- Mar 22, 2016
- 394
- 697
This time of year always gets me weary from reading all the off-season whine fest posts from all those who see nothing but negatives. (Isn't it funny how only the negative minded seem to be resistant to the natural waning of interest that comes during the off-season). This year, though, the negatives focused on coach Mac have been especially irritating so I figured I'd take a moment to focus on some positives, as I see them anyway, that have been demonstrated by coach Mac so far as he enters into preparations for his second season.
10. SEC East Crown in 1st season after a giant suck fest for 3 years: This should never be underestimated.
9. Held leads and even came from behind vs. all the 'come from ahead' losses over the years prior. This should never be underestimated either. We may have sucked on offense post Grier, but we held on to leads all year rather than continuing the trend for colossal chokes of the previous couple of years. We even seemed to have a game plan at the end of games that was focused on winning rather then not losing before we lost the guy who could throw.
8. Offensive talent recruited. Ivey and Callaway were especially great gets last year and early enrollees Hammond, Thompson and Swain looked good this Spring. (Hopefully Callaway plays again this year.
)
7. Offensive talent evident on field. I guess Muschamp kind of did us a favor by red shirting Grier since he groomed only Harris for the future and drove off all the other QBs on the roster. Even so, after so many years of the blandest offenses ever it was pretty amazing to see some playmaking ability on offense especially with using the TE and actually completing some deep balls (for half the year at least).
6. Maintained defensive prowess and increased late game delivery. Maintaining the defense during a coaching change is not an easy task, but not only were they able to do that but they were also able to make the defense more effective late in games when the years before they broke down under late game pressure.
5. Two deep on the offensive line for 2016: How the number of offensive linemen could have been allowed to deteriorate to the level Mac inherited is amazing to me. Thankfully Mac made this a priority to correct. (Muschamp is truly the best defensive mind of our age - he is so good he can shut down BOTH offenses!)
4. Solid use of transfers, graduate transfers and JC talent: Mason Halter was a huge contributor on the patched together offensive line last year and this year our starting QB and backup QB might be transfers and one of our top RBs a JC recruit.
3. Cultivated a culture of choices and consequences: This may be Coach Mac's biggest accomplishment to date because he seems to have everyone on board with a culture where he sets expectations, sets boundaries, and sets consequences for crossing those boundaries and then holds everyone equally accountable to the choices they make.
2. Huge number of early enrollees: 12 early enrollees is an extraordinary number and the majority are now expected to contribute right away. That cannot be underestimated in terms of the real contributing value of a recruiting class which goes far beyond star ratings.
And the Number 1 positive about Coach Mac going into season 2 is...
1. 2016 addition of multiple QBs that can throw and a kicker that can kick: Still amazed we were able to win the East when this was clearly NOT true for half the season with the former and all season with the latter.
So, what do you think?
10. SEC East Crown in 1st season after a giant suck fest for 3 years: This should never be underestimated.
9. Held leads and even came from behind vs. all the 'come from ahead' losses over the years prior. This should never be underestimated either. We may have sucked on offense post Grier, but we held on to leads all year rather than continuing the trend for colossal chokes of the previous couple of years. We even seemed to have a game plan at the end of games that was focused on winning rather then not losing before we lost the guy who could throw.
8. Offensive talent recruited. Ivey and Callaway were especially great gets last year and early enrollees Hammond, Thompson and Swain looked good this Spring. (Hopefully Callaway plays again this year.
)7. Offensive talent evident on field. I guess Muschamp kind of did us a favor by red shirting Grier since he groomed only Harris for the future and drove off all the other QBs on the roster. Even so, after so many years of the blandest offenses ever it was pretty amazing to see some playmaking ability on offense especially with using the TE and actually completing some deep balls (for half the year at least).
6. Maintained defensive prowess and increased late game delivery. Maintaining the defense during a coaching change is not an easy task, but not only were they able to do that but they were also able to make the defense more effective late in games when the years before they broke down under late game pressure.
5. Two deep on the offensive line for 2016: How the number of offensive linemen could have been allowed to deteriorate to the level Mac inherited is amazing to me. Thankfully Mac made this a priority to correct. (Muschamp is truly the best defensive mind of our age - he is so good he can shut down BOTH offenses!)
4. Solid use of transfers, graduate transfers and JC talent: Mason Halter was a huge contributor on the patched together offensive line last year and this year our starting QB and backup QB might be transfers and one of our top RBs a JC recruit.
3. Cultivated a culture of choices and consequences: This may be Coach Mac's biggest accomplishment to date because he seems to have everyone on board with a culture where he sets expectations, sets boundaries, and sets consequences for crossing those boundaries and then holds everyone equally accountable to the choices they make.
2. Huge number of early enrollees: 12 early enrollees is an extraordinary number and the majority are now expected to contribute right away. That cannot be underestimated in terms of the real contributing value of a recruiting class which goes far beyond star ratings.
And the Number 1 positive about Coach Mac going into season 2 is...
1. 2016 addition of multiple QBs that can throw and a kicker that can kick: Still amazed we were able to win the East when this was clearly NOT true for half the season with the former and all season with the latter.
So, what do you think?
