Know Your Enemy, Tuesday 8/21 8:48 a.m.
This is a quick 2 minute update. What this post lacks in actual info. will be made up for with speed. SEC speed. Bill King’s radio show on Sirius had a 247 guy from the Alabama site. Sorry didn’t get his name.
Didn’t have much on Eddie Lacy’s recent injury, except to echo what Saban has said (he’ll be back for Michigan). Interestingly, he did discuss the turf toe injury of a while ago, saying Lacy looked slow on it during the first week of camp. By the second week he seemed to be doing better.
TJ Yeldon got a lot of work (29 carries) in the two fall camp scrimmages – believes he’s going to play extensively against Michigan. Says he looks the part physically and has been impressive. Talked a little bit about the backs behind them, didn’t say a word about Dee Hart.
They have a JUCO cornerback who looks like he’s going to step right in and play at a high level. Of course they do. Also discussed a 6’6” 250 lb. hybrid LB/DE who apparently they really like. Sorry, didn’t get the names. Again, speed. You’re not used speed like this in the B1G.
BONUS WILTFONG TALKS MICHIGAN RECRUITING: Two horse race between Auburn and Michigan for Green. A lot of people think Auburn after the recent visit, but he spent 3 days in Ann Arbor and they set the bar. Next step is an official to Michigan for the Sparty game. Didn’t sound like a decision was imminent. Who knows.
BONUS WILTFONG TEARS OF NOTRE DAME: They’re pretty screwed at CB. They have a ton of top recruits, including CBs, coming in for the night game against Michigan.
August 21st, 2012 at 8:58 AM ^
Is it really a good idea to bring in top recruits if your going to get your ass spanked by us, on national television, at night?
August 21st, 2012 at 9:14 AM ^
If you get spanked, coaches can sometimes play up that there is immediate playing time and need those recruits to right the ship. I assume whatever happens, a night game should be a decent environment to see a game.
Even with the holes in ND secondary, I don't think we can chalk up this game as a win for Michigan yet. It's not like their secondary was any good last year, and Lo Wood was not expected to be a star. If their backups are at least serviceable, I doubt we see any difference. Also can Michigan take advantage with our WR corps and Denard throwing the ball? It sure won't hurt our chances though.
August 21st, 2012 at 12:44 PM ^
Ask Steve Elmer
August 21st, 2012 at 8:59 AM ^
I thought this post was going to be about ohio.
August 21st, 2012 at 9:28 AM ^
Ditto
August 21st, 2012 at 10:01 AM ^
I'll 3rd that motion.
August 21st, 2012 at 9:43 AM ^
the SEC speed meme.
They could trot out the 1952 Wisconsin Badgers with the Arkansas razorback spray-painted over the W's and ESPN would still slobber over them.
I remember how lopsided the Florida victory was going to be over Michigan in the 2007 Capital One bowl because we had never faced ESS EE SEE speeeeeeed.
We beat them sideline to sideline, chased down their fastet players and spanked them all night long. Had it not been for Mike Hart's fumblitus it would have been a blowout.
I think Alabama is a better team than that Florida team, but speed is the least of their advantages.
August 21st, 2012 at 9:59 AM ^
I think a lot of our misdirection and read-oriented offense will negate some of the speed. They will not be able to "run downhill" at our offense. Plus, Denard will account for some hesitation and missed assignments on his own. We would better concern ourselves with manning up on the D-line and stopping the run. Look, if their QB goes nuts on us and throws for 350 yards....I can live with it. I really would hate to see a 220 yard rushing effort against our D.
August 21st, 2012 at 10:08 AM ^
When a conference wins 6 national championships in a row, people are going to talk about its atheleticism. Sure, we handled Florida in the Capital One bowl. That's one data point, and most of the rest of them go in favor of the SEC. It's hard to deny that it's the best conference in the country, and part of the reason for that is speed, especially on the defensive line. When other conferences start winning big games against them, the meme will die. Until then, it's completely justified.
