I'm curious as to what the talent gap was with WMU (and in which direction).
Altering what was a very effective blocking scheme is entirely on the coaches.
Taking three TO's into halftime in order to attempt a 51 yard field goal is entirely on the coaches.
Not finding some way to win back to back games by the midpoint of their second season here is entirely on the coaches.
Turning the Buffalo game from approaching a blowout to the point where one mistake by our defense or one successful trick play on their part would have put that game in overtime is entirely on the coaches.
Again, I'm not saying the coaches are without blame.
But let's look at some of these. For one, let's look at Western Michigan. With their senior QB. Who time and time again eluded pressure and made accurate throws on the run. Good decisions. The difference between Carder and Whitmer is significant. And maybe Whitmer can grow into it -- he's only a RS Soph.
Sure, the 51 yard FG wasn't great, but again, as I said, all coaches mess up. It's the nature of the game.
As far as Buffalo goes, okay, yeah, should we have been so conservative and taken our foot off the gas? Probably not. But we did win. Wins count for something, ugly or not.
Again -- I'm not implying that the coaches are without blame. But people act like we have some sort of Orange Bowl-caliber team talent-wise, and I just don't believe that's the case. Is the OL unable to block because of schemes or simply because we don't have the talent/mass? Is our running game sad because oo the OL or because we don't have a great RB? Is Whitmer making bad decisions because it's always 3rd and long or because our receivers get no separation or because he's just not that experienced and makes bad decisions?
These are complex questions and I refuse to believe the answer is always "DeLeone's fault." That's all. I am not trying to be an apologist. I am trying to be a realist with realistic expectations for this team and what it's capable of.