BjS- am I wrong. He has never played .. Can u say player

[augustabuzz]

O'Leary was de facto DC from 1999 through 2001.

 

[Techster]

Throw in TDR too...just saying...

No kidding. The guy had 2 back to back sacks in one game. It's obvious Senior does not like Junior...

 

[alentrekin]

Link?

Will try to find. It was after someone asked about Jaquan and CPJ answered that he was probably the fastest guy on the team and that they need to get him on the field on D.

IMO, he would be perfect for Lawrence Austin's position. We ran into a little matchup trouble against Clemson when they used field/formation to bring Law into the box; a hybrid sized guy solves that problem.

 

[Skeptic]

Wait, who are you talking about? Or is this hypothetical?

For the record, I wasn't referring to any one player's complaints. Was merely making a general observation about Roof from 2 separate stints with GT.

Nor am I talking specifics. I'm saying players who can't play claim sinister forces conspired. Generally it is the coach likes somebody else more. I never had or met a coach who didn't want to win, and that means lining up your best.

 

[kg01]

Nor am I talking specifics. I'm saying players who can't play claim sinister forces conspired. Generally it is the coach likes somebody else more. I never had or met a coach who didn't want to win, and that means lining up your best.

You think, for example, Simmons can't play? If I were to talk specifics, he'd be at the top of my list.

 

[tech_wreck47]

Will try to find. It was after someone asked about Jaquan and CPJ answered that he was probably the fastest guy on the team and that they need to get him on the field on D.

IMO, he would be perfect for Lawrence Austin's position. We ran into a little matchup trouble against Clemson when they used field/formation to bring Law into the box; a hybrid sized guy solves that problem.

Was it the post game from Virginia game?

 

[UgaBlows]

Will try to find. It was after someone asked about Jaquan and CPJ answered that he was probably the fastest guy on the team and that they need to get him on the field on D.

IMO, he would be perfect for Lawrence Austin's position. We ran into a little matchup trouble against Clemson when they used field/formation to bring Law into the box; a hybrid sized guy solves that problem.

I love the Austin twins, but UT, UM, and UVA all KILLed us in crunchtime with tall receivers

 

[pbrown520]

You think, for example, Simmons can't play? If I were to talk specifics, he'd be at the top of my list.

Simmons started the UVA game at least according to the call-in show tonight.

 

[Skeptic]

You think, for example, Simmons can't play? If I were to talk specifics, he'd be at the top of my list.

I am speaking not of a specific player but to the board claim that Roof plays, not his best defenders, but his personal favored children. (Leave aside the idea that probably his favorites are favored because they can play. Coaches are like that, you know. I don't know who is best. All I know is what I see on my TV and since I am not a scout or a recruiter there is no way I can make a judgment, and that is particularly true of defense.) There just is no way the DC is knowingly playing inferior defenders in front of good ones. Just no way.

 

[kg01]

Simmons started the UVA game at least according to the call-in show tonight.

Why was this one of very few games he's started? That's the question.

I am speaking not of a specific player but to the board claim that Roof plays, not his best defenders, but his personal favored children. (Leave aside the idea that probably his favorites are favored because they can play. Coaches are like that, you know. I don't know who is best. All I know is what I see on my TV and since I am not a scout or a recruiter there is no way I can make a judgment, and that is particularly true of defense.) There just is no way the DC is knowingly playing inferior defenders in front of good ones. Just no way.

Your line of thinking suggests coaches are perfect, are above reproach and never make mistakes in judgment.

My contention is that coaches are fired every year because they are not perfect, are not above reproach and quite often make mistakes in judgment.

 

[Lavoisier]

Deshaun Watson sat behind Cole Stoudt. Arizona's QB came of the bench. Jamae Thomas didn't start until Paul Johnson basically forced Groh to start him. Clinton Lynch only started because of injuries in 2015. Our OLine got significantly better last year when the freshmen came in. Tom Brady rode the bench. I can keep going. Coaches, even our own, screw up evaluating their guys.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Deshaun Watson sat behind Cole Stoudt. Arizona's QB came of the bench. Jamae Thomas didn't start until Paul Johnson basically forced Groh to start him. Clinton Lynch only started because of injuries in 2015. Our OLine got significantly better last year when the freshmen came in. Tom Brady rode the bench. I can keep going. Coaches, even our own, screw up evaluating their guys.

It's not always misevaluations. Sometimes guys just finally get their act together mentally, physically or both to pass the starter on the depth chart. Performance is not a static thing.

 

[Skeptic]

Why was this one of very few games he's started? That's the question.



Your line of thinking suggests coaches are perfect, are above reproach and never make mistakes in judgment.

