A very concerning thing looking ahead to next year is.....

[h2oville rocket]

So we are a better team by not playing players that are better then our starters. That logic makes flat out no sense. Backups, potentially but if you look at our 2 deep it is loaded with Freshman and includes a handful of true freshman. I really doubt we don't get redshirt guys minutes who are clearly better then starters. If it would be a situation where they would be backups and not get a ton of time then we could be wasting a year. As starters we would not be wasting that year.

You redshirt players who

a) need time to develop
b) have people ahead of them who are going to severly limit their playing time.

You are correct GT.

[transfer2BGSU]

What you may not realize is that some of those redshirted players that are not playing this year are better than some of those seniors that are playing and will take their place next year. Why would we do that, you ask? Very simple.........to make them better players and Bowling Green a better team, in the long run.

I dont think we would do that. Not if they are better then Senior starters.

The fact of the matter is, that Factman actually LISTENS and others do not.

Coach has said NUMEROUS times that he is not mortgaging the future for this year. He knew this was going to be a rough year for us. He was willing to play through that and allow the freshmen the time it takes to get acclimated to the college level.

As mentioned in an earlier post, if Sheehan hadn't seen action in three quarters his first year, he would have been our starting QB this past season. Don't burn the redshirt if you don't need to.

As was also mentioned in a previous post, Coach said that if a freshman could not crack the two-deep roster, he was not going to use them, but keep the red shirt on them.

Take a look at the record of this team and notice how many games we were in until late in the game. We have lost four games by 3 points or less. So while the record shows 2-9, it could just as easily show 6-5 or 5-6. Could we have been 11-0 at this point if we had burned the redshirt on some of those freshmen?

BEFORE you answer that, remember that Josh Harris could have been the quarterback for an extra year if only Coach Blackney hadn't burned his redshirt and put him in the game as a tailback.

Injuries hurt us. Loss of scholarships a few years back due to the low APR hit us.

We have a Coach that is looking at the long term future of the program, not just today.

[1987alum]

Transfer:

That sounds about right. Given that, is it fair to say that 2011 is BiG for Clawson? Seems that we should be seeing "his" program next year.

[Globetrotter]

What you may not realize is that some of those redshirted players that are not playing this year are better than some of those seniors that are playing and will take their place next year. Why would we do that, you ask? Very simple.........to make them better players and Bowling Green a better team, in the long run.

I dont think we would do that. Not if they are better then Senior starters.

The fact of the matter is, that Factman actually LISTENS and others do not.

Coach has said NUMEROUS times that he is not mortgaging the future for this year. He knew this was going to be a rough year for us. He was willing to play through that and allow the freshmen the time it takes to get acclimated to the college level.

As mentioned in an earlier post, if Sheehan hadn't seen action in three quarters his first year, he would have been our starting QB this past season. Don't burn the redshirt if you don't need to.

As was also mentioned in a previous post, Coach said that if a freshman could not crack the two-deep roster, he was not going to use them, but keep the red shirt on them.

Take a look at the record of this team and notice how many games we were in until late in the game. We have lost four games by 3 points or less. So while the record shows 2-9, it could just as easily show 6-5 or 5-6. Could we have been 11-0 at this point if we had burned the redshirt on some of those freshmen?

BEFORE you answer that, remember that Josh Harris could have been the quarterback for an extra year if only Coach Blackney hadn't burned his redshirt and put him in the game as a tailback.

Injuries hurt us. Loss of scholarships a few years back due to the low APR hit us.

We have a Coach that is looking at the long term future of the program, not just today.

This makes no sense. RUIT said that redshirts were redshirted even if they would be playing OVER starting seniors. Thats what the entire thread is about...seniors we are losing.Then you say "Coach said that if a freshman could not crack the two-deep roster, he was not going to use them, but keep the red shirt on them." Starting is the 2 deep. You basically argued my point by making my point? My brain is going to explode.

I agree that you don't burn redshirts for limited minutes and you try to avoid it late in the year. I guess if that was an underlying unsaid assumption that everyone was playing with that makes sense.

