is there any questions anymore about Dooley?

[FLVOL]

Horrible play against one of the lower ramked teams in all of college football

[WoodstockVol]

Horrible play against one of the lower ramked teams in all of college football

Things haven't changed that much from 2010

[VinnieVOL]

Horrible play against one of the lower ramked teams in all of college football

No question whatsoever.  No way anyone can defend this performance.

[RockinGrannyVol]

I am now fully on the fire Dooley bandwagon....until tonight I hadn't made up my mind, but this game did it for me

[WoodstockVol]

I am now fully on the fire Dooley bandwagon....until tonight I hadn't made up my mind, but this game did it for me

I hope I'm wrong but I think Georgia will toy with Tennessee next Saturday

[ChattanoogaVol]

No question whatsoever.  No way anyone can defend this performance.

I am now fully on the fire Dooley bandwagon....until tonight I hadn't made up my mind, but this game did it for me

Hard to argue after being out coached by Bowden and CO.

 

[WoodstockVol]

Hard to argue after being out coached by Bowden and CO.

 

It's sad to be outcoached by Tater Tot :(

[PirateVOL]

It's sad to be outcoached by Tater Tot :(

last I checked, tater tot's team got out scored 24-3 in the 2nd half.  With that level of coaching I'm fizzleing glad he is not in the SEC 

[VinnieVOL]

Hard to argue after being out coached by Bowden and CO.

 

That is a fact.

Talent eventually won out, but it was a chess match for three quarters.  A chess match.  With AKRON.

[VinnieVOL]

Let me add...

Akron didn't win a single game last year, lost by an avg of 45 points last year, and was destroyed at home by Central Florida to the tune of 56-10 this year.

It's a win, but at this point every game is Dooley's chance to plead his case for more time.  Tonight did not prove Dooley is the guy.  And these are supposed to be the gimmie games.  

Edit.. They were 1-11.

[RIPLEYVOL]

The TROY game  makes me nervous now!

[Inspector Vol]

Not to make excuse for the team but they felt anything like I felt this past week I can excuse a down performance against a team like Akron.

We need to win a game soon though against an SEC team not named vandy though. I'll be watching this week but for how long is the question.    

If they quit in another game this year Dooley and Chaney should be fired on the spot.

[ReVOLver]

He's not going to be fired until the end of the year barring some sort of incident, at least I don't think so. However, it is silly for people to continue to try to argue his merits and campaign for patience based on what has happened to this point. He has done nothing. The formula is simple... start winning some games against SEC teams that don't suck. 1-3 or 0-4 in this next four game stretch and his tenure is over.

[BanditVol]

He's not going to be fired until the end of the year barring some sort of incident, at least I don't think so. However, it is silly for people to continue to try to argue his merits and campaign for patience based on what has happened to this point. He has done nothing. The formula is simple... start winning some games against SEC teams that don't suck. 1-3 or 0-4 in this next four game stretch and his tenure is over.

Well, speaking only for myself, I have not argued his merits anywhere.  Not this year, and not really in the past.  In fact, I have had my doubts about him from the beginning.  The main thing that got under my skin that last couple of years was his propensity to instantly throw players under the bus and not really take any responsibility himself. That, and the seeming self-serving personnel decisions - twice he made decisions about Simms that seemed more calculated to help his own image than anything that was actually related to what was happening on the field (IMO).  I am very happy that he has, so far, not repeated his tendencies in the past to publically humiliate his players.

Having said that, you won't find me saying "Dooley is the future of this program".   Or "Dooley is getting his act together", or even "I think Dooley is actually a pretty good coach".

Instead, what I have been saying all year is that the result on the field is much, much better than anything I saw last year.  It isn't at a level where we can compete with the top echelon of the conference - it's not even close.    We have a long way to go. But on our journey forward, we might need a season or two of going 8-4 or 9-3 to get back to the top.  You don't go from 5-7 and losing to Kentucky to 11-1 overnight.  Everyone likes to point to saban (who is cheating his ass off in recruiting IMO but that's a separe topic), but even he went 6-6 in his first year.  Urban meyer famously cried his ass off after losing to LSU his first year.  So in spite of what some might think, you can't just wave the magic new coach fairy dust and suddenly win the SEC.  we were FAR, FAR, more beat down than either of those other programs.

It's easy to say "A top SEC program in it's third rebuilding year should be better than this".  But that statement blatantly ignores the particular circumstances of an absolute dearth of talent coupled with consecutive years of massive attrition, followed by an absolutely brutal season of injuries.  None of which excused the situation at the end of last year, when we lost to Kentucky, but we have made many changes since then .  Add in a complete reboot of our coaching staff and the removal of our star on offense from last year, and where would anyone expect us to be this year?

[BanditVol]

I had to continue this, because when a post gets to a certain length, the editor fizzles up, but here goes.

Continuing the thought, I also percieve - right or wrong - that many fans are not being objective because it's all about what they want and what their expectations are, and they want to win NOW, because, dammit, other teams have done so and we should to because "we are a big time program" or whatever.   I think it's a mistake to ignore the particulars of our situation.

