Mornin Mates...
Today's Topic = Is It Magic ?
Well, we're entering Graham's fourth year at ASU and he has already pulled a couple rabbits out of his hat or has he..??
Some media pundits still think what he has done is magical in that there may not really be any other explanation for what has happened to the "Sleeping Giant" called the Sun Devil football program...
So, the question for the day is this...has Graham been a "magician" or is there much more to the story than that..??
He inherited a mess from Erickson but managed 8 wins his first year and then won the South PAC Championship his second year, using many of DE's players but he also plugged in several very good JC guys that were stars for the team...
He has now produced back to back 10 win seasons which hasn't happened at ASU since I last attended the school over 40 years ago...
Personally, I don't think he has pulled rabbits out of the hat as much as he has been a great coach for the Sun Devils thus far, and that he is going to be able to sustain that success due to his superior coaching, which includes having very good assistants, recruiting the right kind of players for his program, getting more talented players to sign on with the team, and being able to promote and sell his program to the fans and boosters...
Based on what I've seen so far in three years, these would be my media picks for the South this year...
1) ASU...the Sun Devils had to replace nine (count 'em) defensive starters that included such stalwarts as Sutton, Bradford, Young, etc, last season and yet the Devils again won 10 games...they also lost their starting QB early on but didn't miss a beat with Berco taking over...now contrast that with this year when they return nine of more starters on defense and have four of five OL that are seniors, to go along with the skill position players, that include a senior DJ Foster...they also have one of the best placekickers in the country and a punter who improved dramatically from his freshman season to last year's sophomore season...so, why would you pick against the Devils, who get five PAC home games that include USC, Oregon and AU, with all that talent and experience in the lineup..??
2) USC...the Trojans still have the "best" talent in the PAC as evidenced by recruiting rankings and preseason all-star ratings at each position...they also probably have the best QB in the PAC in Cody Kessler and also get five home PAC games, so nobody would be surprised if they not only won the South but the PAC as well...from an ASU standpoint, I think we have closed the talent gap with the Trojans to the point where it is basically non-existent and feel the same about the talent gap with the Ducks but we'll see when the two teams meet in SDS the end of Oct...
3) UCLA...the Bruins are loaded but are going to be playing with a true freshman at QB which can't be good, can it..??...that said, if he plays up to the hype and not as a true freshman would normally play, who knows as the Bruins return a PAC high 17 starters...luckily for us, Devin Lucien won't be one of them as he is now a Sun Devil as we all know...
4) Utah...I give the tie breaker for this place to the Utes over the Cats as they have five PAC home games while the Cats only have four...they also have a good but not great QB returning in Travis Wilson and one of the best RBs in the nation in Devontae Booker and an experienced OL in front of him...
5) AU...as we all know Rich Rod is a very good coach who runs a system that, when clicking, will put a great deal of points on the board which they parlayed into a PAC South title last year...he has Anu Solomon returning at QB and enough skill players to score a lot of points...he also may have the best individual player in the PAC in all-world Scooby Wright, who was a recruiting nobody that has turned out to be a "OKG" pot of gold for the Cats...however, RR is out of Stoops' players who were the backbone of last season's title run so we'll see what he does with his players now...
6) Colorado...the Buffs are making progress and have a good, young QB with an excellent WR in Nelson Spruce but they are still a long ways off from title contention...
So, again, is it magic that Graham has been performing for the Sun Devil faithful or is it just the result of superior coaching and recruiting..??
This year should tell the story, I believe...magical mirage or sustainable substance..??
On another note, it sure looks like Graham and his staff have reached "traction" with their desire to sell ASU to recruits from all parts of the country as "paradise"...
I know Marmie and Snyder tried doing it without much success but Graham seems to be reeling them in at a pretty good clip these days...
When I was growing up in NJ, I knew that Arizona and the desert could be paradise, especially in the winter, and wondered why anyone would prefer the rust belt, where the winters are brutal and the coeds are bundled up in five layers of clothing to keep warm, while a bikini tan is always available in the winter in the Valley...
Oh well, I encourage all people from the rust belt to remain there these days as we don't need any more traffic snarling up the place, although all potential players are welcome to make their home here...
Chicago is great about one month out of the year while the desert whispers sweet songs from November through May...
I await your feedback regarding the magic question...
G'day Mates...Championships or Bust...Go Devils!!!
