FLAS-
Nice stats, I agree that things are better than 2008. But, I really wish you would lose the lines like "It's not brought up because it doesn't fit the anti-Cotton agenda," it really cheapens otherwise good posts. This is of course JMO. You know, people can be skeptical of the way things look now without pining for the days of Shawn Watson and Bill Callahan.
Regarding the penalites and turnovers, this is a HUGE problem and it does rest with the coaches, all of them. I don't know what the answer is, but if it continues it will consistently keep NU from winning a lot of games they otherwise could.
Absolutely agreed on the last point. It has and will continue to cost us.
On your editorial comment...if the shoe fits...
Nobody has even MENTIONED that we are a top 6 rushing team all year, have they? I really wonder why. All we've heard for 9 years is "Cotton sucks" from the same crowd and now that we have an offensive identity, a coherent system in place for a second year, two OL coaches, a great stable of backs, and are running the ball as effectively as any non-option based team in the country, there is silence about where our offense ACTUALLY ranks, isn't there?
Our offense is top 15 in the country in passing efficiency, rushing, scoring and total offense and leading the conference...but our OL sucks so bad we should fire, not both, mind you, but just one of the OL coaches? This is a PREPOSTEROUS position to hold unless you have a preconceived bias.
Our OL had nothing to do with us putting three balls on the carpet this weekend, we put up 500 yards of offense and every moron with a keyboard on the interwebz says we should fire the OL coach. Huh? This equation does not add up. There are calls for coaches' jobs going on that make no sense whatsoever, and the pitchfork and torch mob has again chosen their favorite sacrifice to the "we should beat Northwestern by 30, and even though our offense is good we still lost 2 games" god.
Kyler Reed runs the wrong way on 4th down into two linemen and it's Cotton's fAult. Ben Cotton misses a block and it's Barney's fault that there was a sack. (That one has more merit, given the DNA connection...), but these guys are not even in his position group. Hell, he's in the booth and he gets blamed for Sirles and A-Rod not doing the first thing you learn in JR high football, and that's how to line up on the line of scrimmage. (Sirles hitting himself in the helmet on the bench tells me all I need to know about that.) Don't pretend you haven't read these things since Saturday on every forum on the web.
I am NOT saying we are there yet. That's not the case. We aren't yet consistent enough. We need better tackle play, and a few more OT's in our class. We need to do better eliminating penalties, which looked better earlier in the year. Still giving up too many sacks. But we have a physical OL again. We can wear teams out running the ball in the second half again. We can run the damn ball again as a living, not just a hobby between passing plays or defensive series.
Many issues with development and depth were due to having only one practice station with one coach, resulting in lack of reps, lack of depth, plus lack of bodies to begin with. That is still developing and it IS improving. The stats are there. This is the best, most balanced offense we've seen in recent memory, yet there is a whole slew of people chanting "SOMEbody's gotta go" because they are looking for a scapegoat for two losses and a near miss on the road.
Beck doesn't need to be replaced. Neither does Cotton, Garrison, Fisher, or Brown. Our offense is progressing nicely, and is the best it's been for quite sometime. If perfection is the only standard you can compare to, you will hire/fire your way into oblivion. Leave it alone and let it grow. It's now multi-dimensional and attracting talent...as well as winning games instead of trying not to lose them.
Our secondary is back to 2009 stats due to Joseph. Our DL is struggling but hasn't given up under Kaz. Our rush defense is suffering, yes, and that needs more bodies in February to fix. Our baby LB corps needs another year. We still control our own destiny for the conference race and a BCS bowl, so some perspective and sanity is in order, and some comparative statistical looks can help.
If any changes need to be made immediately, it's Els' running ST's. He probably needs to focus on being a LB coach and RC. ST's need to get fixed and we gotta find new ways to recruit and sign talent most effectively. I think he's a good coach, but our ST's are mediocre at best.
