Thank You Skip--since1990 4 out of 8 bowls were with Holtz and about to be 5 out of 9

[SicemDawgz]

Maybe other teams have talent too? You know we weren't favored to win either of those Championship Games right? And if we would have made it in 2015, we would not have been favored to beat WKU (and they had already beaten us earlier in the year). Holtz won 2 CUSA championships at ECU. He was favored over Houston in 2009 and won, and he was the underdog at Tulsa in 2008 and won. So he has shown he can win a championship as the underdog once. I think both championship games were pretty well played... our defense was not good enough in 2016... we scored 44 points and lost by 2 TDs.... we were very similar to the 2012 team that year... awesome offense, poor defense, no conference championship.

The reason we lost the last 2 games in 2012 was because Dykes had already checked out. And we were favored to beat Southern Miss at home in 2015 .... and got throttled. I don't think Holtz has ever mentally recovered from it. As a matter of fact, as I've pointed out before, it seems like every time we are favored when it matters, we crap the bed. At ODU in 2014, a bad ODU. A win would have put the championship game in Ruston. We lost. 2015 at home against Southern Miss playing for the West. We were favored. We got completely destroyed. And we lost to them again in 2016, a game the players should have been seething for revenge, lost against a Southern Miss team that finished 6-6.

I'm not saying that he needs to be fired. He's done some good things while he's been here. However, we have far surpassed the place were going to a bowl game is the measure of a successful season. With our schedule now, against Rice, UTSA, UTEP and a random FCS, our floor should be 7-8 wins IMHO.

[dawg80]

1,000% agreed! Getting bowl eligible is the floor, not the ceiling! That is no accomplishment in today's CFB world. It's just avoiding being a dreg. That's especially true in the worst FBS conference in the nation. CUSA is at the bottom, it is worse than the Belch and the MAC. Not much worse...because those leagues suck too...and CUSA can lift itself above those two with just a little effort. But, for now, for 2018, CUSA is at the bottom. Making a bowl should be expected, not celebrated.

[T1]

Here's a tip to keep you from being so butt hurt: Take every win as an accomplishment. Assume the other team has just as much right to winning the game as Tech does. Even UTEP or NW State can beat Tech on any given day... regardless of who is coaching the team. I think assuming you are going to win the championship every year just because they wear the State and T on their helmet, will lead you to a lot of disappointment (because Tech doesn't win many championships). Relish the wins and don't be surprised by losses. Look at the history of Tech football and tell yourself the rational truth of what it is (whatever you think it is in reality... not what you dream it should be). Know that you've seen us get beat by SFA and NW State and struggle with Grambling and Central Arkansas and NLU, and get blown out by San Jose State and UTEP and lose to SMU. I remember us giving up 600 yards rushing in Ruston one time! Every coach will tell you, "It's hard to win a game in college football." Some games are harder than others, but they are all hard. When we win a championship, we have to have the miracle of Quinton Patton pulling a player in bounds to keep the clock rolling. We have to have a pass hit a defensive lineman in the helmet and pop straight up for an interception. (Blocking the North Texas FG to win was one of those plays, but we'll see how it plays out the rest of the way). So many things happen in a football game that the coach does not control. You want a coach who gives you a chance every year. You want the rest of the league to know that Tech will be in the mix every year for the championship. You want a solid, talented team that minimizes mistakes. I think we've had a good run of coaches who do that, including Holtz... maybe especially Holtz. If he keeps taking us to championship games, we will win some. If we don't, it's just a normal year, nothing special happened this time... maybe next year! It's not as serious as most of us want to believe it is.

[dawg80]

BS!

First, under Holtz, I NEVER assume we will win the conference championship. I actually assume just the opposite. And that is sad. Not only sad, it's not how it should be. Louisiana Tech football is not some of those others, and thankfully not. Tech has a tradition in football, winning is not just some pipe dream; we've done it before and across generations. We sit in the middle of one of the hottest recruiting regions. Louisiana and Texas are both in the top 5 in the nation for producing football players. That's consistently true every year. Tech should be good....just because!