My contention is that coaches are fired every year because they are not perfect, are not above reproach and quite often make mistakes in judgment.

I forget what term debaters use for your this, but you veer from the discussion, and now instead of coaches favoring favorites you want the topic to be about someone saying coaches are perfect and never mistaken. That is a much easier position to attack, your problem being that nobody ever said that until you just did. Of course coaches make mistakes. Some are egregious. Why, Miller Huggins once played Wally Pipp in front of Lou Gehrig. More recently a certain LA Dodger manager yanked a starting pitcher mowing down the Astros because of something called "analytics" the basis of which is Greek meaning "we don't need no stinking manager" and then was forced to run through his entire bullpen to fill the innings and in the end, lost the World Series. Now that was stupid. That was ... sorry. I got off on a rant. The whole Series is personal and too painful even now. But that is your bad judgment argument. We were talking about a manager pulling the pitcher to let his nephew chunk awhile. That's the favoritism argument. You see? And I'm done. This has brought the World Series back and I need therapy again.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

The thing about the "favoritism" debate is it can never truly be solved. If you asked CTR, he could probably give you valid reasons why he is starting the guys he is starting. Would that change anyone's mind? Doubtful. When talent level is close, you can always assume there is a nefarious reason why our chosen starter is riding the pine. It's much easier when there is separation on the depth chart.

What we don't see is practice. Sometimes really great in game players don't produce in practice. It's hard for coaches to trust them in a game when they see poor practice results 4 times a week. Conversely, sometimes players are lights out in practice, and then struggle in games.

I don't know what the reasons are, and I don't know why CTR hasn't started Simmons before now, but I do know one thing: I can't do a single thing about it, so I'll just root for whichever guy CTR trots out there and thank God we finally have some depth on the DL.

 

[Skeptic]

The thing about the "favoritism" debate is it can never truly be solved. If you asked CTR, he could probably give you valid reasons why he is starting the guys he is starting. Would that change anyone's mind? Doubtful. When talent level is close, you can always assume there is a nefarious reason why our chosen starter is riding the pine. It's much easier when there is separation on the depth chart.

What we don't see is practice. Sometimes really great in game players don't produce in practice. It's hard for coaches to trust them in a game when they see poor practice results 4 times a week. Conversely, sometimes players are lights out in practice, and then struggle in games.

I don't know what the reasons are, and I don't know why CTR hasn't started Simmons before now, but I do know one thing: I can't do a single thing about it, so I'll just root for whichever guy CTR trots out there and thank God we finally have some depth on the DL.

Simmons will be loved until Simmons screws up.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

Simmons will be loved until Simmons screws up.

I love Simmons. He's imo our best pure pass rusher by a little over ASA...jmo...but he has screwed up in games already...has failed to set the edge properly multiple times...fails to set the edge as well as our other 2 top DEs...again jmo.

Does that mean he shouldn't play ahead of those other 2 guys? No. Does it mean he should? No. And FWIW all 3 are getting a lot of reps. But each guy brings different strengths and weaknesses and it's kinda hard to play all 3 at once.

Difference is when Simmons fails to set the edge fans don't generally call him out as inferior to the other guys and promote demoting him they way they do our other senior DE.

I'm grateful for all 3 guys. They collectively make us a better team than we would be if we didn't have one of them available.

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

An example where 4-stars means 4-stars. More times than not.....

Derrick Morgan was also a 4-star recruit. I know there are lots of examples where lower star recruits outplay higher rated recruits, but that is NOT the norm.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

An example where 4-stars means 4-stars. More times than not.....

Derrick Morgan was also a 4-star recruit. I know there are lots of examples where lower star recruits outplay higher rated recruits, but that is NOT the norm.

Not saying you are wrong, but is there actual data to back up your claim that it's not the norm? All I ever see on either side of this debate is anecdotal evidence.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

An example where 4-stars means 4-stars. More times than not.....

Derrick Morgan was also a 4-star recruit. I know there are lots of examples where lower star recruits outplay higher rated recruits, but that is NOT the norm.

We have very very few four-star recruits so this point is moot.

 

[MtownJacket]

This has already been said, but playing a guy with more experience that knows where to go over a guy that is a better athlete but makes more mistakes is not necessarily playing favorites. Depending on the circumstances you could make a strong argument that the former gives you the best chance to win. It sounds more like a conservative philosophy, which I think is a good descriptor of Roof as a coach.

I agree that giving some better athletes more playing time to accelerate their development is a good idea, even if it is just to let some veterans catch their breath so they can come back fresh. Our defense would probably benefit from substituting fresh legs more often.

At the same time this is our best defense since 2008, which might not be saying much, but I'm pretty sure Roof knows better than we do.