The WVU loss was more than just a simple loss. We all feel that. Even the sunshine pumpers feel it, though they try to hang on to their pumper cards with the old "on the road," "young team," "inexperienced quarterback," "one missed kick away" lines.
But you can tell their hearts aren't really into it. They feel what we all feel. That loss was potentially devastating. But why? WVU seems like a pretty decent team. It was a hostile environment, and we do have quite a few young players.
Here's why.
We've all got one eye (sometimes two) toward the future, beyond 2016. This year is a stopgap. A placeholder to "What's Next." Don't deny it. You know it's true. Even you pumpers have been fond of saying "We make our run in 2017!"
And what our eyes are now seeing are several doors leading to "What's Next" options, and now we fear all those doors lead to a giant pit, at the bottom of which lie crocodiles waiting to rip our program apart.
That's because there are key factors looming over the program, clouding the skies from Kimball to Ft. Riley Blvd.
And there is the crux of the issue, right there.
The WVU loss brought a possible 6-6 finish into sharp focus. And a 6-6 finish gets Bill to 199 wins.
If you don't think 200 wins is important to him, you don't know him. He wants it. That means our program's long-term fate may hang in the balance of an otherwise meaningless bottom-tier bowl game against a no-name opponent. Remember, we're quite fond of losing bowl games around these parts, too.
So if we acknowledge that a) it's time for the staff to go, b) Snyder won't fire them, and c) no quality replacement would work for a short-timer anyway, then the ONLY LOGICAL SOLUTION we have before us is for Snyder to retire following this season, effectively ridding us of Dimel and Miller (and everyone else) in the process.
That's why 6-6 is so potentially disastrous. That's why the WVU loss was potentially disastrous. That's why 199 should be your least favorite number for the next couple of months.
But you can tell their hearts aren't really into it. They feel what we all feel. That loss was potentially devastating. But why? WVU seems like a pretty decent team. It was a hostile environment, and we do have quite a few young players.
Here's why.
We've all got one eye (sometimes two) toward the future, beyond 2016. This year is a stopgap. A placeholder to "What's Next." Don't deny it. You know it's true. Even you pumpers have been fond of saying "We make our run in 2017!"
And what our eyes are now seeing are several doors leading to "What's Next" options, and now we fear all those doors lead to a giant pit, at the bottom of which lie crocodiles waiting to rip our program apart.
That's because there are key factors looming over the program, clouding the skies from Kimball to Ft. Riley Blvd.
- It's painfully obvious Dimel (and quite possibly Miller) are not getting it done.
- Snyder has shown the inability to fire assistants in the past.
- Even if he does fire them, what quality coach will come work for a 76-year-old for likely 1 year?
- Snyder currently has 195 wins.
And there is the crux of the issue, right there.
The WVU loss brought a possible 6-6 finish into sharp focus. And a 6-6 finish gets Bill to 199 wins.
If you don't think 200 wins is important to him, you don't know him. He wants it. That means our program's long-term fate may hang in the balance of an otherwise meaningless bottom-tier bowl game against a no-name opponent. Remember, we're quite fond of losing bowl games around these parts, too.
So if we acknowledge that a) it's time for the staff to go, b) Snyder won't fire them, and c) no quality replacement would work for a short-timer anyway, then the ONLY LOGICAL SOLUTION we have before us is for Snyder to retire following this season, effectively ridding us of Dimel and Miller (and everyone else) in the process.
That's why 6-6 is so potentially disastrous. That's why the WVU loss was potentially disastrous. That's why 199 should be your least favorite number for the next couple of months.
