averaging 81/86/63 and their DL averaging 82/83/69. Both units are about as strong as each other, we block better than they tackle, and they're a little more technically sound.

Duke passing offense vs SMU passing defense - push. Our receivers aren't expected to carry our offense and their DBs aren't supremely better than our receivers. We should have plenty of time in pass coverage also, so I like our chances when we have to pass.

Duke running offense vs SMU running defense - advantage Duke. Our running game shouldn't put up the staggering numbers we've averaged thus far (389 ypg, 7.4 ypc), but I think we will be able to control the game on the ground like we have done against nearly every team we've faced to this point.

Duke DL vs SMU OL - advantage Duke. Our DL is better across the board (84/85/66) than their OL (75/78/63) by a good bit, but we are a little thin with only 7 DL. We have high stamina players, though, so unless SMU manages a lot of sustained drives on offense and limits us on offense also, we should dominate the line of scrimmage.

Duke passing defense vs SMU passing offense - push. SMU has a fantastic QB and receiving TEs, but they only carry 4 WRs. I expect them to throw conservatively to try and take advantage of their TEs over my LBs, but we have speedy LBs that should be able to minimize them. Our DBs are much better than their WRs. If they take too much time trying to set up passes, our DL should wreck havoc.

Duke running defense vs SMU running offense - push. SMU has two terrific RBs, but once again, our DL should be in the backfield all game long to help neutralize that. Our LBs are also fast, good tacklers, so if someone breaks loose we should be ok.

------------

SMU presents a similar foe as North Texas did last season. They have some nice pieces in place on offense, but our defensive front is a lot better than theirs. And this game, just like in real life, is won in the trenches. For all the talent that SMU has at QB, RB, and TE, I think they won't be able to hold back our DL enough to get their offense on track.

Our offense has gouged defenses all season long on the ground and I don't think SMU has enough talent to slow us down. The teams that slowed down our running attack (BC, UVa, Miami) had a DL advantage over us much like we have over SMU. I think this game will be relatively close at the half, but over the course of 60 minutes, they will be hard-pressed to keep up.

[joannes3000]

We got the game started off fairly well in the first quarter. SMU came out trying to trick us, passing out of NDB and running out of Trips. I took it as a sign that they knew they had to do something special to beat us. SMU's opening drive stalled at the 30 and they knocked home a long FG for the first points of the game. Our offense showed no signs of nervousness as we executed perfectly, driving 58 yards for a TD without having to convert a 3rd down once. SMU drove deep into the redzone on their next possession but once again our defense held and forced them to settle for a 28 yard FG. We ended the 1st quarter with the ball and had just crossed midfield.

We opened the 2nd quarter by finishing off our drive with a 21 yard TD run. Remember what I said about avoiding long drives by SMU's offense? We had SMU stoned at their 22 on 3rd and 14, only to give up a 14 yard pass. Nearly 8 minutes later, SMU scored a TD to cut the lead to 14-10. Making matters worse, our offense fell apart on our possession by going 3 and out. Having seized the momentum, SMU drove 62 yards in 2 minutes against our tiring defense for another TD. We got the ball back with just over a minute to go in the half, but lost a fumble at our 39. Thankfully, SMU missed a long FG and we literally limped into halftime down 20-14.

During my halftime speech I told the team that we need to stay the course. I told them we need to maintain composure and play Duke football. I told them to pack a lunch and hunker down for the 2nd half.

We got the ball to start the 3rd quarter and my offense listened. We drove 82 yards in 7 minutes and scored a TD to take a 21-20 lead. SMU seemed to come out nervous as they burned a timeout before their offense snapped the ball for the first time in the half. Our defense took charge and forced an incomplete pass to their star TE on 3rd and 3. Our offense took the field at our 31 and had another masterful drive - 5 minutes, 69 yards, TD. The 3rd quarter ended with SMU crossing midfield.

