Al Golden

[T-Boone]

Get him in as a consultant for a week when Cinc has a bye.

 

[stlnd01]

Maybe spoiled from having good ones for the last eight years but our defense is so pedestrian. We’re gonna be in shootouts every damn week like every other mid college football team.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

Maybe spoiled from having good ones for the last eight years but our defense is so pedestrian. We’re gonna be in shootouts every damn week like every other mid college football team.

The worst part about this defense is the talent is there. It's not the team going to battle undermanned like the 2000's.

 

[StPaul_Irish]

Please come home Al

 

[Terry Jillery]

We are looking like a Big 12 Team.

 

[ab2cmiller]

Maybe, just maybe, Golden knew the defense would struggle this year with all that they lost personnel wise and decided now was the time to make the jump back to the NFL.

 

[CoachB]

Maybe, just maybe, Golden knew the defense would struggle this year with all that they lost personnel wise and decided now was the time to make the jump back to the NFL.

Maybe, but I don't think so. Its been reported that he still had his home and family in Cincinnati and he kept his house right down the street from the Bengals head coach, and good friend, Zac Taylor. I 100% think that the Bengals job is the only one he would have left for.

 

[IrishTusker]

Maybe, just maybe, Golden knew the defense would struggle this year with all that they lost personnel wise and decided now was the time to make the jump back to the NFL.

IU's defense looked much better than ours did yesterday (and against a better team). Do they have better players than us? This is such a tired excuse. It's the coaching.

As for Golden, he apparently prefers the NFL and especially likes the Bengals. Coaches leave, players leave, etc. Competent programs replace them properly.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

We have a fast defense that plays slow. Simplify and let them play aggressive. I’d rather give up a big play attacking than sitting back and being picked apart.

 

[stlnd01]

We have a fast defense that plays slow. Simplify and let them play aggressive. I’d rather give up a big play attacking than sitting back and being picked apart.

This is the way.

 

[Bane]

My Vikings are doing their part to get the Bengals HC fired. That would put Al back on the market...

 

[BeatSC]

Since the Bengals might go 1-16 this year do you think Al would have stayed knowing this? Gotta suck being a bengal without Joe Cool.

 

[Irishdawg]

5 offensive turnovers hasn’t helped his D at all😉

 

[Plankton]

IU's defense looked much better than ours did yesterday (and against a better team). Do they have better players than us? This is such a tired excuse. It's the coaching.

As for Golden, he apparently prefers the NFL and especially likes the Bengals. Coaches leave, players leave, etc. Competent programs replace them properly.

To be fair, Lou Holtz replaced Barry Alvarez with Gary Darnell. That didn't exactly go well.

 

[SportsingHard]

Since the Bengals might go 1-16 this year do you think Al would have stayed knowing this? Gotta suck being a bengal without Joe Cool.

This is the most blashphemous thing I've ever read on an ND site. There is only one Joe Cool, and he defeated the Bengals in the Super Bowl on a last-minute 92-yard drive.

 

[ulukinatme]

For reference, Cinci's offense provided two turnovers to give the Vikings 14 of these points, and they would add another Pick 6 in the 2nd half. I like this man's thinking though!

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Maybe, just maybe, Golden knew the defense would struggle this year with all that they lost personnel wise and decided now was the time to make the jump back to the NFL.

I think this is something most people have not thought of or at best maybe overlooked and underestimated. It is very possible and highly likely he could see there was going to be some drop off.

Kiser, Cross, Mills, Watts, Oben were going to be heavy losses. Not to mention Golden was jumping into a situation where Zac Taylor was going to be under some pressure to get something done knowing Burrow is in his prime years.

Most of these guys have very high football acumen and know when they're going to be up against it due to graduation losses.

 

[Domina Nostra]

Also,

I think this is something most people have not thought of or at best maybe overlooked and underestimated. It is very possible and highly likely he could see there was going to be some drop off.

Kiser, Cross, Mills, Watts, Oben were going to be heavy losses. Not to mention Golden was jumping into a situation where Zac Taylor was going to be under some pressure to get something done knowing Burrow is in his prime years.

Most of these guys have very high football acumen and know when they're going to be up against it due to graduation losses.

I don't know if he left because of that, but I do think that is a real thing. I don't think we would have been good as last year even with Golden.

And I would add that last year lacked big offenses for the most part. In the first half of the Penn State and Ohio State and the second half of USC, our defense looked like they had no answers at all. The Fourth quarter against Indiana was also wild.

We were an incredible defense last year, but one that gave up 34 and 35 to the two really good offenses. OSU was kind of coasting in the second half and probably could have scored more. And we got some huge play from Watts to end USC. Take away X Watts and USC could have gone differently.

23 non-garbage points to Purdue is still tough.

 

[SDIrishFan]

Also,


I don't know if he left because of that, but I do think that is a real thing. I don't think we would have been good as last year even with Golden.

And I would add that last year lacked big offenses for the most part. In the first half of the Penn State and Ohio State and the second half of USC, our defense looked like they had no answers at all. The Fourth quarter against Indiana was also wild.

We were an incredible defense last year, but one that gave up 34 and 35 to the two really good offenses. OSU was kind of coasting in the second half and probably could have scored more. And we got some huge play from Watts to end USC. Take away X Watts and USC could have gone differently.

