Bi-Polar Fans here...

[alphaorange]

I hate losing as much as the next guy but with all the losses of upper-classman starters, I felt we would get to six wins, maybe seven. I don't care about how we look getting there or who we beat to get there. I'm also not a football guru like JO or some of the guys. I am very good at logic, analysis, and problem solving, however.

I know that football is a game of talent and execution and strategy. I fully understand that lack of any one of these makes it nearly impossible to win games. In my view, the team talent level is on the rise but still not high enough to overcome injuries, lack of execution, or horrendous strategery. Although I have no inside information on why the coaches prepare the game plans they do, I have a feeling it has to do with the way we match up at certain aspects of the game due to inadequacies of talent or the ability to consistently execute plays. There is no denying the lack of excitement in the play calling on both sides of the ball. But since we have seen games that have contained what we thought the future would hold, I have to think the coaches do things for a reason.

But for some horrible officiating and equally bad individual execution in a couple of games, we would be sitting at 7 wins right now. It is really THAT close. The problem is that people on here would still be complaining about Marrone's ceiling and recruiting (even though all signs point to a recruiting haul that is going to be better than any we may have had in close to 15 years) and how we should be doing better if the coaching and recruiting was better.

Marrone gets 5 years unless the team continues to regress. It is rare when a coach takes over any program that had regressed to the point ours had and improves ever year over the previous year in wins and losses without a hitch. Sometimes improvements don't show up immediately, such as improved coaching from experience and more talented new players (because they all need time).

As I said, I hate losing, too, and I was also upset watching last night. However, I am also aware that there were some individual failures of execution that left at least 18 real points on the board. Not could have been, but would have been. That changes the whole complexion of the game.

This board is definitely starting to resemble the bad board......

 

[rosconey]

usf first big east win this year

walk on qb from uconn

true freshamn qb looserville

3 weeks to look like a slightly better than average team after a big wv win-

what did we do? laid 3 rotten eggs in a row-

special teams is so bad it makes the groober years look like magical ones

throw in the # of wins against bcs schools and novermber records

none of his recruits have added anything to a imept offense

young kids excuse didnt hold water against looserville because they are younger

loosing seniors didnt hold water against uconn-happens to every program

im trying to forget rutgirls alltogether

coaching staf that cant recruit, win after sept against bcs programs, and falls apart every november like a old pumpkin

 

[Stern]

But for some horrible officiating and equally bad individual execution in a couple of games, we would be sitting at 7 wins right now. It is really THAT close.

By that logic we could also be sitting at 3 wins.

Refs get the extra point call vs Toledo right
Wake Forest QB doesn't get injured and their offense continues to roll on us in the 4th quarter

 

[Rocco]

But for some horrible officiating and equally bad individual execution in a couple of games, we would be sitting at 7 wins right now. It is really THAT close.

No doubt, but we also have really close wins against WF and Toledo. We could easily be at 3-7 right now. The close wins and close losses could go either way any given year. Officiating is officiating. We were recipients of one of the greatest officiating blown calls in years.

Marrone gets 5 years unless the team continues to regress. It is rare when a coach takes over any program that had regressed to the point ours had and improves ever year over the previous year in wins and losses without a hitch. Sometimes improvements don't show up immediately, such as improved coaching from experience and more talented new players (because they all need time).

Barring a disaster next year, he will get his 5 years. Next year, there will be a few GRob recruits left over, but the majority will be players Marrone recruited for his system. I want to see what changes he makes in the off-season. Hackett has to go. That is the first step. Marrone's tenure at SU may be defined by what changes he is able to make internally. His offensive line is atrocious, which is supposed to be his strength in coaching. Without playmakers (let alone one) on offense, maybe it's time to switch up the offensive playbook a little bit. He's got all these young, athletic players in the system, January is the time to start making some changes. On defense, Shafer's D is the strength of this team, but it isn't anywhere close to perfect. All year, the D has given up huge plays. Last night, our blitz packages were more conservative than other games. We were on our heels the whole game, and Daniels did whatever he wanted. Shafer doesn't deserve kudos from last night either.

As I said, I hate losing, too, and I was also upset watching last night. However, I am also aware that there were some individual failures of execution that left at least 18 real points on the board. Not could have been, but would have been. That changes the whole complexion of the game.

Again no question we left points on the board, but we also had a miracle save when USF fumbled through the endzone which would have been a TD, and when a TD run got called back for holding. Our drops were terrible. Graham, Stevens and Lemon all dropped sure thing TDs that hit them in the hands. In my opinion, we came out conservative and it bit us in the ass because we played from behind the whole damn game. I have no idea why they plan to come out like that. It is mind-boggling.

This board is definitely starting to resemble the bad board......

I think people got really excited after the WVU game, and now the depression sets back in after 3 straight losses.