[NU Sports] You saw it coming...

[Jeff Beamsley]

Roy S. Lamberton wrote:

>First off, all the talk about RW leaving is just idle talk - Randy has given no
>indication that he plans to leave and Mark Murphy has given no indication in
>public that he is displeased with the football team's performance under Walker.
>Read the WGN postgame interviews on Purple Reign...
>  
>
I agree that after this past weekend we're likely to see RW on the NU 
sidelines again next year.

>Anyway, there are few coaches out there who could actually handle all of the
>higher standards imposed by NU on its recruiting, etc. Like him or not, Walker
>does a good job with what he can get.
>
>  
>
Your statement about recruiting is at the very least defeatist.  
Depending on how you meant it, it may also just be wrong.

There are two ways to take what you said about RW doing the best with 
what he could get. 

The first suggests that RW isn't able to get the best "admissible" kids 
available.  That may be true.

The second suggests that he is getting the best kids possible given NU 
admission standards.  I think this is what you meant, but this is just 
wrong.  As close as you are to the recruiting data, you should know it.

To prove it, I'll give you $100 for every kid recruited by NU this year 
that was the highest rated "admissible" kid by the services at his 
position and actually decided to come here.  In return, I want $50.00 
from you every time there was a higher rated "admissible" kid than the 
one who decided to come here.

The recruiting problems here are much more the result of not having a 
winning season for the past four years and RW's "old school" coaching 
style than admissions standards.  This is one of the top universities in 
the country.  An NU scholarship is now worth over $125,000.  RW has the 
luxury of talking with the families of some of the brightest high school 
football players in the country every year, but only can offer around 
twenty or so.  It should be a buyers market (NU as buyer), but NU isn't 
getting the best of the "admissible" kids every year.  It isn't nearly 
so important to know where they are going as it is to ask why they 
aren't coming here.

That's not to say that we aren't getting good kids.  They are good and 
willing to work hard, and those that buy into RW's NFL promise are 
leaving here in better shape than ever.  But there also does appear to 
be a "depth of talent" gap between the sorts of teams RW can put on the 
field and those of our competitors.  IMHO RW hasn't proven he knows how 
to solve this problem.

>What was apparent last night was our lack of sheer speed. College football has
>turned into a faster, stronger sport and NU is racing to catch up. Unfortunately
>there are just not enough speed demons out there with the ability to get into NU.
>  
>
Why not?

How many do you think we need?

I'm really hoping you didn't mean what you just said.  Do you really 
think that the best 40 times only belong to the intellectually 
challenged?  Is there some genetic or racial relationship between quick 
twitch muscles and IQ that I'm unaware of?  I thought we moved past that 
stuff a long time ago.  I'm hoping this was the result of staying up too 
late to watch a football game and not something you're willing to 
attempt to defend. 

In terms of sheer entertainment value, though, it was a heck of a season!

Jeff