From the "What If" File

by John Expat on Nov 5, 2009 11:25 PM CST in Football Comment 5 comments

One could argue that the biggest loss of Bobby Petrino's Razorback coaching career wasn't in games against Ole Miss, Florida or Alabama, but instead was the day that Ellis Johnson, his first choice as defensive coordinator, packed his bags and headed home for a similar job at South Carolina without ever coaching a game or even running a practice in Fayetteville.

Since then, Johnson's South Carolina defenses have excelled - one only needs to look at the string of low-scoring victories the Gamecocks have eked out this year to understand his importance to the team - while his replacement, Willy Robinson, has...well, you know the rest of that story.

So, because it is the sacred mission of Arkansas Expats, Inc to blow your mind whenever possible, here's a fun thought: what if Ellis Johnson had never gotten that call from Steve Spurrier? Would the Hogs have made enough stops against Mississippi State last year to go to a bowl and get another month of extra practice time? Would we have held off enough Georgia drives to have won that shootout? Would we have turned back Florida just one more time?

Truly the mind reels at the possibilities, but - if you dare - step with us into the Twilight Zone and leave your thoughts in the comments section.

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You have to consider this as well

Ellis would have had the same players as Willy during that first year. There mght have been only so much even an Ellis Johnson could have done with them. We are paying the price for lackluster defensive recruiting in the SEC. I think if these two years have taught Petrino anything about the SEC, they have taught him that you have to have good players on defense as well to win in this league.That we gave up 27 points to Eastern Michigan shows you how far behind we are in talent on the defensive side of the ball, including coordinator!

by KevinHog on Nov 6, 2009 8:51 AM CST reply actions

Yeah--don't forget that Ellis Johnson has had a stacked deck on defense at Carolina...

Even Tryone Nix had a good defense here in 2007 before we were decimated by injuries late in the year. (You remember—McFadden and Jones’s big game in Fayetteville.) That group was healthy again last year when Johnson arrived, and while he certainly helped take it to the next level, part of the success was just about talent. Lots of those guys are in the NFL now (Munnerlyn, Brinkley, etc.), and a few more will make it this year (Norwood, Stewart). For some reason, we’ve always been able to recruit premier defensive talent at Carolina, at least in the linebacking corps and secondary. (D-line has been another issue; I think it’s what separates us from LSU, Florida, ’Bama, etc.)

All of this is to say that while you might have had a slightly better defense with Johnson on staff, part of your problem is probably also just a lack of talent. Kindof like how we’ve learned that you can’t have a great offense without a great quarterback and offensive line, even if you have an offensive genius on the sidelines.

Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.

by Gamecock Man on Nov 6, 2009 9:03 AM CST up reply actions

I think Willy gets a bad rap. He may not be the right man for the job, but he’s also not working with top-level talent, and I do think the defense is better this season than last. Obviously, we’ve proved we can give up the big play to anybody, from #1 Florida to #118 E. Michigan, but it’s not like we’re getting burned for 15 yards every snap. If the defense doesn’t progress after a few recruiting seasons, then it might be time to ‘Free Willy’. Hey, Ron Zook might be on the market at that point.

by dxf04 on Nov 6, 2009 10:09 AM CST up reply actions