They went for 2 and now people have been talking about that decision all week. Smart PR. Win-win for them.True statement, but I would also add that the center Hank Manos got beat on every pass play up the middle and there was no where for Bentley to step up in the pocket. This gets lost in translation when everyone talks about this game. Also Hank M was not calling the proper line sets per a couple of lineman and this just added to the confusion. We lost the game by what - 4 points - and then we played about as poorly as you could play a football game and with a break here or there - we still had a chance to win. I hated that we lost, but NC beat a good Miami team and almost pulled one off on Clem&Son and I still cannot believe that "This Great Coach That Many Are Bragging About Mack Brown - did not tie the game in regulation and give his team a chance in OT. In the days of "No - OT" - it would have been a great and powerful thing to go for the win, but Clem&Son were the better team and the only chance NC had was to win in OT. Going for 2 points was like Kirby Smart trying the "fake punt" against Bama?
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Evaluating Muschamp tenure at the helm so far
- Thread starter FeatheredCock
- Start date
dreammachine
Member
If NC had a better team, it might would have made sense, but you are playing supposedly one of the best defenses in the nation in Clem&Son and they only have to cover you for two yards? That's what I am talking about. I had a lot of friends who are GA Bulldawg Fans and they were absolutely livid that "there was a fix in on this game - because if Clem&Son loses this one - there is not another ACC Team with a snow-ball chance in Hades of making the playoffs!!!!
I have coached a lot of baseball games in my day and I have played in tournaments where the Directors of these tournaments would allow "Higher Ranked Teams To Sign Up To Play In The Tournament - Just So He Could Put More Money In His Pockets". This meant if your Team was a Double A - you normally are suppose to play against your competition level - but when you had to go up against not only Triple A Teams - but a lot of times there would be Major League Teams up against us and usually you got beat pretty good - just like you would if you are Coastal Carolina playing Bama. Anyway, I did however make it to a few championship games against several major league teams and I had to scratch, claw, and pull out every scheme/dream/and play to beat them and get this far. The last thing I would have done would be to have a "tie-game" and me have a runner on 2nd base and give the coach the "steal sign" to try to advance my runner and take myself out of the game. My runner would have stayed there and hopefully we get a "passed ball that is good enough for us to get to 3rd base or somebody gets a clean hit to the outfield and maybe our runner can score on this hit. To just send him to 3rd on a blind steal would be madness on my part and basically take the chance of upsetting a better team with a bonehead call and show my players that I am not that smart of a coach
You are right about people talking about them a lot and it also makes Mack Brown look like Tom Landry did his last couple of years with the Dallas Cowboys when he would forget the down or forget how far it was for a first down
? It happens to Coaches that start slipping from hanging around for far too long. I am not saying Mack Brown should step down, but this may generate a lot of conversation about him, but I would think that the vast, vast, majority of it would be bad. Before the days of "Over-Time", I would have applauded him for being so bold and going for a win versus a tie. That day he should have kicked the EP and went into OT.Sporkgod50
GCF Top Poster
I don't think you realize you're a cwm apologist. What boxes has he checked? Especially when you think we have no chance at UGA but Mac nearly beat a better team. The comparison isn't Orth versus this year's UNC team. It's the team champ has built through four years of recruiting versus the team made inherited. Since you think champ can't beat UGA, you either think Mac inherited a top ten roster (he didn't) or you think champ will never be as good of a coach.
Sporkgod50
GCF Top Poster
Some good points. I think better than the wins and losing to the citadel is way too low of a bar though. After the first two years, I expect any coach for our school to be at risk of getting fired with a record under 7-5. I expect top 25 wins to outnumber loses when we are favored. Clean programs have always been expected. That should continue rather than being elevated to any status. It should be very rare that we feel like we have no hope of winning a game. A bye week should give us confidence in the coaches having time to improve our play. I expect that we will be ranked at some point each season. I will discount any leader (player or coach) that skips a bowl practices. I also believe the buck always stops with the head coach. Bentley consistently underperforming in big games is a mark against champ. Some have said taking these positions makes me a champ hater or a negative Nancy. I say it makes me a South Carolina lover, nothing more or less.
S
Senior Rooster
Guest
Its not quite so black and white and to think it should be is obtuse and short sighted.
