Tuesday Update – TOB and BJD Now Singing From Same Hymnal

Not that Tom O’Brien has any idea who I am, or that many of you care. But what I read in the newspaper this morning was extremely reassuring:

“If we were a great team, we’d be in the final,” O’Brien said during an interview Monday in his office. “But we’re a pretty good team. And to be pretty good after the three years we’ve went through is really a giant step forward for the program.”

Perhaps Tom and I each just needed some time to cool down. I was angry about losing the Atlantic Division and the chance to play for a title (even as a significant underdog). TOB was (understandably) a little defensive after losing the same, which is apparently just the way he processes disappointment. So, in the immediate aftermath – he was throwing around the word “great” and I threw out “football Sendek.” I was too raw to remember my favorite Costanza mantra. My bad.

In summary – I still agonize over the lost opportunity. Everyone does, or should. It was still a pretty good season, and hopefully will be remembered more as a stepping stone than the apex of the Tom O’Brien era. The head man himself seems to think so, and that’s very encouraging. After all, NC State football and Tom O’Brien are still each other’s last, best chance to get over that elusive damned hump.

About BJD95

1995 NC State graduate, sufferer of Les and MOC during my entire student tenure. An equal-opportunity objective critic and analyst of Wolfpack sports.

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90 Responses to Tuesday Update – TOB and BJD Now Singing From Same Hymnal

  1. wvillepack 11/30/2010 at 12:02 PM #

    Next year like this year will depend on play of secondary. If they can improve and we can be more consistent on offense, next years team will take another step forward.

  2. packalum44 11/30/2010 at 12:23 PM #

    Glad alot of people feel better. I don’t. I wouldn’t look at this team in a vacuum, there are 11 other teams trying to improve too. The fact remains that we lost to a Maryland team that we were up 14 points who has a freshman QB. What makes anyone think we will improve more significantly than they will (if at all)? What makes you think we will improve more significantly than Florida State? Chances are much better Florida State becomes good real quick, as was witnessed in their FIRST year post Bowden. Guess what, we will suck on D next year. Nate is gone, our D-Line, who by the way SUCKED, is gone. Our secondary might be the only improvement but that doesn’t say much.

    We had a golden opportunity and it slipped away. I can get over that and forgive that b/c life goes on. But I won’t lose my marbles either. Chances are it might be another 3-5 years before we have the opportunity to win the Atlantic again. This isn’t wait until next year, its wait until God knows how many years. This is assuming Tenuta even stays.

    I understand if this is therapeutic for all ya’ll but I just can’t get a smiley face over a few comments in a vacuum.

  3. PackPatriot 11/30/2010 at 12:46 PM #

    I would also point out that a Hail Mary and a fluke of a fumble could have made this season much worse. We talk about missed opportunities in Clemson, ECU, MD, but let’s not overlook the absolute gifts we’ve been given. Wonder the tone on this board had we lost FSU and UNC… and we were really close to that reality.

  4. freshmanin83 11/30/2010 at 12:46 PM #

    I think they are singing “We will come rejoicing bringing in the sheaves”

  5. otisthetowndrunk 11/30/2010 at 1:03 PM #

    I don’t see that much improvement this year outside of the record. Losing winnable games because of boneheaded play calling. Coaching staff taking no responsibility for poor performances. Before the season started my prediction was, Tom would do just enough to keep his job secure, no more. That is what we got. Can anyone honestly tell me that they are not disappointed with the results compared to what we thought we were getting when he was hired. I am now prepared to lose the next 4 years at crappy also ran bowls.

  6. newt 11/30/2010 at 1:11 PM #

    I think it’s easy for hand-wringers to look at a couple of plays, or even one game, in a vacuum and have their heads explode.

    The program looks to be in good shape overall. O’Brien has shown himself to be 1) an excellent manager/CEO of the program 2) an excellent teacher of the game and 3) an effective leader in preparing his team during the week.

    Only a small percentage of coaching takes place during the game, and I can point to examples of solid game coaching (e.g. adjustments to start getting at TJ Yates in the Carolina game). In the end, the record speaks for itself.

  7. WolftownVA81 11/30/2010 at 1:12 PM #

    Got my pitchfork handy incase it’s needed next year.

  8. tractor57 11/30/2010 at 1:42 PM #

    This team is neither as good or as bad as some say. Better than last year and actually the best of TOB’s tenure. Yes I still see some issues, I am not satisfied but as compared to my preseason expectations I’m pleased.

  9. cWOhLFrPAiCKs 11/30/2010 at 1:45 PM #

    Those of you holding your breath for Bill Cowher to come coach at NC State should lie down before you hurt yourselves. Cowher won’t drop down to college ball after winning superbowls in the NFL. And I get the feeling NC State might be one of the last places he’d go, IF he ever got the itch to coach college kids. He’ll make his money in a year or two when the right NFL gig comes open.

