Unbelievable amount of hand-wringing and worry-bead pawing going on in here.
Don't give a fuck about "returning production" or such-like bullshit. Inventing totally meaningless stats because some others have linemen coming back, who started last year... but who wouldn't have made the two-deep at Texas last year OR this year? Sheerest stupidity.
All we really need to do is be in the top twelve by December 1st. If tOSU, UGa, and Notre Dame male it back to semifinals, or not, I don't care. I think we'll be there.
Anyone who thinks we aren't going to be able to play at that level needs to fuck right off. The only way we don't is to endure a massive wave of injuries - and that's so fucking unlikely that there's no sense in even considering it.
D is going to be as good, if not even better. Passing game is going to be better. Ground game is going to be better, if only because having Arch's running ability takes at least one Defender off the table and give RBs more room. Special teams? If it isn't markedly worse than last year, we'll be fine... but I suspect, I expect, it'll improve.
We're good, and we're going to be a lot of fun to watch.