Why would anyone want to watch a football game featuring a lower rung Big East team that hasn't finished above .500 since 2001, versus a lower rung MAC team that won 2 games last year and hasn't played much better in 2007? Especially considering that the weather is supposed to be nice, the broadcast quality and announcers will suck and there are a million other things you could be doing on a weekend afternoon? Here's why, it's the most important game of Greg Robinson's career.
Am I crazy? Am I being hyperbolic? Am I imitating Skip Bayless and blowing little things out of proportion to make it seem like everything I say is important? Maybe, (except for the Bayless part, he's a no talent ass clown) but I don't think so, and here's why. Greg Robinson has to demonstrate that last week's upset win versus Louisville was not a fluke.
The first three games this year were unmitigated disasters. They were more unwatchable than "The Two Corey's" on A&E. Syracuse was outscored 118-32, the offense and defense posted numbers that left them close to last in the nation in each category (thanks Notre Dame). The team was a train wreck and it it was a foregone conclusion that Robinson had no clue how it could be fixed.
Last week changed everything. Even IF Louisville is as bad as they played, Syracuse demonstrated that they have playmakers at the skill positions and those playmakers CAN execute. The coaches devised a game plan that actually worked - attacking Louisville deep down field on offense and playing a soft cover 2 to not give up the big play on defense, and guess what - it worked.
So now the question is - was last week the exception or the rule? The team has lined up 27 times under Robinson, 21 times they've lost. Does he have the ability to turn this around? Before the season began, I had a lot of questions about his ability and while Saturday's game will NOT tell us if he's capable of righting this sinking ship, a loss will tell us he can't. It's very simple, lose to Miami and that's the final nail in a coffin.
Am I crazy? Am I being hyperbolic? Am I imitating Skip Bayless and blowing little things out of proportion to make it seem like everything I say is important? Maybe, (except for the Bayless part, he's a no talent ass clown) but I don't think so, and here's why. Greg Robinson has to demonstrate that last week's upset win versus Louisville was not a fluke.
The first three games this year were unmitigated disasters. They were more unwatchable than "The Two Corey's" on A&E. Syracuse was outscored 118-32, the offense and defense posted numbers that left them close to last in the nation in each category (thanks Notre Dame). The team was a train wreck and it it was a foregone conclusion that Robinson had no clue how it could be fixed.
Last week changed everything. Even IF Louisville is as bad as they played, Syracuse demonstrated that they have playmakers at the skill positions and those playmakers CAN execute. The coaches devised a game plan that actually worked - attacking Louisville deep down field on offense and playing a soft cover 2 to not give up the big play on defense, and guess what - it worked.
So now the question is - was last week the exception or the rule? The team has lined up 27 times under Robinson, 21 times they've lost. Does he have the ability to turn this around? Before the season began, I had a lot of questions about his ability and while Saturday's game will NOT tell us if he's capable of righting this sinking ship, a loss will tell us he can't. It's very simple, lose to Miami and that's the final nail in a coffin.
Right now Miami of Ohio is a bad football team. In their last two games they've been out scored 89-10. They are not sure who their quarterback will be, and they are beset by injuries. Syracuse beat them by 20 last year, if Robinson can not put together a winning game plan, and get his players to execute that game plan, there's no reason to believe he will ever be able to do so.
If they do win, even by a small margin, it's an important step. If they lose, all the good will accumulated this week is lost, and the Louisville game meant nothing. Is Greg Robinson a potentially good head coach who's learning on the job and been hit with the bad luck of losing Delone Carter, Tom Ferron, Jermaine Pierce and Jared Kimmel, or is Greg Robinson a career assistant who's in over his head? So far, he's proven it's the latter - but last week made everyone take another look. Beating Miami of Ohio is the first step towards proving he knows what he's doing, and that's pretty important, don't you think?
3 comments:
Couldn't have said it better...
thanks - and we know this - win or lose whatever G Rob says afterward, anyone could say better
Do I want Coach Robinson to have a good press conference? I really do. The players do. The coaches do. He just needs to execute, gosh darnit.
Post a Comment