OFFICIAL 2021 COLLEGE FOOTBALL OFFSEASON THREAD

[nako xl]

Me neither. He hasn't coached in college since the early '90s. People assume that he would be a great recruiter because he's a high energy guy but there's no real evidence for it.

Once coaches get to the pro level most of them don't willingly go back to college. There's a reason why Joe Brady and Matt rule took the first possible pro jobs they could get.

If I had to guess, X's and O's coaching is only about half of the obligations of a top tier college coach. Recruiting is a year round grind, You've got to do the donor/booster circuit, campaign for better facilities, etc. Most coaches don't want to do that and it's laughable that a an attractive pro coach like Jon gruden would want to go back to a dumpster fire like Tennessee was at that time.

To be fair, he'd at the very least be what Herm Edwards is for ASU and people said the same about his hire.

He's a tv celebrity and could put together a pro staff. They could recruit off that alone; and his presence would sell tickets and TV time, even if he was going 7-5, 8-4 every year at Tennessee.

Every season they'd talk about how "this is the year. It's different in Knoxville!" You don't get that with a Greg Schiano or Mike Leach.

For the record, Herm's teams haven't been particularly well coached, but they've recruited like gangbusters (for ASU) and that's been enough.

 

[atlsfinest]

 

[nako xl]

How Michael Trigg getting Dame Lillard in his commitment video?

 

[nako xl]

I'm really not joking when I say this may have literally been copy pasted from a 2019 post on the USC board. Like word for word.

Sidenote: Texas donors are out of touch if they think that forcing players to stand for The Eyes of Texas is a battle worth fighting. Apparently the photo of Ehlinger sticking around for it has set them off more than Herman losing. Going full MAGA while the majority of your recruit base and student body is more center to left is going to be interesting.

 

[N41D]

The Eyes of Texas situation is a weird hot button issue down there right now. It's literally at the core of a ton of discontent and disconnect between generations at that university.

Ehlinger stayed - because of course he did, he's literally grown up with that and it's what he knows.

Everybody else left. They've got kids in the band opting out and refusing to play it. The donors that control most of the cashflow into that program are furious - and they're in the middle of a massive capital campaign for their stadium renovation... It's a disaster.

Herman and Chris Del Conte are probably going to end up run out of town.

 

[dacomeup]

Ehlinger stayed - because of course he did, he's literally grown up with that and it's what he knows.

You don't think it's a bad look for the leader/face of the team to do that with everything that's going on in the world, plus the demands that his own teammates made just a few months back?

 

[N41D]

You don't think it's a bad look for the leader/face of the team to do that with everything that's going on in the world, plus the demands that his own teammates made just a few months back?

Not really, no.

From everything I know from the outside looking in about that program and Sam Ehlinger, he's got the respect of everybody in that locker room and it's a hell of a reach to try to make any connection to him making that decision and draw any conclusions about whether or not he supports his teammates.

These players are adults. They can make decisions for themselves.

I don't believe Sam Ehlinger is some closet racist that doesn't support his black teammates in trying to champion societal change. More likely, he's a guy that has grown up with that song at home, at games, whatever from the time he was in diapers. It's in his core, and it's safe to say he doesn't associate it at any level with racism.

I think people who want to take more from it will find reasons to - on both sides of it.. I think - like most everything in this country right now - people will try to make an US VERSUS THEM issue when it really doesn't need to be that.

 

[nako xl]

You don't think it's a bad look for the leader/face of the team to do that with everything that's going on in the world, plus the demands that his own teammates made just a few months back?

I think the team just knew he was going to do that, because he's the all american bleeding texas football good ol boy. I don't think it means he aligns with the racist views the song has (though it definitely means he's cool with overlooking them for personal interest.) But the fact that he did it and Herman didn't force the rest of the team to do it (was Herman even still out there) angers the boosters bc its what THEY want and this shows dissension and that they're not as powerful as they believe themselves to be; at least so far in influencing the coaches and players directly.

The players have voiced their majority opinion on the song and if the school sides with the donors and old redneck alums they risk a player/student mutiny. Alternatively they want and need to keep the money happy if they want their stadium reno and coach buyout money, especially during a tough pandemic.

 

[N41D]

I think the team just knew he was going to do that, because he's the all american bleeding texas football good ol boy. I don't think it means he aligns with the racist views the song has (though it definitely means he's cool with overlooking them for personal interest.)

Or... Does it just mean he doesn't associate the song with racist views just because it was written 100+ years ago and has a loose tie to Robert E. Lee and might have maybe - totally unconfirmed - been introduced on campus in blackface?

 

[dacomeup]

I don't believe Sam Ehlinger is some closet racist that doesn't support his black teammates in trying to champion societal change. More likely, he's a guy that has grown up with that song at home, at games, whatever from the time he was in diapers. It's in his core, and it's safe to say he doesn't associate it at any level with racism.

I mean, I’m not assuming he is a closet racist. It’s still pretty striking to see him as the only guy out there with everything that went on this year/his own teammates. Is he the only guy who grew up with the song in that way? There’s tons of **** that people didn’t associate with racism years ago that we now realize are racist or have ties to racist ideals and we treat them as such.

But noted, I was just curious about the perception there. Ship is going down regardless.

 

[N41D]

I mean, I’m not assuming he is a closet racist. It’s still pretty striking to see him as the only guy out there with everything that went on this year/his own teammates. Is he the only guy who grew up with the song in that way? There’s tons of **** that people didn’t associate with racism years ago that we now realize are racist or have ties to racist ideals and we treat them as such.

