TNHopeful505
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So, we're playing Oregon for the second time in the past 3 years. Obviously, we know what they bring to the table. But, would you take the 2010 team or 2013?
At QB, would you rather have Worley or Matt Simms?
At RB, would you rather have Poole/Oku or Neal/Lane?
At WR, would you rather have Gerald Jones/Moore or North/Howard?
At TE, would you rather have Downs or Stocker?
The OL is pretty much the same, since they started so early.
At DL, would you rather have McCullers/Couch, or Montori Hughes/Ben Martin?
At LB, would you rather have LaMarcus Thompson/Reveiz/Lathers/Austin Johnson or A.J. Johnson/Maggitt/Sapp/Brewer?
At DB, would you rather have Janzen/PWagg/Eric Gordon or Randolph/Coleman/Sutton?
Obviously, the 2010 team didn't fare too well against Oregon. But I ask these questions to get you to see that we do have talent on this team, and in some areas, we have better talent.
In my opinion, Worley is if not equal to, slightly below Matt Simms. Neal and Lane are a better one-two punch than Poole and Oku were. Our receivers are not better than GJones and DMo, but they are solid receivers that in time may be. Our OL is much much more experienced, and have added players like Tiny and Alex Bullard and James Stone since then. Downs is not Luke Stocker, but he is still young, and thus far this season, has proven to be a good receiving TE.
Our DL has not reached its potential. Hughes was a dominant DT, and Ben Martin played well when healthy. The DL has a lot of potential, and can be disruptive. Our LBs as a group were better in '10 in my opinion, though A.J. and Curt are two of the best we've had in a while. And our DB's are DEFINITELY better than they were in '10.
So, we may get blown out at Oregon, but here's what I know: The 2010 team had the talent and ability to hang with Oregon (complete with LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner, and Darron Thomas) for a half, and I am convinced it was coaching and mental weakness that caused them to lose the second half in the way they did, as it happened frequently in Dooley's tenure.
I think that this team has the intangibles (leadership, effort, intensity, passion) that the other team did not, and it has a coach that will not allow that mental failure like Dooley did.
I hope that we can be sitting here this time next week talking about how amazing and how relentless our team played. Even better yet, I hope that we can be sitting here this time next week talking about how we walked into the #2 team in the country's house, and smacked them in the mouth!
Just trying to put things in perspective. What say you VN? Have you given up hope, or do you think we could actually win if we play disciplined, efficient football for 60 minutes?
At QB, would you rather have Worley or Matt Simms?
At RB, would you rather have Poole/Oku or Neal/Lane?
At WR, would you rather have Gerald Jones/Moore or North/Howard?
At TE, would you rather have Downs or Stocker?
The OL is pretty much the same, since they started so early.
At DL, would you rather have McCullers/Couch, or Montori Hughes/Ben Martin?
At LB, would you rather have LaMarcus Thompson/Reveiz/Lathers/Austin Johnson or A.J. Johnson/Maggitt/Sapp/Brewer?
At DB, would you rather have Janzen/PWagg/Eric Gordon or Randolph/Coleman/Sutton?
Obviously, the 2010 team didn't fare too well against Oregon. But I ask these questions to get you to see that we do have talent on this team, and in some areas, we have better talent.
In my opinion, Worley is if not equal to, slightly below Matt Simms. Neal and Lane are a better one-two punch than Poole and Oku were. Our receivers are not better than GJones and DMo, but they are solid receivers that in time may be. Our OL is much much more experienced, and have added players like Tiny and Alex Bullard and James Stone since then. Downs is not Luke Stocker, but he is still young, and thus far this season, has proven to be a good receiving TE.
Our DL has not reached its potential. Hughes was a dominant DT, and Ben Martin played well when healthy. The DL has a lot of potential, and can be disruptive. Our LBs as a group were better in '10 in my opinion, though A.J. and Curt are two of the best we've had in a while. And our DB's are DEFINITELY better than they were in '10.
So, we may get blown out at Oregon, but here's what I know: The 2010 team had the talent and ability to hang with Oregon (complete with LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner, and Darron Thomas) for a half, and I am convinced it was coaching and mental weakness that caused them to lose the second half in the way they did, as it happened frequently in Dooley's tenure.
I think that this team has the intangibles (leadership, effort, intensity, passion) that the other team did not, and it has a coach that will not allow that mental failure like Dooley did.
I hope that we can be sitting here this time next week talking about how amazing and how relentless our team played. Even better yet, I hope that we can be sitting here this time next week talking about how we walked into the #2 team in the country's house, and smacked them in the mouth!
Just trying to put things in perspective. What say you VN? Have you given up hope, or do you think we could actually win if we play disciplined, efficient football for 60 minutes?
