Stack To The Future

The 2006 defense was fierce and hopefully the 3-3-5 will be too. Go Blue!

I'm not thrilled there changing again but if they play like they did against OSU then we should be in every game!

that the 2010 defense would be better than 2009. Seemed like wishful thinking based on pretty weak arguments (pipe dreams of effective true freshman starters and vague notions of improved "speed" "depth" "continuity" and the weakest-link theory)

My hope (not expectation) for a better season in 2010 is based on a better offense (due to experience) turning a handful of close losses into close wins.

I'm a novice in these scheme differences, so I'm not sure I get the concern for personnel in the 3-3-5 vs the 4-2-5. Isn't Roh still a "hybrid" if we call him an LB instead of a DE? Is he used differently? Does being a bigger player preclude Martin from playing at DE?

While I am not thrilled with this formation, and my confidence has been somewhat shaken, I think that we still have to assume that GERG and RR know at least something more about this team than we do. These guys have had long enough careers that it is foolish to say that they know nothing about the game of football. If they are going this route, there is probably a reason behind it, and the reason is probably something other than that a magical unicorn told them to do it.

I am not saying that this will work and that our defense will dominate all comers - I think that the talent / experience level will prevent that regardless of what scheme we run - but I am willing to accept that the coaches know more than me and that there is probably a good reason for this decision.

Does anyone know if G-Rob went to VT to learn about what they do or have his D's been along these lines before? I would guess that he's coaching/teaching something he's quite familiar with and not just doing what RR wants. He didn't need to take the DC job but wanted to and I would be hard-pressed to see a former HC and successful DC at the college and pro level coming and teaching something he's not too familiar with. Any insight is appreciated.

If it's like that all year, and it will help us beat OSU, then I'm all for it.

if they don't seem to be running that kind of stunting philosophy, then it's really all just small adjustments to provide best fit. whether or not craig roh's hand is down or not isn't that big a deal. especially since i think he's probably better than Obi in running with a TE, which goes back to the best fit/small adjustments category.

two major questions: can we find enough defensive backs to play a real C2? and is Will a legit two-gap defender? if both are operative, we'll be a pretty good defense.

This debate reminds me of men and women in conversation. Usually us guys are pretty simple in that if we are asked a question we answer it pretty clearly with no hidden agenda or conspiracy theory.

What do you want for dinner? Pizza. Done.

Women could spend a week breaking this down over coffee. Does he hate your cooking? Does he not like our china?? Why doesn't he take me out anymore?? Does he think I'm too fat to be seen in public?? We could have had pizza at a restraunt. Maybe that's where he takes his slut and doesn't want other people to see me?

Nah we just felt like pizza.

RR has recruited defensive players that could play multiple positions, he has said time and time again he wants a multiple defense that can adapt to all the different offenses we see on our schedule. Maybe we are going to do exactly what he says, because that is what he is doing.

Should we believe they recruited players that don't fit the system RR wants to run and RR believes that changing that system every year will be a good thing or should we believe they have a plan in place and are going to execute it?

My main concern is that with limited practice time and youth in age and the system it may be information overload again. For those thinking we are doing something bizarre many teams do this, most prominently Bellichik(who kinda knows what he is doing) in that he changes his defense week to week to combat different offenses. I'm just not sure in college where time is limited if this will be better or not.

It is an interesting debate and it is one many coaches struggle with. Is it better to be Iowa who plays the same thing over and over and knows it down cold, but are sometimes put at a schematic or personnel disadvantage or do you constantly change up to match the offense and risk having your players not know what they are doing??

I think this ups your variance, matching up allows for spectacular defensive performances, but it also leaves you open for more devastating breakdowns.

I don't really know what to expect from this year's defense, given how the 2009 unit played. I'm scared to think that we could endure another year of missed asignments, bad LB play, etc.

The good thing is the defense is finally getting depth, and things should improve. I hope.

Either way, I think the offense needs to take ownership this year and control the clock, score early and often, and so on. We will probably be in several shoot-outs this year, so my hope is the offense can do enough to win close games it found ways to lose late last year.

does this overload you guys with DTs now
Ash, talbot, Black in 2010
Campbell in 2009
Martin in 2008
plus Sagesse who is still on the team from 2007 right? 6 guys for 1 position seems heavy

I know that MgoBlog did a piece where they showed the different positions and who would occupy them with "hopeful for"s and "most likely"s. I'm wondering if this can be updated to fit the obvious 3-3-5 formation that is going to be our new base? Or maybe should we wait til the end of Spring practice to actually "see" it on the field. My real name says the latter, but my anonymous on-screen message board username says the former.

or is it simply a move toward Rod's philosophical belief in that as a base?

"I'm not thrilled that Michigan seems to be changing its defense again, especially since I've been pitching defensive coordinator continuity as a major reason Michigan's defense will improve in 2010"

i felt the exact same way but at this point i think im numb to these sort of changes. this is the watershed year for rr: either he gets it done with this crazy 3-3-5 stack or he gets the hell out.

As in, who is teaching the defense how to tackle. The defense alignment won't matter much if they tackle like the last two(three?) years. The added weight of some players will help - I'm thinking of Roh in particular, who has great tackling form but got overwhelmed last year by larger players.