The 4th quarter opened and looked a lot like how the 3rd quarter went. SMU was unable to convert on 3rd and 6, giving us the ball back early in the quarter. We got the ball at the 20 after a touchback and our offense knew what to do. Sensing the defense getting tired, we ran the ball non-stop, aided only by a 5 yard penalty, and took it to the house in 4 minutes. SMU was sitting pretty at our 25, but on 3rd and 2 we knew what was going down. TE Matthew Mays was going to be the target and we stopped SMU cold again, forcing them to settle for another FG. We took possession with just under 7 minutes to go and a 35-23 lead. Staying true to form, our offense just kept on running until the final whistle.

35-23 W

--------------

We ran for 334/4 and passed for 108/1/0. Our offense put up 442 yards and our defense allowed 292 yards. Our defense really put the clamps down in the 2nd half and that gave us the possessions to let our offense do it's thing. Likewise, our offense dominate TOP - nearly a 15 minute advantage! - and helped keep our defense rested.

--------------

With our second consecutive bowl win, we end the season with an 11-3 mark and we could possibly crack the top 25 once the final polls are released (we were ranked #31 going in). 4 seasons ago Duke was nothing more than an afterthought. With my first ever recruiting class set to graduate, we've cracked double digit wins! I'm proud to have accomplished this much, but I won't be taking a breather because my opponents surely won't. Not until Duke has become a true dynasty.

[joannes3000]

John Baxter

To: Coach joannes3000

Subject: Looking forward to next season...

Sent: 3/31/08 3:02PM

Coach,

I just wanted to send you a quick note to congratulate you on the good season. I hope we can build on it for next season. Keep it up!

John Baxter

Athletics Director

----------

Well it's about time! After watching my job security drop for two consecutive seasons, my job security went back up after this season to secure. I guess the AD took a hint after I was visibly upset about being scrutinized after last season's results. Here is my record at Duke thus far:

36 joannes3000 11-3 6-2 5-1 5-2 27 Emerald Bowl - Won

35 joannes3000 9-5 4-4 3-3 5-2 39 Alamo Bowl - Won

34 joannes3000 7-6 3-5 3-3 4-3 65 No bowl invitation.

33 joannes3000 5-8 3-5 2-3 3-5 66 No bowl invitation.

[joannes3000]

We went into recruiting this year with needs at several key positions. We need 2 RB, 2 OL, 3 DL, 2 LB, and 2 DB. The biggest focus will likely be at RB, as we are looking to add starter-quality talent with our #1 RB having graduated. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we will be running very deep at DB this season because we will lose at least 4 (graduation) next season.

---------------

Offense

RB Richard Toney was one of our prized recruits and one of the best in the region at his position. We spent upwards of 60k to land him, but he is the blue-chip RB we were in need of. He has phenomenal speed and technique; excellent athleticism and elusiveness; above average strength, and average work ethic, stamina, and hands. STUD.

RB Jeffrey Burnett isn’t the monster that Toney is, but he will fit in well with his skill set. Burnett has excellent elusiveness and speed; average work ethic, stamina, and strength; and below average athleticism, hands, and technique.

OL Billy Thompson grades out to be an average piece to our line and was an absolute steal because he was a local kid. He has excellent athleticism and strength; above average blocking; average technique; and below average work ethic, stamina, and game instinct.

OL Peter Lucas is another solid addition to our line and projects to be much better than Thompson. He has phenomenal strength; above average technique; average athleticism, stamina, blocking, and game instinct; and below average work ethic.

Defense

DL Benjamin Robinson projects to be an above average starter on our defensive front. He has phenomenal strength; above average athleticism, work ethic, tackling, and technique; average stamina and game instinct.

DL Eric Ruffin is another solid addition to our DL who projects to be a potential stud once he hits the weight room. He has phenomenal strength; excellent athleticism, work ethic, stamina, and game instinct; above average technique; and below average strength.

DL Robert Stringer is nearly a blue-chip recruit that we stole away from the state of Virginia. His stamina will be a limiting factor in his early years. He has phenomenal tackling; excellent athleticism and strength; above average game instinct; average work ethic and technique; and below average stamina.

