I had hoped to run this feature last week before the Syracuse game, but some scheduling difficulties got in the way.
Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician is the most popular fan-run Syracuse football blog on the net, and it has recently moved into some new digs at nunesmagician.com, hosted by the ever expanding reach of the SBNation network. TNIAAM’s author Sean recently agreed to answer a few questions that I submitted, and my thoughts on Rutgers and such may be appearing on there at some point in the near future.
edit: here they are.
1. It’s hard to talk about this year’s Syracuse squad without focusing on the status of Greg Robinson. What kind of qualities does Daryl Gross need to look for in Robinson’s replacement? I thought Rob Konrad made some good points in his endorsement of Steve Addazio, that apply even if someone like Doug Marrone or Chip Kelly ends up being the hire, Do you go with an up-and-comer, or a candidate with a longer resume? Should the next coach focus on Xs and Os, or on recruiting?
The big sticking issues that seem to be floating out there for SU fans are that we want someone who is “one of us,” that we need someone who has in-roads with the Northeast and can recruit and someone who is going to work with what he’s got instead of trying to reinvent the wheel.
As for the “one of us” issue, I think that’s more a reaction to the disdain people have with Robinson, who had absolutely nothing to do with Syracuse and the Northeast when he came here. While it would be a nice bonus to have a qualified Syracuse grad (see Randy Edsall), I don’t think a Syracuse affiliation of some kind is a realistic requirement. Would you turn down Urban Meyer just because he’s not a Cuse grad?
As for the Northeast connections and the recruiting experience, I think this is arguably the most important issue. Not only has Syracuse lost the recruiting edge in the Northeast that it once had over Rutgers, UConn and others but it doesn’t seem like we have ANY kind of recruiting ability at the moment. A lot of that has to do with the flux of the program but there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be pulling in New York’s top talent year in and year out. Aside from the last recruiting class, we haven’t done that. And we’re certainly not doing it now. Robinson rightfully gets the blame for letting those carefully-maintained relationships wither away.
And please please please, no NFL coordinators desperate for a shot at being a head coach. No Marty Morninwhegs. No Kevin Gilbrides. I don’t care how well they run a pro offense. This is college football and it takes more than knowing what plays to tell Eli Manning to use to compete here. Greg Robinson was exactly this before he came here, we can’t possibly go through this again.
Instead, give me a seasoned offensive/defensive coordinator from a East Coast Division 1-A football program with a reputation as a recruiting whiz. If you were asking for a prototype as the next coach of Syracuse, that’s him.
2. In the absence of Taj Smith and Mike Williams, new offensive coordinator Mitch Browning has had some success this year in re-establishing Syracuse’s rushing attack. Curtis “Boonah” Brinkley is a senior, but has Browning laid enough of a foundation that the trio of Delone Carter, Doug Hogue, and Averin Collier can give Syracuse a solid nucleus to build around in 2009? Which other players can we look for in an expanded role next season?
That’s assuming Carter, Hogue and Collier don’t transfer because they’re pissed off at not getting any playing time this season. Carter is not-so-patiently waiting on the sidelines for a carry. Hogue ripped off a great run last week and never saw the ball again. And Collier…well, we’re not even sure he’s still alive. Don’t forget about Antwon Bailey as well, the one halfback not named Brinkley that Greg Robinson seems to want to play.
I’m sure all three of them can take solace in knowing that next year the pathway is clear for one of them to be the starter and for a few of them to get reps. They will also get a clean slate with a new head coach.
Wide receiver, a position that showed some promise early but has basically become a non-issue, should become more prominent again next season. Apparently Williams is working to return to the Orange next season and we can expect him to be impactful, even if it won’t be as much as last year. We have high hopes for freshman Marcus Sales and his cohort Donte Davis as well. Just get these guys a QB to throw to them.
Speaking of the QBs, Cam Dantley and Andrew Robinson will be returning but as of right now neither of them have done anything to prove they should be automatically handed the keys next season. Redshirt freshman David Legree is chomping at the bit to get a chance and I suspect he’ll be given equal footing next summer. He’s more mobile than both of the other two and could provide the offense with a new dimension, which it sorely needs.
