CaribbeanGreen

This is why Mike Leach = America's Greatest Coach, no matter how much he wins.

I would pay him 20 bucks to do the shimmy in my living room.

That's what happens when you run the wishbone for much of your football existence. It's not really fair to analyze OU QB's in the pros until Post-Heupel.. which is also the name of my next album. p.s.: Still not giving up the dream of the Nate Hybl NFL explosion - because I f'n HATE vowels.

I know we've had our problems. I know we have a lot of questions about the direction of this thing. I know we have some injuries. But barring an epic meltdown, we win this thing comfortably, right? One thing Football Trilli has been able to do on the field the past three years - some would say the only thing - is beat WKU. And I venture to say this might just be the WORST Hilltopper team of the bunch - and that's saying something. Consider this: WKU is 0-7, and has lost 15 straight games dating back to last season. This year, they lost 28-7 to CENTRAL ARKANSAS, who outgained the Toppers 407-287 with UCA completing more than 80% of their passes.... UCA won by 3 TD's despite turning it over twice and committing 8 penalties for 82 yards (almost twice the penalty yardage as WKU) ... also, UCA ran TWENTY ONE - count 'em, 21 fewer plays than WKU... obviously losing the ToP battle, yet still whipping the Toppers. Did I mention that all this happened on WKU'S HOME FIELD?!? The best game WKU has played all year, and their closest margin of defeat, was an 8 point home loss to ULL. They also lost at home to FIU by 17, their next best SBC performance. Let's compare some team rankings for the year so far, shall we: Rushing Offense: NT -33, WKU - 54 Passing Offense: NT - 54, WKU - 114 Total Offense - NT - 38, WKU - 113 Scoring Offense - NT - 75, WKU - 112 Rushing Defense - NT - 99, WKU - 119 Pass Eff. Defense - NT - 61, WKU - 120 Scoring Defense - NT - 117, WKU - 119 Total Defense - NT - 111, WKU - 120 It's hard to find a single statistical category where WKU measures up except Punt Returns (WKU - 68, NT - 119) and Turnover margin (both teams T-111). Defensively, as bad as it has been here, it's been WORSE in Bowling Green. The Toppers are literally dead last in the nation in Total Defense, and ahead of only winless Eastern Michigan in rushing defense (or most any aggregate team category, where WKU is 119 or 120). In addition, WKU is LAST in the nation in sacks. No one pressures the QB less. Meanwhile, NT is actually ranked #1 in the SBC in sacks allowed. Riley/Tune or your grandmother should basically be able to hold poetry readings in the pocket while carving up the WKU defense. Believe me, I know there's no such thing as a sure win for this thing. I'm not proposing that this one is already over. Quite simply that this is the rare game that we are essentially better than our opponent in almost every aspect of the game. Period. This is a "exert your will" kind of thing - against a team that is basically an average to poor FCS team (Central Arkansas lost to SFA at home and beat Glenville St. - GLENVILLE STATE!!!! - at home by a full TD less than than they beat WKU on the road.). Show up. Limit mistakes. Keep the foot on the gas... and this thing wins going away. What that's worth, I'm not sure, but I'll take wins any way I can get them.

That BYU game is so hard to read - the Cougars looked good against OU in the opener (though who knows what OU is), but they got absolutely whipped in Provo by a weak Florida State team... which is exactly what TCU did to them as well. Time will tell. Avoiding their typical once a year bad loss may be the Frogs' biggest obstacle. Boise, on the other hand, is the world's biggest Oregon Duck fan club this Saturday.

Um, ee, ol' pal - as i said in the original post, and then actually specifically explained yet again a few posts later - my post was about Vic Trilli and the similarity to Football Trilli's performance arc. But, it does kinda make my point (moreso than I even attempted to make it myself) that the only solid contradicting statement on Trilli's resume is that he was here four years, eh? And I'm not going to reach for the jackassery of announcing how many games I've been to, but I ain't the problem. Anyway, nothing to see here. Reading comprehension issue.

and we should get that win on Saturday. Don't know how much it will mean, but I know if something goes wrong and it goes the other way, the GMG servers will actually find a way to commit cyber-suicide... and not in some painless housewife sleeping pills way, either. Messy. No note.

Who knows? This is new information. I've always found the man to be fairly articulate, but I think we'll have to do almost an analysis that we are are trying to do now to be sure.

“We will evaluate him this week. He has improved. Our trainers have had to put almost a cast on his ankle that we are trying to get him out of now." Is Ribby Paultz coaching our team now?

Dropping a public S-bomb angrily at a mod = Pedro Cerrano Balls.

Really, Kram? Really gonna use this one, not one hour after an entire thread devoted to its utter ridiculousness? You're better than that, my friend. Seriously, I respect your fandom and admire what you do for the university we all love, but you know this is silliness. Of course I'm no more qualified to evaluate coaching than most anyone here. Neither are you or most anyone else. Are you honestly proposing that we only post on topics we can provide resume lines for? We'd all have about 2 posts total, and the world of message boards would be a post-apocalyptic wasteland (note to self: PROPOSE THIS IDEA!). Would you have asked for credentials if I'd posted a "look how wonderful TD is" diatribe? We both know the answer to that. Look, I respect your knowledge and all the NT athletics you've witnessed, so if you can tell me how Vic Trilli was a solid in-game tactitican and effective overall coach, I'd love to hear your reasons. I liked Vic, and really wanted him to succeed. He failed. Horribly. But, since you posted a baseless and snide challenge to my post, you obviously feel I reached this conclusion about Trilli in error, so let's hear it! And that WAS about Trilli, btw - my whole post was about Trilli. I'm not advocating for anything. I want nothing but success here. I just find the striking similiarities between two coaches in two sports I've experienced first hand to be worth mentioning.

