I feel like Rocco should be 6th at least. Top 5 is pretty good then it kind of goes off the rails.
Not sold on up coming season(especially)oline again
- Thread starter Bob f
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I'm old I've watched a lot of Cyclone FB, My target is 7+ wins in season and a bowl game. Everything past that is a bonus
I know we have all these players coming back etc... but my expectations is still a 7 win season.
I know we have all these players coming back etc... but my expectations is still a 7 win season.
You make your own luck. Campbell is a bad situational coach who constantly loses close games. He’s like 2-20 when favored by 3 or less. It’s ridiculous.
He’s an elite program builder who puts together squads that can just whoop on people or upset favored squads.
He’s not gonna win a championship or make a playoff run but he’s gonna win a ton of games. And I’m excited that we can be in this place. It’s like Iowa, but watchable.
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Agree. He’s bad in the margins and the details. Look how many games we’ve lost because of special teams alone.
But he has built our program to a higher level than ever before. He’s good at that!
I will partially agree with this, absolutely has been a problem.
However, a lot of those close games were blown by crap special teams play. CMC finally figured that out (after being hit over the head about 50 times) and made it a priority. And that has made a big difference; probably would have been 4-8 again last year otherwise.
More than anything, the fact that he did finally make that adjustment (as well as with the offense) shows me he is still growing and learning as a coach. Gives me cause for optimism he will get better at the other in-game stuff - eventually.
I think that is a copout. Players need to make plays in critical situations. I don't recall a lot of bad situational calls late in games. I recall a lot of missed FG, dropped passes, dropped punts, .... Players were in a situation to win the game but for whatever reason did not execute. Some guys excel in those situations, some don't.
CMC has this program at a level never seem before. We have one of the worst football histories in all of CFB, but yet we think we have a chance to content for a Big 12 Championship this season.
In years prior to CMC, we weren't even in a lot of games each year. There were certain games on the schedule we had not chance at winning. That is no more.
I love Campbell and never want him to leave.
But after 9 years, I think we kind of know who he is. His record as a slight favorite is abysmal. That’s not on the players when it keeps happening with different players.
None of this is to say that I’m unhappy and want a different coach. Campbell is our best coach ever. He’s not perfect either. None of these things are mutually exclusive.
Im sorry you original post didn’t give me the feeling you loved Matt Campbell. I hate to live in the past. It is more fun to look to the future. We have a group of talented young players and I’m looking forward to the season. I think Matt has made improvements to our coaching staff. Now we need some of these young players to really step up for us to have a great season. Who is going to become the next Cyclone legend? Does Rocco become an elite QB? Is Sama the next great Cyclone back or is it another guy? Can Higgens be the matchup nightmare Butler and Lazard were? Who on defense will lead an elite group. We need some players to take the next step this season and become elite. Some of that is player development, but some of that is just talent and the ability to perform at critical times. The fact is, some players are more special in those critical moments than others.
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This team seems like it could win 8 or 9 games, excluding the result of the bowl game. It's nice returning just about everyone.
If you are going to compare Fiesta Bowls, then don't you also have to go through the TCU season vs. the Iowa State season. Iowa State had solid wins all the way through (after the special teams fiasco loss to Louisiana), while TCU was eeking out nearly every game. If I recall, they had at least a couple of games where they were extremely fortunate to win. Sonny Dykes is quoted saying they were onto Michigan's play stealing scheme, which helped them to win the game against the Wolverines.
I would have you look at recruiting rankings over the last 4 years before making that statement. Where does ISU compare with their opponents. Yeah, ISU has some good players but a good chunk of the time you'll see the teams with better recruits up and down the roster win. (I haven't compared so I honestly don't know.)
I think we are on the same page. I guess I was fooled by this sentence in your post that I originally responded to:
When you play with a fullback, it's pretty easy to see where the ball is going and when you're going to run it.
It sounds like you mean when you play with a fullback in this scheme. It read to me as you saying that you are tipping your hand anytime a fullback is used.
I agree that they could be more creative with a FB in the game. I just don't think using a FB has to be a signal to the defense what you are running. If they are keying on that you should be breaking your tendencies often enough to use their scouting against them.
We do this (overhype) with FB and BB. It's natural after having some success, we always want more. I am realistic though, and always hope we can out-box our weight class, so to speak. Campbell (and TJ) give us this opportunity.
It will be, would be, fantastic to have a really great season (a string of them). Every season, that's where our hope lies. I think we will always be underdogs to the best in the country, and the best in our conference, though. It makes it that much sweeter when we do win.
You are correct in saying “a good chunk of the time, the team with better recruits up and down the line win”.
I mean, we can ask Texas and OU about that, but it’s mostly true.
The point you missed on was “look at the recruiting rankings”.
Texas got into trouble for more than a decade because they did that. They based their recruiting on the rankings, and often brought in high school studs who had already peaked.
Our staff doesn’t—and having “their guys”, or finding gems in the rough, is often an equalizer.
