I’ve purposely stayed away during these last 8-10 days. 1) To protect myself and not engage into real anger and 2) To allow some time to really evaluate things 9 games into this season.
I’ve looked back at the spring and summer…all of the comments and predictions. I’ve looked back at conversations I’ve had with JM and his staff, conversations with @C. Level and members of RRS, meetings and gatherings I’ve had with a ton of great posters on RRS. I’ve evaluated practices, film and scrimmages I’ve seen with my own untrained eye.
Through all of those things listed above, I allowed my heart to dream bigger (which is a good thing, imo). I allowed myself to believe that we aren’t the 9th rated team in this league (preseason predictions by most). I even tried to talk myself into believing that we aren’t horribly thin and not where we need to be on the OLine. I ignored the fact that we are the slowest WR room in the conference. I also believed that there wouldn’t be much of a learning curve for not only a first time HC, and a raw (but talented) OC.
Then, I allowed the fact that we will have a Top 20-30 class cloud the fact that the previous coaches strapped this program with some of the worst P5 classes in the country. Wells last full class was the worst in all P5. His outgoing class (before JM and JB moved it up almost 50 spots) was moving towards the worst class in the history of Tech.
All of the spring momentum, summer goodwill, beating UT with a backup, beating UH, boat racing WVU with a 3rd string freshman QB…..all gone in a two week period.
Then, seeing RRS call our OC a f*cking loser and our HC a moron and an idiot…..it’s been unsettling, to say the least.
Am I happy with all the play calls, the analytics, the turnovers, the special teams??? No, who is? Our coaches aren’t.
But the question I keep asking myself is this….are we in the right track? Are we moving forward? Is there light at the end of this 10 yr tunnel?
My answer would be yes. 100%. To win at this level, you need players. Players on the lines, speed on the outside, a QB that can execute and coaches that can motivate and adapt. What we have on campus right now is not what we are going to have this spring or next fall. Turning around 10 yrs of low level football takes more than 1 fall.
I am not going to argue any points with anyone, as several will already come at me and accuse me of my bias, which is fair. But, I can say this without bias, we are exactly who most thought we were in the spring, summer and early fall…..the only thing that has changed is that we haven’t had our QB1 in any real capacity at all and the injuries and inconsistencies at that position are enough to kill just about any team.
I know this, the two coaches that mentored our HC were miserable their first 2 seasons. To the tune of 1-11 and 2-7….and neither of them can recruit like Tech’s HC. I can’t imagine what this place would be if we had 1 or 2 wins.
There’s not a ton else to be said that hasn’t been hashed and rehashed on here. But my only ask it that we look at this program as a whole with historical perspective…..not in a 2 game vacuum…..that alone will drive you to drink.
The bigger picture is still there and the signs of an upcoming program haven’t changed, regardless of the last 9 days.
I’m heading back into my hole now.
I’ve looked back at the spring and summer…all of the comments and predictions. I’ve looked back at conversations I’ve had with JM and his staff, conversations with @C. Level and members of RRS, meetings and gatherings I’ve had with a ton of great posters on RRS. I’ve evaluated practices, film and scrimmages I’ve seen with my own untrained eye.
Through all of those things listed above, I allowed my heart to dream bigger (which is a good thing, imo). I allowed myself to believe that we aren’t the 9th rated team in this league (preseason predictions by most). I even tried to talk myself into believing that we aren’t horribly thin and not where we need to be on the OLine. I ignored the fact that we are the slowest WR room in the conference. I also believed that there wouldn’t be much of a learning curve for not only a first time HC, and a raw (but talented) OC.
Then, I allowed the fact that we will have a Top 20-30 class cloud the fact that the previous coaches strapped this program with some of the worst P5 classes in the country. Wells last full class was the worst in all P5. His outgoing class (before JM and JB moved it up almost 50 spots) was moving towards the worst class in the history of Tech.
All of the spring momentum, summer goodwill, beating UT with a backup, beating UH, boat racing WVU with a 3rd string freshman QB…..all gone in a two week period.
Then, seeing RRS call our OC a f*cking loser and our HC a moron and an idiot…..it’s been unsettling, to say the least.
Am I happy with all the play calls, the analytics, the turnovers, the special teams??? No, who is? Our coaches aren’t.
But the question I keep asking myself is this….are we in the right track? Are we moving forward? Is there light at the end of this 10 yr tunnel?
My answer would be yes. 100%. To win at this level, you need players. Players on the lines, speed on the outside, a QB that can execute and coaches that can motivate and adapt. What we have on campus right now is not what we are going to have this spring or next fall. Turning around 10 yrs of low level football takes more than 1 fall.
I am not going to argue any points with anyone, as several will already come at me and accuse me of my bias, which is fair. But, I can say this without bias, we are exactly who most thought we were in the spring, summer and early fall…..the only thing that has changed is that we haven’t had our QB1 in any real capacity at all and the injuries and inconsistencies at that position are enough to kill just about any team.
I know this, the two coaches that mentored our HC were miserable their first 2 seasons. To the tune of 1-11 and 2-7….and neither of them can recruit like Tech’s HC. I can’t imagine what this place would be if we had 1 or 2 wins.
There’s not a ton else to be said that hasn’t been hashed and rehashed on here. But my only ask it that we look at this program as a whole with historical perspective…..not in a 2 game vacuum…..that alone will drive you to drink.
The bigger picture is still there and the signs of an upcoming program haven’t changed, regardless of the last 9 days.
I’m heading back into my hole now.
