Musings on the Defense

[Alsacs]

SWC, you are due much respect. On this issue we will disagree. As you state, "Saying we don't have the talent level of these last two teams who blew us out and saying we need to recruit better players," is one thing. Claiming Syracuse may not win another game or cannot go bowling and such are tearing down kids. Being realistic is approaching the new system and evaluating the kids against what they were last season and last week and the week before that. Complaining about the last coaching staff's recruiting is slamming the kids on the team as the majority we recruited by Shafer and Co. You don't have to agree, but the kids do. They know that when reference is made to Shafer's recruits and the kids previously recruited, etc., lack the skills, lack the talent, etc. posters are cutting these kids down. Repetitive complaints about it only makes things worse; not you, but a few posters cannot stop posting about how bad the talent is, in this thread and other threads.

As for UConn praise, re-read the posts. If you still disagree, so be it. I have seen nothing from UConn that makes me believe that Syracuse cannot win. I have seen nothing to lead me to believe that Syracuse should not win. As for UConn and Houston, Houston was without their leadership that game. How good was UConn otherwise? Essentially, you imply UConn was great because they beat Houston, not that Houston had one bad game - take a look at why UConn was able to beat Houston; considering where Houston finished and UConn finished, there probably is an aberration in the results.

My comments about the other schools was simply to show support for our guys on the team, not to address any alleged claim that a poster wanted kids from PedState. My point had to do with the fact that every kid on the team has chosen to play on the HIll and wear orange. Every kid on the team right now deserves our support as fans. Apparently I failed to make that point clear, that is my failure. Regardless, I support this team because I am an Orange fan. I won't criticize the kids because Shafer recruited them and they don't fit Baber's system. They are learning and they will make mistakes. If they make these same mistakes in week 10 or 12, then there may be some room for criticism for their play, not because Shafer recruited them.

Anyway, as I said, you are due much respect. You are generally honest in your analysis and I will continue to read your "Why Opponent Will Win" and "Why Syracuse Will Win" and other posts.

Do you realize we are the only P5 school to not have an offensive or defensive player drafted in the NFL Draft the last 2 years. Our only drafted player has been our punter Riley Dixon in the 7th round.

Unless individual kids are singled out talking about the talent needing to be more ACC quality is not bad. Our recruiting classes have had several ACC quality players but not enough. Our overall talent needs to be raised to middle of the road. Nobody expects to have upper tier talent but having middle of the road talent is not a lot to ask for.

 

[RF2044]

Do you realize we are the only P5 school to not have an offensive or defensive player drafted in the NFL Draft the last 2 years. Our only drafted player has been our punter Riley Dixon in the 7th round.

Unless individual kids are singled out talking about the talent needing to be more ACC quality is not bad. Our recruiting classes have had several ACC quality players but not enough. Our overall talent needs to be raised to middle of the road. Nobody expects to have upper tier talent but having middle of the road talent is not a lot to ask for.

AND, I'll add, it isn't "trashing" the players to point that out.

 

[HtownOrange]

Do you realize we are the only P5 school to not have an offensive or defensive player drafted in the NFL Draft the last 2 years. Our only drafted player has been our punter Riley Dixon in the 7th round.

Unless individual kids are singled out talking about the talent needing to be more ACC quality is not bad. Our recruiting classes have had several ACC quality players but not enough. Our overall talent needs to be raised to middle of the road. Nobody expects to have upper tier talent but having middle of the road talent is not a lot to ask for.

I realize it. The system failed. We have a new system. The kids completed three weeks in the new system against competition. Most of the kids were not recruited for this system and must learn it.

What surprises me most is that with all of the arm chair QBs on this site, very few seem to have been in true management and/leadership roles. When making wholesale changes, you are limited to working with what you have until you can get what you want. HCDB will recruit the type of kids he wants. Wholesale changes take time, three weeks is hardly the measuring stick. The irony here is that if Syracuse had played UConn' schedule to date, most on here would be ecstatic and unrealistic about how great the team is. Talking down the kids on the team now (you know, the ones NOT recruited for HCDB's system) does nothing to help the team. Besides, it is only week 4, these kids will improve. Arguably, Syracuse has played the stiffest competition to date of any CFB team. Not all opponents will be as good as Louisville and USF.

Discussions about future recruits is an issue. Discussions about players mistakes is an issue. Discussion about opponents' strengths/weaknesses is an issue. Discussing player development is an issue. Blaming the kids recruited for one system that failed and are doing their best in a new system is an issue. On that issue, I simply disagree, I don't blame them, they are still new into the new system. They are giving what they have. They are improving. If you read my posts (plural) you will see that if these same mistakes are happening in week 10 or 12, then fire away. It is my opinion that complaining about talent on the team at this time, in a new system under a new HC and staff, is not beneficial to the team.

