Okay, that’s better (traveling through an airport can be a little tedious… I have some time before my next flight, so let’s go). Anyway, like I said, let’s holster the pitchforks for just a bit and taking into consideration numerous factors. I’m not trying to preach to the choir as everyone has their own opinion and that’s what these forms are all about anyway. They offer a venue to vent frustration and gloat over accomplishments. The latter will soon come.

As a former collegiate and professional player, I have to say there are so many facets. The average fan cannot possibly take into consideration. Because they are the ones forking over the funds for the tickets, they feel they have some brilliant insight as to what actually goes on. I’m not saying people can’t be upset, but my God, let’s put a couple things into perspective before we call out the hounds.

Player development and results-based outcomes: Everyone needs to be aware - the players everyone seems to be critiquing are being judged based on the how they stack up against their counterparts on the opposite line of scrimmage. Fact: 90% of the kids on that field are playing in their second or third game since graduating high school. The average freshmen is 18 years old and they normally ride the pine for their first two years unless they are very special. That means the guys on the other side of the scrimmage line average between 20 and 22-year-old juniors and seniors. These are grown men, who have been in the weight room pushing the testosterone around for four years longer than the young Bucs. When you look at the size of the lineman on both sides of the ball (Bus) there are some good frames with a lot of room to grow. I was actually pleasantly surprised to see that the O & D lines are not being crushed. In fact, they seem to be holding their own, which is huge. Make no mistake, take a kid, true freshman or RF, (which is all ETSU has) line them up against 20-22-year-old jacked up upperclassman, and take note what you normally see. In this case, you don’t see that – advantage ETSU.

This year’s recruiting class: Has anyone really taken notice of this year’s recruiting class. No? That’s because 90% of them are sitting in the stands redshirting. You normally RS your players to give them the extra year in the weight room, classroom, and playbook. Players coming straight out of high school (17-18 year olds) do not possess the time management skills necessary to excel on the field and in the classroom. If you compare the 2015 recruiting class to the 2014 class, you will see noticeable differences. No disrespect to the current roster, in fact, you have to take your hats off to these fine young men because they could have gone elsewhere, but chose to stay at a school for a year without anything (equipment, weights, uniforms) heck, they didn’t even have coaches just one year ago. If you go back and look at the HUDL film on the 2015 class (the ones on scholarship), you will see they are much bigger and faster than where the 2014 class started out. Compare that with how the Bucs matched up against CSU 18-19 year olds, and you see that ETSU is right on par with them. And remember, the CSU 18-19 year olds benefited more by signing on to a program already established with coaches, facilities, equipment, etc. Again – advantage ETSU.

Next Recruiting class: When a new stadium breaks ground, and ETSU suits up to play in the SoCon, recruiting will get even better. Recruiting will not dip based on last year’s record. Some kids will go elsewhere, but trust me, 80% of players want to get on the field. I recruited for an FBS team in FL years ago. If players think they can play some downs as a freshmen/sophomore, they will do it. (Big fish in a little pond theory) Why be 6th on the DC with only hopes of getting in, when you can jump start your career early. Push, to Slight advantage.

Coaching: Good lord. You would think this team was playing for 10 years! It’s been three games with all freshmen! Everyone needs to take note that the two main guys on this team (HC and OC) have more than 20 Bowl games between them! So I think they know a little bit more than the average person throwing them under the bus. You don’t coach at the Division I level without knowing something. You don’t coach at the FBS level without knowing a lot. From my take, it appears the coaches are evaluating the talent against real competition. Real competition does not come on the practice field. You also have to develop your ones, twos and threes, and you have to get them reps. I will concede that number seven is ahead of the game further than number 19. But if you look at the 2015 class, there is a quarterback in there that on paper and film looks to surpass the incumbent. Not saying it will happen next year, but the competition alone will drive this team even further forward. You need a quarterback; you need a backup, and you need practice. You’ve got one of the best quarterback coaches in the country! And were going to bash them as if we know something better. There is a lot more to running a football program and coaching on the field. The operating structure, travel, PR, administration, scheduling, promoting, etc. are just a few of the things the staff has to do. Trust me, coaches would love to simply coach. Looking at the rest of the coaches in the SoCon, the two big guys half the resumes. If these guys would’ve been dropped into an FCS program that was already in existence - they would soon have a ranked team. Remember, it takes time. Definite advantage to ETSU.

