CougarCorner

I put together a spreadsheet with BYU's final Sagarin Ranking and their Strength of Schedule. Interestingly although the narrative is that the schedules are harder you can see that this is not the case at all and that 2 of the easiest years we've had over the last decade have been the last 2 years.

Can I just add 2006, 11-2, 13, and 74?

I'd also like to point out that if we're using the PREDICTOR metric instead of the composite, that team was ranked #7 at the end of the year. That was a dang good team, somehow. On paper, you wouldn't think so. The athleticism of the offensive skill positions doesn't compare to what we've had recently. In the trenches on both sides, we were super young and green. We had solid linebackers, but a defensive backfield that, on paper, would make you worry. The schedule was comparable to most years in the table. But we were a bad Pac-10 ref penalty (or three) and a doinked field goal away from being undefeated. The team was unified, worked their butts off, and totally bought into the vision the coaches provided. (Oh, and the coaches provided a vision they could buy into. )

As we replace coaches, I hope we'll focus more on that than someone who can recruit. Our best team in 15 years happened without Taysom Hill, Jamaal Williams, Cody Hoffman, Dennis Pitta, Austin Collie, Harvey Unga, Kyle Van Noy, Ziggy Ansah, etc - some of our most productive and NFL-successful players. Yes, we had John Beck, but at the beginning of the year everybody questioned whether he had IT. Turned out he did, and IT was a team. A line that kept him calm and upright on two bum ankles on the road at TCU. Receivers that ran precise routes, got open, and caught the ball. Running backs that got tough yards and kept the ball off the turf. A defense that could get off the field and create momentum-changing turnovers. They all functioned like a team, and it worked so much better than having a bunch of athletes doing their own thing. Our coaches need to be generals, not salesmen.

The SOS is an average. We had some tough teams this year and some real cream puffs.

Shows how important getting off to a good start is. We got off to a bad start and the wheels came off. The team lost all faith in the coaches, the game plans, the schemes and, frankly, themselves.

I don't think the team ever had faith enough in the coaching staff to overcome the lack of effort and practices that were called on by the staff since spring practice.

SpiffCoug wrote: ↑Mon Dec 04, 2017 7:24 pm Shows how important getting off to a good start is. We got off to a bad start and the wheels came off. The team lost all faith in the coaches, the game plans, the schemes and, frankly, themselves.

OK. But bronco started several years 1-2. Why didn't his teams collapse?

To me this only points out the importance of having a coach who can keep the athletes focused on winning week to weeek. This team mailed it in. They had all the excuses in the world and used them to underperform against some of the worst teams they've ever faced.

BroncoBot wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2017 2:07 pm

SpiffCoug wrote: ↑Mon Dec 04, 2017 7:24 pm Shows how important getting off to a good start is. We got off to a bad start and the wheels came off. The team lost all faith in the coaches, the game plans, the schemes and, frankly, themselves.

OK. But bronco started several years 1-2. Why didn't his teams collapse?

To me this only points out the importance of having a coach who can keep the athletes focused on winning week to weeek. This team mailed it in. They had all the excuses in the world and used them to underperform against some of the worst teams they've ever faced.

6 of Bronco's 11 game 4 opponents had a losing record? 8 of Bronco's 11 game 4s were played in Provo?

But you are correct, this team mailed it in. I think they mailed it in before they were 1-2.

[url]https://www.coachestoolbox.net/leadersh ... -team/[url]

Interesting article ... how many of the 5 signs do you think we're evident on this year's team?