I don't really disagree with any of this, Mr. SNR. Great post.
Actually, I am still waiting for someone to 'splain to me why, if we are, in fact, "rebuilding", wins and losses are so damn important that we have to install the option and the slash attack system.
It seems to me that, when a team "rebuilds", you acquire young guys then let them friggin' play to the very best of their ability (whatever that is). You do that so you can accurately assess their individual talents while allowing them to learn and grow both as players and as a team. That way, you'll know if you do, indeed, need a new QB or WR or TE or FB or DT or whatever at the end of the day. You'll know if your schemes are the best fit for the talent you have. You'll know how best to organize the preparation week to maximize results on the field. Plus, you're giving your young guys "quality" playing time ... time on the big stage to exhibit, challenge, and become accustomed to applying their true, existing skills in an highly competitive framework. Alternatively, if you hold them back, you'll still be guessing about what kind of horses you have in the stable come season's end.
We seem to be caught somewhere in the middle ... protecting the players from themselves, handcuffing the offense, dumbing down the playcalling, and introducing somewhat bizarre tactics in order to eke out cheap wins. After the residual pain from the first two games has somewhat subsided, it's becoming clear to me that, in reality, our actual, first priority is the scoreboard - not building for the future. I'm not saying that Herm wouldn't or doesn't want to see our young guys develop. I'm saying that, apparently, his primary, overriding objective isn't developing these guys for a legitimate run in a year or two or three - it's victories now. Bringing in the option doesn't make any sense, otherwise. It's the only rational justification at all for jumping clear off the bridge of logic and good sense into the murky deeps of Georgia Tech's playbook. From a learning or skill-development perspective, our guys aren't going to benefit from running the damn option. Could it be that, after all is said and done, Herm really is concerned about his job?
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