Medaggie said:

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There are always going to be outliers. If you look unhealthy esp in a fit sport, it is hard to lead by example.

If Freeman tells you to run the extra mile, you suck it up because he does it.
If Elko tells you to run the extra mile, you run but then just make fun of him.

You still run but it is just not the same.

People who are overweight generally have less confidence and discipline than someone that is fit. No different than people who do well academically have more discipline than those who are bottom of their class.

But sure. Pick one of the few examples of a fat championship coach and I could give you 100 more than are not fat.

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Wow.
Never would have guessed that all the meatheads living in front of the mirrors in their gyms were actually the best of the best in their profession.

Learn something new every day.

Not the same

We lost 30 players to transfer portal

Disappointment in how the season ended is completely justified. Concern about what that means for Elko going forward is reasonable. But I wish a bunch of the angry posters on this site would accept:

1. Elko cannot be blamed for past A&M failures. He's responsible for this year only.

2. You can't and shouldn't fire a coach after an 8-win season in year one, especially when he had to turn over a ton of the roster in a short period and that win total is higher than the two seasons that preceded him.

3. With those two things being true, it does absolutely no good to loudly proclaim all the time that you believe Elko is trash and we'll never get better with him. And it's pretty damn annoying to people on the forum who want to support the coach and give him a chance to succeed and have reasonable conversations about how he's doing in the meantime.

If we get to year 3 and we're consistently falling short of expectations then, sure, lose your mind on the message board. A lot more folks will join you. But until then it's just obnoxious and doesn't do any good.

JournoAG said:

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Disappointment in how the season ended is completely justified. Concern about what that means for Elko going forward is reasonable. But I wish a bunch of the angry posters on this site would accept:

1. Elko cannot be blamed for past A&M failures. He's responsible for this year only.

2. You can't and shouldn't fire a coach after an 8-win season in year one, especially when he had to turn over a ton of the roster in a short period and that win total is higher than the two seasons that preceded him.

3. With those two things being true, it does absolutely no good to loudly proclaim all the time that you believe Elko is trash and we'll never get better with him. And it's pretty damn annoying to people on the forum who want to support the coach and give him a chance to succeed and have reasonable conversations about how he's doing in the meantime.

If we get to year 3 and we're consistently falling short of expectations then, sure, lose your mind on the message board. A lot more folks will join you. But until then it's just obnoxious and doesn't do any good.

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Aw, come on….
Don't you know that TexAgs knows stuff??
This is where the best and brightest come to group think.
If it gets said in here, it' might as well be a prophecy from the football gods themselves!

Medaggie said:

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There are always going to be outliers. If you look unhealthy esp in a fit sport, it is hard to lead by example.

If Freeman tells you to run the extra mile, you suck it up because he does it.
If Elko tells you to run the extra mile, you run but then just make fun of him.

You still run but it is just not the same.

People who are overweight generally have less confidence and discipline than someone that is fit. No different than people who do well academically have more discipline than those who are bottom of their class.

But sure. Pick one of the few examples of a fat championship coach and I could give you 100 more than are not fat.

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It's not about outliers. Being the correct weight has little to do with the amount of respect you command. Andy Reid, Bill Bellichick, Jimmy Johnson, John Madden, Bill Parcells. I can keep going; and that's just in football. All great leaders who had extra luggage around the waist.

And Freeman wanted to hire Collin Klein.

BigRedAg2031 said:

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In 3 years at Notre Dame Marcus Freeman's records are as follows:
2022- 9-4 (8-4 before the bowl)
2023- 10-3 (9-3 before the bowl)
2024- 14-1 (playing for the natty)

My point is… coaches aren't supposed to win the national championship in year one. Elko did exactly what Marcus Freeman did in year one, save for the bowl game, with a much more chaotic QB situation and a litany of injuries. We are still on track to be a successful football team, so the fire Elko crowd needs to chill out.

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Okay. I'll come back in three years after we have gone 7-5, 9-3, 8-4 with no playoff appearances. Have fun!

I have been a wait and see guy and argued for it time and time again.

Every coach, we knew way before year 5 that it wasn't working.

The only thing is we always assumed it was the coach.

No way we can go this long and it be solely on the coach.

If the coach at all.

That being said, whatever it is, it's already off to a bad start for Elko. That schedule was the easiest it's been for years. 8-4. Not good.

I get what you are saying but teams ended up being better when we played them than originally thought and the Moss injury was a killer. Yes, injuries take place but he was our MVP and the last player we needed to lose.

