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My Diatribe (Three Separate Parts): by Tom Hagen
When you work through the holidays, you have a lot of time to write so here is my long vent session so enjoy my Jerry Maguire moment. To answer your question, no I don’t smoke crack.
Part 1: Expectations/Actual Events/“Talent” and a Review of 37 Games
Before the season, I expected to win about 8-10 games but expectations change as the season rolls on. Starting 7-0, things are looking good and expectations change (at least mine did). I believed we would hit the 10 game mark DURING THE REGULAR SEASON and take the Coastal with at least a 7-1 record.
Even after losing to FSU and Duke Johnson going down, I believed the Coastal was still ours for the taking.
Then we played VT and Duke and we had two terrible games where our defense allowed 90 points. Sure the offense wasn’t great but the defense really let down and we finished 5-3 for the second straight season in the ACC [*1].
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There were four games that stand out to me this season:
(1) UF: I believed this was the turning point for everything. I know people only see the UF that finished the season but that was not the UF we played in early September. I thought after we beat our rival and played tough physical football for the WHOLE game, this was the start of good things for the program (on the field).
(2) VT: Possibly the ugliest game of the season, we should have won but decided to fumble and fumble and fumble and allowed them to score a ton. Ugly performance and a total let down game with so much left on the table.
(3) Duke: Even with the ACC Coastal in our control, we got beat bad. The offense sucked and the defense was much worse. In addition, this game was the third straight week where we let up 40+ points on defense. I don’t care that it was Duke that we lost too, I care that we SHlT the bed for the second consecutive week.
(4) UL: Before the game IMO it didn’t mean much.
a. It was the first bowl game since (2010), don’t care.
b. It was the first bowl game we didn’t self-impose a punishment and the end of the “cloud”, that’s nice.
c. Possible 10 win season, like I said the number is just a number and doesn’t mean much on its own.
It would have been good for the program to win a game by playing tough and physical football. Then go into next season with a 3 game winning streak after winning our first bowl game since 2006. Instead we played like crap on both sides of the ball and got raped on National TV. Now I don’t fear UL, I don’t worry about their recruiting or anything. In the end, I just don’t like the way we played. We looked like a bunch of soft wristed pansies during our last game of the season.
After being on top of the world at 7-0, things have changed. Sure we won some ugly games (UNC and GT we had 8 TOs, another close one against WF) but we won and that is all that matters. Now we finish 2-4 and that is the taste that is left in our mouth.
------------------------------------------
Here is our 3 Year ACC Performance (since the OOC schedule will be different every year):
Year 1: 3-5
Year 2: 5-3
Year 3: 5-3
After 3 Years and 37 games in, I think we have all the information we need to judge this staff. I expect more of the same if we keep things as is. While I can understand losing (SOMETIMES), I hate playing limp wristed pussie football. I hate when our team looks flat and unmotivated. I cannot stand this stuff and this is what bothers me the most about this team.
------------------------------------------
Talent
Now I for one think the talent is pretty bad at certain areas (Highsmith, Rodgers, Backup RB, S. Green, Cornelius etc.). I don’t care what people say, I think some of these kids should be “walk-ons” at other schools and not scholarship players at Miami.
While this doesn’t excuse the staff as we certainly had enough talent to hold VT and Duke to under 90 points (as almost EVERY other team did). I believe the talent is still bad. The only reason we may finish slightly better than 5-3 is the talent will be upgraded, but this is not enough. As Miami fans we deserve more as our expectations are higher.
Development
As for Development, there has been evidence of it: Jacory Harris had his best season under Al. As did Tommy Streeter, Ben Jones, Davon Johnson, Luther Robinson and a bunch of players who didn’t accomplish much before his tenure. The problem is whether this is enough to show that Al can do it (develop the players).
This year, Wheeler took a nice step forward but how come Chick, Porter, Renfrow and Pierre can’t develop some type of consistent pass rush. I know the above 4 DL are not studs but they look like they are doing nothing out there but dancing. Which is why I question whether Al can develop at a higher level because this expected at Miami [*2].
[*1]: http://www.canesinsight.com/threads/59649-Here-are-my-(honest)-thoughts-(11-games-into-year-3)
[*2]Please note, I am not expecting Al to turn crap into gold, but I am excepting a little more in the development department.
