“It’s so hard, you might as well pick some big ones…”

Here’s a criticism several have voiced here at the blog.

In fact, he applauds the pair for the emphasis they appear to be placing on the OL, something (Matt) Stinchcomb said wasn’t always the case with the former Georgia regime.

“I like the emphasis on focusing on offensive line and getting the right guys. I do like that,” he said. “I will say, as much as I respect it, and I appreciate Coach (Mark) Richt and what he did, one thing that I did not agree with the idea with the offensive line was kind of just a commodity. I think it worked that way at Florida State.”

As a former offensive lineman, that saddened Stinchcomb.

We saw that attitude right off the bat, as Richt outsourced offensive line recruiting to Neil Callaway, and we saw it in the last season, when an over-matched Rob Sale was handed the metaphorical keys to the car.

So Stinchcomb’s larger point (see what I did there?) is that it’s not so much Pittman’s emphasis on big linemen that matters nearly as much as the head coach caring enough about the offensive line to make sure it’s an area of strength.

I can’t say for sure every place where I expect the team to be improved from Richt to Smart, but I don’t have any difficulty believing, given time, the offensive line will be better.

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Once again, mistakes were made.

Art Briles and Baylor formerly part ways (Briles no doubt with a nice check in his pocket) and in so doing issue a statement deploring what happened – passively, of course.

“Both parties acknowledge that there were serious shortcomings in the response to reports of sexual violence by some student-athletes, including deficiencies in University processes and the delegation of disciplinary responsibilities with the football program,” the news release said. “Baylor is addressing these shortcomings and making ongoing improvements.

“There were serious shortcomings” sounds so much more genteel than “the people who are issuing this statement seriously fucked up”, don’t you think?

The domestication of James Franklin

He’s come a long way from the hot wives theory of hiring assistant coaches.

… Franklin said he’s even more encouraged by watching his new hires buy homes and move their families to the area — something that Shoop and Hand didn’t do as quickly or at all.

“You have Coach Morehead, you have Coach Banks and Coach Limegrover have all bought houses here and their families have all come,” Franklin said. “With the first staff, we had some guys who their families didn’t move ever and we had some guys that their families didn’t move until after the school year finished up. That was a year. I think it’s dramatic when you can bring players to your home and your family is there. They get to know you on a different level.”

Although you kinda wonder how comfortable Mrs. Shoop and Mrs. Hand were in the presence of their husbands’ boss… er, former boss.