Do we have the veteran leadership to win the SEC East?

#1

PulaskiVolFan

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#1
During this troubled time I think veteran leadership is going to be more critical than ever to team's success this season. The old saying of one loss for every FR you start could hold merit this year. We started a bunch of Fr in '17 & '18 and lost a ton of games, we started less Fr in '19 and lost games early in the year but won more than we loss. We will start very few Fr this season, that alone should help us win football games. As for our veteran leadership, I believe the Alphas of the group are Trey, Henry T, Alontae and Cimaglia simply because he's one of the best in the country at his position. Who do you believe is going to provide the quality veteran leadership we'll need to compete and succeed in a 10 game SEC season?
 
#3
#3
No I don't see it. But we are talented enough to get there. But pure leadership driven team...don't see it yet.
I think if it does happen it'll be a collective effort. Lots of players with leadership potential I believe, but like you I think we may be shy as well.
 
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#4
#4
I don’t think so this year. I think we will next season though. As long as we have a decent season, hopefully 6-4, then that sets us up nicely for next season. I’d love to be surprised though
 
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#5
#5
I think if it does happen it'll be a collective effort. Lots of players with leadership potential I believe, but like you I think we may be shy as well.
This whole season is going to be like an episode of TWILIGHT ZONE.

Ex. Henry To'oto'o will have a 15 tkl game one week. Then be a quarantine the next. Then Banks and Crouch both get hurt. Then Beasley and Eason will start against Bama.

Beckwith will have a 5 catch game one week because 3 WRs are out, then the next week have 10 carries because The Top 2 RB are out.
 
#6
#6
This whole season is going to be like an episode of TWILIGHT ZONE.

Ex. Henry To'oto'o will have a 15 tkl game one week. Then be a quarantine the next. Then Banks and Crouch both get hurt. Then Beasley and Eason will start against Bama.

Beckwith will have a 5 catch game one week because 3 WRs are out, then the next week have 10 carries because The Top 2 RB are out.
Gonna be the year of the backup, at every position most likely.
 
#7
#7
This whole season is going to be like an episode of TWILIGHT ZONE.

Ex. Henry To'oto'o will have a 15 tkl game one week. Then be a quarantine the next. Then Banks and Crouch both get hurt. Then Beasley and Eason will start against Bama.

Beckwith will have a 5 catch game one week because 3 WRs are out, then the next week have 10 carries because The Top 2 RB are out.
I think that’s exactly right. Just no way to know from week to week what you’re going to get. I understand why it had to happen, but I kind of wish we hadn’t added 2 extra conference games so we could get some extra off weeks to cover stuff like that.
 
#8
#8
This whole season is going to be like an episode of TWILIGHT ZONE.

Ex. Henry To'oto'o will have a 15 tkl game one week. Then be a quarantine the next. Then Banks and Crouch both get hurt. Then Beasley and Eason will start against Bama.

Beckwith will have a 5 catch game one week because 3 WRs are out, then the next week have 10 carries because The Top 2 RB are out.

Do we have any idea what % of our roster has already tested positive for Covid?

Still kinda crazy that they are playing at all. Pretty obvious from the past month or so that football is spreading Covid like crazy. Nothing like the NBA where they've managed to do a pretty good with the bubble. I'm not complaining and maybe the players do need to play, but yeah ... this will be a weird season.

A Covid season probably favors Bama and Georgia, though, given their depth.
 
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#9
#9
Do we have any idea what % of our roster has already tested positive for Covid?

In one press briefing, CJP talked about how that week's 7-8 positive covid tests on the team was beyond the "normal none or one." We can use that to guesstimate that the team has seen about 0.5 lads come down with it any given week. Over the course of the voluntary and formal practice periods of the summer, that comes out at about 8. Add that to the week with "7 or 8" and the handful we know we got coming back from the week off around the 4th of July, and that puts us around 20. There was one other spike, too, I just don't remember when it was. So say 25-30 known. Positive tests.

But I don't think they've tested, not even once, for the anti-bodies. So any of the lads who got covid (maybe without knowing it) and got over it all before the June start of voluntary workouts, they'd add to that number.

So best guess? Anywhere from 25 to maybe as high as 50 or 60. A quarter to half the team.

Certainly not as high as LSU's "maybe almost all." LSU's in a good spot right now for a mostly covid-free run through the season, sounds like.
 
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#10
#10
I think we will look back and count this season a success if we just get 10 games in.

Sadly that's gonna be the goal for every team. The stronger, deeper, most talented teams have the advantage in this case, but anything can happen. Its gonna come down to the contact tracing rules that each individual team has to abide by and whether or not they choose to fully enforce it.
 
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#11
#11
Do we have any idea what % of our roster has already tested positive for Covid?

At least 30. Pruitt said on 8/17/2020 that 23 had tested positive to Covid (most if not all got it outside of facility). The other day he said 7 to 8 currently had it. Problem with the contact tracing, it actually puts an incentive for players to go ahead and catch it so they don't have to worry about going into quarantine every time they come into contact with someone who has it like Morris (3 times in quarantine). Programs that have had more positive cases to start the season will have a competitive advantage
 
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#12
#12
Do we have any idea what % of our roster has already tested positive for Covid?