I have been through several wholesale changes in management philosophies, leadership and systems and have been on both sides of the matter (being led when young and being the leader when not as young). They are difficult on all parties. Several people will be lost in the shuffle. HCDB decided the wholesale changes were necessary, that he could not use the system the kids were in and phase in his system.

Not every team Syracuse has scheduled has Louisville talent, this team may surprise you. Anyway, have at it.

 

[RF2044]

I realize it. The system failed. We have a new system. The kids completed three weeks in the new system against competition. Most of the kids were not recruited for this system and must learn it.

What surprises me most is that with all of the arm chair QBs on this site, very few seem to have been in true management and/leadership roles. When making wholesale changes, you are limited to working with what you have until you can get what you want. HCDB will recruit the type of kids he wants. Wholesale changes take time, three weeks is hardly the measuring stick. The irony here is that if Syracuse had played UConn' schedule to date, most on here would be ecstatic and unrealistic about how great the team is. Talking down the kids on the team now (you know, the ones NOT recruited for HCDB's system) does nothing to help the team. Besides, it is only week 4, these kids will improve. Arguably, Syracuse has played the stiffest competition to date of any CFB team. Not all opponents will be as good as Louisville and USF.

Discussions about future recruits is an issue. Discussions about players mistakes is an issue. Discussion about opponents' strengths/weaknesses is an issue. Discussing player development is an issue. Blaming the kids recruited for one system that failed and are doing their best in a new system is an issue. On that issue, I simply disagree, I don't blame them, they are still new into the new system. They are giving what they have. They are improving. If you read my posts (plural) you will see that if these same mistakes are happening in week 10 or 12, then fire away. It is my opinion that complaining about talent on the team at this time, in a new system under a new HC and staff, is not beneficial to the team.

I have been through several wholesale changes in management philosophies, leadership and systems and have been on both sides of the matter (being led when young and being the leader when not as young). They are difficult on all parties. Several people will be lost in the shuffle. HCDB decided the wholesale changes were necessary, that he could not use the system the kids were in and phase in his system.

Not every team Syracuse has scheduled has Louisville talent, this team may surprise you. Anyway, have at it.

This is a very well thought out post. I agree with a lot of what you say.

But the one part I don't resonate with is the notion that people are "blaming" the players. There is a big difference between pointing out that the personnel aren't suited for the Tampa 2 and "blaming" them. I think most posters [even the most critical ones] recognize that:

• We have a new system
• The implementation of the new system is going to take time for the team to get comfortable
• The players we have were recruited for a different system that emphasized different attributes
• Many of the players aren't a great fit for the new system on the defensive side of the ball

The issues on defense are multi-dimensional. It isn't all on the players. But I reject the notion that we can't even discuss roster limitations without it being labeled as trashing / attacking / blaming the players, that everyone on this team supports as the Syracuse football fanatics that we are.

Not every discussion has to be a kumbaya circle. And critical analysis isn't necessarily attacking the players.

 

[bcubs9497]

This is a very well thought out post. I agree with a lot of what you say.

But the one part I don't resonate with is the notion that people are "blaming" the players. There is a big difference between pointing out that the personnel aren't suited for the Tampa 2 and "blaming" them. I think most posters [even the most critical ones] recognize that:

• We have a new system
• The implementation of the new system is going to take time for the team to get comfortable
• The players we have were recruited for a different system that emphasized different attributes
• Many of the players aren't a great fit for the new system on the defensive side of the ball

The issues on defense are multi-dimensional. It isn't all on the players. But I reject the notion that we can't even discuss roster limitations without it being labeled as trashing / attacking / blaming the players, that everyone on this team supports as the Syracuse football fanatics that we are.

Not every discussion has to be a kumbaya circle. And critical analysis isn't necessarily attacking the players.

There is a line between being critical, and being a douchebag. Some have definitely been douches (not you).

 

[SWC75]

It's early in the process and Dino has a hard row to hoe. This is the toughest division in any Power Five conference this year and he also has to play South Florida and Notre Dame. Patience is needed and what I am reading so far on the board seems to me to show that we have it. That doesn't mean we aren't going to honestly describe what we are seeing.

Justin Gatlin is not as fast as Usian Bolt. We aren't insulting Gatlin when we say so.

 

[RF2044]

There is a line between being critical, and being a douchebag. Some have definitely been douches (not you).

That's always going to be an issue on a message board [and thanks for excluding me -- as you know, as "critical" as I have been of the defense this year, I have acknowledged repeatedly that the DTs are the one group that have physical capabilities that are well suited for the Tampa 2, and that this group is the strength of the defense].

I firmly believe that the more games these guys are immersed in the system, the more instinctive their assignments will become, and that we'll see improvement over the course of the year [even with the personnel limitations at many positions].

I also believe that as we recruit better system fits at LB, CB, and S, that things will improve even more. Pointing that out isn't a knock against the current guys--its an objective assessment of whether many [not all] of our defensive players who were recruited by a different coaching staff to run a different system are good system fits for the new staff's systems.