After three straight losses, all embarrassing for different reasons, the fan base is restless. Some are calling for the coaches’ heads. The defense appears to be in disarray and the passion we see in the stands seems to be missing on the sidelines. The football team now resembles the stereotypical national view we have all come to resent. At 3-4 where does this team go?
Before the season the team set their goals on a Big XII championship. Achieving that goal is now all but out of the picture. So how does this team keep its focus or salvage success? Success is not measured by championships. It is measured by meeting or exceeding goals. It is measured by overcoming obstacles. If every team set out to win the national championship, only one team out of 128 would be successful. That’s 127 unsuccessful teams. If only the Big XII champion were a success, only 10% of teams in the conference would be successful. This team still has a chance at success.
Our boys are 3-4, but all is not lost. Currently they have arguably the most talented player in college football taking each and every snap. Without Patrick Mahomes this team quite possibly could have lost the OU game by three touchdowns or more. Without Patrick Mahomes this team likely would not have had a shot at winning the KSU game. With him at the helm, this team has a chance to win every game in front of it. The team is down but it is not out. It is young, but it is not without hope.
All NFL scouts are holding this system against Patrick Mahomes. Assume for the moment that no team is willing to draft him in the first five rounds. Pat would have every reason to stay for one more year. Assuming he were to stay for next year, Tech would bring back 18 of 22 of its 2-deep on offense. If you think this year’s offense is good, think about how good it could be with that experience, not to mention another year under Pat’s belt as a full-time quarterback. The defense will return 6 of 11 starters and 11 of 20 on their 2-deep.
The Defense
The players that will step up next year will be Gibbs recruits—recruited, built, and trained to play in this system. The defense lost serious cover corners in Nigel Bethel and Tevin Madison. Unfortunately, at the moment they are currently forced to play a converted wide receiver and no better than a second-string Justis Nelson. At linebacker, the team is small and young. With an inexperienced linebacking crew and a soft secondary, this defense can only rely on its line so much. As good as the line has been, they can press all they want, but when the players behind them are incapable of stopping the pass, the line has to play for a pass. This won’t necessarily be the case moving forward.
The defense will only get better with time as they learn to play within themselves and trust those behind them. Three of the four front-men will return next year. With Broderick Washington showing potential to be a big man up the middle, the line looks to improve greatly. Improve those behind them and everyone will be able to play their position rather than have to play two or three positions at a time. Jordyn Brooks and D’Vonta Hinton have what it takes to be a very special duo behind the line. If Jonathan Picone can step up and the team can find a true SAM (whether Picone, Hinton, or Brooks), the linebacking crew will be stacked. Improvement in the secondary comes with added talent around proven star Jah’Shawn Johnson. The 2017 class was solid and the 2018 class is currently 5th in the nation. Reinforcements are coming. If the front seven can step up as expected, there will be less pressure and the secondary will require less talent.
The Offense
Not much needs to be said here. Returning 18 of 22 from the 2-deep makes this team unstoppable on offense. What talent and scheme have done to make this offense good, experience will do to make this offense historically great. Pretend for a moment that Pat does not come back. We have all seen the impressive work of Nic Shimonek. If he is to take over the offense next year, so be it. He is not Pat, but he is more than capable of running the offense at a high level. If Jett Duffey were to beat him out, then good on him. Shimonek has proven to be more than capable, and anyone that beats him out is sure to run the offense at a higher level. Look no further than 2013 to realize that Kliff will not start an underperforming QB when his counterpart is outperforming him week in and week out. Whomever it may be that runs the offense next year will be more than qualified and the line in front of them and talent around them will be more experienced next year than this. Expect next year’s offense not to miss a beat.
The Future and The Finish
The Red Raiders have seven games remaining. Barring a remarkable collapse by four teams (K-State, OU, West Virginia, and Baylor), the Big XII championship is out of the question. A bowl and a successful season are not. There is not a game in front of this team that they cannot win. Moreover, 3 out of 5 is not unreasonable. TCU’s defense is broken and they have not faced an offense as prolific as Tech’s. Texas is down . . . again, and we face them at home. Iowa State is no longer a given, but this team is much better than them. Oklahoma State holds the psychological advantage over Tech, but is not unbeatable. Baylor is already depleted and will almost certainly be playing with fewer than 65 scholarship players by the end of the year. A bowl game salvages the seasons. Seven regular-season wins make the year a success, regardless of your preseason expectations.
This team can turn everything around with a spike in enthusiasm and a bit more bite on defense. The nation is just as tired as are we at discussing the lack of defense played at Tech. Hold a few teams under 40, win a few games by two touchdowns (or more) and the national perspective begins to change. To win this season would set the team up for years of success. To lose would perpetuate the program’s recent and steep decline.
The future looks bright for Tech, but this team’s play for the remainder of the year plays a large role in dictating how that future plays out. It’s no longer about championships or personal accolades. The remainder of this year revolves around winning for the seniors, for the future of Tech football, for Pat were he to leave for the NFL, and to a lesser extent, to save their coach’s job. There are no shortage of reasons to motivate this team to win. Let’s hope the coaching staff and players understand their place in this program’s history.
