Next Year's crossovers

Plausible Deniability said:

The talent of the younger players is debatable. What I'm saying is, I don't know what depth chart you're looking at but the entire front 7 is most certainly not departing. For one thing, there's really only a front 6 because they've mostly only been playing 2 LB's. You've said emphatically in multiple threads that the front 7 is gone next year and it's just not true. WTF

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Dear WTF guy, according to the depth charts I have seen this year Chris Williamson,#6, is a redshirted senior and starts. My bad that I did not realise that though a graduate Dew-Treadway is eligible for another year. I did not even count Winfield as leaving though he almost surely will. I don't know what St. Juste another graduate will do either. I'll stick to my prediction that it is unlikely that the D will be as good as what it is this year given that seven and perhaps nine of the starters will not be back and that none of the current freshmen, RS freshmen, sophmores, or juniors on the roster have been able to suplant any of these guys nine games into the current season even though some of these current starters are not being considered by anyone for post season All Big Ten consideration, first team, second team, third team or honorable mention. You fully have the freedom to believe that we will just replace them all with the guys who are probably just as good not starting now or will transfer in. I'm too experienced to think that likely anymore here than at a high success program like Wisconsin showed two years ago, for example. We are, in fact, not yet like OSU where the bench is full of high school All Americans just dying to replace the current All Big Ten players who are starting now.

KillmeNow said:

This is what the big boys have to deal with and DO. Not always, but often.

So this will be a great test as to how good of an investment we made in giving Fleck that raise and extension.


But I'll mention something you are missing. When you are 9-0, and you haven't been before, you do NOT replace Seniors in the lineup with Freshmen who MIGHT be better. Fleck focuses on maintaining a team concept, disciplined smart error free play. Inserting freshman who MIGHT be better than Seniors in the lineup is NOT the way to foster that team concept on a 9-0 team, and Seniors should almost always be more disciplined and smart.


We'll have to hope that Fleck is such a good recruiter that we don't have to rebuild, but can just replace. I have faith that we will not hardly skip a beat come next year. We DID struggle early in the season, so again, next year, we may struggle early while younger players are improving and figuring things out. But they'll have guys like Tanner and Ibrahim and hopefully Winfield to lead them.

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I too have hope, but I was not writing about the inablity of freshmen to replace some of our seniors (bless them and thank them), but the lack of red shirted freshmen, sophmores and juniors to replace them. It is concerning to me that we do not have single such person who could replace any of our seniors by now. To be blunt, surely I was not the only poster to see how PSU was ripping our D in the second half not for five and six yards at a pop, but 12 and 16 yards at a shot. Minus Couglin where would our pass rush be??!!

In spite of the OP being ripped quite a bit, I think he has a valid concern. However, I’m not in the mood to worry about next year. We are enjoying a historical season and it is a blast! Tomorrow’s worries will take care of themselves... tomorrow. Enjoy the moment!


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Honestly pash rush is the weakest part of the D. Not entirely concerned about a dropoff because they're already probably playing at their floor. Nowhere to go but up! I also happen to think Braelen Oliver will be a stud next season with a little playing time under his belt.