Obviously after a loss, the board tends to be all over the place. I'll be honest, since the K-State game I haven't had much emotionally invested in this season simply because I thought the ceiling was five wins coming off of that loss and I'm not going to get myself worked up about games that, in the long run, are the difference between 4 and 6 wins. While that is disappointing and I would sacrifice a lot right now to have a team to be more emotionally invested in, it also allows for clarity when evaluating the situation both from a micro and macro perspective. Let's start with the micro which I would consider to be the last three weeks.
It's a little disappointing because it is becoming clear that this defense has playmakers at all three levels; however, with the way the game has changed defense can only do so much. The way I view defense in modern football is that it can absolutely lose you a game, but it can rarely win you a game by itself. The issue is clearly at QB and OL....no shit right?... The question is what can be done right now to not necessarily fix (it's not like you can trade for new players) but at least improve the situation. First, we have to incorporate more of a precision passing game. Slants, digs, rubs, and mesh routes. Cook simply hasn't stretched the field consistently enough to force the defense to respect that area and when the defense doesn't have to respect that element there are too many guys creeping up to repeatedly throw the ball behind the line of scrimmage. Quick precision passing will allow Cook more throws that he is actually capable of making consistently while also protecting the OL. Now that requires the use of the middle of the field, which we have gotten a little better with, but it has to happen more. Also I don't want to scrap that zone stretch play entirely because frankly it is the only play that has consistently provided big gains, but if it doesn't hit it's generally a loss of 2 or 3 which puts a limited offense behind the chains. So it just needs to be used more judiciously. In general, any play that is very slow to develop has to be scrapped. Once again this offense simply isn't good enough to consistently get off schedule. I read Gabe's writeup earlier which I largely agreed with. The only part I'll push back against is that I think we have wideouts who can make plays. When they have received targets, both Lovett and Cooper have made plays. Burden while looking like a freshman is immensely talented. Dove and Bannister have proven over time that they are capable wideouts in the SEC. Watching the K-State game live, there were absolutely guys open downfield. Or at least division one open to where an accurate, well-anticipated, throw will result in a completion. The last element of who actually plays at QB is also a part of this which leads me into the macro, big picture, part of the discussion.
There actually have been positives this season. Some young guys are looking like they will be players, Drink was able to show that he could effectively use the transfer portal to get difference makers to improve a god awful defense, and he was also able to show that he could make a solid coordinator hire. These are all important signs, as you cannot build a solid program in today's climate without being able to execute in these areas. With the exception of K-State, which admittedly was just a bizarre game, we have been more competitive consistently than at any other time in Drink's tenure. I know the record won't show it, but it is nice to not get curb stomped in every game you lose while squeaking out games to get to six wins. That is a positive and just from the eye test, there appears to be more talent.
The elephant in the room is obviously at QB which in my estimation is the biggest reason the team is where it is from with regards to its record. Make no mistake, this is on Drinkwitz. I alluded to how football has changed earlier, and with the rules being so slanted towards the offense QB has become the most important position in team sports. Honestly I feel a little bit for Cook. I think most of us who have played sports at one level or another can relate to hitting a point where you simply aren't good enough. He has gotten way further with athletics than almost any person on this board has, but ultimately he is a power five backup or a WAC-Conference USA starter. It's just reality. The game just looks too fast for him. He has been in the system for years, yet he still just locks onto one read. He predetermines what he will do in the zone read. The feel just isn't there which is what happens when things are moving a mile a minute. The OL play hasn't helped, but the locking onto one read and the inaccurate throws when pockets have been clean lead me to believe that ultimately the situation would only be marginally improved with more consistent OL play. I didn't exactly say anything that we didn't already know which leads me to the more pressing question which is where do we go from here?
At this point it is a discussion of if you throw the kid in there. The schedule does lighten up a smidge, so if you were going to do it the time would be coming off a bye against a beatable opponent. The problem is that frankly I do not think we would see much improvement, if any. Look, we are all infatuated with what is "next". It is the reason why sites like rivals are here and when we see a kid with four stars next to his name we instantly become excited. I know I am guilty of this at times. With that being said, Horn is still a skinny kid who, while talented, has spent at least half of his athletic life focusing on a sport other than football. That's awesome. I love it when kids play multiple sports, but it isn't exactly conducive to a kid coming in and making plays in the SEC behind a bad OL as a freshman. He also wasn't here for any of spring ball, which is also great. If I had a kid I would tell him to enjoy every last second of high school because those are some of the best memories you will ever make. Once again though, not exactly conducive to coming in and making plays in the SEC as a freshman. I don't know the kid's make up. Drew Lock got the shit knocked out of him for a couple of years before turning into a dynamic QB by the time he was done. It isn't impossible, but you don't want him to come out of this shell shocked looking like a deer in the headlights. I think Horn has all the tools, but it will take time. Honestly if a quality grad transfer QB is available after the season, I don't think it would be the worst idea to go that route before letting Horn take over as a RS sophomore. I'm just thinking out loud at this point, but I don't think it is as clear as some make it out to be.
Ultimately I'll echo what Gabe and most have said. There is hardly any scenario where Drink shouldn't be back next year and there have been positives to this season. None of it matters ultimately though if you cannot get the QB. Is Horn it? Drinkwitz better hope so, because his livelihood depends on it.
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