Where Did The Magic Go?

[DRU2012]

I'm with both of y'all here. GatorsAre#1 makes some excellent points, hits it on the head re the coaching losses and repercussions--and we ALL are sick at watching/hearing about "Cam Newton-Heismann/Auburn-#1" ad infinitum, and wondering how different it all MIGHT have been.
Still, Escambia94's proposal that Cam wasn't "that guy" then, that he had to "walk thru' the fire" so to speak to get to where he is now, this is a possibility I've thought (and written) about in recent days.
One thing is clear, though: he was and is better suited to the scheme, the system we were running then--and CONTINUED to run this season, despite pronouncements to the contrary, which begs the question:
What was all that about "preferring Brantley", choosing HIM as our QB-to-be, and supposedly "adapting our system for him"?!!
This is a HUGE question, it seems to me--another one to add to my ever-lengthening list of "Things I'd Like To Hear Urban Meyer Clearly Explain".

 

[awebbf5]

How about CB? Is Jeremy Brown going to step up and shut down opposing aerial attacks like we did early in the season? I'm looking for some more QB sacks out of Ronald Powell.

I think next year Powell will be our Alex brown or our Brandon spikes ,this kid will be great IMO. Will hill has been nothing but a dud.

 

[robdog]

I would have to say the loss of Tebow and Percy. Just way to hard to replace 2 elite college players in back to back years. Defense still looks like it has some magic, but the offense took a big hit.

 

[ShineOn15]

There's no mystery to the "Magic"

The "magic" of the last 3 year's Gator success is easy to discern. It was the ability of Dan Mullen to adjust the game to the quarterback strengths and it was Tim Tebow. Does everyone remember the first year with Chris Leak, a quarterback who couldn't run the football? It took almost an entire season, but Mullen adjusted the spread to accomodate Chris and we won a National Championship. It had nothing to do with Meyer, except to say he chose the right man for the job. EVERYONE in Gainesville has underestimated the impact Tim Tebow had on the coaching staff, the players, and recruiting. He carried and inspired a team with lousy offensive play calling last year after Mullen left.

I'm disgusted with last year's performance and this year's so far on two levels. Did anyone notice that we are running the same plays we ran the year Dan Mullen left? We ran them last year ~~ the year that Tim Tebow was supposedly "coached" all off-season by an NFL quarterback coach who did NOTHING to help him in the pocket, in my opinion. The only reason we didn't lose more games last year was because of Tim Tebow's incredible resilience and because we still had a defense that could keep us in a game, thanks to Charlie Strong, not Urban Meyer. We should have won the National Championship last year, but we lacked inspired, creative coaching and relied instead on the big shoulders of a 22 year-old quarterback for leadership.

I have no doubt Urban Meyer loves the kids. But we have an undisciplined team on the field and off the field. We look confused, sloppy and lazy. More importantly, we run plays that show how obviously we DO NOT KNOW our opponents. This is a coaching responsibility, plain and simple. Urban Meyer had better take control, even if it means he starts play calling to shake things up. Can you imagine Steve Spurrier coming to town? He is a coach who KNOWS his opponents and he's finally collected some athletes who are players....

Enough said. At our house, never a weekend goes by without praying for our Gators!

 

[DRU2012]

@ ShineOn15:
I believe you've laid it out clearly and succinctly--where we are and how we got there.
To add the obvious, Addazio is who Urban Meyer has put in Mullen's place, "the wrong guy at the wrong time" for ANY big time program. Everything else is nicely covered above, explicitly and covertly.
No need to say more at this point, except this: I'd have to say that Addazio has failed his "dress rehearsal" for Head Coach, wouldn't you? I mean, Foley's a bright guy, right? Right?

 

[The Zooker]

the year that Tim Tebow was supposedly "coached" all off-season by an NFL quarterback coach who did NOTHING to help him in the pocket, in my opinion

I wouldn't start blaming Loeffler though. It's not his fault Addazio called for Tebow to run left for 90% of the plays. And Meyer wouldn't let Loeffler change his throwing motion because of the risk that it would make things worse. If you have a kid who is in his senior year and leads the nation in passer efficiency it's not worth the risk of messing things up. So the only thing they let Loeffler do is work on Tebow's foot work in the pocket. Loeffler has a strong history of success in coaching quarterbacks. If he somehow looks bad now then it's got to be an institutional thing.