[NU Sports] I think the thing everyone on the sports list keepsforgetting:

[Abrahamson, Alan (NBC Universal)]

For whatever my opinion is worth: I think Maureen's post is excellent.
 I would only add a thought that is really my very good friend Neil
Kaplan's, and so I credit him: while Northwestern can and should be
competitive with the likes of Ohio State and Michigan, our margin for
error is so slim -- given the talent and depth-chart issues that will
always surround our program, in part because of our commitment to the
concept of the student-athlete -- that we must play sound football each
and every week to win. No turnovers. No or few penalties.
 

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com]
On Behalf Of mlinhardt at netzero.net
Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2007 4:25 AM
To: nwu-sports at tssi.com
Cc: Maureen.Linhardt at plexus.com
Subject: [NU Sports] I think the thing everyone on the sports list
keepsforgetting:

I think the thing everyone on the sports list keeps forgetting:
1) Fitz is *really* a first year h/c this year with no coordinator
experience.  He's starting to assert himself as the "CEO" of the program
now  

2) McGee is still feeling his way out as OC.  Randy expected to be able
to mentor McGee along.  McGee finally showed an ability to properly
scout and develop a game plan for the team he was against this last
week.

3) Colby still doesn't have the personnel to play a 3/4 D which is his
specialty and what he wanted to do from the day he came here.  Maybe
it's time to look to someone else to lead the defense (the LB coach?).

4) CJ just finished his "trial by fire" having played in 11 consecutive
games (starting 10) and learned probably more in the last game than he
did in many of the others about finishing and ball protection.

5) Sutton, who was expected to be a HUGE part of the offense, hasn't
played at all in the three losses which has led McGee to throw a lot
more (except for running a lot of counter with Conteh against Michigan).

6) The D line is just starting to assert itself.  They have a lot of
experience but still have a ways to go in terms of growth - many juniors
and sophomores in the rotation.

7) Smith is out for the season and it was expected he'd be a big part of
the D (and had been for the prior 2 years).  Phillips is learning in a
trial by fire situation and is doing a decent job, but he's not Brendan

8) The O line just started gelling finally last week and there's only 2
seniors in the rotation 

9) Fitz is just now starting to play the best 11 available on both sides
of the ball - Q Davie getting a start at WSLB and Arrington playing in
place of injured FE Simpson at SSLB is part of that

10) We have to be more creative in our recruiting at certain positions
(such as CB) where it's hard to get kids who are academically eligible
at that position

11) We have fielded very competitive teams over the last 1 1/2 decades,
even if we've had losing seasons they haven't been 70-7 scores (for the
most part).


I think these people need to take a step back and get some perspective.
Let Fitz coach and make his mistakes this season (eg, taking the points
off the board against Duke) so that he can be better and the program as
a whole can be better.  He's here for the long haul and just needs the
right people around him on staff. Last year and this have not really
been the time to "evaluate the staff" as he needed to provide some
consistency to his players' lives after losing their coach....

Maureen Linhardt
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