Five Questions | Still Figuring Things Out and Basketball Optimism
by Seth C on Oct 18, 2010 6:01 AM CDT
in Texas Tech Football
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In lieu of links, DTN asks five questions.
1. IS THE PLAYER OR THE COACH RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY GAME? | Make sure and watch the coordinators from yesterday's post-game press conference. I've done a non-transcript and up first is OC Neal Brown:
OC Neal Brown: Just didn't play very well. Somewhat uninspired early in the costest. Didn't finish plays. Guys are down, Oklahoma St. took the fight to the team. Played with sense of urgency against Baylor. Still did some good things. Early in the game, those first 4 or 5 drives, it was bad technique. Same opening script against Baylor. Drive oriented offense. Not going to hit a ton of big plays. Capable of doing that and can't overcome negative plays. Nobody to be frustrated except with ourselves. Try to figure out what's going on, from pre-game, to what we eat, to how we practice. If we're not ready to go, I don't understand. Only get 12 games, should be ready and up to play.
This is a strange phenomena, something that I think fans have a difficult time understanding, which is how does a team not get up for each and every game? I think every coach in America faces this question and it's the easy excuse to make after a loss (pretty sure this was the impetus of fat little girlfriends, so no, it's not just Tuberville). And even in the NFL, you can say that certain teams don't look "ready to play". Again, a cheap excuse. Do you ever buy the excuse that a team isn't up for a particular game and do you think it's the responsibility of the staff or the responsibility of the player to play with emotion if you do buy this excuse?
2. DO YOU THINK THE INJURIES TO THE DEFENSE ARE TAKING THEIR TOLL OVER THE PAST 3 WEEKS? | DC James Willis isn't making excuses in his post-game press conference, although Willis continues to say that it's about effort, technique and assignments:
DC James Willis: Look at what happened and why. Go back to basics. Guys in the wrong place. Those are things that have to be addressed. Can't count the injuries as a factor. Really doesn't matter. The offenses are quite different from the SEC, the skill level is better in the Big 12, more passing. Never want to waste a redshirt, have to be careful. The coaching style isn't that different. It's all about effort, technique and assignment.
Although Willis isn't blaming injuries, do you think that the absence of DE Scott Smith, DE Aundrey Barr, DE Kerry Hyder, CB Will Ford, FS Franklin Mitchem, and DT Chris Perry are starting to take their toll on the performance of the defense?
3. SHOULD THE RECRUITING CLASSES FROM 2006, 2007 AND 2008, OR LACK THEREOF, BE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFENSE? | One of the things I mentioned yesterday was the idea that this team truly lacks playmakers, on either offense or defense. Tuberville is playing with the hand that Leach dealt and part of me thinks that because the result is due to the fact that the defense doesn't have the depth that it should. The heart of this defense should be the 2007 recruiting class. Of the 9 defensive commits from 2007, only ILB Bront Bird and DT Colby Whitlock are the only significant players this year, while Sam Fehoko, Tyrone Sonier and Bobby Agoucha are ancillary players at this point. Of those 9 defensive commits, 3 of them were JUCO's and only 2 had a significant impact in 2009 (Howard and Sharpe).
In the 2008 recruiting class, of the 7 defensive commits, only SS Cody Davis is making a significant impact and 5 of those players were JUCO players that never really made a significant impact or only made an impact for one year (Sesay and Dixon). (And if you want to really go back, the 2006 recruiting class had 19 commits, where Jamar Wall, Franklin Mitchem, LaRon Moore, Brandon Williams, Rajon Henley, Richard Jones, Brian Duncan, Marlon Williams and Julius Howard made significant impacts on this team. There's 10 players in that class that either never made an impact or made it on campus).
Leach loaded up on JUCO players, which is always a dangerous proposition and of those 8 JUCO players in 2007 and 2008, 5 of them were on the defensive line, which means that the defensive linemen that Leach did recruit didn't stick or have not made a significant impact (Whitlock is the exception). If we're going to play the blame game, should some blame be on Leach for the lack of defensive depth on this team?
4. WHO ARE THE PLAYMAKERS ON OFFENSE AND WHO DO OPPOSING DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS SCHEME FOR? | This is a similar question to question #3, which is to ask you who are the playmakers on this team on offense? Whether Leach was coaching this team or OC Brown is coaching this team, if you're the defensive coordinator for the opposing team, who on this team do you scheme for from a defensive perspective, especially after watching OSU WR Justin Blackmon and RB Kendall Hunter make something out of nothing?
5. DO YOU THINK THE MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND WILL YOU IGNORE SETH C AS HE ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT YOU? | Whether you like it or not, I am going to try to distract you with hopeful discussion about how this year's men's basketball team is going to make the NCAA Tournament. Do you at all think that the men's basketball team has a chance to make the NCAA Tournament, or is this just wishful thinking? Will you placate me and actually read any articles I write about Texas Tech basketball or can I just expect to be ignored?
1. IS THE PLAYER OR THE COACH RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY GAME?
2. DO YOU THINK THE INJURIES TO THE DEFENSE ARE TAKING THEIR TOLL OVER THE PAST 3 WEEKS?
3. SHOULD THE RECRUITING CLASSES FROM 2006, 2007 AND 2008, OR LACK THEREOF, BE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFENSE?
4. WHO ARE THE PLAYMAKERS ON OFFENSE AND WHO DO OPPOSING DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS SCHEME FOR?
5. DO YOU THINK THE MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND WILL YOU IGNORE SETH C AS HE ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT YOU?
Red Raiders Fan Confidence Poll
Last tallied on 10/20.
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5 answers
1. yes
2. yes
3. yes
4. none
5.no, but I will read and prolly go at first
"As we continue to merely "talk about championships""
You asked, so here's my thoughts.....
1. IS THE PLAYER OR THE COACH RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY GAME? BOTH.
If neither is “up to it” then get out of coaching or quit playing football. You get to play a game one time a week, for twelve games. The other 40 weeks you may not have a championship or bowl game to be playing for so your ass better be inspired. Red Raiders looked uninspired as well as the Jones AT&T crowd. Pink thing? Dunno, but g-damn a ranked team shows up and it sounds paltry. And no hating on those that booed the “injured” OSU players – some of those “downed” players should get Oscars for acting.
2. DO YOU THINK THE INJURIES TO THE DEFENSE ARE TAKING THEIR TOLL OVER THE PAST 3 WEEKS?
Yes, they are. When Chuck Carlton makes note of it (see this A.M.‘s edition of the DMN) then it’s a problem, however….love that Willis and Bird were quoted postgame as saying, there’s no excuse for playing crappy (more or less).
3. SHOULD THE RECRUITING CLASSES FROM 2006, 2007 AND 2008, OR LACK THEREOF, BE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFENSE?
Yes, if the talent is subpar or lacking, how could it not be a problem. But I’d hope that Willis the Wizard could conjur up some kind of spell to make what we have at least satisfactory. The tackling and positioning on pursuits/attacks is poor. Secondary has it’s tail between it’s leg. Blackmon is not Crabtree, but after Saturday you could fool me.
4. WHO ARE THE PLAYMAKERS ON OFFENSE AND WHO DO OPPOSING DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS SCHEME FOR?
Receivers? Leong or Torres. Detron Lewis? Yeah, he’s good for 2-3 drops a game. CornDog showed some promise on Saturday. I think Stephens is stealing some of Batch’s thunder, but whenever I think that Baron bust through for a big game, of course it would be wonderful if both could hold onto the ball, i.e. Saturday on crucial drives.
5. DO YOU THINK THE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND WILL YOU IGNORE SETH C AS HE ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT YOU?
Hope Knight gets them there. It’s not BB season yet, Seth. I will ignore the BB news unless some kind of news of the second coming of Wilt Chamberlain has enrolled at TTU.
1. IS THE PLAYER OR THE COACH RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY GAME?
I do think it is hard to be “inspired” EVERY game but there is no excuse for executing, playing hard and staying focused on your assignments. This is what has been the biggest problem, 11 players being mentally sharp every game.
2. DO YOU THINK THE INJURIES TO THE DEFENSE ARE TAKING THEIR TOLL OVER THE PAST 3 WEEKS?
Yes and the early departure of Brandon Williams, JUCO washouts from previous recruiting classes anda new defensive scheme are all adding up to make this a difficult year. Honestly, I thought Chris Perry would have had a bigger impact on this team than he has.
3. SHOULD THE RECRUITING CLASSES FROM 2006, 2007 AND 2008, OR LACK THEREOF, BE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFENSE?
Yes, that’s just the way it is. I liked Leach but he is being a bit dishonest by saying this was going to be his BEST TEAM EVER.
4. WHO ARE THE PLAYMAKERS ON OFFENSE AND WHO DO OPPOSING DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS SCHEME FOR?
Leong and Stephens, but I believe they are more concerned with getting Potts rattled early with some pressure from the DEs and DTs.
5. DO YOU THINK THE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND WILL YOU IGNORE SETH C AS HE ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT YOU?
I like what Pat has done with recruiting but I really never focus on basketball until after National Signing Day so I’m really not distracted at all but focused like a laser.
"Well I’m glad you picked us last, we put that on the bulletin board and maybe we can circle around that" - Neal Brown, Offensive Coordinator
Off base.
Before Mike Leach was fired, he said he tought the 2010 class would be one of his best ever. He said it during the 2009 season on mutilple occassions. Who are we to say he was being dishonest?
When you refer to the lack of playmakers on both offense and defense as a fault of Leach “that’s the hand that Leach dealt them”, that is unfair.
Mike Leach recruited the type of players he wanted/needed for HIS team, both offense and defense.
It’s not Mike Leach’s fault that Tubbs decided to wreck a potent offense. Sure, Leach never really cared much for the defensive side of the ball, so I would agree that the cupboard was bare for Willis.
Tech – while having certain stars on their team, and none bigger than Crabtree, has always been a team with many weapons. The Air Raid was not about stars, but about multiple players making plays throughout the game. It was about execution, catching the ball, and bringing wave after wave of receivers.
The Tech defense has been poor this year, though i think Willis is doing the right thing. However, if the offense could score, and move the ball consistently, we could be 5 – 1, or even 6 – 0.
That falls on Tubbs and Brown. It is obvious few players have confidence in Tubbs or Brown. They don’t know the sytem, they don’t trust the system, and they don’t like the system. Hardly a recipe for success.
Under Leach, this would be totally different. That’s clear.
Take the "P" out of "Pirate" and I'm "Irate"!!!
I guess I’m trying to be intellectually honest. This offense was at it’s best with Crabtree and the 2008 team. There were not waves of receivers, but rather 4 or 5 that caught in the neighborhood of 80% of the team’s passes.
And I’m not sure who you are quoting, but I think that a big part of the blame for the defense was three straight recruiting classes that had more than a handful of JUCO players, some who never made a significant impact and some who never made the campus. That’s a problem. There’s almost no depth on the defensive line and when the offense is having to play catch-up all of the time, it’s not good. Does that mean that I don’t think the offense should be better? Absolutely not, but I also think that the offense has a lack of players that can stretch the field, other than Leong.
Go Raiders . . .
Double-T Nation
1. Who cares? Inspiration and $1.25 will buy you a Coke in this conference.
2. Yes, having Will Ford and Mitchem out hurts, but the cupboard is essentially bare at this point on the DL, and I doubt having two of our steadier DBs back would help that situation too much. I didn’t get to watch the game, but looking at the personnel who played, it looks like our 3-4 was more of a 2-2-7, and we paid the price for that weakness up front.
3. Well of course it is. We’re on defensive coordinator #3 and defensive scheme #2.5 in 3 seasons: we were already going to be in a bad enough spot trying to replace DL for our 4-3; now try installing a 3-4 and oh by the way the best our recruiting can get you in terms of immediate help is a Juco DE who’s going to get suspended 4 games into the season.
4. Stephens and Batch are the most important members of the offense right now, because they are the only thing buying any kind of space and time for our WR corps. Opposing DC’s know that if they jam and physically intimidate these receivers, they will probably fold, and the only semi-legit deep threat we have is the Potts-Leong connection, which is nice but nothing that a CB with Safety help from over the top can’t mitigate effectively.
5. Noooope
#4-The Leach system made players...
Seth,you of all people understand this…and I know Leach is not coming back, but we as a community should hold the administration accountable for the past year!
Tubby is about defense(he should be able to do better than this?) and running the ball and we were about throwing, it was a bad fit and Tubby was a reach after embarrassing themselves with the Leach situation(why didn’t we find a coach who fit our personnel? The risk of bringing in Tubby was total remodel..though he did say he was going to keep the Air Raid?)…the way this was handled has so very many people questioning if we have the leadership at our fine university to ever lead us to competing for any type of title, and frankly our school has never(Leach came the closest,we ranked #2 at one point not even two years ago, and look how he was rewarded?)
Bottom line is we should be reviewing the administration-AKA Bell Tower Boys-ability to put our football team in a position to win more,and only time will tell if Tubby’s total remodeling job in the next few years will get us there, but the real question is did we have to go through this, our program was not broken
I’ve never once said that the administration shouldn’t be blamed. Never once. But as I said yesterday, I don’t think the administration or the boosters that really make the decisions are ready to pull the plug . . . at this point. If I had to guess, Tuberville has a 3 year window as do most head coaches.
Go Raiders . . .
Double-T Nation
Sorry..
I did not think you didn’t blame the administration(I know you were as upset as we were). I love this blog and promote it to all…
Yes I think that Tubby will be given three years to “remodel”, but the" taste" of how Leach was handled and why it was done is so bad that seeing this poor start makes you agonize over why are we here??
I agree. But I don’t think we can turn back the clock. I agonize too, but I can’t keep writing about how bad the administration screwed this up as I would probably end up just posting the same content over and over. If I don’t try to focus on the field, then there’s really nothing for me to discuss other than how December of last year was about egos.
Go Raiders . . .
Double-T Nation
We could all just tell jokes ...
or better yet just watch the comedy in the tower or on the field :) In all seriousness though it is tough to take and yes there is only so much content that can be expended. But as I said in an earlier post. We do have “Voice” no matter how much we repeat it. (thx Seth for providing that with this great forum). And I for one do not believe that any of it is “Wasted”, ( and I know Seth you weren’t implying that) no matter how much it is repeated. Public opinion is VERY important and I suspect it’s gonna get worse before it gets better. Thank God we have this forum it is one HUGE way we keep our “Voice”!
by Raiderit on Oct 19, 2010 12:50 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Tubby will never lead us to more than 6 win.
We are now freaking aTm. They have go to be the dumbest uniersity in the nation. They keep hiring these CEO coaches, and they are getting know where. After Sherman, we can give them Tubby. He is the perfect fit for aTm. That game in College Station is going to be the game of the century. Two losing programs, two losing coaches, trying to take home the CEO trophy. At least the Sherman has someone he can relate to in the Big 12.
"I spent 18 months, off and on, with the script writer. I might as well have not spent one second with him." Don Haskins.
Seth - Can you intervew someone at Track'Em Tigers?
I would like to see how Auburn feels about what we are going through and what it was like to flip-flop from good season to bad every year when TT was there. What advise would they have for all of us? From an outsiders perspective with Tuberville experience do they think we should be optimistic for 2011 or do they feel sorry for us?
Yea, I know this is something for after the Houston game, but the season is over unless you win out. We are not going to do that so season IS over!
I did this when
Tuberville was hired, but I don’t have time to look for it this morning. I’ll see if I can’t find it after work today.
Go Raiders . . .
Double-T Nation
I saw that, but things are different now.
I bet they would give you completely different answers.
Thanks. It probably wouldn’t make me feel any better anyway. Probably worse.
And maybe I can do this after the year. Sometimes I feel bad asking other blogs to essentially write a blog post during the year, especially when I know that I’m short on time during the week to try to preview a game for the next week. Maybe after the year or feel free to post a FanPost on Track Em Tigers.
Go Raiders . . .
Double-T Nation
Seth, it would be really interesting to see how the fans at Auburn fill now about Gene Chizik.
You have to give credit to Auburn. They hired a coach with a losing record at Iowa State. Chizik was booed from the beginning. He went 8-5 his first year, and by the way, he took over a program that was 5-7 the previous year under coach Tubby. In his second year, his team in ranked in the top 10 in the BCS standings
Chizik’s first Auburn squad set numerous team and individual records, including team records for most points (433) and total yards (5,613) in a season. The Tigers had a knack for playing well in big games, winning four games against teams that played in bowl games during the 2009 season.
Auburn decided they wanted a program to score points. They went out and found the best guy for the job. Jusy saying.
"I spent 18 months, off and on, with the script writer. I might as well have not spent one second with him." Don Haskins.
Chizik is not the reason they are scoring
Gus Malzahn is the Mike Leach of the SEC and having Florida’s leftovers in Cam Newton is the other reason. Auburn can score for sure though.
Chizik is a Defense specialist and giving up 43 points to Arkansas in the SEC is not something to hold one’s head high about. Auburn will not beat someone with a good to great defense and a decent offense (insert Alabama).
by idaho_techsan on Oct 18, 2010 11:41 AM CDT up reply actions
And Gus will be our next HC
Just dreaming
"grinnin with big ears, this could be my last year, someones future is starting to spoil" - The Lexington Brothers..
by raider realist on Oct 18, 2010 12:21 PM CDT up reply actions
I am going to be in Boulder this weekend, so I am going to make sure that I go to the pre game meal.
That has to be the answer to question number one. The answer is right in front of coach Tubby and OC Brown. Put Sticks into the game. I have come to give Potts credit for his attitude. He might be tough mentally, but he is not a leader. Period. Your leader is sitting on the sidelines, losing interest each and every play. Why is it coach Tubby, that while you have lied to us about everyting else, why is it that once you make your decision on your quarterback you Stick with it, no pun intended.
On question number two, no I do not think injuries have played a part in our defense turning out to be the worst defense in Tech history. Our HC and DC think we have top 150 ESPNU and Top 100 Rivals.com recruits. We are three star and sprinkled in four star recruits. We are coachable, we listen, we are hungry. Stop treating us like we are Texas and Alabama and Ohio State. This is freaking Texas Tech, in Lubbock, Texas, and we are damn proud of it. So why don’t you just start coaching amd teaching and earn your living.
I partly answer question number three on recruiting in number two. These coaches are living in La La land. We need coaches who are trying to prove something. You have hungry players wanting to learn and be coached. It is the coaches responsibility to put the kids in a winning position. They are asking our kids to do things they cannot do. Look at Bird. That kid is trying is hardest, but they have him in the wrong place. His skills are limited, just use the skill sets that he has. Leach and Ruff understood this. They knew where they came from. Our current coaches are dumb ass. Sorry Seth, but its the truth.
I cannot answer who the playmakers are on this team, because it is the same answer. Our coaches don’t know how to coach. They are not used to coaching. Tubby is CEO, and DC Willis came from Alabama. I know Brown came from Troy, but he answers to CEO, and if you want to keep your job, you do what the CEO says. Do our coaches really think our kids can run same offense as Alabama, Texas, Ohio State. They certainly must think so. Our playmakers is sitting on the bench, wasting away each and every Saturday. If I was Stick, I would just tell Potts to sit down and go in on my own. Sticks won’t play because he does not listen to Tubby.
On question number five, I hope our baskeball team makes the NCAA tournament. But right now, I am pulling for womens soccer. They are having a really good year. They are moving up in the standings in the Big12. Think about it, I think right now, all of our other sports are ranked higher in the Big 12 than our revenue producing program that used to be called football.
Sorry guys, that I am still freaking pissed.
"I spent 18 months, off and on, with the script writer. I might as well have not spent one second with him." Don Haskins.
Gosh...
those ARE some good points!!
Especially the part where you said “our current coaches are dumb ass” [sic].
I would agree
and say that name-calling is just counter-productive. Players, coaches, etc. I’ve let the cat out of the bag with the admin and I think it would be near impossible to change that.
I understand it’s tough being a fan of Texas Tech football right now, but the less name-calling, the easier it is to do my job on DTN.
Go Raiders . . .
Double-T Nation
Metaphor is a good workaround
As in “The playcalling could have been done by Forrest Gump for all its ineffectiveness”. No specific people mentioned. No adjectives implying low IQ. Just a fictional character familiar to anybody who lived through the 1990’s.
Metaphore is to an angry Tech fan as a train and a tunnel were to Hollywood directors of the 1950’s who wanted to imply a couple were about to have sex – See Hitchcock’s North By Northwest for the best example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPt-4Nwght0
Five Answesrs
IS THE PLAYER OR THE COACH RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY GAME?
I think everyone is. Although, I would say this (and hate to bring up Potts again) but even last year, the team and especially the offense looked lack luster in the games we lost and magically transformed into a championship caliber offense once Sheffield was brought in. I see a leadership void in this year’s team and Potts is clearly not a leader who can win the big games for us. I think the solution is quite simple, bring in another QB because our current QB is very very inconsistent and lacks leadership. He had one good game last year (OU) and has one decent game this year (Baylor and no I am not counting ISU because it was a loss). A QB ( be it Karam, Doege or Sheffield) who can re-energize the offense is what we need (Or atleast based on the results from last year, I think that’s the quickest solution if our coaches still plan on taking us to a bowl game).
2.DO YOU THINK THE INJURIES TO THE DEFENSE ARE TAKING THEIR TOLL OVER THE PAST 3 WEEKS?
Yes the injuries are a factor but our defense has not played well (with the exception of the Texas game) but I will give them a pass because they are truly rebuilding and undergoing a transformation.
3. SHOULD THE RECRUITING CLASSES FROM 2006, 2007 AND 2008, OR LACK THEREOF, BE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFENSE?
I don’t think so.
4. WHO ARE THE PLAYMAKERS ON OFFENSE AND WHO DO OPPOSING DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS SCHEME FOR?
Lyle Leong remains Potts’ favorite target, so obviously the opposing DC’s scheme for him. Other than that I think they are also wary of Batch, Stephens and may be Torres.
5. DO YOU THINK THE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND WILL YOU IGNORE SETH C AS HE ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT YOU?
I see a similarity between our football QB and our basketball coach here. Both look great on paper but cannot finish. No, I don’t see us making it to the NCAA tournament this year either. Yes, Seth C we forgive you.
I'm not buying the lack of talent argument for one minute
If Tuberville had done what many expected, which was to at least equal the previous season’s record, would we be hearing about the lack of talent?
I think we need to look beyond the recruiting classes (a shallow argument in most cases), and look who actually plays in the game.
Offense
Using the Rivals ranking system, we can evaluate how well our talent does or does not measure up.
Let’s look at the starting lineup against Oklahoma State
Average Rivals Score for starters 5.56
4-Stars: 1
3 Stars: 7
2-Stars: 2 (Keown and Leong)
NR: 1 (Torres- who was the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year in 2009)
If we look at depth, based on who played against Oklahoma State, we also receive a Rivals score of 5.58.
Note that players who are walk-ons are not calculated in the above scores. Those players include Sheffield, Torres, and Darrin Moore.
Defense
Again let’s look at he starting lineup against Oklahoma State.
4-Stars: 1
3-Stars: 7
2-Stars: 2 (Cody Davis, the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2009, and Bobby Agoucha)
NR: 1 (Dewhurst, who was substituting in for an injured Franklin Mitchem, himself a 3-star recruit).
If we look at depth, based on the 24 (or so) defensive players who played against Oklahoma State, we also register a Rivals score of 5.58.
The NR defensive players include Neboh and Dewhurst (I think).
How good does our talent have to be?
A 4-star recruit receives a mininum score of 5.8.
Our starting lineup averages a raw score of 5.55. Of the 50-odd players who took the field on Saturday, their raw scores averaged 5.58.
Do we need a team full of 4-star recruits to even compete?
Does anyone outside of Texas et al field that type of team?
It’s time to get real and park the “we have no talent” drivel.
We’re either a) getting outcoached or are b) suffering through a coaching transition.
I am going with option B.
The problem is not so much that the team is struggling. The problem is that we were sold a fairy tale of tweaks and championships.
Six weeks into the season, we get the equivalent of a letter in the mail reassuring us that this was actually a process all along and that we were silly to expect to even sustain our previous success.
We are being told that we have to break what we have to build what we hope for.
Early in my career I used to be a management consultant. We had a rule against those types of sales pitches, which were viewed as fireable offenses.
Never over promise only to under-deliver.
The more cynical among us used to describe it as “Sell the dream. Manage the disappointment.”
