I took a long walk to get some perspective.

Passion

It didn't work. I'm still pissed about Smalls.

But here are just a few things to think about. If one defensive player could make-or-break a team, then:
- Aaron Donald would've taken Pitt to the national championship.
- Lawrence Taylor would've taken north carolina to the national championship (yes, I'm going back a few years).
- Ndamukung (sp?) Suh would've taken nebraska to the national championship.
- Khalil Mack would've taken univ of buffalo to the national championship.
- J.J. Watt would've taken wisconsin to the national championship.
- Luke Kuechly would've taken boston college to the national championship.
- On and on and on.

I am STILL hopeful that somebody can offer Smalls some useful guidance and show him that his best chance for development as a football player and a man is at the University of Washington, and that he can still "be his own man" and "do something different" without having to leave Seattle.

But if we (sadly) don't get Smalls, then looking at the above list of names I know that UW's defense can still be championship caliber if we can continue to recruit strong across the board, develop guys like Laiatu Latu and Bralen Trice into stellar pass rushers, and if we can keep Lake, Kwiatkowski and Malloe in place for a few years.

This program can reach the highest peaks without one player. But if this losing stellar-in-state-player shit becomes a pattern under Petersen like it did under his predecessors (Jonathan Stewart, Foster Sarrell, Garnett, Banner, Taylor Mays, David DeCastro) then that's another story.

We better fucking get that JT Tuimoloau guy, or no long walk will help me.

PostGameOrangeSlices

No one player besides MAYBE an ascendant QB like Lawrence or Tua can bring a national title just by signing. For fucks sake.

HillsboroDuck

None of those defenses had every piece besides the one in question though.

UW does.

One defensive player can’t get a mediocre defense a ring.

One elite defensive player at the right position can make an already very good to great defense ring worthy though.

That was Smalls.

Now he gone.

FYFMFE

RaceBannon

91 had Stan

92 did not

The difference was huge

All of a sudden the middle of the 46 was exposed and in the very first game of 92 an ASU running back ran wild through it

RaceBannon

Plus if Smalls did go to Oregon with the other 5 star rush in they would be in the playoffs and our retarded offense would be lucky to score

Or we run into him in the playoffs and get worked

BleachedAnusDawg

Here's the deal. I think even the most suicidal among us right now agrees that UW is not going to be bad under Pete. In fact, I think we all agree we'll be good and continue to compete for conference championships, make NY6 games, hell, maybe even win one big bowl game. John Cooper followed that track. Lots of good seasons, many NFL-bound kids. But guess who he missed out on and it came back to bite him in the ass? 1997 Heisman Trophy winner, Charles Woodson, an Ohio native.

The problem here is that without Smalls, JT, etc we are never going to compete for a natty (I like to call it that). I don't think anyone is worried about the team sucking or underachieving.

Passion

RaceBannon said:

91 had Stan

92 did not

The difference was huge

All of a sudden the middle of the 46 was exposed and in the very first game of 92 an ASU running back ran wild through it

Believe me, I know. I was at both Rose Bowls. Replacing Emtman with Steve Hoffmann was like playing with 10 players instead of 11.

But what if we would've replaced Emtman with Larry Tripplett? Or perhaps Greg Gaines? I think the results would've been completely different. Not as dominant, but not as tragic.

Losing Smalls matters, but it doesn't have to kill us.

RaceBannon

Passion said:

RaceBannon said:

91 had Stan

92 did not

The difference was huge

All of a sudden the middle of the 46 was exposed and in the very first game of 92 an ASU running back ran wild through it

Believe me, I know. I was at both Rose Bowls. Replacing Emtman with Steve Hoffmann was like playing with 10 players instead of 11.

But what if we would've replaced Emtman with Larry Tripplett? Or perhaps Greg Gaines? I think the results would've been completely different. Not as dominant, but not as tragic.

Losing Smalls matters, but it doesn't have to kill us.

I agree. We will go on without him and hopefully the guys we do have make it happen

NEsnake12

Ndamakong Suh almost single handedly won the 2009 Big12 championship game against Texas for Nebraska

Passion

NEsnake12 said:

Ndamakong Suh almost single handedly won the 2009 Big12 championship game against Texas for Nebraska

"Almost" won the "Big12 championship"?

wow.

guntlove

BleachedAnusDawg said:

Here's the deal. I think even the most suicidal among us right now agrees that UW is not going to be bad under Pete. In fact, I think we all agree we'll be good and continue to compete for conference championships, make NY6 games, hell, maybe even win one big bowl game. John Cooper followed that track. Lots of good seasons, many NFL-bound kids. But guess who he missed out on and it came back to bite him in the ass? 1997 Heisman Trophy winner, Charles Woodson, an Ohio native.

