I see what your saying, but we’ve made huge strides since the okie state game last year.I think we should give him another year at least. The one positive is that they seem to adjust well at the half.

I kind of agree with both of you. Ruffin does not look like a big XII quality defensive co-ord. He can run an average defense, which is not bad when we have terrific offense with really high quality players, such as this year. I thought the Oklahoma game was lost because of defense and we will not win big XII or go to a BCS bowl unless the nation sees us beat both Oklahoma and Texas in the same year. So, yes may be we give him one more year max but if there is no improvement we need to look for someone else. I mean when you see guys like Venables and Muschamp, you do feel short handed with Ruffin around. So, may be we give him another year and if no giant strides are made, we certainly need to make the switch. Having said that if there is a really good defensive co-ordinator becomes available suddenly with all the shuffling that’s going on around the nation, I believe we then need to make the move and hire someone this year if that’s the case. In a nutshell it won’t be a huge liability to trade Ruffin for someone else.

  I agree w/ both of you. i personally would give him a handsome raise and keep him on staff and still get a new def coor, if a good one becomes avail. thanks for feedback

  The main reason for starting this post was in response to the OSU DEFENSE last night. KUDOS for them, I really found myself being jealous of a team[ that we beat their ass] doing what we needed to do,,win or lose.. If we had played just near their performance. we wouldn’t be taking all this S##t. in the BCS OR CONFERENCE

OSU’s defense is worst than ours! If they would’ve made one key stop late, they could’ve won. Not to mention what we did to them. I think as crazy as it sounds Tech had an off night and we walked into a buzz-saw in Norman.

I like Ruff for the following reasons:

1) Coaches with passion and enthusiasm; doesn’t sit up in the coaches booth—was almost moved to tears after the Baylor game with his players after having witnessed them them up after an awful first half.
2) Adjusts well after half time - his Defense have been able to respond after dismal first halves.
3) Players respond to his energy-he’s a players coach. All eleven players are running to the ball and never quit.
4) Works with what he has—keep in mind a lot of these players were not recruited by him; more of Lyle’s guys which Ruff made them better.

We should give Ruff another year with this defense. After that, Leach should re-evaluate if they do not make strides in a positive direction.

   Every team we beat this year,, will be a LOT better next year,plus most of them we have to play AT THEIR HOUSE next year. Without a better defense i can see losing at nebraska, texas,osu, baylor, and home to ou. If our defense doesn’t improve tons , conservatively 8-4 to 7-5

I don’t claim to know enough to make this call. I did see a lack of creativity in several games, especially against OU. He is clearly a good motivator and father figure. But his simple (by his admission) defensive schemes don’t seem to cut it with the big competition. How much of our defensive weaknesses are the result of his schemes or the result of limited talent I can’t say. And I don’t understand why we have to get blasted for an entire half before adjustments are made. I have a feeling that emotion by the players won a couple of games for us this year, and not the defensive calls.

  Good read, I agree w/ everything, except your last sentence. He will have nearly a month to prepare for the Cotton or Holiday Bowls. This is plenty of time to prepare for a big game. This game should way heavy on the minds of the decision makers[ meyers, leach, alums[us] ,,, ditto this game as next years texas,neb.osu.ou etc.. I think this ought to be his real test. I hope its thumbs up for him to stay, but lets be honest to ourselves

He can spend some time this off-season at an SEC school and see w

No not as of yet. I have always been a fair man. I have always said allow a coach in charge like a head coach or an offensive coordinator and yes the Defensive coordinator needs a few seasons to recruit and get the players he wants to make his vision reality.

However, there are coaches on the Tech payroll that needs to be given the pink slip and a swift kick in the arse and a solid goodbye!

We have the players this year physically to get the job done to be 12-0 and play like the #1 team in the nation without a doubt!

But Defensively we have sucked time and again and again and again.

I still do not know the wisdom of having a CB be 10 to 20 yards off of a receiver on an obvious passing down! Yes I have heard so to keep the receiver in front and not get burned deep. Yet time and again, the CB gets burned deep and is too far off the ball to do proper run support when its obvious that the play went run. When the kids are aleady 35 yards down field and having to come back up to make a stop where the runner gets 12 to 15 yards.

