mcmachete
Grassy Vet
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2013
- Messages
- 295
When we lost to Pittsburgh last season, I was shocked. We all were. But I wasn't shocked by Malik's bad play. That stunkery I expected from game 1. While everyone was happy with the just-win-baby results, I was commenting on poor decision-making, sloppy footwork, and bad passes. Still, it was one game. Easily recoverable. Playoffs were still very much in our hands.
When we lost to Clemson, I was not completely surprised. It should have been closer, but I could accept we weren't quite at Clemson's level yet. We had grown that season and the trend-line was, overall, still very positive.
When we lost to Wisconsin in the bowl game, that one hurt. Possibly more than Pittsburgh. Wisconsin was our best-case-scenario matchup. They should not have been ranked as high as they were considering their schedule so beating this paper tiger (or paper badger) would have helped our end of season ranking, given our players some positive momentum and excitement to start the following season, and certainly helped in recruiting. And yet we lost. This was bad.
But we could still spin it: it was our best season in a long time, and things were looking up for 2018.
When Richt announced that Rosier was our starter against LSU, I was worried. Again: I liked how tough Rosier seemed to be but otherwise never saw the other positives about him. I never believed he would be the guy. But hey: Richt is there in practice every day. Why wouldn't he go with the better player? Plus, Perry was suspended for that first game. Probably broke some team rule like a young knucklehead might and a lesson needed to be learned. Pastor Richt ran a tight ship. Fine.
Losing to LSU was bad enough, but losing to LSU and seeing the exact same shortcomings we saw the previous season? No improvements in Rosier's play or the playcalling? Punter still looked like garbage? What the **** is going on here? What have they been doing the last few months? Defense looked like it may have actually regressed... This is when the scales fully tipped against Richt for me. I admit I was a Butch guy during the hiring process but I thought Richt was an inspired hire. I was excited and, despite the obvious playcalling deficiencies, I remained optimistic. Recruiting helped in that regard as well. I like Richt the man. I very much want to like Richt the coach, and not just because he is my team's coach and will remain so for the foreseeable future. But now, I viewed every game on our schedule with a jaundiced eye. Sure, LSU seemed like a good team - but our team hadn't improved in any measurable way.
When Perry came in against Savannah State, there wasn't much to see. I was probably more excited to see JW but there was even less to see there. The Toledo game was fine. Good, even. But Rosier's play was still suspect and I was still not seeing any measurable progress from the previous season. My scales remained tilted unfavorably against Richt.
But when the switch to Perry happened against FIU and seemed to stick - along with a change to our punter, I started to believe that maybe Richt had a plan all along and maybe he wasn't the immovable dinosaur so many claimed him to be. The team started to play with a bit more motivation - on both sides of the ball! This team liked Perry, trusted Perry, and clearly preferred to play for Perry over Rosier. Later, against the worst FSU squad we've seen in years, we barely squeaked by. But it was inspired hustle from our redshirt freshman quarterback that made it happen. Richt's playcalling isn't quite as horrible when a true gunslinger is able to make some great throws. And anyone with one eye and a pulse could plainly see that Perry was making throws Rosier never could. The scales moved a bit in Richt's favor. Things were looking up.
When he pulled Perry in the first half of the Virginia game, I could understand it. I didn't agree, but I gave Richt the benefit of the doubt. So our young guy came out cold and jittery in his first away game start; but he just had that great come-from-behind victory against FSU. I thought he'd settle down soon enough. But Richt obviously knew these players better than I did, and ostensibly knew what could help them and motivate them... so he pulled Perry when I wouldn't. Fine. But when he kept Rosier in at the top of the second half? I lost it. This was bad. How will Perry gain experience? And when Rosier continued to suck *** through the 3rd quarter and wasn't pulled? Worse still. If we are going to lose, at least lose with the guy who could potentially be our future. Give the young guy experience. ****, throw Jarren in there and give HIM experience. It was clear this team didn't play the same way - on either side of the ball - with Malik at the helm. I like the kid, but he should not be starting for us.
This loss completely tipped the scales for me in a way I don’t think can be recovered, when hope and optimism could no longer overshadow the negatives.
And when Richt announced, 10 days before the BC game, that Rosier was starting? Again, I knew it was another bad decision and it was another knock against Richt. But he still had an opportunity to right the ship if he was able to pull Rosier and throw Perry back in there once Rosier inevitably failed. But Richt never did. He just continued the failure throughout this BC game, continued the ineffective gameplanning and the uninspried play on both sides of the ball. All he needed to do was put Perry back in and we'd see this team spark. We all knew this. But it never happened. This is what a bye week of prep gets you? Dinking and dunking in the fourth quarter instead of letting the young gun come out and sling it?
Richt completely lost the team today, and he lost the fanbase. There will be mutiny and mistrust in the locker room and practice field just as it exists on the fan boards. The only ones who remain loyal to Richt at this point likely wouldn't budge regardless the circumstances.
Now, we're in an untenable situation. Realistically, Richt isn't going anywhere. But this team is clearly not motivated, and Richt's staff is grossly underperforming. The best we can hope for, I think, is significant changes in the coaches staff (Jon Richt and Stacey Searles, for starters) and that Jarren Williams emerges as the true superstar we all hoped he'd be. Hopefully the BoT puts enough pressure on Blake James and Richt to at least make that happen. Short of that, tough times will continue to await us.
