Watching the postseason games these past two weekends...

[RF2044]

...makes me acutely aware of just how far we have to go to be relevant again, let alone contend for a NC berth.

Step one: figure out an offensive system and use it to exploit competitive advantage.

 

[KaiserUEO]

Ohio Sts 3rd team QB, who won't see the field next year without injuries...is infinitely better than the clown car full of QBs we got.

Oh, and THAT...was hardnosed football.

 

[leftytg]

also refreshing to see a coach go for it on 4th down intelligently.

 

[Marsh01]

Pay a coach and staff real money
Better players will follow
We start becoming relevant again

Thats really it

 

[Scooch]

Pay a coach and staff real money
Better players will follow
We start becoming relevant again

Thats really it

I'll ammend that..

Pay a GOOD coach and GOOD staff real money.

We could give the crew we have right now big raises, but that wouldn't help.

 

[Millhouse]

Ohio Sts 3rd team QB, who won't see the field next year without injuries...is infinitely better than the clown car full of QBs we got.

Oh, and THAT...was hardnosed football.

i think you'd want to make him a tight end if he were here

 

[Ozcuse]

...makes me acutely aware of just how far we have to go to be relevant again, let alone contend for a NC berth.

Step one: figure out an offensive system and use it to exploit competitive advantage.

I don't think we're playing the same game as these elite teams.

 

[KaiserUEO]

i think you'd want to make him a tight end if he were here

Right now I'd make him a PF...

But to your point, sorta...he's likely better than any TE we have now too.

He seems to be a lot more accurate than our TE who played QB...

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I don't think we're playing the same game as these elite teams.

ding ding ding

 

[Fjoinkay]

People will remember how OSU was able to win with a third-string QB and for good reason. It boggles the mind a bit.

Watching bowl games one thing that stood out to me in just about every game is how shaky so many college QBs are even on successful teams. College QBs are developing. It's always a team effort. And if you have a superior QB, either with a lot of game experience or a younger QB who stands out because of an innate sense to make good decisions under pressure and to make plays, then you have a great chance to win tight games and to win games where you are the underdog. But it's always a team effort.

What OSU just did with a third-string QB was almost beyond imagination.

 

[Rocco]

Step 1 in our school becoming relevant in football again starts with out administration going all in in making sure that happens. Without the support of our private university, Syracuse Football's ceiling will be 8-5, maybe 9-4.

The IPF was a step in the right direction, but we just finished the first mile in a marathon. We got a long ways to go, and unfortunately, I don't think Mr. Chancellor wants to take it all the way down that road. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[44cuse]

...makes me acutely aware of just how far we have to go to be relevant again, let alone contend for a NC berth.

Step one: figure out an offensive system and use it to exploit competitive advantage.

Post of the year nominee. (and I'm not kidding)

44cuse

 

[cmr27]

Pay a coach and staff real money
Better players will follow
We start becoming relevant again

Thats really it

Money solves all problems in college football. Not true in life. But definitely true in D1 ball.

 

[Alsacs]

We wasted the next 2 years of Syracuse football by keeping #hardnosed football after this season. We are keeping him and praying for 6-6 next year. It just sucks to be stuck in mediocrity.
We are nowhere close to annual 8-4 status.

 

[TBCuse11]

We wasted the next 2 years of Syracuse football by keeping #hardnosed football after this season. We are keeping him and praying for 6-6 next year. It just sucks to be stuck in mediocrity.
We are nowhere close to annual 8-4 status.

sadly this is true. Shafer hasnt shown anything as a Coach.

he will lead a MAC team to the conference title one year though...

 

[RF2044]

We wasted the next 2 years of Syracuse football by keeping #hardnosed football after this season. We are keeping him and praying for 6-6 next year. It just sucks to be stuck in mediocrity.
We are nowhere close to annual 8-4 status.

His [and our] only hope is to get the OC hire right. I'm hoping to christ that Lester is "THE GUY." Because if he's not, Shafer won't be here long.

