Official 2015 Counterweight of Optimism Thread

[TobaccoRoadEagle]

so that means you can just write off the whole year, expect to see regression from the offense as the year goes on and gives a pass to the kicking game because the REAL kicker will be on campus next year?

[TobaccoRoadEagle]

[TobaccoRoadEagle]

[twballgame9]

I don't know where you get the idea that it takes 3-5 years for a good coach to turn things around. If the guy has a high ceiling, its evident by year 3. I'm sure there are the exceptions like a Beamer who took forever to get it going, but the vast majority of cases its evident in year 3.

This is looking at things in a vacuum. Aspaziano delayed the inevitable rebuild with Spaz's one good class and 5th year transfers. We always knew the offense was going to have a tough year, just not this fucking tough. That said, now that we know that the D is rebuilt, a good coach escapes this rebuild year with 7-8 wins, regardless of injuries. You almost have to be a complete idiot not to be 5-1 right now with this D.

Or you have to lose your starting QB and have to rely on a 2* QB recruit and a 3* ATH recruit under center with no college experience. You also lose your starting RB. Oh, and then on top of all of that, you actually do enough to win 5 games out of the first 6, only to see the refs take back an obvious TD against Duke and your FG kicker miss 4 potentially game-winning FG's.

Stop. No QB or PK in division 1 is an excuse for an offense to be this fucking horrible. If they are, you suck balls at recruiting QBs and PKs. I'd suggest the coaching just sucks. Either way, not an excuse.

Regardless, 2015 has always been and remains a developmental year.

With decent coaching, it could have been a developmental year that lasted an extra 4 weeks of practice leading into a mediocre bowl game.

[dtwalrus]

so that means you can just write off the whole year, expect to see regression from the offense as the year goes on and gives a pass to the kicking game because the REAL kicker will be on campus next year?

You don't write it off, you just focus on different things than wins and losses. You focus on how positions are developing. You focus on growth. Yes, you'd also like wins. And yes, you'd also really like to get to the bowl game cutoff for the 15 extra practice and the extra game against a decent team. But priority number one is developing players.

I don't know that we're seeing a regression in the offense. Every player on the preseason roster is playing better now than they were last year, except the injured ones. This is especially true with the offense. And yes, EVERY single offensive player is playing better this year than they were last year.

[dtwalrus]

I don't know where you get the idea that it takes 3-5 years for a good coach to turn things around. If the guy has a high ceiling, its evident by year 3. I'm sure there are the exceptions like a Beamer who took forever to get it going, but the vast majority of cases its evident in year 3.

This is looking at things in a vacuum. Aspaziano delayed the inevitable rebuild with Spaz's one good class and 5th year transfers. We always knew the offense was going to have a tough year, just not this fucking tough. That said, now that we know that the D is rebuilt, a good coach escapes this rebuild year with 7-8 wins, regardless of injuries. You almost have to be a complete idiot not to be 5-1 right now with this D.

Or you have to lose your starting QB and have to rely on a 2* QB recruit and a 3* ATH recruit under center with no college experience. You also lose your starting RB. Oh, and then on top of all of that, you actually do enough to win 5 games out of the first 6, only to see the refs take back an obvious TD against Duke and your FG kicker miss 4 potentially game-winning FG's.

Stop. No QB or PK in division 1 is an excuse for an offense to be this fucking horrible. If they are, you suck balls at recruiting QBs and PKs. I'd suggest the coaching just sucks. Either way, not an excuse.

Regardless, 2015 has always been and remains a developmental year.

With decent coaching, it could have been a developmental year that lasted an extra 4 weeks of practice leading into a mediocre bowl game.

I'm still hoping we can get to a bowl game. The easiest route to a bowl game definitely included a Wake win and most likely also included a Duke win, but there are other routes to a bowl. Fingers crossed.

[2001Eagle]

My frustration with the Wake game (and it's really the Duke-Wake combo) is that it removed any hope that I had that Addazio could be a special coach at BC. I know some people were on that train long before I was, but I held out hope (it's more fun that way). The QB switching, the terrible clock management, the hyperconservative approach... it has me lowering my expectations for Addazio's peak at BC and that was no fun, because now it has an air of "let's just wait out his tenure and maybe the next guy will get it done."

