Cuse Postgame

[Northeast Stinger]

If we have already mailed it in against 4 teams we play regularly then maybe I will pick another team. Im not saying we should beat all of those teams all of the time but getting wins against them every once in a while shouldn't be impossible. Clemson lost to Duke, Miami, and NC St. FSU was taken to the wire by Miami and BC. Are those teams way better than us? No. We should be able to get our shots in against those guys as well. UGA is the only team on our schedule that we need to come back down to earth a little. 7-5 wouldnt be a disaster but it would be pretty mediocre. If we have great talent and a great coaching staff like many proclaim then its time to start seeing results.

“If we have great talent and a great coaching staff like many proclaim then it’s time to start seeing results.”

OK, I’ve been trying to understand where the heck you are coming from, and this last sentence clarifies it a little.

You are having trouble understanding what people are saying because you are attributing states of mind to people based on your own disappointment, which you have shared.

So, since neither you nor I can read minds, less just clarify what people have been actually saying.

Many have not been proclaiming we have great talent. Just the opposite. Multiple threads have random comments about recruiting or the portal. Multiple times people have acknowledged the loss of defensive talent and the need to replace those. Specifically people have been critical of our linebackers and lack of a good pass rusher. On offense an entire thread was devoted to getting Smith more playing time as well as larger conversations about needing a big bruising running back. Prior to the season there was lots of gnashing of teeth about having lost our best WRs. I could go on but I hope you don’t bury the lead here, which is, virtually everyone has talked about our talent deficit. If we get a little giddy that some players have exceeded expectation then you will understand. Talent wise this looked like a four win team before the season. I doubt anyone could have foreseen that we would bring in someone like King at QB.

Many have not been claiming this is a great coaching staff either. A consensus is building that Key is our guy, based off the turnaround in his first season, but beyond the quarterback coach, there is not an overwhelming proclamation of greatness. There are even two other entire threads that suggest otherwise, one on finding a new DC and one on whether we should pick up Fischer from A&M. And if that is not enough, some are still carrying the torch for “coaches that got away” like Chadwell. So your perception is wrong that a majority have proclaimed this a great coaching staff. We understand that this is a work in process. And, again, many have great hopes for key and hope the coaching staff comes together. But the final configuration is an unknown.

As to your overall premise that we should have done much better, based on who we should beat, and based on results of other team’s games in the ACC, the guys at Tech who were actually paying attention in class can tell you the term for this and why it is a poor form of analysis that yields little meaningful data. Simply put, who in the ACC, other than undefeated FSU, did not lose at least one game to someone they shouldn’t have? Seriously. That is the nature of football now, unless you are one of the top four teams in the country. Fans of virtually every other team in the ACC have games where they lament “if only we had won that game.” These regrets tell us little about what should actually have happened on the field.

I hope this helps you understand what a majority on here are actually saying as a clue to people’s feelings about the season.

 

[g0lftime]

I keep having to remind myself that Key is still learning how to be a head coach. What will his program identity become? Offensive line U? QB development? We need something we do well to become a destination program. Winning is a start but top programs are NFL conduits and playing for championships. What are we?

 

[Root4GT]

I vacillate between 6 and 7 was our best. I'm tempted to say 8, thinking we should have won the L'ville and BGSU games, but then we should not have been given the chance at the end of the Miami game. So, 7 was very reachable (still may be). Definitely did not win and lose the games I thought we would, though. Very Jekyll and Hyde this year was, mmm?

Why should we have won the Louisville game? They have proven all season to be a better team.

 

[Root4GT]

I keep having to remind myself that Key is still learning how to be a head coach. What will his program identity become? Offensive line U? QB development? We need something we do well to become a destination program. Winning is a start but top programs are NFL conduits and playing for championships. What are we?

We are a program trying to rise from the ashes. Step one is learn to compete for the full game and play to each player’s individually. Once that becomes the standard then an identity can start to form. That is likely a couple of years away.

 

[roadkill]

“If we have great talent and a great coaching staff like many proclaim then it’s time to start seeing results.”

OK, I’ve been trying to understand where the heck you are coming from, and this last sentence clarifies it a little.

You are having trouble understanding what people are saying because you are attributing states of mind to people based on your own disappointment, which you have shared.

So, since neither you nor I can read minds, less just clarify what people have been actually saying.

Many have not been proclaiming we have great talent. Just the opposite. Multiple threads have random comments about recruiting or the portal. Multiple times people have acknowledged the loss of defensive talent and the need to replace those. Specifically people have been critical of our linebackers and lack of a good pass rusher. On offense an entire thread was devoted to getting Smith more playing time as well as larger conversations about needing a big bruising running back. Prior to the season there was lots of gnashing of teeth about having lost our best WRs. I could go on but I hope you don’t bury the lead here, which is, virtually everyone has talked about our talent deficit. If we get a little giddy that some players have exceeded expectation then you will understand. Talent wise this looked like a four win team before the season. I doubt anyone could have foreseen that we would bring in someone like King at QB.