When we lost to Clemson, I was not completely surprised. It should have been closer, but I could accept we weren't quite at Clemson's level yet. We had grown that season and the trend-line was, overall, still very positive.
When we lost to Wisconsin in the bowl game, that one hurt. Possibly more than Pittsburgh. Wisconsin was our best-case-scenario matchup. They should not have been ranked as high as they were considering their schedule so beating this paper tiger (or paper badger) would have helped our end of season ranking, given our players some positive momentum and excitement to start the following season, and certainly helped in recruiting. And yet we lost. This was bad.
But we could still spin it: it was our best season in a long time, and things were looking up for 2018.
When Richt announced that Rosier was our starter against LSU, I was worried. Again: I liked how tough Rosier seemed to be but otherwise never saw the other positives about him. I never believed he would be the guy. But hey: Richt is there in practice every day. Why wouldn't he go with the better player? Plus, Perry was suspended for that first game. Probably broke some team rule like a young knucklehead might and a lesson needed to be learned. Pastor Richt ran a tight ship. Fine.
Losing to LSU was bad enough, but losing to LSU and seeing the exact same shortcomings we saw the previous season? No improvements in Rosier's play or the playcalling? Punter still looked like garbage? What the **** is going on here? What have they been doing the last few months? Defense looked like it may have actually regressed... This is when the scales fully tipped against Richt for me. I admit I was a Butch guy during the hiring process but I thought Richt was an inspired hire. I was excited and, despite the obvious playcalling deficiencies, I remained optimistic. Recruiting helped in that regard as well. I like Richt the man. I very much want to like Richt the coach, and not just because he is my team's coach and will remain so for the foreseeable future. But now, I viewed every game on our schedule with a jaundiced eye. Sure, LSU seemed like a good team - but our team hadn't improved in any measurable way.
When Perry came in against Savannah State, there wasn't much to see. I was probably more excited to see JW but there was even less to see there. The Toledo game was fine. Good, even. But Rosier's play was still suspect and I was still not seeing any measurable progress from the previous season. My scales remained tilted unfavorably against Richt.
But when the switch to Perry happened against FIU and seemed to stick - along with a change to our punter, I started to believe that maybe Richt had a plan all along and maybe he wasn't the immovable dinosaur so many claimed him to be. The team started to play with a bit more motivation - on both sides of the ball! This team liked Perry, trusted Perry, and clearly preferred to play for Perry over Rosier. Later, against the worst FSU squad we've seen in years, we barely squeaked by. But it was inspired hustle from our redshirt freshman quarterback that made it happen. Richt's playcalling isn't quite as horrible when a true gunslinger is able to make some great throws. And anyone with one eye and a pulse could plainly see that Perry was making throws Rosier never could. The scales moved a bit in Richt's favor. Things were looking up.
When he pulled Perry in the first half of the Virginia game, I could understand it. I didn't agree, but I gave Richt the benefit of the doubt. So our young guy came out cold and jittery in his first away game start; but he just had that great come-from-behind victory against FSU. I thought he'd settle down soon enough. But Richt obviously knew these players better than I did, and ostensibly knew what could help them and motivate them... so he pulled Perry when I wouldn't. Fine. But when he kept Rosier in at the top of the second half? I lost it. This was bad. How will Perry gain experience? And when Rosier continued to suck *** through the 3rd quarter and wasn't pulled? Worse still. If we are going to lose, at least lose with the guy who could potentially be our future. Give the young guy experience. ****, throw Jarren in there and give HIM experience. It was clear this team didn't play the same way - on either side of the ball - with Malik at the helm. I like the kid, but he should not be starting for us.
This loss completely tipped the scales for me in a way I don’t think can be recovered, when hope and optimism could no longer overshadow the negatives.
And when Richt announced, 10 days before the BC game, that Rosier was starting? Again, I knew it was another bad decision and it was another knock against Richt. But he still had an opportunity to right the ship if he was able to pull Rosier and throw Perry back in there once Rosier inevitably failed. But Richt never did. He just continued the failure throughout this BC game, continued the ineffective gameplanning and the uninspried play on both sides of the ball. All he needed to do was put Perry back in and we'd see this team spark. We all knew this. But it never happened. This is what a bye week of prep gets you? Dinking and dunking in the fourth quarter instead of letting the young gun come out and sling it?
Richt completely lost the team today, and he lost the fanbase. There will be mutiny and mistrust in the locker room and practice field just as it exists on the fan boards. The only ones who remain loyal to Richt at this point likely wouldn't budge regardless the circumstances.
Now, we're in an untenable situation. Realistically, Richt isn't going anywhere. But this team is clearly not motivated, and Richt's staff is grossly underperforming. The best we can hope for, I think, is significant changes in the coaches staff (Jon Richt and Stacey Searles, for starters) and that Jarren Williams emerges as the true superstar we all hoped he'd be. Hopefully the BoT puts enough pressure on Blake James and Richt to at least make that happen. Short of that, tough times will continue to await us.
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. There is zero chance that happens. I have a hard time believing they even nicely require him to hire an OC much less tell him to pack his bags.