The problem here is that without Smalls, JT, etc we are never going to compete for a natty (I like to call it that). I don't think anyone is worried about the team sucking or underachieving.

This.

Good chit, Anusboat.

Meek

Passion said:

It didn't work. I'm still pissed about Smalls.

But here are just a few things to think about. If one defensive player could make-or-break a team, then:
- Aaron Donald would've taken Pitt to the national championship.
- Lawrence Taylor would've taken north carolina to the national championship (yes, I'm going back a few years).
- Ndamukung (sp?) Suh would've taken nebraska to the national championship.
- Khalil Mack would've taken univ of buffalo to the national championship.
- J.J. Watt would've taken wisconsin to the national championship.
- Luke Kuechly would've taken boston college to the national championship.
- On and on and on.

I am STILL hopeful that somebody can offer Smalls some useful guidance and show him that his best chance for development as a football player and a man is at the University of Washington, and that he can still "be his own man" and "do something different" without having to leave Seattle.

But if we (sadly) don't get Smalls, then looking at the above list of names I know that UW's defense can still be championship caliber if we can continue to recruit strong across the board, develop guys like Laiatu Latu and Bralen Trice into stellar pass rushers, and if we can keep Lake, Kwiatkowski and Malloe in place for a few years.

This program can reach the highest peaks without one player. But if this losing stellar-in-state-player shit becomes a pattern under Petersen like it did under his predecessors (Jonathan Stewart, Foster Sarrell, Garnett, Banner, Taylor Mays, David DeCastro) then that's another story.

We better fucking get that JT Tuimoloau guy, or no long walk will help me.

didn't everyone say that about Smalls up until Monday night?

GrundleStiltzkin

The totemic value of landing Smalls would have huge. Losing him, the impact is much, much bigger. It's double black eyes, knee to the balls, and called faggot in front of his friends for the program, imo.

ExtraChrisB

It doesn't matter that we didn't get the overall top 5 player in country from in-state this year as long as we get the overall top 5 player in the country from in-state next year.

backthepack

ExtraChrisB said:

It doesn't matter that we didn't get the overall top 5 player in country from in-state this year as long as we get the overall top 5 player in the country from in-state next year.

Strong agree

Baseman

GrundleStiltzkin said:

The totemic value of landing Smalls would have huge. Losing him, the impact is much, much bigger. It's double black eyes, knee to the balls, and called faggot in front of his friends for the program, imo.

Ain’t that the truth, baby

Baseman

RaceBannon said:

91 had Stan

92 did not

The difference was huge

All of a sudden the middle of the 46 was exposed and in the very first game of 92 an ASU running back ran wild through it

D’marco Farr replaced Stan and he wasn’t enough. Morris trophy winner in 93, too

Dennis_DeYoung

ExtraChrisB said:

It doesn't matter that we didn't get the overall top 5 player in country from in-state this year as long as we get the overall top 5 player in the country from in-state next year.

I'm really upset that this narrative has not been the primary one here.

Dennis_DeYoung

Baseman said:

RaceBannon said:

91 had Stan

92 did not

The difference was huge

All of a sudden the middle of the 46 was exposed and in the very first game of 92 an ASU running back ran wild through it

D’marco Farr replaced Stan and he wasn’t enough. Morris trophy winner in 93, too

D'Marco was one of our best DLs ever and he could not replace Stan. There have been like 6 DTs in the history of CFB that could replace him.

Sav'ell is better than all of them put together.

dhdawg

HillsboroDuck said:

None of those defenses had every piece besides the one in question though.

UW does.

One defensive player can’t get a mediocre defense a ring.

One elite defensive player at the right position can make an already very good to great defense ring worthy though.

That was Smalls.

Now he gone.

FYFMFE

Losing smalls being an unacceptable failure aside you are delusional if you think this team is a player away from a ring.

Have you seen our offense under Pete?

Passion

Baseman said:

RaceBannon said:

91 had Stan

92 did not

The difference was huge

All of a sudden the middle of the 46 was exposed and in the very first game of 92 an ASU running back ran wild through it

D’marco Farr replaced Stan and he wasn’t enough. Morris trophy winner in 93, too

Uh, I think D’Marco Farr replaced Tyrone Rodgers and Steve Hoffmann replaced Emtman (or stan or whatever the fuck we call him here).