Transfers: yes, there is some upstart with transfers and JUCO players, but the only way to field them is on a very limited basis. The impact to your scholarship structure is extremely diminished with these types of transactions. You may be able to absorb one on each side of the ball, but you really impact your scholarships when you start with three or more. The program will be fine. We live in a world of instant gratification. Sorry 49er fans, we saw how that worked out. You might when asked the Washington Redskins and the Buffalo Bills of years past their thoughts on buying a championship/playoff team. It’s the same with college.

In short, you’re watching a team of 18 and 19-year-old players who have not played more than 180 snaps of football since high school. To make matters worse, they are going up against teams who have already been in existence, and who are populated with juniors and seniors. They are naturally outweighed, and outgunned, but they are not afraid to take the field and put it all out on the line. Worse yet, if you don’t think that losing bothers them, or the staff your crazy. It’s the natural competitor in us that wants to win. But, they have formed a collective knowing that what they are doing today (fighting, working, grinding) will pay off soon enough. Give them time and stand by your team.

Great post, Spector.

Thanks Spector. The forum needed that. Go Bucs !!

Youth no longer an excuse per coach Torbush:



http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Football...m&lp=6&p=1

Please don't play Sexton unless it's dead time and don't having him making bold passes. Herink deserves to play competitively all four quarters.

(09-18-2015 06:09 PM)Spector Wrote:  Okay, that’s better (traveling through an airport can be a little tedious… I have some time before my next flight, so let’s go). Anyway, like I said, let’s holster the pitchforks for just a bit and taking into consideration numerous factors. I’m not trying to preach to the choir as everyone has their own opinion and that’s what these forms are all about anyway. They offer a venue to vent frustration and gloat over accomplishments. The latter will soon come.

As a former collegiate and professional player, I have to say there are so many facets. The average fan cannot possibly take into consideration. Because they are the ones forking over the funds for the tickets, they feel they have some brilliant insight as to what actually goes on. I’m not saying people can’t be upset, but my God, let’s put a couple things into perspective before we call out the hounds.

Player development and results-based outcomes: Everyone needs to be aware - the players everyone seems to be critiquing are being judged based on the how they stack up against their counterparts on the opposite line of scrimmage. Fact: 90% of the kids on that field are playing in their second or third game since graduating high school. The average freshmen is 18 years old and they normally ride the pine for their first two years unless they are very special. That means the guys on the other side of the scrimmage line average between 20 and 22-year-old juniors and seniors. These are grown men, who have been in the weight room pushing the testosterone around for four years longer than the young Bucs. When you look at the size of the lineman on both sides of the ball (Bus) there are some good frames with a lot of room to grow. I was actually pleasantly surprised to see that the O & D lines are not being crushed. In fact, they seem to be holding their own, which is huge. Make no mistake, take a kid, true freshman or RF, (which is all ETSU has) line them up against 20-22-year-old jacked up upperclassman, and take note what you normally see. In this case, you don’t see that – advantage ETSU.

This year’s recruiting class: Has anyone really taken notice of this year’s recruiting class. No? That’s because 90% of them are sitting in the stands redshirting. You normally RS your players to give them the extra year in the weight room, classroom, and playbook. Players coming straight out of high school (17-18 year olds) do not possess the time management skills necessary to excel on the field and in the classroom. If you compare the 2015 recruiting class to the 2014 class, you will see noticeable differences. No disrespect to the current roster, in fact, you have to take your hats off to these fine young men because they could have gone elsewhere, but chose to stay at a school for a year without anything (equipment, weights, uniforms) heck, they didn’t even have coaches just one year ago. If you go back and look at the HUDL film on the 2015 class (the ones on scholarship), you will see they are much bigger and faster than where the 2014 class started out. Compare that with how the Bucs matched up against CSU 18-19 year olds, and you see that ETSU is right on par with them. And remember, the CSU 18-19 year olds benefited more by signing on to a program already established with coaches, facilities, equipment, etc. Again – advantage ETSU.

