I too am not so certain whether Grier would have made the difference in our loss--Treon, though definitely the "downgrade" we all can SEE and agree he generally is, CAN get on hot streaks that, depending on their length, can produce a flurry of big plays and points (exhibit a: the 3rd qrtr at LSU), or much shorter ones that frustratingly tease, HINT at his potential (exhibit b: ONE PLAY this time, that rainbow to the aforementioned growing star Calloway)..."Exhibit a" may well have matched Grier's theoretical, more-measured output for the whole GAME in Baton Rouge, we'll never know--while "exhibit b" only underlines so far mostly UNtapped "potential", and how frustrating his FAILURES to ignite the offense are the rest of the time.
Beyond all that, and in the larger frame of reference of what we can accomplish with "Treon, as is" rather than a growing mastery of the scheme and the TEAM as one of its true leaders, well, I'm afraid that we are stuck with his limitations, and withOUT Grier (or, for the time being, realistically, anyone else) he is the closest we (and more importantly Coach Mac) are going to have in the way of "a proper fit" in the kind of offensive scheme our Coach and his OC have in mind--HAD in mind to build since the moment each knew he was coming here. But in both men, indeed in the whole coaiching staff from what I've seen, we DO have smart, inventive, flexible and inventive guys who (unlike our last Coach, who just hired OCs who SAID what he wanted to hear and never DID adjust to anything at ALL, it seemed) is adaptable and will acknowledge and work with what they've got at any particular time. If Treon has any natural skills and advantages at all (and we know he does--albeit somewhat unreliable and intermittent), Mac will do all he can to highlight and maximize those, even as he brings him along, helps him get better.
Yes, I'm putting the best face I can on all this--but that doesn't make any of it untrue. Just maybe not enough to get us "over the hump", from "pretty good--if only we had a QB and a kicker", to "across-the-board VERY good, potentially GREAT". DEFINITELY not this year. And unless we get some fluky transfers in here along WITH a major stunner of a recruiting class, not even a PART of all that really "fixed" til Will's allowed back--and even then, who knows? Meanwhile, as we know all to well: good or bad, great or mediocre, even WITH "great classes", you really don't know what you have until later--and that goes double PLUS, both in terms of skills and time to bring them up to the level and speed of play at this level--especially at the QB position!
But then again, who says "great" is necessary to go far, even "all the WAY", at least this season?
I haven't YET seen anyone that has dazzled me, all the time...that hasn't looked vulnerable, even very beatable at times--as late as this week. I promised to stay away from comparing us to the "elite teams" yet, to even worry about who is getting what kind of credit and/or how we compare with them, and I wanna stick to that. But if ever there were a "just take care of our OWN business-season", for us and everyone else, this is the one!
But bad as we have looked at times (and again, the WEIRD part is that for the most part that's been during wins, not our one loss), no one else I've watched have been without seemingly near as many miscues and even worse near- disasters than us. By the "eye test"--and certainly by the scoreboard.
So let's just win, take the East, see if we can beat the Criminoles--then see where we stand.
