colohank
1st String
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RE: Things That Stood Out To Me in Week #3:
(09-16-2018 03:13 AM)JRsec Wrote: 1. There is a boat load of mediocre to crappy teams across the nation.
I've realized for some years now that there is a problem that is passed up from high schools to universities, namely undeveloped, undisciplined, athletes for sure, but those who lack any understanding of the fundamentals of the game.
College coaches respond to this dilemma in the same way that many high school coaches do. They put the speed on the corners and in the backfield and the best arm or athlete at QB. Yes they can score and yes they will make some spectacular plays just from their athleticism. But the successful teams, the real winners, have coaches that do the extra work to teach the fundamentals that were once taught in grade school. They spend the time to teach discipline, personal discipline, and to develop the athletes as men who can keep their emotions in check, think through the game, and play within the team concept.
The problem is there are maybe two handfuls of coaches like that out there (probably less) spread out between the P5, G5, and FCS and some at the division level. They tend to be young coaches who have trained at the knee of the guys we now call control freaks. Or, they're old guys about to retire like Snyder and in a few years Saban, who have their skull sessions down to a fine art and who have learned to read the 5 star and 4 star kids when they are recruiting so that they don't waste much time with the unteachable. They not only know talent but know how to read people, especially young people.
Because of that Peterson, Saban, Snyder, and Meyer have stood out. And disciples of theirs like Dabo, Mullen, and Smart are having success as well. But the rest of the nation is putting hit or miss product on the field and it shows every week. But it shows in the work place and in education and in government as well. Those who value the young people enough to take the time and give the effort to teach them succeed and often while others less motivated get in the way.
Money gets into the success recipe because these kinds of coaches command a lot of it. Most of the rest are just warm bodies stealing money from athletic departments for a short span of years.
Because of the lack of total commitment to teach the game inside and out college football is suffering. Some of the performances are so unpolished that it's no longer fun to watch.
2. The mediocre to crappy teams represent the simple majority in almost every conference. So far the SEC has managed what looks to be 2 stellar teams, 3 or 4 good teams, and the rest fall into the mediocre range. We have 1 real stinker and a couple of others that are at best pedestrian. And guess what? That makes us look like world beaters.
3. The ACC has 1 stellar team, 2 maybe 3 good ones. The rest are mediocre to pedestrian, but only one maybe two are vying for being stinkers.
4. The Big 12 may have one stellar team, but it hard to determine because they have a couple of good teams and a couple of mediocre teams and their stinker is no longer playing like a stinker. I think the ACC and Big 12 are fairly close with regard to the 1 stellar and the good teams. I think the Big 12's mediocre teams are better than some of the ACC's mediocre teams and that they definitely have fewer stinkers.
5. The Big 10 may be one stellar team, but that team has shown enough weaknesses to perhaps simply qualify as the best of the good teams. They have a few good teams, but they have a broad range of schools that are mediocre to stinkers.
6. The PAC doesn't have a stellar team. Washington is very good, not as good as Ohio State, but very good. They have a couple of good teams, but for a conference of 12 they have 3/4's of the conference that is just plain mediocre to poor, but they don't seem to have a stinker unless Arizona stumbles into that role.
7. The time was when I watched some of almost every game on TV. It could be that I'm just old now, but I now seek out what are the good to stellar teams and watch bits of those games and I no longer waste much time on those who haven't really prepared anything for me to watch and enjoy.
8. We need to get back to teaching fundamentals in every aspect of life. Sports, grammar, science, mathematics, interpersonal skills, customer service, and especially in citizenship. If we want better lives we each need to be the best people we can be at everything we do. We no longer teach excellence. We learn how to get by and get our papers so we can schlep through our jobs until retirement.
If we want a better nation we must first be better people. It will absolutely improve everything.
9. I'd like to say that I can't wait for next weekends games. But I can. There will only be half a dozen or so worth watching.
Take care and have a great week. As always feel free to disagree or add anything you noticed. I'd be more excited if it were less obvious who 3 of the 4 CFP teams would be.
As efficiency expert W. Edwards Deming liked to point out, half of every group is below average. Well, except in Lake Wobegon. If you want pro performance, then tune in the NFL, but don't expect uniform excellence. By definition, half the teams in the NFL are also below average.
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Things That Stood Out To Me in Week #3:
