I think keeping starters with a good history is better than swinging on new guys who often aren't sure things, it's not an all or nothing situation.
:rolls eyes: I think you choose to ignore the DC was fired two weeks before, regardless of our thoughts on the Grantham firing the coach can have a big effect on how young men play a game. If you recall the D looked worse after Grantham was fired before USCe (and they stank it up). One could say the USF game this year tells you all we need to know, or look at how some other big-time programs losing to weak schools (UM/FSU/Bama) has affected them.
He had the worst defense in 100 years is why he was fired. He definitely didn’t have outside top 100 talent, just results. Even with bad scheme, they couldn’t possibly perform that bad if they left everything on the field every game.
I don't disagree he should have been canned the year before. The point is firing a coach mid-season has some effect on how players play. Mind you it was the worst defense in 100 years, until this year. Also, if you want to point to Samford last year, look at what we did to Vandy last year 42-0 and USF 42-20 and compare that to this year's performance.
Wish we kept the two oline guys and a couple db’s. Other than that bubye. Hopper too. But there will always be a few personality conflicts and a few that don’t want to put the work in. The vast majority probably needed to go though, just a few casualties really.
You changed the entire narrative of the conversation retroactively. I care enough to call out an outright lie disparaging our program, sorry. It's a pretty big difference. 10x or 6x, they're both wildly inaccurate and you added this tidbit AFTER knowing your numbers were wrong instead of just starting over when you had more accurate info (that's still wrong). Even 2x is a stretch, as several other teams have had similar attrition to us over the last couple of cycles. You didn't know they were that far off, because you don't know anything about the topic at hand. I knew the numbers were way off just glancing at them. I want people to not make wildly inaccurate statements about our team and try to paint our team in a negative light. Again, you doubled down on this statement, knowing your data was incorrect. Or nobody else wanted to waste the time, because they knew you would turn this into the circle jerk that you have Sorry, I didn't do your homework for you. I just marked it as an F and moved on. I knew the numbers were wrong whether you pointed them out or not. It doesn't change the fact that you doubled down on them even after you knew they were wrong. You keep responding, so here we are. You could have just taken your L and moved on, but you continuously try to defend a position that can't be defended. Yea, don't post dumb shit and you won't end up feeling the need to relentlessly defend it. Nope, I knew they were wrong, because I knew the situations on a couple of other rosters and knew that the numbers you put up for them were not even in the same universe. Yes, some context is nice. Rather than just, oh my god, everyone is leaving and the sky is falling. Those numbers still aren't right, even with your weird restrictions. TAMU has had 24 players leave since last December and find new homes (committed or enrolled). Not including the ones currently in the portal and looking. You didn't place those arbitrary restrictions on our team either. You listed all of the players who've entered the portal, but not all of the ones listed have found a new home yet. So which is it? What are we counting? The ones who entered the portal or the ones who found a new home? Either way, your numbers are inaccurate, and you aren't comparing apples to apples. I understood what I looked up just fine. I'm just holding the other teams to the same standard that you're holding ours to.
So, you just wanted to pick and choose exactly who left and who stayed? But you did understand we needed a bunch of players to leave. That's good. There were a few I wish stayed too, but we lose a few I wish we'd kept in all sports every year. It's just part of it.
Splitting hairs when trying to decide which defense sucked worse. The both sucked and the common thread were the players on the field. Once you quit the first time, it gets easier every time. That goes for guys that sit out too. Bama didn’t have any sit because Saban doesn’t tolerate quitters in his lockeroom.
I take it back. We were in it at the end. The team fought. That’s one thing you can say about CBN first team. But it was ugly there for a bit
I mean the guy showed up at his office with 85 guys he didn’t know and they said play ball. Let him take it all in for a minute before we start bitching
It's easier to blame the coaches. Revisionist history is strong too. Mullen wasn't that bad, Grantham's defense was a little better than this years, I can go on and on.
One would think more effort could be made to keep better players, no different if you’re running a business. Top employees will likely get more attention to stay whereas weaker ones can leave and ya breath a sigh of relief. Just had that happen with two how decided to leave unless we paid them more, they weren’t worth what we were paying them so when we didn’t match and they left it was a win win.
Fair enough both Defense were really bad. Actually a few really good players left at the end last year so if they had stayed the D may have been better. D seemed better when we went press man for 6 quarters TAAM/USCe. Special teams seemed worse than ever this year. Need to get that fixed. That’s 80% on coaching IMHO
I'm just not sure fans will give Napier enough time to truly build a program. Expectations are far too high considering where the program is right now, and there is too much competition throughout not only the East, but the entire SEC. I see this as 3 years minimum, but it will take significant use of the portal to supplement recruiting. Fans and boosters want to win now, and seeing the success of our traditional rivals is not helping.
I was impressed that Bama had some 1st round draft picks that are not returning play in that game. However Bama did have several players transfer prior to the game including at least 1 starter...so effectively they did have opt-outs.
