From Athens -Rewind Monday-Ball State

Good morning all,

Second Rewind Monday post. With two weeks of the "23" season in the books time to do some housekeeping and clean out some early thoughts.

Dawgs... from what I read and heard a large number of our fans are looking at the  current team as if  they we're the the 21 or 22 team, both players and coaches.

A  very natural thing to do ....  however,  stepping back and looking at other teams playing their first two games might provide some added perspective.

I am sure what happened in Tuscaloosa will receive a boat load of comments from the talking heads and fans. 

The Dawgs and Tide are the most often compared..   I hear you... absolutely a different level of competition between Ball States and Texas. 

But it was game two for all four teams ...

Texas veteran coaches and players who grew and worked together for three years. Visually better prepared. 

Alabama- This season 7 new coaches 86 new players - totally out of character performance offensive and defense.   My thinking is Alabama has lost its identity. It doesn't mean it can't reinvent itself into something better.  They recruited very well but they appear to have slipped noticeably in player development...  pair this with the slip ups in the Tide's  22 season it raises questions . For the first time in recent memory...  more questions than answers facing the Tide in "23". 

Holding that though...  if Texas and Alabama played in  game 10 instead of game 2 would the results have been different... yes I am aware that the Tide had injuries on defense... doesn't account for the lack of urgency or skills on offense..  Texas wins again....

Coach Prime and Colorado March on ....   how this team was built may be a preview of what the possible future of college football will look like....  heavy on using the Portal .... To me ... trading the now .. for player development.... an interesting story line to follow.

Been posting at  dawgs.com  for 10 plus years. Something I have posted from year one. I never wish to trade the problems and challenges that our Dawgs have for anyone else's in college football. That goes double with Kirby as HC.

Been interested in hearing comments and opinions. Please share

Have a safe and great week ... As always "Go Dawgs "

YD1, thanks for the perspective. You mention the ups and downs of our team, the Dawgs. Best ride in college football. I feel grateful to be a fan.

It seems to be a yearly process that the Dawgs have to wait a couple of games to get to the meat of the schedule. That has not always been the case. Rumor is none of our usual line up want to get beat on their first game. lol. I say 'come on down', you might get lucky.

As you point out, the outlook on the future is what is becoming very different than our past.
Alabama doesn't seem to be on their usual stride. Sometime I think the loss of Kirby might be a factor in that.
You mention Colorado I think 'they have a team?'. Yeah I don't read the sports section.

I need to catch up on the new SEC teams and so forth. Being a long time Dawg fan I am focused on our main rivals; the ones we have to win in yearly matchups. The others have to work their way into my view.

Changes.
Next week brings a new game. Go Dawgs!
Steve


 

BossDawg,    Solid observations and comments.  Again as you correctly noted..... new week, new opponent...

kirby and our Dawgs will be ready.... Go Dawg