I used to be neighbors with a pretty well known high school football coach. And one year we were undefeated and he said a statement I will never forget.

He said, "What we really need is a close loss! We are really struggling reaching a few kids and we need something that will get their attention."

I was blown away by this. Who would want a loss? Coaches trying to grow players. That's who. Yes they want to win, but they also know that you can learn immensely from losing.

Is it possible that players may not have been able to be reached or wouldn't have taken coaches instruction on where we have issues seriously until we actually lost?

I think it may be. No one wants to lose. But I would rather lose to Texas and get problems fixed due to that pain than to lose first round of the playoffs.

Would I rather that not be necessary? Yes. But we are where we are.

The theory is easy to understand, and we all will be hoping this lights something a little extra, but this seems more relevant to the high school level where maturity levels are almost nonexistent with many kids.

TXAggie2011 said:

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The theory is easy to understand, and we all will be hoping this lights something a little extra, but this seems more relevant to the high school level where maturity levels are almost nonexistent with many kids.

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I am a college professor and also teach high school classes. And I can say without a doubt there's not much difference between some kids. Every class has knuckleheads. The failure rate in college for freshman and sophomores is nearly 40 percent.

BigSneezy said:

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TXAggie2011 said:

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The theory is easy to understand, and we all will be hoping this lights something a little extra, but this seems more relevant to the high school level where maturity levels are almost nonexistent with many kids.

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I am a college professor and also teach high school classes. And I can say without a doubt there's not much difference between some kids. Every class has knuckleheads. The failure rate in college for freshman and sophomores is nearly 40 percent.

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No doubt, point taken. I just imagine teams of high level Division 1 athletes are going to be quite a bit less susceptible to complacency than even some of the best high school teams.

But here's hoping we're last years Ohio State. (Yeah I know they had two, not just one, close losses.)

BigSneezy said:

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TxAgPreacher said:

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Should have learned our lesson from s car.

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Did you think we learned? Or did our coach celebrate the players? Did he hold them accountable for two very bad performances? Or did we say overcame? I think how our coaches handled SC was a coaching error.

Saban would not have been celebrating in the locker room after SC. He would be having real conversations about them being lucky and how they should have lost.

Elko didn't take that as an opportunity to learn. He took it as an opportunity to celebrate. In my opinion that was a mistake.

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Obviously we didn't learn. I dont believe this team is capable of beating Ohio state unless ohio state just has a bad game.

I would have believed if we beat t.u.
Even if we lost the SECCG i would have believed in us.
The lack of aggression on both sides of the ball last night told me everything I needed to know about this team. If you cant get up for your arch rival with a championship game on the line then there is not more extra motivation you can give them.

HERE IS TO PERFECTION. Just heard an anouncer say we will play Texas in the first round and we will get to lose the third time under ELKO. Pay him some more money.

We smoked our rival and took over their stadium at night.

we should play tsip in September.

People learn best and most effectively through failure, or at least winners do. Too much success and you get complacent and others can pass you up. A little failure amongst success and you learn and grow, and strive to get better. Winners grow from adversity and setbacks. Losers quit and give up. Or get participation trophies for showing up, so they can feel better about being losers.

My dad once told me that my biggest problem as I got older is that I had too much success early on. He literally said that he hoped I would stumble along the way, as it wouldve been the best thing to happen, and he was a bit worried that I didn't have enough learning opportunities for growth. So from that perspective, I didn't have added motivation to want to get better and be more successful, even though success was already there. I agree with him. Complacency is common when things go well, and there's less motivation to be the best version of yourself. It's up to the individual to decide if they want to be winners or if they want to give up and/or blame everyone else for their failures. Or just decide that they're not good enough, and hide behind excuses for being good but not great.

I don't know if the argument from the OP applies here, but there's at least logic in there.

TxAgPreacher said:

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BigSneezy said:

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TxAgPreacher said:

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Should have learned our lesson from s car.

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Did you think we learned? Or did our coach celebrate the players? Did he hold them accountable for two very bad performances? Or did we say overcame? I think how our coaches handled SC was a coaching error.

Saban would not have been celebrating in the locker room after SC. He would be having real conversations about them being lucky and how they should have lost.

Elko didn't take that as an opportunity to learn. He took it as an opportunity to celebrate. In my opinion that was a mistake.

---

Obviously we didn't learn. I dont believe this team is capable of beating Ohio state unless ohio state just has a bad game.

I would have believed if we beat t.u.
Even if we lost the SECCG i would have believed in us.
The lack of aggression on both sides of the ball last night told me everything I needed to know about this team. If you cant get up for your arch rival with a championship game on the line then there is not more extra motivation you can give them.

---

I honestly do not think rivals carries much of a meaning these days to players. You gotta have some skin in the game for rivalries to matter. Players come and go these days. In the old days you had to win your rival game. Not so these days.
Sips no doubt were up for us. Was that because it was a rivalry? Or was it that their backs were against a wall? We could afford a loss. They couldn't.
Let's hope that OP is right. I hope that we can look back January 20th and say we needed this loss.

BigSneezy said:

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I used to be neighbors with a pretty well known high school football coach. And one year we were undefeated and he said a statement I will never forget.

