I'm a little confused about D personnel changes
We'll see how much the Indiana defensive game plan was specific to them, but I don't really get why less subbing means Ojabo only sees the field on passing downs and Dax doesn't get to play so aggressively as the nickel.
It seems our base personnel was Hinton-Smith-Hutch-Ojabo-Ross-Colson-Dax-BHawk-Turner-Gray and that was fine. I don't recall them getting stuck on the field and killed by physical running. So why do we need an anchor and viper now? Besides Ojabo getting fewer snaps, I really want Dax at nickel after learning Penn State throws so many screens to Dotson.
November 12th, 2021 at 11:51 PM ^
Pretty sure you dance with the guy who brought you.
There is a plan and there is little flex around that plan.
Besides coaches only check blogs on Thursdays. After that, it's a lock. They have to follow the plan.
But I love passion and the myopia it breeds.
Go Blue!
November 13th, 2021 at 12:59 AM ^
November 13th, 2021 at 12:00 AM ^
We have options and we're willing to adjust (albeit, after learning an inexcusable lesson @MSU)...if MacDonald grows from it and we never lose again for the rest of his tenure, I'll look back at that game and say, "maybe it was wor---nah, fuck Sparty."
November 13th, 2021 at 12:05 AM ^
UFR has all your answers my friend (give or take a possible/rumored Michael Barrett injury that finally recovered last week).
November 13th, 2021 at 4:42 AM ^
Does anyone believe a guy that didn't miss a snap on special teams was really injured? C'mon, just say he finally learned his assignments, it was a little harder for some players.
November 13th, 2021 at 8:07 AM ^
Uh...yeah, because making one play every 30 minutes versus making a playing and having to get back up and make another one 30 seconds later is the same thing?
I don't know what his injury was or of it was injuries or assignments like you say...but it's not farfetched to think that one could play special teams while banged up but couldn't be an every down linebacker.
And he did get hurt during preseason, its what initially gave Hill-Green the starting job next to Ross, but no clue if it's something that lingered this long.
But let's stay you had a bruised sternum or something like a bad shoulder. You can run down the field and possibly hit someone once, and then go recover. Or you could play the positon that leads the team in tackling and do that damn near every defensive down, for 3.5 hours.
I think its reasonable if you could only do special teams.
November 13th, 2021 at 8:39 AM ^
Or, we could, you know, look at the structure of MacDonald's defense and see that a 210# cross between a LB and a safety, that isn't standout good at either, doesn't have a place. He can't play MLB. He can't play safety better than any of the safeties we have. He's not big enough to play OLB in this defense.
I mean, he's a VIPER! recruited specifically for Don Brown's VIPER! spot by Don Brown. What other players have we seen playing in MacDonald's defense that model like Barrett? What players do the Ravens use that model like Barrett?
He was used against IU as a VIPER! because that offense was tailor made for Don Brown's defense.
November 13th, 2021 at 8:51 AM ^
Yeah I’m just gonna go with the fact that he’s severely undersized for a linebacker and isn’t good enough at safety to move there. Some guys aren’t a fit for a scheme. Barrett is not a fit for this scheme.
He’s a great fit for Don Brown’s scheme. Which is a perfect counter to this Indiana offense, and the whole roster already knows how to play. So a 1 week switch to a familiar scheme for a simple and easy shut down of an opponent.
But a true linebacker, Barrett is not.
November 13th, 2021 at 9:00 AM ^
The biggest hits and collisions happen on special teams. You don't put an injured player on those teams.
November 13th, 2021 at 8:33 AM ^
I actually had no idea he was always out there on ST. There was a post yesterday that he had a lingering injury that has improved.
November 13th, 2021 at 12:26 AM ^
With Green out...I think (and hope) that MacDonald is ready to move Dax to CB and put him on Dotson if Gray struggles.
Just move Dax out there, Gray can take the #2.
Moten, Turner, Barrett and Morris can rotate that last spot, depending on down, distance and situation.
November 13th, 2021 at 6:50 AM ^
November 13th, 2021 at 8:01 AM ^
Henning is way better. But it's nice to have another option.
November 13th, 2021 at 9:02 AM ^
I don't know about that, and neither do you. Henning let's too many balls drop. I never feel comfortable that he will catch the ball, and hold on to it. Turner looked more comfortable.
November 13th, 2021 at 7:44 AM ^
I find it sad that even now, a full year later, first impressions are still strong in people's heads. Since MSU last year, Gray has shown improvement - even last year. He's been as solid, steady, and reliable as any other corner this year - including Dax when he's covered deep. He's really developed into a nice player.
He'll need some help with Dotson because Dotson is fucking good - good enough that I don't think Dax can take him alone, either. But Dotson isn't the pure speed burner that Gray's limited athletic upside (for a CB) will get torched by, either. Olave? Different story... Coverage wise, Vincent has been fine. Pure speed and athleticism to keep up with faster players is where he falls a step behind.
November 13th, 2021 at 8:00 AM ^
And if it doesn't work...we better be ready to adjust and move Dax on him.
That's literally all I'm saying.
I'm not saying start him on Dotson.
November 13th, 2021 at 8:14 AM ^
...and bullshit that Gray has been as steady as Dax. Just look at the coverage numbers on this site alone.