  10. thekind 11/30/2010 at 1:49 PM #

    Wolfdog1- I agree with your post.
    This is good as it gets with General TOB. His recruiting sucks, his best athletes on the team are still Chucks, his teams truthfully are not that disciplined, special teams are horrendous, and he coaches scared “to not lose”. On top of that he acts arrogant, and only refers to we as “BC”.

    Let’s face it… TOB is the poster child for the status quo.

  11. wvillepack 11/30/2010 at 1:50 PM #

    Wake up guys, TOB has been out recruited and it shows on the field. How many plays did maryland db,s make? Quite a few. How many did our db,s make? It’s hard to make a play when you never turn your head around to see the ball? Talent just isn’t there. TOB has done great with what he has. We just need to compete better for recruits.

  12. MP 11/30/2010 at 1:51 PM #

    Well good to see that everyone is feeling better… well, that is other than otisthetowndrunk, packalum44, etc…

    TOB saying that we are a pretty good team that finished with a pretty good record is no revelation, that is just the truth. What I’m more reassured about is this: “In the more distant future, O’Brien expects this season’s results to begin paying dividends in recruiting.”

    Because ladies and gents, that’s the bottom line. This team was in no way, shape, or form a championship team. MAYBE in 2012 we will be, if we get some excellent recruits coming through the pipeline to add to what we already have.

  13. codebrown 11/30/2010 at 2:06 PM #

    8-4 is nice. But you know what would be even better? 9-3 or 10-2 or 12-0.

    Go big or go home!

    I’m tired of all this losing mantra and level-headed people justifying why we can never seal the deal. If we the fans have this kind of mentality, surely it reflects on the team that we put on the field. Last time I checked, this is still America and dreaming big with lofty expectations is still not a crime. If TOB can’t bring home an ACC Title, we will find someone else who can. That said, does anyone have Mark Richt’s cell phone number?

    Phew, now that I got rid of my irrational State fan lunacy. Yes, an 8-win season is a step towards the right direction.

  14. wolf_at_my_door 11/30/2010 at 2:07 PM #

    8-4… okay…. to me what held this team back was mental. The more Tom O’Brien talks the more I believe the mentall hurdle to cross is in his mind.

  15. wufpup76 11/30/2010 at 2:14 PM #

    I can dig this …

    Not ready to say he’s not ‘Football Sendek’ (after all, it would be nice to win something sometime – and I mean a conf. championship – not a Tire / Belk bowl).

    But HWSNBN would have NEVER just been flat out honest about his team. TOB’s assessment is honest and accurate and very refreshing.

    I can definitely see where some of the strong doubts come from for some – but at the end of the day (season) this was a major step in the right direction. 8-4 is not the ‘Status Quo’ … plenty of disappointments along the way – but some pleasant surprises too.

    Guess we’ll see what happens next season and if RW comes back …

    Go Pack

  16. choppack1 11/30/2010 at 2:17 PM #

    BJD 95 – nice to see you return to the rational side of things. I understand how it happens – I was the same way after the Clemson game.

    I knew the UMd game would be a tough one when I looked at the #s. We were playing a team that was improving and unfortunately, I think we peaked against GaTech or Cincy. Still, we played 4 must win games and went a respectable 2-2 in those games. That won’t win any championships, but it gets this program headed in the right direction.

    My big concern w/ next year is the collapse of our passing D that we saw in our last couple of games. Next year, we’ll have more experience in our secondary – and some more bodies to call on, but I think we may need to remove Archer if we’re ever going to be an elite D.

    I mentioned in another thread that TOB seems hellbent on recreating the D that he had at BC. And it’s easy to see why – their passing D has been pretty good the last 5 years. If our passing D was good this year, I think you would have seen us in the championship game.

    The good news is that our running D took a huge step forward.

    Offensively, let’s just say that next year will tell us ALOT. Glennon should be able to see the field better than RW. I think he has a better arm than RW. However, I doubt he has the intangibles and can’t make plays w/ his feet like Russell. We’ll have more experience and cohesion on the OL, but we lose 3 big WRs.

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I’ll take 5-3 in the ACC for the next few years. Eventually, we’ll need more, but for now NC State needs to build a winner. And I’d rather do it the way TOB is doing it than the way Butch is doing it in Chapel Hill.

