Earlier hand wringing justified...

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

I'll save my big point for last, but lets agree on some things here:

This team is completely bereft of talent. Besides Borghi and maybe a WR or two, not a single other player would start on another P12 team. This goes double on D - they might not make the two deeps on another team.

The talent gap (apparently) extends to the coaching staff as well. The same knack they had of making poor P12 offenses look like superstarts with Claeys is still present. While some of that appears to be scheme, a ton of it is simply lack of talent. To that point...

This might be the fundamentally worst team I've ever seen don the Crimson and Gray. Tackling - poor. Angles - poor. Breaking down (part of talking) - poor. Football IQ - poor. Getting off of blocks - poor. Reading the QB - poor. Speed - poor. There really isn't much else to say. I said the Bears would drop 56 on us - I was only half facetious at the time, but apparently I'm wiser than I give myself credit for.

Leach. He has done wonders here that nobody before him has been able to accomplish, and for that I am forever grateful. However, the buck stops with him. If the coaches are poor x and o guys, or can't recruit, its his job and responsibility to remedy that. This staff is not where we need it to be. We've seen little to no improvement out of the defense.

Looking directly at Leach - if Gordon is the best we have we are in serious trouble moving forward. I kind of felt like that after Falk left, though I think TH would have gotten 8 or 9 wins with last years' team, but the fact that there was and has been little to no competition (especially last year) for the starting qb position is very troubling. Gordon has been in the system for way too long to not know how to be effective against Kal and UW - yet he looks helpless to affect any change.

I know this thread will spawn both the "can't blame the D because the O did blah blah" and also the opposite sentiment, but this team is supposed to be predicated on offense, with a servicable D. Well, the D is less than serviceable and the O is middling. Well, lets call it like it is - they are not good either. The make hay on really bad defenses, as they should. But against anyone with a heartbeat they struggle. Sometimes the wounds are self inflicted (which isn't a good sign either), but mostly not. The WRs are less surehanded this year, both with ball security and catching. They don't block worth a damn, and frankly neither does the OL on any run play. Borghi is rotting behind a QB that won't call his number (enough) and and OL that can't block for him. Its shameful.

So anyway, long story short - we're not good. I don't have faith that the immediate future is very bright either, because reasons.

 

[longtimecoug]

It is nowhere near as fire as you say

 

[chipdouglas]

Besides Borghi and maybe a WR or two, not a single other player would start on another P12 team. This goes double on D - they might not make the two deeps on another team.

Bit of an exaggeration there, though you're probably right about the defense

 

[mikalalas]

There is some lack of talent. But some to almost most a lack of coaching. It really a combination of some of both some lack of talent by some players, and some lack of coaching by some to almost most to almost all coaches.

What some are overlooking:

1. WR Corp was ranked 5th best in nation, and for Good Reason:

A. Speed, athleticism, etc.

But the WR Corp never jelled, didnt live up to their ranking. Underachieved, etc. Thats on lack of seniority, experience, leadership, coaching, etc

2. Theo Lawson covered this next point very well in a article about the Secondary.

WSU actually recruited some good DB's. But most of them either:

A. Injuries

B. Getting into trouble, kicked off team, etc.

C. Underachieving

A and B is not on the coaches.

Some of C is not on coaches, some of C is not on coaches.

WSU recruiters did a good job of getting RR 5.5, 5.6, 5.7 3,4, 3.5 star recruits, that supposedly high upside, decent, ok offers, decent, ok skill, etc.

WSU recruiters, coaches beat out some good programs for these recruits. And at the time, it was either good, or seemed like it was good for WSU to get them.

Where WSU coaches, recruiters might have screwed up, is maybe evaluating, and lack of developing.

But that is hard. Bruggman was a top 8 to top 16, 4 star QB. So sometimes it can be hard to evaluate.

But that said the buck, responsibility stops with the coaches, recruiters, etc.

3. LB Corp has kind of had the same problem as the secondary during Leach's tenure.

Grinch does get some credit for seeming to semi fix that, and having a good defense.

But despite that, Grinch, and defensive coaches, recruiters, struggled, either didnt improve LB, DB, DL,corps, or might have done worse, or just maintained the status quo.