But noted, I was just curious about the perception there. Ship is going down regardless.

I agree it's definitely striking - and it's indicative of deeper issues running through that program and - frankly - the entire university right now. The entire university is a microcosm of the Us vs. Them ideology the country is neck deep in right now.

The racial connotations of that song go as deep as "Well Robert E Lee used to say the Eyes of the South are upon you" ... If you're looking for that loose a connection to racism or racist viewpoints, you're going to find it literally everywhere in America.

I don't believe that song was ever intended to be written or leveraged as some racial, white supremacist rallying cry. I don't believe that song is harvesting racism or racist views from people affiliated with that school.

**** that football program - for a lot of reasons - and there are LOTS of things that need to change on college campuses all over Texas and the country in general. But the Eyes of Texas thing seems crazy overblown to me - on both sides of it.

 

[N41D]

Also - I hate sports media.


Can we not?

 

[dacomeup]

The funniest part may be expecting them to go undefeated the rest of the way.

 

[N41D]

The funniest part may be expecting them to go undefeated the rest of the way.

They've got more than enough talent to beat everybody left on the schedule.

But you know damn well Kellen will bonehead a game or two. Jimbo will fumble a clock management situation and cost them points. They have a real problem under Jimbo playing down to Arkansas and the Mississippi's.

IF they win out, maybe there's a conversation. And yeah, they might be favored in every game left if you had Vegas set the lines today. But... This team is a roller coaster ride that's completely unpredictable if for no reason other than the quarterback.

 

[dacomeup]

Yea, I relying on getting a good performance out of Mond weekly is the part that I’m questioning. Tennessee seems to be improving steadily too. That could very easily be a loss and I don’t think A&M gives them nearly as many problems in the trenches as UGA did.

 

[N41D]

Yea, I relying on getting a good performance out of Mond weekly is the part that I’m questioning. Tennessee seems to be improving steadily too. That could very easily be a loss and I don’t think A&M gives them nearly as many problems in the trenches as UGA did.

They're going to have coin flip games with Tennessee, Auburn, and LSU. They consistently find themselves in dog fights with Arkansas and the Mississippi's despite having more talent. Just can't see them being clean/consistent enough week-to-week to win every one of them.

They might've found an identity with the ground game against Florida. If that's real, the likelihood they win out goes up exponentially. The offensive line has played really well against both Bama and Florida. Need to ride Isaiah Spiller HARD and mix in Ainias Smith.

Losing Chapman for the year with an ACL hurts. They need Demas to be ready to help stretch the field.

 

[nako xl]

Or... Does it just mean he doesn't associate the song with racist views just because it was written 100+ years ago and has a loose tie to Robert E. Lee and might have maybe - totally unconfirmed - been introduced on campus in blackface?

You don't think a certain profile of person is more inclined to have that opinion? Maybe "overlook" is the wrong word. Standing despite his teammates telling him how they feel and the song makes them feel doesnt mean he's chosen to do so despite all of that?

 

[dacomeup]

They might've found an identity with the ground game against Florida. If that's real, the likelihood they win out goes up exponentially. The offensive line has played really well against both Bama and Florida. Need to ride Isaiah Spiller HARD and mix in Ainias Smith.

I didn’t watch much of the Bama game but UF’s Dline is weak. They loss the difference makers from last year, and are pretty young/unproven otherwise. I guess the real question is whether LSU or Auburn even scare you this year with what they loss. Big Cat at Auburn obviously but outside of him?

 

[N41D]

I didn’t watch much of the Bama game but UF’s Dline is weak. They loss the difference makers from last year, and are pretty young/unproven otherwise. I guess the real question is whether LSU or Auburn even scare you this year with what they loss. Big Cat at Auburn obviously but outside of him?

They played pretty well offensively against Bama, too, for the most part. Once the lead opened up they had to get away from the run and then a couple turnovers. But by and large they had a good plan and were executing well until Bama hit a couple of deep balls. Mac Jones was surgical and Sarkisian found a couple of matchups and exploited the **** out of them.

A&M's offensive line has probably been the strongest unit on the field for them this year.

The defensive talent up and down the conference seems down in general outside Bama and UGA... A&M is trending well on that side but they're just so young.

 

[atlsfinest]

nm

 

[N41D]

You don't think a certain profile of person is more inclined to have that opinion? Maybe "overlook" is the wrong word. Standing despite his teammates telling him how they feel and the song makes them feel doesnt mean he's chosen to do so despite all of that?

Do I think white people are more likely to be inclined to have that opinion? Yeah, absolutely. But there's plenty of white people who feel the other way, too. And there's a large number of black athletes from UT who have come out and Eyes is a weird line to draw relative to other issues that could be taken up.

I just completely disagree that we need to be concerned about or try to draw any conclusions about his character or actions because this song means something else to him.

It's OK for people, teammates, colleagues, whatever to have differing opinions and view things through different lenses and act accordingly. Are Sam's actions in other avenues suggesting ANYTHING other than he's a standup dude that deserves respect and the benefit of the doubt here? They're not. So I don't see a problem.

 

[dacomeup]

NM I got got

 

[N41D]

Leach already publicly opening up his quarterback competition...

Weirdo.

 

[nako xl]

Side note, something we don't talk about enough: Sober Sark is a scary sight.

 

[N41D]

Side note, something we don't talk about enough: Sober Sark is a scary sight.

That offense is terrifying...

The caliber player they've got at every skill position makes it a hell of a lot easier, but the way he toyed with A&M to set things up later in the game was wild.