August 21st, 2012 at 11:34 AM ^
I'll buy, for now, the argument that it's the best conference in the country, but you say, without argument, that it's because of speed. Do you have a data point? I don't think you would say that the typical SEC team is faster than Oregon, yet Oregon can't seem to beat the SEC. There's more to winning than purely speed (Ex A--Kovacs). In addition, measuring speed is difficult (do you really believe posted 40 times for DL?). If speed really is the main issue, shouldn't we be favored or less chalk vs Alabama based solely on Denard?
August 21st, 2012 at 12:53 PM ^
I said that it was in part because of speed, though I agree that it's very difficult to measure. One common misconception is that the meme "SEC Speed" is referring to the skill guys--my sense is that speed among the skill positions is reletively similar among the conferences, it's the front seven on defense where I think there is a legitimate difference in the SEC. Though I admit, I don't have much empirical support to back that up--it comes from coach's statements (outside of the SEC) and watching the games.
All that said, I think it's only a small element of why the SEC is the best conference right now, I think a lot of it has to do with coaching salaries, recruiting strategies, and better high school football in the south. But all of those things, I think, lead to the SEC tending to have a front seven that can also run, and I think that tends to be on display in the games.
August 21st, 2012 at 8:06 PM ^
I feel like the "meme" started as a mythical advantage the SEC had because the offensive and 'star'-type players were faster than the rest of the country (primarily the slow BIG, yank yank). Whether that was true for a period, I don't know; I beg to differ. To me, now, and this is more or less agreeing with the above poster (LJ, ??), any speed difference that conference has or has advantage in is on the defensive side of the ball. I think there may be a difference in the SEC defenses compared to the rest of the country. Not even just in the front seven; the secondaries of those teams are ridiculous (see: LSU, 2011). Those guys, in positions that are supposed to have fast players playing there, seem to be on a different level than most other secondaries across the country.
That all coming from someone who largely dismisses the whole meme of the SEC being straight up "faster". I think it's over-used (as does everyone else on this board and North of the Mason-Dixon line) but lately it's hard to argue against the defenses some of the SEC teams have been putting out on the field.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:48 PM ^
I think that the SEC just has better athletes right now--particularly on D. A big part of that is being able to over-sign. I don't know that it's speed. It's also strength and overall athleticism. I think the speed meme is over-used and without evidence. When you have more 4- and 5-star athletes, however, they'll be a bit faster (and stronger, and better able to jump, etc.)
August 22nd, 2012 at 5:22 PM ^
No offense, but you'll see in less than 2 weeks what SEC speed means, and it has nothing to do with 40 times of skill guys. What it really is, is the size-speed combo of athletes in the SEC, most notably on D. It's the fact that our (Bama's) Nose is a 6'5" 320lb jungle cat who is extremely quick - his 10 yard split is as good as a running back's. Our 250-260 lb LB's move like they weigh 230. 6'3" corners run like they're 5'10. It's the size-speed combo that makes the difference.
I also think that SEC defenses play more of an attacking style Defense, which then puts that speed more on display. If I watch a mediocre Big10 defense, they often line their LB's 5-7 yards off the ball and their corners are often 8-12 yards off the ball. Heck, even Ole Miss or Vandy will play bump-and-run with their corners, or bring the house with the blitz very often. Whether the schemes are in place due to the athletes or not is debatable, but the style of play is often much less reactionary and much more attacking, which gives the appearance of having more speed.
When Sept 1st comes, you'll notice the speed when a hole closes much more quickly than you'd expect, or your RB is unable to get to the corner cause he couldn't beat a 6'4" 250 LB to the edge. Or a corner knocks the ball away from a receiver because his height allows him to cover a lot of ground, even though he's not a true burner.
Yes, Robinson is the fastest player in CFB, but he must play in a finite space. I have full confidence in our D's ability to corral him in that finite space.
