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...on recruiting better players? He's not wrong- I get that. But is it really a good idea to alienate your current roster like that? I know that most of these guys aren't "his" players. But still, he'll be counting on those players to win games for the remainder of this season and the next couple seasons after that. And if his program doesn't show marked improvement in that time, he'll be standing in the unemployment line.

Just seems to me that that's a sentiment you keep behind closed doors, without publicly airing your dirty laundry.

I had similar thoughts. He kind of insinuated that it was tough to find 22 guys who wanted to do things the right way. Hopefully that was either me reading too much into the remark or a pretty big exaggeration on CJP's part.

I feel that over the past few weeks we've seen more players getting after it and becoming more of a unit. Improvement, to my thinking at least, has been evident. In other words, I think that he is convincing more of them to buy in to his plan. I hope that continues throughout the rest of the season.

The last five games of the season will define this team, imo.

I didn't mind it at all.  He sure doesn't sugarcoat anything.  Seems like the Bama way of "do your job or you'll be replaced".  And we know Saban uses comments to the media to send a message to his team.

Also seemed like a "message" to recruits as well.

far prefer "you are on notice" to you are a champion of life.  Either they are motivated to improve  or they whine and quit.  Lets find out who wants it.

my take

I think this starts the culling process
I believe there will be numerous, approaching double digits, transfers after the season.

I had no issue with it......But you have to be careful with the culling part unless they cull themselves.....We are in the shape we are in large part of the players Botch ran off or his over inflated ego made players want to leave. We can sign 25...and they will be Freshman that many won't be able to compete in this league right away....If you sign 25 and lose 12 that can be a bad combo....Another year or 2 down the road we will be in better shape to cull the herd. Just got to be careful right now....

my thoughts were.....very refreshing IMO. If some players get offended, so be it, they're getting a free education for playing football and there's value in that

I took it as a message to the players and I'm fine with that, especially if it brings needed change.  Where he needs to be careful is to not sound like he's making excuses himself.

I didn't like it for several reasons. One is just what you mentioned about alienating the roster. Another is that I'm a firm believer that coaches should never throw their players under the bus. Responsibility for losses starts at the top.

With that said, I saw it as a first-year head coach who is learning on the fly and who was extremely frustrated that his team had just laid down and allowed intimidation to take over against Alabama. You practice and prepare an entire week for an opportunity to make a strong showing in front of a national TV audience and you're down 28-0 just 11 minutes into the game. That's tough to swallow. I didn't like the comments, but it's easy to overlook them.

One of the things that makes it different from Dooley and Jones is, those guys came in preaching "this is what it takes.  If you can't give what it takes, get out."  Well, Butch didn't know what it took either.  So he ended up just running off the guys for whatever reason.  Judging by his coaching career and the schools he's been at, you would certainly think Pruitt knows what it takes.

We need some attrition to sign 25

But not a lot. And weren't we around 77-78 counting against the 85?

I wouldn't criticize CJP for the comments. I don't know the dynamics between him and this team well enough to do that, other than to restate that I think that they've improved and seem to be coming around - to some extent at least. My original reply wasn't my intended to be critical - rather it's just that I found his remarks to be odd.

After reading some of the replies above, I agree with a lot of what's been said. I to several of you have made very good points. I would guess that it was meant to be motivational to some and a warning to others. I also agree that it was most likely an action that comes from being new to this role.

Disagree totally.  The ones who are busting it to get better and who stay engaged are not offended.  They are offended by teammates that don't give it their all.  Pruitt probably doesn't care if someone gets alienated.  What's going to happen?  They going to quit?  If so, great, a scholarship opens up for someone who isn't a quitter.  I laugh at how soft everyone has become.  United States of the Offended.  Players who don't look over to get the coach's signal get offended............so be it.

^Walk off....Game over!

Mike dropped ...

 :clap: