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I’ve been reading here and on another board how disappointed some of us are, how the team didn’t come up to our expectations, our high standards. They didn’t fight, etc. The coaches didn’t get their job done and on and on and on. Very few are nailing the root cause of what appears to be and effortless outing.
Football is an emotional sport. Teams that come out fired up often do well. Teams that are emotional flat don’t fare so well — at least until they get it together or are vastly superior to the comp.
We witnessed first hand one recipe for emotional flatness 2 Saturdays ago. We spent a lot of emotional capital in the Florida State loss. Clemson did the same in their game with FSU. Fortunately for them in their next game they played a team even more flat than they were — coming off an embarrassing lose. UNC went to Greenville sky high intending to avenge last year’s embarrassing loss. UNC is watcing their anticipated double digit win season going down the toilet. Hard to play your best filled with bitter disappointment. The “big talk” intending to mask the disappointment didn’t work.
Clemson also had something going for them that UNx didn’t have — an extremely talented freshman QB starting his first college game, anxious to prove himself.
(I worry about UNC recovering from their disappointment and taking their frustration out on us. They have superior talent and athletic ability and would love to ruin our season.)
Most of us can only imagine what it’s like losing a hard fought game with a big emotional investment that means you finish an also-ran instead of a champion or possible champion. We didn’t lose a championship but our guys laid everything on the line vs. FSU and they were drained.
Ever get a “Dear John” letter or lose the really big sale or contract that would have been a career maker? 18, 19 and 20 year old freshmen and sophs take things hard — much harder othan lder, supposedly mature men are supposed to. Imagine how you would feel if you laid everything on the line and lost that career making sale.
My point? You don’t get over emotional loses in a week with a young team short on talent.
Yep. I would have been surprised if we had come out looking sharp at Clemson. Unfortunately, we also happened run into Clemson when they were clicking (though granted, our flatness did help their clickage).
I also would have been surprised if, after such a game/performance, some (most?) fans weren’t looking for someone or something to blame for the butthurt embarrassment they felt after watching. The life of a sports fan is funny that way.
If coming off a string of emotional tough games, or even just 2, I would agree with you.
But this was just one such game.
It was a poor performance, period. One of talent disparity exacerbated by a lack of fortitude.
I don’t know the reasons or the why fors, but I certainly hope it can NOT all be laid at the foot of the FSU loss. For if that’s the case, our boys have one small tank coupled with an emotional immaturity that won’t soon be remedied.
I tend to think that in the mix was an excessive amount in basking in media attention, and taking too much pride in a LOSS.
But today, all this is still just a single aberrant data point. I hope it stays that way.
This team is still woefully short in leadership.
But WORST case, this team is still on schedule.
Side Note: With Watson at QB, Clemson’s defense makes them clearly superior to FSU. The Seminoles benefited from fortuitous scheduling.
I tend to think that in the mix was an excessive amount in basking in media attention, and taking too much pride in a LOSS.
Yes, I’m sure that was a not inconsiderable factor as well.
foose, Of course it can’t all be laid on the FSU lose. I think it’s worthy of note that the team pulled itself together and held Clemson offense to a field goal in the 2nd half. Their defense was playing just as hard and their offense, including Watson for as long as he was in there, was trying it’s best to score again. We weren’t playing well enough to win but what the heck, we were up against one of, if not the best teams in the country.
While disappointed I’m not upset that the things you pointed out may be true. At least we aren’t loaded with 4 and 5 star recruits and played like we did.
If coming off a string of emotional tough games, or even just 2, I would agree with you. But this was just one such game.
For there to be a set up like our losing to FSU there has to be an investment of emotional capital and the ensuing lack of return on investment. Just emotional games multiple emotional loses doesn’t have the same effect.
In 1967 we played Penn State when we were ranked #3 and I don’t know for sure but PSU may have been #1 or 2. Tony Barchuk was stopped trying to score from the 1. He was met by AA LB, Dennis Onkonst (sp), and stopped cold on the 1/2 yard line. We dropped out of the top 5 and lost the following week to — wait for it — Clemson.
We at NC State don’t have a lot of experience in this kind of game. And the most recent Clemson game for sure didn’t rank along side the ’67 game but there had to have been a huge emotional investment in that game.
I hadn’t thought about what you said, “I tend to think that in the mix was an excessive amount in basking in media attention, and taking too much pride in a LOSS.” We do have some growing up to do.
Thanks for weighing in on the conversation. Now where is Mr. DOG? His prediction along with ours stunk up SFN. 😉
SoCar has a butt whuppin coming.
They’ve got several of them coming as a matter of fact (definitely Aubie). Not going to be a good year down there I am afraid.
One ill step on a pump fake, followed by a sensational catch in good coverage, broke the bough.
Down came the cradle, baby and all.
They’ll run better in upcoming races.
I agree with you in principle, Grey’. I’m not really upset either, more irritated, spawned from disappointment. I keep it plain and direct.
Yes, football IS a sport of emotion. Probably more so than any other. But it’s impossible for a team to carry a full tank throughout the season. It must be cultivated and managed. Throw in the age of the players and it’s easy to understand why there’s such a high premium on program culture and leadership in college football.
Team still has lots of learning to do. As with TOB, I suspect this group will be ok in handling adversity. But it’s been many years (have to go all the way back to Sheridan) since this program has known how to handle ‘success’ – relative, perceived, or otherwise.
It’s a HUGE step, and probably no other program has demonstrated it more clearly that the rollercoaster Wolfpack, where even Philip Rivers and Russell Wilson couldn’t adequately compensate for a program that did not know how to handle success.
Anyway, that’s probably what’s gotten me so annoyed. I saw signs of the same old, same old in Saturday’s game.
But as I wrote above, the team is still on schedule.
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