grandpasknee
All-Conference
How's this for bucking the trend and going out on a limb.
I'm going to say that Bo has known what he had on defense for quite some time. Some under-performers as starters and some studs in waiting. Those studs in waiting weren't quite ready to start at the beginning of the year. (With just four weeks of pre-season practice, those freshman now have 50% more practice time already than they had at the first game, plus a little playing time). He thought it safest from a fragile youngster ego standpoint, and from a "here's what I've got right now at the beginning of the season" standpoint that he played the Defense we saw. Perhaps Bo is indeed the defensive guru we've thought he was at times and just had to play a few bad cards in the early hands. Now he has two games where he can clear the table, deal a new deck and give the young studs the start and playing time they deserve, with a modified defense built around them. (Many accounts say they've been dabbling with non-2 gap defenses since Spring).
Add to that perhaps the offense might have just had a bad game and got rattled by the lack of defense in the UCLA game. That happens. On the offensive side of the ball I think it is a matter of game experience and confidence, both of which can be restored these next two weeks.
I think Bo and crew right this ship, guys start playing with a little fire and we lose maybe one more game all year before we play in the Rose Bowl again in January.
Or, I need to put down the kool-aid. One or the other.
I'm going to say that Bo has known what he had on defense for quite some time. Some under-performers as starters and some studs in waiting. Those studs in waiting weren't quite ready to start at the beginning of the year. (With just four weeks of pre-season practice, those freshman now have 50% more practice time already than they had at the first game, plus a little playing time). He thought it safest from a fragile youngster ego standpoint, and from a "here's what I've got right now at the beginning of the season" standpoint that he played the Defense we saw. Perhaps Bo is indeed the defensive guru we've thought he was at times and just had to play a few bad cards in the early hands. Now he has two games where he can clear the table, deal a new deck and give the young studs the start and playing time they deserve, with a modified defense built around them. (Many accounts say they've been dabbling with non-2 gap defenses since Spring).
Add to that perhaps the offense might have just had a bad game and got rattled by the lack of defense in the UCLA game. That happens. On the offensive side of the ball I think it is a matter of game experience and confidence, both of which can be restored these next two weeks.
I think Bo and crew right this ship, guys start playing with a little fire and we lose maybe one more game all year before we play in the Rose Bowl again in January.
Or, I need to put down the kool-aid. One or the other.
