Do you not see the difference between the following two statements: 1) Tennessee can't beat Florida. They've just got our number. 2) Greg Norman has nerves of Balsa Wood. He chokes all the time. Do you see why one is completely legit, and the other is nonsense?
Finally...somebody gets me. Why did it take this long? Have my writing skills regressed or something? Am I no longer communicating effectively?
it certainly seems that some teams play below their talent level against certain opponents year after year. I agree that can change with time, but I don't think it's impossible that an opponent gets in a coaches head and he coaches tight because of it. it's human nature to adjust your behavior based on past experiences. and you don't always adjust it in the right direction. like you went for a td on 3rd down going for the win and threw an int and next time you decide to run it up the middle and kick a field goal and send it to overtime.
it's just a bad long term argument. If the coaches didn't change, it's likely about them. If they're getting too tight and it's translating to the field, then they are simply being outcoached. The players being tight is the part that would change over time.
chip Kelly recruited at a far higher level than stoops and Oregon is a lot healthier than they were the last two times they met.
Did someone specifically say "players"? Because Phil got a damn ring at the end of the '98 season. He was a pretty freaking integral part of the team. As for the players changing, what's the turnover? 25 or 30 out of 100 every year? It's not like some of the guys don't stick around and continue to have an issue in another season. Like if Worley had been sacked 47 times against UF one year, I think that might get in his head the following season. And I don't know where you are going with this stuff about the advantage being the same now as it was when Phil was here. Obviously it's different. Did anyone claim otherwise? But I think players do become aware that their school hasn't beaten this school in 45 years, thus a tight game in the fourth is a little more tense than it might normally be. UT is comprised mostly of guys that have two consecutive losses to Vandy under their belts. It's not unfathomable that they might not whole-heartedly believe they can win against UF. That would be the current psychological advantage the Gators could enjoy over UT.