Many have not been claiming this is a great coaching staff either. A consensus is building that Key is our guy, based off the turnaround in his first season, but beyond the quarterback coach, there is not an overwhelming proclamation of greatness. There are even two other entire threads that suggest otherwise, one on finding a new DC and one on whether we should pick up Fischer from A&M. And if that is not enough, some are still carrying the torch for “coaches that got away” like Chadwell. So your perception is wrong that a majority have proclaimed this a great coaching staff. We understand that this is a work in process. And, again, many have great hopes for key and hope the coaching staff comes together. But the final configuration is an unknown.

As to your overall premise that we should have done much better, based on who we should beat, and based on results of other team’s games in the ACC, the guys at Tech who were actually paying attention in class can tell you the term for this and why it is a poor form of analysis that yields little meaningful data. Simply put, who in the ACC, other than undefeated FSU, did not lose at least one game to someone they shouldn’t have? Seriously. That is the nature of football now, unless you are one of the top four teams in the country. Fans of virtually every other team in the ACC have games where they lament “if only we had won that game.” These regrets tell us little about what should actually have happened on the field.

I hope this helps you understand what a majority on here are actually saying as a clue to people’s feelings about the season.

I’m not responding to the poster you responded to, because they by their own admission had not posted in a while, but thought our Syracuse win would be a great time to undermine other fan’s celebration of the W and appreciation of the progress the team has made since Key took over. Some have called that trolling, and I try not to take the bait.

While your responses are quite valid and correct, you’re arguing (or at least making a valiant effort to explain reality) with someone who simply makes up strawmen in an apparent effort to be a contrarian. Everyone is entitled to share their opinion, but if this poster isn't just making stuff up/trolling, then they have some of the worst reading comprehension that I’ve seen on this board, or are living in an alternate reality. You are more patient than I.

 

[stinger78]

Why should we have won the Louisville game? They have proven all season to be a better team.

I don't know why I'm answering this as the answer is obvious. However, here goes...

We had a 28-13 lead at the half and a 28-23 lead at the end of the 3rd. You lead in the 4th and you should win.

We lost 39-35 having missed 2 FGs that Birr would have likely made and having failed on a 2-point conversion that we likely would have kicked. That's another 7 points we left on the field. All that, even with our second half swoon, would have been enough to win.

You say yeah, but... we swooned in the 2nd half? Yes, but they swooned in the 1st half. We won the first half 28-13 and lost the second half 26-6. With the above-mentioned change at PK - Birr was on the roster and for some unknown reason wasn't kicking - that game tilts our way.

 

[Root4GT]

I don't know why I'm answering this as the answer is obvious. However, here goes...

We had a 28-13 lead at the half and a 28-23 lead at the end of the 3rd. You lead in the 4th and you should win.

We lost 39-35 having missed 2 FGs that Birr would have likely made and having failed on a 2-point conversion that we likely would have kicked. That's another 7 points we left on the field. All that, even with our second half swoon, would have been enough to win.

You say yeah, but... we swooned in the 2nd half? Yes, but they swooned in the 1st half. We won the first half 28-13 and lost the second half 26-6. With the above-mentioned change at PK - Birr was on the roster and for some unknown reason wasn't kicking - that game tilts our way.

We had an opportunity to win. Louisville won and was the better team that night and all season.

Some of that is Brohm is both a good and experienced coach that brought in several assistants from Purdue with him as well as a transfer QB who had 3years with him at Purdue. Compared to Key who had pretty much a new offensive staff. That seemed to matter in the second half after both teams got an understanding of what the other team was doing.

Our defense simply hasn’t been good enough to say we “should” win any game except SCST.

 

[Dinner_Jacket]

Just a little depth on defense and we would have won that game. Same with Ole Miss too, boys were just too tired to stop anything in the 4th Qtr and then the sloppy got ugly

 

[stinger78]

We had an opportunity to win. Louisville won and was the better team that night and all season.

Some of that is Brohm is both a good and experienced coach that brought in several assistants from Purdue with him as well as a transfer QB who had 3years with him at Purdue. Compared to Key who had pretty much a new offensive staff. That seemed to matter in the second half after both teams got an understanding of what the other team was doing.

Our defense simply hasn’t been good enough to say we “should” win any game except SCST.

That is your opinion, and we differ. We had the statistical edge for the game and the edge in the score for over 3/4 of the game. In my book that is a "should have won" game. Maybe not in your book, and that is fine with me.

 

[Root4GT]

That is your opinion, and we differ. We had the statistical edge for the game and the edge in the score for over 3/4 of the game. In my book that is a "should have won" game. Maybe not in your book, and that is fine with me.

