Okay, so Clay is inexplicably here to stay another year. Fine. Well not fine but fine.
Here’s the way things can go right. The kind of right we all wish for, i.e. a shot at the playoffs and a chance to beat the big boys? No. But a chance to reclaim the mantle as top dog of this conference. And that’s fine. Well not fine but fine.
Okay, so let’s start.
Offense:
Well, we are finally changing. I’ve been begging for us to go to a Baylor type air raid for 7-8 years. We finally went out and got the best coach available for that offense. That’s huge. My enthusiasm is tempered because...well you know why...but just moving this offense out of the Stone Age and into the modern offense discussion is huge. I think based on comments from recruits and others, Kliff sees we have some big powerful backs and wants to modify the offense of his a little to make it more like Oklahoma’s. He saw that offense for several years. I think with Stepp-Carr-MalaPAINai we will run some power RPO from the spread.
I’m excited to see this offense. Is it a finesse offense? Yeah sure. A little. But when Baylor was bludgeoning teams putting up 60-70 points a game and winning by 35, the pain was real for those opponents. We need to put some quicks into the offense and I would love if we had depth at DB and could move one of the quick kids there like Johnson or ITS but they are needed elsewhere. It’s also a shame Dom Davis is gone because he would have gone off in King’s offense. Velus will have his chances. But I’m just not sold on him. He’s just too linear in his running.
That said, the offense by midseason should be putting up 40-50 every game. There will be some duds. That happens with this type of offense here and again. But there will be some really amazing long plays. Bru and Amon and Pittman will have a blast in this offense. And that’s good. You want the kids having fun again. Big WRs like Pittman go off in King’s offense. It’s a misconception that it’s all small fast guys. Wish we could get Daniel I back to being Daniel I. That guy was AMAZING. He would destroy in this offense.
Either way I’m excited about seeing this offense. And the speed with which they will be running it.
Defense:
Okay Clancy is probably staying. And Clancy realy needs to stop with the old man get off my lawn thing and be less stubborn. Stop playing favorites. Stop having trust issues. And play the depth chart. It’s talented. And sure a little raw but more talented than any other in the conference.
My HOPE - yes, even I have those - is that the safety net of having a prolific offense like the one King is trying to install will give Clancy a sense of security such that he will be okay allowing players that don’t meet his exacting readiness criteria to play. Knowing that we can get back a TD we give up based on a blown assignment might be just the comfort that Clancy needs to loosen up a bit.
Also, I’m not totally convinced but I can see a possibility where Clancy’s high risk defense pairs well with a high octane offense. Like a well aged double rye with a rack of ribs. It seems an odd match but it actually works well. Aliotti and Chip had a similar dynamic and it worked. People thought that Aliotti’s defense was crap because they gave up a lot of points but that was due to the number of possessions. They actually pressured a lot of turnovers which the offense immediately cashed. That could happen here. It’s my hope.
Special Teams:
Maybe Baxter retires and Nansen takes over here. It needs to be better. Baxter was great with his academic plan but it’s time for a change.
S&C:
What we need to see here is accountability. Maybe that comes from Ivan. Maybe that comes from Clay. I recall when we had a warrior like that Rhett Ellison who held players accountable and set an example we were much more physical. The nutrition needs to change ASAP. Heard this 100 times. Get rid of the nice smoothie making gal we have and get a football nutritionist.
Accountability:
The biggest thing lacking in this program is accountability. That’s on Clay. I have significant doubts - “do tell, Balto, we had no idea” - that Clay has the personality to institute accountability, but maybe if we all wish our collective birthday wishes together that he realizes this is his last chance and someone whispers to him, these players long for accountability, they desire it, they need it and if you provide it they will still love you the way you need them to, then maybe it will happen. That is the biggest thing right now holding the program back. Players need to be held to account by the coaches if they screw up. The personal foul and roughness penalties need to stop. There needs to be immediate repercussions when they occur. Players need to be benched for poor performance. The country club do as you please environment has to change. If Clay can get out of his own way and do that, this team has a chance to get better. Maybe even significantly better.
“Well, now that wasn’t so hard was it, Balto?”