1. Our defense sucked last year, in part because of confusion over assignments (this was mentioned constantly by players) and poor reactions/decisions

2. We lose our 3 best defensive players -by far- and are very young elsewhere, making continuity of scheme the main contributing factor to improving from awful to average

3. So in response, we run a NEW defense?

4. Stop the "it's not really that different" responses right now. When players all say "our new defense," that pretty much means were running a new defense.

5. Most observers felt Roh's future was with his hand down, rushing the passer. So we move him back and stand him up?

6. Martin is great as a space eater pushing the middle in--so he moves outside?

WTF am I missing here?

If I just wanted to know that Michigan is practicing a 3-3-5 I could read Angelique and the Detroit News online.

But the reason this site becomes an added resource is that people want to discuss these topics that attempt to get in the coaches head.

I agree with and respect the comments of RR knows what he's doing. But just saying that doesn't make for something interesting enough to blow off some work time to check in on.

Now personally at the strategic level, the risk of using 3-3-5 as a base set for all teams in the Big Ten conference is a risk against the teams that will pile up their power on the line and try to run their tank through (Wisconsin). But the great mitigating thing about that is those teams take so long to score points.

So assuming the Offensive line takes the step forward in dominance that we are hoping for, I'm willing to take on slow offensive drives that end up in field goals two times out of three (the other being a touchdown so 13 every 3 trips) as long as the offense can score two touchdowns out of three attempts (so 14 points every 3 trips). Now add in times the defense still gets a stop/turnover plus the fact that the defense wears down more than the offense toward the end of the game and this "think blue line" approach to the defense is worth it for those 1-2 opponents,

Since it will be exactly what we need to stop such innovative teams as Penn State from giving up on the run game to simply lob the ball 15 yards to one of 3 receivers bumping around with the LineBackers who are wondering why the running back they just stuffed in the whole doesn't have the ball?!?

I mean I'm still shocked that Penn State was the first one to figure out that weakness last year.

But once they figured it out, we couldn't stop anyone.

Also, the biggest thing for me is the 3-3-5 gives Obi exactly what he needs. No decision, it's basically "go fill that hole regardless and let all youngins' track down the receivers"

I really don't think it's that complex, it's basically a statement of "pull two guys off the line and put them in space". with a corollary of, well if they are determined to run, then just jam the line with everyone. Will they still power forward for 4-5 yards, probably, but they better not risk an incompletion because they'll be punting, and if an offense is single minded, it's going to end up being less effective over time.

or did I mis-interpret 99% of the analysis from 2007?

love him or hate him RR gonna do wha' he do.

and dang I love trying to predict it when there's absolutely no game to see it in real-time.

hmm, now where did I save that Ohio State game...

I probably haven't been paying attention. But I was surprised to see that the practice jerseys only have the numbers, and not the players' names. Is this new this year? New with Rodriguez? Or has it always been thus?

The supposed line-up, at this point, according to insiders looks like this for the fall:

DE: Martin and Van Bergen
DT: Campbell

LB: Roh, Ezeh, Mouton

Spur: Mike Williams
Box Safety: Kovacs, or M-Rob.
Deep Safety: Emilien, or Cam Gordon
CB: 2 of Woolfolk, Floyd (playing well this spring), Turner, Dorsey and Christian.

The versatility here is what's key and what can confuse other teams. Rich Rod has stated they are creating packages based on what they will see in other opponents. SO:

when they play obvious rush first teams (Wisconsin, Iowa, UConn come to mind), you can bring Roh into the line, move that box safety up closer to the line for run support, and use Williams similarly.

On obvious passing downs, you can take one of the D-linemen out, put Roh and Jibreel Black (who was told to be ready to play) on the field as pass rushers, and the other seven have pass defense duties.

With the three DL front, you've got an obvious two-deep this fall that looks pretty good:

Martin Campbell Van Bergen
Sagesse Banks/Patterson Jibreel Black

not to mention that LaLota has impressed the coach and may play 5 or so snaps a game.

I love the versatility of this defensive package. GERG has enough players now that he can prepare from day one, for example, Jibreel Black to be a situational 3rd down pass rusher, OR, Kovacs to be an obvious rushing down box safety, or Cullen Christian to be a nickel-back. The DBs won't likely have to play 70 snaps out of need this year. GERG will have a ton of pieces, albeit young, but quick, talented, and prepared.

This is exciting, not something to be concerned about. If it blows up we'll be back to boring ass (and effective) Michigan defense in 2011. But if it DOES work, the team will win 10 games this year.

So forgive my ignorance on the subject but is the reason for this defense being so scary in the big ten because of all the power running that goes on from teams like Wisky, Iowa, and to some extent PSU, OSU and MSU?

Is this kind of defense not equipped to deal with that kind of offense?

Has an excellent little post on the switch to the 3-3-5 as well, highlighting four players that should benefit from the change and why.

The more I read about it, the more I like it. This truly does simplify the defense, especially for the linebackers that had problems last year. It looks like the rule for them is "whatever gap your lineman doesn't go into, you do." So the only read they need to make is which way the guy in front of them runs.

I also like the 5 in the back with two playing up on the line. That'll be a big help to guys like Kovacs, who is very smart, but maybe can't run all that quick, and the deep field that will have a little less overall responsibility and should be able to play closer on their man.