He said, "What we really need is a close loss! We are really struggling reaching a few kids and we need something that will get their attention."

I was blown away by this. Who would want a loss? Coaches trying to grow players. That's who. Yes they want to win, but they also know that you can learn immensely from losing.

Is it possible that players may not have been able to be reached or wouldn't have taken coaches instruction on where we have issues seriously until we actually lost?

I think it may be. No one wants to lose. But I would rather lose to Texas and get problems fixed due to that pain than to lose first round of the playoffs.

Would I rather that not be necessary? Yes. But we are where we are.

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LOL….damn man. This is off-the-charts level coping. Yeah, let's lose to texas so we can improve our chances in the playoffs. LOL

FallsonbrazosAg91 said:

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TxAgPreacher said:

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BigSneezy said:

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TxAgPreacher said:

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Should have learned our lesson from s car.

---

Did you think we learned? Or did our coach celebrate the players? Did he hold them accountable for two very bad performances? Or did we say overcame? I think how our coaches handled SC was a coaching error.

Saban would not have been celebrating in the locker room after SC. He would be having real conversations about them being lucky and how they should have lost.

Elko didn't take that as an opportunity to learn. He took it as an opportunity to celebrate. In my opinion that was a mistake.

---

Obviously we didn't learn. I dont believe this team is capable of beating Ohio state unless ohio state just has a bad game.

I would have believed if we beat t.u.
Even if we lost the SECCG i would have believed in us.
The lack of aggression on both sides of the ball last night told me everything I needed to know about this team. If you cant get up for your arch rival with a championship game on the line then there is not more extra motivation you can give them.

---

I honestly do not think rivals carries much of a meaning these days to players. You gotta have some skin in the game for rivalries to matter. Players come and go these days. In the old days you had to win your rival game. Not so these days.
Sips no doubt were up for us. Was that because it was a rivalry? Or was it that their backs were against a wall? We could afford a loss. They couldn't.
Let's hope that OP is right. I hope that we can look back January 20th and say we needed this loss.

---

I hope I'm wrong. But that team was not the tougher team last night.

AND our championship game was on the line so I dont buy it.

3 weeks off was key after Reed turned his ankle.

FallsonbrazosAg91 said:

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TxAgPreacher said:

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BigSneezy said:

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TxAgPreacher said:

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Should have learned our lesson from s car.

---

Did you think we learned? Or did our coach celebrate the players? Did he hold them accountable for two very bad performances? Or did we say overcame? I think how our coaches handled SC was a coaching error.

Saban would not have been celebrating in the locker room after SC. He would be having real conversations about them being lucky and how they should have lost.

Elko didn't take that as an opportunity to learn. He took it as an opportunity to celebrate. In my opinion that was a mistake.

---

Obviously we didn't learn. I dont believe this team is capable of beating Ohio state unless ohio state just has a bad game.

I would have believed if we beat t.u.
Even if we lost the SECCG i would have believed in us.
The lack of aggression on both sides of the ball last night told me everything I needed to know about this team. If you cant get up for your arch rival with a championship game on the line then there is not more extra motivation you can give them.

---

I honestly do not think rivals carries much of a meaning these days to players. You gotta have some skin in the game for rivalries to matter. Players come and go these days. In the old days you had to win your rival game. Not so these days.
Sips no doubt were up for us. Was that because it was a rivalry? Or was it that their backs were against a wall? We could afford a loss. They couldn't.
Let's hope that OP is right. I hope that we can look back January 20th and say we needed this loss.

---

We care about rivalries. Players and coaches for most part don't give a damn.

Nino Brown said:

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FallsonbrazosAg91 said:

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TxAgPreacher said:

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BigSneezy said:

---

TxAgPreacher said:

---

Should have learned our lesson from s car.

---

Did you think we learned? Or did our coach celebrate the players? Did he hold them accountable for two very bad performances? Or did we say overcame? I think how our coaches handled SC was a coaching error.

Saban would not have been celebrating in the locker room after SC. He would be having real conversations about them being lucky and how they should have lost.

Elko didn't take that as an opportunity to learn. He took it as an opportunity to celebrate. In my opinion that was a mistake.

---

Obviously we didn't learn. I dont believe this team is capable of beating Ohio state unless ohio state just has a bad game.

I would have believed if we beat t.u.
Even if we lost the SECCG i would have believed in us.
The lack of aggression on both sides of the ball last night told me everything I needed to know about this team. If you cant get up for your arch rival with a championship game on the line then there is not more extra motivation you can give them.

---

I honestly do not think rivals carries much of a meaning these days to players. You gotta have some skin in the game for rivalries to matter. Players come and go these days. In the old days you had to win your rival game. Not so these days.
Sips no doubt were up for us. Was that because it was a rivalry? Or was it that their backs were against a wall? We could afford a loss. They couldn't.
Let's hope that OP is right. I hope that we can look back January 20th and say we needed this loss.

---

We care about rivalries. Players and coaches for most part don't give a damn.

