I think they have some advantages we don’t. There is a lot of talent in SC. I believe I read somewhere they have more NFL players per capita than anywhere and you’re the more storied program in the state. USC has been very mediocre in their history. You’re also close to Georgia and Fl. That said , you’re fighting off the SEC schools and I think that is where the difference lies in his aggressiveness to not back down.
So I think he works harder at recruiting and has the “why not” attitude, but he’s also got built-in advantages gundy doesn’t.
I like this idea. To me, this is what needs to change. I know, the narrative that OSU wont get the 5 and 4 star recruits has been beaten loudly, but how did Clemson do it initially? Put in a slide in their football facility? And yes I know Dabo and Gundy are totally opposite personalities, but what can realistically be done differently? Is it a mind set thing? I know some of the past 4 and 5 star kids have gotten into trouble (Often before they are on campus), but there are plenty of good 4 and 5 star kids out there that wont get in trouble. But is that a reason to primarily look at 3 Star because they are good kids, with good families, raised the right way (Drink!)? Someone brought Baylor up as an example… So how does Matt Rhule get kids we can’t? Baylor was literally a dumpster fire when Briles left, so how does that happen so fast?
How hands off has HCMG become I wonder? Is he hands off the offense? Everyone thinks he’s involved, but he says some things like “They should have been throwing to Chuba earlier in the year”, which the fans were saying, but how can HCMG say that? He has the ability to tell them to do it.
He might be going too far to the Mack Brown side of CEO and needs to get back up in everybody’s business and make everyone uncomfortable again. For example, why did it take SS fumbling 10 times (slight exaggeration) before they drilled it into him to not drop it? Isn’t that QB school 101? Weeden came onto the pod and said he had noticed it early on that SS carried it like a loaf of bread.
So that’s my question, should HCMG get up in everybody’s biz and instead of trying to make them comfortable make them uncomfortable so they are forced to grow and become better?
Swinney is very “get off my lawn” as well. He has had a social media ban on his team during the season since 2011. He’s gone on rants about “kids don’t know how good they have it these days.”
They both insist that their coaches spend time with their families… with Dabo going to the point of saying that he will fire coaches that aren’t spending enough time at home. They both dance in the locker room. Their players love them both fiercely.
I think an interesting question would be how many “normal” wins is a Bedlam win worth? 2, 3? Or, stated another way, how low of a record would OSU fans be willing to tolerate if it meant more Bedlam wins? An average 8 win season, but with occasional Bedlam wins? Does an 8 and 5 season with a Bedlam win equal an 11 win season with no Bedlam win?
The team can still be 10-win or 11-win good and beat OU. In fact, if the team is capable of winning that many games in any given season, they should be good enough to beat OU more frequently. But it’s always a late-season letdown.
… He does hate social media. He doesn’t have any accounts. “I don’t care how many followers I have. I have people that handle all that for me.”
“We aren’t focused on what people on twitter have to say about our program.”
“I’d rather talk to people in real life and show them pictures of what I’m doing.”
On a viral video of a charity event that some deemed inappropriate: “And somehow one way or another, that’s not the story. But you know what? That’s kind of the world we live in. Even when you do good and you try to do good, you get accused of doing bad. And that’s just the way it is. But you do good anyway.”
The major difference between the two is that Clemson Athletics has embraced social media and having a strong social media presence… Oklahoma State Athletics does not feel the same way, as I’ve been saying over and over and over again.
Oklahoma State Athletics media relations department is severely behind the times when it comes to promoting their programs. To the point where it’s embarrassing and noticeable across the board. From football to wrestling to cross country. I lay the blame on Gavin Lang and Kevin Klintworth… and I think OSU would be much better off parting way with those two and handing the reins over to Ryan Cameron and Greg Bartlett.
Most things are not mutually exclusive… but Gundy “hates social media” yet has never banned his players from posting on it.
I don’t think Gundy hates social media as much as he hates that no talent losers like me can have an opinion and put down his players and coaches that work their butts off.
I agree. Part of it, like other questions here, are just exercises in hypothetical thinking.
However, I think the question is somewhat relevant. Here’s why: like you said, Gundy gets a lot of regular season wins but not a lot of Bedlam wins. People who want Gundy fired, they would potentially be trading regular season records for more Bedlam wins. Anytime you make a coaching change you are making a risk, so I assume people would be willing to risk the 9 and 10 win seasons for those Bedlam wins. Maybe I’m wrong.
For the record, I don’t support firing Gundy. But I also think another coach would have a better winning record against OU. I think Gundy grew up playing for the Pat Jones culture, where there is an element of futility when it comes to Bedlam. Those who have less association with OSU history like Les Miles and Todd Monken are less intimidated by OU. This is all just speculation though.
But that’s not for Gundy to be the arbiter of. People are going to criticize. It just so happens that social media has mutated into this giant, puss-filled beast in the time that he has been our head coach, so there is the potential for certain viewpoints to be amplified, depending on how many people are willing to latch on and make it “viral” or whatever.
Really, that’s a Gundy problem that he needs to reconcile within himself. People are going to say bad things, unfortunately. However, the onus is on the person absorbing it. Will they accept it in good faith and consider it…or be a stubborn, petulant child who can’t take the heat?
