Building it the right way

[bulldozier1]

Manning, Brady, Bree won SB with good running game. We would have played in a BCS bowl game if BJ would've played the way he did against Clemson the whole year. So you need great QB play to win championships. Trent Dilfer!

[Danm1983]

1. I'm not big on too many athletes. Too many leads to too many of them sitting the bench being worthless.

2. I like building the lines. The lines are key for a good running game, and allowing the QB to have time for passing/making decisions. As BJ matures, a good OL in front of him will protect him.

3. Recruiting doesn't always = winning, but winning does = recruiting. Winning brings exposure.

4. I'd like to clarify that when Holtz says "system", it's not like his is a crazy triple option or spread that isn't utilized in the NFL - his system produces NFL products (which recruits also like to see [i.e. Chris Johnson]). Every coach has a "system" per se, in the way that they all have their own visions and ideas for how they want a player to be balanced with size/speed.

Right now, I like what we're doing. We're stockpiling the line guys, and having guys on both lines that can produce for 2-3 years at a time brings continuity to each side. When the lines are holding up on both sides of the ball, it helps the skill positions around them and definitely makes for play calling adjustments. A good O line helps the running game and passing game, and gives coaches alot of playcalling freedom. A good D line helps in both stopping the run, as well as letting the skill players drop back and defend the pass without fear of the line giving up big ground plays. It all works together.

[The Great 8]

Manning, Brady, Bree won SB with good running game.

Good, nobody would construe them as elite though. Even both of the teams in the SB this year have average backs.

[bulldozier1]

Mendenhall is NOT an average running back. That man is a beast of a back.

[The Great 8]

Mendenhall is NOT an average running back. That man is a beast of a back.

He's OK, I don't think anyone in their right mind would take any him ahead of any of the following: jones-drew, peterson, cj, charles, jackson, rice, foster, hillis.

Hey, while we're at it...how many of those RB's (widely considered the top backs in the NFL) are competing for SB's year and and year out?

Just admit it, you don't need to have an elite running game to go to, and win, the SB, at least in recent years.

[DELdaBull]

Mendenhall is NOT an average running back. That man is a beast of a back.

He's OK, I don't think anyone in their right mind would take any him ahead of any of the following: jones-drew, peterson, cj, charles, jackson, rice, foster, hillis.

Hey, while we're at it...how many of those RB's (widely considered the top backs in the NFL) are competing for SB's year and and year out?

Just admit it, you don't need to have an elite running game to go to, and win, the SB, at least in recent years.

Mendenhall finished as the#6th rusher in the whole league  :

[DELdaBull]

Ooops 7th

[bulldozier1]

The Steelers gave up the least amount of rushing yards in the playoffs at 52.5 yards. Greenbay gave up the second least at 69.7. At the same time they both ran for 118+ yards. James Starks is playing the best ball right now among all running backs that was in the post season.

[MikeG]

the problem with recruit rankings is how much of it is based on who is going to the summer camps in addition to being on well known HS teams- i.e. getting more attention in the press etc. Granted the elite players will get their accolades, 5 stars etc and end up playing in the HS All American games. They will receive solid rankings short of injuries.

for the lesser known players who are just starting to mature, they come along so late in the process that rivals and scout often times overlook their potential. So coaching staffs who are good evaluators of talent are essential. I have yet to see someone be handed a BCS trophy for best recruiting class. Although I won't argue that the rankings and the polls are working in lockstep to keep the big programs what they are and seemingly have always been. Breaking into that elite crew takes decades of consistent on field performance and fan support. It is the fundamental flaw in the BCS system but that is another conversation.

Also-- think about it in terms of the development of players from the age of 18 to 22--- they get stronger, maybe faster, smarter, maybe even a little taller, and definitely put on some lbs. Add to this that they were no longer playing against lesser players but against teams of other all stars-- in live games and in practice. They receive more advanced and focused coaching, and training that was far above what they ever received in HS (save some crazy Friday Night Lights type of programs in Texas or something)-- better facilities maybe even better food. Basically-- the players grow and become more than what they were before.

Some guys actually do peak in HS or even grade school. Some don't peak until they are given the proper environment and they get used to their own bodies. Some kids actually don't improve and even regress -- it all comes down to how they are handled and directed by their coaching staffs and their own desire and dedication to be optimal athletes.

This is why I find the rankings so subjective and arbitrary. I suppose they serve some purpose for the fans but I would seriously doubt that coaches are using them as the primary method of finding who they want on their team. They know who is coming up -- especially if they are holding those camps and staying in touch with the HS coaches and watching the game films and practices. 

As for whether USF has leveled off-- perhaps this is somewhat true. We have been at a point where the level of players we can attract has reached a saturation point. The leaps and bounds made running up from nonexistence into a BCS conference are becoming less and less drastic. That is to be expected-- it happens in anything as you approach elite levels-- the growth and improvement is met by the laws of diminishing returns.

But we shouldn't look at it as failing or under-performing. Rivals, ESPN, Scout-- none of them expect USF to have great recruiting classes. We are mid-level at best to them. So our rankings and those of our players line up to that fact. The  prime recruits of the traditional power schools get a bump in the ratings as soon as those schools are associated with  them. Like someone above said-- the only way to improve recruiting rankings is by winning more on the field. But in the end, those rankings are never as important as WHO we land and the COACHING and SUPPORT we give them. Just look at Clemson's class this year-- a team we beat- and how well they did in recruiting, not just this year but for the past 20 years. That should help you see the reality of how important these things are in the long run. USF has 5-6 years of "BCS" labelled recruiting-- we are infants in the overall scheme of things in the eyes of everyone except the diehard Bulls fans. This will be a grind--- it will take patience and dedication (and money-- let's not forget how far behind we are in that department).

So like I always say-- in all things Bulls-- be patient, be proud, and most of all-- be supportive.

[Knight_Light]

Big 4-5 stars does not =success. Look at Georgia and they lost to UCF. TCU and Boise State do it with recruits lime USF. Coaching and desire are gonna make you a winner.

Correct.

That's one reason why UGA fans are soooo ticked off at Richt...as almost every year, UGA has a Top 10 recruiting class...but they fail to produce (at to an equivalent level) on the field.

In the 5 previous recruiting classes for UGA (would have made some redshirt seniors for the 2010 season), UGA signed over 60 players that were 4 and 5 star recruits...while their Liberty Bowl opponent had just 1 4-star player in their starting line-up (CB Josh Robinson), yet UCF (with mostly 2 & 3 star OL & DL) basically dominated both lines of scrimmage against UGA's 4 star plus players in the bowl game.

One reason why Miami and FSU struggled on the field for a few years is that one former Miami Asst Coach said they "focused too much on stars/recruiting rankings vs finding players that would fit in THEIR SYSTEM".

Problem at UGA right now is no one knows what their system is...other than signing highly ranked recruits then falling flat during their biggest games of the year.