I don't think what you said is true as far as recruiting goes, it depends on how the record is achieved. If we have our normal (for us) set of injuries in key spots to what is an already thin roster...then 7-5 is going to be a struggle.
People expecting 9+ wins are going to be the same caustic buttholes that start screaming to fire Heupel or some of his staff when it doesn't happen.
I'm "optimistic" that if several things go our way for the first time in two decades that 9+ is possible....but I don't "expect" it to happen and therefore I will not be one of the toxic idiots further degrading our program when that "expectation" is not met to my satisfaction.