"This time it's different."
I’m not saying that we don’t have talent. Absolutely not, but what I was trying to get at was the idea that there was a ton of talent that was recruited/signed/committed that were short-timers/JUCOS and the overall effect was either that they played one good year (Dixon, Howard, Sharpe, etc.) or didn’t even make it on campus. In trying to think of new things to ask (there’s only so many times that I can ask “what’s wrong with _”) I took a look at those recruiting classes and noticed the high volume of JUCO defensive linemen and wanted to pose the question more than anything else.
Go Raiders . . .
Double-T Nation
Sorry Seth, that was not a knock on you or your question (which is perfectly valid). That response came from my intuition that these kids are actually about as talented as we are likely to see in most years since 2005.
We are thin at some positions, but we always are. The defensive classes in 2009 and 2010 were addressing those shortcomings.
My broader point is to express my frustration that somehow Tuberville and Co will dramatically upgrade our talent. If so, then how does a mediocre season make the Tech case more attractive to recruits (who granted make their decisions on a broad variety of factors like geographic proximity to their home, etc. See Texas A&M.)
Sorry if my response came off the wrong way…
"This time it's different."
by LondonRaider on Oct 18, 2010 9:16 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
No offense taken, no need to apologize. This was just me trying to think some things through.
Go Raiders . . .
Double-T Nation
Meant to say
“frustration with those who are placing their faith in imaginary future 5-star recruits while disparaging the current team and somehow believe that…” (I think that part got deleted).
"This time it's different."
by LondonRaider on Oct 18, 2010 9:21 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Option B was probably the real answer along...
But with a stadium expansion option B doesn’t sell season tickets.
Dropped passes and some untimely turnovers in the ISU and OSU have all turned out to kill momentum at key times.
"Well I’m glad you picked us last, we put that on the bulletin board and maybe we can circle around that" - Neal Brown, Offensive Coordinator
lack of talent?
Is the question – Is there a lack of talent relative to other top programs, or is there a lack of talent relative to the talent Leach had available to him.
I would guess that coming into this year, the talent available was at least equal/consistent with the talent Leach has had in prior years.
So then the question is, can the new coaches win with the talent that will be made available to them.
Top programs use their recruits to run the programs they have installed.
I always had the belief that Leach looked at his talent, and tweaked the scheme to fit his talent. At least on offense, every year seemed the same, but a little bit different.
Those numbers are fine in aggregate
and I don’t think anyone is complaining about our depth at cornerback. The problem is that since 2006, Colby Whitlock, Brandon Williams, and Richard Jones have been the only players to make an impact on the DL for more than 2 years, and Williams went pro after his junior season. McKinner Dixon Redux would have been great except he still couldn’t get the hang of the “student” part of “student-athlete”, Brandon Sharpe was a one-year wonder, Daniel Howard had a decent senior year as a starter, but was limited to situational snaps in 2008 when we had all-conference talent at both ends, etc, etc. What separated an 8-win 2007 from a 11-win 2008 wasn’t that Harrell and Crabtree had an extra year to figure out that they were good at scoring touchdowns, it was the fact that we had Brandon Williams, Colby Whitlock, Richard Jones, and McKinner Dixon fronting for our defense.
by mojavereject on Oct 18, 2010 9:20 AM CDT up reply actions
I hear you Mojave. But look at the true DL’s who did play against OSU:
Wade: 4-star, 5.8
Perry: 3-star, 5.7
Rumph: 3-star, 5.7
Hyder: 3-star, 5.5
Langley: 3-star, 5.7
Whitlock: 3-star, 5.5
Agoucha 2-star, 5.2
As for Duncan, and given the poor play of our LBs, maybe the perceived benefits of putting him on the line does not outweigh the impact he had as a linebacker. We play a 3-4 now, sort of, we had Whilock starting at DE, Agoucha at NT, and Duncan at the other DE.
Do you think that this alignment is really maximizing the talent on the DL. Do we not think that 7 true D-linemen plus Duncan is not sufficient talent. Based on the numbers, we have more talent on the DL than we do in the secondary. I don’t know the answer myself, but it’s hard to believe that lack of talent is our excuse.
If you were to include Smith and Barr.who are both out for the year, that’s a grand total of 8 highly rated D-linemen at the start of the year, not including Duncan who is playing in a brand new position.
"This time it's different."
by LondonRaider on Oct 18, 2010 9:51 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Sorry for the grammar errors, it’s tough responding over iPhone!
"This time it's different."
by LondonRaider on Oct 18, 2010 9:54 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
I guess that's the difference between stars on a recruiting service
and results on the field. Chris Perry is basically a known quantity at this point, and unfortunately he doesn’t amount to much. Tech’s website says Rumph was a 4-star prospect on Rivals by the way, but he’s clocked playing time in six games so far and hasn’t really developed into an instant impact guy, so he’s a wait and see. Kerry Hyder has a shot at becoming an excellent DE for us, but he’s still just a RS freshman and probably won’t start looking salty until the end of this year/start of next year (optimistically). Langley was (if I am not mistaken) playing out of position and supplementing depth at DE and hopefully we can see him develop further. Whitlock… <3. Bobby Agoucha was originally part of our 06 recruiting class, didn’t pan out after a redshirt year in 07, and is now back with I think 3 more years of eligibility? I wish him well on his second go-round.
--
At any rate, I think the key point to draw from that list is that the guys on that list Tech recruited out of high school are, in descending order
Whitlock- unadulterated success
Perry- a bust considering some of the hype he came in with
Hyder- wait and see
Agoucha- bust the first time, we’ll see about take 2
I know recruiting is a hit or miss process, but nearly (or over, depending on how you classify Agoucha) of our DL are Juco plugins, who tend to be about as reliable as reliable as a secondhand Pontiac Solstice. We need better high school recruiting in this area in a bad way
by mojavereject on Oct 18, 2010 11:45 AM CDT up reply actions
Consider the Competition
Rivals Ratings for OK State’s starting OL
Martinez: 3-star, 5.5 score
Rush: 3-star, 5.5 score
Garner: 3-star, 5.5 score
Taylor: 2-star, 5.3 score
Adcock: NR
Keep in mind that OK State’s OL was returning just one starter this year. That line is allowing one sack per 34 passing attempts and enabling their running backs to generate 4.65 yards per carry.
Our DL should be more competitive – especially when Whitlock is taking on 3 players at any one time.
"This time it's different."
by LondonRaider on Oct 18, 2010 2:07 PM CDT up reply actions
Didn't we get Perry
after he transfered from Miami ? did a year there and did not like it, came in like Miles Wade with much a do about his size and weight and all, but has not found his way into the starting lineup as a consistent DT, he could be a prime NT with his height and weight.
as for me and my house, we chose the Lord.
you are correct sir
he slipped past me because I was primarily picking on the defense’s Juco addiction
by mojavereject on Oct 19, 2010 12:08 AM CDT up reply actions
What is the value of talking about stars and rankings when we have guys like Whitlock, one of the best DL in the Big12, who is inaccurately ranked ?
I am not arguing your point, but the data does not support—it is crap data, the only form we really have but it remains as crap data.
as for me and my house, we chose the Lord.
Maybe so TM. I know it’s not perfect data, but it’s the best stuff out there.
I could just argue pointlessly without any supporting evidence.
Instead, I choose to argue pointlessly with lousy data.
"This time it's different."
by LondonRaider on Oct 18, 2010 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions
I apologize if this comment was written badly.
After I read one of you subsequent remarks, in which you were more looking at the whole of the talent, I got your point.
We all use that data at times…it is what it is.
TTU is a team that wins with more or less average college football players….the 3 stars. They constitute the norm for college recruiting having been distilled from the best that comes from HS. These people can become very good football players and often do after 3 to 4 years development as a more or less average time. A three star that is starting after a rs FR or SO year or is either ranked very badly or is being forced to play because there is no one else.
as for me and my house, we chose the Lord.
Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports
did a write up one time about recruiting stars. To make a long story short, the data shows that while a recruit’s rank is not a perfect indicator of how well they will pan out, it is still the best possible indicator.
Five-Star busts and Overachieving Two-Star recruits are surprises for a reason. They are outliers… and exceptions like that should never be mistaken for the norm.
