In the locked thread, I posted this:
Can't help but think about this:
BB - Jordan Mason
AB - Dontae Smith
QB - James Graham (or Yates or Oliver)
WR - Malachi Carter
That's nasty ... like winning COFH and Orange Bowls type of nasty.
Then there were responses like this:
The thread was locked. I don't think it was due to this topic, but I could be wrong. If it was then I guess this thread will be deleted/locked too? Anyway, here is the response I tried to make in the other thread when it was locked:
Some of y'all are so deep into 404-the-Culture that you've lost your ability to think reasonably and objectively.
First, what defense do we have now (even with a defensive minded head coach)??
At worst, we would be in the same place defensively we are now (and were most years with CPJ), but would have had an offense a high order of magnitude better.
BUT, I think there is a good possibility that Coach Woody would've been able to put together a good product on the field in his system by year 3 or so. (Remember he only had one year). He was by far the best chance we had at a good DC for CPJ's entire tenure ... he was the only one with a successful college defensive record, and it was an EXCELLENT record by the stats at App St - like top 5 in CFB, and it fit the kind of personnel we could consistently get at GT like a glove. That is one of the biggest regrets I have about the entire CPJ tenure - a lack of money and/or bad decisions to get us an actual good defense to go along with a top-flite offense. We could've truly had a CFP-worthy team if we had just an above average defense to put with a top 10 and sometimes #1 statistical offense.
We would've had some really good personnel pieces on D for Woody's defense as well: Juanyeh, Riq, Trey, Zamari, Kaleb Oliver (excellent in the back 5). Charlie Thomas, Quez, Jordan Domineck, Demetrius Knight (if he didn't end up winning the QB spot) for the LB's. Up front, Ja'Quon Griffin would actually be perfect for that slant 50 scheme, along with Lockhart, and the DE that transferred (can't think of his name) ... can't remember if Chimedza was a CPJ recruit.
For the OL, there would have been some excellent pieces as well with a senior Zach Quinney, a senior Cooper, a 3rd year Minihan, and 3rd year Austin Smith.
Put Sanders out there opposite Carter. Jerry Howard as the power AB along with some other nice pieces at RB, which we always had. Yep, I'm liking our chances against anyone offensively with that lineup.
CPJ didn't have to have stars at every spot, just role players and a few special players mixed in to have an other-worldly dominant offense - and we had that several years here. This year was cooking up to be one of those years with those special pieces I mentioned earlier (excellent options at QB - I think Graham and/or Yates had a chance to be very special QB's in the 3-O offense, Mason was definitely going to be special at BB, and Smith was definitely going to be special at AB, and Carter would have a chance to be Smelter/Waller level at WR in that offense.)
You could try to have a reasonable disagreement with this take. Sure, no problem. But, most of those responses above were trash. No-knowledge-fan-boy-trash.
Important aside/rant: I am pulling for Coach Collins and the really nice staff he's put together. At the same point in his tenure, CPJ had already won COFH in epic fashion, won the ACC in epic fashion, went to two elite bowls, etc. And, the "most monumental transition in the history of college football" goes both ways. There is no question, on an objective basis, that CPJ should be judged to be a better coach (not even close) AT THIS POINT ... (keep reading) ... AND, I'm hoping CGC makes his own name and history and glory in GT lore. I have reasonable doubts about it, but am pulling for it and am giving it plenty of time to happen without calling for illogical, self-defeating changes. Appreciating CPJ and pulling for CGC can (and SHOULD) be a both-and, if you can just think reasonably instead of emotionally. Reminds me of the asinine political situation we've got. We should want both increased voter-access and increased election integrity - both goals should be pursued (which is what the Georgia law did, btw), they are in no sense mutually exclusive - it's lunacy to pit them against each other. We should want a fair and generous immigration policy and secure borders - both goals should be pursued. But, that would make for boring news cycles and election campaigns ... and I guess analogously a boring message board? But, it sure would make for a better country ... and a better fanbase.