  17. highstick 11/30/2010 at 2:17 PM #

    Packpatriot…several other people have made that point about getting “the lucky break” on both the Fl. State and UnC games, but seems like that fact keeps getting shoved to the rear…

    My assessment is that TOB should be on a hot seat, but if we’re unhappy with an 8 win year, maybe we are lunatics…If that’s his ceiling though and I’m not seeing anything in the recruiting and game management that makes me feel differently, then we need to be arguing those points.

    We could very easily be a better team(coached and performance by players) and still not reach 8 wins again next year..

  18. 61Packer 11/30/2010 at 2:18 PM #

    wolfdog1 said it all. Anyone who thinks we had a good season simply isn’t paying attention to anything but the Ws and the Ls. This was probably the best chance we’ll have in a long time to make it to the conference title game, but we blew it, not the refs. We were actually lucky to win the FSU and UNC games, and we simply crapped out in the ECU, Clemson and Maryland games. A good team simply wouldn’t have blown those games, let alone a 14-0 lead the way we did Saturday. I won’t quit buying season tickets, but please quit telling me that we’re really headed in the right direction. I’d rather stay home and watch our basketball team play their usual December nonconference home schedule rather than follow this team to a bowl. What could winning the Sun Bowl or “Tire” Bowl or beating this Notre Dame possibly do to enhance our football program’s stature?

    And you can get ready for more mediocrity on the court as I’ve seen our new “talent”, and while they’re fun to watch, they’re being led by a coaching staff that couldn’t coach their way out of a Division III jayvee tournament, let alone develop freshman talent that at times seems lost.

    wolfdog1 is right. Coaching recognition continues to be the root of our problems. The NCSU administrators responsible for athletic hires quite frankly couldn’t recognize the right choice from a lineup that included Bob Wade, Les Robinson, Paul Hewitt, and Coach K.

  19. Texpack 11/30/2010 at 2:20 PM #

    If you look at the schedule for next year you would think 10-2 or 11-1. This especially true if UNC-CH gets hammered and suffers defections.

  20. newt 11/30/2010 at 2:36 PM #

    Not disciplined, but somehow #1 least penalized team in the ACC and #6 in the nation.

  21. tjfoose1 11/30/2010 at 2:41 PM #

    Good write up. Sounds spot on to me.

  22. choppack1 11/30/2010 at 2:49 PM #

    Can we agree to stop doing focusing on the “almosts” – yes, we almost lost to UNC and FSU, but we almost beat VaTech, ECU, and Clemson.

    The way I see it, we were 3-4 in close games. That’s about right. Inevitably, close games come down to who made the plays and who didn’t. At the end of the day, it all comes out in the wash. The record is what is – 5-3 is a solid season – it’s no reason for a parade or to take a day off of work to tie one on, but it’s a good start to hopefully better things.

  23. ShavlikLeague 11/30/2010 at 3:23 PM #

    Glad that some are feeling better. I share a similar view to what packalum and otis have put forth. Plus, I still maintain that it will be very, very difficult for a TOB/Bible-coached team to make it to the 9-10 win season very often, due to the fact that they are so rigid in their strategies and hold close to the primary game plan while in-game. Many other coaches around the league are quick to change or alter schemes if something isn’t going quite as initially planned (biggest example, Bud Foster’s adjustments at halftime…we didn’t counter adjust to Foster’s changes).

    Perhaps this is why TOB hasn’t ever won the “big one” as BC fans are quick to point out? I would submit that perhaps TOB and Bible need to have a refresher on “The Art of War” and go back over the Five Fundamentals of Strategy, concentrating primarily on the Tao of Deception. If they were intimately familiar with these concepts, then there is no way we lose the games where we go ahead by two or more scores and then get beat soundly from then on.

  24. phillypacker 11/30/2010 at 3:29 PM #

    The Sendek/TOB comparison needs to stop. Sendek cowered before our major opponents. TOB proudly claimed to be state champions. It may be a little hokey, it thrilled me to hear someone actually poke at UNC, Duke, Wake and ECU. He needs to get stronger as a game coach. The time wasting of not being in the hurry up/two minute offense drives me up the wall. How has he noted recruited a decent punter after 4 years?

    And, well, this may get me crucified, but I think Glennon will be an improvement on RW. Maybe not at first, but over time. I love RW, great person, tremendously gifted QB, but he has had a number of interceptions, at least two of which, ended possible come back wins (VT and ECU). State depends on RW way too much. The way the offense is developed to take advantage of his gifts, also retards development of other players. He may be the best chance for us to win, game in game out, but we are leaning very hard on a young man who has a lot else on his mind. Would we have been tremendously better off without RW not playing baseball, absolutely. RW never got settled all season, as far as I’m concerned.

  25. BJD95 11/30/2010 at 3:35 PM #

    If the choice is “one more year of Wilson” or “two years of Glennon” (as I think it might be), then I choose Glennon.

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