This is a big thing that often gets overlooked. Last year's team was able to be aggressive and blitz and play man and cause havoc b/c they weren't scared a QB would beat them. USC finally challenged the secondary to great success until the 2 pick sixes.

It's sort of perfect storm in my eyes:

1. Golden left, that hurt
2. Ash seems lost or the mesh between Ash, the other staff and the players just isn't there.
3. We didn't play high powered offenses, especially QBs last year until OSU.
4. We lost the spine of the defense and a TON of experience from last year. I'm convinced if we had Watts and Kiser on this team, we'd be 3-0 instead of 1-2
5. We have NO depth at CB for some reason.
6. We continue to not recruit DT's that can impact a game.

 

[stlnd01]

Also,


I don't know if he left because of that, but I do think that is a real thing. I don't think we would have been good as last year even with Golden.

And I would add that last year lacked big offenses for the most part. In the first half of the Penn State and Ohio State and the second half of USC, our defense looked like they had no answers at all. The Fourth quarter against Indiana was also wild.

We were an incredible defense last year, but one that gave up 34 and 35 to the two really good offenses. OSU was kind of coasting in the second half and probably could have scored more. And we got some huge play from Watts to end USC. Take away X Watts and USC could have gone differently.

23 non-garbage points to Purdue is still tough.

It is true that we did not play very many elite offenses, especially passing offenses, last year. USC and maybe Louisville were the best we saw in the regular season. Our first three playoff opponents were also flawed on offense. Pair that with, yes, losing some good players (particularly, I think, Watts and Kiser, moreso than the DLs). Add all that up and Golden probably sensed that a Broyles award and run to the national title game were as good as it was going to get.

That said, if one very specific NFL defensive coordinator job doesn't open up, I think he's most likely back and we're undefeated right now.

 

[Irish#1]

I myself don't think Golden looked at what was graduating and decided it was the best time to go. I don't think it was even part of the equation. He had an opportunity to work in the NFL and being back home was the icing on the cake to make the decision easier.

 

[KPENN]

Also,


I don't know if he left because of that, but I do think that is a real thing. I don't think we would have been good as last year even with Golden.

And I would add that last year lacked big offenses for the most part. In the first half of the Penn State and Ohio State and the second half of USC, our defense looked like they had no answers at all. The Fourth quarter against Indiana was also wild.

We were an incredible defense last year, but one that gave up 34 and 35 to the two really good offenses. OSU was kind of coasting in the second half and probably could have scored more. And we got some huge play from Watts to end USC. Take away X Watts and USC could have gone differently.

23 non-garbage points to Purdue is still tough.

There is absolutely no way an Al Golden defense gives up 41 to Texas A&M. I’d bet the Miami game goes quite a bit differently too. Are they as good as last year? Who knows, probably not, but they’re 100% 2-1 right now with him as DC

 

[GoldenBoy3]

Am I crazy to think that since seeing we have zero depth at CB and no real DL, that we go crazy in the portal this year to allow the newest recruits to grow and mature rather than throwing them into the fire?

 

[Irish Man3]

Since the Bengals might go 1-16 this year do you think Al would have stayed knowing this? Gotta suck being a bengal without Joe Cool.

Going 1-16 after starting 2-0 would be remarkable and grounds for firing all and selling the franchise

 

[stlnd01]

Am I crazy to think that since seeing we have zero depth at CB and no real DL, that we go crazy in the portal this year to allow the newest recruits to grow and mature rather than throwing them into the fire?

They're in the fire now, at least the DBs. We'll see how the rest of the year goes but Golden and Zackery, at least, could be quite well-seasoned by the end of it. One might wonder why they didn't take another corner in the portal this offseason, though. You'd think someone decent would've been willing to take a shot as CB3.

 

[Bane]

There is absolutely no way an Al Golden defense gives up 41 to Texas A&M. I’d bet the Miami game goes quite a bit differently too. Are they as good as last year? Who knows, probably not, but they’re 100% 2-1 right now with him as DC

Would we be as good as last year? Maybe, maybe not. But the overall team would be way more complete and maybe the #1 team in the country right now. Even accounting for some defensive drop off, our offense is explosive and much better than last year's.

 

[NumbersGuy0520]

Independent of Al Golden leaving or staying, roster turnover, etc…

It was also likely that our defense would take a step back simply because we were so damn good last year. If you condition on a unit being at the level they were at, it’s improbable that they repeat or improve, almost by definition. The best unit each year will almost always regress closer to the mean next year. OSU offense is like the one exception but they grab 5* WRs every year and are just playing on easy mode.

 

[irishff1014]

Independent of Al Golden leaving or staying, roster turnover, etc…

It was also likely that our defense would take a step back simply because we were so damn good last year. If you condition on a unit being at the level they were at, it’s improbable that they repeat or improve, almost by definition. The best unit each year will almost always regress closer to the mean next year. OSU offense is like the one exception but they grab 5* WRs every year and are just playing on easy mode.

A step back and starting over are 2 different items.

 

[NumbersGuy0520]

A step back and starting over are 2 different items.

No argument here. The hire has absolutely tanked the defense so far.

 

[NDPhilly]

The odds Al is looking for a new gig at year end is increasing by the week.