5 star meltdown
It's been said before, but the Texas and Florida meltdowns this year just shock me week after week. As bad as our defense has been I at least can see the reasons for the problems. What do the Florida and Texas fans reconcile themselves with when they look at their offenses?
I guess teamwork and chemistry do matter.
Are we still talking to Christian Westerman? "Son don't you want to come to a stable program like the 1 here in Ann Arbor instead of the rebuilding project in Austin?"
The craziness of football this year highlights why you have to savor every win no matter how it looks.
November 13th, 2010 at 10:15 PM ^
Maybe chemistry has something to do with it after all...or maybe media darling Will Muschamp is not a genius.
FYI, GERG won at Texas with his defense.
November 13th, 2010 at 10:27 PM ^
Well, GERG was only at Texas for one year - and had the luxury of Vince Young on the other side of the ball. He was their DC when we lost the 38-37 shootout to them in the Rose Bowl.
November 13th, 2010 at 10:45 PM ^
First, the Michigan team you reference in the (god damn) 38 - 37 loss at the Rose Bowl was a quality team...(Big 10 co champions)...so there's that. As for GERG's year...
14th in points per game at 14.2 (Michigan 38th at 21.9)
24th in yards per game at 317.2 (Michigan 27th at 326.5)
Just sayin.
November 14th, 2010 at 12:06 AM ^
As I recall, a certain Mr. Breaston had an incredible day returning kicks and we had some pretty good field position to help in scoring that many.
November 14th, 2010 at 12:23 AM ^
that using single games counted as statistical trends? Really, my lord. Teams can't have anomalies? I don't know what the D stats were for UT that season, but at least go the extra mile instead of making yourself look bad by siting just one game...
November 13th, 2010 at 10:16 PM ^
I think you're seeing the effects of not having the right players in the right positions taking its effect.
Losing Colt and Tebow are killing both team's offenses this year and probably from a leadership aspect as well.
November 13th, 2010 at 10:20 PM ^
I couldn't agree more. They relied their offenses so much on Tebow and Mccoy, they're looking for anything to give them any kind of offense.
November 13th, 2010 at 11:26 PM ^
This is what's great about college football, in my opinion. The ebb and flow. Florida had Tebow, which was a boon for 3-4 years but directly hampered their recruiting in the long run. They could have had Denard and/or Cam Newton at QB this year. Cam left because he would have been stuck behind Tebow and he was too good to sit out for 2-3 years. Denard declined because they wanted to make him a WR (right?) - they were too stacked at QB to even let him try.
You can't continuously bring in top 4-5 star guys. More than anything, players want playing time so they can showcase themselves for the NFL. I think Florida and Texas are feeling the effects of this. And I think Alabama is reaching a critical mass, too (see Dee Hart - he would have been buried on the depth chart there - he could play as a Freshman at Michigan).
November 13th, 2010 at 11:54 PM ^
Not to nit pick, but pretty sure Newton was booted after the laptop theft. Not because of competition at QB.
November 14th, 2010 at 12:07 AM ^
Yep, it says lot too when UF is the team that boots you for misconduct. Cam probably did much more than laptops to get kicked out.
November 14th, 2010 at 8:02 AM ^
add the two together and only Dantonio would keep him on a roster.
November 14th, 2010 at 3:10 PM ^
He wasn't booted for the laptop theft. He came back to the team after the laptop incident, but decided to leave the team after Tebow announced that he was coming back for his senior season.
November 14th, 2010 at 9:51 AM ^
They wanted him at DB.
November 14th, 2010 at 11:33 AM ^
don't want to kick denard when he's down, but anyone who saw his tackle attempt yesterday on the 94 yd int. return should be glad he's not a db
November 13th, 2010 at 10:16 PM ^
Can't stand them. It's all I hear about down here, so watching their offense sputter is excellent.
November 13th, 2010 at 10:18 PM ^
November 14th, 2010 at 12:11 AM ^
No, Alabama's the franchise. Everyone else is a program.
November 13th, 2010 at 10:19 PM ^
At least part of Texas's problem is youth. They have a lot of 5-star talent, yes, but a lot of that talent is really young.
November 13th, 2010 at 10:19 PM ^
Same thing's happening over in Southern Cal. Florida has no excuse, however.
November 13th, 2010 at 10:22 PM ^
November 13th, 2010 at 10:23 PM ^
how dare you use youth as a rational excuse for a team playing poorly
November 13th, 2010 at 10:26 PM ^
Oh, don't get me wrong, young 5-stars not playing like All-Americans is absolutely unacceptable. Mack Brown is out of here as soon as the final whistle blows at the end of the A&M game.
November 13th, 2010 at 10:24 PM ^
But it's not reallly any younger than Michigan's offense. Watching them play, GERG Davis's scheme really does seem to be pretty damn terrible.
November 13th, 2010 at 10:19 PM ^
There is something very satisfying about watching both of these teams getting rolled at home, especially every time they show urban all pissed-off, tossing his headset.
November 13th, 2010 at 11:32 PM ^
Why is it satisfying to see Texas struggle? Mack Brown is probably the classiest coach at a major program int he country, and Michigan and Texas don't really have much in the way of a rivalry. Texas is a strong football school steeped in tradition, and right behind us in all times wins. I think MI and TX have a lot more in common than they do that differentiates them. Also, best 2 unis in CFB!
