Once hired, our new AD needs to tread very carefully with this football program and Hank Bounds needs to convey that message. Too many fans focus too much on the record and not enough on the direction the program is headed. Year 3 is not enough time for a coach to have their players and their program in place. We need to look at the bigger picture, what they started with, and where things are headed. Let’s review just a few recent examples.
Dabo Swinny went 9-5 in year 2 and then only 6-7 in year 3 at Clemson.
Mike Leach went 6-7 in year 2 and then only 3-9 in year 3 at Washington State.
James Franklin only won 53.8 percent of his games the first two years at Penn State.
Mike Gundy was 6-7 in year 3.
Some of these coaches struggled in year 3 or went backwards. Maybe they were headed in a positive direction at the same time though.
I don’t think people fully understand the state our program was in when Riley took over. Yes, we just won 9 games the year before, but the program was headed off a cliff. Considering our level of talent on the field, winning 9 games in 2016 was a very good coaching job. We very seldom had better talent on the field. Even Iowa had 4 draft picks last year and still have better talent in the upper classes.
When Pelini took over in 2008, we were loaded with talent and much of it was NFL talent. From 2008-2012 we had 20 players drafted and many of those are still playing in the NFL. They were not his recruits. Last year we had one player drafted and he was cut. This year we have 5 seniors on the offensive 2-deep depth chart and 4 of them were walk-ons. Counting Kulu, which has not been playing, we only have 3 seniors on the defensive 2-deep depth chart and one of them was a walk-on.
I don’t think people fully realize how bad recruiting had become under Pelini. Pelini was not fired because of his record. He was fired because of his behavior, which often was an embarrassment to the University, and because the program was headed backwards. Our schedule during Pelini’s last couple years was remarkably easy or as about as easy as it can be, unless you play in the ACC. During the regular season, we played only one team in 2012 that finished in the top 25, in 2013 we only played two, and no team in either year that finished in the top 10. In 2015, we played two teams that finished in the top 10, 2016 we played 3 top 25 teams and two of those were top 11, and this year we have 3 teams on the schedule who are currently rated in the top 11. Considering the lack of top quality talent we have had in the upper classes and increased strength in schedule, looking only at the record just doesn’t tell the whole story. Pelini’s record was okay, but the program was deteriorating and headed downward. Not to mention other toxic conditions being created within.
Recruiting is the life blood of any program and its future. If you doubt this, consider the “great” Nick Saban at Michigan State where he went 6-5, 6-6, 7-5, and 6-6 in his first 4 years. If you don’t have the talent, it’s difficult for any coach to look good. It’s very easy to recruit in the deep south where you have an abundance of talent nearby. We do have unique recruiting challenges that few staffs can deal with successfully. However, Riley has been improving his staff each year and we have some elite recruiters on the staff and good coaches. The current state of affairs? Yes, got off to a rough start this year. But, consider the path the program is on and that recruiting has been improving under Riley every year, the future is bright. Skipping the transition year, look at just some of the young players that just arrived in the past two classes that are playing or near playing. Ben Stille, Tyjon Lindsey, Deontre Thomas, JD Spielman, Tre Bryant, Jaylin Bradley, Guy Thomas, Jaevon McQuilty, Brenden Jaimes, JoJo Domann, Marquel Dismuke, Boe Wilson, Tristen Gebbia, L. Jackson, and several others. Other Sophomores include the Davis twins, Antonio Reed, Mo Barry, & Tyrin Ferguson. We are young on the field.
If Hank Bounds and the new AD doesn’t derail the positive path we are on, this team and program is set to take a MAJOR jump headed into next year. Yes, next year is the year to start judging where we are headed. Our current team is very young and has some very promising true freshman and this current recruiting class the coaches are putting together has the potential of being somewhat historic with some true difference makers. Besides the overall talent on the commit list, we may have 6-8 of those top recruits coming in December and here for Spring camp.
Many of our fans, which claim to care about the program, actively are doing things that are making things more difficult in recruiting. To think all the negative posts and news articles are not being used by other programs to persuade those currently committed and those who may commit away from us are just being naïve. Please stop with the crap about Riley being fired.
The best thing that could happen, after an AD is hired, is for the new AD to recognize we are in year 3 and headed in a positive direction, regardless of this year’s record. To allow the coaches to finish a great class of true difference makers, the new AD should come out and publicly state support for Riley and his staff going forward. Riley should be allowed a minimum of a full 4 years before any decisions are made. It is vastly premature to think that another “reset” and lost recruiting class is in the best interest of the program! The record in year 3 should not be looked at in isolation. Riley inherited very average talent. Just look at only one player drafted last year that was cut and a total of 3 seniors on the 2-deep depth chart that were not walk-ons. Year 2 & 3 was going to be rough for anyone coming in. H. Bounds, the new AD, and the fans need to get behind the positive things the coaches are doing to lay the foundation for our future and stop looking only at year 3. Top national high school recruits believe in what’s happening and want to come here and they know they can play early. Hopefully, the new AD can see what they are seeing.
