Redux
Donor
Where to begin? Seriously, there are a lot of things to think about. Too many really. After taking in the spring game and seeing Lee become the #1 QB it's time to really take stock in where this team is.
Last year we started out at 7-0, let me rephrase that. We limped out to a 7-0 start. We played Wisconsin with everything we had and came up short and that's when the snowball really started rolling. As fun as that Oregon game was, it revealed so much about both teams. That they couldn't finish and we were ripe to get shredded via big plays. We ended up getting obliterated twice last year and only one of those teams was worthy of beating us down so badly.
That brings us to this year. We got rid of a couple below average coordinators and brought in new shiny ones. We have a plethora of QB's to pick from that aren't yet career infuriating mind freaks. We have probably our most depth overall in years. Lose a RB, plunk in a new one. Guy on defense goes down, move another guy over. It should be business as usual week to week. Every season an injury ends up defining our year, a senior goes down and it derails the whole team. That can't continue.
Our recruiting is in top gear right now. The culture has changed and kids are looking our way again. We are gainining not just depth, but options! That's huge for this team moving forward.
So do we win the league this year? Honestly no. Too many chances to slip up. The schedule is manageable but there is a lot to take in. Going to Oregon could be ugly if Taggart has them fired back up already. Wiscy and tOSU are both capable of coming here and breaking our hearts. Penn State on the road looks just awful. We have new QB, we have a new DC and Defensive scheme and we still don't know what our offensive identity will end up being. Those aren't things we can ignore. But dammit there is a lot to like about this squad.
I guess what I'm getting at is, we aren't there yet. There is no denying that this team is being built for a run in a few years. Here's the problem though; this year has to be big. A 9-4 record this year gets that seat warm if a couple of those losses are really ugly and we go another year with no division title. It's year 3 of Riley, year 3 is the year that coaches are expected to showcase their work and what they have been building. It is absolutely vital for this year to result in something to celebrate because the next two following years are absolutely brutal. We are building a team that can compete and win the conference and make a case for a playoff bid. But unless the wins start stockpiling, unless we can knock off Wisconsin, play with Ohio State and embarass Iowa, unless we bring home at least a division title.....Riley may never get to see this thing through. He's building a freight train, whether or not he gets to conduct it in a few years is still anyones guess.
Last year we started out at 7-0, let me rephrase that. We limped out to a 7-0 start. We played Wisconsin with everything we had and came up short and that's when the snowball really started rolling. As fun as that Oregon game was, it revealed so much about both teams. That they couldn't finish and we were ripe to get shredded via big plays. We ended up getting obliterated twice last year and only one of those teams was worthy of beating us down so badly.
That brings us to this year. We got rid of a couple below average coordinators and brought in new shiny ones. We have a plethora of QB's to pick from that aren't yet career infuriating mind freaks. We have probably our most depth overall in years. Lose a RB, plunk in a new one. Guy on defense goes down, move another guy over. It should be business as usual week to week. Every season an injury ends up defining our year, a senior goes down and it derails the whole team. That can't continue.
Our recruiting is in top gear right now. The culture has changed and kids are looking our way again. We are gainining not just depth, but options! That's huge for this team moving forward.
So do we win the league this year? Honestly no. Too many chances to slip up. The schedule is manageable but there is a lot to take in. Going to Oregon could be ugly if Taggart has them fired back up already. Wiscy and tOSU are both capable of coming here and breaking our hearts. Penn State on the road looks just awful. We have new QB, we have a new DC and Defensive scheme and we still don't know what our offensive identity will end up being. Those aren't things we can ignore. But dammit there is a lot to like about this squad.
I guess what I'm getting at is, we aren't there yet. There is no denying that this team is being built for a run in a few years. Here's the problem though; this year has to be big. A 9-4 record this year gets that seat warm if a couple of those losses are really ugly and we go another year with no division title. It's year 3 of Riley, year 3 is the year that coaches are expected to showcase their work and what they have been building. It is absolutely vital for this year to result in something to celebrate because the next two following years are absolutely brutal. We are building a team that can compete and win the conference and make a case for a playoff bid. But unless the wins start stockpiling, unless we can knock off Wisconsin, play with Ohio State and embarass Iowa, unless we bring home at least a division title.....Riley may never get to see this thing through. He's building a freight train, whether or not he gets to conduct it in a few years is still anyones guess.
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