Today's Topic = Is It Magic ?
Well, we're entering Graham's fourth year at ASU and he has already pulled a couple rabbits out of his hat or has he..??
Some media pundits still think what he has done is magical in that there may not really be any other explanation for what has happened to the "Sleeping Giant" called the Sun Devil football program...
So, the question for the day is this...has Graham been a "magician" or is there much more to the story than that..??
He inherited a mess from Erickson but managed 8 wins his first year and then won the South PAC Championship his second year, using many of DE's players but he also plugged in several very good JC guys that were stars for the team...
He has now produced back to back 10 win seasons which hasn't happened at ASU since I last attended the school over 40 years ago...
Personally, I don't think he has pulled rabbits out of the hat as much as he has been a great coach for the Sun Devils thus far, and that he is going to be able to sustain that success due to his superior coaching, which includes having very good assistants, recruiting the right kind of players for his program, getting more talented players to sign on with the team, and being able to promote and sell his program to the fans and boosters...
Based on what I've seen so far in three years, these would be my media picks for the South this year...
1) ASU...the Sun Devils had to replace nine (count 'em) defensive starters that included such stalwarts as Sutton, Bradford, Young, etc, last season and yet the Devils again won 10 games...they also lost their starting QB early on but didn't miss a beat with Berco taking over...now contrast that with this year when they return nine of more starters on defense and have four of five OL that are seniors, to go along with the skill position players, that include a senior DJ Foster...they also have one of the best placekickers in the country and a punter who improved dramatically from his freshman season to last year's sophomore season...so, why would you pick against the Devils, who get five PAC home games that include USC, Oregon and AU, with all that talent and experience in the lineup..??
2) USC...the Trojans still have the "best" talent in the PAC as evidenced by recruiting rankings and preseason all-star ratings at each position...they also probably have the best QB in the PAC in Cody Kessler and also get five home PAC games, so nobody would be surprised if they not only won the South but the PAC as well...from an ASU standpoint, I think we have closed the talent gap with the Trojans to the point where it is basically non-existent and feel the same about the talent gap with the Ducks but we'll see when the two teams meet in SDS the end of Oct...
3) UCLA...the Bruins are loaded but are going to be playing with a true freshman at QB which can't be good, can it..??...that said, if he plays up to the hype and not as a true freshman would normally play, who knows as the Bruins return a PAC high 17 starters...luckily for us, Devin Lucien won't be one of them as he is now a Sun Devil as we all know...
4) Utah...I give the tie breaker for this place to the Utes over the Cats as they have five PAC home games while the Cats only have four...they also have a good but not great QB returning in Travis Wilson and one of the best RBs in the nation in Devontae Booker and an experienced OL in front of him...
5) AU...as we all know Rich Rod is a very good coach who runs a system that, when clicking, will put a great deal of points on the board which they parlayed into a PAC South title last year...he has Anu Solomon returning at QB and enough skill players to score a lot of points...he also may have the best individual player in the PAC in all-world Scooby Wright, who was a recruiting nobody that has turned out to be a "OKG" pot of gold for the Cats...however, RR is out of Stoops' players who were the backbone of last season's title run so we'll see what he does with his players now...
6) Colorado...the Buffs are making progress and have a good, young QB with an excellent WR in Nelson Spruce but they are still a long ways off from title contention...
So, again, is it magic that Graham has been performing for the Sun Devil faithful or is it just the result of superior coaching and recruiting..??
This year should tell the story, I believe...magical mirage or sustainable substance..??
On another note, it sure looks like Graham and his staff have reached "traction" with their desire to sell ASU to recruits from all parts of the country as "paradise"...
I know Marmie and Snyder tried doing it without much success but Graham seems to be reeling them in at a pretty good clip these days...
When I was growing up in NJ, I knew that Arizona and the desert could be paradise, especially in the winter, and wondered why anyone would prefer the rust belt, where the winters are brutal and the coeds are bundled up in five layers of clothing to keep warm, while a bikini tan is always available in the winter in the Valley...
Oh well, I encourage all people from the rust belt to remain there these days as we don't need any more traffic snarling up the place, although all potential players are welcome to make their home here...
Chicago is great about one month out of the year while the desert whispers sweet songs from November through May...
I await your feedback regarding the magic question...
G'day Mates...Championships or Bust...Go Devils!!!
