9/22: @LSU Game

[SicemDawgz]

I’m thinking that this BBB boxing match for charity would be a great idea!! Except let’s make it a “wrasslin” match. I even got the main event planned out. I bet we could raise enough for a new indoor practice facility.

[glm47]

I’m thinking that this BBB boxing match for charity would be a great idea!! Except let’s make it a “wrasslin” match. I even got the main event planned out. I bet we could raise enough for a new indoor practice facility.

More parts of an old body get banged up wrestling. With boxing you just take one good blow to the head and go into concussion protocol. Or we could make it virtual boxing, if we want to be pu$$ies like the NFL.

[SicemDawgz]

More parts of an old body get banged up wrestling. With boxing you just take one good blow to the head and go into concussion protocol. Or we could make it virtual boxing, if we want to be pu$$ies like the NFL.

Well, wrasslin is 95% mic time (which we excel @) and 5% actually doing something. Boy HogDog could be one of the greatest heels ever!!

[glm47]

Well, wrasslin is 95% mic time (which we excel @) and 5% actually doing something. Boy HogDog could be one of the greatest heels ever!!

LMAO!

I don’t want any part of it. I’m a lover not a fighter.

[Bulldog Tom]

I’m thinking that this BBB boxing match for charity would be a great idea!! Except let’s make it a “wrasslin” match. I even got the main event planned out. I bet we could raise enough for a new indoor practice facility.

I must admit both are something I would pay good money to watch, especially if I knew the $ was going towards an indoor practice facility.

[StrongBad]

We’re in the Sunbelt conference for all intents and purposes. A conference we used to make fun of, every conference game is a winnable game.

Until we're in a conference with UhLaLa and NLUULM, I'm not joining your misery. 7 of the teams in our conference didn't come from the Sun Belt. They were hear before we got here, and if you think we're more marketable that North Texas, FIU, and FAU, you're out of your mind. They're markets dwarf ours. DFW loves North Texas this year. That's a market with more people than Louisiana and Alabama combined. We're very lucky that UT Dallas and UT Arlington don't have football teams. Those schools have 25k and 42k students respectively.

[brtransplant]

We want the same thing. But some of us have been waiting for 30 years, since Tech moved up, and supporting the program for much longer than that, to get to the next level. And I’m not seeing us getting there with Holtz or McClelland.

There IS no next level anymore. At least there isn't a next level that any G5 school has a realistic chance of ever attaining. No, the creation of the P5 will ensure forever that every G5 conference member always remains a second class citizen in FBS football. This is the reason the P5 was created in the first place. The so called "access bowl" doesn't give one "access" to anything. Even an undefeated, G5, access bowl participant isn't a part of the national championship playoff.

Five years from now, there won't be a bit of difference between the G5 conferences, and the gap between P5 and G5 programs will be even greater than it is today. A few lucky schools (TCU, Utah, and Rutgers) made the cut, and others (Boise, Houston, Memphis, and USF) came close, but alas, even they fell short and are now all destined to spend football eternity with the rest of us 'have nots". Like the song says, that's just the way it is, and some things will never change.

[dawg80]

The Moo State game got away from us last year, due in part to some goofy turnovers. But other than that game, we haven't been blown out by a P5 opponent...well, there was Oklahoma, 48-16, oh and NC State was 40-14, or close to that. I was gonna make a point in Holtz's favor but my argument is slipping a little.

Okay, for the most part, we've been "competitive" vs. P5s under Holtz. I remember a time when Tech would lose 66-3 to Florida State, 67-7 to Penn State, 56-0 to Tennessee, and we lost to LSU in 2003 49-10. Blowouts happen...just this year Bama 62 Ole Miss 7; Michigan 56 Nebraska 10...what, should Ole Miss and Nebraska drop football!???

Back to Holtz...mostly we've played everyone toe to toe. Most recently, two key turnovers and some, ahem, questionable calls by the refs caused the game to slip away, but anyone watching the game saw our guys matching theirs in the trenches!! which is usually where inferior teams get clobbered. Wasn't the case. Holtz has built a solid program in Ruston. That is the good side. I like Skip Holtz. I like him as a person, even though I don't really know him personally. He appears to be a good fellow. And, I like him as a coach. He's done a "good" job.

For some of us, though, we ask: is there nothing more? Ten years from now, will we be on this very board saying, well, Holtz and the Dawgs have won 14 straight bowl games, and for the 10th time, we finished with 9 wins. When will we see that elusive 10th win? No, seriously. Am I being unreasonable to want to see an occasional special season? Ya know, 12 wins, a Top 25 finish. That's not really asking too much, is it?

I know D65 will say I am just delusional and unfair to desire such years, every now and then. I am greedy! I should be happy with the 8 wins and the bowl games. But, sorry, I do want more.

[glm47]

There IS no next level anymore. At least there isn't a next level that any G5 school has a realistic chance of ever attaining. No, the creation of the P5 will ensure forever that every G5 conference member always remains a second class citizen in FBS football. This is the reason the P5 was created in the first place. The so called "access bowl" doesn't give one "access" to anything. Even an undefeated, G5, access bowl participant isn't a part of the national championship playoff.

