I am going to try and spin this so here goes. There are alot of areas that need improvement with this team. Offensive line play, defense tackling, some defenders blowing assignments on pass plays, not enough pressure from our front 4, Jefferson throwing from the pocket, with accuracy. The coaching staff: Is it possible that Les Miles and Co. know that all we need to do is win games. Style points count in the NCAA, and i know that people say, if we don't get better we wont last against Ole Miss, Fla, Bama, etc. However, we play the number 5, 3, and 1 team in the NCAA this year. If we beat those guys, its not going to matter how bad we looked doing it. We don't need style points, because our schedule sets us up that if we just win, the rest will take care of itself. Could this coaching staff be baiting other teams? Miles being the paranoid guy he is could be giving opposing teams garbage to look at in the film rooms. I guess what i am trying to say is, this year in my opinion is a year that because of our tough schedule, will allow us to play sloppy as long as we win we will be right there. By the way, i don't think its wrong to be critical as long as it is done without saying our players suck, and our coaching staff sucks, and fire this guy, and bench that guy. This staff knows what it is doing, and we will see what this team is about when we go to Athens. :geauxtige
I guess they COULD be doing this. But that would be overthinking things if you ask me. We play these kind of games early so we can get better and get ready for the SEC schedule. You are not doing yourself anyfavors by holding back and teaching complacency. You are teaching your kids to back off and sit back. I seriusly doubt this is the problem. Now on the other hand, Miles doesnt trust young players and may think he is bringing them along slowly. Reality is thiat is old school thinking. High school offenses are much closer to college offenses now than they were even 5 or 10 years ago. In this age, you have to play freshman. All the big schools do it and it helps in a lot of ways. One being recruiting, others being depth and earning experience.
I've been wondering the same thing the last two weeks. In years past we seem to score at will against the bottom rung teams. This year we're kinda going through the motions at points. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that Coach is playing possum a little. Why show what you have until you have to. I'm not expecting to hang forty on Miss St next week, even though I believe we are more than capable. We'll score in the thirties and try to hold them in the teens. Who knows?
The only reason that this makes any sense to me, is because Miles is paranoid. The hat is the guy who made two different footed punters wear the same number so the opposition would not know if he was using the left footed or right footed punter. Also he Miles gives absolutely no information in the press, or to anyone. I think he is looking at the entire season as a chess match. There are alot of areas we need to get better at, and im sure they will be addressed in practice, but watch when we go to UGA, this is going to be a different team.
There is two very good reasons that this theory doesnt work. 1. if you play possum you must "know" you are going to win. Not even a gunslinging Miles is that presumptious. If he is then we are in deep do do. 2. You'd have to let the players in on it and it goes agaisnt any and all coaching/teaching to "try to just barely win" the players would quickly lose respect for their coach. No they would have loved to hang 50 points in convincing fashion on their opponents this year. truth be known. As they would every game and every opponent. Every year they gradually add plays as the season goes along or change game plans to suit their opponent. That doesnt mean they want to "barely" win so as to not tip their hand. Just because you barely win does not mean you planned it. Indeed if he "plans" like this that is playing with fire and they need to run his ass off now. Miles isn't hiding anything other than maybe a few trick plays and schemes geared toward a certain opponents weakness'. that I'd guarantee. all coahces worth their salt do this. if that's what you mean then yes id have to agree. I think we just have a few problems to work through and that might get done time will tell. I am sure Miles is working on it. last season was the only season that our issues didnt get ironed out and we did finish on a positive note.
There's no playing possum. We're not going to unveil some new shiny diamond encrusted team coming out the locker room next week or against Georgia, or whenever you deem it is happening. This is what we got to work with. It's a work in progress. It is Les Miles' job to get this team up to speed to beat the likes of the SEC teams we are about to play. If we lose 4 or 5 SEC games again, it's all on Les Miles and it will be looked upon as an utter failure on his part. If he doesn't want to put his best players on the field because they are freshmen, then he has to live with the results and consequences if the seniors on this team fall short.
Besides, this idea of "we are holding back so we don't show the good SEC teams our real playbook" doesn't make sense. Why on earth would any team, I don't care who they are, want to wait until they play the top tier teams to run new trick plays or other new formations? For example, wouldn't it make more sense to have Shepard try that fake draw, long pass against a ULL or Vandy rather than trying it against a better SEC team for the first time? It's been 3 games already and he hasn't thrown one pass. I'm with you. I don't think some new, angry aggressive team comes out of the tunnel against UGA. It's going to be this same team and probably the same playbook.
I'll take it one step further. Wouldn't you want to attempt the play so that other teams have to think about defending it, keeping the defense honest and allowing a run by Shepard to be that much more effective?
I was trying to explain our shortcomings in a positive light, quite honestly the only way i could think of. I agree with you all, we are 3-0, but we don't look like a number 7 team in the nation, and definitely don't look like potential SEC champs right now. Then again, no one in the nation looks simply amazing either. Take what you want from the UW win over USC, USC is down right now, and they will probably drop a few more. Whats crazy is by the time we play UF, the AP could possibly look like this 1. UF 2. Texas 3. Bama 4. Ole Miss 5. LSU Cal has Oregon, then USC. Penn St. has Iowa and Illinois, they could drop one of these 2, Penn St. hasn't been too impressive either. Texas plays UTEP and Colorado, no way they drop one of those 2, but if they do, can you imagine 4 teams from the SEC 1-4. its going to take some crazy **** happening but its possible. oh and i do agree that we should be opening up the playbook and bringing the wood to everyone. This team to me is loaded with weapons and they are on the shelf. It does give the opposition more things to worry about. The more plays you run on offense with a young team, the more you are playing russian rouillette. We have to be able to move the ball down the field or we are in trouble.
No, I'd rather run the same exact play over and over again. You see, he only had 21 total yards against ULL and 27 total yards against Vandy on purpose. It's all a part of the plan.
