I am a devoted fan and long time member of this board who rarely posts. I appreciate why everyone is negative - but let me make a case for a coach that has a done a commendable (not saying good) job and a team that deserves our support.
We lost our starting QB (and best player) our top two RBs, our starting safety, our starting center and have had other injuries. Two of our four losses (Alabama and Mich St) are top 5 teams. If not for a missed chip shot FG we win the Virginia game and we were an interception away from wining the NC game. The team plays hard and has gotten substantially better (less drops and less missed tackles). We are developing a QB and starting a significant number of young guys. The last two weeks we beat ranked teams. This team is relatively young and I think a case can be made that we have a bright future (TVD being the best reason for that). After losing to UNC and UVA - I assumed the season was over, the team would give up and we had no chance against NC St and Pitt. That did not happen - the coach has kept the team and they have rebounded. TVD is a large reason for that but remember what coach staff signed him and developed him. These kids are playing hard and winning. Watching the kids go crazy in the locker room after the Pitt game - says a lot about them and their coach. Given the adversity they have dealt with the and the negativity they are constantly hearing - they deserved that moment.
It is impossible to be a Cane fan for the past 15 years and not to have negative feelings but there is hope. UF is on a slide and FSU is in a rebuilding mode. If we can actually win the next 4 games - even if we do not win the ACC - that would be a remarkable year (considering the injuries).
College football teams are generally defined by theIr QB. A mediocre team with a great QB can still be an elite team. A really good team with a mediocre QB (ala Clemson this year) will be average at best. We have a QB that can be special and give us hopefully 2 great years - after this one.
Moreover, unless we are getting Mario - any coach we get will be unproven or will have failed somewhere else.
My point- we have something to be hopeful for and it is not all negative.
We lost our starting QB (and best player) our top two RBs, our starting safety, our starting center and have had other injuries. Two of our four losses (Alabama and Mich St) are top 5 teams. If not for a missed chip shot FG we win the Virginia game and we were an interception away from wining the NC game. The team plays hard and has gotten substantially better (less drops and less missed tackles). We are developing a QB and starting a significant number of young guys. The last two weeks we beat ranked teams. This team is relatively young and I think a case can be made that we have a bright future (TVD being the best reason for that). After losing to UNC and UVA - I assumed the season was over, the team would give up and we had no chance against NC St and Pitt. That did not happen - the coach has kept the team and they have rebounded. TVD is a large reason for that but remember what coach staff signed him and developed him. These kids are playing hard and winning. Watching the kids go crazy in the locker room after the Pitt game - says a lot about them and their coach. Given the adversity they have dealt with the and the negativity they are constantly hearing - they deserved that moment.
It is impossible to be a Cane fan for the past 15 years and not to have negative feelings but there is hope. UF is on a slide and FSU is in a rebuilding mode. If we can actually win the next 4 games - even if we do not win the ACC - that would be a remarkable year (considering the injuries).
College football teams are generally defined by theIr QB. A mediocre team with a great QB can still be an elite team. A really good team with a mediocre QB (ala Clemson this year) will be average at best. We have a QB that can be special and give us hopefully 2 great years - after this one.
Moreover, unless we are getting Mario - any coach we get will be unproven or will have failed somewhere else.
My point- we have something to be hopeful for and it is not all negative.
