crazybuckfan40
Head Coach
I know I am going to be a little optimistic with this post so hold on.
First I want to look at the schedule, we don't have that killer bye week, like we have been having. Our toughest games will be just like this year, @ Texas, vs. PSU, @ Iowa, vs. scUM.
Those were our toughest game this year and they will be next year. I think if we could somehow squeak one out in Texas, I know it is possible we could be lookin' at one helluva year. The schedule would then set up nicely until we go to Iowa. They will be strong next year so I look this to be a big test.
Now what is one thing all national title contendors have in common, a great leader under center. We will have that with Smith. He has showed that he will come to play in big games, Yeah(save the PSU comments), he has brought us back against MSU and scUM and led us to big victories. He will have all spring, summer and fall to break in one or two new recievers, but look for Gonzo, Ginn, Hall, Dukes, Lyons, Robiske to fill in nicely. Also we had the emergence of the TE at the end of the season with Frost. This will be the key to our O' next year.
If you guys remember back to 02' what did we think we had on O'. Not a whole lot, we were looking for Ross to be the leader and we had no idea about the QB situation we were getting in. Well next year we will know who the QB is, we have one very good rb and two that havent even began to break into their potential. Then keep in mind we have Wells coming in. I think we could own the big ten in the run game.
Now lets look at O-line. Good Offense always starts up front. We lose two good O-lineman with Sims and Mangold, but the cover is not bare. We have 5 guys returning with experience and a couple more with 2 years under the belts in the system. I look for this to be a very strong part of the O' next year. We have 3 bookend tackles, and 2 hard-nosed guards. Now center, Do we move Datish there and put Rehring at guard or do we put the inexperienced Cordle there and and keep Datish at guard. Only puttin one or no new experienced people in the game will be huge.
I know some people will say well Tress is our coach, but he will have what he wants next year with a power running game and some speed and size at reciever and a very capable QB. Also keep in mind Smith can tuck it and run whenever he needs to.
Now on to the D'. We have one stud returning on the D-line in Pittcock and 6 guys with experience. I think Gholston could have a break out year, then there is Penton, Patterson, Wilson, Richardson, and Barrow. All have made nice plays at times this season. I think the big lose here will obviously be Kudla, but I think that Gholston could be even better than Kudla once he gets going. Also we have some guys with experience to keep them off of our lbs.
Yes we lose the best LBS we have ever had, and yes there will be a dropoff, but how much is the question. B4 Freeman got hurt he was showing in practice and the spring game that it was going to be very hard to keep him off the field, even with the guys we had. Well only that injury kept him off the field. He is going to be a force next year and with experience could be another great lb to come through here. Then we have D'andrea who started last year over Schlegal, meaning he had an edge then, so why not now. I think the year off helped him, he will come back bigger, faster, stronger, and smarter than he ever was. I think he could make all big ten next year as long as he stays healthy. It is going to be his money year, so he is going to be playing his heart out. Then we have either Hoobler if we move D'andrea outside or D'animal Jr. who played very well when he filled in against scUM. Another offseason for these guys in the weightroom will do wonders.
The wildcard in all this will be Kerr, he was a very talented lb at IU, were he lead the big ten in tackles, he was first off the bench usually in the middle and he will be a senior. He seems hard-nosed, so lets just see.
On to the secondary, we will lose a very big leader in Salley, but Mitchell as played well when he has been in there. There is no question this will be the most talented part of our D' but hopefully we can just gain some expereince and see where that takes us. I look for some young guys to step up for us here. Remember we had Fox playing in the secondary when we won the national title and he was only a soph.
Most of all I think that all positions on D' will be very good, with another year under our D-cord., I don't think there will be a huge drop-off. I think the thing that will hurt us is lack of a leader out there, and just overall experience. The best part about it is that the d-line and secondary have been palying together now for 2 years and our lbs have stuck ran together on second team and scout team.
They will also be going up against a very tough O' in practice so I think that will only help them.
On special teams we will have a new kicker, probably Pettrey, that has been the kinda the understanding as he goes out and warms up with Houston in pre-game and HUU has made some comments about him. I have watched him in warm-ups a couple times and I think he has just as strong a leg as HUU so lets hope he will be ok in games.
Trappasso will have another year under his belt and will only be better. He had a good year this year, so another year under JT's tutelage should make him pretty darn good. Good for field position.
Punt Returns, I see it being Youbouty and Ginn back there. We all know how dangerous Ginn is, Yeah he has fumbled as of late, but if you remember Holmes had dropsies early in his career to, so with all that talent and another years experience back there will only help.
Kick Returns, I see maybe Eric Haw and Ginn, both very fast and will be dangerous when ever they touch the ball.
Overall I would say right outside the top ten at 11 or 12 and with a couple breaks in the Texas game and getting by PSu at home and then a big one at Iowa, I see us maybe staring scUM down at the end of the year with us having a chance to go to the NC game. (optimism yeah, could it hapen yeah)
First I want to look at the schedule, we don't have that killer bye week, like we have been having. Our toughest games will be just like this year, @ Texas, vs. PSU, @ Iowa, vs. scUM.