And Muschamp didn’t lose to the citadel, that was Spurriers team...coached by Shawn Elliott.
And I would add to the list an ability to recruit quality QBs which is huge. And also low player attrition which is also a big deal.
IF he continues to do those things then I don’t see why we won’t be highly competitive in 2 years.
Sporkgod50
GCF Top Poster
Completely disagree people rise to reasonable expectations. Those are all quite reasonable or you're the most pessimistic person I've encountered. And you've misunderstood my citadel comment.
Sporkgod50
GCF Top Poster
By observing what is happening around the country and adapting my view of the world. You should try it out unless you're content with accepting mediocrity.
I think most people fully understand why we skipped some bowl practices. We were desperately slim on numbers due to injuries.
Bentley “consistently underperforming in big games” is a mark against Bentley, not Muschamp. Some guys can rise to the occasion, some can’t. Even with all of his inconsistencies he was still on track this year to break or come close to breaking almost every school passing record.
Jim, I was answering a point about the UVA game.
The UNC game? We got beat.
Our Sr QB struggled. Our DBackfield full of true Freshmen and true Sophomores struggled. Our young Center struggled.
I think we’ve improved since then, and I prefer looking forward instead of looking back.
Quite honestly, it gets old hearing the same complaints questioning Muschamp as HBC. There’s no guarantee anyone we would’ve hired then (or now) would be doing as good or better.
Fuente is on the hot seat. Fedora’s been fired. Taggert is struggling. Strong is struggling. Chip Kelly is struggling, and UCLA is giving away tickets. Harbaugh struggles with big games. Richt was canned at Miami.
Considering the mess Muschamp inherited, he’s done a pretty good job.
I think we can. A lot is going to depend on Hilinski’s arm, he still didn’t look right in the KY game. Hopefully this off week’s helped him.
Sporkgod50
GCF Top Poster
If I was muschamp, I'd be furious at anyone looking to put Bentley's pack of development in him. Also how many people do you need to run a practice? That fact that people buy the "too injured to be prepare for the bowl game" excuse is an impressive example of group insanity
S
Senior Rooster
Guest
DITTO!!!! drives me nuts when I hear that OR Well it was a nothing Bowl who really cares! If you don't care about the year end bowl why would you care about ANY regular season game
? It is just stupid!Sporkgod50
GCF Top Poster
In some ways, I agree with you. Champ did get to where he is by working harder than those around him. This is pretty opposite from spurrier who outsmarted his competitors. I think some of champs strongest supporters and spurrier s harshest critics see themselves as more like champ in those ways. Maybe your right and he cancelled practice because he couldn't think of a way for his players to learn and get better without risking them getting inured. That lack of creativity probably also explains why his teams are frequently banged up more than their peer teams. I wouldn't be surprised at all if you were completely right about his thought process. It's just not a comforting explanation when we're talking about a coach that needed to make some serious adjustments to keep from repeating his Florida tenure.
Finally, the "well you couldn't do better" criticism is innately flawed. Can you imagine sticking dutifully with a surgeon who failed at a surgery ten times more often than his peers because didn't graduate med school?
Bentley's performance is also on Muschamp because he is the one that permitted it. Bentley should have been benched on several occasions but Muschamp stuck with him. No player should have carte blanche on any position.
I believe that stats are for losers. I'd take winning games with less than stellar stats vs having stellar stats but losing. The name of the game is getting W's and Championships. BTW, his breaking records while losing speaks volumes about our program.
By your “world view” its a good thing Spurrier didn’t have to play a schedule featuring 5 top 15 teams including 3 of the top 4 during his 3rd season. You would’ve run him off because there is no excuse for not winning after 2 years.
And before you say Spurrier would’ve won, let me and everyone else on this board assure you that, no, he would not have won against this schedule with any of his early teams.
And so, by your measure Spurrier would be fired after 4 years. This is a myopic vision, not a “worldly” one Mr Spork.
Sporkgod50
GCF Top Poster
If champ had beaten UNC or UVA, I'm not upset with him. Or if he had beaten ranked teams during his tenure, then I wouldn't be upset. But he didn't and he hasn't, if you are content with him foundering that's ok, but my expectations are quite reasonable. Also spurrier hit all of those milestones and more despite needing to cleanup the program. So we know good coaches can win here quickly and that champs record is more fat Brad than it is success