I'm still rooting for the team and I think there will be more entertaining football while he's here, but I don't know that he's the guy to get ACC championships and the like.

Same.

[hansen]

Shut up walrus.

There, I said it.

[dtwalrus]

Shut up walrus.

There, I said it.

Doubling down!

[dtwalrus]

4.) Developing Potential: The Offense

So you’re still reading and maybe you’re willing to admit that 2015 has always been and will continue to be a developmental year. But you’re still feeling pessimistic. Well, chin up, little buddy, because things really are developing.

The only way to learn to play at the college level is to play at the college level. We’ve all heard it before, spoken by people who know more about the game than all of us on these boards. With the drastic difference between 99% of high school leagues and the college level there’s no substitute for playing games when it comes to developing. Sure, there might be some 4- and 5-star recruits out there from Texas and Florida leagues that can come into a P5 team and start from day one. But BC recruits have always had to be developed. And they’re developing this year.

In 2016, BC will return 7 of 11 starters, losing only David Dudek at WR, Louie at Y Back, and Bowen and Williams on the Line. I think most would admit that really only the 2 lineman graduates are a significant loss.
Basically, the entire heart of the offense in 2016 is playing in 2015, getting snaps and developing.

Jeff Smith is exciting. Watch his recruiting tape and you can see the potential. The staff is clearly very high on his potential. But he’s still a freshman. If we accept that this is a developmental year, Smith getting to start the last 6 games of the year will pay dividends down the road. If Smith wins the job next year, this year is invaluable preparation, regardless of wins and losses. If Darius Wade actually comes back and wins the starting job, it will mean that he’s starting not because there’s no one else with experience, but because he’s actually better than a starter with at least a half a year experience. Either way, the QB situation should be better next year.

The same is true for the RB’s. We have so many talented RB’s. Not for nothing, but Hilliman going down is probably a bit of a blessing for the development of the backs. Daz and Fitch probably would be calling 70% Hilliman run plays in every game and talented young guys like Outlow and Gowins wouldn’t be getting much experience. But they are. We thought we had the deepest stable of backs in the ACC in 2015, just wait until 2016 when we also get Hilliman back.

And the WR’s! Ok, so they’re not exactly lighting it up right now, not exactly getting wide open. But Thadd Smith is showing a lot of promise. And did you see Charlie Callinan’s one-handed non-catch against Wake? There’s some talent out there.

Let’s talk about the OLine. Everybody's disappointed that the OLine isn't better. But aside from Harris Williams, who is returning from injury, the entire OLine is basically seeing it's first action in their roles. Sure, some have come in for stacked formations, but this is really the first time they've played in the standard five man fronts. OLine, among all positions takes experience to get better. Next year we'll return 3/5, including the entire right side. We should see progress moving forward.

If we can accept 2015 as a developmental year, it has been an invaluable one for the offense. And there’s every reason to expect 2016 to be significantly more productive!

[eagle9903]

Shut up walrus.

There, I said it.

Hansen, it is impolite to say shut up.

EXCEPT TO YOU BROCCOLI DICK

[gallopingghost]

In Tom Coughlin's 3rd season they went 9-3 and beat a number 1 ranked team. He had crappy players from Bick who had 5 losing seasons before Coughlin. Just sayin. He turned Chuckie Dukes into an overachieving star.

[twballgame9]

In Tom Coughlin's 3rd season they went 9-3 and beat a number 1 ranked team. He had crappy players from Bick who had 5 losing seasons before Coughlin. Just sayin. He turned Chuckie Dukes into an overachieving star.

This is a full retard comparison, worthy of 2 bow tie spins. Let me try:

In Jags's first season he won 11 games. In Frank Spaziani's first season he won 8 games. In Tom Coughlin's first season he won 4 games. Just saying.

[eagle9903]

In Tom Coughlin's 3rd season they went 9-3 and beat a number 1 ranked team. He had crappy players from Bick who had 5 losing seasons before Coughlin. Just sayin. He turned Chuckie Dukes into an overachieving star.

I bet Daz wouldn't mind trading Jeff Smith for senior Glenn Foley or his kid for Pete Mitchell.

