Love everything Agray brings to this site. I find it comical all the overreactions here on game day or after there isn't a video game like 74-0 game, so I tend to avoid logging in until late Sunday if I can. When I do Agray's breakdown and the FDL segments are the first thing I hunt for.
We all pay for this site, we have some here Agray, Brent, Dayne etc that have proven an unbelievable high football IQ and can absolutely tell you what is working, not working and why things happen. I feel a lot of us want to see these breakdowns before passing judgement and are very level headed. I don't know enough to yell midgame "Beck you suck" after one play, maybe it was his fault maybe it wasn't I don't know. (Side bar: Chris Beck, Carson's dad sat in front of us with his wife and a friend, honestly some of the nicest people I've ever met. They spent half the game talking with our 6yr old and absolutely made his day. To hear the stuff around us that they heard about Carson, I have no idea how these parent's do it. What we heard in a game that he threw for almost 500 yards, I guarantee you if some of these "fans" knew who was sitting two rows in front of them they would have kept their opinions to themselves)
Others seem to just be the town whiner like a 5 yr old and scream into the void - to either sound intelligent while having no clue or just want to join a mob with pitch forks to feel included, I really can't understand it. The mob mentality vs Bobo, Beck, our defense etc is so absurd at times when their is direct evidence to the contrary staring them in the face. Let me ignore these unbelievable breakdowns and just trash the team I'm a "fan" of because other people are doing it? Is that what we are going with? Are there things that aren't going well, sure, but don't let facts stop a good vent rant that may point to the contrary.
I was as shocked as anyone as to the defense in the second half, so could I scream and whine at the game where players parents can hear, even if I have zero understanding of what, why, how. Then because I was so vocal and can't admit I may be wrong just continue ad nauseum about how "Texas will steam roll us" or "we have to score 40 to win" OR come back here and try and understand the why, when it's shown take a rationale approach and say we may be ok? To each their own I guess.
The folks questioning Agray, Brent, Dayne etc. quick question for you, our defense gave up 3 first downs in the 1st half, I repeat 3. 1 via penalty which was about to be 3 and out, 1 via a bust on 72 yard play, the last a 3rd and 1 where they got 1 yrd. That's it 3 1st downs in a half. Think it was just over 100 yards and 96 came on 2 plays. Did they just forget how to play in the 2nd half? or once you read the break down of challenging the DBs, playing our of our comfort zone, etc go back and watch formations/calls in the 1st and 2nd half, see the difference and say wait maybe these guys could be right?
The Alabama game was an absolute cluster, not blind to that. Personal take after 6 games is this is a team without strong leadership, undisciplined at times, but is still probably one of the top 3 teams in the country. If those things work themselves out I wouldn't want to have us on the schedule.
For all the doom and gloom I see a team trending in the right direction and hopefully finding it's stride. On offense it seems we've settled on a clear identity of throwing early/often and playing to our strengths. On defense while the 1st quarter of the Bama game happened, can't ignore it and the 2nd half of Msst game I'm tossing to being a scrimmage. Leaving 21 quarters of defense, allowing only 3 TDs (late to Bama, 3rd qtr Auburn, and 2nd qtr MSST), pretty sure any other fan base would be claiming their team the '86 Bears. So yes 1st quarter Bama happened, outside of that this defense has actually been pretty good. Is it our '21 and '22 D good, no, but that standard is likely never to be seen again. Is it still probably a top 5 defense in NCAA right now, especially given the talent we've faced.
