Suspensions

[bbqbully]

Possibly German, but how much worse would we be if Joe had just suspended everyone for the first 8 games. None of this who’s playing this week crap. Just everyone out the first 8 and go from there. Personally, I think it would have been better.

 

[dawgstudent]

That was my suggestion from the get go. I know most would have disagreed but from a mindset standpoint - it would have been easier on the player. Just having to get up for a week and then not play again for 2 more weeks would be tough.

I don't disagree with the way we approached it though. On paper - that makes the most sense.

 

[The Situation]

I've said this repeatedly but hardly anyone agrees. It's just not a good message to send to your team.

 

[patdog]

Joe is doing the right thing with the suspension. That's just an excuse. This teams problems go a LOT deeper than that. You have to play the suspended players in the toss up games.

 

[GloryDawg]

Joe is doing the right thing with the suspension. That's just an excuse. This teams problems go a LOT deeper than that. You have to play the suspended players in the toss up games.

I think it hurts the flow the way they are doing it. Playing one week then sitting three and then playing one. That guy cannot get up to game speed that one game. Where if he sat for 8 games by that 10th game he would be at game speed. I just think it has hurts the way they did it.

 

[patdog]

We'd be 3-4 right now no matter how he handled the suspensions. Actually, we might be 2-5 if we sat some key players vs Kentucky.

 

[philduckworth]

Zero impact offensive players are suspended.

 

[philduckworth]

In hindsight, the first 7 games + Abilene would have been the way to go.

 

[The Situation]

We'd be 3-4 right now no matter how he handled the suspensions. Actually, we might be 2-5 if we sat some key players vs Kentucky.

Do you think it's a good thing to communicate to your players that a certain game is a sure loss?

 

[Seinfeld]

Right, I think a lot will depend on how the rest of the season plays out. If we end up losing close ones to some combination of A&M, Ark, and OM because our defense can't stop anybody, only then would I argue that we probably should have gone with a different strategy.

 

[patdog]

I think the players are smart enough to figure out that the odds of winning the LSU and Alabama games are pretty damn low on their own.

 

[The Situation]

I think the players are smart enough to figure out that the odds of winning the LSU and Alabama games are pretty damn low on their own.

I wish I lived in your fantasy world.

 

[kired]

I think he should have come out at the beginning and said they'd only play in home SEC games. I know that "wastes" them against LSU and Bama - but it eliminates the problem of giving the impression that we're just marking down some games as a loss. It also spreads the games out so if someone gets injured, they've got a week or two before they are scheduled to play again. I never liked the idea of suspending them for the first 8 games simply because it could be a wasted season for one of those guys if they come out and twist and ankle in the first quarter against Arkansas.

I agree with Patdog - the Kentucky game very well could have been different if Gay doesn't get that pick 6.

 

[patdog]

I can promise you we didn't lose the LSU game because we didn't play the suspended players.

 

[The Situation]

I can promise you we didn't lose the LSU game because we didn't play the suspended players.

That doesn't matter. You can't communicate to your players that a game is a sure loss. That goes against every fundamental principle when it comes to football.

 

[The Situation]

I think he should have come out at the beginning and said they'd only play in home SEC games. I know that "wastes" them against LSU and Bama - but it eliminates the problem of giving the impression that we're just marking down some games as a loss. It also spreads the games out so if someone gets injured, they've got a week or two before they are scheduled to play again. I never liked the idea of suspending them for the first 8 games simply because it could be a wasted season for one of those guys if they come out and twist and ankle in the first quarter against Arkansas.

I agree with Patdog - the Kentucky game very well could have been different if Gay doesn't get that pick 6.

I'd be alright with that idea. At least it would have been planned and not based on what coaches think is a sure win or loss.

As far as it being a wasted season, it's still a wasted season no matter how you chalk it up.

 

[GloryDawg]

We'd be 3-4 right now no matter how he handled the suspensions. Actually, we might be 2-5 if we sat some key players vs Kentucky.

I don't know if that would be the case or not, could be but to my point to get better at the game you can't play one game and sit four. You get game speed by playing every week. But you have to argue always with everyone. So keep on doing what you do.

 

[RiverCityDawg]

I thought picking and choosing made sense, but in hindsight I think just doing the first 8 games would have sent the best message. Not only to avoid the "we have less of a chance in this game" scenario, but also to show that you break rules and you serve your punishment before you get the right to play again. The way we did it sorta says "yeah, you cheated, but we have to win as many games as we can." As a program, we have to get back to doing the little things right and I think we missed an opportunity to send that message in this case. Again, this is with the benefit of hindsight for me and I honestly probably wouldn't be saying this if we lost to UK without them and/or didn't have them for UT and lost.

 

[MagnoliaHunter]

I think the players are smart enough to figure out that the odds of winning the LSU and Alabama games are pretty damn low on their own.

True. It's not rocket science or chemistry.

 

[philduckworth]

same boat as you with the amendment of first 7 games + AC. That would have allowed them to play A&M, Bama, Arkansas and Ole Miss. Sit the AC game to get extra rest for the the Thursday night Egg Bowl. And of course the players would understand we could still beat AC without them.