i agree with you. Not very often can a program flip a switch and go from crap to elite. 8 years is a long time, but this program was really really bad before he took over. I think that they are smart for revising their schedule. There are significant advantages to being Independent, but their schedule is tougher than most. In this day, you aren't going to win 12 games playing 6-7 ranked teams with solid teams behind them.
For most of the time kelly has been here, they just haven't been able to maintain a solid team on both offense and defense. either one is good or the other one is. i liked alot of what i saw this year. I never expected them to win it all this year. It took till NCST before i considered them a top 10 team, and that was crushed soon after. I saw them as a 13-15 ranked team. BUT i liked the personal i saw on the field. I saw a program that could lose a guy or two and not go to crap. Their are still gaps in some positions, but they are closing in on that. I wish it didn't take 8 years to get here, but i feel pretty good moving forward. They have some tough games next year, but i see them hovering around that 11/10 win mark