Those were our toughest game this year and they will be next year. I think if we could somehow squeak one out in Texas, I know it is possible we could be lookin' at one helluva year. The schedule would then set up nicely until we go to Iowa. They will be strong next year so I look this to be a big test.
Now what is one thing all national title contendors have in common, a great leader under center. We will have that with Smith. He has showed that he will come to play in big games, Yeah(save the PSU comments), he has brought us back against MSU and scUM and led us to big victories. He will have all spring, summer and fall to break in one or two new recievers, but look for Gonzo, Ginn, Hall, Dukes, Lyons, Robiske to fill in nicely. Also we had the emergence of the TE at the end of the season with Frost. This will be the key to our O' next year.
If you guys remember back to 02' what did we think we had on O'. Not a whole lot, we were looking for Ross to be the leader and we had no idea about the QB situation we were getting in. Well next year we will know who the QB is, we have one very good rb and two that havent even began to break into their potential. Then keep in mind we have Wells coming in. I think we could own the big ten in the run game.
Now lets look at O-line. Good Offense always starts up front. We lose two good O-lineman with Sims and Mangold, but the cover is not bare. We have 5 guys returning with experience and a couple more with 2 years under the belts in the system. I look for this to be a very strong part of the O' next year. We have 3 bookend tackles, and 2 hard-nosed guards. Now center, Do we move Datish there and put Rehring at guard or do we put the inexperienced Cordle there and and keep Datish at guard. Only puttin one or no new experienced people in the game will be huge.
I know some people will say well Tress is our coach, but he will have what he wants next year with a power running game and some speed and size at reciever and a very capable QB. Also keep in mind Smith can tuck it and run whenever he needs to.
Now on to the D'. We have one stud returning on the D-line in Pittcock and 6 guys with experience. I think Gholston could have a break out year, then there is Penton, Patterson, Wilson, Richardson, and Barrow. All have made nice plays at times this season. I think the big lose here will obviously be Kudla, but I think that Gholston could be even better than Kudla once he gets going. Also we have some guys with experience to keep them off of our lbs.
Yes we lose the best LBS we have ever had, and yes there will be a dropoff, but how much is the question. B4 Freeman got hurt he was showing in practice and the spring game that it was going to be very hard to keep him off the field, even with the guys we had. Well only that injury kept him off the field. He is going to be a force next year and with experience could be another great lb to come through here. Then we have D'andrea who started last year over Schlegal, meaning he had an edge then, so why not now. I think the year off helped him, he will come back bigger, faster, stronger, and smarter than he ever was. I think he could make all big ten next year as long as he stays healthy. It is going to be his money year, so he is going to be playing his heart out. Then we have either Hoobler if we move D'andrea outside or D'animal Jr. who played very well when he filled in against scUM. Another offseason for these guys in the weightroom will do wonders.
The wildcard in all this will be Kerr, he was a very talented lb at IU, were he lead the big ten in tackles, he was first off the bench usually in the middle and he will be a senior. He seems hard-nosed, so lets just see.
On to the secondary, we will lose a very big leader in Salley, but Mitchell as played well when he has been in there. There is no question this will be the most talented part of our D' but hopefully we can just gain some expereince and see where that takes us. I look for some young guys to step up for us here. Remember we had Fox playing in the secondary when we won the national title and he was only a soph.
Most of all I think that all positions on D' will be very good, with another year under our D-cord., I don't think there will be a huge drop-off. I think the thing that will hurt us is lack of a leader out there, and just overall experience. The best part about it is that the d-line and secondary have been palying together now for 2 years and our lbs have stuck ran together on second team and scout team.
They will also be going up against a very tough O' in practice so I think that will only help them.
On special teams we will have a new kicker, probably Pettrey, that has been the kinda the understanding as he goes out and warms up with Houston in pre-game and HUU has made some comments about him. I have watched him in warm-ups a couple times and I think he has just as strong a leg as HUU so lets hope he will be ok in games.
Trappasso will have another year under his belt and will only be better. He had a good year this year, so another year under JT's tutelage should make him pretty darn good. Good for field position.
Punt Returns, I see it being Youbouty and Ginn back there. We all know how dangerous Ginn is, Yeah he has fumbled as of late, but if you remember Holmes had dropsies early in his career to, so with all that talent and another years experience back there will only help.
Kick Returns, I see maybe Eric Haw and Ginn, both very fast and will be dangerous when ever they touch the ball.
Overall I would say right outside the top ten at 11 or 12 and with a couple breaks in the Texas game and getting by PSu at home and then a big one at Iowa, I see us maybe staring scUM down at the end of the year with us having a chance to go to the NC game. (optimism yeah, could it hapen yeah)
Upvote
0