He's been as good in run support as Dax.
There isn't another DB on this team who has been as good in coverage as Dax.
Miss me with that one. Has he improved? Certainly. But let's not exaggerate because you feel like he's still getting picked on.
He's moved from bad to below average by the end of last year...now he has improved to average and maybe if he performs in these last 3 games (against the WRs you mentioned) he can be considered "solid" or "good."
Dax is great in coverage and elite on the edge (not a quite Peppers, but damn close).
November 13th, 2021 at 8:59 AM ^
I would certainly trust Dax man-up on a WR before Gray, especially against standouts like Dotson, Olave, Wilson, et all. But against the average B1G WR, Gray hasn't been noticed this year - because he's covering well enough to not be sought out to throw against. His athleticism hurts him, not his coverage skills. And that's what I said in the first post.
I'm also not quite as high on Dax as you are. He's pretty damn good, but I wouldn't say he's "great", either. We can both like the team believing slightly different things. I'll take Gray as a little better than you do, and Dax a little less better than you. Fair?
November 13th, 2021 at 10:00 AM ^
Agree on Dax
he has been just ok IMO
early in the year he was really stepping up, now people are challenging him and state beat him several times for big plays including a key 4th down
November 13th, 2021 at 7:01 AM ^
I'm a little happy about de win.
November 13th, 2021 at 7:34 AM ^
Glad to meet you.
November 13th, 2021 at 7:46 AM ^
If you had bothered to read the defense FFFF, you would know that Barrett was in the game because of the way Indiana had to run their offense. All they could really do was run the QB - which is a perfect opportunity for a VIPER! to be on the field. Don't expect to see him much today - the base defense will be back, complete with DL substitutions when PSU goes tempo.
November 13th, 2021 at 8:11 AM ^
If the "complete with substitutions when PSU goes tempo" part of your post is true, just give me my arsenic now.
November 13th, 2021 at 9:14 AM ^
I have seen adjustments every game and implement strategies based on prior game. I see no reason to think they won't have a plan. This year has been different.
November 13th, 2021 at 9:53 AM ^
If you had read my post you'd have seen that I mention the possibility that Barrett in the game had a lot to do with Indiana. However, Seth himself said we don't know how much was Indiana specific. And Harbaugh said Barrett was in there to prevent having to sub often.
I also don't get your last sentence. The DL can't sub when PSU goes tempo. That was the problem in the State game.
November 13th, 2021 at 10:23 AM ^
"The DL can't sub when PSU goes tempo. That was the problem in the State game."
That was the joke... Meaning that it's been a thing all year (constant rotation on the DL) so we're likely to continue seeing it. I mean, I think it's a joke. I hope it is. I'd like to think they'll do something different this week - as said earlier, the staff has made positive changes all year. I hope it continues here!
November 13th, 2021 at 11:11 AM ^
I don't fully understand the, 'Barrett was in there so they didn't have to substitute' statement. Does that mean the other linebackers are run and pass specific?
I thought Barrett was in there specifically to stop the run. They knew the freshman QB was unlikely to pass much but run a lot. And MB was brought in specifically to stop him.
This 3rd lb moved Dax from nickel back to safety.
I'm not sure what happens today. PSU can't run. So I imagine we go back to a 5-2. The question is what to do with Dotson. They line him up all over. Sometimes in the slot sometimes outside. My guess is whomever covers him will get safety help. The good news is that Dotson is not that fast so he's not blowing past Gray who is somewhat slow. Dotson does have a great catch radius, is excellent at finding holes and is one of the best in college in yac. These guys have to stay close, make someone else beat you.
November 13th, 2021 at 9:04 AM ^
Here's my take. What Brown was trying to do was not build a defense that was multiple, but build players that were multiple. Every guy could handle his job and that if the position next to him. Kwitty was a WDE, a SDE, and a 5T. Jeter was a NT or 3T. Peppers could be a CB, S, or WLB. The deep safeties could do either job. The result was that you didn't flip formations base on how the offense lined up and you didn't sub much. If you have great players it seems like a good idea mostly.
I suspect the issue with Ojabo (like Uche) is that he's mostly great at one job. They don't want Ojabo covering TEs or playing zone. Hence why his snaps were more limited.
November 13th, 2021 at 9:50 AM ^
Brown did flip the formation. He also rotated his d line alot. But once Benedict Mattison left, the rotation slowed down.
November 13th, 2021 at 9:20 AM ^
Just be happy this DC makes adjustments.
November 13th, 2021 at 9:31 AM ^
So is MacDonald
November 13th, 2021 at 9:41 AM ^
That's a program question but my UFR of the defense pretty much assumed it was a one-off because it made a lot of sense to use that personnel grouping versus indiana's attack, which is short on passes in the middle where you need a coverage guy like Dax, and had a lot of QB runs which demands a modern hybrid LB/safety.
November 14th, 2021 at 8:17 AM ^
What is Moten's status? Moore started and played the entire game at safety. I have not heard of Moten having an injury. Is this an undisclosed injury situation, or has Moore earned the starting spot now?
If Moore is a new starter, that is a tall order for a true freshman to play safety against OSU. Maybe he is a better pass defender, and that is what is needed now and going forward.