I know I sound like a broken record trying to give them some respect but I keep finding stuff. 
Phil Steele gives every team a grade in every game based on postseason data taking into account the competition. Hawaii ended up with a season long grade of 62.4 which is HORRIBLE.
Here's the dirty hidden fact: They were not a bad football team until they got killed against Air Force. They lost four games in a row to end the season (save a final win over a truly awful ULM squad) and these were their game grades - 37.3 vs Air Force, 52.8 vs UNLV, 48.8 vs. Fresno State, 56.0 vs. San Jose State and 55.4 in the win over ULM.
Before that, they were not a half bad team - They had only one game grade under 60 and five over 70 including those against Colorado, Ohio State, Wisconsin and San Diego State. The average grade of the first 8 games was over 70. This team flat out GAVE UP on Norm Chow in the last third of the season and mailed it in. Their overall season record and grade are far more reflective of the meltdown that led to Chow's firing than their overall talent level.
Bottom line they were not far behind Colorado as a team before the meltdown (and they beat the Buffaloes head to head) and were better than Oregon State prior to giving up on their coach.
Assume the new coach gets a lot more out of them than last year and these guys are pretty good competition.
Phil Steele gives every team a grade in every game based on postseason data taking into account the competition. Hawaii ended up with a season long grade of 62.4 which is HORRIBLE.
Here's the dirty hidden fact: They were not a bad football team until they got killed against Air Force. They lost four games in a row to end the season (save a final win over a truly awful ULM squad) and these were their game grades - 37.3 vs Air Force, 52.8 vs UNLV, 48.8 vs. Fresno State, 56.0 vs. San Jose State and 55.4 in the win over ULM.
Before that, they were not a half bad team - They had only one game grade under 60 and five over 70 including those against Colorado, Ohio State, Wisconsin and San Diego State. The average grade of the first 8 games was over 70. This team flat out GAVE UP on Norm Chow in the last third of the season and mailed it in. Their overall season record and grade are far more reflective of the meltdown that led to Chow's firing than their overall talent level.
Bottom line they were not far behind Colorado as a team before the meltdown (and they beat the Buffaloes head to head) and were better than Oregon State prior to giving up on their coach.
Assume the new coach gets a lot more out of them than last year and these guys are pretty good competition.
