Our problem, dear Brutus, is not in ourselves, but in the stars

[cincibuck]

I was at the 1990 State track meet when Robert Smith finished second in the 100 to Almond of Princeton and second in the 200 and 400 to Dunbar's Chris Nelloms. Nelloms had a meet not unlike Jesse Owens. He equalled or bettered national HS marks in the 110s, 200 and 400 and anchored the winning 4 X 400 team. Almond ran a great 100.

On any other day, in any other year, Smith would have single handedly brought home the state championship, but on this day he was just another very good athlete.

Maybe that's what we're witnessing this year. this is just a very good team that has the misfortune to be around when Texas, Penn State and USC have incredible years. How many times does anyone have a QB the equal of Vince Young or Matt Leinhart? How many times does a team's defense and offense come together the way PSUs have this year?

I think we clearly overestimated what we saw when the Bucks savaged Michigan and Okie State at the end of last season. As we now see, these were teams on the way down and our victories have to be reevaluated. We're not far from being in the same class as the rest of the top five, but like Robert Smith on that day in 1990, it's just not in the stars.

 

[O'Rourke]

I find it a bit hard to blame not converting on 3 turnovers inside their own 50 by Tejas on the stars, but hey, whatever helps you sleep at night. You either get it done and win or you lose. I'm not looking to rip on the team or coaching staff everytime we lose but when you get right down to it you need great play, great coaching and some luck to win a NC. We had it in 2002, but we haven't had enough of those 3 things this year.

We are a lot better than last year though. You guys remember last year, right? I don't mean the last 2 games, I mean the whole year... I think too many people saw so much against scUM and OkSt that they completely forgot how badly we struggled for 80% of last season. The 2005 team is a damn good football team that would play anybody in the country very close. So far we haven't got that special something that would beat anybody in the country. Fuck it, clear the bandwagon off a little from our 2002 NC and I might be able to afford tickets to the 'shoe.

 

[jwinslow]

great point or. everyone saw us dominate pathetic teams and thought we were world beaters. That may not be what we are, but we are going toe to toe with top teams. Last year, pathetic teams like NW beat us, and good (but not great) teams like Iowa dominated us.

 

[WoodyWorshiper]

Chris Nelloms? WOW! There's a name from the past.

I'm not sure of all the particulars, but isn't that piece of shit pretty much doing life in Prison for raping a minor?

 

[NFBuck]

Very well said. This just wasn't our year for a national title, which only 1 (sometimes 2 ) out of 119 teams win evry year. But the future is bright.

 

[TheStoicPaisano]

I have seen the slightest, and I do mean slightest improvement in the offense. The team has faced their two biggest tests, and the offense failed, no doubt. However, that is over with now. Everything from here until Ann Arbor will tell the story--no more top 16 defenses, in fact no defenses ranked higher than Iowa, who we pretty much had our way with. I think this offense is capable of 400+ yards and 28 ppg, and I think the biggest contributor to the success will be Antonio Pittman.

Saturday will tell us where we are headed the rest of the season, but I feel confident, for some reason.

 

[DEBuckeye]

You've got a good point, and it's very possible that's what we're seeing. But I still think that with a solid, team-leading QB we could be scoring many more points and winning the TX and PSU games. Personally, I think Zwick should have been given the chance to develop into that QB (and maybe he will...), but that's just me.

I hate to keep saying "wait 'till next year", but as NFBuck said, the future is indeed bright.

 

[Onebuckfan]

Good Luck happens when opportunity meets preparation. We've had the opp. but the preparation especially on O can be ??

 

[martinss01]

i suppose thats as conveniant as any other excuse for failure. i still play sports and when i loose i don't blame it on cosmic alignments or acts of god. superior teams get beat by inferior ones every weekend.

regardless of your opponent, regardless of the situaiton. if you loose, the error is on you. if you want to win, if you want to be successful. take responsibility for yourself and stop blaming the world for your problems.

 

[BayBuck]

That title seems to be a rationalizing perversion of Shakespeare's line:

Cassius: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings."

Blaming the cosmos for a close loss will do nobody any good.

 

[cincibuck]

That title seems to be a rationalizing perversion of Shakespeare's line:

Cassius: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings."

Blaming the cosmos for a close loss will do nobody any good.

Baybuck, they twisting of Shakespeare was deliberate. When schedules are made years in advance (used to be ten, don't know what it is now) you don't a) know what kind of talent you're going to have or b) what kind of talent the other guy is going to have. You schedule NC State and they show up with Phillip Rivers, you schedule Texas and they show up with the difference maker...especially when you thought you were the team showing up with the game breaker, Ted Ginn. This year Purdue 's off the schedule and Penn State is on. There is something to be said about luck and this year's team doesn't have it or has failed to take advantage of the luck it has had.

 

[UGABuck]

i suppose thats as conveniant as any other excuse for failure. i still play sports and when i loose i don't blame it on cosmic alignments or acts of god. superior teams get beat by inferior ones every weekend.

regardless of your opponent, regardless of the situaiton. if you loose, the error is on you. if you want to win, if you want to be successful. take responsibility for yourself and stop blaming the world for your problems.

Well said.