Yea I remember the "Break it to gain it" pitches during our early venture rounds. Excellent points LR and I agree completely with one minor point
“We’re either a) getting outcoached or are b) suffering through a coaching transition.”
I see it as both a and b. And I would add I’m starting to question the overall competency on our side of the field as well. From some of their post game comments they do not seem to know what to do. The “break it to gain it” posturing is just that… It’s all they have to go by now. BTW we did quickly dismiss our original “investment bankers” for presenting one thing and trying to execute another before too much damage was done. Unfortunately the bell tower boys are too bought in at this point to be effective leaders on this if they tried.
by Raiderit on Oct 19, 2010 1:24 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Very well done London Raider. Very Well Done Sir.
However, No So Fast, I am going with option A = option B. How is that for high math. I believe we are being outcoached every Saturday. I believe the talent is there, but the coaches do not know how to coach the talent that we have.
You hit the nail on the head. We are not Texas. Hell, we are not Auburn. Tubby might grab one or two five star recruits, but it is not going to be enught for him. He is CEO, and not a coach. That I understand now, and he will never bring us more than 6 wins, just like aTm.
Bad news is, unless Tubby leaves on his own, this adminstration is never going to admit they screwed big time. Either we run him out of town, or our football program takes a nose dive never seen before on the High Plains.
"I spent 18 months, off and on, with the script writer. I might as well have not spent one second with him." Don Haskins.
What have we become?
1. IS THE PLAYER OR THE COACH RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY GAME? Coach’s job is to instill motivaton in players. This team comes out flat in all games this season IMO. I can definitely see the difference around the side line during a game. I don’t see the enthusiasm being what it was a year ago. We are playing some very boring football with predictability.
2. DO YOU THINK THE INJURIES TO THE DEFENSE ARE TAKING THEIR TOLL OVER THE PAST 3 WEEKS? Yes, but lets not kid ourselves into thinking that’s the only reason. I’m personally not sold on the injured players being great athletes either. I’m also starting to think the defensive planning is weak. I see the same weaknesses week after week. Missed tackles and poor pass coverage. I think we lack pure ability defensively. Ruffin at least game planned and had players ready for competition even with several injuries. Last season we had injuries as well but still managed to win at home less A&M.
3. SHOULD THE RECRUITING CLASSES FROM 2006, 2007 AND 2008, OR LACK THEREOF, BE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFENSE? Yes. No doubt we lack talent on defense. Very few of these guys on the field Saturday would be considered great recruits outside loop 289. Sounds harsh but I think accurate.
4. WHO ARE THE PLAYMAKERS ON OFFENSE AND WHO DO OPPOSING DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS SCHEME FOR? Wow, now that’s a tough question. I think Leong and Stephens. Both these guys play with the breakout ability. We just need an OC that knows how to coach at this level.
5. DO YOU THINK THE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND WILL YOU IGNORE SETH C AS HE ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT YOU? I hope so Seth. Maybe I should just dump the football season tickets for BBall. I think this class he’s recruiting is a good one and I have high hopes but lately I’m trying to be more realistic about my expectations.
"You've got to find your inner pirate" - Mike Leach
1. IS THE PLAYER OR THE COACH RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY GAME?
Each brings their own responsibilities to the contest. It’s about honesty, integrity, and desire when you get to this level. These aren’t jr. high players, they got here because of their talent, and we shouldn’t dismiss this fact.
2.DO YOU THINK THE INJURIES TO THE DEFENSE ARE TAKING THEIR TOLL OVER THE PAST 3 WEEKS?
Absolutely. You can’t remove that number of players from any game and not have it make an impact. I know Willis will put on a good face for us, but come on, take 5,6,or 7 guys out and you have less choices.
3. SHOULD THE RECRUITING CLASSES FROM 2006, 2007 AND 2008, OR LACK THEREOF, BE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFENSE?
Some. That being said, these guys are still developing. We hired a crackerjack coaching staff to get to the next level. They are not coaching up in my opinion. I don’t care what CEO comes in to an organization, but I know a board of directors doesn’t like a shrinking bottom line.
4. WHO ARE THE PLAYMAKERS ON OFFENSE AND WHO DO OPPOSING DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS SCHEME FOR?
That’s pretty easy, Leong, Batch, and Stephens. Potts takes care of himself, no need to worry there.
5. DO YOU THINK THE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND WILL YOU IGNORE SETH C AS HE ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT YOU?
Yep, they’ll make it this year. I won’t spend a lot of time on it though.
1. IS THE PLAYER OR THE COACH RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY GAME?
Both. I agree that this was apparently a problem for Coach Leach last season also, so I can only imagine part of it is this particular group of players. What’s maddening is that I think Coach Leach was trying to address it and that effort was used as an excuse to fire him. I only want to say two more things about Coach Leach:
- I say give Coach Tuberville his shot, give him time to recruit his players and see what he can do with his scheme. But all that said, (just to vent) you don’t fire a guy like Coach Leach (at the point he was fired) to get Coach Tuberville right now, and I think that’s what has everybody so frustrated.
- Coach Leach was a “keep it simple” kind of coach. He famously had like 10 plays and just played them from other formations. It seems like we lack execution, is it possible we’re not seeing the optimum number of reps and/or maybe too much complexity for this group of guys? Just wondering, since apparently this particular group has an issue with motivation.
2. DO YOU THINK THE INJURIES TO THE DEFENSE ARE TAKING THEIR TOLL OVER THE PAST 3 WEEKS?
I’d say yes, but we have been pretty bad all season, so I don’t know that I would use that as an excuse. We’re depleted to be sure, but we weren’t great shakes before the injuries. But, I guess while we have Coach Tuberville I’ll expect great things from defensive recruiting in the off-season. The two things he’s supposed to bring to the table is great recruiting and great defense. I can take that the former leads to the latter, but we’ll see.
3. SHOULD THE RECRUITING CLASSES FROM 2006, 2007 AND 2008, OR LACK THEREOF, BE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFENSE?
Possibly, altho I would also say that we were always “mocked” for our defense (or lack thereof) during the Leach years so I don’t know if the preceding teams were THAT much better. I think the difference is we could score before and everyone BELIEVED we were never out of it. (down 30 pts in the 4th quarter? a mere trifle) But with this team, we NEED the defense to make stops. If we’re not within 7, or really, if we’re trailing at all, we’re probably not gonna take it. Coach Tuberville needs to prove he can WIN, period.
4. WHO ARE THE PLAYMAKERS ON OFFENSE AND WHO DO OPPOSING DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS SCHEME FOR?
Right now, all I see is Eric Stephens and Lyle Leong. I don’t see anyone else on this team keeping anyone awake at night, and even those two are debatable due to streakiness. I really wish Baron Batch had more to work with for his senior season.
5. DO YOU THINK THE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND WILL YOU IGNORE SETH C AS HE ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT YOU?
All I’ll say is this:
Obviously we have no hopes for our football team if we’re already talking about basketball.
1. IS THE PLAYER OR THE COACH RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY GAME?
Both. Remember the Titans should be required viewing! Seriously, this is where I believe Sticks makes all the difference. He lights a fire throughout the entire team. We need this more than we need the strength of Potts arm right now.
2. DO YOU THINK THE INJURIES TO THE DEFENSE ARE TAKING THEIR TOLL OVER THE PAST 3 WEEKS?
Yes.
3. SHOULD THE RECRUITING CLASSES FROM 2006, 2007 AND 2008, OR LACK THEREOF, BE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFENSE?
No. Doing more with less is what we do. It’s about the coaching.
4. WHO ARE THE PLAYMAKERS ON OFFENSE AND WHO DO OPPOSING DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS SCHEME FOR?
Leong, Torres, Batch. Agree with someone elses comment that they know if they rattle Potts early it will have a significant impact.
5. DO YOU THINK THE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND WILL YOU IGNORE SETH C AS HE ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT YOU?
Sorry Seth, but I will ignore the attempted distractions. It’s all about football!
Some Original Thoughts (Hopefully)
1. IS THE PLAYER OR THE COACH RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY GAME?
Inspiration or preparation?
I can work to some pretty high standards even when I am not inspired.
But if I am not prepared to do my job- No pen, No information, No breakfast, No sleep-
then things suffer – of course.