August 21st, 2012 at 9:30 AM ^
...on the interviews. On the drive into work this morning, instead of listening to King's show, I listened to Ira drone on and on about Augusta National on the Michigan Insider. Pretty sad when you get more Michigan football-related content from Bill King than WTKA.
August 21st, 2012 at 10:21 AM ^
Gotta agree with you. Every day on my drive in, I pull up their radio feed with hopes that with 11 days until the season starts, I could enjoy hearing about, you know, Michigan Football. Day in and day out, I'm disappointed. All they seem to talk about are the Detroit pro sports. The show is called Michigan Insider!! And before you say that 'college football isn't in season yet', I've listened to more talk about the NBA in the last few weeks than about college football, by far. Who in God's name gives a crap about the Pistons? The few weeks where we had to hear about Ira's divorce was even worse. It's called Michigan Insider fergodsakes!! I also don't like how they feel the need to limit the Recruiting Roundup segment. It's the only part of their show that's actually about Michigan athletics, yet they keep a strict time limit of just 15 minutes! Come on, guys, give us something to listen to!
August 21st, 2012 at 10:27 AM ^
...to do a show about Michigan only or even primarily Michigan during the offseason. I don't mind the Tigers/Lions/even Pistons talk because they have to fill the hours. I think they want to pivot, but Fort Schembechler isn't helping things much. That said, I think it's time to refocus.
August 21st, 2012 at 10:42 AM ^
But they could extend outward a bit and still be talking about Michigan athletics. Why not talk about our opponents next season? They could leverage the Scout contacts to get insider info. on practice reports around the B1G. I'd love to hear that. Sure BTN is doing it, mgoblog does it, Athlon/Steele, etc., but nobody's doing it on the ride in the morning. And there are multiple outlets talking about the Tigers/Pistons/NBA as well.
B1G recruiting, in depth discussions - something else I'd listen to as a daily segment. Even nationally. Basketball too. I'm a lot more interested in those types of things (Michigan/college sports) than the other topics they've had recently.
August 21st, 2012 at 10:46 AM ^
Exactly. They treat it as a 'reporting the facts' show, rather than a 'discuss stuff and predict outcomes and talk about possibilities' show. Of course there aren't many facts to report on right now (although CFB-wide there are plenty, but they largely ignore other teams), so maybe they could BS a little about what you suggested. And like I said earlier, it really bugs me when they cut short the ONLY segment they have that's actually about Michigan athletics - Recruiting Roundup. They should be trying to milk it for time, not cut it short like we're kids and they don't want to give us too much ice cream at once. Ugh. Rant over for the day...
August 21st, 2012 at 11:22 AM ^
I'm glad "The Fort" is back. After Carty, Rosenberg, and Snyder lowered the bar for ethics in journalism, I agree a hundred percent with restricted media and public access.
Coaches like to tell players that "nothing good happens after midnight," but they should probably add, "nothing good happens when you talk to a reporter unless a coach is present."
August 21st, 2012 at 1:34 PM ^
Screw the press. No information for you.
August 21st, 2012 at 11:45 AM ^
The players in the OP were JC transfer corner Deion Belue. He is definitely the star (Nickel back), but is battling for the left corner spot. John Fulton, a guy who's simply waited his turn and is pretty good by all accounts has that spot at this moment. The LB mentione dis Adrian Hubbard, who will be playing the Jack linebacker, the hybrid LB/DE. He's an athletic freak who rushes the passer well and drops back really well, despite his size. Some are saying he might be the star of the defense, even though this will be his first year starting.
Other Bama notes:
1) Lacy should be fine by gametime. Everything being done to/for him is precautionary.
2) Due to losing 2 db's recently, we will have freshman, albeit very talented freshman, having roles in our secondary when we go nickel and dime. Not starters per se, but they'll have roles.
3) Both Yeldon and Hart should get touches from jump street. Don't let the hype around Yeldon fool you - Hart will have a role in this offense, as he has a unique skill set for Bama. He might return punts also.