Five years from now, there won't be a bit of difference between the G5 conferences, and the gap between P5 and G5 programs will be even greater than it is today. A few lucky schools (TCU, Utah, and Rutgers) made the cut, and others (Boise, Houston, Memphis, and USF) came close, but alas, even they fell short and are now all destined to spend football eternity with the rest of us 'have nots". Like the song says, that's just the way it is, and some things will never change.

By next level I mean going to an Access Bowl and possibly positioning ourselves for a better conference situation.

[Amos Moses]

I saw on twitter that Skip regrets calling the QB sneak on fourth down. He said it was a bad decision. Yep.

[PawDawg]

I saw on twitter that Skip regrets calling the QB sneak on fourth down. He said it was a bad decision. Yep.

Yeah, but I don't blame the loss on that one play. It was typical Skip.

Special teams continues to be our biggest downfall. They were bad in 2013 and they continue to be bad. It's like we don't even try to get better.

[StrongBad]

There IS no next level anymore. At least there isn't a next level that any G5 school has a realistic chance of ever attaining. No, the creation of the P5 will ensure forever that every G5 conference member always remains a second class citizen in FBS football. This is the reason the P5 was created in the first place. The so called "access bowl" doesn't give one "access" to anything. Even an undefeated, G5, access bowl participant isn't a part of the national championship playoff.

Five years from now, there won't be a bit of difference between the G5 conferences, and the gap between P5 and G5 programs will be even greater than it is today. A few lucky schools (TCU, Utah, and Rutgers) made the cut, and others (Boise, Houston, Memphis, and USF) came close, but alas, even they fell short and are now all destined to spend football eternity with the rest of us 'have nots". Like the song says, that's just the way it is, and some things will never change.

There would be if Lou Holtz had anything to do with it. Here's his Twitter post from September 20th.

"Wish the NCAA would go to 8 team playoffs of the 5 power conference champions, the best of the other 5 conference teams, and 2 others, such as Notre Dame or conference runner-up. No conference champions should be denied the opportunity to be National Champions."
~ @CoachLouHoltz88

[theprofessor]

The Moo State game got away from us last year, due in part to some goofy turnovers. But other than that game, we haven't been blown out by a P5 opponent...well, there was Oklahoma, 48-16, oh and NC State was 40-14, or close to that. I was gonna make a point in Holtz's favor but my argument is slipping a little.

Okay, for the most part, we've been "competitive" vs. P5s under Holtz. I remember a time when Tech would lose 66-3 to Florida State, 67-7 to Penn State, 56-0 to Tennessee, and we lost to LSU in 2003 49-10. Blowouts happen...just this year Bama 62 Ole Miss 7; Michigan 56 Nebraska 10...what, should Ole Miss and Nebraska drop football!???

Back to Holtz...mostly we've played everyone toe to toe. Most recently, two key turnovers and some, ahem, questionable calls by the refs caused the game to slip away, but anyone watching the game saw our guys matching theirs in the trenches!! which is usually where inferior teams get clobbered. Wasn't the case. Holtz has built a solid program in Ruston. That is the good side. I like Skip Holtz. I like him as a person, even though I don't really know him personally. He appears to be a good fellow. And, I like him as a coach. He's done a "good" job.

For some of us, though, we ask: is there nothing more? Ten years from now, will we be on this very board saying, well, Holtz and the Dawgs have won 14 straight bowl games, and for the 10th time, we finished with 9 wins. When will we see that elusive 10th win? No, seriously. Am I being unreasonable to want to see an occasional special season? Ya know, 12 wins, a Top 25 finish. That's not really asking too much, is it?

I know D65 will say I am just delusional and unfair to desire such years, every now and then. I am greedy! I should be happy with the 8 wins and the bowl games. But, sorry, I do want more.

I don't think it's unreasonable. In fact, I expect to win 10 games this year! I expect us to finally win the C-USA championship. I've gone on record, both on this board and on the radio, with my expectations. I'm willing to give Skip a pass for last season. I knew it was going to be a rebuilding year, losing two receivers to the NFL and breaking in an inexperienced QB. It was frustrating because we lost so many close games. We could have overachieved and won 10 games last year. Instead, we underachieved and won six. Those things happen. Even the best programs have lulls. Heck, Florida State won six games last year. It happens. Is Jimbo an awful coach because his program slipped last year? I think expecting every season to finish with 10 wins is unrealistic. We just aren't that kind of program. I'd love for Skip to build us to that point, but we aren't there. I do think we can start to build that with a great season this year. This weekend is a huge game for not only this season but the future of the program, in my opinion.

[Blue Dawg]

There would be if Lou Holtz had anything to do with it. Here's his Twitter post from September 20th.

"Wish the NCAA would go to 8 team playoffs of the 5 power conference champions, the best of the other 5 conference teams, and 2 others, such as Notre Dame or conference runner-up. No conference champions should be denied the opportunity to be National Champions."
~ @CoachLouHoltz88

That tweet itself denies 4 conference winners the opportunity.

[StrongBad]

That tweet itself denies 4 conference winners the opportunity.

Right now only 4 conferences have a chance. 3 P5s and 1 possible G5 or just 4 P5s. It's still better than the current scheme, and when I say "scheme," I really mean scam.