November 13th, 2010 at 11:37 PM ^
the part about the unis. Texas burnt orange is really hard to look at. I went to the Michigan-Vince Young Rose Bowl and was expecting to hate all the Texas fans, but they were pretty decent. More like us than osu fans.
November 14th, 2010 at 3:25 AM ^
There is 1 difference, UM doesn't destroy and doesn't try to have full control over it's conference.
November 14th, 2010 at 11:19 PM ^
Can you further elaborate on that comment, because I see it meaning a number of things.
November 13th, 2010 at 10:24 PM ^
the transition to HS to College isn't always an easy one. Star ratings are an inexact science. And yes, team chemistry is paramount.
November 13th, 2010 at 10:26 PM ^
Texas's offensive philosophy is "if we make the defense defend side to side on bubble screens they'll get tired." Their best play is "have our slow 6'6 QB run."
Andre Dubose returned the opening kick for a touchdown and then didn't touch the ball for 3 quarters.
I'm not saying it's all coaching, but, man, Addazio and Greg Davis are looking pretty damn shaky.
November 13th, 2010 at 10:27 PM ^
and from the way Michigan players root for each other, I'm willing to bet that we have boatloads of it.
November 13th, 2010 at 10:25 PM ^
has a Debord-like issue plus he lost Charlie Strong.
November 13th, 2010 at 10:25 PM ^
No strong and no Mullen + Bad Addazzio = Bad Florida
And Texas has a bunch of elitist kids
November 13th, 2010 at 10:30 PM ^
The problem with Florida is that they were pretty average on offense for years, but Tebow hid those deficiencies by being gritty and the defense playing well. This year, they have an MNC-level defense but all those faults on offense still exist as well. I will enjoy any pain inflicted on Gators until Meyer is gone - just a sanctimonous douche.
November 14th, 2010 at 12:27 AM ^
Lets not forget Tebow had Hernandez, Harvin, Murphy, Cooper and the good Pouncey at center. Demps is good. Rainey is still feeling effects from stalking. This Poucey is in the wrong position. And the OC doesn't seem to know the play book. And no fullback playing QB equals must see TV.
November 13th, 2010 at 10:31 PM ^
Are you the first person to call RR's tenure "stable"?
November 14th, 2010 at 7:41 AM ^
......Sarcasm
November 13th, 2010 at 10:46 PM ^
November 13th, 2010 at 10:55 PM ^
Now being a UT student I find it sort of funny how much people hate Texas. Obviously there's rivalry/hate for the team and all that which is fine, but I think it's pretty hard to attack its fan base. Most of the students and fans I know here are pretty nice and realistic about the team and how poor they're doing.
Florida has been, and always will be, much easier to hate imo.
(This isn't meant to be a direct reply to OP, just a general comment about some other comments in the thread)
November 13th, 2010 at 11:04 PM ^
November 14th, 2010 at 12:17 AM ^
Who envies an undersized penis?
November 14th, 2010 at 1:15 AM ^
November 13th, 2010 at 11:20 PM ^
... other than that (god damn) Rose Bowl, I've always enjoyed watching Texas. 1) I like their uni's 2) Austin is an oasis in a wasteland 3) Vince Young's performance against USC in the NC game 4) Ricky Williams is the godfather of college football dreads.
November 14th, 2010 at 12:25 AM ^
It is probably just residual bitterness over the VY Rose Bowl thing. It is frustrating to allow 38 points to a team whose offensive gameplan is to just have VY run around until he hits the endzone.
November 14th, 2010 at 7:09 PM ^
You know, their offense with Vince Young really wasn't that different from ours right now.
November 13th, 2010 at 10:56 PM ^
Man texas is so bad they cut the game in the eastern region and put on USC Arizona..
November 13th, 2010 at 11:16 PM ^
Florida first: Cam Newton was NOT JUST a recruit, but was on the TEAM at Florida, but Tebow and a willingness to give the nod to legacy player John Brantley, and, well, you have what you have; as for Tebow, he left, yes, but so did a number of highly touted offensive players who are now in the nfl, result, 5-star recruits do not guarantee wins.
Texas: By all indications, even those made public by Mack Brown himself, these players have entered into the fray with entitlement on their minds, meaning, "We are Texas, if we show up, we will win." And...let the record show, not so much. These are young kids most of whom have been on winning teams all of their lives, many of them standout performers...for years, but that was then, and this is now, and everything must be proven at each and every level of competition.
All programs have cycles, down periods are not necessarily due to poor talent, young talent, or even poor coaching, but timing, chemistry, individual work ethic, etc., etc., etc.
So, rather than revel or gloat in the 'sudden' mediocrity of these to programs, I choose to revel in the rise of chemistry, individual work ethic, timing, mutual support and bonding which our squad not only has, but is evident on every play! Go Blue,...for years to come!
November 13th, 2010 at 11:49 PM ^
To me this highlites the importance of the QB position. It's no accident these teams are struggling.
November 13th, 2010 at 11:55 PM ^
more conference wins than Texas this year... Youth aside, no one saw this coming for Texas. I think at this point they win the 2010 Overall Tears of Unfathomable Sadness.