One variable we aren’t looking at is the Baylor effect. So many unexplained performance variances, you have to ask- Is Baylor the only program in the country where it’s athletes party hard the night before the game? Lets be realistic with our answers.
I would like to think our players are smarter than that. I really want to give them credit for having some self control on nights before the game, but it seems to be a more and more valid question as the season progresses.
Even pilots occasionally fail at this, so we have to face reality on what could be happening with college athletes and take a hard look at what we expect from the players versus what reality might be.
I don’t think it’s too much to ask that our players and college football players in general give themselves a chance by picking some other night than the one before the game for an evening social function.
Even if there is only a slight opportunity for improvement with this- and it is not much of a problem, every little bit helps at this point.
Not accusing, just saying: odds are we are not 100% here because even pilots arent, and it is not out of line to raise the question when performance is all over the place.
Even if there is only a tiny amount of this sort of thing going on – little things lead to big things.
Benefit of the doubt to our players of course, but lets not leave it to chance.
2. DO YOU THINK THE INJURIES TO THE DEFENSE ARE TAKING THEIR TOLL OVER THE PAST 3 WEEKS?
Injuries can hurt a team a little bit, but starters are there because they are good athletes who can play football.
It just so happens that all the other guys on the team are too, even if they aren’t starters.
I would like to put forth the idea that if you are on a college football team you aren’t there to decorate the practice field and be gawked at by the ladies passing by, but to be an athlete and play football at a college level. Experience helps, but it is not everything.
3. SHOULD THE RECRUITING CLASSES FROM 2006, 2007 AND 2008, OR LACK THEREOF, BE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFENSE?
This is kind of a false argument and goes along with my last answer. Too much is being made of the idea that somehow, players recruited previously are so alien to the game of football they might as well be from outer space.
It is also a discredit to the players to think that they are useless because there has been a coaching change. Tiny differences should not be that difficult to overcome, and that should long have been settled and water under the bridge in the first week or two of the preseason.
A player put in a bad scenario will struggle, no matter how they got there or who is putting them in the tight spot.
We should at least assume that they are athletes who can do the whole football thing when given a reasonable chance. The thing is they are more often put into a bad spot than in recent years, and you cant expect things to work out when that happens.
4. WHO ARE THE PLAYMAKERS ON OFFENSE AND WHO DO OPPOSING DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS SCHEME FOR?
We are so variable it is a moving target. Other teams will try everything but the kitchen sink and go with whatever works. Names and positions are less important here than the opportunities presented to the opposing team week-to-week.
5. DO YOU THINK THE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND WILL YOU IGNORE SETH C AS HE ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT YOU?
Meh, ignore. They don’t run the ball enough, either. Hah!
Some perspective
Just read an article about Rutgers player Eric LeGrand getting paralyzed from the neck down when he was making a tackle during their game against Army over the weekend. Really puts things in perspective. Time to send prayers and thoughts his way.
one other thing
Can we get off the calls for Sheffield? Unless you honestly think the kid has talent to go undefeated the rest of the way by himself (since the rest of the team ain’t doing it) and somehow win us a major bowl game, I just don’t see the point. If this team doesn’t have enough self-respect to play with Potts just so they don’t get EMBARASSED like they have at least 2/6 games, then who cares what they “want”. And really, like I said 2 weeks ago, if we’re this bad, then why not give experience to one of the young guys if we’re gonna say the rest is “failed experiment” rather than just playing our OTHER “senior” quarterback for the back half of a not very impressive campaign?
Just saying, unless you think Sheffield leads us to 9-3, I don’t see the point in switching to him at this point.
It's not a call for Sheffield (not from me at least)
It ius a call for a change at the QB position. We know exactly what we get when we put Potts under center & we know it is not good enough to compete. Let’s try something, anything else to see if improvement is possible. That is what I want to see happen. Doege, Karem, Scotty Young, Sheffield, just anybody but Potts. The season is shot, so what do we have to lose at this point?
might as well
I agree. Might as well get Doege or Young some time in real game situations with the remainder of our schedule.
I started saying that half way through the OSU game
At this point, let’s get someone who’ll be here next year some experience. I’m not in favor of removing the Red Shirt from Young though. Let’s see what Doege or Karam can do.
Key Comment is from Coach Willis
“The offenses are quite different from the SEC, the skill level is better in the Big 12, more passing.”
If the offenses are better with more talent than the SEC, then it stands to reason that we need better talent for defense than you do in the SEC. What we did is take the talent that we do have and go back to more of a pre-Ruffin type of defense. Basically the same guys that got better with a simplified approach, changed the base and added all kinds of complexity. While it sounded good at the time and seemed to be working in Spring and Fall practice they may have just been going against an offense that has lost it’s identity. Everyone is concerned with not making any mistakes and not concentrating on making plays. I believe that you play how you practice and if all are overly concerned with not screwing up all the time then we see what we get.
Bring on PK. I am all about setting expectations HIGH>
That is a telling quote, isn't it?
I continue to maintain that the SEC is the most over-rated conference in college football. Top to bottom, I still think the Big XII was better than the SEC in 2009 and 2010, and the Pac-10 is clearly better than the SEC this year.
On the other hand, no one else has an exclusive contract with ESPN. So, it’s really hard for other conferences to make a case for themselves.
1. IS THE PLAYER OR THE COACH RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY GAME?
Yes, it is both, this is team sport, win and lose as a team.
2. DO YOU THINK THE INJURIES TO THE DEFENSE ARE TAKING THEIR TOLL OVER THE PAST 3 WEEKS?
LOL, Coach Willis talks about being in the right place, then that the injuries can’t factor…but it is the injured players who had demonstrated they knew where the right place is….
3. SHOULD THE RECRUITING CLASSES FROM 2006, 2007 AND 2008, OR LACK THEREOF, BE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFENSE?
Certainly, a good football needs well developed depth. The change in schemes, even if the coaches were trying to do exactly what the prior staff did, (an impossibility since they don’t know what the prior staff did, how could they/), there would be differences. I heartily dislike recruiting from the JC’s, it is an indicator of weakness in a program IMHO.
4. WHO ARE THE PLAYMAKERS ON OFFENSE AND WHO DO OPPOSING DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS SCHEME FOR?
Batch and Stephens, Leong, Zouzalik, and Torres…I don’t hear of one on the O-line, the remaining recievers are wanna bes, and the play makers are second stringers to most of the past receiver corps starters….they cannot catch a football consistently…add that to a qb who is not as accurate as we have seen in the past and there you have it.
5. DO YOU THINK THE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND WILL YOU IGNORE SETH C AS HE ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT YOU?
Nope, they don’t play good basketball. Maybe there is more depth on this team than I realize, I hope so… I don’t like the recruiting that I have seen in this program over the past 4 or 5 years either…maybe this year’s class is going to be a milestone for a turn about.
as for me and my house, we chose the Lord.
One other comment about basketball and the NCAA
a one and out = zero.
A team that makes the tourney because their conference has x number of slots or because they are better than the bottom quartile of the remainer of the teams w/o automatic invites, and does not advance, is not much to get excited about. I will always prefer a strong run in the NIT to that scenario…I want to see a team do well, a strong showing in the lesser tournament is better for a program if it cannot advance with the big boys.
as for me and my house, we chose the Lord.
1. IS THE PLAYER OR THE COACH RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY GAME?
The kids are not inspired because they know they are being screwed. They have a lot of talent and the coach is wasting it. THEY KNOW THEY’RE BEING SCREWED. I do not blame them for not being inspired, they’re not stupid.
2. DO YOU THINK THE INJURIES TO THE DEFENSE ARE TAKING THEIR TOLL OVER THE PAST 3 WEEKS?
Injuries aren’t why we’re losing. I am fine with a learning curve on the defensive side of the ball. It is the offensive side of the ball that is the most disappointing.
3. SHOULD THE RECRUITING CLASSES FROM 2006, 2007 AND 2008, OR LACK THEREOF, BE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFENSE?
There is more than enough talent on this team to win 10 games this year. Again, this year is not the fault of the players, but the coaches screwing the players, students, and alumni. They aren’t committed to playing football the Texas Tech way; thus they will lose.
4. WHO ARE THE PLAYMAKERS ON OFFENSE AND WHO DO OPPOSING DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS SCHEME FOR?