It all depends on your desires. If getting bowl eligible is "good enough" then that's all you'll ever have. If there were just 15 bowls like there was 20-30 years ago, then yeah, reaching a bowl would be a worthwhile goal. But there are 40 bowls now. 80 out of 130 teams are guaranteed to bowl every year. But, I'm not even worried about that. WE ARE LOUISIANA TECH! we have a great football tradition. We owe it to that tradition to NEVER be satisfied....NEVER! Ya think Bama Nation is satisfied!? Do ya? My Gawd! if anyone can be allowed to rest on their laurels it's Bama! But...isn't it amazing how dedicated to winning they are every year. NEVER be satisfied....NEVER!!!

But...that's just little ole me.

[T1]

Yeah, that's insanity when 9 wins and bowl wins isn't enough. (to me, but we are all different). I just ope you enjoy disappointment well.

[SicemDawgz]

Yeah, that's insanity when 9 wins and bowl wins isn't enough. (to me, but we are all different). I just ope you enjoy disappointment well.

Expect nothing and you’ll never be disappointed. Tell the truth, that’s your motto in life isn’t it?

[T1]

I'll wrap this up for me (hopefully) with my subjective opinion of Holtz. I think he is a thinker, and it hurts him. I think he overthinks this game. It's the opposite of Tony Franklin. Franklin has 5 plays and runs them until you can stop them. It's all about catching the defense off guard with his pace and executing his system and it's up to you to stop it, but I'm going to stick to my system regardless of what you are doing to try to stop it. Holtz examines all this stuff... he bases his game plan on what the other team's tendencies are. He will have a different game plan every week to suit the opponent. We may try to run on UAB and throw on LSU, but that's what we are going to do. If they throw a monkey wrench into what he's seen on film all week, we are screwed (see USM in 2016, second half of ODU game, perhaps UAB this year). He observes what the defensive coordinator is doing during the game and plays chess with that. "He's in a cover 2 this series, we are going to throw crossing patterns, oh crap he moved to a cover 0, we need to throw deep, oh crap he's dropping his safeties deep, we need to run the ball." I'm not as smart as Holtz, but I like Tony's system better... do what you do best and stick with it. Our only strength on this offense this year, is our WR's... get them the ball in space somehow. Drop trying to run the ball, we can't. (I'm sure he would tell me I don't know what I'm talking about and I probably don't).

Another flaw is that he doesn't want to make a mistake to hurt the team. If he's up by 3 points with 6 minutes left, he does not want to call a play that may result in a pick 6 and the loss being his fault (and his dad calling him and telling him how dumb he was after the game). He wants to manage the game and play the odds. What sucks about that is that we usually have a terrible defense, so punting the ball with 4 minutes left usually results in a loss. He needs to remember that our defense usually sucks and maybe being aggressive here and trying to score again would be the best option. It's a tough job and there are many different approaches; his has kept him employed and going to championships and bowl games for a long time. It can be frustrating at times, but odds are, he is going to field a good team. He can be out-coached, but if he has the better players (execution), he will win almost all the time.

[dawg80]

Yeah, that's insanity when 9 wins and bowl wins isn't enough. (to me, but we are all different). I just ope you enjoy disappointment well.

I don't accept said "disappointment" as the end. I, most of us, were Tech fans long before Holtz arrived, and will be long after he's gone.

So, at least you admit that 9 wins and a bowl is enough for you. Of course, I'm not surprised by that. You, and D65, and any others can set the bar wherever you wish. As you said, we are different. And, I also noted you actually agree with me, and others, that Holtz will NEVER get us more than where you've set the bar for yourself. You say it's "insanity" to expect more....with Holtz as coach. I don't agree with that....totally....just mostly. I think Holtz CAN be more successful here if he would just examine his shortcomings and do something about those. And, as I've posted many, many times I like Holtz, as a person, and as a coach. OBVIOUSLY you think even less of Holtz than I do, as you think 9 wins is his ceiling, that's it, accept it...or, as YOU say, "hope you enjoy disappointment."

Wow! you really don't think very much of Holtz.

This is T1's position for all to see: IT IS INSANITY TO THINK HOLTZ CAN WIN A CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP, TO WIN 10 GAMES, AND OMG! EVER FINISH RANKED IN THE TOP 25!

