After rewatching the Oklahoma game, I really think we have just about everything we need to put together a bowl worthy season. Now, I've been as critical of Frost this year as anyone else (Illinois game made me all but give up on him). But finally in year 4, I think we're beginning to see him make the adjustments he needs to win here. Not abandoning the run game when it's not working, getting bigger receivers, hybridizing the defense to 3/4 - 5/2 mix, etc. Essentially adjusting to the B1G, rather than the other way around. No shame in that, other than the smack he talked when he first got here.
I'm still in the camp of bowl game or fire him, but with that being said, I'm all for just hanging in there and seeing how the season shakes out. It's good to have potential (and realistic) candidates in mind, and I trust Alberts has contingencies brewing just in case. However, we shouldn't be rooting for our team to lose out just so that we can appear smarter to others on the board. Sometimes it's better to be supportive than smarter, because you never know when it's gonna come back on you and your genuine intelligence could potentially take a back seat to your own foolish zealousness.
With that being said, a few quick hits from the game:
QB - Adrian looked CRISP. If he can play like that under that amount of pressure the rest of the year, we're in any game. Finally looking like the guy we've wanted him to be that past couple years. If you can't see that, then you're high.
RB - Johnson was looking like he could be a legit lead back! Color me surprised, as I had all but written him off after watching him last year unimpressed and being more high on the guys who've started over him so far. (Side note: wtf is Stepp??)
WR/TE - Best group we've had in years by far. Even better once we get Martin back. Nice to see Falck get in there and contribute. I believe we need our stars to be on the field over walkons hands down, but between him and Liewer, I've been more high on Falck since his TD last season. Keep this group progressing. Finally have big athletic receivers with large catch radius for AM to trust himself throwing to.
Oline - Absolute worst position group on the team. Sad state for the Pipeline. Our tackles are just plain bad, and our guards even worse. I hope the staff starts playing around with the lineup. If it were up to me, I put Prochezka at LT, slide Corcoran to LG, Cam at C, let Banks, Piper, Nouli, and Sichterman battle for RG, and keep Benhart at RT and hope he improves if rest of line stabilizes.
Defense is playing lights out. Need more pressure though. What happened since the first half of the Illinois game?? Gotta get Payne and the bunch going again. Good pressures, but gotta get home to the QB. Linebackers playing much better than anticipated, although Henrichs needs to tighten up his coverage game. Defensive backs are a mixed bunch. CTB doing ok and not thrown to much, Newsome seems shaky and often on the receiving end of a first down pass by the opposing team. Clark seems better at coverage, but perhaps not as much in defending the run game? Safeties are playing about as great as we need them to be.
Kicker tryout ASAP. Culp was a cool story, but I'm thinking LSU benched him for a reason. Kid's got the yips. Did well last year because anyone with a pulse in the kicking game could claim the job, and he apparently plays well in empty stadiums but just doesn't have the compsure for real games with crowds. Punting improved when Pryzup came in. Too bad for Cerni, but gotta go with what works here. Keep Toure (or Martin when back) at returner. Please, for the love of God, no more CTB back there.
MSU is gonna be tough this week. We're gonna need to get the line situation figured out, and hopefully some semblance of a kicking game if we're going to win this one. I think we have everything else we need to not only win this one, but win any remaining game this season. Not that we will, but can. I'm looking forward to them playing Northwestern, as I think we can finally beat them by double digits unlike how that series has played out so back and forth and close games the past handful of years. GBR!
I'm still in the camp of bowl game or fire him, but with that being said, I'm all for just hanging in there and seeing how the season shakes out. It's good to have potential (and realistic) candidates in mind, and I trust Alberts has contingencies brewing just in case. However, we shouldn't be rooting for our team to lose out just so that we can appear smarter to others on the board. Sometimes it's better to be supportive than smarter, because you never know when it's gonna come back on you and your genuine intelligence could potentially take a back seat to your own foolish zealousness.
With that being said, a few quick hits from the game:
QB - Adrian looked CRISP. If he can play like that under that amount of pressure the rest of the year, we're in any game. Finally looking like the guy we've wanted him to be that past couple years. If you can't see that, then you're high.
RB - Johnson was looking like he could be a legit lead back! Color me surprised, as I had all but written him off after watching him last year unimpressed and being more high on the guys who've started over him so far. (Side note: wtf is Stepp??)
WR/TE - Best group we've had in years by far. Even better once we get Martin back. Nice to see Falck get in there and contribute. I believe we need our stars to be on the field over walkons hands down, but between him and Liewer, I've been more high on Falck since his TD last season. Keep this group progressing. Finally have big athletic receivers with large catch radius for AM to trust himself throwing to.
Oline - Absolute worst position group on the team. Sad state for the Pipeline. Our tackles are just plain bad, and our guards even worse. I hope the staff starts playing around with the lineup. If it were up to me, I put Prochezka at LT, slide Corcoran to LG, Cam at C, let Banks, Piper, Nouli, and Sichterman battle for RG, and keep Benhart at RT and hope he improves if rest of line stabilizes.
Defense is playing lights out. Need more pressure though. What happened since the first half of the Illinois game?? Gotta get Payne and the bunch going again. Good pressures, but gotta get home to the QB. Linebackers playing much better than anticipated, although Henrichs needs to tighten up his coverage game. Defensive backs are a mixed bunch. CTB doing ok and not thrown to much, Newsome seems shaky and often on the receiving end of a first down pass by the opposing team. Clark seems better at coverage, but perhaps not as much in defending the run game? Safeties are playing about as great as we need them to be.
Kicker tryout ASAP. Culp was a cool story, but I'm thinking LSU benched him for a reason. Kid's got the yips. Did well last year because anyone with a pulse in the kicking game could claim the job, and he apparently plays well in empty stadiums but just doesn't have the compsure for real games with crowds. Punting improved when Pryzup came in. Too bad for Cerni, but gotta go with what works here. Keep Toure (or Martin when back) at returner. Please, for the love of God, no more CTB back there.
MSU is gonna be tough this week. We're gonna need to get the line situation figured out, and hopefully some semblance of a kicking game if we're going to win this one. I think we have everything else we need to not only win this one, but win any remaining game this season. Not that we will, but can. I'm looking forward to them playing Northwestern, as I think we can finally beat them by double digits unlike how that series has played out so back and forth and close games the past handful of years. GBR!