I've done some painful work in rewatching a lot of last season's atrocity, and I've discovered some things about the team that got lost in the asshattery that was the 2024 season. This is helping me feel **extremely** cautiously optimistic with my feelings about next year. While I'm expecting 7-5, 8-4, or 9-3 at the best, we could be even better than that in all honesty. I know some of these things have been mentioned before, but wanted to reiterate why they could be taken in a positive manner, because frankly, we the fans need it.
1. THE ISSUES
Last year's team had zero momentum on offense, no matter what. Even in the Maine, Temple, Houston and Midzou games, offense stumbled and couldn't get going. We all know that. But not just that, stupid penalties also happened a little over all the time. Time and again, big plays would be called back for holding on the offensive line and receivers, false starts and other issues: drops, miss throws, defenders inside the pocket within seconds of the snap coming. In every game last year, the defense gave us shots to win. Multiple turnovers against Tennessee set us up both times in plus territory, even inside the 5, and we gave them both away the next play. texas game, we have an early turnover that we choose to do nothing with, resorting to predictable inside zone runs and missing every occasion of an open wide receiver. The Midzou game is an anomaly, I can't fathom how we lost that damn game, we had three different chances of winning.
2. OFFENSE KILLING DEFENSIVE MOMENTUM
In the LSU game, we go up 14-10 about halfway thru the 2nd quarter off a beautiful deep throw and X Rob run. Immediately following that is the kickoff return disaster. From that point on, LSU has momentum, and because it's the end of the season where the defense has constantly seen this stupidity happen, they give in (for the most part). In the texas game, with a week to prepare and make use of the Auburn momentum, Seth Litrell actually has us up 3-0 end of the first. But multiple boneheaded inside zone runs when outside runs were the only thing that worked later, and you've got the clear result of a team without an OC or QB coach. Eventually, that is too much to handle, and no amount of great culture that BV has set up can take away the frustration from that defense's point of view. They could not be on the field for an ungodly amount of time in every game in very poor field position and be expected to play elite defense. That just doesn't happen.
3. DESPITE ALL OF THAT, this team should have beat Midzou, Tennessee, and Ole Miss, without a doubt. That puts us at 9-3 already. We also would have more of a chance against texas, South Carolina and LSU. The main point being that even with that offense, which was so diabolically stupid, brain dead and unlucky, we should have gone at least 9-3. We get help from injuries, refball, and a legit OC, and we have ourselves a fringe playoff team.
4. THE FUTURE
I'm not saying that we win all of these games, but what I am saying is that an actual OC with a plan for the offense doesn't have 3 straight turnovers against SC to go down 21-0 before the first sprite can be sipped. I think it can be encouraging to see how that terrible offense was actually somewhat competitive in these games. Of course, it was entirely the defense keeping them afloat, and as mentioned, they got tired of the offense being on the field for 3 seconds before having to trot back out there, often on the wrong side of the field. I think this year can be better (gonna be hard to be worse lol) because that defense will be paired with a competent offense. John Mateer has a sharp arm, yes, but he is also familiar with this system, the OC and his QB coach. He is a vocal guy, which we have desperately missed on the offensive side. I think if we can get lucky with our evaluations, (Jim Nagy should help) our injuries (please for the love of God) and that defense being just as good as it was last year (which it can and I think will), we can be a great team. I don't know what our ceiling can be, but I know we could make some serious noise. The offense doesn't even have to be elite or great, it just has to be serviceable and not stupid, and I think Arbuckle's actual plan for the offense can do that.
Feel free to argue or disagree with me, just my two cents and because I desperately need some positivity about football in my own life lol.
1. THE ISSUES
Last year's team had zero momentum on offense, no matter what. Even in the Maine, Temple, Houston and Midzou games, offense stumbled and couldn't get going. We all know that. But not just that, stupid penalties also happened a little over all the time. Time and again, big plays would be called back for holding on the offensive line and receivers, false starts and other issues: drops, miss throws, defenders inside the pocket within seconds of the snap coming. In every game last year, the defense gave us shots to win. Multiple turnovers against Tennessee set us up both times in plus territory, even inside the 5, and we gave them both away the next play. texas game, we have an early turnover that we choose to do nothing with, resorting to predictable inside zone runs and missing every occasion of an open wide receiver. The Midzou game is an anomaly, I can't fathom how we lost that damn game, we had three different chances of winning.
2. OFFENSE KILLING DEFENSIVE MOMENTUM
In the LSU game, we go up 14-10 about halfway thru the 2nd quarter off a beautiful deep throw and X Rob run. Immediately following that is the kickoff return disaster. From that point on, LSU has momentum, and because it's the end of the season where the defense has constantly seen this stupidity happen, they give in (for the most part). In the texas game, with a week to prepare and make use of the Auburn momentum, Seth Litrell actually has us up 3-0 end of the first. But multiple boneheaded inside zone runs when outside runs were the only thing that worked later, and you've got the clear result of a team without an OC or QB coach. Eventually, that is too much to handle, and no amount of great culture that BV has set up can take away the frustration from that defense's point of view. They could not be on the field for an ungodly amount of time in every game in very poor field position and be expected to play elite defense. That just doesn't happen.
3. DESPITE ALL OF THAT, this team should have beat Midzou, Tennessee, and Ole Miss, without a doubt. That puts us at 9-3 already. We also would have more of a chance against texas, South Carolina and LSU. The main point being that even with that offense, which was so diabolically stupid, brain dead and unlucky, we should have gone at least 9-3. We get help from injuries, refball, and a legit OC, and we have ourselves a fringe playoff team.
4. THE FUTURE
I'm not saying that we win all of these games, but what I am saying is that an actual OC with a plan for the offense doesn't have 3 straight turnovers against SC to go down 21-0 before the first sprite can be sipped. I think it can be encouraging to see how that terrible offense was actually somewhat competitive in these games. Of course, it was entirely the defense keeping them afloat, and as mentioned, they got tired of the offense being on the field for 3 seconds before having to trot back out there, often on the wrong side of the field. I think this year can be better (gonna be hard to be worse lol) because that defense will be paired with a competent offense. John Mateer has a sharp arm, yes, but he is also familiar with this system, the OC and his QB coach. He is a vocal guy, which we have desperately missed on the offensive side. I think if we can get lucky with our evaluations, (Jim Nagy should help) our injuries (please for the love of God) and that defense being just as good as it was last year (which it can and I think will), we can be a great team. I don't know what our ceiling can be, but I know we could make some serious noise. The offense doesn't even have to be elite or great, it just has to be serviceable and not stupid, and I think Arbuckle's actual plan for the offense can do that.
Feel free to argue or disagree with me, just my two cents and because I desperately need some positivity about football in my own life lol.
