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Old Army FightCast S2E12: Bonfire Remembrance
Posted on 11/18/15 at 12:37 pm
Posted on 11/18/15 at 12:37 pm
Top of this week's show is all about reflecting on what Bonfire meant to A&M as a school/community and what it means to Oscar and I personally.
Jordan Pugh joined us later to talk Aggie football as the QB position is up for grabs yet again, and we even take a peek at what could be an exciting year for Aggie basketball.
But mostly, today is about remembering.
Gig 'em.
Jordan Pugh joined us later to talk Aggie football as the QB position is up for grabs yet again, and we even take a peek at what could be an exciting year for Aggie basketball.
But mostly, today is about remembering.
Gig 'em.
This post was edited on 11/18/15 at 12:38 pm
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Posted on 11/20/15 at 10:52 am to TbirdSpur2010
Absolutely amazing podcast TBird. Your emotional description of your connection to the legacy of bonfire really gave the anniversary the gravitas it deserved. I can't tell you how much I appreciated that part, as New Army I never got to see on-campus bonfire once so to me it's always been about tragedy. Thank you. 
With that said, I completely disagree with Mr. Pugh's thesis regarding Sumlin mishandling the QB position. I thought you were going to make the point I have been thinking when you discussed mitigating factors, but you just missed it IMHO.
The real problem isn't Sumlin, it is a modern football world where if a top flight QB doesn't get and keep the job within a year or two they are gone. It isn't just an A&M problem, but we have been plagued by QB transfers for years now. To me the recruitment of Kyler is irrelevant at this point: whatever game time we was promised, that promised what kept before the Bama game started. A few promises aren't the guillotine that hangs over Sumlin's head, it's the fact that whatever QB Sumlin picks he will be stuck with because the other will probably transfer.
I don't think anyone this side of Kyler and his dad who have watched him play doesn't think he could have REALLY benefitted from a redshirt season. If he would have been a three star coming to A&M as a legacy none of this would have been a problem. But he wasn't. He was a top flight recruit that could transfer to almost any program he wants to still if he doesn't get the play time he expects, which forces Sumlin's hand to see what he really has before our QB roster faces attrition.
On one hand Sumlin is trying to win games this year, on the other hand Sumlin pretty much has to make a choice what QB he intends to keep after this year because it feels like a guarantee this loser of the competition is going to split. Sumlin commented back in 2013 that he really didn't know what he had with JFF until JFF was playing in a real game, so it is obvious Sumlin feels he couldn't really get to know how special Kyler was in practice. The QB rotation has now given each QB to prove themselves in the heat of the battle and even though we don't have a clear winner that at least is some data to help Sumlin decide who will be the next Trill/Joeckel/Davis/Showers.
I dislike the idea of a QB competition this week, but if we are honest with ourselves we aren't playing for this year. We are playing for next year, when either the Chavis+Sumlin combo delivers or we are faced with a Mark Richt situation. What matters more than anything right now is we finally pick who will be our day one defacto start next year, and I see this week and the time before the bowl as the last chance for that decision to be made.
I will say Sumlin made a mistake if he choses the wrong guy longterm. But for now I think Sumlin had to play the cards he was dealt, and no matter how bad it is Kyler going to Texas and giving Charlie Strong real momentum (and maybe Daylon Mack) would have been much worse.
With that said, I completely disagree with Mr. Pugh's thesis regarding Sumlin mishandling the QB position. I thought you were going to make the point I have been thinking when you discussed mitigating factors, but you just missed it IMHO.
The real problem isn't Sumlin, it is a modern football world where if a top flight QB doesn't get and keep the job within a year or two they are gone. It isn't just an A&M problem, but we have been plagued by QB transfers for years now. To me the recruitment of Kyler is irrelevant at this point: whatever game time we was promised, that promised what kept before the Bama game started. A few promises aren't the guillotine that hangs over Sumlin's head, it's the fact that whatever QB Sumlin picks he will be stuck with because the other will probably transfer.
I don't think anyone this side of Kyler and his dad who have watched him play doesn't think he could have REALLY benefitted from a redshirt season. If he would have been a three star coming to A&M as a legacy none of this would have been a problem. But he wasn't. He was a top flight recruit that could transfer to almost any program he wants to still if he doesn't get the play time he expects, which forces Sumlin's hand to see what he really has before our QB roster faces attrition.
On one hand Sumlin is trying to win games this year, on the other hand Sumlin pretty much has to make a choice what QB he intends to keep after this year because it feels like a guarantee this loser of the competition is going to split. Sumlin commented back in 2013 that he really didn't know what he had with JFF until JFF was playing in a real game, so it is obvious Sumlin feels he couldn't really get to know how special Kyler was in practice. The QB rotation has now given each QB to prove themselves in the heat of the battle and even though we don't have a clear winner that at least is some data to help Sumlin decide who will be the next Trill/Joeckel/Davis/Showers.
I dislike the idea of a QB competition this week, but if we are honest with ourselves we aren't playing for this year. We are playing for next year, when either the Chavis+Sumlin combo delivers or we are faced with a Mark Richt situation. What matters more than anything right now is we finally pick who will be our day one defacto start next year, and I see this week and the time before the bowl as the last chance for that decision to be made.
I will say Sumlin made a mistake if he choses the wrong guy longterm. But for now I think Sumlin had to play the cards he was dealt, and no matter how bad it is Kyler going to Texas and giving Charlie Strong real momentum (and maybe Daylon Mack) would have been much worse.
Posted on 11/20/15 at 3:53 pm to cardboardboxer
Thanks for the input and the feedback, as always!!! Glad you enjoyed the Bonfire segment. I could have done a whole shoe on that alone--there's a depth of tradition and tragedy and hope and inspiration and perseverance all wrapped up in it that resonates with both New and Old Army. Just never enough time to lend it sufficient gravitas, IMO, but we did try.
And actually, I agree with your point about transfer threats, and think it is just an extension of the power the top recruits yield during their recruitment process.
I don't blame Sumlin for doing what he had to to get Kyler on campus. That's an issue far bugger than A&M, and all major college coaches have to "play the game," so to speak. What my criticism is (as an outsider with no ties to what's going on behind the scenes), is I don't believe he clearly communicated to the team who THE alpha male is on the QB roster, and maintain that position through times of adversity (i.e., making it known that Kyler would be the QB until Allen got healthy). It seemed to me that he tried to run a dual QB system and it didn't go so well.
Like I said on the show, though, it's all water under the bridge at this point. For better or for worse, it has been proven through trial and (much) error that Kyler is not ready and Allen is most definitely the man until such time (if any) that Kyler surpasses him in ability. More importantly, OTHERS have seen how green kyler is. If he transfers, his stock is much lower than it would be as if he'd never played.
It may yet work out in our favor, but we'll see, I guess.
And actually, I agree with your point about transfer threats, and think it is just an extension of the power the top recruits yield during their recruitment process.
I don't blame Sumlin for doing what he had to to get Kyler on campus. That's an issue far bugger than A&M, and all major college coaches have to "play the game," so to speak. What my criticism is (as an outsider with no ties to what's going on behind the scenes), is I don't believe he clearly communicated to the team who THE alpha male is on the QB roster, and maintain that position through times of adversity (i.e., making it known that Kyler would be the QB until Allen got healthy). It seemed to me that he tried to run a dual QB system and it didn't go so well.
Like I said on the show, though, it's all water under the bridge at this point. For better or for worse, it has been proven through trial and (much) error that Kyler is not ready and Allen is most definitely the man until such time (if any) that Kyler surpasses him in ability. More importantly, OTHERS have seen how green kyler is. If he transfers, his stock is much lower than it would be as if he'd never played.
It may yet work out in our favor, but we'll see, I guess.
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