One of which is, this program has not won more than 7 games since 2007.  Let me say that again.  2007!  Therefore, if we go 8-4 and win our bowl game, it's  a HUGE step forward, I don't care who the coach is.

Then the situation becomes interesting.  How many of our star players go pro?  How does recruiting go?  Do we land the number one RB in the country who currently seems to have us as number 1?   Say Bray continues to struggle a bit and drops out of the first round (probably unlikely, but...) and he decides to come back and we get that no. 1 back.  Say the D adjusts to Sunseri and the totally new staff by midseason, we get some good JUCOs again, and we look pretty solid by the end of the year.

Then we have a chance to compete next year for the East, and Dooley will have earned that shot.  Then all the players leave, we suck in 2014 (or not?) and THAT would be a far better place to make a change IMO.  

Or -  we go 8-4, win a midmajor bowl, lose Tyler and one or both of the star WRs, but have a great recruiting year and then Dooley stinks it up next year and is gone, but we have had some success this year to get our name back up there and recruiting is greatly improved.

Either one of those would be better IMO than a quick trigger removal of a guy who, in spite of some fans expectations (which are IMO perhaps a bit unrealistic) has unquestionably improved the product this season.  But of course a key question is "how much"?

[BanditVol]

Editor got me again - I definitely need to wrap this up, lol.

That isn't to say that I am hard set in these views.  It really all depends on what happens the rest of the way!   We might pull a major upset over uga or bammer.  We might play them close and win the rest of our games save USC.   We might completely stink it up and lose to msu and vandy and go 6-6, in which, yes, we need to make a change now.

At this point, who knows?

I am perfectly willing to let it play out, and while my expectations for a major upset are not high and even 8-4 is at risk, I am definitely going to wait and see.

[Black Diamond Vol]

It's really simple for me: Win an SEC game other than UK and Vandy (but don't LOSE to UK or Vandy).  Then we can evaluate Dooley's job status after the season.  Failing that, he's a dead man coaching.

[BanditVol]

It's really simple for me: Win an SEC game other than UK and Vandy (but don't LOSE to UK or Vandy).  Then we can evaluate Dooley's job status after the season.  Failing that, he's a dead man coaching.

Then we are not so far apart.

Let me add two things...one, I am glad if the rumor put out by OV is correct.  For a couple reasons.  One, we obviously need to hedge our bets.  Two, the last two coaching changes were absolute cluster-fizzles, and so far I based on what I have seen Hart should do a much better job.  At this point in time, I trust him way more than I ever trusted Hammy.

Two...Dooley has a $4 million buyout this year, and with us still paying Fulmer, Pearl, some assistants and even HAMILTON for chrissakes, that does matter.  We are cash-depleted.


If it's bad enough, I would hope some major donors step forward and help the Dooley buyout, but I would like to avoid that.    I assume his buyout drops dramatically next year.


Bottom line...IMO, the best thing for the program is that this season is a major step forward in a rebuilding effort, and IMO 8-4 is that.  If it's a step backward, then yeah, a change needs to happen.  No doubt.

[Black Diamond Vol]

Then we are not so far apart.

Let me add two things...one, I am glad if the rumor put out by OV is correct.  For a couple reasons.  One, we obviously need to hedge our bets.  Two, the last two coaching changes were absolute cluster-fizzles, and so far I based on what I have seen Hart should do a much better job.  At this point in time, I trust him way more than I ever trusted Hammy.

Two...Dooley has a $4 million buyout this year, and with us still paying Fulmer, Pearl, some assistants and even HAMILTON for chrissakes, that does matter.  We are cash-depleted.


If it's bad enough, I would hope some major donors step forward and help the Dooley buyout, but I would like to avoid that.    I assume his buyout drops dramatically next year.


Bottom line...IMO, the best thing for the program is that this season is a major step forward in a rebuilding effort, and IMO 8-4 is that.  If it's a step backward, then yeah, a change needs to happen.  No doubt.

Now I say that with one caveat- if we beat any of UGA, bammer, or USC, I'm drinking the Doolaid.  If we beat MSU or Mizzou, I want to wait and see how good those teams turn out to be before I jump back on the bandwagon.  I have a feeling that MSU, in particular, is pretty good.  They SHOULD be- it's looking like they have the best team money can buy.

[BanditVol]

Now I say that with one caveat- if we beat any of UGA, bammer, or USC, I'm drinking the Doolaid.  If we beat MSU or Mizzou, I want to wait and see how good those teams turn out to be before I jump back on the bandwagon.  I have a feeling that MSU, in particular, is pretty good.  They SHOULD be- it's looking like they have the best team money can buy.

I won't be "drinking Doolaid" in any case.  We could pull an upset and then collapse down the road at some point.  But it would be a great thing for our program to beat uga or bammer this year, no doubt.

In the event that we beat everyone but usc, uga and bammer, which you cite above, I agree we should still look at the body of evidence.  But it would have to be really bad to justify letting Dooley go at that point IMO.   But again, he will still be under the microscope the year or two after that and it will be far easier and IMO better for the program if we have to make a change then.

[VinnieVOL]

[Stogie Vol]

[Stogie Vol]

[VinnieVOL]

LOL!