I'm not trying to be an a**, I'm just wondering which way the wind is blowing. We haven't played well in the first half of all 4 MAC games now. There's no argument there. The Ohio loss has to be the worst game we've played of the 4 though, so it doesn't appear that we're on the road to improving things.

If you read my posts at the time, it's clear I wasn't thrilled with the Candle hire. I don't think he has anywhere near the experience we needed at this juncture, and I didn't particularly care that the players wanted him. I was worried that we took the quick & cheap way out of the coaching search (but that seems to be our AD's preference--fill the job without really doing an actual search process). And yet, I also posted that if he is the guy, then I hope he succeeds.

So here we are, with a 6-2 record on the heels of a poorly played game and a tough stretch of games coming in November. What kind of finish to the season would be acceptable for you to believe that Candle can eventually get the job done here at UT...I think 3-1 would be a nice finish...but would 2-2 do it for you as well? What if it's a 1-3 or even 0-4 finish (even I don't see us dropping all 4, but 1-3 is as likely imo as 2-2)?

I'll give my opinion in three years. I would like to see who he can recruit and give him a couple years under his system. Judging a 1st year head coach, during a season when you have 2 returning starters on defense, is a little soon for me.

Two losses and this bull **** starts..........

Yeah, not sure that is really the question. At this point in the season we kind of know what we are to expect out of the defense and special team (i.e, what we saw tonite). It ain't gonna to get any better. The offense was what really sh*t the bed tonite. Coach needs to call a meeting with the OC in conference room WTF with the agenda, "What were you smokin' this week?"

I wasn't in favor of the hire but with the bowl win and hot start I thought perhaps he was a smart hire. The rest of the season tells the sorry for me. Finish 10-2 and he's got my approval. If we lose at Akron and/or NIU and crawl into the Western game with no chance at a title shot and this season counts as a huge letdown. I just can't get over the lack of talent and depth on the defensive side of the ball

(10-27-2016 11:57 PM)utpotts Wrote:  Two losses and this bull **** starts..........

Eh, for me it's not so much the 2 losses...I actually do think we finish 8-4 and that's certainly not terrible. My point was that we don't seem to be playing better as the season has gone, but progressively worse and imo just played our worst game thus far at game #8. Given that, I was honestly curious as to whether the honeymoon would be over or not depending on November results.

(10-27-2016 11:57 PM)utpotts Wrote:  Two losses and this bull **** starts..........

Amen. Absolutely ridiculous.

Sent from my XT1254 using CSNbbs mobile app

Of course Candle was the right choice at the time he was hired. When you lose a coach because he is successful, that means your program is functioning at a reasonably high level and you need to maintain continuity, not start from ground zero with a completely new guy who will want to rebuilt your program from scratch in his own image. Both Beckman and Campbell made more egregious mistakes and had more inadequacies on their resumes than Candle has shown so far, yet they were hired away by P5 schools. All he needs to do is to continue to improve and develop his coaching skills by gaining experience at UT to the point that he can take the next step up the coaching ladder to the "Big Time" in a few years.

By the same token Amstutz was also the correct hire at the time he was hired and he gave UT a few good years including a couple of MACC and several BIG wins before his "coaching flaws" became apparent and although he eventually allowed the wheels to come off the wagon, I still believe he was the right hire at that time.

Obvious Candle is a new head coach and is still climbing the learning curve but it is still way to early to start second guessing his hire. Campbell never beat NIU and never won a MACC yet his job was never in the slightest jeopardy....and neither will Candle's be as long as he can produce winning seasons. If Candle focuses some his highly heralded recruiting skills on picking up some decent O & D lineman over the next couple seasons, all should be well for the program and hence him.

(10-28-2016 07:50 AM)T-Town Wrote:  Of course Candle was the right choice at the time he was hired. When you lose a coach because he is successful, that means your program is functioning at a reasonably high level and you need to maintain continuity, not start from ground zero with a completely new guy who will want to rebuilt your program from scratch in his own image. Both Beckman and Campbell made more egregious mistakes and had more inadequacies on their resumes than Candle has shown so far, yet they were hired away by P5 schools. All he needs to do is to continue to improve and develop his coaching skills by gaining experience at UT to the point that he can take the next step up the coaching ladder to the "Big Time" in a few years.