With these coaches calling the plays, they need not gameplan at all. If we lose to Iowa St, and have to hang on with Baylor. We are not feared or “schemed for” by anyone. This football program is absolute crap, Tuberville is to blame.
5. DO YOU THINK THE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND WILL YOU IGNORE SETH C AS HE ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT YOU?
No, they will not. I am looking forward to watching, however, last year’s basketball team was mediocre at best. I think we all know that Pat Knight is not a very good basketball coach and is not the answer for the future of the basketball program. I expect the team to be a middle of the road team at best. I will welcome your writing as I can no longer stand to read and support Tuberville and the Death Squad.
FIRE TUBERVILLE.
"Have a happy halftime." - Mike Leach
INSPIRATION
1. IS THE PLAYER OR THE COACH RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY GAME?
Look, I can understand that players (for whatever reason) don’t get up for every game. This happened to Leach, so it’s not surprising that it is now happening to Tuberville. In fact, it is less surprising that it is happening to Tuberville, because I assume he no longer has the sand pile, he doesn’t talk like a sailor to his players, and he doesn’t send anyone to the shed.
So motivation is a week-to-week problem no matter who the coach is. The problem for Tech is that Tech must do more with less. For Tech to win, the car has to be firing on all cylinders. Mack Brown and Bob Stoops (usually) have the luxury of player depth and talent, so that they can overcome poor motivation by a few players and win anyway. Tech doesn’t have that luxury.
Idle Speculation
As Leach would say, he felt like his team had problems with winning and success. Everyone was satisfied with winning a big game or two, and then they’d just read all the articles about how great they were and had been.
I think this team has the opposite problem. They’re still focused on what’s going on externally, but now they just don’t have confidence that they can win. All three sides of the ball have had mindnumbingly bad showings. It’s possible that the players don’t believe that if they follow the gameplan the coaches present and do what they’re told to do that they’ll win. So they go out there and half-ass it because it wasn’t going to work anyway. And then it doesn’t work. That’s an issue.
Be a team. Be the most excited to play. Be the best at doing your @#&$ing job.
1. IS THE PLAYER OR THE COACH RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY GAME?
They are both equally responsible. However, the staff needs to show these kids that they understand how to win and that their system actually works. If all they hear are excuses from the coaches then it is hard to get fired up about being on this team. The coaches are responsible for the failure of this team. They can’t seem to understand what it takes to win at TT. These kids are not the 5 star kids. They never will be, but we used to win with these kids and they looked like they were playing well beyond their skills, and now that is not the case. These coaches have to give these kids a chance and whether it is the system or the play calling they are not being given one.
2. DO YOU THINK THE INJURIES TO THE DEFENSE ARE TAKING THEIR TOLL OVER THE PAST 3 WEEKS?
I am sure that the injuries are not helping, but it is not like the defensive scheme was a world beater when they were mostly healthy. Except for an anemic Texas offense, we really never showed any signs of being able to stop anyone! Has everyone forgotten that?
3. SHOULD THE RECRUITING CLASSES FROM 2006, 2007 AND 2008, OR LACK THEREOF, BE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFENSE?
Sure Mike never paid too much attention to the Defense, and those classes look pretty weak now, but we have what we have and a good coach figures out how to utilize what he has on the shelf. To believe otherwise is to believe that we have talent on this team that is so bad that we have no choice but to give up close to 700 yards per game…even some of the worst teams can do better than that. Am I to believe that we have the absolute Worst defensive talent in the Country??
4. WHO ARE THE PLAYMAKERS ON OFFENSE AND WHO DO OPPOSING DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS SCHEME FOR?
Aside from Crabtree, who else has had that much ability? No one, we are Texas Tech, we collect over achievers and teach them how to play above their abilities. Sometimes that is good enough to spring an upset or two, and usually it gets our hopes up higher than they should, but it is what we are! If our coaches can’t figure out how to win in this environment then they need to go. Last time I checked we were an offense that spread it around, and where balance was defined by getting as many touches to as many people as humanly possible. We have talent on this team that is under or not utilized at all. The play calling is atrocious and does not give them a chance! I would suggest that Mike’s Air Raid was effective because opposing defensive coordinators had to scheme against a system that might showcase one guy or group of guys one week and a completely different set of characters the next. Aside from the Crabtree years there really was not anyone that you could key on. Why are players like Eric Morris so effective? Why are there so few of our ex-receivers in the NFL if we had so many play makers that defensive coordinators had to scheme for in the past?
5. DO YOU THINK THE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND WILL YOU IGNORE SETH C AS HE ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT YOU?
NO.
"Everything will be better once we get a fullback....."
"Same opening script against Baylor"
From neal brown…
What is the problem with this??? Let’s see, the first success we have had all year on offense, plus it was in the last game that we played. Do you think that this is probably what OSU focused on when they were watching game film this past week? I would imagine that any defensive coordinator worth half their salary would have broken down that film and drilled it into their players heads, then started licking their chops when we ran the same thing!
Ignorant, then to blame it on the players because they didn’t do it as well last time… think it through Brown, or are you too dumb to do that?
+1000
I shuddered everytime I saw Holgerson on the sideline Saturday, we could be having such a different year I think with one choice over the other at OC.
by idaho_techsan on Oct 18, 2010 12:38 PM CDT up reply actions
1. IS THE PLAYER OR THE COACH RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY GAME?
BOth. But only the coaches get fired for the failure of the team to show up.
2. DO YOU THINK THE INJURIES TO THE DEFENSE ARE TAKING THEIR TOLL OVER THE PAST 3 WEEKS?
Absolutely. It is hard to play injured. It’s hard to win playing second and third teamers. Colby Whitlock cannot come out of the game or there is zero run defense.
3. SHOULD THE RECRUITING CLASSES FROM 2006, 2007 AND 2008, OR LACK THEREOF, BE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFENSE?
Unfortunately, yes. I don’t like to play the blame game because it is irrelevant. You can’t fix the past. However, there is an obvious lack off players available to play defense. At one point last Saturday, we had three freshman playing the d-line. Do you really think Tech can compate and win playing three d-linemen?
4. WHO ARE THE PLAYMAKERS ON OFFENSE AND WHO DO OPPOSING DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS SCHEME FOR?
Batch, Sheffield, Torres, and Lewis. We need to get the ball to these players in space, and that isn’t happening. Very sad to watch the demise of the Air Raid. There is a noticeable lack of excitement in the stadium when Tech is on offense. The thrill is gone.
5. DO YOU THINK THE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND WILL YOU IGNORE SETH C AS HE ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT YOU?
No. There aren’t enough big men who can play. Where are the boards going to come from? I’ll hope for the best, but I think my rooting interest in basketball will be with UTEP and Tim Floyd in the NCAA playoffs.
Congrats
I think you are a voice of reason in all this craziness. Seth I believe we would be having the same season under Leech because most of the players really dislike him and I think after last year issues you could see problrms growing. Tubbs told us all summer long that the o-line and the d-line were weak. All the signs of this cancer was present just everyone including myself pretended it wasn’t there.
I'm marginally excited about shooty hoops.
Football is becoming more painful than entertaining.
Be a team. Be the most excited to play. Be the best at doing your @#&$ing job.
1. IS THE PLAYER OR THE COACH RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY GAME? They share equal responsibility. Players are the ones out there on the field competing and throwing their bodies all over the field each week. Unfortunately at times, you can get distracted and lose concentration by little things.
Being really good is a distraction. If you write off games as wins before they’re ever played then there’s a good chance your players are going to need some help getting motivated. Fat little girlfriends will be the first one to tell you haw great you are. The hot skinny ones, Not so much!!!!
Losing streaks and a loss of confidence is a distraction. If you don’t think you’re that good then you are going to play timid.
When these things occur, It’s up to the coaching staff to light a fire under the team. I don’t think that’s happening. It’s hard to believe because these coaches seem to have no problem getting on a player verbally.
We all must remember that we have a very young coaching staff too. My question back to the board is: Is this young coaching staff losing confidence in their own abilities?
2. DO YOU THINK THE INJURIES TO THE DEFENSE ARE TAKING THEIR TOLL OVER THE PAST 3 WEEKS? Absolutely!!! Sometimes things don’t work out as planned and you have to pull a redshirt. Make that decision as soon as possible though so these players can get game experience. It won’t help us out this year, but that experience could prove valuable next year.
