Solar

Back in the 90s my best friend and I were on the football team and my friend hurt his ankle. Coaches didn't care back then, he still had to run the conditioning drill where you jog around the field with each person laying down at the next 5 yard line while everyone hops over them. I think we did 2 or 3 laps. He came to school the next day in crutches having actually done that drill on a broken ankle. I also once played half a football game with my thumb broken all the way through at the base next to my wrist, from tackling the biggest guy in our league on a kickoff return. Those were the days of being young with a high pain threshold.

I couldn't agree more David. I've mentioned several of these points in previous comments, but your overall perspective is great. Success is winning a whole bunch of games and making the playoffs. Anytime you make it deeper into the playoffs than the year before it's a success, and if you don't make it as far the next year it can feel like a step back. I was a Jumper in track and field. I just did long and triple jump, but not high jump, partially because it took forever, but also I hated finishing by missing the bar 3 times in a row. Needless to say, for me finishing the season with a loss is a very sharp side of the double edged sword of the playoffs.

Man we need a great LB so bad. Please please please..

I'm in San Diego and usually this time of year it gets cold and wet enough a few times for there to be snow up at 4k ft and above, but nothing this year. We aren't immune to some really rainy storms, but that tends to happen when it's El Nino. With La Nina it's been very dry, and I think this storm system just looped above southern California. Bo Nix is out 12 weeks for a broken ankle? That doesn't sound good. I always remember people saying it's usually better to break an ankle than sprain it as a break is usual 6-8 weeks. Bo Broke his ankle once in college and once in high school. Sean Payton said he wouldn't have drafted him if he knew about the ankle issue, and nobody was sure if he was joking or serious.

Novasad to Bowling Green..Did he get lost on the way to U of Kentucky to see Will Stein? Guess he wasn't that great based on Stein's assessment. It's pretty impressive to see the depth we HAD leave in the portal. I sure hope our 2026 class of portal and HS kids can backfill them.

I didn't realize how bad this year's portal has gone. I knew we lost critical 2 deep contributors, but only 2 of the top 25 incoming players are in the top 25 of what DL portalled in his time here and one of them is not even going to play next year. I really hope we've worked some better magic on our HS recruiting, because that is where the attrition backfill is going to have to come from. I REALLY hope we aren't rhyming with Clemson's fall: new coordinators not as good as old coordinators and insufficient amount of portal contributors. That would be a glass completely empty take, but still, it's a fine line between success and failure. Glass half full, maybe the lack of quality portal additions left us with enough cash to snag Seaton.

This is important. What if Texas Tech gets better too as they shore up the weaknesses on offense? What if Indiana reloads well enough from the portal? Who is next year's new money team like IU 2 years ago and TTU this last year? I don't care how good your team is set at the beginning of the year. It's not realistic to say that it's a deep run in the playoffs or bust. Every win should be enjoyed, and the summation of that joy for the entirety of the season should be the measure of success.

I wish football coaches used timeouts like they do in volleyball and basketball to stop the momentum when it's really swung against you. I think Cignetti is going to make it a thing. What is better, to have 3 timeouts left to give you a chance to get the ball back to score if the opponent gets one more first down, or is it better to have stopped the other team's momentum on the previous drive so you didn't end up playing from behind in the first place?

Our players will be better next year talent wise and experience wise. Our DC will be better next year. I'm not sure about our OC, he's a wild card. So we are a playoff team. As one commenter quipped during our blowout loss to Indiana, I'm really looking forward to us getting blown out in the Natty next year.

I swore they were talking about Becker when I heard them say he was the fastest WR in football. If he runs 11+ 100 they must have been talking about someone else.

Becker became a major impact player through the season for Indiana. Some say he is the fastest WR in college and he's 6'3 and has no issue making contested catches. I was feeling pretty jealous until I realized we have Bair on our roster next year. Same speed, same height, same aggressiveness going after the ball on film. I really hope he blossoms through the season like Becker next year and becomes a key contributor on a run to the national championship.

Michigan at home. Man if there is one thing Whittingham might regret most about taking this new job is having to play in Autzen again.

This is the same place we finished in 2023 IIRC.

Haha. Live by the Beck, die by the Beck.

Can't fault LSU for trying, but there is no way he wasn't going to Eugene. Even if he didn't care about the Ducks anymore, his agent would move heaven and earth to make sure he got on the plane to Eugene. No reason to throw away negotiating leverage prematurely. I hope he is here to sign on the dotted line though.