We all knew this was going to be a rebuilding year, and I think just about all of us would be satisfied with demonstrable improvement throughout the season. Our disagreements are basically over whether there has been sufficient improvement, and if not, who should bear the responsibility.

So here is my eyeball-based analysis. Feel free to tell me why I'm right or wrong.

QB: Undetermined. Vick may be serviceable, but his injury leaves the question open. The lack of depth behind him is a definite problem.
RB: Outside of the emergence of Ouellette, a very disappointing season. Why is there no depth here beyond freshmen?
WR: I have been happy with the WR's progress. Outside of a few drops, few complaints.
TE: We really need someone in addition to Mangen, who's OK.
OL: The area I expected us to struggle in the most, but also the area I expected the most growth, and I'm not seeing it. The penalties are adding up, there's not a lot of push in the run game, and pass protection is suspect. We're young, but it's time to put it all together.

DL: Playing better against the run, but the pass rush isn't there like we expected. We have recruited DE heavily but we need push up the middle and we're not getting it.
LB: The most pleasantly surprising position group by far. I really thought we would struggle at LB, especially once it was announced Russell was done for the year. J. Johnson has my vote for team MVP.
DB: Pretty much a disaster.

K: Yaz has regressed somewhat from last year, but is good enough.
P: Bonnstetter has been fantastic and punt coverage has been good.
Returners: The past few weeks especially, it has been exciting in a bad way.

I agree that we all knew it was going to be a rebuilding year. I think it would have been easier to digest if we had been coming into the year off of stronger seasons than what the past two years.

I won't speak for everyone but I am down right starving for a championship and a true blue (or green = ) ) winner. Being a game or two over .500 is better than the alternative but it's not something that makes me jump for joy per se either.

Count me in as very disappointed in our coaching staff's ability to recruit talent at a level that puts us at the top of the MAC. It's one thing for a public high school whose talent pool is limited by who lives in their district-such is not the case for us. At the NCAA D1 level it's all about the salesmanship of a team's coach and our leadership is not bringing in top talent. Even when you graduate some top statistical leaders like we did last year, the cupboard should not be as bare as it is right now.

Here is a very telling couple of statistics:

Receiving statistics though nine games:

GP No. Yards Avg TD Long Avg/G
SMITH, Sebastian 9 24 284 11.8 2 37 31.6
Reid, Jordan 9 20 265 13.2 0 34 29.4
Smith, Landon 8 20 183 9.1 2 23 22.9

By comparison, we have had two opposing receivers go for over 200 yards each in two of the past three games.

In an era where passing offense is very popular in college football, we do a poor job putting the ball in the air overall and do a much poorer job defending the pass. This is not a unique problem to this season either. The ability to stop the pass is my larger disappointment. It's a combination of a bad to non-existent pass rush and poor play by the defensive backfield.

I fully realize we do not run an offense that is built on a pass heavy philosophy but with three games to play I don't see a player having much more than 500 receiving yards. Our in ability to pose a legit passing threat puts us behind the 8 ball.

Count me as underwhelmed if our season ends with our signature win being over Akron.

Face it guys, when FS & Co came in here we had a guy who had been to the Championship game and we thought he would be able to recruit better than anybody in the MAC and be the best coach in the league for many years. The staff worked hard, recruited good and coached up. And in what, 5-6 years we were in a MACC game and it looked like we were on schedule to finally win the big one. I, like everyone else, was very happy and saw only more progress on the horizon.

Well, news flash, everyone in the MAC has started recruiting as good or better than us and the staff is not nearly as "cutting edge" and on top of the pile as it was. I shared the article that there are only 2-3 schools that use the pistol. Most schools now use multiple or pro style attacks. Why? I am more convinced than ever that part of the structural problem is young players just do not care for this offense. I'm not sure what to say on the defensive side other than the front four, I thought, was ok this week. That and punting are the only signs of improvement I have seen lately. Reminds me of the Zastidal days.

If this staff does not change it's approach to recruiting and to schemes, they are taking this program nowhere. If they are too stubborn/bullheaded to see that change is necessary then it is all on them and FS will tarnish what he built here in the past over yte next 2-3 years. A really sad ending to a good career, I'd say.

On the flip side, maybe they regroup and prove me wrong. Maybe the last two years have given us a bunch of studs and the pistol will fire on all cylinders the next two years. Nothing would make me happier but I really doubt it at this point.