Its things like that which go to coaching. Which means that the coaches are teaching stupidity. Thus when you have coaches teaching stupidity then its time to tell those coaches to get lost and get some real coaches who can teach proper technique and help the future of the program so that the Secondary is not automatically put into a bind from the snap of the ball because of idiotic scheme being taught and expected!

Its time to say goodbye to the secondaries coaches. Time to give them the boot and bring in better coaches. Although Leach historically does not like to fire anyone until his hand is forced, I think its high time we force the hand of both Leach and McNeill because it is best for the program because its obvious that there is a massive problem in coaching technique and proper coverages right now.

In the loss and all other games, this problem has been there. To be honest, if the CBs were taught how to properly jam and run with the receivers you would have seen a 60% improvement!

But right now, Tech needs new coaches on Defense to improve the program. I just do not as of yet call for the head of McNeill because its his first season. To be honest, McNeill has done well with the exceptions of 3 games at his job. The game which Ruffin dropped the ball and screwed the pooch was Oklahoma. McNeill should have had a better game plan and should have run the defense we did in the 4th quarter against Baylor from the get go with Oklahoma. I saw all sorts of stunts and blitzes which should have been tried against Oklahoma. I saw stunts and blitzes that were not even used all year! WHY the HELL was MCNEILL SAVING those for Baylor?

Its aggrivating but I will allow that to be chocked up to learning and even a coach can have a bad game and a bad game plan.

But there is no excuse for the secondaries coaches as they have sucked all season and sucked since they were hired.

If TTECH is to rise to the next level, we will need better coaches and players. We are getting the better players. So the next obvious course is to improve the coaching staff and it more than time to get rid of several dead weight coaches. Its time to demand that the coaches deliver or be given the boot!

  The total defense ranking of 120 div 1 teams : T TECH #72 T A/M #114 BAYLOR #87

I vote he stays. I really think our defense will improve next year as most are saying the opposite. The secondary will be better and the linebackers will have some experience behind them. Ruff has had one season to make this all work and we-re 11-1 which is nearly perfect. I do believe Tech has played better defense on emotions this year (Texas). Leach will make us a force again next season. I see our biggest challeges in Nebraska and Austin. I think we pull off another home based victory against a top ranked OU in Lubbock. I like Tech at 10-2 next season with possibility of BCS berth. The offense will be just as good next year as this current offense. We have great running backs and receivers in the line up. Potts will be a stud and a bit more mobile than Harrell which will bring another dimension to the offense. Call me crazy but I see a great 2009 season coming.

I hope your right at 10-2. I honestly think next year with the away games at NEB,TEX, OSU ,BAYLOR AND , OU HERE. ,besides the other teams KAN, KAN ST. etc. i think we will be lucky at the usual 8-4. I really hope i’m wrong,but just being realistic. The Big 12 south will be tough again next year, especially w/ McCoy,Bradford, etc, and all the B12 will better next year. GO TECH

That is funny and no where even remotely true. Harrell is faster and more mobile in the pocket than Potts. That has always been true.

Although Harrell rarely runs, he has speed which most people never get to see or they seem to forget they saw the speed.

So if your wanting a more mobile and Faster QB with a strong cannon arm, its not Potts.
Doege is faster and can throw farther down the field than Harrell. He is also just as tall.

All the talk about his injury is BS right now. He has completely recovered and he has improved his leg strength and gotten faster than before.

But Potts is not faster than Harrell or more mobile. However, Potts has a true cannon of an arm and can throw deeper than any other QB. I have not seen enough of Doege to do a true comparison. But I can say that both Doege and Potts have a stronger arm than Harrell.

Offensive experience in knowing Leach’s system and idea, is a toss up between the two QBs next spring. Doege has been to the Tech camp and done the Leach QB program since he was in the 8th grade. He showed as much promise as Potts last spring as a true freshman who was able to do some of the practices. Doege just did not get the time because it was his first semester and Leach never gives Freshman QBs that much play time in the spring. But Doege has run a few scout teams and looked pretty darn good. But I would like to see Doege run a true 1st or 2nd String offense to compare 1 up with Potts.

That will happen in the spring when Leach will name his front runner for QB at the Red and Black game. Then on July 15th, Leach will post his ideal first string based on spring practice and after he has had time to evaluate the spring films.