For the record, I think Holtz can accomplish some, or all, of those goals, with just a little redirection in his coaching approach.

[T1]

Expect nothing and you’ll never be disappointed. Tell the truth, that’s your motto in life isn’t it?

Kind of.... It's becoming that way. There's more peace in my life with that motto. I guess it depends on what you value. If you value winning over peace, you will never be satisfied with "good." If you value peace over winning, you can be content in all things. I'm getting old enough to value peace at this point in my life. (and Jesus Christ has given me that revelation).. he never disappoints me. Tech will rip your heart out and make you kick your puppy and beat your wife.

[SicemDawgz]

Kind of.... It's becoming that way. There's more peace in my life with that motto. I guess it depends on what you value. If you value winning over peace, you will never be satisfied with "good." If you value peace over winning, you can be content in all things. I'm getting old enough to value peace at this point in my life. (and Jesus Christ has given me that revelation).. he never disappoints me. Tech will rip your heart out and make you kick your puppy and beat your wife.

It doesn’t disappoint me nearly like it used to. I dropped the Cubs after the 2003 debacle and swore I’d never watch them again, and in doing so, I totally missed out on the excitement of them winning it all. I nearly had a stroke over something I couldn’t control. Plus I lost a perfectly good tv I won’t lie, I was equally as pissed about the 2015 Southern Miss game. Thank God I was there, because I couldn’t afford to lose another TV . Now that I know how Holtz is, I don’t get nearly as mad. I KNOW if somehow the West is on the line when we go to Hattiesburg, we will lose. You can bank on that, but I don’t think the West will be in play so nothing to worry about.

[T1]

It doesn’t disappoint me nearly like it used to. I dropped the Cubs after the 2003 debacle and swore I’d never watch them again, and in doing so, I totally missed out on the excitement of them winning it all. I nearly had a stroke over something I couldn’t control. Plus I lost a perfectly good tv I won’t lie, I was equally as pissed about the 2015 Southern Miss game. Thank God I was there, because I couldn’t afford to lose another TV . Now that I know how Holtz is, I don’t get nearly as mad. I KNOW if somehow the West is on the line when we go to Hattiesburg, we will lose. You can bank on that, but I don’t think the West will be in play so nothing to worry about.

Here's how I'm approaching it now: I'm not on this team. I will not let it affect my life. I hope they do well. Against UTEP today, I'm expecting a sloppy Tech win... probably 24-17, or something like that. I know that a tough game like that can go either way if we make more mistakes than they do... it happens every week in college football. NOW... if Tech wins 52-0, I'm thinking, "Wow, that was a great game; they exceeded my expectations! I'm happy with that." But if my frame of mind is that Tech should beat UTEP 52-0 and they barely win a tough game 24-17, I'm probably pissed and thinking Holtz sucks and J'Mar sucks, etc... and I'm pissed until Tuesday and not being a good father, husband, and employee because this stupid game affected my life.

[sharky]

BS!

First, under Holtz, I NEVER assume we will win the conference championship. I actually assume just the opposite. And that is sad. Not only sad, it's not how it should be. Louisiana Tech football is not some of those others, and thankfully not. Tech has a tradition in football, winning is not just some pipe dream; we've done it before and across generations. We sit in the middle of one of the hottest recruiting regions. Louisiana and Texas are both in the top 5 in the nation for producing football players. That's consistently true every year. Tech should be good....just because!

It all depends on your desires. If getting bowl eligible is "good enough" then that's all you'll ever have. If there were just 15 bowls like there was 20-30 years ago, then yeah, reaching a bowl would be a worthwhile goal. But there are 40 bowls now. 80 out of 130 teams are guaranteed to bowl every year. But, I'm not even worried about that. WE ARE LOUISIANA TECH! we have a great football tradition. We owe it to that tradition to NEVER be satisfied....NEVER! Ya think Bama Nation is satisfied!? Do ya? My Gawd! if anyone can be allowed to rest on their laurels it's Bama! But...isn't it amazing how dedicated to winning they are every year. NEVER be satisfied....NEVER!!!

But...that's just little ole me.

