We are in a rebuilding year with a Heisman trophy winning talent. Bobby 2.0 may not look the same, but Bobby 1.0 had the 2 best hometown recruits ever come through the program while playing a Conference USA schedule
This year hurts more because of how close we were last year and then the fall back to Earth ever since that night in Houston where Herman found the way to beat us.
We lost a lot of good skill players and even some offensive lineman from an already porous unit to begin with last year. We also lost some high level defensive players as well.
We are not a program that can lose a lot and just replenish with top level guys year in and out. We aren't Clemson and FSU where even our down years we compete for titles. Geography is gonna be our biggest issue in that area on top of having another P5 school in our same state...with our SMALL talent pool in the bluegrass. LPT has had the same problem as well (along with incompetance in coaching selections/contracts).
We now are playing big boy P5 football. Every team we play no matter the record is going to have legitimate talent and be a threat (Like BC or Virginia). We aren't a big dog in a little yard. We have to build a program with depth for a 12 game grind, no more little games we can take breaks.
But guess what, this is what I want and think Bobby is the guy to do it. Yes we do need to demand more and not settle, but be realistic about where we are as a program.
We aren't gonna compete from titles year in and out over night.
Bobby had us a field goal away from a national title..we ended up winning an Orange Bowl. He showed that we could follow through on Howard's promise. Bobby coached our team that was in the playoff race last year. Bobby signed Lamar and designed the offensive scheme that won him the Heisman trophy.
Howard got it started, but we are on the national stage because of him now. The big games in 2006 and last year, the Orange Bowl, and the Heisman trophy win have put our program on the national stage. Lets not forget Bobby was competing with LSU, Bama, Auburn when the $EC was actually the dominant conference and he had Arkansas a top team consistently, even ended his run in a BCS Bowl.
Bobby is a proven winner here and in the power 5 overall. Is it fair to be upset with this team...yes and we should always get mad when things are bad. But calling for Bobby's head is unfair. Bobby is a great coach and it will be hard to get another like him, there is a reason the national guys still are putting him in the rumors for the big jobs. Give up now and you will be sorry, just don't jump back on the train when we are back with Fitz and Pass leading the way when these young guys learn the offense and gain some experience.
GO CARDS!
