Sunday Random Thoughts - the QB, No 44, Heisman Trophy and Coaching

[ManleyRocks]

A glorious Sunday. Sun is shining. 72 degrees. Low humidity. And a feeling of optimism given the dramatic week by week improvement for not only the remainder of the year but the years to come.

First, the QB. A good friend of mine has claimed for years that college football teams are only as good as their QB notwithstanding the surrounding talent. Has always been the case but the last several games have punctuated the point. (Ask Clemson fans if you have any doubt). We now have a true option quarterback who can see over the middle, uses a variety of receivers and intuitively feels and knows what to do and when to do it. This is Syracuse football. Hurley, McPherson, Graves, McNabb, Dungey and now Shrader. Ryan Nassib in my opinion was good and tough and really smart, but not quite in the preceding group of 6. Would be wonderful if Shrader stays for the full 2+ years remaining.

Second, number 44. Sean Tucker deserves to be given number 44. My hope is that the team goes to a bowl and wins. Tucker continues to have an amazing year, and the SU marketing hype machine kicks into full gear thereafter. I have no inside knowledge whatsoever, but I would explain to the remaining No 44s and their family members that this truly is the way to ensure that the world remembers their legacy too (as the hype machine will include endless clips of them all crushing would be tacklers and speeding down the field). Give the number to Sean next year, let him have a record breaking year next year and win the Heisman!!

Third, the Heisman Trophy. Close your eyes and fantasize for a moment. Imagine if Tucker wins the Heisman next year and Shrader the year after. That would be absolutely nuts. And, I believe this possibility is better than 0 percent. So I am holding on to this possibility. (Imagine how that would energize recruiting.)

Fourth, coaching. Coach Babers and his assistants are doing just fine. Yes, I see all the issues that have been recited here ad nauseum, but they have addressed many of the other issues over the years, and they will address these issues too. Marrone is not the answer. He had his flaws and happened to have a good final year, before departing, in the Big East (which in restrospect was nothing more than a glorified MAC). If I recall, things were looking pretty grim at the end of training camp that year until he and Nathaniel Hackett decided to switch to a hurry up offense at the last moment as they knew that what they otherwise had would not work. Fast forwarded to today, the SU athletic department now has the money to hire high quality assistant coaches, the dome has been upgraded, Coach Babers is getting his swagger back and is developing a solid reputation among high school coaches as a developer of men as well as becoming a destination for the right transfer portal kids and JUCOS (see Shrader, Bleich and Roscoe). All is great. A tear down and start over is the absolutely last thing this needs. During the offseason, I am confident the special teams situation will be addressed, analytics firms will be interviewed, and the coaches will all review the communication screw ups.

Bottom line...things are better than ever today, and I refuse to believe otherwise.

Go orange!! Enjoy the ride.

 

[dasher]

A glorious Sunday. Sun is shining. 72 degrees. Low humidity. And a feeling of optimism given the dramatic week by week improvement for not only the remainder of the year but the years to come.

First, the QB. A good friend of mine has claimed for years that college football teams are only as good as their QB notwithstanding the surrounding talent. Has always been the case but the last several games have punctuated the point. (Ask Clemson fans if you have any doubt). We now have a true option quarterback who can see over the middle, uses a variety of receivers and intuitively feels and knows what to do and when to do it. This is Syracuse football. Hurley, McPherson, Graves, McNabb, Dungey and now Shrader. Ryan Nassib in my opinion was good and tough and really smart, but not quite in the preceding group of 6. Would be wonderful if Shrader stays for the full 2+ years remaining.

Second, number 44. Sean Tucker deserves to be given number 44. My hope is that the team goes to a bowl and wins. Tucker continues to have an amazing year, and the SU marketing hype machine kicks into full gear thereafter. I have no inside knowledge whatsoever, but I would explain to the remaining No 44s and their family members that this truly is the way to ensure that the world remembers their legacy too (as the hype machine will include endless clips of them all crushing would be tacklers and speeding down the field). Give the number to Sean next year, let him have a record breaking year next year and win the Heisman!!

Third, the Heisman Trophy. Close your eyes and fantasize for a moment. Imagine if Tucker wins the Heisman next year and Shrader the year after. That would be absolutely nuts. And, I believe this possibility is better than 0 percent. So I am holding on to this possibility. (Imagine how that would energize recruiting.)

Fourth, coaching. Coach Babers and his assistants are doing just fine. Yes, I see all the issues that have been recited here ad nauseum, but they have addressed many of the other issues over the years, and they will address these issues too. Marrone is not the answer. He had his flaws and happened to have a good final year, before departing, in the Big East (which in restrospect was nothing more than a glorified MAC). If I recall, things were looking pretty grim at the end of training camp that year until he and Nathaniel Hackett decided to switch to a hurry up offense at the last moment as they knew that what they otherwise had would not work. Fast forwarded to today, the SU athletic department now has the money to hire high quality assistant coaches, the dome has been upgraded, Coach Babers is getting his swagger back and is developing a solid reputation among high school coaches as a developer of men as well as becoming a destination for the right transfer portal kids and JUCOS (see Shrader, Bleich and Roscoe). All is great. A tear down and start over is the absolutely last thing this needs. During the offseason, I am confident the special teams situation will be addressed, analytics firms will be interviewed, and the coaches will all review the communication screw ups.

Bottom line...things are better than ever today, and I refuse to believe otherwise.

Go orange!! Enjoy the ride.

I would hold off on saying that GS is better than Nassib. Ryan played in the NFL for what? 4 years. GS was a wide out last year. I love what I see but I might pump the brakes a bit.

 

[CuseCactus]

Good post. Post more!