BALDYCHUTES
Freshman
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2011
- Messages
- 468
Not a football player, but this would seem a relatively simple issue. Set aside the X’s and O’s, because the why’s are irrelevant for my purpose. Ask yourself two questions.
First, is UM currently performing up to standard ON THE FIELD (bolded to eliminate recruiting) given the resources (including talent) they currently have? I believe the answer is “no.” Given the talent on this team, given the resources this team enjoys, Al’s 1-12 record against teams that have won 8 games or more is below standard.
Second, is the team showing marked improvement? Again, the answer is “no.” Sure, the record improved each year, but losing 5 of his last 7, all by double-digits, three to unranked teams is not marked improvement. That is regression. Yes, the D looked better last night, but given that they faced a relatively neutered UL offense (new system, new QB, new coaches, missing a couple players), it was not a spectacular outing. Was it good enough to win? ABSOLUTELY, but it was not spectacular improvement. The O and special teams looked very bad. They looked unprepared and overwhelmed. This is year 4 and, first game, no clouds, Duke and Dorsett healthy and UM got its pants yanked down around our ankles on national TV, rolling to 1-13 on third down. When was the last time a UM offense looked good against even a top 25 defense? That is not improvement.
So, Al is underperforming at 13-12 in the weak ACC Coastal, given his repeated top 15 recruiting classes (either he recruited wrong or cannot coach them up). And the team laid an egg, yet again, in a statement game, the first game of year 4, on the big stage, repeating the same uninspired effort against the same team that rolled them in the last bowl game.
JJ once said (I believe) that the natural progression in rebuilding a program is that in year 1, you lose to most everyone, but win a couple you should win. In year 2, you start winning the games you should win, and lose to everyone else. In year 3, you win the games you should win, and surprise a couple favorites. In year 4, you roll.
That most decidedly is not the path Al is leading us down. I do not like where we are headed.
First, is UM currently performing up to standard ON THE FIELD (bolded to eliminate recruiting) given the resources (including talent) they currently have? I believe the answer is “no.” Given the talent on this team, given the resources this team enjoys, Al’s 1-12 record against teams that have won 8 games or more is below standard.
Second, is the team showing marked improvement? Again, the answer is “no.” Sure, the record improved each year, but losing 5 of his last 7, all by double-digits, three to unranked teams is not marked improvement. That is regression. Yes, the D looked better last night, but given that they faced a relatively neutered UL offense (new system, new QB, new coaches, missing a couple players), it was not a spectacular outing. Was it good enough to win? ABSOLUTELY, but it was not spectacular improvement. The O and special teams looked very bad. They looked unprepared and overwhelmed. This is year 4 and, first game, no clouds, Duke and Dorsett healthy and UM got its pants yanked down around our ankles on national TV, rolling to 1-13 on third down. When was the last time a UM offense looked good against even a top 25 defense? That is not improvement.
So, Al is underperforming at 13-12 in the weak ACC Coastal, given his repeated top 15 recruiting classes (either he recruited wrong or cannot coach them up). And the team laid an egg, yet again, in a statement game, the first game of year 4, on the big stage, repeating the same uninspired effort against the same team that rolled them in the last bowl game.
JJ once said (I believe) that the natural progression in rebuilding a program is that in year 1, you lose to most everyone, but win a couple you should win. In year 2, you start winning the games you should win, and lose to everyone else. In year 3, you win the games you should win, and surprise a couple favorites. In year 4, you roll.
That most decidedly is not the path Al is leading us down. I do not like where we are headed.
