The Ace Pod 1.7: The Thinking and the Logic
The Ace Pod now has a sponsor! Thank you to the law offices of E. Jason Blankenship, whose website is now fully armed and operational.
This week’s mailbag discusses:
- Unpleasant victories (“no disrespect to Akron”)
- Pinpointing why we are the way we are (it’s The Game, guys)
- The possibilities of a 2QB formation (trash it)
- Reasons for hope with the offense (many, in my opinion)
- Which announcing team is the best we can hope for right now (it’s bleak out there)
- How to get a good picture of a dog (cut loose)
- A quick health update (progress!)
But before all that, I dig into Pat Narduzzi’s lengthy defense of attempting a field goal from the one-yard line with five minutes left in a seven-point game. While he succeeded in getting his defense on the field, that may not be the victory he believes it is. #NardDogg4MSU
MUSIC:
"Choking on a Piece of Meat, Pt. 2"—The Poets of Rhythm
DOWNLOAD:
Pitt apparently had precisely two plays they thought could work on the opponent’s one-yard line. And they didn’t work.
September 17th, 2019 at 7:57 AM ^
Good stuff, Ace. I agree on the misery of that 5-0 Purdue game. Was at the game - my family would go to one game a year and we had tickets and drove down from Grand Rapids area. The combination of rain, ice, and snow was utterly miserable and the football was worse. Still shudder when I think about how cold I was that day.
September 17th, 2019 at 8:16 AM ^
I never miss a game. Sat through that one a few days after a flu shot got me sick. Miserable is an understatement.
September 17th, 2019 at 12:55 PM ^
I saw that from home. I actually really enjoyed the RB duel. (Well, Purdue had Alstott, so RB/FB...)
September 17th, 2019 at 9:13 AM ^
Even if they work out the kinks, the inherent problem I see with the 2QB formation is that you're handing the numbers advantage back to the defense. The second QB isn't a threat to block and won't stretch the field vertically before the ball crosses the LoS. At first thought it may seem like you're playing chess with two queens, but you actually have more backfield options with an RB out there. At least that guy can block, carry, or receive -- and a fair number of RBs can also throw (as we just saw last game). What's the QB gonna do? Pass, sure, but the ball can cross the LoS only once. He's not gonna block. They already know he can carry. And as long as he's running around in the backfield the defense has one less eligible receiver to worry about.
It might work as a sort of red zone frippery package where Shea could roll out one way and (if a downfield read ain't there) then rope the ball to Dylan to ruin the secondary's leverage, because the defense might not think to cover a second QB who's no longer a threat to run. But that would work only once (if that); the formation's already on tape and first time it works they'll just man up on Dylan like a receiver, and since a QB doesn't practice routes it can easily be their weakest cover guy. The next time the outcome will be a pick-six or a sack.
September 17th, 2019 at 9:38 AM ^
It does seem gimmicky at best. Even Mike Barrett would be a better option - former QB who's athletic enough to do some damage elsewhere on the field. Dylan is very athletic for a tall lanky QB but not in that "FEAR ME" kind of way.
If they're using it to set up a one off success like you outlined above then fine, but then lets put it on the shelf.
This seems like the kind of thing you'd try if you didn't have three NFL caliber receivers, two talented tight ends, and an excellent set of young RBs. If your QBs are your most atheltic and talented players on the field, fine do it. If not, its should be a trick play and shelved.
September 17th, 2019 at 10:25 AM ^
This seems like the kind of thing you'd try if you didn't have three NFL caliber receivers, two talented tight ends, and an excellent set of young RBs.
That's a brutal way to put it, but yeah. Could it work? Sure, I'll entertain the idea. Is it a better idea than an arm-punt to Collins? No? Then WTF are you wasting practice time on.
Come to think of it, what are they wasting practice time on?? Between this 2QB frippery and nothing in the trick bag against Army, just how much time were they, you know, actually installing the new offense? How are they spending the bye week; experimenting with Sainristil as an in-line TE because no one would think of that?
September 17th, 2019 at 9:20 AM ^
Thanks, Seth. Glad you're cautiously optimistic, and happy to hear your perspectives.
I'd add snark because the points don't matter. That is, I'm one of those whose points haven't changed in a long time, so apparently no one can either neg or boost me. But clearly snark isn't necessary from me because others are upholding the fine tradition of snarkery.
Next time maybe you could give a brief version here of your objections to broadcast teams. Your insights are always interesting, and that would make a good addition.
September 17th, 2019 at 9:35 AM ^
I'd add snark because the points don't matter. That is, I'm one of those whose points haven't changed in a long time, so apparently no one can either neg or boost me.
I negged you and your points dropped. That doesn't mean they matter, but they do change.
September 17th, 2019 at 9:39 AM ^
Hey i negged him too and it worked!
September 17th, 2019 at 10:02 AM ^
Negged him for calling Ace Seth. But I think that has happened before. Maybe there's a joke in there somewhere I don't get.
Also, I don't think I lost a point for giving a neg.
September 17th, 2019 at 11:14 PM ^
There's a tradition that goes back so far I don't know when it started of people confusing our staff for each other.
September 17th, 2019 at 9:32 AM ^
does Pitt keep Narduzzu as long as he wants to stay (since keeping coaches has a bit of an issue for pitt) or does his seat get warm?