Still kinda crazy that they are playing at all. Pretty obvious from the past month or so that football is spreading Covid like crazy. Nothing like the NBA where they've managed to do a pretty good with the bubble. I'm not complaining and maybe the players do need to play, but yeah ... this will be a weird season.

A Covid season probably favors Bama and Georgia, though, given their depth.


IMO a Covid season favors Bama not UGA. Offense takes time to gel. They've had and have QB issues, (their Heisman candidate dumped them), OL issues (in that losing Pittman doesn't hurt?), a relatively new OC, they've got talent but their offense will be very limited early in the season for sure.
 
#14
#14
During this troubled time I think veteran leadership is going to be more critical than ever to team's success this season. The old saying of one loss for every FR you start could hold merit this year. We started a bunch of Fr in '17 & '18 and lost a ton of games, we started less Fr in '19 and lost games early in the year but won more than we loss. We will start very few Fr this season, that alone should help us win football games. As for our veteran leadership, I believe the Alphas of the group are Trey, Henry T, Alontae and Cimaglia simply because he's one of the best in the country at his position. Who do you believe is going to provide the quality veteran leadership we'll need to compete and succeed in a 10 game SEC season?

don't forget the "old man"center been around for ever.... Henry T is hardly a vet. just a sof. I know folks will shoot me down on this proposed, by our senior QB will be looked to by most player because they seem to respect him.
 
#16
#16
Certainly not as high as LSU's "maybe almost all." LSU's in a good spot right now for a mostly covid-free run through the season, sounds like.

Personally, I do not buy what Orgeron is selling. LSU doesn’t disclose testing data so it’s more likely than not he’s just straight up lying so he doesn’t have to follow test protocols throughout the season and can prevent his team from the risk of losing key players in big games.

I mean, if it was actually true that nearly all players tested positive, why hold that data back? It only helps to show that proof.
 
#17
#17
Personally, I do not buy what Orgeron is selling. LSU doesn’t disclose testing data so it’s more likely than not he’s just straight up lying so he doesn’t have to follow test protocols throughout the season and can prevent his team from the risk of losing key players in big games..

I don't think he's lying, but he's likely exaggerating. He's definitely the type of guy who catches a 1 foot fish and exaggerates it up to 5 feet.
 
#18
#18
But I don't think they've tested, not even once, for the anti-bodies. So any of the lads who got covid (maybe without knowing it) and got over it all before the June start of voluntary workouts, they'd add to that number..

They definitely should be testing for anti-bodies. That's crazy if they aren't.

I suspect that there might even be some % of the population that might've had the antibodies pre-Covid. It's possible that other coronaviruses or other similar diseases could provide some level of partial immunity. But even if that's not the case, completely possible some players had Covid back in April or May without knowing it.
 
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#19
#19
I don't think he's lying, but he's likely exaggerating. He's definitely the type of guy who catches a 1 foot fish and exaggerates it up to 5 feet.
We remember when he coached here with Kiffin and how he tried to get all those recruits to change their commitment and sign with USC. I don’t put it above him to lie.
 
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#21
#21
I think that’s exactly right. Just no way to know from week to week what you’re going to get. I understand why it had to happen, but I kind of wish we hadn’t added 2 extra conference games so we could get some extra off weeks to cover stuff like that.

Or, If you re going to a 10 game conference only schedule start on time and have those extra weeks built into a longer season.
 
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#22
#22
Or, If you re going to a 10 game conference only schedule start on time and have those extra weeks built into a longer season.

This is what we should have done. 4 games were postponed last weekend. 4 games are already postponed for this weekend. Eventually conferences will run into a wall where games can’t be postponed due to weeks remaining and then forfeits will start.
 
#23
#23
During this troubled time I think veteran leadership is going to be more critical than ever to team's success this season. The old saying of one loss for every FR you start could hold merit this year. We started a bunch of Fr in '17 & '18 and lost a ton of games, we started less Fr in '19 and lost games early in the year but won more than we loss. We will start very few Fr this season, that alone should help us win football games. As for our veteran leadership, I believe the Alphas of the group are Trey, Henry T, Alontae and Cimaglia simply because he's one of the best in the country at his position. Who do you believe is going to provide the quality veteran leadership we'll need to compete and succeed in a 10 game SEC season?

I think some leaders will emerge throughout the season, but yea the guys you mentioned. JG, Bryce Thompson, Crouch, Middleton, Butler are some other guys I would look to to lead.
 
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#24
#24
I think UT has the right combination of experience and youth. I think leadership is a strength including JG. My concerns are the other things I've mentioned primarily the QB position.
 
#25
#25
Two words: Jarrett Guarantano

He has the leadership skills to get us there. I believe he grew up a lot last year in terms of football experience, and he will have a ton more confidence this year (never underestimate the power of confidence). Additionally, he is not having to learn a whole new system for once in his career. Chaney also has a much better understanding of his skill set, and will design his passing game plans to play to his strengths. Add to this that his teammates love and respect him, and you have a winning combination. I said it earlier, and I'll say it again, he is going to surprise a lot of people this year.

All the JG doubters out there, you can flame on now. I can take it.
 

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