Dabo Swinny went 9-5 in year 2 and then only 6-7 in year 3 at Clemson.
Mike Leach went 6-7 in year 2 and then only 3-9 in year 3 at Washington State.
James Franklin only won 53.8 percent of his games the first two years at Penn State.
Mike Gundy was 6-7 in year 3.
Some of these coaches struggled in year 3 or went backwards. Maybe they were headed in a positive direction at the same time though.
I don’t think people fully understand the state our program was in when Riley took over. Yes, we just won 9 games the year before, but the program was headed off a cliff. Considering our level of talent on the field, winning 9 games in 2016 was a very good coaching job. We very seldom had better talent on the field. Even Iowa had 4 draft picks last year and still have better talent in the upper classes.
When Pelini took over in 2008, we were loaded with talent and much of it was NFL talent. From 2008-2012 we had 20 players drafted and many of those are still playing in the NFL. They were not his recruits. Last year we had one player drafted and he was cut. This year we have 5 seniors on the offensive 2-deep depth chart and 4 of them were walk-ons. Counting Kulu, which has not been playing, we only have 3 seniors on the defensive 2-deep depth chart and one of them was a walk-on.
I don’t think people fully realize how bad recruiting had become under Pelini. Pelini was not fired because of his record. He was fired because of his behavior, which often was an embarrassment to the University, and because the program was headed backwards. Our schedule during Pelini’s last couple years was remarkably easy or as about as easy as it can be, unless you play in the ACC. During the regular season, we played only one team in 2012 that finished in the top 25, in 2013 we only played two, and no team in either year that finished in the top 10. In 2015, we played two teams that finished in the top 10, 2016 we played 3 top 25 teams and two of those were top 11, and this year we have 3 teams on the schedule who are currently rated in the top 11. Considering the lack of top quality talent we have had in the upper classes and increased strength in schedule, looking only at the record just doesn’t tell the whole story. Pelini’s record was okay, but the program was deteriorating and headed downward. Not to mention other toxic conditions being created within.
Recruiting is the life blood of any program and its future. If you doubt this, consider the “great” Nick Saban at Michigan State where he went 6-5, 6-6, 7-5, and 6-6 in his first 4 years. If you don’t have the talent, it’s difficult for any coach to look good. It’s very easy to recruit in the deep south where you have an abundance of talent nearby. We do have unique recruiting challenges that few staffs can deal with successfully. However, Riley has been improving his staff each year and we have some elite recruiters on the staff and good coaches. The current state of affairs? Yes, got off to a rough start this year. But, consider the path the program is on and that recruiting has been improving under Riley every year, the future is bright. Skipping the transition year, look at just some of the young players that just arrived in the past two classes that are playing or near playing. Ben Stille, Tyjon Lindsey, Deontre Thomas, JD Spielman, Tre Bryant, Jaylin Bradley, Guy Thomas, Jaevon McQuilty, Brenden Jaimes, JoJo Domann, Marquel Dismuke, Boe Wilson, Tristen Gebbia, L. Jackson, and several others. Other Sophomores include the Davis twins, Antonio Reed, Mo Barry, & Tyrin Ferguson. We are young on the field.
If Hank Bounds and the new AD doesn’t derail the positive path we are on, this team and program is set to take a MAJOR jump headed into next year. Yes, next year is the year to start judging where we are headed. Our current team is very young and has some very promising true freshman and this current recruiting class the coaches are putting together has the potential of being somewhat historic with some true difference makers. Besides the overall talent on the commit list, we may have 6-8 of those top recruits coming in December and here for Spring camp.
Many of our fans, which claim to care about the program, actively are doing things that are making things more difficult in recruiting. To think all the negative posts and news articles are not being used by other programs to persuade those currently committed and those who may commit away from us are just being naïve. Please stop with the crap about Riley being fired.
The best thing that could happen, after an AD is hired, is for the new AD to recognize we are in year 3 and headed in a positive direction, regardless of this year’s record. To allow the coaches to finish a great class of true difference makers, the new AD should come out and publicly state support for Riley and his staff going forward. Riley should be allowed a minimum of a full 4 years before any decisions are made. It is vastly premature to think that another “reset” and lost recruiting class is in the best interest of the program! The record in year 3 should not be looked at in isolation. Riley inherited very average talent. Just look at only one player drafted last year that was cut and a total of 3 seniors on the 2-deep depth chart that were not walk-ons. Year 2 & 3 was going to be rough for anyone coming in. H. Bounds, the new AD, and the fans need to get behind the positive things the coaches are doing to lay the foundation for our future and stop looking only at year 3. Top national high school recruits believe in what’s happening and want to come here and they know they can play early. Hopefully, the new AD can see what they are seeing.
