Well, where do we go from here?

[Blitzkrieg]

The entire football program needs a serious evaluation.

1. Strength and conditioning: Why are we so fragile and soft? Why do we rack up so many injuries year after year? Are we doing (or not doing) something that most programs are (or not) doing?

2. Recruiting budget: We are consistently at the bottom of the SEC in this category. Why? I find it difficult to believe that we don't have the money. Are we reaching out to donors, fans etc. I know personally that I was a full scholarship donor for 17 years and when I stopped I never even got a phone call or anything about why I stopped etc.

3. The offense: In this day and age of slinging the ball all over the field and scoring points consistently in the 30's and low 40's why are we so pathetic? Why can't we sign decent RBs? Why is our O-line so pitiful year after year?

4. The defense: Why does our defense seem so unprepared for most games? Why are we so soft?

5. Special teams: How did we go from one of the best last year to very mediocre this year?

6. Coaching: Our coaching seems very suspect at nearly every position. Beamer needs to make some hard decisions this off season and shore things up or fans are going to start jumping off of the band wagon. I hope for the best but I'm beginning to worry that Beamer may not be the answer. I hope and pray that I'm wrong.

 

[Spur's Addiction]

Year 3 with a new coaching staff seems to be a down year generally. that drop in recruiting that first year really shows. So I'm hoping this is just a temporary setback, and we will recover next year. But that's not e excuse. There are some concerning things that need to be addressed. Injuries, lack of RB, lack of SEC caliber O-line. Beamer needs to evaluate his staff and make some changes. Don't let loyalty or stubbornness keep someone on staff that needs to move on. That's what lead to Muschamp's downfall, hope Beamer does not make the same mistake.

 

[86 Gradcock]

O-line and RB issues doomed this year's team. The transfer of top talent was a hit, but we could have gone bowling if the O-line played consistently well, not great, every game. It is inexcusable for coaches to make hundreds of thousands of $'s and put out such a poor product on the field. With all the money in college football, we need to make some major adjustments. Injuries are not an excuse.

 

[gamecock88]

#1 thing to do is lower your expectations for the near future.
#2 USC fans need to try and comprehend who they are as a football program. Historically mediocre, not a destination job for coaches and not really a spring board for assistants. This isn’t a place that can just call coaches/assistants and lure the good ones away. Just doesn’t happen. We see this with every coaching search, all the big names are thrown out and we go way down the list to get a staff filled. Accept it.

USC spends more than many on recruiting less than others. According to an ESPN article, here’s the average spent on recruiting per year based on 2017-2022 figures.
SEC:
UGA $2.7M
Bama $1.9M
Tenn $1.8M
TAMU $1.6M
…..USC $773k. More than Missouri, Kentucky, Ole Miss,

Out of conf:
Clemson $1.6M
FSU $1.2M
UNC $860k
Georgia Tech $762k

Michigan $1.3M
Rutgers $879k
Maryland $683k
Ohio St $845k

Our staff got worked by the portal this year instead of working the portal. Injuries happen to everyone but they’re more glaring when you have little to no depth with virtually no quality backups. Priorities need to be OL ready to play, RBs, WRs, Defensive linemen (Edge rushers and interior DL). Looking at recruiting rankings is one thing but when you dig deeper you see issues. We have 1 DE/Edge commit. No quality interior DL commits and virtually none considering us. We continue to get beat in the trenches. Can’t run nor pass block on O. Struggle to stop the run and generate QB pressure on D.

These issues will not go away with a recruiting class. They probably won’t all be addressed in one portal group. Sit back and be patient because next year looks to be very similar to this one. We need to catch some breaks and assuming Rattler doesn’t return, develop an offense around Sellers.

 

[kingofnerf]

I am so used to rationalizing mediocrity that I have brain fog right now, but here are some thoughts:

TAMU: The best recruits money can allegedly buy, but Jimbo is out. Proof that money and a big name will not necessarily take a program where it needs to go.

MSST: Zach Arnett was on everyone's short list online when we hired Shane, but he is out at MSST after only one year and some change following Mike Leach's untimely death last year.

Gators: Florida is one of the four other SEC programs besides ours that is not going to a bowl game with their 5-7 overall record after blowing a lead over FSU last night. How does everyone feel about Billy Napier now?

The other 4 programs not bowl-eligible are: Florida (5-7), Vandy (2-10), MSST (5-7), and ARK (4-8).

Tom Herman is coaching Florida Atlantic after being fired at Texas and FAU finished (4-8) this season.

Hindsight says Sark would probably have worked out like Spurrier did, but there were some pretty big question marks around Sark's off-the-field issues when USCw fired him. I really think he needed to go work for Saban first like he did. Even then, we couldn't compete with that Texas oil money.

Shane's had his moments here and I don't think he should be fired, but the decisions he makes about his assistants in the offseason will make or break him as a head coach next season. He does have some clout as an experienced head coach now and should be able to find some better assistant coaches if needed.

Just my two cents.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I am so used to rationalizing mediocrity that I have brain fog right now, but here are some thoughts:

TAMU: The best recruits money can allegedly buy, but Jimbo is out. Proof that money and a big name will not necessarily take a program where it needs to go.

MSST: Zach Arnett was on everyone's short list online when we hired Shane, but he is out at MSST after only one year and some change following Mike Leach's untimely death last year.

Gators: Florida is one of the four other SEC programs besides ours that is not going to a bowl game with their 5-7 overall record after blowing a lead over FSU last night. How does everyone feel about Billy Napier now?

The other 4 programs not bowl-eligible are: Florida (5-7), Vandy (2-10), MSST (5-7), and ARK (4-8).

Tom Herman is coaching Florida Atlantic after being fired at Texas and FAU finished (4-8) this season.

Hindsight says Sark would probably have worked out like Spurrier did, but there were some pretty big question marks around Sark's off-the-field issues when USCw fired him. I really think he needed to go work for Saban first like he did. Even then, we couldn't compete with that Texas oil money.

Shane's had his moments here and I don't think he should be fired, but the decisions he makes about his assistants in the offseason will make or break him as a head coach next season. He does have some clout as an experienced head coach now and should be able to find some better assistant coaches if needed.

Just my two cents.

Drinkewitz has turned out to be a great hire.

 

[GamecockSkip]

Up.

 

[JimG]

Shane's had his moments here and I don't think he should be fired,

And if we remember all the comments made about Frank Beamer and how he eventually succeeded at Hokies. I have to believe that daddy Frank has some wisdom for Shane that will help.

But....Shane is going to have to out-recruit someone to move up.
Where would this year's team be if we had 4-5 guys on each side of the ball that were on the level of Spencer Rattler?

 

[Denny Crane]

Loyalty has worked with my wife, my brothers in arms in the military, and my faith. It hasn’t worked in my country or my football team. How long does either continue to demand anything from me. Yet, I continue to believe in both.

 

[kingofnerf]

Jamey Chadwell's #24 Liberty takes down New Mexico St. 49-35 for the CUSA conference championship.

That puts the Flames at 13-0 this season.

You cannot argue with success. My choice for our next HC if Shane doesn't work out.