You gotta love the guy for speaking his mind... http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/18513680/mike-leach-washington-state-cougars-coach-says-sec-offenses-special
well, this season pretty much showed that he's right. It's the same old point that Scott, or Kes or myself have made forever. However, it's hyperbole that these guys think sells those season tickets so we live with it another day until we have the playoff format we want.
I have to question, when the critic has yet to win anything, the validity of his criticism. Leach has not won a conference championship, or a national championship. The SEC has won multiple. Let's ask them about this. The bottom line is, if you think that a high falutin offense is the answer, think again. The SEC wins with great defenses and Clemson won with a great defense and a great offense. That's something Leach does not understand. And do I need to dredge up the old saying about opinions? :roll:
KP, I agree that offense alone won't win a conference (any conference) championship. I believe his original point was that if Longo struggles at Ole Miss, it won't be because of the arsenal of 'next level' SEC defenses. The SEC had a rather 'blah' season, no one aside from Alabama really stood out and Alabama made that walk thru the SEC look like a walk, not a struggle. In the post-season, the SEC went a pedestrian, but not bad, 6-7. Both of those things kind of support his point, you're human, that's okay. The on-field proof of supremacy, this year, is with the ACC. Best Bowl record, and it wasn't close, they have the NC. And if you insist on using the SEC as 'the standard', then the ACC went 4-1 against the SEC in bowl games. Like I said, it's okay to be human.
side note, the guy was a heck of a coordinator. He was the OC of the 'air raid' offense at Kentucky when Kentucky was a tough out. He was the OC at Oklahoma in 99 when I believe they won the national title and won the Heisman. The question at hand had to do with his former assistant and how he'd do as a coordinator. I do believe the guy knows what he's talking about, at least more than a couple of guys on a football bulletin board. Anyway, Leach is bat **** crazy. Just enjoy that he's talking about you guys and not pirates, again.
I love Mike Leach, he's out front with everything. Not afraid to say things that aren't very politically correct and as Corey points out he's BSC! Plus he called out Craig James for those 5 hookers he killed!
Corey, Terry, My point is not the strength of the SEC, which I have already pointed out as being down this year, my point is that speaking your mind is not enough, you have to have a valid point. If you want to win conference championships and ultimately national championships, then you will have to have a defense that contains the Mike Leach-type offenses enough to win. He can count his offenses as successes if he wants to...I like to count wins. Like I said he would make a great offensive coordinator.
He actually had a pretty decent defense last year and has one of the "hot" young DCoord on his staff. I expect another good year on defense for Wazzu and that guy will be getting a big raise and a new job. As far as playing for championships and Nat'l Titles. That's a reasonable goal at Alabama, but not so much at Wash State. Not that they don't want to win those things, but historically they are rarely in that position. So for them it and a lot of schools out there it's about winning 8 or 9 games and having an exciting brand of football and beating your rival (the dreaded UW puppies). Of course Kes will not shoot me down, if he has time!
Terry, Leach has coached at other schools, smaller conferences, so when I said that I meant that Leach has never won even a conference title. 8) Also so he has a super-duper offense and a "pretty decent" defense, it seems to me that maybe he needs to get a super-duper defense and at least a 'pretty decent" offense if he wants to get over the hump. :wink:
I don't think anybody would disagree with you on that, great defense is the base for a championship football team. It's not the only thing as the 2016 Houston Texans #1 ranked NFL defense was undone by it's #32 offense, are a case in point. All of the Final Four this year had excellent defenses during the regular season. In the end the team with the best QB won it all though, so offense counts for something! On Leach, his 2008 Texas Tech team came close to the Conf Champ. They tied Texas and OU for the B12 South, but lost on tie breakers and OU went to the title game. But you're right, at Texas Tech they don't win many conf championships no matter who the coach is and he'll have an uphill battle to win one at Wash State. Last one was Ryan Leaf lead team in what '97? He has a niche, exciting offenses and mostly winning seasons.