Breakdown Sports: Michigan Offense vs Defense Power RPS

Submitted by Space Coyote on

I haven't been providing as much content, either here or at my blog, recently due to a variety of reasons (baby, job promotion, travel, computer breaking, etc.). Still, I have recently written three different pieces, two concerning Michigan and one concerning OSU.

The two about Michigan discuss how Michigan's defense plans on agressively stopping teams from adding blocking to the point of attack (i.e. pulling OL). Brown is a very aggressive DC, and his goal is to be more aggressive than the opponent at the POA. Effectively, this looks at how McCray performed during the spring game, both good and bad.

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But Harbaugh is used to teams doing this. Teams like Virginia Tech, Michigan State, and others have been aggressively attacking pullers with the best of them. Last year, Michigan couldn't really get enough out of the OL to pull off many of these tricks, but still managed some. In the future, you can expect even more. Here's what is up his sleeve.

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Lastly, if you're interested in the rival, I look at OSU's Pivot Follow concept, an iteration on the mesh concept that Seth diagramed a bit recently (I went into a bit more detail).

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a different Jason

May 6th, 2016 at 1:20 PM ^

Thanks for writing this content. I don't get too involved in the nuts and bolts of things, but I appreciate others who gravitate to that side of things. So thanks for your efforts.

Truthbtold

May 7th, 2016 at 6:25 AM ^

In its division. Behind OSU for sure, and behind MSU as usual. After 6-7 years of this I'm not sure why folks seem to be in denial that UM is now a middle of the pack Big10 team, somewhere below Whisky and Indy, but probably above Purdue. OSU and MSU has had UM on their knees for many years now. It seems UM likes it on its knees.

PopeLando

May 6th, 2016 at 1:31 PM ^

I imagine that I'm like most people: I understand offense better than defense and skill positions better than non-skill positions.

Thanks for these. I feel like I get a bit smarter each time, but I'm still not to the point where I can recognize these things taking place in real time during a game.

Space Coyote

May 6th, 2016 at 2:13 PM ^

I think OL and defense are tougher to learn, just because much of the action isn't out in the open (and on TV you can't see about half the defense anyway). Also, it's much less by design and more reactionary to what the offense is doing, so it's more difficult to see down-to-down. But I'm glad I'm helping out.

1VaBlue1

May 6th, 2016 at 2:24 PM ^

Right?  Especially if the baby is still new.  You plop (him/her?) on the floor and go about the business of creating content for us.  Baby doesn't move.  Can't.  Not by itslef.  I just did this, and I gotta tell you that having Mom-in-law over the first few weeks is a waste of mom-in-law time.  Bring her in when the kid gets mobile...

 

That said - a BIG thank you to Space Coyote for the excellent work!  I've learned more about football the last few months than I did the previous many years.

Wool Vereen

May 6th, 2016 at 2:48 PM ^

I remember when San fran played the lions.  I just kept seeing this one play where the DT would come free upfield and have the RB dead to rights, to then simply get cleaned out by the man in motion and Gore just run straight upfield with nobody to hit him for yards.  It was beautiful, and they just kept running it. 

Thanks man, glad to finally know the concept.  Good for a team like msu, unless their SS is playing too close.  however, i'd take Deveon one on one against an SS any day