Ultimately, I strongly believe that Shafer is the type of coach who could do well at SU... but ONLY if he finds an offensive guru to straighten things out on that side of the ball. If he doesn't, then Shafer won't be capable of turning things around. I honestly can't state that explicitly enough: Shafer needs to bring in an offensive guy to implement a system that helps us create competitive advantage, otherwise he's just keeping the seat warm.

If anyone watched the college football playoffs these past two weekends and disagrees about the importance of having a dynamic offensive system, I'm not sure what they were watching.

 

[SoBristol]

...

If anyone watched the college football playoffs these past two weekends and disagrees about the importance of having a dynamic offensive system, I'm not sure what they were watching.

Was it the "system" that won out though? Ohio State ran a plain vanilla power offense, but with dynamic players and a very strong OL. The off-guard run became dynamic for tOSU when there were running lanes and an exceptional back. Their passing attack wasn't tricky -- it was effective because the QB had time to sit back and select his receivers. They converted on 3rd and short or 4th and short because they had the choice of an exception RB or a large, strong QB running behind that strong OL.

 

[Full_Rebar]

Was it the "system" that won out though? Ohio State ran a plain vanilla power offense, but with dynamic players and a very strong OL. The off-guard run became dynamic for tOSU when there were running lanes and an exceptional back. Their passing attack wasn't tricky -- it was effective because the QB had time to sit back and select his receivers. They converted on 3rd and short or 4th and short because they had the choice of an exception RB or a large, strong QB running behind that strong OL.

That wasn't a vanilla offense as much as it was finding a successful play last night and going to it again and again because Oregon couldn't/wouldn't adjust. Honestly, I was more impressed by Ohio State's offense for what they did to Bama.

In their last 2 games, they put the ball in the hands of play-makers. They took shots deep. They had a check to bubble screens when they were 3v2 on the outside. They ran jet sweeps, WR passes, read option, QB draw, in addition to the traps and counters. They kept their opponents honest with the run/pass and whoever called those games did a good job of dictating the action.

 

[tep624]

I still don't understand why Hackett's offense had to be abandoned after he left. We had recruited for that offense for 4 years and then all of a sudden we need to retool and try to become Oregon's little brother.

We don't have the financial resources to throw money at problems. Continuity and perfecting an offensive system is what is going to drive us to be successful, and success ultimately breeds success. The better we perform on the field and develop talent, the better we will be able to recruit.

 

[RF2044]

Was it the "system" that won out though? Ohio State ran a plain vanilla power offense, but with dynamic players and a very strong OL. The off-guard run became dynamic for tOSU when there were running lanes and an exceptional back. Their passing attack wasn't tricky -- it was effective because the QB had time to sit back and select his receivers. They converted on 3rd and short or 4th and short because they had the choice of an exception RB or a large, strong QB running behind that strong OL.

I think you are misinterpreting what I stated above. I firmly believe that college football rests upon three important legs of the stool: talent, coaching, and system.

Talent is exponentially the most important, IMHO, and can make the biggest difference. You either have Qadry Ismail returning kicks, or you don't. You either have Dwight Freeney getting upfield and making disruptive plays behind the line of scrimmage no matter who's assigned to block him, or you don't. You either have Marvin Harrison that opposing defensive coordinators spend the entire week game planning to stop, and still can't stop, or you don't. You either have a McNabb who can take a broken play and make it look like routine, positive gain or you don't.

In games where talent is relatively equal, than coaching can be a factor. As we saw with OSU these past two games.

And the system either puts the talent in a position to be successful--or it doesn't maximize the talent.

So what are the implications for SU?

Right now, we significantly lack offensive talent--skilled and in the trenches. Our coaching on that side of the ball is questionable, and our system stinks. So in terms of all three of those legs of the stool, we fall short across the board with what the current coaching staff has shown to date.

It's a different story on the defensive side of the ball, but on offense we are in shambles.

 

[PeteCalvin]

I respect what Meyer and OSU did winning the whole thing in a dominating fashion. However, now I have to listen to all the insufferable OSU fans I work with. Did ya hear? The BIG is back!! OSU and Mich will dominate...yada yada yada. :bang: