Here's what Pete Carroll said about the BCS on 11/18/03 after his team beat Arizona but fell behind Ohio State in the rankings: This is Pete Carroll on 12/8/03 after the BCS CG pairing was announced: And this is what he said on 1/5/04 after winning the Rose Bowl and the AP Championship: I'd have a lot more respect for the man if, after the BCS pairings and Rose Bowl he would have said "That's the system we agreed to and I will abide by it". Nick Saban, in the same situation, would have.
Saban said prior to the SECCG that if LSU didn't make the game, it was our fault because we lost a game along the way. That didn't mean that he and the team didn't want to play for the NC. He just knew that we fouled up one time and our destiny was out of our hands. As for Mike Williams: his stock will go down by sitting out. In a similar situation, I'm still interested to see how Michael Vick bounces back after sitting out all of last season. Nothing makes up for PT.
Great point! :thumb: You gotta wonder how long it will take for him to shake off the rust once he resumes play. Somebody will get a good bargain at about 15-18 in the first round though. (The '05 draft is predicted to be on the weak side as far as receivers go)
Honestly, stop kidding yourselves. 19 year old raw talent, size and incredible hands will not be "rusty" - this kid is special and his talent is extraordinary. WR's make the transition to the NFL better than most any other position and a guy of his size and ability will be high demand regardless of how many months he has to sit out. It's not like he's playing video games, eating Oreos all day and smoking the hippy lettuce with Ricky. He's 19 years old, seems to have a good head on his shoulders and will stay the course. In fact, he's handled the NCAA decision better than anyone else around him - he knew what he was up against and he was forewarned. Next stop, NFL. This kid eats "rust" for breakfast...
It doesn't matter how young one is, anyone can get rusty. More importantly than getting rusty, he could learn a lot in one year of playing. The many different situations that players see in one given year is invaluable. You can't sit here and tell me that M. Williams isn't missing out on anything by sitting out this season. Like Stacey mentioned, nothing replaces actual PT.