Regarding team speed, don't think with Alabama it's a case of everyone being absolute burners. We do have some of those guys, particularly at WR and a few DB's, and Hart, but what's important about this issue is combining elite size with good to excellent speed. Because we have such excellent height on D coupled with good speed, we simply cover A LOT of ground. How many starters we have who are 100m guys is irrelevant. It's that with Saban's D, our spacing is excellent and with the size/speed combos we have on all 3 units allows us to close gaps quickly, get to the QB in a hurry, and blanket receivers. Having seen it year after year, I'd rather have a corner who's 6'2 and runs a 4.48 over a corner who's 5'10 and runs a 4.40. It's the size with the speed that makes the difference. We'll see in less than 2 weeks how it plays out.
Regarding getting to the edge and beating Alabama to the sideline, that would be unwise due to our scheme. Our corners play bump-and-something every play, and often stay at home. If they leave the flat area, someone will fill in (OLB, safety, or Nickel. Bama will never line up their corners 8 yards off the ball and then backpedal, ergo there's not really a edge to get to. Michigan's best chance in running the rock is hitting it between or off-tackle and hit it fast. Running it downhill is your best shot, although it will be difficult. Hitting the quick screen/slant/hitch type stuff aimed at the slot are would also be a good idea. Misdirection running plays, assuming the develop quickly, are also a good idea. You should also throw it deep often. Because our DB's are usually on islands, you should try tp create 1-on-1's downfield and lay it up. It does sometimes work against Bama. Granted, last year on throws that traveled longer than 20yds in the air, Bama's defense had as many INT's as receptions allowed - 7 - you should still try.
On a side note, I can't start a thread - so what's up with this Mich article?: [Mod Ed: I like turtles. I do not like Ace Williams]
August 21st, 2012 at 12:40 PM ^
be at Jack in Base. He will slide over to Sam in nickel and dime, and Xzavier Dickson will come in at Jack.
August 21st, 2012 at 2:56 PM ^
...although Mosley might be at Sam, in which case I think Hubbard stays at Jack.
August 21st, 2012 at 12:51 PM ^
Real nice post up until that last bit. If it was a serious question, the author of that story (Ace Williams) has been discredited on this site and others many times. Even before this latest story and links to his material were meant with scorn.
August 21st, 2012 at 1:08 PM ^
I meant nothing bad. This was the first I've heard of such rumors. It was very much a serious question.
August 21st, 2012 at 1:38 PM ^
Great point total Bodogblog! Now it's preserved in amber for all eternity.
August 21st, 2012 at 3:05 PM ^
... that's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for digital me
/lets go and weeps uncontrollably
August 21st, 2012 at 3:13 PM ^
[Mod Ed: I like turtles. I do not like Ace Williams]
Look, I meant no flames or trolling and I now realize your fanbase doesn't like this reporter (I know the feeling), but this is the most bald-faced example of censorship I've ever seen. Shouldn't there be a "Heil!" in there somewhere?
August 21st, 2012 at 4:16 PM ^
Just starting off by saying I upvoted your previous posts, I think you're giving some useful information about the most hyped Michigan season opener in recent memory.
But...I think you're off base here; the mods feel like a lot of good people and players (the kind we'd call Michigan Men) are being slandered by a guy with no sources looking for clicks to a fake Twitter account. Nobody is preventing you from posting that link on any site that cares to host it, or your own site, but here it has been banned as a topic. In addition, whoever edited your post left the start of your sentence and the gist of what was posted. If I were to write a long post about football with an Obama rox/sux! at the bottom, it would have been edited the same way, as politics is a topic we don't get into.
August 21st, 2012 at 4:49 PM ^
Thanks for the explanation. Didn't realize there was such a history there. Take care.
August 21st, 2012 at 4:18 PM ^
it was crazy how you could even notice the speed difference in the arkansas michigan bball game last year