Trilli got 4 years. Football Trilli will get 4 years.

What's that, TI? We hire a coach who finally has energy and positivity. He loves to talk up NT to anyone who will listen, and sure makes us all feel good at first. You can't find a nicer guy. He knows TEXAS prep talent, and has inroads with TX high school coaches we've never had before. Suddenly he's recruiting players the likes of which we don't usually get a sniff of at NT. Recruiting classes are ranked higher than they've been in decades, and excitement builds. His work and hiring is the primary reason for significant facility improvements we can all agree are long overdue and a large positive. He's very proud of these improvements, telling anyone who will listen how we're on the right track and to invest in the program. He brings an exciting new offense, up tempo and high scoring, designed to utilize the ample talents of his prize recruits. The fan base is energized by this, relieved to be freed of the moderately successful but dull, rigid system of the previous coach. He almost immediately begins playing more freshmen, these highly touted recruits there to implement his new system. Problem is, he can't coach. Not a lick. His first few years are arguably the worst in school history and possibly the worst in the country over that stretch. The most prominent of his big time recruits, and effectively his team leader, seems to be disheartened by losses and style, and transfers after only two years to an in state Big XII power with no promise of playing time. Others transfer as well, and many of his top recruits have problems with discipline or grades. Nothing serious, but issues here and there that illustrate a lack of discipline. His offense scores points, and we're up in most scoring statistics from the previous coach. Problem is, it's sloppy, inefficient, turns the ball over, and fundamentally unsound. Also, the team plays NO defense. None. It's routinely ranked at the bottom of the conference in every defensive statistic. There are signs of progress, a late season big win here and there, but it never amounts to anything. After four years, he's won less than 19% of his games, a staggering number. He never sniffs a sliver of the success the previous "uninspiring" coach did, nor the success of any coach before that. This is like the Lincoln/Kennedy thing, folks. Zombie Vic Trilli is coaching our football team.

also, to tie DD he needs championships in half his seasons, so that would be nice too.

It's a fan message board. People can say what they want. that's what it's for. but wait... DICKEY MONSTER!!!!! AAHHHHH!!! RUUUNNNN!!!!!! In year one, with what everyone considers an inferior staff, no experience, no DeLoach, and almost nothing but - GASP! - Dickey's bare cupboard, apparently worse than anything the world of college football has ever seen, Todd Dodge won twice - and he came within 20 or less points SEVEN TIMES in losses. This is, again, with Mendoza, a high school staff, no full recruiting period, and Dickey Monster's players. In year two, with Dodge getting some more players in the mix, DeLoach, etc - Todd Dodge won just once. We only lost by twenty or less twice. This year, if we can not win two or more and have seven or more losses of less than twenty, you can safely say that OUR BEST SEASON IN THE PAST THREE YEARS WAS COMPRISED ALMOST ENTIRELY OF DARRELL DICKEY'S AFTERBIRTH. The "emptu cupboard" is the best football this thing has seen for three years. The fuller it gets, the worse things look.

this is as close as it gets to a must win for the mess. We should win - comfortably - but if we somehow lose this one, it's the only way I can see a potential change occurring.

well, wha..... no, no, it's too easy.

a good SUN BELT team. That's it. To not be competitive is unacceptable. THIS is humiliating. This ain't a body bag game, folks. Look at Troy's results this year. These guys would be third or so in the MAC (see BGSU).

Troy has now equaled the score of their most impressive win of the season, 31-7 over MTSU. It's the second quarter. This same Troy team defeated UAB, Arkie St, and FIU by less than two TDs each. They were beaten badly by Bowling Green, and by 50 at Florida. TROY HAS NOW EXCEEDED ITS POINT TOTAL FROM ALL BUT ONE OF THEIR GAMES THIS SEASON (FIU - 42) IN THE SECOND QUARTER. This is Sun Belt competition, folks. Not a bodybag game. Humiliation deluxe thus far - no debate about it.

and, THERE'S yet another defensive meltdown when it matters most. It's like needing the "shutdown inning" in baseball. And we never get it.

very. much needed step up! Need a lot more of that today.

nice drive, but HERE comes the key -- gotta get a stop. Period. Time to show SOME evidence of this supposed defensive improvement.

so does Tobe. Terrible Ball State team? Ohio in a downpour? Notable exceptions to being absolutely shredded by MTSU and their inaccurate QB, winless FAU, and a ULL team who had dealt with nothing but offensive misery until NT came to town. Now, a Troy team that beat horrible UAB, Arkansas State, and FIU each by LESS POINTS THAN THEY LEAD US BY IN THE FIRST QUARTER. Methinks the resurgence of the defense has been greatly exagerrated.

19 yard punts ain't gonna help nobody no how.

If I had any desire to bet, I'd take those points in a second. Yeah, Troy is good, but this is a team that lost to Bowling Green (convincingly), beat Arkie State by 3 (basically what ULM did), Beat FIU by less than two TDs, beat UAB at home by less than two TDs (the same UAB who lost to SMU - at HOME!), and lost to Florida (who hasn't really put up points against anyone else) by half a hundred. They had a nice 24-pt. win vs. Middle, but that's the abberation right now. I don't mean this to put Troy down at all - they should win the Belt, and they should win today - probably comfortably. My point is, this is not some juggernaut some here are making it out to be. We SHOULD NOT BE BLOWN OUT IN THIS GAME. Period. End of story. Some people I've talked to are treating this like it's freaking Alabama again or somesuch. No way. If we don't cover the spread, this is a major, major letdown.