Coach Brent Key Scenario

[Techster]

O'Leary was the DC for our national championship team and had pretty highly ranked defenses the entire time under Ross. That's not quite the same situation.

You're right. It won't be the same situation. If Key does win 6+ games, he will have proven he can win with players the previous coach couldn't win with, with a staff not completely his, and under extenuating circumstances. He would also have won as many games in less tries than O'Leary did (O'Leary won 6 games in his first 14 games). Being a DC on a staff that won the natty doesn't mean anything. Many DCs and OCs from national champions have failed at HC. The only thing that gives O'Leary the advantage is hindsight. If Key does manage to win 6+ games this year, we won't need hindsight.

If you don't think that deserves a shot at a full season to see what he can do, than we've lost the plot. As others have said, you don't give him a fully guaranteed contract, or a contract with a small structured buyout, and give Key a shot he earned.

As I said previously, if he doesn't win six or more games, this is probably moot anyhow.

 

[Techster]

It's a little dusty in here....

 

[danny daniel]

As much as I disliked that play call, I understand the logic behind it. EJ Jenkins is a size mismatch (6'7") that we need to exploit in these situations. That play, if thrown well, should be a TD 9 times out of 10 against most CBs, and certainly against Pitt's. As with a lot of our play, it's the execution that's killing us.

I personally do not like that fade play much at all but especially inside the one yard line. AND when you look at our previous attempts (Sims) the success rate is not good. Sims has yet to develop the accuracy and touch and our receivers do not dominant the 50/50 balls at all. This was a low percentage call IMO. Practice would be better spent on our personnel/execution with the short yardage run game.

 

[bigrabbit]

Word on the street is the players are relieved the change is done and feeling more optimistic than ever about prospects moving forward. The team can now get to work on achieving their full potential. Hard to predict exactly how that translates into W/L, but better really, really, really late than never. I wouldn’t bet on there being some extraordinary flood of transfers due to widespread discontent.

 

[yeti92]

Word on the street is the players are relieved the change is done and feeling more optimistic than ever about prospects moving forward. The team can now get to work on achieving their full potential. Hard to predict exactly how that translates into W/L, but better really, really, really late than never. I wouldn’t bet on there being some extraordinary flood of transfers due to widespread discontent.

I sure hope so, I imagine it's very difficult to give full effort and stay focused when you know the HC is a dead man walking, which I'd imagine they have all known since the end of last year at least.

 

[Lexjacket]

I listened CBK's presser today and I like him. The straight-forward, no nonsense (no 'I see unicorns, if you just imagine' bs) statements. It's been my experience that, when things turn into do-do, someone has to keep their heads, refocus, and work your way out of it. I believe that he brings order out of disorder. Certainly, the team has a way to go, but I believe he is just what Tech needs. They need a leader and I think he may be it. At the end of the season, if the team continues to improve, I hope he gets the job.

 

[UgaBlows]

You can tell that O’Leary has been a huge influence

 

[bke1984]

As much as I disliked that play call, I understand the logic behind it. EJ Jenkins is a size mismatch (6'7") that we need to exploit in these situations. That play, if thrown well, should be a TD 9 times out of 10 against most CBs, and certainly against Pitt's. As with a lot of our play, it's the execution that's killing us.

Sure, but there are two big assumptions you’re making:

1. Sims can make the throw
2. Jenkins can catch the ball

Both of these players have struggled this year with routine stuff, let alone well orchestrated jump balls like that.

Even with as poor as our line has played I think we had a higher percentage chance at scoring if we run in that situation.

 

[Techster]

You can tell that O’Leary has been a huge influence

...and Friedgen, and Nick Saban. Key has played and coached for some really d@mn good coaches. O'Leary/Friedgen/Saban are no nonsense, tough love type of coaches. Work hard, put the team first, stay on task, and show me results. None of that extraneous stuff that played well on social media but didn't play well on the field.

 

[bke1984]

I listened CBK's presser today and I like him. The straight-forward, no nonsense (no 'I see unicorns, if you just imagine' bs) statements. It's been my experience that, when things turn into do-do, someone has to keep their heads, refocus, and work your way out of it. I believe that he brings order out of disorder. Certainly, the team has a way to go, but I believe he is just what Tech needs. They need a leader and I think he may be it. At the end of the season, if the team continues to improve, I hope he gets the job.

I’m encouraged as well, but like you I want to wait and see. The next two games should tell us a lot. I’d like to see us win two of three against Duke, UVA, and VT and then pick up another win among the rest I think he’d deserve a shot. For this to happen our O is going to have to improve by leaps and bounds…and if it does then I think it would speak to what a good job he’d done.

 

[Techster]

I’m encouraged as well, but like you I want to wait and see. The next two games should tell us a lot. I’d like to see us win two of three against Duke, UVA, and VT and then pick up another win among the rest I think he’d deserve a shot. For this to happen our O is going to have to improve by leaps and bounds…and if it does then I think it would speak to what a good job he’d done.

It's crazy, but all three are winnable games. Win all three (fingers crossed) and we're sitting at 5-3 and a win away from being bowl eligible. How crazy would that be given a week ago it seemed this team was dead in the water?

 

[bobongo]

Sure, but there are two big assumptions you’re making:

1. Sims can make the throw
2. Jenkins can catch the ball

Both of these players have struggled this year with routine stuff, let alone well orchestrated jump balls like that.

Even with as poor as our line has played I think we had a higher percentage chance at scoring if we run in that situation.

Yeah, I was expecting a run there. A fade wouldn't have been my choice, but maybe it's something they thought they had down in practice.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Sure, but there are two big assumptions you’re making:

1. Sims can make the throw
2. Jenkins can catch the ball

Both of these players have struggled this year with routine stuff, let alone well orchestrated jump balls like that.

Even with as poor as our line has played I think we had a higher percentage chance at scoring if we run in that situation.

I really don't think either of those is a big assumption. Assuming they can't seems like quite a stretch.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

It's crazy, but all three are winnable games. Win all three (fingers crossed) and we're sitting at 5-3 and a win away from being bowl eligible. How crazy would that be given a week ago it seemed this team was dead in the water?

I don't think it's all that crazy. I was still expecting to win 4-5 games with a possible 6th snuck in before CGC was fired. Pitt and UNC were "reach games" and we'd have had to pull an upset against FSU or Miami, but with Miami at our house I had, and still have, hope. If you let your personal dismay over CGC cloud your judgement of this team, that's understandable, but I still think we were going to win 4-5 games minimum this year whether he was fired or not.

 

[g0lftime]

I don't think it's all that crazy. I was still expecting to win 4-5 games with a possible 6th snuck in before CGC was fired. Pitt and UNC were "reach games" and we'd have had to pull an upset against FSU or Miami, but with Miami at our house I had, and still have, hope. If you let your personal dismay over CGC cloud your judgement of this team, that's understandable, but I still think we were going to win 4-5 games minimum this year whether he was fired or not.

We sure have a better shot winning those games now than 2 weeks ago.

 

[Techster]

I don't think it's all that crazy. I was still expecting to win 4-5 games with a possible 6th snuck in before CGC was fired. Pitt and UNC were "reach games" and we'd have had to pull an upset against FSU or Miami, but with Miami at our house I had, and still have, hope. If you let your personal dismay over CGC cloud your judgement of this team, that's understandable, but I still think we were going to win 4-5 games minimum this year whether he was fired or not.

It has nothing to do with my feelings for CGC...it has everything to do with the product we saw on the field the first 4 games that got him fired. We literally could not score more than 10 points against an FBS opponent. We scored 26 against a team with the #15 defensive FEI currently. Our special teams FG and punting looked like whole new squads. I feel pretty safe saying none of that happens if CGC were still the coach.

Still a lot of green to cross, but I've seen enough from the Pitt game to feel a LOT better about this team going forward under Key's direction than I did the first 4 games under Collins.

 

[g0lftime]

Yeah, I was expecting a run there. A fade wouldn't have been my choice, but maybe it's something they thought they had down in practice.

They got a favorable matchup with single coverage and size mismatch. Execution was bad. I thought that play should have been called earlier. They were stacking the box and stuffed us .

 

[stech81]

I don't think it's all that crazy. I was still expecting to win 4-5 games with a possible 6th snuck in before CGC was fired. Pitt and UNC were "reach games" and we'd have had to pull an upset against FSU or Miami, but with Miami at our house I had, and still have, hope. If you let your personal dismay over CGC cloud your judgement of this team, that's understandable, but I still think we were going to win 4-5 games minimum this year whether he was fired or not.

Which could be the reason the president wanted the AD and CGC out cause may have been harder if we had waited.

Although with CGC here I'm sure he would have found a way to mess up.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

It has nothing to do with my feelings for CGC...it has everything to do with the product we saw on the field the first 4 games that got him fired. We literally could not score more than 10 points against an FBS opponent. We scored 26 against a team with the #15 defensive FEI currently. Our special teams FG and punting looked like whole new squads. I feel pretty safe saying none of that happens if CGC were still the coach.

Still a lot of green to cross, but I've seen enough from the Pitt game to feel a LOT better about this team going forward under Key's direction than I did the first 4 games under Collins.

I mean, all three of those defenses are top 30 in DFEI. We looked marginally better on offense against Pitt, Defense has been good all year when CT is on the field, and ST was indeed vastly improved. I think Key is a definite upgrade over CGC, but I don't think we were only going to win 2 games had he stayed either.

 

[Techster]

I mean, all three of those defenses are top 30 in DFEI. We looked marginally better on offense against Pitt, Defense has been good all year when CT is on the field, and ST was indeed vastly improved. I think Key is a definite upgrade over CGC, but I don't think we were only going to win 2 games had he stayed either.

Even with CT on the field, our defense was putrid. Literally all 3 phases of our team has improved in a week's time since Key took over. Our Defensive and Offensive FEIs have risen in just a week's work. Pitt was the least amount of points we gave up to a FBS team this season.

I respect your opinion that you think GT might have won 4-5 games this season, but I'm not sure where GT would have gotten those wins if CGC were still the coach. With Key and the performance against Pitt, there's actually hope against teams like Duke/VT/UVA now.