Jim Leavitt has been hired as a defensive analyst. Taggart appears to be making moves to stop the bleeding, so thats good

Also, what if?
Boise State wins the Mountain West and plays in a NY6 bowl

-AND-

ULM wins the Sun Belt

It's possible these two first games might not give a decent picture of FSU football yet

ULM plays Iowa State in 2 weeks. I honestly would not be shocked if they upset the Cyclones

FSU definitely has problems, but ULM might not be the cupcake everyone thought they would be

What kind of FSU team will show up in week 3? I don't think anyone knows

(09-12-2019 12:35 PM)EvilVodka Wrote:  Jim Leavitt has been hired as a defensive analyst. Taggart appears to be making moves to stop the bleeding, so thats good

Also, what if?
Boise State wins the Mountain West and plays in a NY6 bowl

-AND-

ULM wins the Sun Belt

It's possible these two first games might not give a decent picture of FSU football yet

ULM plays Iowa State in 2 weeks. I honestly would not be shocked if they upset the Cyclones

FSU definitely has problems, but ULM might not be the cupcake everyone thought they would be

What kind of FSU team will show up in week 3? I don't think anyone knows

Beat the Wahoos and all will be forgiven.

If I’m Harlon Barnett, I don’t know how safe I feel about my job now. While I like Leavitt, and respect what he did at USF, I don’t see what a defensive hire almost a quarter of the way into the season is going to do.

What I do see is a Head Coach beginning to feel the pressure and looking for scapegoats. Reminds me a lot of Kragthorpe at Louisville. Over promise, over paid just to under perform.

I hope I am wrong, but regardless of how this is sold, this isn’t a good look for Taggart and his future at FSU.

We have a term in Louisville for a move like this by the head coach : Kragthorpian

I agree with above that if you beat UVA you could be back on track.

But it doesn't change recruiting failures. Despite high rankings, failures by Willie to sign rush end, QB, and Offensive Tackles is VERY tough to overcome.

That said, I think enough talent is there that with average coaching FSU should be north of .500 no problem. If not.................

I don't think it's really a matter of "Maybe Boise State and ULM are better than we think they are." It's more about how those games went.

However, I do at least think it is POSSIBLE that FSU is better at the end of the year than they look right now. This time last year, Texas had lost their opener to Maryland (for the second straight year) giving up 34. They followed it up with a scintillating one-score win against Tulsa, in which they were outplayed 21-7 in the second half. Go back and read what they were saying about Texas then. It was literally 12 months ago.

They finished the year with a Sugar Bowl win over Georgia, were top 10 to start the year.

I'm NOT saying that WT is Herman, or that their problems are similar, or that FSU will turn it around. But you don't have to look too far for reasons not to cash in the season quite yet, even though it feels like you should. IF they can beat UVA, they're probably where they should be out of the first three games.

(09-12-2019 03:26 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  If I’m Harlon Barnett, I don’t know how safe I feel about my job now. While I like Leavitt, and respect what he did at USF, I don’t see what a defensive hire almost a quarter of the way into the season is going to do.

What I do see is a Head Coach beginning to feel the pressure and looking for scapegoats. Reminds me a lot of Kragthorpe at Louisville. Over promise, over paid just to under perform.

I hope I am wrong, but regardless of how this is sold, this isn’t a good look for Taggart and his future at FSU.

????

If Barnett was feeling safe in his job before the Leavitt hire, then he's pretty obtuse. It's not WT or FSU's job to make sure Barnett feels cozy and safe in his position while his defense gets shredded.

Looking for scapegoats? The defense is a HUGE problem so far. I actually think it is a very good look for FSU to make the Leavitt move. How is it a better look to not act on a problem when there is an opportunity to do something?

If there was an opportunity to bring in Leavitt, and WT refused or FSU were too cheap, I'd be pissed. We just came out of an era where the previous coach REFUSED to replace massively underperforming coaches.

I've seen precious little evidence that the WT era is going to be a success. But it's by far in FSU's best interests that WT can do well enough to get 3-4 years and making the next hire in 2021 or so, as opposed to going 2-10 and having to make that hire this year.

If this move helps at all, its the right move, regardless of how in makes Barnett feel.

(09-12-2019 03:26 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  [...]
What I do see is a Head Coach beginning to feel the pressure and looking for scapegoats. Reminds me a lot of Kragthorpe at Louisville. Over promise, over paid just to under perform.
[...]

I can't speak for Mr Kragthorpe but I'd say that's a misdiagnosis here. By all accounts Jim Leavitt was Willie Taggart's first choice to lead Florida State's defence from the beginning.

Leavitt decided to stay at Oregon for another (reportedly well compensated) year before deciding to part ways with that program's head coach. Since then he has done some consulting work for the Seminoles already, having visited a couple of practices this past summer to help install the 3-4 defence.

If 'desperation' is involved, it's not that of a coach looking for 'scapegoats.' When the stove is on fire, you're too busy for that. I see a coach who, win or lose, would rather get Plan A into the national spotlight if he can—rather than stick with a fallback option he knows isn't working.

Taggart brought on Leavitt for the same reason a quarterback throws to an open receiver.

– G

The FSU fanbase (online at least) seems energized by the Leavitt hire, for what it’s worth. The new DC in all but name perhaps?

Y’alls next head coach will be either leavitt or briles in 10 months from right now