Pretty simple (IMO)...

[o_Dawg007]

3 good quarters put us with a chance to win in the 4th...

Devon Bell helped change the MO missing the FG
Thin in the secondary (Jamerson Love, Jay Hughes, etc.) *recruiting
Dak Prescott missed some opportunities (they were there) and made mistakes
-2011 Tyler's So. Year vs LSU (4-8 45 yds, 1 int, 3 rush -12 yards)
Tyler Russell missed opportunities and made mistakes

Simply put.. This isn't the year we win the SEC Championship (duh)..
We need to win games for recruiting and build experience for our nice schedule next year (as much as I hate the wait to next year-ku).. Dans career will be determined in the 2014 football season..

As hard as it is.. Need to rally behind the troops for the future of our program

 

[esplanade91]

I know the score said blowout, but I was really proud of how we played for 3 quarters. When it came down to it they had more talent, and I can't be too mad about that considering they're LSU and we've been overshadowed by Vandy.

What I got from the game is that we can be VERY, VERY good Dak's senior year. Holy **** there will be some talent on that team... and every single one of those guys will be seasoned.

I think Gonzales has made his paycheck in only 5 games.

 

[57stratdawg]

I don't see our recruiting getting much better. We'll periodically slip into the top 25, but this staff is never going to sign top 10/15 type classes.

Having said that, our depth is much improved from when Mullen arrived. Gotta give him credit for that.

 

[MetEdDawg]

With regards to recruiting.

If you look at the guys who didn't contribute from the 2009 and 2010 classes (which depending on redshirting would be our seniors right now), you see the problem we have.

2009 class:
Brandon Heavens: gone and never did anything
Mardrecas Hood: never made it to campus
Ricco Sanders: gone
Billy Hamilton: never made it to campus (because he's a baseball badass)
Dennis Thames: gone and could have been a good one
Johnathan McKenzie: quit the team
Montrell Conner: left the team
William Shumpert: did nothing and I don't think stayed with the team
Sam Watts: left the team

That's 9 out of 27 for a 33% rate of guys that did either nothing or almost nothing and made little to no contributions to the team

2010 class:
Eric Lawson: left the team
Paul Crawford: left the team or didn't make it on campus. I can't remember which one.
Jeremy Lee: never made it to campus
Christian Holmes: never found a position except on special teams. Has done almost nothing.
Chris Hughes: kicked off the team
Dylan Favre: left the team
Corvell Harrison-Gay: did almost nothing. Never made it on the field except special teams
Michael Carr: Couldn't make it work unfortunately
Jeff Howie: Waste of space that did nothing
Archie Muniz: Has done nothing since he got here. Still on roster but has never done anything but play garbage time

That's 10 out of 26 for a 38% rate of guys that did either nothing or almost nothing and made little to no contributions to the team

So out of 53 guys that should be on the team contributing, 19 of those were a complete waste of space for a total of 36%. You can't compete in the SEC when 36% of guys from your 1st two classes, which would be seniors and juniors now, don't pan out. Now that number has significantly decreased under Mullen with the talent we have brought in, but if you look at those first two classes, even though they have guys that are major contributors now, there are a significant portion of those that didn't. We don't have the number of seniors and juniors we need to compete with the big boys. That's changing right now and you can see it by the way guys like Jones, Wilson, McKinney, Dak, Robinson, and a few others that aren't upperclassmen yet have been playing. Patience people. We are in a transition year that has resulted from that terrible 2010 class in Mullen's 1st true class. I seriously doubt we see another class like that where we see 38% of guys not contribute.

 

[cheewgumm]

In other words....just wait until we schedule a bunch of crappy teams that we can beat and things will be back on track? Or are we still losing to good teams next year?

3 good quarters put us with a chance to win in the 4th...

Devon Bell helped change the MO missing the FG
Thin in the secondary (Jamerson Love, Jay Hughes, etc.) *recruiting
Dak Prescott missed some opportunities (they were there) and made mistakes
-2011 Tyler's So. Year vs LSU (4-8 45 yds, 1 int, 3 rush -12 yards)
Tyler Russell missed opportunities and made mistakes

Simply put.. This isn't the year we win the SEC Championship (duh)..
We need to win games for recruiting and build experience for our nice schedule next year (as much as I hate the wait to next year-ku).. Dans career will be determined in the 2014 football season..

As hard as it is.. Need to rally behind the troops for the future of our program

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

I'm hoping some booster is going to run a Lance Armstrong scale (minus the actual getting caught part) recruiting enhancement scheme. I'm talking elaborate payout systems where nothing can be traced back to people who have even been within 100 miles of a booster.