You dont not play a guy who would be starting. Its just bad for recruiting, bad for the current team and maybe even bad for the future. You never know when someone is going to get hurt or who you can recruit next year etc. etc. You play for the now with an eye for the future. If he is giving up this year and not playing his best players I would be furious as a fan and a senior, even if it meant I would go to the bench. ITs the seniors last year. They deserve the best team available.

[Rightupinthere]

This makes no sense. RUIT said that redshirts were redshirted even if they would be playing OVER starting seniors.

I said nothing of the sort but I do think that the redshirts this year are going to be better than the seniors they replace sooner than THEIR senior year.

[Globetrotter]

Sorry factman said it...I dont have my facts right.

[Siborg]

IMO, if you are recruitiung young men you expect to graduate from your program, then I'd much prefer that recruit play for us as a 5th year senior than as a true freshman. However, sometimes the situation does not allow for that. As mentioned earlier, we are in a difficult position with this program. Unfortunately, we had to burn redshits these last two years whereas a better program over the last 4-6 years might not have to.

Its a bit of gamble as well because that recruit may leave or get injured and so we may also lose a possible year of their eligibility by redshirting them. There is no crystal ball. I like that our current coaching staff is trying to look to our future, not just the current moment. We may well have some more talent with redshirts but that does not mean they should play sans experience.

[h2oville rocket]

we had to burn redshits these last two years

Water purification system not working there in BG?

[1987alum]

In general, I like the idea of redshirting freshmen. Unless they are going to step in and be a significant contributor from Day 1, it makes sense to give them a year to get acclimated to the academics, learn the playbook and get into the conditioning program.

Two examples the more than prove the point ...

As mentioned in an earlier post, if Sheehan hadn't seen action in three quarters his first year, he would have been our starting QB this past season.

And that first year was a wash; if he were the missing piece that would have pushed us over the top, well, that's a different story.

Josh Harris could have been the quarterback for an extra year if only Coach Blackney hadn't burned his redshirt and put him in the game as a tailback.

Well ... there.

I'm expecting next year to be much, much better.

[BGSU33]

I think the original poster makes a great point. All I've heard on this board all season is how young we are and after every loss posters use the we are so young excuse. Well 9 senior starters is not so young and by losing them it means there will be at least 9 New starters next year on top of any new freshman or redshirts that will start for us next year. So if we enter next season with say 14 New starters accounting for the 9 we lost and maybe another 4 or 5 redshirts true frosh or someone who earns a spot will we be using the Young excuse next year as well? I find that many on this board are just blind followers and rip anyone who brong up something that be looked at as negative. Someone please go back and look at one of my orginal threads from last December after the bowl game.. I said this is a 2-10 team with freddy Barnes and I was ripped on.. Well looks like I was right on..

This is my point exactly. But frankly, I could care less who agrees or disagrees with what I have to say, or with anyone else for that matter. Everyone's opinion on here is just that, an opinion. In the end, they're all about worthless because they can't change a single thing. To say I love BG football, men's hoops and baseball would be a huge understatement. But I don't sugarcoat things and won't just sit back and make excuses or keep talking about "next year" and how it's going to be be our year. In terms of football, I knew this season was going to be a rebuilding year. Even with my pessimistic outlook, I thought we'd going maybe 4-8. So yes, the thought of losing nine seniors off a team that will likely end up winning two games this season doesn't exactly bode well IMO, which again, doesn't mean squat.

[Drago]

I completely disagree with the fact that we are just a couple plays from being a 500 team. Honestly it amzes me how poorly our opponents have played at times this year. Marshall gave us our first win by throwing the ball directly to us. Central fumbled the ball to give us the opportunity to win the second game. The buffalo game we had no business being in at the end, but Buffalo couldn't hold onto the ball in the second half. Temple decided to pass on third and 4 with less than a couple minutes on the clock. It still took a very fortunate hail mary to give us the opportunity to win. Troy was winnable and Miami was winnable (even though they totally out played us). My point is good teams find ways to win games, and saying that were one or two plays from being contenders is not very accurate. Talent wise we aren't as far behind as people think, we should be much better than we are.