meangreendork

Hmm...the marketing and whatnot has improved a bit, so they're already covering that. I say that there needs to be a lot more discipline- on and off the field.

While Dickey's not a Joe Paterno, he's a better coach than he showed us this past season and I'm sure he knows it. Needless to say, he's under the gun and I hope that makes him really show us all that he's worth the money we're all paying.

That's fantastic to hear! JJ's "Play-to-win" attitude strikes again!

Highlights: Attendance prior to the ASU game, PC's record, publicity. Lowlights: Everything else and the fact that all our publicity didn't lead us anywhere. To be honest, I hope that RV has held DD at gunpoint for this season. Somewhere along the lines, DD got lazy and complacent, and this is what happened. It's not that the talent for the SBC championship wasn't there this year, it's that it wasn't properly utilized. I'm not going to lie, I hope that DD does bring it all back together next season. Thing is, I don't know if he will (though I'm certain that he can).

There's lots of money on the line with the Packers' name, and for them, finding a replacement coach shouldn't be too hard since they have the money for it. I'd like us to find another coach, but I don't know if any coaches want to come here. Then again, UCF got a hardcore coach and they've gone from 0-12 to 8-5 + bowl appearance in the CUSA. Maybe we can pull it off too, and that coach can get the same sort of performance changes in his players as well. We can't get left behind.

Here's hoping.

If he wasn't so focused on money and fame and just on playing football because he loved it, this would have never happened.

Flutie's a stand-up guy. He might not have the numbers, the paycheck or the trophies, but he's got one thing that a lot of players today don't have- real heart. Way to add something crazy to your records, Doug.

Until the SBC teams start showing otherwise, it is a glorified DIAA conference.

I think we all got mislead by the Boise State->WAC lead in. The real debate is that NT needs to move to another conference sometime in the near future to assert itself as a legitimate program. I know it may be a few years before the entire athletics department gets itself inline for the upgrade, but it HAS to happen. The reason that so many of us vote for CUSA now (like a lot of us did back about 2 years ago) is that CUSA is a stronger conference, it has teams closer to NT, and it gives us all of the other benefits of joining a better conference without the travel costs of the WAC. In other words- we could play better programs without killing 1/2 the budget by flying to Hawaii. I don't think anyone here wants us to join the WAC. We'd just as soon join the MWC first.

From the commentary I've heard on the last play of the game, ALL of the officials bungled, not just the refs. There were at least 4 penalties that weren't called on that last play, and it probably should've been a replayed down.

Wondering when the planning starts for that. I have to say I've really gotten a kick out of each game, especially when DD showed up last year to see our own DD with the "clipboard" in his pants.

I don't think anyone wants Dickey here, I think that they don't see another alternative. I see lots of people wanting Dickey gone (myself included if he doesn't prove himself in the next season), but no one is showing any candidates to replace him.

No, we don't stay in the belt- we join CUSA or the Mountain West. Whoever offers first. CUSA certainly has better in-region possibilities. Now if our team can consistently beat the CUSA teams, we might get a bid.

I believe our school can go Top25. DOMINATE the Belt. Blow out the other teams, kick their O in the teeth and blast holes in their D. Coach with that mindset and it can happen. Go out against OOC teams that we're closer to and then beat them, and beat them bad at their house. Then for the money games, even if the team loses, bloody or even break the nose of the opposition. Our D used to do that, there's no reason why it can't do that again. Keep this up for a few years, then better players will come here with the idea that they be an underdog against big schools and start to beat them. Next thing you know, the team will more than just post close games or moral victories, they'll post real wins.

Whether or not you don't support the coaches is NO excuse to not show at the games. Show your support for the team, show your support for the program, show your support for the other fans. Hey, I might not agree with all of Bush's policies, but I do still strongly believe in our country. It sure beats where I came from, anyways.

Coaching Philosophy: MeanMag is right about our D. Since DeLoach left, it's been worse each year. There was a point when schools were scared of our Defense, simply because it would either knock the teeth out of their O, or take the ball clean out of their hands. The D was so scary that it frightened our BigXII opponents and then measured up by nailing UT's QB 7x in one game, and then causing a veritable massacre against Baylor. As we know, Offense wins games, Defense wins (New Orleans Bowl) championships. I also strongly believe that fans LOVE to see big hits. Hits like Jonas Buckles' hit from 04, hits like the pile-up sack over Baylor. I really think those are explosive for the fans. Our O is important, don't get me wrong, but this year, we would've gone to the NO Bowl if the D stepped up and prevented those plays that ultimately cost the season.

Zabransky gave up the INT. As close as they were, I think Boise should've called the run. They had the position to win the game, but that INT killed their chance. It's sad, but that's how it goes. I have to say though, that BC didn't really earn the game, they got very, very lucky. And how Boise got so far? They're in a better conference to begin with, and they also have/had a better coach, they have better publicity. Their OC (now HC) is better than Dickey. Now for the Mich/Neb game.

I was getting at the fact that going without the lead blocker doesn't really work, it's even worse when that play is run so often, and when it's not proceeding by effective passing. I know the draw is a RB-only play. Don't be a smart-aleck.

Slightly off the discussion, but the dancers are always excellent

The manager ditching unis is the equivalent to Santa Claus forgetting his bag. I'd fire that joker, too.

You can't. It's impossible. UCF's had nothing but bad teams before, and they never had a bowl game, and the team is really young...I dunno, they shouldn't have been there with all of this against them

I really, truly want to see NT ranked in the Top25. We've seen a lot of schools come up from nowhere and really make names for themselves. Sure, none of them are Top25, but from year to year, they seem to improve. UCF went from 0-12 to 8-5. Sure they lost the bowl game, but they went blow-for-blow with Nevada, and UCF's team is almost all underclassmen. UTEP looked good, though not against Toledo (who's also raised eyebrows in the last few years). Memphis is getting attention- in fact, DeAngelo Williams is getting plenty of attention, especially with his going to Detroit this spring. I really think that the coaches have a lot to do with all of this, especially in the case of UTEP and UCF. The coaches are very inventive, and what's more is that they really push their players.

Our #16, Steve Warren was originally listed at QB this year. I think that moving Ieans and/or Meager the same way might work out well. Ieans looks like he has some speed, but we'll never see it since he'll probably never get to be under center. Using his height and speed at DB may help out a little, or dropping him into a WR spot may work as well. I know this past season wasn't anything close to wonderful, but that doesn't mean my expectations for next year have changed. At least 2 OOC wins, the SBC sweep and a NO Bowl RING, not just a trip.

That was the kind of game you hope to see in Bowl season. It was a real shootout between both teams, with a successful onside kick, close plays, and a final OT play that sealed the deal for Nevada. UCF's kicker needed to get the PAT to extend OT after a good UCF run for a TD. Poor kid misses the posts, wide-right and that's it. Goes to show you that even PATs aren't for granted. UCF's got a good team that'll be great as they get more experience. From what I heard, most of the UCF team is underclassmen, they even fielded an all-frosh secondary, but they still went 8-4 (before bowl). Yeah, they didn't have experience, but their coach really hammered the team in practice, so it made up for it. Maybe we don't need a new coach, but the coach needs to really get all of the players to work harder. Let's hope the champ game is just as good.