Dawg80, your reputation precedes you. You were demanding that Holtz be fired four games into his first season. You haven't relented since. To you, the glass is always half empty. If Holtz went undefeated one season, you would find something to complain about. It appears that you are one of those people that are happy only when you criticize, condemn or complain. Have you ever considered reading The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale?

The thing I like most about Skip is there have been no big scandals regarding his players. Either he is doing an outstanding job of recruiting young men of character, or he is doing a good job of convincing them to behave while on his team. Perhaps it is some of both. I also hope that he is inspiring his players to perform in the classroom. Wins are always welcome, but I hope Skip is helping the young men to prepare themselves for the reality of life after football.

Now, the thing that I like least about Skip is that he insists on calling the offensive plays. The coaches on the field have some of the worst seats in the house. Our university president and athletic director spent $22-million on a new press box. Skip should let an offensive coordinator use it to his maximum benefit. It sure as heck did nothing to improve my game-day experience.

[dawg80]

Dawg80, your reputation precedes you. You were demanding that Holtz be fired four games into his first season.

Really? I don't deny it, just don't remember that. Is there a link? I do remember when the USF fans appeared on this board warning us about Holtz, I took a neutral position. I thanked them for their concern but said we'd like to see for ourselves, as I have mentioned many times, Tech Football was born to WIN! I do remember that. But...what were the first 4 games like in 2013? Probably not very good. I will look it up.

Fact is, even you dyed-in-the-wool Holtz apologists agree with me...and the others with the same opinion. You do! I read between the lines in y'alls posts. You know we are right, but you find it comforting to be PC about it. I am not PC.

[Bulldog Tom]

BS!

First, under Holtz, I NEVER assume we will win the conference championship. I actually assume just the opposite. And that is sad. Not only sad, it's not how it should be. Louisiana Tech football is not some of those others, and thankfully not. Tech has a tradition in football, winning is not just some pipe dream; we've done it before and across generations. We sit in the middle of one of the hottest recruiting regions. Louisiana and Texas are both in the top 5 in the nation for producing football players. That's consistently true every year. Tech should be good....just because!

It all depends on your desires. If getting bowl eligible is "good enough" then that's all you'll ever have. If there were just 15 bowls like there was 20-30 years ago, then yeah, reaching a bowl would be a worthwhile goal. But there are 40 bowls now. 80 out of 130 teams are guaranteed to bowl every year. But, I'm not even worried about that. WE ARE LOUISIANA TECH! we have a great football tradition. We owe it to that tradition to NEVER be satisfied....NEVER! Ya think Bama Nation is satisfied!? Do ya? My Gawd! if anyone can be allowed to rest on their laurels it's Bama! But...isn't it amazing how dedicated to winning they are every year. NEVER be satisfied....NEVER!!!

But...that's just little ole me.

A couple of corrections and examples if you will.

You better not assume we win the FCS game under Holtz.
We do not sit in one of the hottest regions, we sit in the middle of the hottest region for recruiting.


Nick Saban does not let anyone associated with the Alabama program ever feel satisfied about anything.

One of Saban's talking points before the Arkansas game? Students not showing up. Said our players work too hard for that. If you aren't coming do not get tickets, we have people waiting for tickets. We should fill every seat. I do not let my players feel entitled and our students should not be allowed to either; this will and is being addressed.

One of Saban's talking points after the Arkansas game? Talking about Arkansas scoring 31 points, saying that was his responsibility and his coaches' responsibility to teach the players better and we will do so moving forward. He spent more time on that than his team scoring 65 points. Point is Saban is never satisfied. Even after winning national championships he says yeah this is great, tomorrow morning me and our coaches will start working to win another one next year. No doubt he is the biggest reason for Bama's current success. I think he is the best college football coach ever and is on a very short list of best coaches period, any sport, any level of competition. With regards to winning, that is.

[dawg80]

First 4 games under Holtz:

Routed by NC State
Lackluster win over Lamar
WTF loss to Tulane
even bigger WTF loss to Kansas

1-3, really 0-3 since FCS shouldn't count.

Nah, I see nothing but great things in those results. Anyone should've been happy at that point...