[TobaccoRoadEagle]

In Tom Coughlin's 3rd season they went 9-3 and beat a number 1 ranked team. He had crappy players from Bick who had 5 losing seasons before Coughlin. Just sayin. He turned Chuckie Dukes into an overachieving star.

I bet Daz wouldn't mind trading Jeff Smith for senior Glenn Foley or his kid for Pete Mitchell.

i bet he would mind - glenn and pete are both in their 40s.

[TobaccoRoadEagle]

In Tom Coughlin's 3rd season they went 9-3 and beat a number 1 ranked team. He had crappy players from Bick who had 5 losing seasons before Coughlin. Just sayin. He turned Chuckie Dukes into an overachieving star.

This is a full retard comparison, worthy of 2 bow tie spins. Let me try:

In Jags's first season he won 11 games. In Frank Spaziani's first season he won 8 games. In Tom Coughlin's first season he won 4 games. Just saying.

do we need to bring up frank leahy's stats or would that prove the argument one way or the other?

[gallopingghost]

In Tom Coughlin's 3rd season they went 9-3 and beat a number 1 ranked team. He had crappy players from Bick who had 5 losing seasons before Coughlin. Just sayin. He turned Chuckie Dukes into an overachieving star.

This is a full retard comparison, worthy of 2 bow tie spins. Let me try:

In Jags's first season he won 11 games. In Frank Spaziani's first season he won 8 games. In Tom Coughlin's first season he won 4 games. Just saying.

In a thread about how Daz should be judged in his 3rd third season, you make comparison's to 1st seasons. Got it straw blogger.

[twballgame9]

In Tom Coughlin's 3rd season they went 9-3 and beat a number 1 ranked team. He had crappy players from Bick who had 5 losing seasons before Coughlin. Just sayin. He turned Chuckie Dukes into an overachieving star.

This is a full retard comparison, worthy of 2 bow tie spins. Let me try:

In Jags's first season he won 11 games. In Frank Spaziani's first season he won 8 games. In Tom Coughlin's first season he won 4 games. Just saying.

In a thread about how Daz should be judged in his 3rd third season, you make comparison's to 1st seasons. Got it straw blogger.

You missed the point. And I don't have a blog, piss-poor joke teller.

[dtwalrus]

5.) Developing Potential: The Defense

Holy shit, how can you not be optimistic?! We have the #1 statistical defense in the nation, and that is not smoke-and-mirrors statistical bullshit. This defense looks dominant. #1 vs. #2 vs. #9 vs. #17, whatever the corrected-for-SOS defensive statistics would be, this is a great defense that Don Brown is developing. And it’s young and deep! In 2016 BC will be returning 8 of 11 defensive starters from a truly great defense.

We’ll lose Wujciak and Mehdi on the defensive line, which are losses, but we’ve got some studs coming up including Wyatt Ray and Zach Allen. Need to find a Nose but this DLine might take a step forward in 2016. I get giddy just thinking about Landry with an extra year of size, strength and experience.

We’ll lose Daniels at LB, which is also a loss. He’s been great to watch this year. But we’ve also seen Strachan and Strizak do good things this year. And the LB recruits have been really promising. We’ll find a roaming MLB with a nose for the ball. There’s every reason we can fill the void and be just as good if not better next year.

We’ll lose Simmons on the edge, which is a loss. But have you seen some of the plays our young corners have made this year? John Johnson and Isaac Yiadom?! So exciting! And add to that an extra year for speedy Tajh-Amir Torres to learn the position and stick to receivers! There’s no question that the DB’s are on a massively upward trajectory from the old days of the cushion backfield.

If we can accept 2015 as a developmental year, it has been a hugely productive one for the defense. And 2016 is going to be really fun to watch!



THE END...for now.

[gallopingghost]

In Tom Coughlin's 3rd season they went 9-3 and beat a number 1 ranked team. He had crappy players from Bick who had 5 losing seasons before Coughlin. Just sayin. He turned Chuckie Dukes into an overachieving star.

This is a full retard comparison, worthy of 2 bow tie spins. Let me try:

In Jags's first season he won 11 games. In Frank Spaziani's first season he won 8 games. In Tom Coughlin's first season he won 4 games. Just saying.

