And I know “if wishes were horses beggars would ride”. We are 5-5 and are looked at as what that record says.
But this team is much improved.
If we started over Mo State would likely score 14 and we’d still score 70.
I think we would beat SC handily. They do have a decent defense, little offense. Florida had a shot to tie on last possession at Williams Brice yesterday.
I think we would run off and hide from Purdue on the scoreboard.
We would lose two games, Auburn, who if beats Bama in iron bowl, will be favorite in playoff. And we would lose to Ga who was number one till yesterday. I think both games would be closer but still losses.
Kentucky I’m confident we would beat and of course my premise is that we will win the VAndy and Arky games.
So that “would have been” a 10-2 season, throw in one flat game against SCe or Ky or someone else if you like..9-3.
I don’t pretend to know what happened to cause a turn around like I’ve not seen before.
Some changes I suspect have a lot to do with it.
1). Firing Cross. It’s not about whether he might have been a good or bad coach. He and Odom did not agree on defensive philosophy. Rumor has it that Odom wanted him gone last season and Sterk prevailed on him to keep him on staff..his contract extended through this year. That was likely a huge mistake. When the HC has made clear his disagreement and lack of confidence with the DC, it’s time for the DC to go.
You have to imagine that Cross was not a happy camper or fully on board. Having that attitude in the practice sessions with players and the rest of the staff has to be a problem. That was on Sterk. The defense has not been great, but definitely improved from the show put on with Mo State and Purdue etc.
2). It seemed in first few games that our version of the HUNH was being judged by how fast we could get to line and snap the ball. That speed seemed to be the parameter by which success was measured. We looked frantic and out of control..lots of penalties..more poor decisions, few shots down the field.
The last several games the offense is still getting to the line of scrimmage quickly, but is much more deliberate in getting the play off. It seems they are wanting the defense to hurry to the line, but the offense is taking their time and thinking process to run “the best play”..not “the fastest play we can get off”.
The deep passing game was a product of that more thoughtful, less frantic approach. At first I thought it was primarily working because Idaho and Uconn did not have the athletes to cover deep. Florida did, they couldn’t. If they sold out to stop the long ball, the talented OL and RBs simply ran at will. Tremendously difficult for the defense to shut down both. We went from a steady diet of runs and huge number of screens targeting only Moore, to using the middle of field with tight end and deep balls on both sides of field.
I think Odom has figured out what works for him. That is being his own DC. It is as stupid for an AD to tell him to hire a DC to call plays and decide defensive philosophy as it was to recommend he keep,Cross.
Richt went back to calling the offense in Miami. Mullins does at MSU. There is no reason to insist that Odom turn over what he is good at to someone else.
Indeed I did not see the Alabama MSU game that was going on while we were at the game last night, when driving home today, the ESPN Sirius station was talking about the DC at MSU playcalling in Bama’s winning Drive. It sounded like the DC, Grantham, had decided to go with an all out bliz with seconds left in regulation, game tied. First was a huge gainer and second was a touchdown. The radio guys said Mullins was looking at the DC on sideline like “wth”?
No coach can call both sides of the ball, but if your expertise is in one area I can very easily understand why you want control.
At any rate, there is no way that competition explains this turnaround. This coach and staff diagnosed some big problems. They discharged a coach and some players. Their treatment plan seems to be successful. The players who could have quit, bought in. Color me very impressed.
But this team is much improved.
If we started over Mo State would likely score 14 and we’d still score 70.
I think we would beat SC handily. They do have a decent defense, little offense. Florida had a shot to tie on last possession at Williams Brice yesterday.
I think we would run off and hide from Purdue on the scoreboard.
We would lose two games, Auburn, who if beats Bama in iron bowl, will be favorite in playoff. And we would lose to Ga who was number one till yesterday. I think both games would be closer but still losses.
Kentucky I’m confident we would beat and of course my premise is that we will win the VAndy and Arky games.
So that “would have been” a 10-2 season, throw in one flat game against SCe or Ky or someone else if you like..9-3.
I don’t pretend to know what happened to cause a turn around like I’ve not seen before.
Some changes I suspect have a lot to do with it.
1). Firing Cross. It’s not about whether he might have been a good or bad coach. He and Odom did not agree on defensive philosophy. Rumor has it that Odom wanted him gone last season and Sterk prevailed on him to keep him on staff..his contract extended through this year. That was likely a huge mistake. When the HC has made clear his disagreement and lack of confidence with the DC, it’s time for the DC to go.
You have to imagine that Cross was not a happy camper or fully on board. Having that attitude in the practice sessions with players and the rest of the staff has to be a problem. That was on Sterk. The defense has not been great, but definitely improved from the show put on with Mo State and Purdue etc.
2). It seemed in first few games that our version of the HUNH was being judged by how fast we could get to line and snap the ball. That speed seemed to be the parameter by which success was measured. We looked frantic and out of control..lots of penalties..more poor decisions, few shots down the field.
The last several games the offense is still getting to the line of scrimmage quickly, but is much more deliberate in getting the play off. It seems they are wanting the defense to hurry to the line, but the offense is taking their time and thinking process to run “the best play”..not “the fastest play we can get off”.
The deep passing game was a product of that more thoughtful, less frantic approach. At first I thought it was primarily working because Idaho and Uconn did not have the athletes to cover deep. Florida did, they couldn’t. If they sold out to stop the long ball, the talented OL and RBs simply ran at will. Tremendously difficult for the defense to shut down both. We went from a steady diet of runs and huge number of screens targeting only Moore, to using the middle of field with tight end and deep balls on both sides of field.
I think Odom has figured out what works for him. That is being his own DC. It is as stupid for an AD to tell him to hire a DC to call plays and decide defensive philosophy as it was to recommend he keep,Cross.
Richt went back to calling the offense in Miami. Mullins does at MSU. There is no reason to insist that Odom turn over what he is good at to someone else.
Indeed I did not see the Alabama MSU game that was going on while we were at the game last night, when driving home today, the ESPN Sirius station was talking about the DC at MSU playcalling in Bama’s winning Drive. It sounded like the DC, Grantham, had decided to go with an all out bliz with seconds left in regulation, game tied. First was a huge gainer and second was a touchdown. The radio guys said Mullins was looking at the DC on sideline like “wth”?
No coach can call both sides of the ball, but if your expertise is in one area I can very easily understand why you want control.
At any rate, there is no way that competition explains this turnaround. This coach and staff diagnosed some big problems. They discharged a coach and some players. Their treatment plan seems to be successful. The players who could have quit, bought in. Color me very impressed.
