Ultra Sweetened Kool-Aid Warning!!
I am increasing appreciating everything HCMT and his staff are doing. They are going to work to get something out of everyone on this team. I love this approach: " Hey, you are buried on the depth chart at OL or WR, you may help the team with some quality depth at DL or DB." Of course, this is not uncommon, but I loved this morning's comment about finding ways to bring every player up, working on each player's specific needs, to add to the team, as a point of focus. I feel like the last coaching staff didn't view its players in this way; instead, they focused on seniors and starters, and played them into the ground. (Ento is in an NFL camp as a DB!) I am still ticked off at the lack of quality game reps for either of our backup QBs. That's just bad player management. There were tons of times to get those two into games and get Montez out of harm's way.
I'm also very high on the expectations for this team this year. All the important pieces of the 5-0 team are back (except Trevon). That was a essentially a bowl team (if you presume just reasonable coaching could have avoided a loss to OSC after being up by 31 points mid-way through the 3rd quarter). Sure, this is a harder schedule and that team collapsed, but I don't place that collapse on the players as much as on the coaches. It was clear that every defense we faced from USC on knew what plays we were running prior to the snap. That's coaching. The porous OL was the result of horrible choices by the coaching staff: picking Adams as OL coach, the flawed concept of having 270lb OL so we can pursue the illusion of an up-tempo offense (which never gets started when most first downs are negative plays because the OL is getting bull-rushed into the backfield), and the lack of any real depth on either line through recruiting. All of which lead to the inevitable: one or two injuries cratered the team's chances in every game.
This year, we roll a fifth year senior, NFL-draft likely, QB with a Heisman quality WR. A 300lb+ average OL. Including defense, I don't remember a year with so many players on "watch-lists" since the days when bowls were assumed.
Yes, depth will be the big issue, but HCMT realized that the first day he looked at our roster. Clearly, he's been working the problem ever since.
Can't wait two more weeks. Losing it!!!
Go Buffs!!