My view on should have won games starts and stops with Miami should have beaten GT this year. The rest fall in the could have wine category for me.

 

[CuseJacket]

 

[roadkill]

I don't know why I'm answering this as the answer is obvious. However, here goes...

We had a 28-13 lead at the half and a 28-23 lead at the end of the 3rd. You lead in the 4th and you should win.

We lost 39-35 having missed 2 FGs that Birr would have likely made and having failed on a 2-point conversion that we likely would have kicked. That's another 7 points we left on the field. All that, even with our second half swoon, would have been enough to win.

You say yeah, but... we swooned in the 2nd half? Yes, but they swooned in the 1st half. We won the first half 28-13 and lost the second half 26-6. With the above-mentioned change at PK - Birr was on the roster and for some unknown reason wasn't kicking - that game tilts our way.

I agree that our kicking game woes were enough to change the outcome of the Louisville game. In the L'ville postgame discussion, we talked about how Stewart had been money on field goals all last year, no reason to change kickers in the first game of the season. If he had a nagging (undisclosed to the public) injury that caused his struggles, then that's on our coaching staff to have ascertained who gave us the best chance to win. Regardless, had we had either the kicking game quality we had last year or with Birr this year, we would have had an easier path to victory in that game.

 

[alagold]

Why should we have won the Louisville game? They have proven all season to be a better team.

The only reason we made it close was an amazing catch by Singelton? that got us to the last TD.Made it look closer.

 

[JacketOff]

The only reason we made it close was an amazing catch by Singelton? that got us to the last TD.Made it look closer.

We were winning the game and had the ball when the 4th quarter started. Singleton’s TD catch was irrelevant when talking about whether we should’ve won that game or not.

 

[stinger78]

We were winning the game and had the ball when the 4th quarter started. Singleton’s TD catch was irrelevant when talking about whether we should’ve won that game or not.

I never will understand why our fans want to denigrate Tech so often. We led that game in the 4th. If your ahead in the 4th you should win the game, IMPO.

 

[roadkill]

I never will understand why our fans want to denigrate Tech so often. We led that game in the 4th. If your ahead in the 4th you should win the game, IMPO.

Yeah, I don't know why folks want to play the if-only game so much. Players make great plays on both sides of the ball in virtually every game. You can't just remove one from the equation and say the outcome should have been different. I mean, you could just say "Well, if Haynes hadn't made that incredible touchdown run, we would have lost." Of course great plays matter. That's why Key has stated that most game outcomes hinge on only a handful of plays.

 

[Bogey]

Yes. Either the rule needs to be rewritten or it needs to be enforced as written. As it is, sometimes it's a foul with no targeting, sometimes you get tossed, and sometimes you get nothing.

Rule needs to be rewritten if the review shows no targeting, the reviewer can down grade the call to roughing the passer.

 

[WreckinGT]

As to your overall premise that we should have done much better, based on who we should beat, and based on results of other team’s games in the ACC, the guys at Tech who were actually paying attention in class can tell you the term for this and why it is a poor form of analysis that yields little meaningful data. Simply put, who in the ACC, other than undefeated FSU, did not lose at least one game to someone they shouldn’t have? Seriously. That is the nature of football now, unless you are one of the top four teams in the country. Fans of virtually every other team in the ACC have games where they lament “if only we had won that game.” These regrets tell us little about what should actually have happened on the field.

I hope this helps you understand what a majority on here are actually saying as a clue to people’s feelings about the season.

Other teams aren't winning much more than us isn't a very convincing argument for why we should be happy with mediocrity. The argument that we should be happy with pretty much any level of results because most teams in the ACC aren't very good is a David Braine level of depressing. We went to 20 bowls in 22 years and now we are acting like it is a mountain topping achievement. We fired a coach before his 6th straight bowl game not too long ago. My original comment was just about how far expectations shifted after one coachs short tenure. I honestly didn't think it would get this much of a reaction. People are sensitive here.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Other teams aren't winning much more than us isn't a very convincing argument for why we should be happy with mediocrity. The argument that we should be happy with pretty much any level of results because most teams in the ACC aren't very good is a David Braine level of depressing. We went to 20 bowls in 22 years and now we are acting like it is a mountain topping achievement. We fired a coach before his 6th straight bowl game not too long ago. My original comment was just about how far expectations shifted after one coachs short tenure. I honestly didn't think it would get this much of a reaction. People are sensitive here.

I think people are objecting to your putting words in their mouth.

I’m sorry you’re so unhappy.

 

[JacketOff]

We went to 20 bowls in 22 years and now we are acting like it is a mountain topping achievement.

Nobody is acting like that. Why do you keep saying they are?

At this point I’m 100% sure you’re just trolling because you enjoy the attention.