In a thread about how Daz should be judged in his 3rd third season, you make comparison's to 1st seasons. Got it straw blogger.

You missed the point. And I don't have a blog, piss-poor joke teller.

Because you have no point. BTW, I did not make a joke. I do not do jokes because they are not in my contract. I do content.

[twballgame9]

In Tom Coughlin's 3rd season they went 9-3 and beat a number 1 ranked team. He had crappy players from Bick who had 5 losing seasons before Coughlin. Just sayin. He turned Chuckie Dukes into an overachieving star.

This is a full retard comparison, worthy of 2 bow tie spins. Let me try:

In Jags's first season he won 11 games. In Frank Spaziani's first season he won 8 games. In Tom Coughlin's first season he won 4 games. Just saying.

In a thread about how Daz should be judged in his 3rd third season, you make comparison's to 1st seasons. Got it straw blogger.

You missed the point. And I don't have a blog, piss-poor joke teller.

Because you have no point. BTW, I did not make a joke. I do not do jokes because they are not in my contract. I do content.

So in seasons 1&2 Aspaziano was better than Coughlin, but now in year three he won't be unless he gets to 9 games, got it. And if he isn't coaching the Jags next year, he's an utter failure. Speaking of Jags, the other Jags was smart to get out while he was still a better coach than Coughlin, that dreaded year three was fast approaching.

We want a refund.

[TobaccoRoadEagle]

We want a refund.

i agree with this part of your post

[twballgame9]

We want a refund.

i agree with this part of your post

ghost scoffs

[StratEagle]

so that means you can just write off the whole year, expect to see regression from the offense as the year goes on and gives a pass to the kicking game because the REAL kicker will be on campus next year?

You don't write it off, you just focus on different things than wins and losses. You focus on how positions are developing. You focus on growth. Yes, you'd also like wins. And yes, you'd also really like to get to the bowl game cutoff for the 15 extra practice and the extra game against a decent team. But priority number one is developing players.

I don't know that we're seeing a regression in the offense. Every player on the preseason roster is playing better now than they were last year, except the injured ones. This is especially true with the offense. And yes, EVERY single offensive player is playing better this year than they were last year.

Sherman Alston says hi

[dtwalrus]

so that means you can just write off the whole year, expect to see regression from the offense as the year goes on and gives a pass to the kicking game because the REAL kicker will be on campus next year?

You don't write it off, you just focus on different things than wins and losses. You focus on how positions are developing. You focus on growth. Yes, you'd also like wins. And yes, you'd also really like to get to the bowl game cutoff for the 15 extra practice and the extra game against a decent team. But priority number one is developing players.

I don't know that we're seeing a regression in the offense. Every player on the preseason roster is playing better now than they were last year, except the injured ones. This is especially true with the offense. And yes, EVERY single offensive player is playing better this year than they were last year.

Sherman Alston says hi

I can't respond to this because the quoted GIF is too distracting.

[mod6A]

i applaud the optimism in this thread. i want to believe also. its more fun that way. don't ruin it just yet for us, you ruiners .......

i like bc football and america.

[claver2010]

so that means you can just write off the whole year, expect to see regression from the offense as the year goes on and gives a pass to the kicking game because the REAL kicker will be on campus next year?

You don't write it off, you just focus on different things than wins and losses. You focus on how positions are developing. You focus on growth. Yes, you'd also like wins. And yes, you'd also really like to get to the bowl game cutoff for the 15 extra practice and the extra game against a decent team. But priority number one is developing players.

I don't know that we're seeing a regression in the offense. Every player on the preseason roster is playing better now than they were last year, except the injured ones. This is especially true with the offense. And yes, EVERY single offensive player is playing better this year than they were last year.

Looking for pure development out of a true FR QB with a terrible OL (yes Daz, just like we said 6 weeks ago, the OL still sucks), his top RB done for the year, and an OC who doesn't have a clue is certainly fair.

Doing the same for an OL that is SR-SR-SO-FR-JR isn't acceptable. For a staff that has roots in the OL to have players that have been in the program for 5, 6, 4 and still be terrible isn't acceptable. It would be ok if they were forced to play a true FR at G and he was bringing down the entire line, but he isn't. They're bad across the board.

