RE: Football Goal or Standard
I think it's easy to lose perspective. While of course I'd like to take that next step and make and win a MAC title game and bowl game, the grass isn't always greener. These past four (now into five) season, while having lots of heart break, have also been full a lot of fun and enjoyable moments and games. Even this year, the two losses have been close, fun, entertaining games. In the past very few games were worth sticking with until the end. Lets highlight a few items:
-Over the past four season we have averaged 6.25 wins a year
-15-17 in the MAC (now 15-19)
-I think the stat they said during the Ball State game was something like 30 of the last 50 games have been one score games
-Three bowl games, yes all losses but all close, entertaining games including one against a big name program (Pitt)
-Wins AT Rutgers, AT Purdue, and AT Illinois (our first wins against big ten schools)
-Competitive games on the road against brand name schools like Kentucky, Army, SDSU
-In 2018 we were a missed chip shot FG and 3OT loss against NIU from making the MAC title game
-A player (Maxx) being a relatively high draft pick, who has made a major impact in the NFL and promotes the program
-Maxx and Brogan both being on hard knocks and wearing or talking about Eastern
-Multiple mentions on ESPN Gameday, usually in regards to Bear talking about betting us using the line. So in a positive way.
-Many positive off-field things going on. Other than maybe the Glass "punch" there really haven't been any bad press
-An uptick in recruiting the past couple years
-The team as a whole has done well in the classroom
-(Sort of an opinion thing) but when you see guys interviewed, I always seem to find them as either polite, respectful, thought, or a goofy, fun loving kid. I can't remember a guy I thought "he seems like he's probably a jerk" (ala Aaron Rodgers).
-The parents of players we've had on this board seem to be happy with the coaches/program
For the prior 30-40 years there was NONE of that. I look at a college football program differently than an NFL organization. Frankly, I don't care about any off-field issues with NFL teams (the lions for me), just win. For a college program I think those things matter. Yes you have to win, but there are so many other issues that go into being a successful college program and I the CC has done great at that. In my opinion we have a great shot at getting to the MAC title game under CC, heck we nearly made it two years ago. Who knows though, maybe it never happens.
So, assuming you've enjoyed these past five years as much as I have, you have to ask yourself are you willing to give that up? I understand the temptation of saying "hey CC has gotten us to that line, we need to hire that next guy to get us over the line!" (how did that work for the Lions, ie Caldwell to Patricia?). Who is that guy? I certainly don't have an answer to that. Will that guy also run into some of the limitations built into the program and win but not get to the MAC title game? Also, the odds are that guy would NOT be successful. The greatest indicator of future behavior is past behavior, and lets be honest; Eastern's past as a football program is that of a stone-cold loser. Under CC, we have become a respectable, .500 MAC football program. In my opinion, CC has us in a spot to stay in the position with a great shot to bust through and get to a MAC title game, and given that he has the foundation already built I think he has a better shot at doing that than any (realistic) coaching candidate would.
I'll stick with the devil I know than the devil I don't.
|