Sheridan Sanity
I started writing this in response to Brian's post, and then decided it was getting long enough to justify a diary entry:
Re: Insane Sherid'oh faction
Sheridan has a good head on his shoulders and is not physically talented enough to play against high-major teams. IMO, he was pretty good against Toledo (both of his int's are just as much on Clemons as they are him), and pretty good against Minnesota; bad against ND and Utah; and !!!!ZOMG=death!!!! against PSU. Therefore, I am confident he will be fine this week. If Threet's not 100% for OSU, though, run for the hills (!!!)
My only worry is that RR seems to have some sort of weird unjustified mancrush on Sheridan (see sticking with him so long against Utah, yanking Threet in arguably his best game, ND), so I hope to goodness RR doesn't take two decent starts (I'm assuming N'western does go decent) from Sheridan as some sort of mandate from the Heavens that the kid should play.
Re: The insane woooo SheriQBcontroversy crowd
How about the performance of one hit wonder J. Siller from Purdue? Anybody notice the beating MSU gave him the next week? Sometimes, when I play basketball with middle school girls, I feel like I'm pretty damn good at basketball.
Re: I hate them both, rawr, rawr, rawr; Forcier = the answer
The only game Threet looked mentally incapable was against MSU. Brian posted about this, but I am starting to think they are the only team that actually planned for us. Threet never seemed "locked in" to receivers in any game except against MSU. Then I thought about it: when is the last time ANYONE who is not MSU covered any of our receivers? The wheel was always open. The seam was always open. Odoms was always open. The pump and go always worked.
The suddenly we run bubble, bubble, and MSU is jumping them all, so pump and go = td, right? Nope, cb from different receiver makes ridiculous jump on perfect pass and nails Clemons (I think?) as he's catching it. Amazing play, touchdown against any other team this year, I think.
As for Threet's accuracy issues, Brian wrote long ago for one of his "worry if" bullets for a game about mid-season 'worry if Threet's accuracy does not improve.' I remember at the time thinking that it was unlikely we see any improvement this year. I don't coach football, but I do coach sports; and I know you don't change a pitcher's delivery mid-season. I think Threet takes a big step forward in mechanics over the off season and resolves those issues (not to mention hopefully being healthy). Mentally, he's been solid in every game (sans State, who might actually just be good, discussed above).
I am excited to see what this kid does with this offense next year.
November 12th, 2008 at 6:53 PM ^
Last night I sat down and watched some of the old Henne footage on YouTube. It made me sad. Probably what I don't like most about Threet is that he always looks so excited and going 1 million miles a minute when he is running the offense. Granted i do want a QB that is excited and what not I just want him to look calm and cool... is that a lot to ask?
November 12th, 2008 at 7:36 PM ^
rich rod is determined to run his offense that put him in a position of winning a nchamp last year at wv..the only qb we currently have to run that is feagin. next year hopefully there will be 3. on the other hand if rr changes it up to include a more accurate threat in the passing game than I can see threet in the mix.
November 12th, 2008 at 8:01 PM ^
A lot has been said about the whole "balance" issue. Michigan runs like 54% and passes 46% I want to say (something around that), while R-Rod ran something like 70% of the time at WVU.
November 13th, 2008 at 2:09 AM ^
I don't think RR is looking to run a WVU style offense where they are running the ball 70% of time. As jcontiz poionts out the balance between run and pass at UM is way closer to 50, then it was at WVU.
I do think RR would prefer a QB who is a better runner then what UM has on the roster right now, but I don't think that means he wants to run it 70% of the time. I don't think RR is going after stud wr prospects to have them come here and mainly block downfield on running plays. Maybe I just have Maize and Blue glasses on but with a QB that is fairly accurate in all aspects of the passing game, this offense will be deadly. A good oline opening up holes for the running game, short passes to the wr's at the los as well as intermediate and deep throws. Throwing to the TE over the middle of the field. Throwing to rb's down the middle of the field and down the sidelines.
November 13th, 2008 at 9:25 AM ^
To this point, RR',s run/pass split at WVU was 70/30 when Pat White was his QB. We all know Pat White can run (RR, in his last presser referred to him as "fastfast"), and the results of having Pat White throw are pretty obvious this season. So, you have an absurdly fast, instictive runner who is a mediocre (at best) passer - what kind of plays do you think he'll call? If you think that either Forcier or Beaver have the running ability of White, you're wrong. If you think that either are as bad throwing as White, you're wrong.
November 12th, 2008 at 7:52 PM ^
Threet never seemed "locked in" to receivers in any game except against MSU.
I have the exact opposite impression; its just that MSU was the first time where the secondary really jumped his passes.
November 12th, 2008 at 10:08 PM ^
I actually did think that for a while, and still don't know what to think...but, I guess he can't be telling that bad if only one team we played against were jumping the routes with a serious advantage.
either that, or the offensive scheme is just really damn good, which would be exciting too. either way, get excited.
November 12th, 2008 at 8:10 PM ^
IMO, he was pretty good against Toledo (both of his int's are just as much on Clemons as they are him)
Sheridan went 8-16 for 65 yards against Toledo. With all due respect, an average of four yards per attempt is far, far from "pretty good." He played the entire second half and drove us into Toledo territory once. Again, that's not what I'd call "pretty good."
Sheridan's performance against Minnesota was light years beyond anything he'd ever done this season. He achieved varying degrees of awfulness in all of his other outings. Minnesota was the first time he actually wasn't a liability.
November 12th, 2008 at 9:17 PM ^
really take a hit when two semi-successful drives have positive plays over the middle turn into turnovers.
i maintain that clemons played his worst game of the season, and sheridan really was "pretty good."
that said, even if he demonstrated 'light years' of growth, i still argue that that growth will only be apparent against teams like northwestern, and not tOSU.
November 12th, 2008 at 9:38 PM ^
The only thing that Sheridan does better than Threet is throw the screen, which drives me crazy because it's such a vital yet fairly basic throw to make.
Prediction: if Threet continues to throw 90 mph fastballs behind the receivers on screens, then he does not win the starting QB job next season.
November 13th, 2008 at 10:11 AM ^
This is the handle you chose? I can't imagine having to type that shit in every time I logged in here.
November 13th, 2008 at 10:34 AM ^
i agree with nearly all of what you say BUT one caveat i would add is the big "if" of threet's offseason improvement. i agree that threet has been hampered by injuries, etc, and with some mechanical adjustment he COULD take a big jump in the offseason, but this doesn't mean he WILL.
unfortunately at this point there is still a lot we don't know- so i agree with you that it is too early to write off threet, but it is also too early to embrace him as The Answer. it is still just possible that if threet does not make some offseason mechanical improvement that forcier will start next year.
threet must also improve his decision making in the running game, ie, when to hand off on the zone reads and when to keep, apparently forcier is already quite good at this.
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