-- Covering Weeks 1 through 7
After training results it looks like the strength of my team will be the defense. My top players are LE Brian Harris (94), DT George Wheeler (94), and CB George Preston (91). I have three other defensive lineman above an 88 rating. I don't like the Ute comparison so let's say I'm trying to become the New York Giants of 2007 and 2011. Here's how the schedule looks. Quite a few replacements this season.
vs Utah
at Tennessee
vs USC
vs Washington (replace with Wash St.)
at Toledo (replace with Colorado)
at USF (replace with Arkansas State)
vs Boise
at Utah State (replace with Georgia Tech)
vs Liberty (replace with North Texas)
vs Idaho State (replace with Texas State)
vs UMass (replace with Hawaii)
at San Diego State
We are getting enormous pre-season respect -- we're ranked #12! -- which is crazy considering how many guys we're replacing. No pressure for my second stint as HC right? And hey we've got a pre-season all-american! CB George Preston gets a second team nod. Let's start the season.
Week 0 #12 BYU vs Texas State
An unusual way to start an Indy schedule, but we have some tough competition coming up so I'm happy to have a cupcake as an appetizer. We feast on said cupcake 37 to 13.
Freshman HB Eric Temple and OLB James Vincent are award national players of the week, which sounds pretty cool until you realize only two other teams played during "week 0".
I once again have a horrific passing day so I've decided to decrease my offensive aggressiveness from the 65 range to the 50 range. Maybe this will generate some lower risk passes and allow one of my QBs to throw more accurately than 50%? If not I'll soon be changing my offense me thinks.
Week 1 #12 BYU vs Utah
Let's get straight to it. We lose 31 to 30 to our rival after getting outscored 21 to 0 in the fourth quarter. I'm hammered in the press conference -- it looks like the common thread in our late game defensive collapses over the years isn't a certain player or a fired DC. It's me.
I need to make big changes. First off I increase the substitution rate on defense, hoping this will keep us fresher during the fourth quarter (I think I can survive having more subs now that my team is a bit deeper). Second I decrease the aggressiveness of my defense from 65 to 45. We're now officially less aggressive than average. I'm Tuiaki!! I'm going to drop 8 as much as possible. This might work though because I have tremendous defensive lineman that should in theory be able to generate pressure without the assistance of aggressive blitzing.
We drop to #20 in the polls - I'm shocked we're still in the top-25. My job security plummets from mid-60s to 51%, the punishment for losing to a lower ranked team. My best WR, senior Jim Snyder (rated 90) is out for seven weeks with a dislocated elbow.
In a rousing locker room speech I promise my team this will be the low point of my second tenure. I hope it's true.
Week 2 #20 BYU at Colorado
I bury my despair in recruiting and find a guard prospect with the last name of Church. He has no interest in me but I have interest in him. My team practiced angry all week and we take out some frustration on the poor, poor Bufallo. HB Eric Temple continues his hot start to the season with a 144 yard, 3 touchdown rushing performance. With a 48 to 14 win I'm encouraged on both sides of the ball as we prepare for the #1 team in the country.
Week 3 #18 BYU vs #1 USC
No coach in the history of BYU football has faced as many number one teams, national champion teams, or national champion runners up as I have. The closest I've come to pulling off an upset was against Penn State two seasons ago as OC. I don't like my chances of doing it today against SC. They have multiple all-americans and are rated 99 in all categories. I pull the simulation trigger and we fall 35 to 13.
I never expected to be undefeated through this point in the season but I did expect to be 3-1. That loss against Utah puts pressure on us to go on a little winning streak against the underbelly of this schedule. Our next 6 games are all winnable, and are must-wins I'd argue: Wazzu, SDSU, Boise, Arkansas Sate, North Texas, and Hawaii. We end the season with two challenges against Tennessee and Georgia Tech who both rank in the top-15 presently.
I'm neck and neck with Boise for the top tackle on my board - Jeremiah Nixon out of La Habra California, a 81 rated prospect. I need to rebuild my offense and if there's one thing the Chiefs-Buccs super bowl taught me is that offensive line and defensive line are the ultimate trump cards in football. My top guard prospect is the aptly named Mark Church, who has USC his number one. I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess the pounding USC just gave us isn't going to help my cause.
Week 4 #21 BYU at Washington State
It's time for Cougars v Cougars. It's also my 4th straight Pac-12 game and I'd like to settle in at 2-2 against the conference of my enemy. I'd also like to stay in the top-25. We continue without the services of Jim Snyder, our best WR. I also look at my team overview and see I'm relying on 8 freshman in my offensive two deep. Maybe I'm underestimating how well my offense is doing all things considered.
The offense bounces back big and we smack Washington State around on their home field 35 to 7. Oh my does that feel fantastic.
And then I look at the stats and see yet another disastrous passing performance: 11 for 27 for 216 yards. Despite the scoreline nobody on offense sticks out as particularly dominating. The same goes for the defense where we had no turnovers and one sack. Huh. Whatever. I'll take the victory lol.
The 5-star Jeremiah Nixon has me second to Boise. Have I ever secured a 5-star recruit before?
The 8th ranked OLB in the country likes me and I like him cause his name is Phillip Mooney. Now I just need a Padfoot and Prongs.
I've decided why not spend some recruiting points on a QB named Richard Elbert. He's a 74 rated prospect out of Nevada, a scrambler, and I know my QB room is crowded but hey why not take a flyer.
Week 5 #21 BYU at San Diego State
Rankings are weird -- I kill Washington State and gain zero traction in the polls? -- but I'll take the snub as extra motivation for the players. And we use it. It's a win for us 38 to 16 over the Aztecs. We're picking up a little bit of momentum here in the middle of the season. QB Lindsey throws for not only 50% but 60%! He also runs for 103 on 21 carries? I need to watch one of these games one of these days and figure out what the heck type of offense we really run. OLB Shawn Manning goes off for 12 tackles, 4 for loss, with 1.5 sacks.
I'm recruiting a DT named Roy Pace who is from Duncanville, Texas and how I hope that is not Tim Duncanville.
Week 6 #18 BYU at Boise State
Boise doesn't appear to be the team they were in the past when they put the double whammy on us. They're 1-2, with a win against UTEP, a loss against #2 Ohio State, and a win against University Lafayette. Also it seems weird they've only played 3 games. Bad news here for us though - not only are we still out WR Snyder, but we also lose all-american candidate Kyle Patterson, our 88-rated starting left tackle. He'll be out two weeks while our starting LB Reggie Townsend won't be back this season until the bowl game at the earliest. It feels like the computer is out to get me when only my top tier players get injured. Freshman Justin King will take over the LT spot.
So I sim with less confidence then I had 7 days ago and boom, we got em. We start slow but finish off Boise with a 28-12 effort and it's starting to become clear that our defense is superb. I have so many strongly rated defensive lineman that it must be murder to try and move the ball against us. So remind me again just how Utah scored 21 against us in one quarter of play?
Lindsey is back to his usual self, completing 48% of his passes for 116 yards and making fans question my offensive expertise. No individual rushes for more than 61 yards, no one receives for more than 61 yards, and mostly I'm confused how I even score. George Preston, heroic CB recruit from my first hiring returned an interception for a TD and that kept things out of reach for Boise. Will this help on the recruiting front, where I have a few head-to-head battles with Boise?
Meh. Nothing really changes. I lead for those I led for, and vice versa.
Also don't look now but Utah is up to #9 in the country and has the game of the week against #1 USC Saturday. It only makes our one point loss feel worse.
Week 7 BYE
We've earned a bye, but I hope it doesn't throw us off the little mini-run we're on. We haven't beat any top-25 teams during this winning streak, but I'd be happy any time beating a P-12 on the road, Boise on the road, and SDSU on the road. The athletic department isn't too impressed as I'm still at only a 51% job security, but whatever.
Also I was wrong. Jeremiah Nixon, the #2 tackle in the country who has had Boise in his lead spot all season just vaulted me into the first position. Maybe the win over the Broncos will pay a dividend afterall.
No comments:
Post a Comment