LB Scott Osborne is one of three blue-chippers we signed on defense. He has phenomenal tackling and technique; excellent speed; above average strength; average athleticism and game instinct; and below average work ethic and stamina. He even has phenomenal elusiveness, so he will actually be an asset in pass-defense. He leaves a little to be desired in terms of work ethic and stamina, but otherwise I think he's a STUD in the works.

LB Roger Roberts is another blue-chip recruit and he instantly upgrades our LB corps. He has phenomenal strength, tackling, and technique; above average speed, work ethic, and game instinct; average athleticism; and below average stamina. The only knock on Roberts is his stamina, but he still projects to be a monster defender and could turn out to be one of the most productive recruits I've ever landed.

DB Sean Dunbar is the final blue-chip recruit we landed on the defensive side of the ball. He has phenomenal athleticism and speed; above average work ethic, hands, and elusiveness; average stamina; and below average game instinct and technique. Once he polishes up the technical side of his game, he has the raw skills to be a lockdown DB.

DB Alan Mitchell projects to be an average rotational player for us. He has excellent elusiveness; above average work ethic; average athleticism and speed; and below average stamina, hands, game instinct, and technique. His work ethic could allow for him to become a decent starter, but chances are that we'll be able to recruit better talent in upcoming seasons.

------------

I felt that we landed one of our best classes yet, and the recruiting services tended to agree, with both placing us within the top 25. Both services also ranked our class either the 2nd best (pittsky) or 3rd best (bhazlewood) in the conference. Beyond that, I think we landed the type of players that fit our system well. We landed the stud RB that we coveted. We surprisingly landed two stud LBs that will go a long way to shore up our defense. We even landed a stud DB to help in the secondary. I feel that we only settled on two recruits - OL Thompson, DB Mitchell.

The overall influx of talent shows on two reports (pittsky, bhazlewood) that we have the 2nd most talented team in the ACC, only behind elite Miami; with my report showing we are in 5th. I think this class signifies that we are continuing to progress within the conference, and it will be interesting to see how close we can get to upending Virginia for the #2 spot in the Coastal Division. They still have loads of talent, but they took on 20 sim recruits this season due to the new coach being unavailable to recruit or find someone to do it for him. I hope that he's able to game plan during the season, but given the massive loss of depth that a class of 20 sim recruits represents (40% of the roster!), we might just have a chance to pull a gigantic upset soon.

Here's how the recruit rankings fell for the conference (pittsky/bhazlewood):

Boston College - 21/32

Clemson - 71/73

Florida State - 48/58

Maryland - 29/15

NC State (sim)- 87/89

Wake Forest (sim)- 91/95

Duke - 19/23

Georgia Tech (sim)- 81/84

Miami (FL) - 9/13

North Carolina - 39/39

Virginia - 93!/90!

Virginia Tech - 73/40

[joannes3000]

Season 5 at Duke will hopefully continue to be a progression from seasons past. We have upgraded our OOC slate, scheduling schools that are all human-coached. We do have two slouches on the schedule in Utah and Hawaii, only because they were sim-coached for several seasons beforehand. Oklahoma State went 7-7 (bowl loss) last season, Navy went 11-3 (bowl loss), and West Virginia went 7-6 (no bowl bid).

With our roster fully loaded at this point, I felt that it's time to start going after tougher schools to increase our SOS. That, coupled with what should be a typically tough in-conference schedule, should help us in our attempt to land not only another bowl bid but hopefully one more prestigious than the Emerald Bowl from last season or the Alamo Bowl from two seasons ago.

I think we have a realistic shot to go 5-0 during OOC play, even against all human-coached teams, which would be an excellent way to go into conference play. We draw two sim schools in-conference, one during interdivisional play and one during divisional play. If we continue to beat the teams that we've beaten in seasons past and go undefeated during OOC play, we should likely win 10 games. A best-case scenario would be 11 wins if we manage another upset against Boston College, who we play at home this season. An absolute worst-case scenario would be 9 wins.

-----------

4/17/08 at Oklahoma State

4/18/08 Navy

4/19/08 Utah State

4/20/08 at West Virginia

4/21/08 at Hawaii