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We're a much better offense with him so we may score some, because that's our strength and I'm sure when the game's in garbage time Drew might throw some TD's.
I guess keeping the game under 50? Or having Tua play in the 4th qtr?
That sounds bad... ha.
I would say the SC game last week was a big loss, but then again we should have lost against Purdue so the football gods offered some justice, I suppose.
3-3 isn't great. We had a legit chance to be 5-1 and we weren't fortunate to get there. (maybe 6-0. Without the turnovers and defensive scores, the Georgia game is a lot more competitive. But if, if, was a spliff...)
I'm satisfied so far because there was a good chance that the record could be 2-4, at least looking at the schedule before the season started. If last year is any indication, maybe the second half of the schedule gets better. I dunno.
<rant>
I don't know what to think about this program.
On one hand Odom is having to build a program on his own, apart from the image that Pinkel established. It's hard to follow a great coach.
The defense (the defense which he runs) is a weakness and has been for two years. Only last year our pass rush was alright (IIRC) and our secondary was an issue and this year we can't get any pass rush which is exposing our secondary again.
And, our offense still hasn't matured enough to get us past teams in the conference, at least quality teams. We're scoring more points I guess, but most of that has been because of the offensive line and running game.
Drew, who is arguably a first round pick next year hasn't taken the next step. And if the reports are true that his arm is next level, than it is on the coaching staff that he hasn't progressed.
It's a waste that the team isn't more successful given that the quarterback is so talented.
Have any of his signings really made an impact?
Hall maybe?
But he's a senior, right? So, Pinkel would have signed him. Same for Crockett.
That being said, I'm not in favor of firing Odom. I don't like the idea of firing a coach after three years. He's not disappointing per se.
I know some fans think the program should be doing better but I guess as a child of the 80's and seeing decades of the team being abysmal, having a great chance of going to a lower-tier bowl game almost every year and occassionally stepping forward every five years is good enough for me.
Pinkel somewhat spoiled the fan base. It was great to watch those teams, but historically that decade was the exception. I'd like to think that the team could sustain that but usually the coach that follows the great in the program isn't able to carry out that legacy.
But Odom's teams have continued to have the same problems year after year.
I could see if the players were hit by major injuries and younger players thrown in the fire.
But he hasn't been able to make in-season adjustments in his scheme, looking on from the outside. He's young and maybe he hasn't been able to attract the level of coaches he needs to take the defense up a notch. But, as he's said, Mizzou is his dream job. It's on him to find a way to get the players playing at a higher level, even if it's above their heads.
Drew is a senior and has played 4 years and hasn't fully realized his talent. The defense is better under Odom than the previous DC but doesn't seem able to defend at a high level, at least not against Power 5 schools, specifically in the SEC.
I think I'm just frustrated with the team in a way I never was with Pinkel.
I can't put my finger on what's missing with the program or Odom's coaching. Was Pinkel just that much better at coaching up 3-star players than Odom?
It was easy to tell that Pinkel was coaching his players up. Very few 4 and 5 star recruits on his teams yet the team was consistently near or in the top 25. With Odom it seems players aren't maxing out.
Maybe my expectations of the program were inaccurate when Odom signed on.
That bad year, Pinkel's last, seemed like it was just a matter of the combination of Pinkel's lack of attention (probably because of his diagnosis), Mauk being sent away and Drew playing major minutes as a freshman, and the conflict over the campus protests.
It seemed that after moving on into next year, the team would bounce back.
The program took one step backwards. And granted with the coaching turnover the step back could have been two or more.
And the team seems at the same point it was when Odom took over.
It's just it's unclear if that one step back is simply short-term or a new normal.
That may be unfair to Odom and is probably the reason I'm not ready to let him go.
</rant> <--- Me when my head hits the pillow
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