I mentioned, in Julian's thread, I have the 2025 season All-22. I'm making great use of it.
I did want to convey my main bullet point about the 2025 Offense as it relates to 2026- It felt like the opposite to their counterparts from 20 years ago. That 2005 team got better as the season wore on and saved their best ball for the last few games of the season. If not for some special teams blunders and an ill-advised turnover, they would have ending the bowl season putting up a 45 spot and 600 yards on Notre Dame.
The 2025 squad left SO much on the table it's painful. Not just the players, I'm calling out the Coaching staff as well. ( Shout out to the WR's for their lack of intensity in blocking with the running and screen game. A pick six running a stalk block? Embarrassing)
I didn't want to make it seem like I'm picking on Julian alone, so I'm going to point out the OL & the Play calling. This post is all of the stuff the players & coaches need to get away from in 2026 if this team is to contend.
The OL I got nasty with here...
In terms of the play calling and pre-game preparation, I really have to ask where our offensive coaching staffs heads were at. The Miami defense was pretty well understood in being a 1hi dominant squad that feasted off of their weakside pressures from 2nd and 3rd levels while being aggressive on the perimeter. The Bucks early designs to attack that were RPO's to outside, playing to the aggressive CB nature. Later countering with much more lower percentage throws.
If that wasn't enough, designing something like boundary flood off waggle just screams 'unaware'.
Twice in this game Carnell was open for what would have been a huge gain or a home-run TD. First one I put on the OL. This one I put on the coaches.
It was just such a complete hodge podge of play calling that felt like there was no rhythm & consistency. Largely because the opening sequences and designs were so piss poor or badly executed that the coaching staff collectively lost their heads. The Canes defense was in their heads early and often.
Like I said, these are things the offensive coaching staff simply cannot afford to do moving forward. We gave no reason to back these corners off early, while at the same time making giant execution mistakes between QB, OL & WR. To the tune of 4 punts, 1 missed FG and 1INT in the Bucks first 6 possessions.
If not for an outstanding defensive effort and good fortunate, the Cotton Bowl should have been 31-7 Miami.
I'm hopeful, but I'm also bullish. Cautiously optimistic, if you will, for this upcoming season.
20 years ago, I was just a wide-eyed kid. Now I have 10s of thousands of hours poured into football. That 2006 squad, while talented, had some self-destruct button, type of flaws. I'm grateful to them, as painful as that season ended. Since then, I've only increased my command of the game, learned how to emotionally step back, widen the gaze and remove ones self for a more clear picture of the greater issue(s) at hand.
That issue boils down to me having doubts about this teams ability to contend late in the seeason unless the holy trifecta of QB, OL & Coaches find a greater application and consistency in/of their respective abilities.