Next Recruiting class: When a new stadium breaks ground, and ETSU suits up to play in the SoCon, recruiting will get even better. Recruiting will not dip based on last year’s record. Some kids will go elsewhere, but trust me, 80% of players want to get on the field. I recruited for an FBS team in FL years ago. If players think they can play some downs as a freshmen/sophomore, they will do it. (Big fish in a little pond theory) Why be 6th on the DC with only hopes of getting in, when you can jump start your career early. Push, to Slight advantage.

Coaching: Good lord. You would think this team was playing for 10 years! It’s been three games with all freshmen! Everyone needs to take note that the two main guys on this team (HC and OC) have more than 20 Bowl games between them! So I think they know a little bit more than the average person throwing them under the bus. You don’t coach at the Division I level without knowing something. You don’t coach at the FBS level without knowing a lot. From my take, it appears the coaches are evaluating the talent against real competition. Real competition does not come on the practice field. You also have to develop your ones, twos and threes, and you have to get them reps. I will concede that number seven is ahead of the game further than number 19. But if you look at the 2015 class, there is a quarterback in there that on paper and film looks to surpass the incumbent. Not saying it will happen next year, but the competition alone will drive this team even further forward. You need a quarterback; you need a backup, and you need practice. You’ve got one of the best quarterback coaches in the country! And were going to bash them as if we know something better. There is a lot more to running a football program and coaching on the field. The operating structure, travel, PR, administration, scheduling, promoting, etc. are just a few of the things the staff has to do. Trust me, coaches would love to simply coach. Looking at the rest of the coaches in the SoCon, the two big guys half the resumes. If these guys would’ve been dropped into an FCS program that was already in existence - they would soon have a ranked team. Remember, it takes time. Definite advantage to ETSU.

Transfers: yes, there is some upstart with transfers and JUCO players, but the only way to field them is on a very limited basis. The impact to your scholarship structure is extremely diminished with these types of transactions. You may be able to absorb one on each side of the ball, but you really impact your scholarships when you start with three or more. The program will be fine. We live in a world of instant gratification. Sorry 49er fans, we saw how that worked out. You might when asked the Washington Redskins and the Buffalo Bills of years past their thoughts on buying a championship/playoff team. It’s the same with college.

In short, you’re watching a team of 18 and 19-year-old players who have not played more than 180 snaps of football since high school. To make matters worse, they are going up against teams who have already been in existence, and who are populated with juniors and seniors. They are naturally outweighed, and outgunned, but they are not afraid to take the field and put it all out on the line. Worse yet, if you don’t think that losing bothers them, or the staff your crazy. It’s the natural competitor in us that wants to win. But, they have formed a collective knowing that what they are doing today (fighting, working, grinding) will pay off soon enough. Give them time and stand by your team.

Never played Pro, but I've played and coached in college (FCS) and HS...and been around the college and HS game for over 40 years. This man just dropped the ETSU Football version of the "I Have a Dream" Speech on you. The PEARLS OF WISDOM in this post are abundant and, if I were an ETSU Bucs Fan, I would take those Pearls to the Bank! Message Boards are fun, but if I were the Admin of this Board and I read some of what I've been reading, I would think seriously about some content control. I do KNOW that Coaches and Players read message boards. They all will say they don't, but they do...and it looks like to me, some of y'all are trying to put a morning-after pill to work on your (really) still in the womb Football Program. If I were a Buc player and read this Board, I would think about calling a few of the other Coaches that recruited me and go somewhere else to play. Just my thoughts as someone who has been very close to a start-up program recently and inspired by Spector's GREAT post. Sorry if I made anyone here mad, I'm just also a BIG SoCon Fan and I think ETSU Football is GREAT for the SoCon. Hope to see the 'child' receive some more public nurturing in the days ahead.

GO BUCS! (except for 10/17, of course)

If a player is gonna leave over comments on a message board, he needs to go buy some big boy pants.

(09-18-2015 11:25 PM)prosec34 Wrote:  If a player is gonna leave over comments on a message board, he needs to go buy some big boy pants.

Yeah most of them would join in the trash-talking. Have you seen their Twitter accounts? xD

Content control? Players leaving? And now we're making comparisons to MLK. I didn't realize everyone gets a trophy in football. When did football become a communist sport, for real?

(09-19-2015 08:36 AM)shampoo Wrote:  Content control? Players leaving? And now we're making comparisons to MLK. I didn't realize everyone gets a trophy in football. When did football become a communist sport, for real?

Same, if someone plays bad they deserve criticism and if the coaches don't fix these problems they deserve criticism. This isn't peewee or flag football. I'm not going to stop being a fan because they're losing, but it annoys me to no end that I see serious issues with our gameplan.

Don't get me wrong, I love people's passion right now. But passion must translate into performance soon. Torbush knows it. Everyone's passionate about something, but they don't typically get ~$24 million and 5 years to sit on passion. Big spending here guys. It's very analagous to the debate over big government, public utilities some feel are owed....show everyone that it's going to work. People called the doom of Obamacare as soon as the website was slow. I see nothing unfair with pointing out a bad start and some unclear game plans. I am PRO EXCELLENT football at ETSU and realistic that it will take 2-5 years to get momentum. I am calling for 2 years, a stadium, and incremental wins to make ETSU a perennial winning team by 5. It's a challenge, people. Let's celebrate improvement moving forward. It can start with Herink. We've had three games to honeymoon.

(09-19-2015 08:49 AM)shampoo Wrote:  Don't get me wrong, I love people's passion right now. But passion must translate into performance soon. Torbush knows it. Everyone's passionate about something, but they don't typically get ~$24 million and 5 years to sit on passion. Big spending here guys. It's very analagous to the debate over big government, public utilities some feel are owed....show everyone that it's going to work. People called the doom of Obamacare as soon as the website was slow. I see nothing unfair with pointing out a bad start and some unclear game plans. I am PRO EXCELLENT football at ETSU and realistic that it will take 2-5 years to get momentum. I am calling for 2 years, a stadium, and incremental wins to make ETSU a perennial winning team by 5. It's a challenge, people. Let's celebrate improvement moving forward. It can start with Herink. We've had three games to honeymoon.

Please, please don't bring politics -- especially Obama and Obamacare -- into this discussion, please. Torbush said youth is no longer an excuse. Hope this means winning now has been moved to the top of his priority list -- hopefully starting with the quarterback situation.

Don't like politics, huh? Football is going to stay political until it starts winning. Show me the money next week, Torbush!

(09-19-2015 09:25 AM)shampoo Wrote:  Don't like politics, huh? Football is going to stay political until it starts winning. Show me the money next week, Torbush!

Do you not understand that football will never go away again at ETSU? We could go 0-the next 4 years and it wouldn't matter. ETSU was dealt the bad hand of having the only president crazy enough to get rid of it. TN Tech in the 80s had the longest losing streak in the nation; there was never a peep of getting rid of it. "Show me the money"..get out of here with that talk. Good grief.

I think everyone is on edge because they want football to immediately be successful to prove the naysayers wrong but it doesn't work like that. It will be a long road just to get back to where we were in 2003, which was a pretty decent SoCon team. Taking that next step to get above that will be even tougher. Luckily we have an admin that wants to see the program take that next step instead of holding it back.

I'm frustrated with how we are losing too. I want to see us settle on 1 QB and stop taking these beat downs but we just don't have the horses right now. Was the schedule a little ambitious...maybe. I think a couple of JuCo's and transfers would have helped on the d-line or something but if all these young guys redshirting will pan out then we will have something special in a couple of years just in time for our new stadium.

(09-19-2015 09:25 AM)shampoo Wrote:  Don't like politics, huh? Football is going to stay political until it starts winning. Show me the money next week, Torbush!

Probably should have said to please not compare ETSU football to Obamacare or anything coming out of Washington.

(09-19-2015 11:41 AM)Buc66 Wrote:  

(09-19-2015 09:25 AM)shampoo Wrote:  Don't like politics, huh? Football is going to stay political until it starts winning. Show me the money next week, Torbush!

Probably should have said to please not compare ETSU football to Obamacare or anything coming out of Washington.

Consider it a fair warning?

Chuck South is 7-1 and beat #1 Coastal Carolina yesterday.

(11-01-2015 02:08 AM)ETSUfan1 Wrote:  Chuck South is 7-1 and beat #1 Coastal Carolina yesterday.

All of our teams we've played have had pretty good seasons, excluding Warner and Kentucky Wesleyan

http://www.csusports.com/sports/fball/co...well_jamey