[eagle9903]

Doing the same for an OL that is SR-SR-SO-FR-JR isn't acceptable. For a staff that has roots in the OL to have players that have been in the program for 5, 6, 4 and still be terrible isn't acceptable. It would be ok if they were forced to play a true FR at G and he was bringing down the entire line, but he isn't. They're bad across the board.

Maybe, but that assumes the seniors and juniors are talented enough to be coached up to a functional offensive line. Frye has had two very solid offensive lines and one awful one. It's possible that the last two years were simply an abundance of riches and he lucked his way into successful seasons or that the upperclasmen available this year are so bad that nothing could be done. In all likelihood, it is probably somewhere in between.

[claver2010]

It's possible that the last two years were simply an abundance of riches and he lucked his way into successful seasons or that the upperclasmen available this year are so bad that nothing could be done. In all likelihood, it is probably somewhere in between.

maybe but that's no fun to argue

[dtwalrus]

I'm back!

Now that 2015 is almost officially in the grave and we're a little removed from the overwhelming emotional destruction it's getting easier and easier to look at the direction of the program and be optimistic!

1) I think we've got Daz and Brown long term. Bates talks about the rubric for judging coaching being about more than wins-and-losses, and including cultural fit, graduation rates, and representing the university well. Daz really does do all those things well. If the program rebuild follows even a decent trajectory on the field, I really can't see Daz getting fired any time soon. And not to fall into the trap that so many fan bases have before, but I don't think Daz is likely to jump ship any time soon. First, he's a northeastern guy. He's got his Cape house and family nearby. He strikes me as an educator more than a ego-whore looking for glory and NFL recognition. I really think the idea of becoming BC's Bowden could be enough to keep Daz around, especially if the university commits the money to the program. As for Don Brown, I love his defense and I love his energy. Who could we lose Don Brown to? I really don't think he'd take another head coaching gig, unless it was for a better program than his last (UMass), and I can't see a P5 school taking a shot on a 60 year old defensive coordinator. The biggest risk is probably a Baby Rapist offering him more money as a defensive coordinator, but what Baby Rapist is going to look at a resume that includes UMass, UConn and BC and start salivating. Also, we can offset this risk if Daz can really get the team competing for ACC championships within the next 3 years. And, like Daz, Brown is a northeastern guy, from Massachusetts. Another family draw for someone who doesn't seem interested in attention, and BC is a great place to finish your career.

2) Continuity will benefit the program. I'm tired of new coaches, new systems and rebuilds. I know a lot of other people aren't excited about this system, but I really think in an era of spreads and hurry up's, the clock eating power offense with a dominant D is really excellent system for BC. We'll never out-talent the teams running hurry-up, but the combination of an opponent's hurry-up-offense and our clock-eating power offense is going to really shift the time of possession. Let's see how well those Baby Rapists D do when they're on the field for 40 minutes. If we can retain Daz and Brown, I really thing this program can take progressive steps and get to the point where we are competing for the ACC Championship every year. We've been talking about when Daz's system will be "fully in place" for the sake of judging the on-the-field production. But if you take a step back and forget about when the first full year of Daz's system will begin and instead consider what year 8, 9 or 10 could be, not only with the system fully in place, but with time to hone and perfect the system and time to better evaluate which high school players will excel in the system, the sky is the limit.

3) BC's talent will rise. I don't even care about any recruits we've seen so far or stars or national ranking so far. Everybody that has worked with Daz says he's a great recruiter. And we've seen his energy and how it plays with high school talent. However he's recruiting now, coming off the worst era in BC football, he'll recruit better when we're a consistent 7-9 win team. And if he can bring in more 4 stars with a 7-9 win team it'll make it easier to get to 9-11 win teams. And with 9-11 win teams he'll start pulling in even better recruits. The guys got recruiting energy. We'll never recruit like 'Bama, but we can surely reach recruiting talent levels never before seen at BC.

So, that's it. For me 2015 will be remembered as the rebuilding year where everything that could go wrong just so happened to go wrong. But I think it will also be remembered as the year where a lot of young talent -- talent that I expect to take BC to the next level -- got their feet wet.

If we can keep this staff together, I can't wait for 2016, and I really can't wait for 2017, and holy shit bring on 2018 and beyond!