Not really, just some thoughts on the regular season that just ended and looking ahead to 24...
- If not mistaken, we're the only team to have played all 7 of the other bowl-eligible B1G teams (plus a bowl-eligible OOC team); three-quarters of the schedule comprised of bowl teams
- I believe this year's team (warts and all) would have been an 8/9-win team if in the B1G West, and a 9-win team if in the AAC (10-win team if playing BC's schedule). Speaking of warts...
- Rochelle is this year's Youngblood, and will need to step down a level to try to get on the field. I saw enough in the spring game to know why he couldn't be in the receiver rotation (he catches with his body), but after this year it's clear that he also can't contribute as a punt or kick returner
- Any list of top 10 needs for next year has to include a long snapper; very weak and inconsistent snaps which don't help our struggling young punter
- I put it among top 10 only because needs 1 through 5 must be focused on fixing the QB situation -- it is THE MASSIVE problem
- If life was fair, Pat Flaherty would win assistant coach of the year; he took what's been the worst unit on the team for the past several years and produced a 1000 yard rusher and provided more than adequate protection for the QB
- I can't articulate a tangible reason to be optimistic about the O next year, except that we have pros in Ciarrocca, Brock & Flaherty
- At some point Greg is going to need to make sure that some of the best young athletes play O instead of D (and I'm hopeful that CB&F can make that happen). Looking at the current D, I have no doubt that guys like Longerbeam, Amankwaa could be WR's and guys like Thompson, Igbinosun could be TE's. Not arguing that any of those guys specifically should be on O, but that guys like them athletically could go either way when they join the program, and that too many of them end up on D
- Kudos to Dremel; I wouldn't be shocked if he's a free agent signee with the Patriots
- All in all, this season leaves me cautiously optimistic; though future schedules may not be significantly easier, they will be significantly fairer, and that alone gives hope that we can compete regularly, and occasionally experience a magical season
- Would it be wrong of RU marketing to make the tagline on the spring practice posters 'RU football 24 - our receivers are Long and Strong!!!'