---

Well…the loss cost Elko $100k in incentives.

texag101 said:

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Nino Brown said:

---

FallsonbrazosAg91 said:

---

TxAgPreacher said:

---

BigSneezy said:

---

TxAgPreacher said:

---

Should have learned our lesson from s car.

---

Did you think we learned? Or did our coach celebrate the players? Did he hold them accountable for two very bad performances? Or did we say overcame? I think how our coaches handled SC was a coaching error.

Saban would not have been celebrating in the locker room after SC. He would be having real conversations about them being lucky and how they should have lost.

Elko didn't take that as an opportunity to learn. He took it as an opportunity to celebrate. In my opinion that was a mistake.

---

Obviously we didn't learn. I dont believe this team is capable of beating Ohio state unless ohio state just has a bad game.

I would have believed if we beat t.u.
Even if we lost the SECCG i would have believed in us.
The lack of aggression on both sides of the ball last night told me everything I needed to know about this team. If you cant get up for your arch rival with a championship game on the line then there is not more extra motivation you can give them.

---

I honestly do not think rivals carries much of a meaning these days to players. You gotta have some skin in the game for rivalries to matter. Players come and go these days. In the old days you had to win your rival game. Not so these days.
Sips no doubt were up for us. Was that because it was a rivalry? Or was it that their backs were against a wall? We could afford a loss. They couldn't.
Let's hope that OP is right. I hope that we can look back January 20th and say we needed this loss.

---

We care about rivalries. Players and coaches for most part don't give a damn.

---

Well…the loss cost Elko $100k in incentives.

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Which is like $1,500 for people that make $100k/yr. Providing coach makes $7mil

BigSneezy said:

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TxAgPreacher said:

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Should have learned our lesson from s car.

---

Did you think we learned? Or did our coach celebrate the players? Did he hold them accountable for two very bad performances? Or did we say overcame? I think how our coaches handled SC was a coaching error.

Saban would not have been celebrating in the locker room after SC. He would be having real conversations about them being lucky and how they should have lost.

Elko didn't take that as an opportunity to learn. He took it as an opportunity to celebrate. In my opinion that was a mistake.

---

You know what he said to the team in film study and practice the week following SCar?

DE4D said:

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We smoked our rival and took over their stadium at night.

we should play tsip in September.

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True.

FallsonbrazosAg91 said:

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texag101 said:

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Nino Brown said:

---

FallsonbrazosAg91 said:

---

TxAgPreacher said:

---

BigSneezy said:

---

TxAgPreacher said:

---

Should have learned our lesson from s car.

---

Did you think we learned? Or did our coach celebrate the players? Did he hold them accountable for two very bad performances? Or did we say overcame? I think how our coaches handled SC was a coaching error.

Saban would not have been celebrating in the locker room after SC. He would be having real conversations about them being lucky and how they should have lost.

Elko didn't take that as an opportunity to learn. He took it as an opportunity to celebrate. In my opinion that was a mistake.

---

Obviously we didn't learn. I dont believe this team is capable of beating Ohio state unless ohio state just has a bad game.

I would have believed if we beat t.u.
Even if we lost the SECCG i would have believed in us.
The lack of aggression on both sides of the ball last night told me everything I needed to know about this team. If you cant get up for your arch rival with a championship game on the line then there is not more extra motivation you can give them.

---

I honestly do not think rivals carries much of a meaning these days to players. You gotta have some skin in the game for rivalries to matter. Players come and go these days. In the old days you had to win your rival game. Not so these days.
Sips no doubt were up for us. Was that because it was a rivalry? Or was it that their backs were against a wall? We could afford a loss. They couldn't.
Let's hope that OP is right. I hope that we can look back January 20th and say we needed this loss.

---

We care about rivalries. Players and coaches for most part don't give a damn.

---

Well…the loss cost Elko $100k in incentives.

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Which is like $1,500 for people that make $100k/yr. Providing coach makes $7mil

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$100K is $100k. It also prevents him from earning $1.5M for winning the SEC championship. Maybe that's chump change too for a guy like you.

Add a comparison to tOSU losing to Michigan last year and it's the perfect copium post.

If the choices are beat Texas to play Bama in the SEC championship game then lose and still play a first round game or exert the physical and emotional strain it takes to beat Bama only to get to host a first round(which I could have had without playing Bama) or lose to Texas to play Tulane in the first round, I'll take lose to Texas and play Tulane because that decision gives me the best chance to win the war, not the battle.

Jimbo4win said:

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If the choices are beat Texas to play Bama in the SEC championship game then lose and still play a first round game or exert the physical and emotional strain it takes to beat Bama only to get to host a first round(which I could have had without playing Bama) or lose to Texas to play Tulane in the first round, I'll take lose to Texas and play Tulane because that decision gives me the best chance to win the war, not the battle.

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You probably think you're being noble and smart. But all you've done is show you're scared and pride-less with a loser's mentality.

hosting Virginia or Duke

and then playing Indiana or Tech

is not the end of the world

W said:

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hosting Virginia or Duke

and then playing Indiana or Tech

is not the end of the world

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This assumes we stay ahead of ole miss, abd don't drop to 7. Im hopeful that will be the case.


Enormous difference between that lineup cs being 7 and playing (for example) bama then UGA