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It's a loss, but definately NOT the end of the world. We still have who most consider the best receiver on the team, Joel Filani, as well as Robert Johnson who is also an All-American candidate. Instead of 56-17, I change my prediction to 49-17.

RedAttack wrote:It's a loss, but definately NOT the end of the world. We still have who most consider the best receiver on the team, Joel Filani, as well as Robert Johnson who is also an All-American candidate. Instead of 56-17, I change my prediction to 49-17.

In whose favor?

GOOD QUESTION!

Danny Amendola is also a very capable receiver. Hicks is a stud and Crabtree is pretty good, too, but losing them is kind of like taking A-Rod and Matsui from the Yankees -- it stings a little, but they can still beat a hell of a lot of teams.

Any loss of players is still going to hurt. While Tech still has good receivers, are they going to play them with a little bit of caution? You don't want any good receivers to get hurt in the first game and cause the team to be in an even worse position when playing Big XII opponents.

I'm not sure if these two players being out will make a big difference in the game, but it might.

If Mike Leach can produce the nation's top statistical QB for 5 consecutive seasons, I'm sure somewhere in his big picture sits the probability that he can plug in receivers as well.

I won't take anything away from the talent of Hicks or Crabtree, but it is undoubtedly a system and the better the talent, the more prolific the system.

All that said, the receivers don't get open, the system gets them open.

This is a big deal. Tech may be deep and talented at WR, but losing Hicks nonetheless hurts for Tech. SMU is deep at RB, but I don't think anyone wants to see DeMyron out for a game (or Dorsey or Mapps for that matter). This is, I belive Tech's third loss on the two-deep at WR (I belive that Catron Houston was in the two-deep). They also lost their number four receiver from last year (Taurean Henderson).

Tech's has had numerous losses to grades/transfers/discipline since the spring (Jared Williams). Its certainly not a level playing field talent wise yet, but I'd bet we all would feel better if we were playing their third string.

Go ponies and pull the improbable upset!

Don't forget the guy that was stabbed in the colon.

Oh yeah. The colon. Ouch!

It's not devasting to Tech at all.

However, the drop off is not as much due to talent gap (1st teamers to 2nd teamers) as it is a timing and coordination issue.

My bet is that Graham Harrell worked with these 2 guys the past 2 weeks as first teamers. Tech's offense is a timing offense as much as anything else.

Whether changing out their starting 2 (of 4) receivers affects that is the question, not whether the next two in line are 'nearly' as talented.

You can be sure that, if we win, tech fans will be saying that it was because they were short in the receiver position.

there is a HUGE dropoff between Jarrett Hicks and whoever replaces him-not to say that Filani, Johnson and to some extent Amendola can't pick up the slack. This idea that they are all just replaceable parts because of the "system" is simply silly-its "conventional wisdom" that lacks substance.

Stallion wrote:there is a HUGE dropoff between Jarrett Hicks and whoever replaces him-not to say that Filani, Johnson and to some extent Amendola can't pick up the slack. This idea that they are all just replaceable parts because of the "system" is simply silly-its "conventional wisdom" that lacks substance.

I am not suggesting that there isn't a drop off, huge or not. Merely that what will hurt worse, perhaps, is lack of timing in the system.

Also, no Volkswagen Taurean Henderson.

Also, Taurean Henderson -- despite his short stature -- was a very talented (and underrated) blocker. It should be interesting to see how Woods & co. pick up the slack in that department, too.

McAndless wrote:I won't take anything away from the talent of Hicks or Crabtree, but it is undoubtedly a system and the better the talent, the more prolific the system.

All that said, the receivers don't get open, the system gets them open.

It isn't the system. If it were, BYU would have more than just the one NC. It is the coaching staff. Leach really is a good coach. His position coaches are pretty good too. The players trust the coaches and on game day, everyone knows exactly what to do and there is no selfishness because everyone gets their opportunity.

RHS wrote:The players trust the coaches and on game day, everyone knows exactly what to do and there is no selfishness because everyone gets their opportunity.

Isn't that the definition of a system?