By the same token Amstutz was also the correct hire at the time he was hired and he gave UT a few good years including a couple of MACC and several BIG wins before his "coaching flaws" became apparent and although he eventually allowed the wheels to come off the wagon, I still believe he was the right hire at that time.

Obvious Candle is a new head coach and is still climbing the learning curve but it is still way to early to start second guessing his hire. Campbell never beat NIU and never won a MACC yet his job was never in the slightest jeopardy....and neither will Candle's be as long as he can produce winning seasons. If Candle focuses some his highly heralded recruiting skills on picking up some decent O & D lineman over the next couple seasons, all should be well for the program and hence him.

The problem last night and for the last few weeks has been player execution. That doesn't always fall on the coaches. In my opinion, this team for whatever reason, thinks in MAC play they can just show up and win. You would think they would learn their lesson after the major disjappointmenting losses the last few years.

(10-27-2016 11:57 PM)utpotts Wrote:  Two losses and this bull **** starts..........

Thank You utpotts!!!!
Not even gonna waist my time with any long response. Go Rockets and win out!!!

Here is the thing.... Our DC the last two years was a really good DC with good players. He was not a players coach and demanded a lot. That is why we were improved on defense greatly from prior years. He demanded players didn't run around blocks and create seams , they took on and got off blocks not guessing and jumping outside, finished tackles. Our techniques are not as good. He was an old school coach who new what it took to win. Coach Candle being a former receiver wouldn't truly know what it takes to callous up a defense. Our DC this year is younger guy learning the ropes, former offense player that Im sure works hard but isn't there yet.

Our D last night was pretty much the same thing seen across the nation every Saturday. That's what makes Saban and a few others special, their teams actually play defense... man their gaps, get off blocks, finish tackles, do not blow assignments and play intense.

(10-27-2016 11:57 PM)utpotts Wrote:  Two losses and this bull **** starts..........

Game was a complete melt down. Dropped passes, missed assignments, and penaties. Bad coaching and bad play by the whole team. The secondary is terrible and most of the guys on defense can't tackle anyone. Could be in for a long 4 games in Nov. We had no answer for OU's offense, mainly on 3rd down.

Ohio beat Kent 14-10. Is that where we are?

(10-28-2016 10:30 AM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  Ohio beat Kent 14-10. Is that where we are?

Last night? Yes.

Too soon for this discussion

(10-28-2016 11:03 AM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(10-28-2016 10:30 AM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  Ohio beat Kent 14-10. Is that where we are?

Last night? Yes.

I was thinking the same thing. Man, we've gotten worse at the season has progressed.

(10-28-2016 04:05 PM)emanoh Wrote:  

(10-28-2016 11:03 AM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(10-28-2016 10:30 AM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  Ohio beat Kent 14-10. Is that where we are?

Last night? Yes.

I was thinking the same thing. Man, we've gotten worse at the season has progressed.

This team can play but for some reason they don't really start playing until the 2nd half. I dont understand the continued slow starts?

Is he still the right choice HHHHHHEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLL YYYYYYEEEEEESSSSS!!!!!!!

(10-28-2016 04:05 PM)emanoh Wrote:  

(10-28-2016 11:03 AM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(10-28-2016 10:30 AM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  Ohio beat Kent 14-10. Is that where we are?

Last night? Yes.

I was thinking the same thing. Man, we've gotten worse at the season has progressed.

That's been the case for years...we play well early in the seaason, but do not continue to improve, while other teams do. You either get better or get worse, you never stay the same.

So far I'm OK with it. This was the first bad game from start to finish and OU isn't terrible. I don't like the repeated inability to stop certain things like sweeps and guys getting behind the secondary but we knew we were thin on D and injuries and short weeks don't improve those situations. If we get through the rest of our season with 0 or one loss I'll be pretty impressed: new coach at 11-3 after first full year? Look at what the Jinks hire has done for BG. Our hire was so much better.