When you work through the holidays, you have a lot of time to write so here is my long vent session so enjoy my Jerry Maguire moment. To answer your question, no I don’t smoke crack.
Part 1: Expectations/Actual Events/“Talent” and a Review of 37 Games
Before the season, I expected to win about 8-10 games but expectations change as the season rolls on. Starting 7-0, things are looking good and expectations change (at least mine did). I believed we would hit the 10 game mark DURING THE REGULAR SEASON and take the Coastal with at least a 7-1 record.
Even after losing to FSU and Duke Johnson going down, I believed the Coastal was still ours for the taking.
Then we played VT and Duke and we had two terrible games where our defense allowed 90 points. Sure the offense wasn’t great but the defense really let down and we finished 5-3 for the second straight season in the ACC [*1].
------------------------------------------
There were four games that stand out to me this season:
(1) UF: I believed this was the turning point for everything. I know people only see the UF that finished the season but that was not the UF we played in early September. I thought after we beat our rival and played tough physical football for the WHOLE game, this was the start of good things for the program (on the field).
(2) VT: Possibly the ugliest game of the season, we should have won but decided to fumble and fumble and fumble and allowed them to score a ton. Ugly performance and a total let down game with so much left on the table.
(3) Duke: Even with the ACC Coastal in our control, we got beat bad. The offense sucked and the defense was much worse. In addition, this game was the third straight week where we let up 40+ points on defense. I don’t care that it was Duke that we lost too, I care that we SHlT the bed for the second consecutive week.
(4) UL: Before the game IMO it didn’t mean much.
a. It was the first bowl game since (2010), don’t care.
b. It was the first bowl game we didn’t self-impose a punishment and the end of the “cloud”, that’s nice.
c. Possible 10 win season, like I said the number is just a number and doesn’t mean much on its own.
It would have been good for the program to win a game by playing tough and physical football. Then go into next season with a 3 game winning streak after winning our first bowl game since 2006. Instead we played like crap on both sides of the ball and got raped on National TV. Now I don’t fear UL, I don’t worry about their recruiting or anything. In the end, I just don’t like the way we played. We looked like a bunch of soft wristed pansies during our last game of the season.
After being on top of the world at 7-0, things have changed. Sure we won some ugly games (UNC and GT we had 8 TOs, another close one against WF) but we won and that is all that matters. Now we finish 2-4 and that is the taste that is left in our mouth.
------------------------------------------
Here is our 3 Year ACC Performance (since the OOC schedule will be different every year):
Year 1: 3-5
Year 2: 5-3
Year 3: 5-3
After 3 Years and 37 games in, I think we have all the information we need to judge this staff. I expect more of the same if we keep things as is. While I can understand losing (SOMETIMES), I hate playing limp wristed pussie football. I hate when our team looks flat and unmotivated. I cannot stand this stuff and this is what bothers me the most about this team.
------------------------------------------
Talent
Now I for one think the talent is pretty bad at certain areas (Highsmith, Rodgers, Backup RB, S. Green, Cornelius etc.). I don’t care what people say, I think some of these kids should be “walk-ons” at other schools and not scholarship players at Miami.
While this doesn’t excuse the staff as we certainly had enough talent to hold VT and Duke to under 90 points (as almost EVERY other team did). I believe the talent is still bad. The only reason we may finish slightly better than 5-3 is the talent will be upgraded, but this is not enough. As Miami fans we deserve more as our expectations are higher.
Development
As for Development, there has been evidence of it: Jacory Harris had his best season under Al. As did Tommy Streeter, Ben Jones, Davon Johnson, Luther Robinson and a bunch of players who didn’t accomplish much before his tenure. The problem is whether this is enough to show that Al can do it (develop the players).
This year, Wheeler took a nice step forward but how come Chick, Porter, Renfrow and Pierre can’t develop some type of consistent pass rush. I know the above 4 DL are not studs but they look like they are doing nothing out there but dancing. Which is why I question whether Al can develop at a higher level because this expected at Miami [*2].
[*1]: http://www.canesinsight.com/threads/59649-Here-are-my-(honest)-thoughts-(11-games-into-year-3)
[*2]Please note, I am not expecting Al to turn crap into gold, but I am excepting a little more in the development department.
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