3. SHOULD THE RECRUITING CLASSES FROM 2006, 2007 AND 2008, OR LACK THEREOF, BE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFENSE? Catch 22. It’s dangerous to load up on JUCO players but I think we all believe this team would have a much better record under the old coaching staff. We haven’t had a great defense at Tech in a long time and I think most on this board would be willing to give time to Tubs and Willis to actually improve our D.
The obvious problem is that no one thought that our offense would spiral down the way they have. Why would we???? Our head coach told us that nothing would change and we wouldn’t even notice the tweaks made. The lack of offensive production is what’s really hard to swallow
4. WHO ARE THE PLAYMAKERS ON OFFENSE AND WHO DO OPPOSING DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS SCHEME FOR? Good Question. I think we all know and believe this team has some talented skill players but outside of Leong they haven’t showed up. It just feels like something is missing from a play calling standpoint on this team. Players aren’t getting the ball in open space like they have in years past and simple arm tackles are bring them down. I can’t recall seeing many shuffle passes up the middle. And the screens seem to be ineffective.
5. DO YOU THINK THE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND WILL YOU IGNORE SETH C AS HE ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT YOU? That’s another debacle in itself. Not a fan of Junior and Texas Tech should have never put themselves in the situation to give him the job. We as a University are better than that. I don’t know why he’s still coaching here. MO there’s no way we make the tournament.
Answers
1. IS THE PLAYER OR THE COACH RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY GAME?
*The Coach, he is in charge of these kids.
2. DO YOU THINK THE INJURIES TO THE DEFENSE ARE TAKING THEIR TOLL OVER THE PAST 3 WEEKS?
*Yes, I’m drinking more.
3. SHOULD THE RECRUITING CLASSES FROM 2006, 2007 AND 2008, OR LACK THEREOF, BE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFENSE?
*No, We never quite got to doing “more with more” but doing “more with less” sure the hell beats doing “less with less.” PLUS, Leach made a coaching change in the middle of the season when the D wasn’t getting the job done. Why is that not an option this year?
4. WHO ARE THE PLAYMAKERS ON OFFENSE AND WHO DO OPPOSING DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS SCHEME FOR?
*Steven Sheffield, who unfortunately is stuck on the sidelines. They scheme for a fragile Potts.
5. DO YOU THINK THE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND WILL YOU IGNORE SETH C AS HE ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT YOU?
*Huh? I thought you had 5 questions, I only see 4.
"I think if anybody can get us to the next level — and a championship season at some point — I think Tommy’s got the ability and experience to do it.’’ - Gerald Myers
You make a good point about coaching changes, should apply to players as well
We see other teams switching out quarterbacks during games – LSU and Nebraska come to mind off the top of my head. No need to be so stubborn. We need to use all tools in the toolbox. (Just to clarify, I’m not calling the players tools!)
Step it up
1. IS THE PLAYER OR THE COACH RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY GAME?
The coach’s job and responsibility is to inspire and train each of those players up to the point of the first kick-off. It’s the player’s responsibility to take that inspiration and training and utilize it to the best of their ability on the field. The coaches are being too easy on these players. I mentioned it in another blog. Bring back the sandpit. Bring back repetition and more repetition. The coaches are not inspiring these players and these players are not inspiring each other. There is no excitement or fun or caring in this team. I watched them let OSU players run by them within arm’s reach and they did not even try to get the player down.
2. DO YOU THINK THE INJURIES TO THE DEFENSE ARE TAKING THEIR TOLL OVER THE PAST 3 WEEKS?
Slightly but not enough to have the performances we have seen on the field from this DL. They are just not coming together as a unit. They are not getting relief from the OL which means they are losing steam as the game progresses but they need to put in some extra effort. Steal a saying from Coach Gundy and "Be a Man."
3. SHOULD THE RECRUITING CLASSES FROM 2006, 2007 AND 2008, OR LACK THEREOF, BE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFENSE?
Yes, we are lacking in depth in some areas. But this is not the first time these guys have played football. They have been given an opportunity and they need to step it up.
4. WHO ARE THE PLAYMAKERS ON OFFENSE AND WHO DO OPPOSING DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS SCHEME FOR?
Potts, Batch, Stephens, Leong and Torres. Although Franks and Lewis can get yardage too. Matt Williams is the only consistent player so I guess Tech’s opponents will be trying their best to block his field goals.
5. DO YOU THINK THE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND WILL YOU IGNORE SETH C AS HE ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT YOU?
Seth I will take the bait. While Football is my favorite sport, I am looking forward to Basketball season. Building on the NIT tournament from last season and the incoming recruits, I say Tech makes it to the NCAA tournament. Remember it’s larger this year. 68 teams. 31 automatic bids from conference tournaments and the remaining 37 at large bids. I think Coach Pat Knight has grown as a coach and will get our team into the tournament.
NUTS - Never Underestimate TEAM Strength
Answers
1. IS THE PLAYER OR THE COACH RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY GAME? Both are responsible. You can’t have it one way……
2. DO YOU THINK THE INJURIES TO THE DEFENSE ARE TAKING THEIR TOLL OVER THE PAST 3 WEEKS? Yes. But those being called on need to step up and execute, even if it is just one per game
3. SHOULD THE RECRUITING CLASSES FROM 2006, 2007 AND 2008, OR LACK THEREOF, BE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFENSE? No. I think there is plenty to choose from. What is lacking is coaching; trying to install a defense that had no chance from the get-go to succeed.
4. WHO ARE THE PLAYMAKERS ON OFFENSE AND WHO DO OPPOSING DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS SCHEME FOR?Batch, Stephens, Leong, Lewis. DCs scheme to stop the QB-Potts. He runs the show. Speed him up and it all falls apart.
5. DO YOU THINK THE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND WILL YOU IGNORE SETH C AS HE ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT YOU? Basketball? What’s that?
TTpilk Psalm 117:
1 ¶ O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.
2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.
Men's Basketball
I think Pat will get to the NCAA tournament this year, but that’s only b/c it is a down year for the rest of the conference. The only legitimate threats I see on paper are Mizzou and Kansas State. The rest could quite honestly be debatable.
Kansas lost alot of players to the NBA, but this happens every year and they typically have star players replace star players. We don’t know what they will produce, but I won’t consider them a legitimate threat until I see them play their first 3-4 nonconference games.
Texas does NOT have Damian James or Dexter Pittman, and Varez Ward supposedly transferred elsewhere. Unless UT’s recruiting class has some amazing Wilt Chamberlain that I’m not aware of yet, I don’t see them doing any better than they did last year, and would even argue that they could have a possibility of missing the tournament this year if they can’t find a consistent go-to player.
I did have Baylor as a “Threat” team, but that was before Ladarius Dunn got arrested and suspended for the rest of this season for assaulting his girlfriend. With him gone, I’m more optimistic about Tech being able to beat Baylor, but I’m sure they will still be a tough team to beat.
I’ve have no clue how A&M is going to perform given that the 2 best players on their team last year graduated as Seniors.
OSU does NOT have James Anderson anymore, and I don’t see any of their returning starters scoring as much as James Anderson did. Unless they did phenomenal recruiting, I expect OSU to be a fast team, but not as great in scoring as they were last year.
OU is going to be funny to watch b/c practically their whole squad is full of JUCO players since they got so much drama on their team last year from arrests, NCAA allegations, starters leaving the team for the NBA early, etc. They are not going to be any good unless a miracle occurs.
Nebraska, Iowa State, and Colorado I expect will be the same as they usually are. Near the bottom of the conference, but I do think Iowa State will improve from last year.
Mizzou will always be a tough team to beat.
Thus, knowing that Pat Knight has 7 returning Seniors on this year’s squad with 3 incoming players and Javarez Willis coming off that redshirt season last year. I am very optimistic about Pat Knight’s squad. But I won’t get too excited about it until they win 2 or 3 in a row in early conference play.
Pretty thorough analysis
Singletary and Roberson are both srs, and they’ve improved every year. I expect the same this yr.
This is definitely Pat’s best shot at making it since he has been the HC at Tech. Plus the tourney expanding (though only by 3 bids) can only help.
If we are just play a little more consistent on the road, it’ll be an exciting yr. The road during B12 play has really hurt us the past few yrs.
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