Almost most to almost all of Grinches semi success, improvement on D, was his scheme, Speed D concept, all hats to the ball, inspiring, making adjustments, leading, communication, etc, but not actual talent of D.

His defense MASKED the lack of talent, problems, etc.

That left Tracy Claeys with less to work with. But TC didnt really improve the D talent, D, etc.

Sure his scheme, adjustments, etc, he made defense better year 1.

Sure he may not have had coaches, players, etc, supporting, behind him, etc, making it harder.

Sure he may have been trying to get more size at DL, LB, speed at DB, but despite that, it just didnt end up happening, working out, etc.

Also the same problem Theo mentioned about secondary, applies to WSU coaching staff. WSU has lost, had to replace a lot of coaching(because of Oregon, other colleges)

That is hardly Leach's fault. In fact it is Leach doing such a good job in regards to his assistant coaches that caused a lot of colleges to raid WSU for assistant coaches.

Blaming it all on coaching, an or on a supposed lack of talent, or on a actual lack of talent, etc, is not the way to go, and is not right.

Remember this team could have easily been 6-1, 7-1, and would have if not for a couple, few, small handful of bad plays, bad luck, bad breaks, key bad officiating calls, etc, those small handful of things go differently, and team could easily have been 6-1, 7-1.

But at the same time its not right to blame it all on just that.

There is enough blame to go around to a lot of different things.

Its a combination of all these things that caused the team to badly underachieve.

What needs to be done?

1. Get better assistant coaching

2. Get better recruiters.

3. Have better recruiting

4. Have better evaluating.

5. Have better development.

6. Get some transfers.

7. Coach better

8. Have some better luck

9. Better officiating

10. Have less injuries

11. Have less players getting into trouble.

12. Have less players leaving early.

13. Have less players washing out, not working out.

Next season will be a 5, 6,7 win year.

Cooper had a awesome spring practice, spring game, fall camp, and has been good at thursday night football, and will probably have a good upcoming spring practice, spring game, fall camp, and will probably be the starter.

Borghi is going to be a Junior.

Even tho lose about 1,2,3 starting WR, there is depth at WR, that will be 1 more year more experienced as a MIX of RS freshman, Sophmores, Juniors, Seniors.

D will be a concern next year. That why 5 wins possible next year. But the secondary is going to be made up of experienced juniors, and seniors, that will have had some time to jell, etc.

There is also some size at DL, like Hobbs, Kwete, Echvaria, Mc Dougal that be more experienced. LB corp and whole defense be more experienced.

2 years from now the team should be very good.

Cooper will be a starting RS junior, that probably have started as RS sophmore.

WR corp will be juniors, seniors

Borghi a senior.

Defense, juniors and seniors, size at DL, LB, Speed at DE, LB, DB's.

WSU should be about 7,8,9,10 wins that year.

So some definite growing pains, etc.

But the sky is not falling, hasnt fallen, and wont fall.

Lots of Knee Jerk overreactions about, like:

"WSU only go 4-8" this year.

WSU only win 2,3,4,5 games next year, wont be good, will suck.

Cooper isnt good.

None of WSU QB's are good, or will be good.

Oh Woe is WSU this year, next year.

Players suck.

Recruiting sucks.

Etc.

So sky not falling

Dont need to knee jerk, overreact.

 

[cboom]

Wow! That was the most incoherent delusional mumble jumble mess of words I have ever seen in my life.

May God have mercy on your soul.

 

[SDCoug]

Wow! That was the most incoherent delusional mumble jumble mess of words I have ever seen in my life.

May God have mercy on your soul.

Now you’ve piqued my curiosity. Do I dare use the “show ignored content” link?

 

[cboom]

Lol

 

[Observer11]

Wow! That was the most incoherent delusional mumble jumble mess of words I have ever seen in my life.

May God have mercy on your soul.

Nah. That’s pretty well standard fare. There’ve been way more mumble jumble than that.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

Now you’ve piqued my curiosity. Do I dare use the “show ignored content” link?

No.

I did.

Trust me on this one, someone is really off their meds.

 

[Observer11]

No.

I did.

Trust me on this one, someone is really off their meds.

Or on some really good scrips.