if the offense was clicking along at somewhere between above average and awesome, we still would have lost those games. If the D steps up from that level, to playing at a level where the offense at least has a chance, then we are much better (record-wise) already.

** Pitt, GT, and to a lesser extent ODU are the games that I feel the defense "lost" last year. They were bad in other games, but they were "un-overcome-ably" bad in those games IMO. Yes the offense could have done more in those games, but the results of the game say that it wouldn't have mattered because the defense was just going to continue to give up even more than the O could have done.