- Joined
- Nov 27, 2014
- Messages
- 4,045
Where we thought we'd be:
I thought we'd be 6-0 or 5-1 at the worst at this point. I thought that TVD would be mounting a dark horse Heisman campaign, I thought our pass rush would be better than it is (although, it actually performed well at times tonight), I thought we'd land one of the DT whales in recruiting and/or portal.
Where we are:
TVD isn't a bad QB, but it doesn't seem that he has the "It factor" that a championship QB needs. When the bright lights are on, he doesn't shine like he needs to in order to be elite. We have a very good OL, but mostly for pass protection. It's good, but not very good or better in run blocking. It took a while, but Bain is turning into the DE we were fantasizing he would become this year and we need him to be that stud.
Taylor is not turning into an elite DT. He is decent, but he's no where close to being a difference maker. Flagg is having a decent year, actually - glad the CIS crazies didn't ride him out of town on a blind horse.
Our head coach made a blunder that will probably be referenced for the rest of my life. His blunder may take away from the one thing we can verify he does well - recruiting.
The HC who I wanted more than Mario, has his team positioned at #13 in the nation despite having many disadvantages as the HC of Ole Miss. I think the the most die hard (but still somewhat reasonable) fan would agree that he would not be 9-9 at this point. He wanted this job and he would have had us in a very strong position. Oh well.
Where we might be going:
I said (as did many in CIS and across Cane Nation), the floor needed to be 9-3 regular season, but really, we needed 10 wins, even if it took the bowl game to get there. As I wrote earlier this week, at the end of the day, it's about the scoreboard. Mario has now painted himself into a corner. Losing to a surging UNC team at their home, is not the worst thing in the world and is "an understandable loss." However, he just took on an unnecessary "L" and he's eaten into his margin for failure.
And, now - Mario became a national punchline. Here's the hard truth - that blunder makes him and his natural old-school, grunting, tough guy persona seem like he's not a smart guy. I'm not sure what I think about him and his intelligence yet...to be determined... but the nation has an impression of him.
Everything is still in front of Mario, but now, he's fighting with one hand tied behind his back - and he's the one who tied it behind his back!
Now, he has got to pull that lockerroom together and squeeze at least 4 more wins out of this season. If he goes 7-5 this year after the national embarrassment of the GT game... I dunno. I mean, he's supposed to have a very protected position with tons of security, but there are limits. If he goes 7-5 this year, I think the slow death spiral will be initiated.
I'm an optimist, so I will say that he will pull 9 wins, even if it takes the bowl game to get there. If he doesn't... I just don't know what's going to happen to him and our program.
And, if Emory Williams really is the real thing he needs to see the field.
Brashard Smith is a playmaker and he wants it - give it to him! Let him have the ball more, because he's earned it.
For the portal: they need to back the. Brinks truck up to 2 stud war daddies at DT, one stud QB and either land Jeremiah, or go get our own game changing WR.
I'm not ready to bail on Mario yet, but he does keep eating and eating away at his margin for error. He needs to win and he needs to win now. He doesn't have until next year to get it going. You've got 2 losses, now, you have to win or else we'll be looking for a new HC, and that is just completely deflating.
I thought we'd be 6-0 or 5-1 at the worst at this point. I thought that TVD would be mounting a dark horse Heisman campaign, I thought our pass rush would be better than it is (although, it actually performed well at times tonight), I thought we'd land one of the DT whales in recruiting and/or portal.
Where we are:
TVD isn't a bad QB, but it doesn't seem that he has the "It factor" that a championship QB needs. When the bright lights are on, he doesn't shine like he needs to in order to be elite. We have a very good OL, but mostly for pass protection. It's good, but not very good or better in run blocking. It took a while, but Bain is turning into the DE we were fantasizing he would become this year and we need him to be that stud.
Taylor is not turning into an elite DT. He is decent, but he's no where close to being a difference maker. Flagg is having a decent year, actually - glad the CIS crazies didn't ride him out of town on a blind horse.
Our head coach made a blunder that will probably be referenced for the rest of my life. His blunder may take away from the one thing we can verify he does well - recruiting.
The HC who I wanted more than Mario, has his team positioned at #13 in the nation despite having many disadvantages as the HC of Ole Miss. I think the the most die hard (but still somewhat reasonable) fan would agree that he would not be 9-9 at this point. He wanted this job and he would have had us in a very strong position. Oh well.
Where we might be going:
I said (as did many in CIS and across Cane Nation), the floor needed to be 9-3 regular season, but really, we needed 10 wins, even if it took the bowl game to get there. As I wrote earlier this week, at the end of the day, it's about the scoreboard. Mario has now painted himself into a corner. Losing to a surging UNC team at their home, is not the worst thing in the world and is "an understandable loss." However, he just took on an unnecessary "L" and he's eaten into his margin for failure.
And, now - Mario became a national punchline. Here's the hard truth - that blunder makes him and his natural old-school, grunting, tough guy persona seem like he's not a smart guy. I'm not sure what I think about him and his intelligence yet...to be determined... but the nation has an impression of him.
Everything is still in front of Mario, but now, he's fighting with one hand tied behind his back - and he's the one who tied it behind his back!
Now, he has got to pull that lockerroom together and squeeze at least 4 more wins out of this season. If he goes 7-5 this year after the national embarrassment of the GT game... I dunno. I mean, he's supposed to have a very protected position with tons of security, but there are limits. If he goes 7-5 this year, I think the slow death spiral will be initiated.
I'm an optimist, so I will say that he will pull 9 wins, even if it takes the bowl game to get there. If he doesn't... I just don't know what's going to happen to him and our program.
And, if Emory Williams really is the real thing he needs to see the field.
Brashard Smith is a playmaker and he wants it - give it to him! Let him have the ball more, because he's earned it.
For the portal: they need to back the. Brinks truck up to 2 stud war daddies at DT, one stud QB and either land Jeremiah, or go get our own game changing WR.
I'm not ready to bail on Mario yet, but he does keep eating and eating away at his margin for error. He needs to win and he needs to win now. He doesn't have until next year to get it going. You've got 2 losses, now, you have to win or else we'll be looking for a new HC, and that is just completely deflating.
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