Countdown to 2016 FB Season!

[The YO Show]

38 days

[The YO Show]

37 days!

[FOOTBALLFEVER]

These are the kinds of transfers that I really like to see.  A Big Ten recruit.  No baggage that we know about, merely a victim of a change in schemes caused by new coaches.  We have to be careful about hype, but that article called him "a key part of the 2016 recruiting class."

I agree 100%..There is still a high calculated risk with the the high amount of transfers on this tieam. I've heard that it has created some tension and unity problems through the clubhouse since Bo has taken over., so we need to be careful here. He really needs to start addressing some of these off field issues as soon as possible to send a strong message to the team that the's sort of actions won't be tolerated. Bringing in a Brionte Dunn for example would only further the damage to this program in my honest opinion

[ytownchief22]

Kids need to suck it up and play football. Not everyone is going to get along.

[go guins]

Kids need to suck it up and play football. Not everyone is going to get along.

I agree chief.  If you don't have good enough players to win, then hopefully you bring in better players.  Some of the "veteran" players are going to loose playing time to the new guys.  Somebody isn't going to like it.  So what? In life not everybody gets a trophy!

[ytownchief22]

More competition the better is how I see it.... What has this group of players earned ? Just because you're an upperclassmen does not mean you deserve to play. May the best player see the field.

[go guins]

More competition the better is how I see it.... What has this group of players earned ? Just because you're an upperclassmen does not mean you deserve to play. May the best player see the field.

Exactly. 5-6 doesn't earn you any entitlements!

[FOOTBALLFEVER]

The same could be said for the coaches who blew 3 games

[go guins]

The same could be said for the coaches who blew 3 games

While I agree the coaches also don't have any entitlements due, I didn't see a coach miss a block or miss a tackle in any of the games last season.  It's always easy to clobber somebody with a keyboard, and hammering on the coaches for a lose is easy, but what was the thing my mother used to say, "people who live in glass houses......."  Nobody is perfect and our players and coaches (and fans) are included.   

[IAA Fan]

Who plays and whom does not is a huge topic that could go on all year. I have a way of looking at it.

1. We only have 63 scholarships equivalents, so we should not have Fr., So., Jr. & Sr. at every position. That means you have non-scholarship guys (usually minor abilities) or your coach really cheats. So I would expect to see 2 to 3 years between position/player classes. That being said, the odds of an underclassmen being a better player that an upperclassmen should be very rare.

2. "Better" vs. "Ability": Just because a young player has more ability than a more experienced player, does not make him a better player. This where your coaching comes into play and was coach Wolf's BIGGEST problem. Not to open any wounds, but when I saw Moore take a few snaps at TB, I knew right away that he was something special. Yet, I said, let's RS that guy, as we had 3 solid backs. One graduating in 2-years & the others graduating in 3-years. This year is the final year for Ruiz and Webb, with Hymes graduating last year.

3. Earning your spot. If I earn my spot I expect to keep it. There better be some substantial differences in performance for a younger player to step over an experienced player.

-As a Frosh: I should expect to practice with the team & maybe see some reps.
-As a Soph: I should have a Senior in front of me (if my coach recruits well) and I should expect to to see more reps, but the senior is going to start.
-As a Junior: I am the starter if my coach recruited well. If there is a Senior, it is probably either (a medical situation) where the senior should start if he is healthy, or he is a true student athlete (more brains than player) ...so either way I am going to see substantial playing time, if not the majority.
-As a senior: If I played my cards right & I am healthy; I should be playing the best ball of my life and the coach DOES owe me that starting spot. Coaches better realize this, as they will be losing players (at all classes) and recruits if they get a reputation of not rewarding the contributors.

[Wick250]

As fans, we want the best possible players on the field at all times, and we really do not care too much where they came from.  The problem here is that the players are not robots but rather young men.  As Fever noted, too many transfers do cause tension and perhaps factions inside the locker room.  That is always a bad thing.  Fortunately we should have enough veteran coaches that can manage the balancing act between talent acquisition and team chemistry.

[FOOTBALLFEVER]

I care deeply for the culture of this program. Most programs have issues, but let's face it we have more serious ones then most. The talent is here to win without question. I really think last last year's record was a direct result of some culture issue's with players and some mental lapses by the staff and not necessarily a direct result of lack of talent. All of the talent in the world with players and coaches means absolutely  nothing unless your team is unified. First and foremost we need to find our identity and go from there. Coach P is fully aware of this and he is working hard to get this program turned around

[Penguin Nation]

Talent and skill does not always progress over a collegiate career.  I think everyone would agree that #6 had a better Freshman year than Sophomore year w/o injuries to blame.  I'd say the same for Hess also, but not as extreme of an example.  Hess threw a pick 6 in the Fargodome that I thought changed him as a player.  Hess's first game versus Penn State I thought was one of his best games.  Stubbornly keeping #6 as the starter last year truly limited the offense last season.

Better players should play at any point during the season, or even a game, for any reason.  A life lesson....NO ONE OWES YOU SH--.  May as well learn it in college.  It is ridiculous to bench a standout because there is a more senior player.  Imagine the waste of talent and experience wasted.  My understanding is that heacock chose seniority over talent, and we all know the results of that.

Competition is always good.  Entitlement is never good.

When I read a year ago a player say they didn't play hard late in the season (under Wolf) because it was cold, I couldn't believe it.  This is FB, not the on-campus safe-space hug room. It sounds like there were, and maybe still are, a few chats the coaches need to have with the players.

[FOOTBALLFEVER]

Statistically speaking #6 would have had a much better year in 15 then 14 if anyone had bothered to catch the ball. Very hard to go through any of your progressions and reads when you have a makeshift line that can't block. It won't matter who the quarterback is this year if we can't catch and remain healthy up front

[go guins]

As fans, we want the best possible players on the field at all times, and we really do not care too much where they came from.  The problem here is that the players are not robots but rather young men.  As Fever noted, too many transfers do cause tension and perhaps factions inside the locker room.  That is always a bad thing.  Fortunately we should have enough veteran coaches that can manage the balancing act between talent acquisition and team chemistry.

I disagree with some of this.  You don't always want the best on the field.  1. You need to develop young players and game action is the only real way to do that.  2. What about fatigue?  Sometimes a lesser but fresher player may be more effective.
I do NOT believe too many transfers cause friction.  You have 80-100 guys total in a program.  Anybody think they are all going to get along?  Some may be transfers, but let's say I'm a senior linebacker and you bring in a freshman stud and I loose time.  Some guys may work harder, some will b****.  They are, as you correctly point out, not robots but young men.  I also disagree and think some tension in the locker room can be a GOOD thing.  If directed to better performance, I'm all for a little competition and edginess!