My take to this point (just a little over 2 1/2 years into Collins program) is that CDP is an average P5 OC and Thacker is a below average P5 DC.
If you look at the OFEI rankings we have gone from 94 to 92 to 67 so far this year (the actual number has also improved each year and is actually positive right now). The numbers are getting better. We've basically gone from awful to below average.
The DFEI ranking has gone from 93 to 88 to 93. Just very little movement. Even the raw number has seen just minimal improvement and is still in negative territory. More disturbingly with the exception of CPJ's last team the DFEI numbers under Collins have been much worse than the last 4 years of CPJ's program.
On offense, if we can stabilize the offensive line, we can be a lot better. There are other issues, but getting our blocking up to P5 “average” makes us a lot better faster than anything else. Whether you consider this year 3 or year 2 with a mulligan, that’s taking longer than many of us expected.
On defense, the line got better. The linebackers got better. The overall defense should have improved a lot. It hasn’t. Thomas and Domineck should make all ACC at some level, which says something about how we’ve improved at DL and LB.
Yes, today’s NCAA football favors offense, but our defense should still be no worse than average, and should be P5 respectable. It looked decent to good in half our games, but terrible in the others. It’s Jekyll and Hyde.
Both our offense and our defense should have played better against UVA. On offense, we have way too many 3- or 5-and-outs. On defense, it’s too few.
Edit: my opinion—most coaches are in that mishmash of “average coaches”. Many who are either above average or below average aren’t far enough in either direction to make a noticeable difference in results. There are a handful that blow the curve out of the water, but it’s just a few. There are more than that who are downright counterproductive, and that’s a bigger issue for teams.
Patenaude is probably in that mishmash in the middle, and probably a little better than average. Get him an average performing line, and you’re looking at a top 40 offense with the rest of the players we have.
On defense, we have some talented players, but we’re just getting beat at other spots or making bad plays. Good teams string good games together.
