I have seen so many posts on here about how we're behind in talent and need 3-4 years to catch up.
1. The problem is, we're not going to catch up. Two of the top tier programs in the country are basically within 150 miles of us. In today's college game, a 9-3 season is meaningless for 99% of college teams. Once you lose a game, your shot at a playoff berth is 0, unless you're Alabama or Clemson. Kids want to win championships, and today's kids are not the patient kids of years ago. They whine and transfer if they don't play immediately. The best kids aren't going to come here, if they want to win. Many of you need to accept the fact it would take a catastrophic melt down in uga and Clemson for us to catch up. Maybe hillinski is the real deal, and maybe a top tier qb can give us the chance to catch up, but I'm not confident with them pulling in higher ranked QBs.
2. Jake Bentley is a mediocre QB. I know some of you had great hope after his freshman campaign, but he just hasn't developed. He can hit wide open guys, but doesn't make the tough throws against good teams. He is okay, but he just isn't as good as some people think he is or hope he will be. Many of you will disagree, but the evidence is in the film. He makes some great throws here and there, but overall he's just okay. I love his leadership, his work ethic, and his willingness to admit when he hasn't played well. He is a great kid, and a good QB, but he's just not great.
3. I'd love to see them put in Joyner. I know he isn't a great passer, but his ability to move the pocket and gain yards with his legs could outweigh some passing deficiency. Teams don't respect Jake's mobility, so it makes us one dimensional When we're in passing downs. They would at least have to use a player to spy Joyner, which could leave one less pass defender. Plus, Jake's probably got one or two more years, so Joyner could have more years to grow in the offense.
4. I have not seen this "new offense" that was promised. It's exactly the same. That is undeniable. I kept wondering in the off-season.... Muschamp just kept saying we would play with "tempo", but he never said up tempo. My supposition is that he was trying to appease the complainers by using misleading language. We definitely played with tempo.. The exact same tempo we have always played with. Ssssssslllloooowww. On a side note, I think we tried too hard to force the ball to debo. I think Edwards is better. When he caught passes, he trucked defenders and fought for yac. He's the real deal.
5. I hope they'll give hillinski a chance next season. If he's as good as advertised, he'll beat Jake out. But, I don't think they'd play him over Jake even if he is better in practice.
Feel free to disagree and let's have a cordial debate. I'm willing to change my mind. I've been a gamecock for 36 years, and I love the program, but I don't think we'll get back to the 2013 season in the foreseeable future.
1. The problem is, we're not going to catch up. Two of the top tier programs in the country are basically within 150 miles of us. In today's college game, a 9-3 season is meaningless for 99% of college teams. Once you lose a game, your shot at a playoff berth is 0, unless you're Alabama or Clemson. Kids want to win championships, and today's kids are not the patient kids of years ago. They whine and transfer if they don't play immediately. The best kids aren't going to come here, if they want to win. Many of you need to accept the fact it would take a catastrophic melt down in uga and Clemson for us to catch up. Maybe hillinski is the real deal, and maybe a top tier qb can give us the chance to catch up, but I'm not confident with them pulling in higher ranked QBs.
2. Jake Bentley is a mediocre QB. I know some of you had great hope after his freshman campaign, but he just hasn't developed. He can hit wide open guys, but doesn't make the tough throws against good teams. He is okay, but he just isn't as good as some people think he is or hope he will be. Many of you will disagree, but the evidence is in the film. He makes some great throws here and there, but overall he's just okay. I love his leadership, his work ethic, and his willingness to admit when he hasn't played well. He is a great kid, and a good QB, but he's just not great.
3. I'd love to see them put in Joyner. I know he isn't a great passer, but his ability to move the pocket and gain yards with his legs could outweigh some passing deficiency. Teams don't respect Jake's mobility, so it makes us one dimensional When we're in passing downs. They would at least have to use a player to spy Joyner, which could leave one less pass defender. Plus, Jake's probably got one or two more years, so Joyner could have more years to grow in the offense.
4. I have not seen this "new offense" that was promised. It's exactly the same. That is undeniable. I kept wondering in the off-season.... Muschamp just kept saying we would play with "tempo", but he never said up tempo. My supposition is that he was trying to appease the complainers by using misleading language. We definitely played with tempo.. The exact same tempo we have always played with. Ssssssslllloooowww. On a side note, I think we tried too hard to force the ball to debo. I think Edwards is better. When he caught passes, he trucked defenders and fought for yac. He's the real deal.
5. I hope they'll give hillinski a chance next season. If he's as good as advertised, he'll beat Jake out. But, I don't think they'd play him over Jake even if he is better in practice.
Feel free to disagree and let's have a cordial debate. I'm willing to change my mind. I've been a gamecock for 36 years, and I love the program, but I don't think we'll get back to the 2013 season in the foreseeable future.