Quote:
|
i'm just going to sit back and enjoy the rest of the season because i think we will go back to a much more boring style of football next year.
|
That is certainly possible, and necessary to some extent. But I try to keep in mind a couple of things that have changed about the program.
OL: Sims started as a Frosh more because he was needed than because he was a beast. Turnover and injuries plagued us through 2003 and into 2004. This season is the first time we have a truely deep and talented line with good size and speed. We are positioned to replace what we lose better than at any time I can remember - even well back into the Cooper era.
Team Speed: We just get faster and faster - everywhere. Losing Ginn will hurt. But Small is no slowpoke. Other than Hall everybody else is back and perhaps we can finally develop one of these promising TEs.
Of course, with Pittman, Wells-squared, and whoever comes in next season we will have a hell of a stable of RBs. That makes us more likely to run the ball, which makes the other team put more men in the box, which makes us more likely to pass the ball.
So it all boils down to QB and coaching. Clearly Smith is special and I would be a fool to suggest we wont suffer when he leaves. But other than a trip to Washington next year our first seven games or so are manageable. That is time to get a new QB up and running - and we have three to choose from. And this QB will benefit from the speed and blocking and running mentioned above. A complete package just waiting for someone to take the controls. The presence of a solid OL in particular is huge for a new QB.
But I also believe JT has evolved. The move from YSU to
OSU was immense. The game is essentially the same, but the level of talent, the caliber of player you can recruit, and what you can do with that talent are very different. I don't know if JT knew just what that meant when he got here or not but he has a handle on it now. I also believe he learned a big lesson from the class of 2003 and is now focusing even more on character than before. He gets kids who fit into what he is trying to do and he is making it work with "3-star" athletes who have "5-star" character.
So yeah, with the loss of a great QB next year we take a step back just like USC and Texas are likely to do this year and ND next year. But that doesn't mean we go all the way back to 2001.
