STATE OF YSU FOOTBALL

[YSUFANSINCE1990]

I am new to the board, and posted  few weeks ago, my post disappeared, it is possible I somehow deleted it.   I read the posts on the Top 25 Poll, and I do agree about the "strong" 8-4 comment.  I think it shows how far how our program and has fallen, and the perception by our athletic department.

I am not a YSU grad, my wife is though and I have been going to games since 1990.  YSU did not deserve to make the playoffs last year; losing to an injury depleted Northern Iowa, and blown out in back to back games at home, we looked nothing like a playoff team.

I see three major issues with Eric Wolford and his failure to reach the playoffs in his three years:
1.  2-10 combined against UNI, North Dakota State, and South Dakota State, he can't win big games.
2. YSU plays best ball early in season, they don't get better, most well coached teams improve.
3.  Defense is always below average, now on third defensive coordinator in 5 years.

My question would be, are we getting a good return on our investement in Wolford?  Salaries from Heacock era doubled, we commit a lot of money to football.  I believe Wolford thought by now he would a perennial playoff team and he would be long gone for the SEC.   My opinion, he is not a head coach, but an offensive line coach.  He does not display the qualities of a leader.

Our fan base in diminishing, but the YSU Athletic Department doesn't seem to have a sense of urgency, same old same old.    Don't get me started on basketball, we reward mediocrity in the basketball program, and to hear YSU talk Jerry Slocum is a great coach.   

Anyway, I go to most of the home games, used to go to all of them.  But you are what you pretend you are!   Football is just an average program, and I would see this year being 7-5, and that seems good enough for the powers at YSU.

[ysufan0505]

Very insightful post!! Very good info, especially the basketball part 😉

[Penguin Nation]

Excellent post 1990.

The Wolf, in his first game, was beating Penn State.  His teams beat NCAA champs NDSU (in Fargo), UNI, and Pitt.  This is an improvement (albeit painfully slow) for the program.  His record has improved each year so far.

I do think YSU's SOS should have made them an at-large bid in 2013.  8-4 in the MVFC > 9-3 in any other conference.  The often cited end-of -the-season losing streak was a scheduling fluke, with SDSU, NDSU and UNI as our last three games.  Most, maybe all, 2013 at-large teams would've also gone 0-3.

I agree with the Wolford hire, and I agree with the contract extension.

But.....my patience runs out this year.  8-4 or worse means a new search for a HC must begin.  If only 2 teams (or three even) of the MVFC teams  are selected into the 24 team post-season, than YSU must re-evaluate the reasons for remaining in the MVFC.    If YSU chooses to remain in the MVFC after another snubbing, than all whining about unfairness must stop. 

Likely better bargains exist in other conferences.  Sure, they'd be weaker conferences.  So then lets make a more challenging OOC schedule and then smack around our conference opponents.  I would consider the travel budget, post-season selections, and fan appeal.

This year, YSU plays IL, NDSU, and SDSU on the road.  An 8-4 record would be playoff worthy IMO, but again doubt it will be in the eyes of the selection committee.

[IAA Fan]

I like the post as well, but feel the reasons might be slightly different. I have
brought this up before, but feel it is a matter of style of football. It is not so much
that we loose the "big" games ...how much bigger of a game can we get than Pitt? Not
much.

Tressel came in and brought a brand (style) of football. It did not work out well. Then he
changed his style to one that more mirrored GA Southern ...the rest is history. It is no
coincidence how Marshall and App State did the same and had success as well.

The teams that you mentioned NDSU, SDSU and UNI are all big and fast. We are fast ...
but not big. Our offense can produce points, but the defense cannot stop other teams.
Typical southern football mentality ...make sure you score more points than your opponent
and you will always win. Tressel's mentality was just the opposite ...have a defense that
does not allow a score & make certain that you have the best FG kicker in the country.
Neither philosophy is good in my mind. Unlike the Tressel days ...we are in a conference
now. Heacock always lost to UNI as well, but it was clearly the best game of the year,
because of how similar the two teams were.

One thing that I do know ...unless our offense is willing to line-up and hit someone in
August and September, our defense is going to continue to get beat-up in October and
November.

Now I could be fooling myself, but I think that NDSU is done ...unless the new coach has
no plans to bring his own style of ball to the program. We are ranked in the conference
preseason right where we should be ...in fact, I suspect that SIU will be one above us,
as opposed to one behind.

[ysufan0505]

I've always liked and supported him but my patience is sure running thin with him.... Especially this yr.

[HappyPenguin]

I've always liked and supported him but my patience is sure running thin with him.... Especially this yr.

Agreed. Last year was our best shot at making some noise. Can't fold the last 3 games of the year and then whine that our conference gets jobbed by the selection committee. That's not news. We have a weak commissioner so that wont change.

[penguinpower]

Since this is a message board for fans and much of the fodder is opinion...............Here is my point of view.

I had never heard of Eric Wolford before he was hired.  I heard people on this board talk about how great of a recruiter he was.  My simple mind assumed that since he was a great recruiter we would have athletes that looked like this.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuQOiO0EGU8

Wolford was brought in and talked about how you can't win the indianapolis 500 driving a tractor etc.etc...

Huge turnover on the team follows......I'm thinking we are going to be stacked..........but...

While we have improved some of the skill positions, especially on offiense, the OL and DL have not been overly impressive to me.  Our DE's have been a non-factor, LB's are lost.  I am embarrassed at the way the defense looks.  I hate, I mean HATE watching our defense give up big plays, but what really sickens me is when the team gets down under Wolford they do the opposite of what happened under Tressel.......Wolford's teams fold like a cheap suit.  Tressel's teams rose to the occasion.  That has to be the single biggest problem for me.  I just don't understand it.  The performance against South Dakota State last year was a disgrace.  I don't ever want to see anything like that again.  I had to back away from my emotional involvment in these football games over that performance, especially when the playoffs were on the line.  What does that tell you about the mentality?  If I would have been snubbed the year before and knew that  we had everyone returing like they did last year the team motto should have been "Punish everyone" to leave no doubt.  That is the menatality that is needed. Instead it was snowing and they raised the white flag.  Pissed me off and still does.

I don't care if Wolford is here or not.  I just want to see a real defense again.  I want to see a team with a defense that breaks the will of other teams.  I want to see a team that breaks the will of others.  I could give a crap less about a flashy K-State Big 12 style offense.  It may put uneducated Big12 fans butts in seats but in NE Ohio Defense is the name of the game.  Put your best athletes on Defense if your strength as a coach is on offense.  Do more with less in the area of your strength.  Put some of those highly recruited OL on the DL.  I am sick of watching us get run over on Defense.  Makes me want to vomit.

[Wick250]

Great post penguinpower.  Those paragraphs contain an accurate summary of the deficiencies that have sickened so many of us for the past four years.