Excrutiating.
Here’s the way things can go right. The kind of right we all wish for, i.e. a shot at the playoffs and a chance to beat the big boys? No. But a chance to reclaim the mantle as top dog of this conference. And that’s fine. Well not fine but fine.
Okay, so let’s start.
Offense:
Well, we are finally changing. I’ve been begging for us to go to a Baylor type air raid for 7-8 years. We finally went out and got the best coach available for that offense. That’s huge. My enthusiasm is tempered because...well you know why...but just moving this offense out of the Stone Age and into the modern offense discussion is huge. I think based on comments from recruits and others, Kliff sees we have some big powerful backs and wants to modify the offense of his a little to make it more like Oklahoma’s. He saw that offense for several years. I think with Stepp-Carr-MalaPAINai we will run some power RPO from the spread.
I’m excited to see this offense. Is it a finesse offense? Yeah sure. A little. But when Baylor was bludgeoning teams putting up 60-70 points a game and winning by 35, the pain was real for those opponents. We need to put some quicks into the offense and I would love if we had depth at DB and could move one of the quick kids there like Johnson or ITS but they are needed elsewhere. It’s also a shame Dom Davis is gone because he would have gone off in King’s offense. Velus will have his chances. But I’m just not sold on him. He’s just too linear in his running.
That said, the offense by midseason should be putting up 40-50 every game. There will be some duds. That happens with this type of offense here and again. But there will be some really amazing long plays. Bru and Amon and Pittman will have a blast in this offense. And that’s good. You want the kids having fun again. Big WRs like Pittman go off in King’s offense. It’s a misconception that it’s all small fast guys. Wish we could get Daniel I back to being Daniel I. That guy was AMAZING. He would destroy in this offense.
Either way I’m excited about seeing this offense. And the speed with which they will be running it.
Defense:
Okay Clancy is probably staying. And Clancy realy needs to stop with the old man get off my lawn thing and be less stubborn. Stop playing favorites. Stop having trust issues. And play the depth chart. It’s talented. And sure a little raw but more talented than any other in the conference.
My HOPE - yes, even I have those - is that the safety net of having a prolific offense like the one King is trying to install will give Clancy a sense of security such that he will be okay allowing players that don’t meet his exacting readiness criteria to play. Knowing that we can get back a TD we give up based on a blown assignment might be just the comfort that Clancy needs to loosen up a bit.
Also, I’m not totally convinced but I can see a possibility where Clancy’s high risk defense pairs well with a high octane offense. Like a well aged double rye with a rack of ribs. It seems an odd match but it actually works well. Aliotti and Chip had a similar dynamic and it worked. People thought that Aliotti’s defense was crap because they gave up a lot of points but that was due to the number of possessions. They actually pressured a lot of turnovers which the offense immediately cashed. That could happen here. It’s my hope.
Special Teams:
Maybe Baxter retires and Nansen takes over here. It needs to be better. Baxter was great with his academic plan but it’s time for a change.
S&C:
What we need to see here is accountability. Maybe that comes from Ivan. Maybe that comes from Clay. I recall when we had a warrior like that Rhett Ellison who held players accountable and set an example we were much more physical. The nutrition needs to change ASAP. Heard this 100 times. Get rid of the nice smoothie making gal we have and get a football nutritionist.
Accountability:
The biggest thing lacking in this program is accountability. That’s on Clay. I have significant doubts - “do tell, Balto, we had no idea” - that Clay has the personality to institute accountability, but maybe if we all wish our collective birthday wishes together that he realizes this is his last chance and someone whispers to him, these players long for accountability, they desire it, they need it and if you provide it they will still love you the way you need them to, then maybe it will happen. That is the biggest thing right now holding the program back. Players need to be held to account by the coaches if they screw up. The personal foul and roughness penalties need to stop. There needs to be immediate repercussions when they occur. Players need to be benched for poor performance. The country club do as you please environment has to change. If Clay can get out of his own way and do that, this team has a chance to get better. Maybe even significantly better.
“Well, now that wasn’t so hard was it, Balto?”
Excrutiating.
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