Can't help but think about this:
BB - Jordan Mason
AB - Dontae Smith
QB - James Graham (or Yates or Oliver)
WR - Malachi Carter
That's nasty ... like winning COFH and Orange Bowls type of nasty.
Then there were responses like this:
Here we go....
Strange take.
Lol
wow
k
melt
stopped reading after no Gibbs
Now add the OL and your opinion will change immediately
Who’s going to block and play defense?
The thread was locked. I don't think it was due to this topic, but I could be wrong. If it was then I guess this thread will be deleted/locked too? Anyway, here is the response I tried to make in the other thread when it was locked:
Some of y'all are so deep into 404-the-Culture that you've lost your ability to think reasonably and objectively.
First, what defense do we have now (even with a defensive minded head coach)??
At worst, we would be in the same place defensively we are now (and were most years with CPJ), but would have had an offense a high order of magnitude better.
BUT, I think there is a good possibility that Coach Woody would've been able to put together a good product on the field in his system by year 3 or so. (Remember he only had one year). He was by far the best chance we had at a good DC for CPJ's entire tenure ... he was the only one with a successful college defensive record, and it was an EXCELLENT record by the stats at App St - like top 5 in CFB, and it fit the kind of personnel we could consistently get at GT like a glove. That is one of the biggest regrets I have about the entire CPJ tenure - a lack of money and/or bad decisions to get us an actual good defense to go along with a top-flite offense. We could've truly had a CFP-worthy team if we had just an above average defense to put with a top 10 and sometimes #1 statistical offense.
We would've had some really good personnel pieces on D for Woody's defense as well: Juanyeh, Riq, Trey, Zamari, Kaleb Oliver (excellent in the back 5). Charlie Thomas, Quez, Jordan Domineck, Demetrius Knight (if he didn't end up winning the QB spot) for the LB's. Up front, Ja'Quon Griffin would actually be perfect for that slant 50 scheme, along with Lockhart, and the DE that transferred (can't think of his name) ... can't remember if Chimedza was a CPJ recruit.
For the OL, there would have been some excellent pieces as well with a senior Zach Quinney, a senior Cooper, a 3rd year Minihan, and 3rd year Austin Smith.
Put Sanders out there opposite Carter. Jerry Howard as the power AB along with some other nice pieces at RB, which we always had. Yep, I'm liking our chances against anyone offensively with that lineup.
CPJ didn't have to have stars at every spot, just role players and a few special players mixed in to have an other-worldly dominant offense - and we had that several years here. This year was cooking up to be one of those years with those special pieces I mentioned earlier (excellent options at QB - I think Graham and/or Yates had a chance to be very special QB's in the 3-O offense, Mason was definitely going to be special at BB, and Smith was definitely going to be special at AB, and Carter would have a chance to be Smelter/Waller level at WR in that offense.)
You could try to have a reasonable disagreement with this take. Sure, no problem. But, most of those responses above were trash. No-knowledge-fan-boy-trash.
Important aside/rant: I am pulling for Coach Collins and the really nice staff he's put together. At the same point in his tenure, CPJ had already won COFH in epic fashion, won the ACC in epic fashion, went to two elite bowls, etc. And, the "most monumental transition in the history of college football" goes both ways. There is no question, on an objective basis, that CPJ should be judged to be a better coach (not even close) AT THIS POINT ... (keep reading) ... AND, I'm hoping CGC makes his own name and history and glory in GT lore. I have reasonable doubts about it, but am pulling for it and am giving it plenty of time to happen without calling for illogical, self-defeating changes. Appreciating CPJ and pulling for CGC can (and SHOULD) be a both-and, if you can just think reasonably instead of emotionally. Reminds me of the asinine political situation we've got. We should want both increased voter-access and increased election integrity - both goals should be pursued (which is what the Georgia law did, btw), they are in no sense mutually exclusive - it's lunacy to pit them against each other. We should want a fair and generous immigration policy and secure borders - both goals should be pursued. But, that would make for boring news cycles and election campaigns ... and I guess analogously a boring message board? But, it sure would make for a better country ... and a better fanbase.