 

[o_Dawg007]

In other words....just wait until we schedule a bunch of crappy teams that we can beat and things will be back on track? Or are we still losing to good teams next year?

Somewhat.. But In other words, our depth and talent are improving.. we aren't at that level to absorb the losses we have seen in the secondary (NFL, injuries) this year.. Jay Hughes was a key planned center piece for the Secondary.. Dak is far more advanced and multi dimensional than Tyler was in his So. year.. This combined with a softer schedule should set us up nicely next year.. If we can continue to show improvement through this year.. It will help us in recruiting (not as much this year's but next).. We can't afford to have a dip.. Reminder.. Recruits are "committing" earlier than ever.. Meaning the current year you are playing may not have as much effect on that same years recruiting class as it will the next..

ETA - we must find a kicker.. no excuse for that crap.. killing the momentum

 

[o_Dawg007]

If you look at the guys who didn't contribute from the 2009 and 2010 classes (which depending on redshirting would be our seniors right now), you see the problem we have.

2009 class:
Brandon Heavens: gone and never did anything
Mardrecas Hood: never made it to campus
Ricco Sanders: gone
Billy Hamilton: never made it to campus (because he's a baseball badass)
Dennis Thames: gone and could have been a good one
Johnathan McKenzie: quit the team
Montrell Conner: left the team
William Shumpert: did nothing and I don't think stayed with the team
Sam Watts: left the team

That's 9 out of 27 for a 33% rate of guys that did either nothing or almost nothing and made little to no contributions to the team

2010 class:
Eric Lawson: left the team
Paul Crawford: left the team or didn't make it on campus. I can't remember which one.
Jeremy Lee: never made it to campus
Christian Holmes: never found a position except on special teams. Has done almost nothing.
Chris Hughes: kicked off the team
Dylan Favre: left the team
Corvell Harrison-Gay: did almost nothing. Never made it on the field except special teams
Michael Carr: Couldn't make it work unfortunately
Jeff Howie: Waste of space that did nothing
Archie Muniz: Has done nothing since he got here. Still on roster but has never done anything but play garbage time

That's 10 out of 26 for a 38% rate of guys that did either nothing or almost nothing and made little to no contributions to the team

So out of 53 guys that should be on the team contributing, 19 of those were a complete waste of space for a total of 36%. You can't compete in the SEC when 36% of guys from your 1st two classes, which would be seniors and juniors now, don't pan out. Now that number has significantly decreased under Mullen with the talent we have brought in, but if you look at those first two classes, even though they have guys that are major contributors now, there are a significant portion of those that didn't. We don't have the number of seniors and juniors we need to compete with the big boys. That's changing right now and you can see it by the way guys like Jones, Wilson, McKinney, Dak, Robinson, and a few others that aren't upperclassmen yet have been playing. Patience people. We are in a transition year that has resulted from that terrible 2010 class in Mullen's 1st true class. I seriously doubt we see another class like that where we see 38% of guys not contribute.

Nice post.. We're getting there.. Hard to see right now.. Losses in the secondary (NFL, injuries) have been hard to absorb in what has become a better passing game league

 

[Shamoan]

bama figured it out. just make "loans" instead of payments.

 

[rabiddawg]

Where's Mike Hunt?

 

[Machiavelli]

Somewhat.. But In other words, our depth and talent are improving.. we aren't at that level to absorb the losses we have seen in the secondary (NFL, injuries) this year.. Jay Hughes was a key planned center piece for the Secondary.. Dak is far more advanced and multi dimensional than Tyler was in his So. year.. This combined with a softer schedule should set us up nicely next year.. If we can continue to show improvement through this year.. It will help us in recruiting (not as much this year's but next).. We can't afford to have a dip.. Reminder.. Recruits are "committing" earlier than ever.. Meaning the current year you are playing may not have as much effect on that same years recruiting class as it will the next..

ETA - we must find a kicker.. no excuse for that crap.. killing the momentum

We didn't lose secondary players to the NFL. We lost them through the natural progression.

 

[bullythisblackbear]

Time to bring the ol' Polish Rifle out of mothballs.

 

[o_Dawg007]

We didn't lose secondary players to the NFL. We lost them through the natural progression.

True that.. Banks and Slay took most of the snaps last year (as they should have) in the secondary.. Lack of experience (talent level depth?) and injuries have hurt..

Look at the DL talent level depth.. We've been able to rotate enough through the years not to have a huge drop off. Been fortunate not to have injuries at that position as well.