I agree with just about everything said here. However when you think about it a football player goes through 4 weeks of spring practice, year round strength and conditioning, 2 a days in August and at least 5 days of practice during the season; all to play only 12 games a year. How the hell can you not be motivated to play every play of every game like your hair is on fire? I just get so sick of these "we were flat", "we had no intensity", "we didn't playhard", etc.
I realize the coaches have to have them prepared, have a game plan and try to put them into a position to win, etc. I also understand some teams are simply more talented and things like penalties and turn overs happen. However, as as been pointed out, we played very few(if any) complete games this year and didn't even show up in at least two.
Sorry for the length, but my question to my fellow posters is how responsibile is the coach for getting players mentally ready to play? How responsibile are the players for playing every down of every game with enthusiasm and intensity? Whatever the problem is, we are missing something. You don't see the top tier teams taking games off. I get livid when I hear a Wake Forest player(given our history) wsaying they took someone lightly.
Vent over, would truly like some opinions on the subject.