I have seen a preseason ranking for teams in 2025. The first one I saw had all 4 teams we lost to in the regular season in the top 10 as well as the Gators. So again it's not like the schedule was as weak at you are implying.

We should have beat Auburn. Team was not ready. My guess overlooking to the Texas game. Do I like that, of course not but understandable. Next year the schedule does not have that set up. There is a reason most teams schedule an easy team before their rivalry game.

This always has & always will be a lazy take.

ND played two SEC teams this year, A&M at A&M, and SEC Champ Georgia at a neutral site, & beat both by double digits.

People just throw out hypotheticals because they can't handle the reality of situations.
ND also beat 4 B1G teams this year, including a top 5 & 10 teams.
ND beat 5 ranked teams in the regular season & now 3 straight top 10 teams (2 top 5 teams) in the playoff.
ND has won 9 straight games against ranked opponents.
It's not ND's fault Miami (FL) pulled out of the game this year last second, & FSU sucked & USC lost 5 games they led in the 4th Q.
Next year ND's first two games are at Miami (FL) & A&M at home. Who else starts a season like that?

ND has lost the following this season, & still wins & doesn't make excuses:
All American CB Morrison (season)
All American DT Mills (season)
Starting LT Jagusah (all regular season)
Starting Center Craig (season)
Starting RG Spindler (bowl)
Starting WR Collins (bowl)
Starting WDE Botehlo (season)
Starting SDE Traore (season)
New starting LT Knapp (bowl season)
All American DT Cross (5 weeks)
And had their QB Leonard in concussion protocol down 10-0.

Great coaches & programs don't deal in hypotheticals or excuses. They just buckle their chin straps and play.
Like Marcus Freeman said at his presser about where ND should be playing, "Just pick a location, spot the ball, and we will be ready to play…"

Apparently the Bears are looking at Freeman to be their next head coach.

Bear Bryant was 1-9 his first year at Texas A&M.

Justification threads are the worst

Almost as bad as constant whiney threads

Ferg said:

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Lou Holtz was 5-6 his first year at ND.

5 losses by a total of 14 points, and an 18 point loss to Bama.

He won it all his 3rd year.

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I distinctly remember how he ended his second year.

Gosh is it that time again so soon!?

New head coach getting their very first off season "But Coach X at School Y didn't do so great THEIR first year before winning it all later on so don't get discouraged so JUST BE PATIENT! JUST WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR!"

A Texas 8&4 Tradition as it dreams of doing better than 8&4 but never will because it's leadership is 100% fine with perpetual mediocrity because they know most of the fan base is too as long as they get their nostalgia fix at Kyle one Saturday a year!

So remember the eternal motto of Texas 8&4:

JUST BE PATIENT! JUST WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR!

I'm not trying to be negative here but Notre Dame has had success and they are a winning program. We are always on that train of thinking we are heading in the right direction but never arrive. I want so badly to believe Elko is the guy, and I agree it takes some time. However, I've been riding this train for longer than most and never seen us arrive on a consistent level.

TxAg76 said:

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Freeman came in behind Kelley, which wasn't terrible, since Kelley left voluntarily for a bigger payday.

Elko came in behind Jimbo, who got fired with things trending downward, and left a F'n ****show

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Not only was Kelly not terrible his record the 3 years prior to freeman taking over were 10-3, 12-1 and 11-2; freeman took over after 11-2 and proceeded to go 9-4 with a home loss to Marshall

THis place would have had him tarred and feathered after year 1

So, fans reaction here or at ND would have not affected his job after year one.

How about this one. What would A&M fan reaction be with his results now?

SunrayAg said:

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Based on our history of firing coaches based on soothing butthurt instead of improving the program, Freeman would have been fired after week 2…

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This is true for a lot more than just the football program.....

In the true sense of the word, Coaches can not build programs anymore, they are forced to rebuild programs on a yearly basis due to the effects of unlimited transfers and NIL.

LB12Diamond said:

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So, fans reaction here or at ND would have not affected his job after year one.

How about this one. What would A&M fan reaction be with his results now?

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This place would have seen a letdown like never before after the no Illinois loss

After that most fans would be happy but you'd still have the fringe lunatics that are never happy

Medaggie said:

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Leaders lead by example. Well groomed, fit individuals command more respect that overweight, unhealthy people. This is just a fact of life.

Elko needs to get fit.

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Andy Reid says hi

Freeman played LB at Ohio State. Did not know that one. He wins Monday, buckeyes might just go after him to replace Day.