September 17th, 2019 at 9:37 AM ^
I thought Nardawg was the brains behind MSU's run, since they seemed to tank when he left. However, he's sucked at Pitt while the MSU D has looked good. It's strange.
September 17th, 2019 at 10:57 AM ^
Nothing strange about it. He was the force behind MSU's defensive renaissance. The problem is that people saw too much into a flash of brilliance.
I have a certain classification of coaches that RichRod and Narduzzi belong in, that I don't really have a name for but we'll call them "one-hit wonders". They spring upon something legitimately stupendous that evolves the game and is copied around the league, but. . . that's the peak of their careers.
RichRod's read option and Narduzzi's quarters defense were incredible innovations, to be sure. I don't want to understate that. They permanently changed how football is played. They should be remembered just for that. But -- and many will consider this a hot take, and one I took plenty of heat for in the day -- while one brilliant idea is good for leaving your mark, it doesn't sustain a career. Football is competitive. It never stops; others won't just copy but will eventually beat what you came up with. Now, a truly paradigm-shifting, holy-crap-that's-genius idea buys you a lot of world-beating on the cheap. Guaranteed three, five with minimal work, and maybe up to around 7-8 years of sustained excellence. But I noticed that RichRod and Narduzzi got soft off their spoils; they'd tweak to keep a good thing going but weren't ever working on a next, new idea.
Well, these aren't fresh ideas anymore. They've been scouted, figured out, and -- while they remain solid principles -- can be beaten. Which is why RichRod went 43-35 at Arizona and Nadz is 29-26. Not terrible track records, but hardly evidence of sustained genius.
September 17th, 2019 at 12:35 PM ^
The shorter version of your post may be that possessing a certain kind of insight about how to play the game may or may not equate to being a good coach. Having read a little about Rich Rod, my hunch is that he inspired some kids early, but managing a huge football operation. . . yet another set of challenges.
September 17th, 2019 at 1:42 PM ^
No no no, see, I don't think RichRod or Nadz have special insight into the game. I think they had epiphanies they deserve full credit for, but there's otherwise essentially zero evidence they see the game at a higher level than similarly mediocre coaches who didn't stumble into a great idea.
I think Don Brown is an example of someone who personifies what people thought RichRod and Nadz were. He hasn't morphed the game but in large part that's because few can do what he does. He's known as a press-heavy, blitz-happy guy and will implode sometimes, but he's broken out of his mold far more often than Nadz has.
September 17th, 2019 at 2:48 PM ^
The concession stand mom that invented the "walking taco".... now there's real innovation! She deserves recognition, maybe a trophy or award named after her.
September 18th, 2019 at 8:01 AM ^
Then I disagree. Rich Rod actually did it at several schools, and it wasn't a simple insight, but something he evolved over a period of time. If a coach doesn't replicate his success at a second or third institution many factors could be involved, no? Narduzzi doesn't have the talent pool he drew on at MSU, where he had far less responsibility. RichRod was overwhelmed by an institution where many people had it out for him, and--notably--he didn't have the D coordinator he sought. Let's see how he fares at Ole Miss.
September 18th, 2019 at 12:20 PM ^
You both are confusing Narduzzi and Rich Rod's head coaching abilities with their coordinator/football abilities. They are completely different. Narduzzi's defense was special at MSU (it was the less the quarters D that has been around for decades and more the zone blitz 6 man pressures that was his real innovation). Rich Rod wasn't the first guy to run zone read, but certainly was part of a small group who codified it as the beginnings of an offense. Both of these are great innovations that moved the game forward but they are football-specific innovations. Rich Rod had some real success as a head coach at West Virginia that in retrospect seems more lucky than anything specific (Miami and VTech leaving the conference and his offense being ahead of the times). Michigan was an abject disaster under his watch and Arizona was, well Arizona. Narduzzi at Pitt has been mediocre.
Being an FBS head football coach goes far beyond the football aspect and requires a lot of different skills that coaching a position or coordinating does not prepare you for. Some guys figure that out, some guys are smart enough or already have those skills or, quite frankly, some guys are just in over their head. Narduzzi is a very good coordinator who just might not have the skills to be a very good head coach.
September 20th, 2019 at 1:35 PM ^
I thought that was exactly the point I made, if in fewer words.
September 17th, 2019 at 9:41 AM ^
Great art work Ace. Made me chuckle.
September 17th, 2019 at 9:46 AM ^
We have definitely seen flashes of an offense that has potential and gives us optimism. Where everyone struggles is trying to figure out what our true identity is. Is it the first half of MTSU or the second half of Army? Time will definitely tell us the answer. Here’s hoping it’s the former!
September 17th, 2019 at 10:13 AM ^
Re: 2013
Not that it makes the season any brighter, we “only” fell to 19 after the UConn debacle, proceeded with a win over Minnesota (climbed to 18) then fell from the polls completely after the 4OT loss to Penn St.
September 17th, 2019 at 10:41 AM ^
Pat seems like the dumb gym teacher everyone had in middle school.
September 17th, 2019 at 12:53 PM ^
Love your podcasts, Ace.
But man, the music that started at 15:15 or so... it sounds like NPR was asked to score a porn film.
September 17th, 2019 at 6:33 PM ^
Keep it going Ace.
Glad you are feeling better.
September 17th, 2019 at 10:44 PM ^
I'm glad to hear that your health is ascending.
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