I'm going to be sheepish for a minute

[bulldogbaja]

We are starting the season with a QB who had a pretty successful season for a freshman. He participated in spring training this year without nursing 2 collarbone injuries. Dixon is listed by some as the 2nd or 3rd best RB in the conference. Ducre talked somewhere about how much farther along they are this year than last year at the same point. Now we have Rockin' the Duece to show a little more speed. Receivers are, of course, suspect, but Smith is there, and maybe if we can have some QB consistency through fall camp, our corp can get some chemistry going. Think last year if Carroll wasn't a true frosh, and had been QB from day 1. We were basically playing catch-up all season. Every year with Henig was supposed to be the break-out year, and it never happened. This time, you could say our QB already had his break-out year.
Here's where I get really sheepish: Maybe losing Mike Brown can have a good side. Maybe, instead of just plowing behind him on every play, Woody will now realize that we have to open it up a little. Who knows. The difference between our season being good or great will depend almost entirely on the offensive play calling (the idea being we can obviously be good, with bad play calling. Great is another story.)
And our defense will be just fine, if the corners can cover. There are some seriously hard hitters in that group.
I guess I'm like DS, it always happens this time of year. We have the most reason to be optimistic this year than we have in a looong time though.

Come on, August 30.

Please come,

 

[Shmuley]

but I am not nearly as confident about the defense as you are (at this point). See, I'm one of those that will have to actually see stability on the D side before I believe that a certain departure last season was not a huge blow.

 

[Goat Holder]

Of course we'll be better, regardless of what the doomsayers around here say. They all though our interior DL would be terrible last year, and they turned out to be very solid. The trend will continue, especially with our experienced bunch.

Don't put too much stock in losing good players, because the players that are still here get better from year to year under a good coach.

I'm predicting that Co-Eric Riley has a big year this year. And I look for numerous freshmen to contribute. We will be pretty damn good.

 

[BriantheDawg]

Maybe losing Mike Brown can have a good side. Maybe, instead of just plowing behind him on every play, Woody will now realize that we have to open it up a little. Who knows.

Well, I know. I know that losing our best LT we've had in some time is not going to do us any favors. It certainly won't be easier to open things up without him in there. I have a bad feeling this loss is going to hurt us more than any of us wants to admit. Hopefully somebody else will step up.

 

[saddawg]

I say the 1st game will be a good gauge.

If we don't get a least 35 on OFFENSE, or put up a lot of yds, it's gonna suck again.

If we give up more than 17, well, there is BB and Cohen ball to look forward to.

 

[bonedaddy401]

be a good football team next year. On the flip side of that I look for Wes Carroll to struggle the majority of the season. I just do not have that much faith in him at QB. I expect calls on this board at some point in the season to see Tyson Lee or Relf for that matter. We better ride Boobie to 1,200 + yards and pass for at least 750 more yards. That is 950 more yards than we had last year which in a 13 game season ( including a bowl game ) would amount to a 57.7 yard per game increase on two players alone. I think we are more than capable of doing that.

Don't get this fact lost in the math, Wesley Carroll is not a legitimate SEC quarterback yet.

 

[DerHntr]

regardless of what the doomsayers around here say.

i try to gauge things based on what i know and what i have personally experienced. i am only 30 years old and in those 30 years we have had 12 winning seasons. i temper my wool with the reality that consistently winning around here hasn't been the case at least during my ENTIRE life. it also hasn't been the case with our current coach.

i think we have another winning season this year and will be disappointed if we don't. but at the same time, if we don't have a winning season then it is simply par for the course with the history that i have had the opportunity to witness.

as DS has told me on numerous occasions....."welcome to the life of a State Fan"

 

[muddawgs33]

Wesley Carroll 104.56 Effi. rating 134-255 7 ints 52.5 completion % 1392 yards 9 TD 107.1 ypg

Don't get this fact lost in the math, Wesley Carroll is not a legitimate SEC quarterback yet

For a damn Freshman, I don't know how much more of a legitimate SEC quarterback you can get. Especially, considering he was 3rd string in the fall and we know how much work they get, so yeah I think you are a dumbass for saying that he is not a legitimate SEC quarterback. Of course, you probably thought Henig was.

 

[patdog]

the only 2 SEC QBs with worse numbers were Henig and Schaeffer. And I think we can all agree they weren't SEC caliber QBs. Let's not forget that Carroll had to be pulled from our last two games in favor of Henig before returning to the games.

 

[MagnificentBastard]

**** after the first game. We did pretty good after that first game beat down we took last year.

 

[whiskeytangofoxtrot]

Did we forget he had shoulder surgery in March 07, and to repair it a ligament from his hamstring was used? Baaaa.