State of Rutgers Football

[aroost]

Feels familiar
1. ‘Unlucky’ injuries to top players
2. Bad calls by refs AGAINST us
3. Horrible start and multiple decommits

Wait, what’s this
1. A passionate head coach who believes in his coaches and players
2. Passionate players who believe in their coaches and are held accountable
3. Progress on the field & in the classroom

Versus Schiano
1. Winning a critical game instead of coming out flat
2. Little doubt they would win the critical game even when falling behind
3. A NJ never quit ‘underdog’ mentality imported from the Midwest

Clear Strategy for Success
1. Program building Part 2. Following what Schiano did best. Focus now on S&C, modern Big 10 facilities, super regional recruiting
2. Invest in QB. Invest in QB. Then invest in another QB. This seems unfamiliar ..
3. It’s all about WINNING and LESS about THE coach

 

[ScarletDave]

Don't really know what to make of it because by the numbers we stink but have won 3 of the last 4, and all in the Big Ten conference. Which is better than being a good team but losing all games close. What are the ultimate fan expectations though - in the Big East, we hoped to try to win the conference each year and make that BCS bowl game (post-2005 season). Now, do we settle in like Indiana/Minnesota-type team, try to make a bowl and hope to contend for Conf title once a decade .. Iowa, where you can be bad some years but contend for the top often and beat the big boys? Will they shuffle the divisions (RU 2-1 against West, 1-2 going on 1-3 vs. East)? .. What is the ultimate short-term goal of the program? Obviously some day to be a big boy but you have to take a smaller step somewhere. You don't become a big boy program overnight - look at Baylor, A&M, Ole Miss of recent memory - all did it, but by using questionable people as their players and some facing sanctions after cheating was revealed. So I don't know what the state of the program is. But we've won 3 of our last 4 Big Ten games and it feels good to win, so going to enjoy every moment of each one.

 

[oldtimer67]

What is the ultimate short-term goal of the program?

The only short term goal is to get better every day. I guess you could add to that to win the next game, but that is really not within our reach every week.

I will stick with get better every day, try to be in every game in the fourth quarter (still a stretch), and win the ones we can.

 

[RUfromSoCal?]

win 3 OOC
win 2 of 3 cross-over
win 2-3 in division games

go to bowl....do that 2-3 years in row and recruits will flow.... and then you have a Michigan State model for success.........

 

[KingHigh]

Could you please make this in powerpoint?

 

[aroost]

win 3 OOC
win 2 of 3 cross-over
win 2-3 in division games

go to bowl....do that 2-3 years in row and recruits will flow.... and then you have a Michigan State model for success.........

Yep. It’s much more difficult to have another 2006 due to the Big Ten. But next year sets up well and I strongly believe we’ll do better than this year.

We have momentum which is a powerful thing. Short term goals:

1. Keep Kill
2. Keep Blazek
3. Hire QB coach
4. Player development
5. Fundraising and facilities
6. Nurture key HS relationships (eg, Bosco)

We do this and now we’re on to something, in a quicker timeframe.

I personally believe Schiano undervalued the offense, in particular how critical a top QB is to a program. He was defensive minded and in his mind needed to control everything!

While Ash shares the defensive mentality, I think he is astute to understand the value of a strong offense and flexible enough to give control to a trusted assistant, like Kill.

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

I just know that we are better than last year. But the rebuilt is still in the early stages, However the progress is there for all to see who want to see it.

 

[MoobyCow]

. What are the ultimate fan expectations though - in the Big East, we hoped to try to win the conference each year and make that BCS bowl game (post-2005 season). Now, do we settle in like Indiana/Minnesota-type team, try to make a bowl and hope to contend for Conf title once a decade .. e.

Let's see if we can be a decent team before we try and decide on ultimate expectations. I mean, those are going to vary by fan anyway. For me, I just want to watch competitive football, have fun at the games and occasionally knock off a good team. Other people will want more than that, and that is fine. I'm sure the staff and players want more than that as well.

 

[dvb91]

Clear Strategy for Success
1. Program building Part 2. Following what Schiano did best. Focus now on S&C, modern Big 10 facilities, super regional recruiting
2. Invest in QB. Invest in QB. Then invest in another QB. This seems unfamiliar ..
3. It’s all about WINNING and LESS about THE coach

If only we had invested in the right QB earlier :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Seriously, though, it is nice to see Ash & Co learning & moving on a bit quicker in terms of strategy & who is playing. Instead of sticking with the dreaded tempo, we've used a clock-eating strategy that has made our games much closer, while we've seen more players shuttling into the games & seemingly getting the most out of them.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Injury depletion is an issue right now, very thin at most positions, due to Flood, so frosh who are not ready are being forced to play now and burn the redshirt.

Hopefully Ash can recruit successfully and add back the depth we had when GS was the HC