Open Thread: AUB-WIS / MSU-BAY / MIZZ-MIN

Submitted by Wolverine In Iowa on

I'm all in for the B1G in these games. Go State!  Go Badgers!  Go Gophers!!

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Willy Wonka

January 1st, 2015 at 1:27 PM ^

With Tempo. Narduzzi can't handle it. Just gives me shivers of watching Gardner hand off to our running backs and run straight into the DLine time after time.

Joined: 01/21/2012

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gobluenyc

January 1st, 2015 at 1:27 PM ^

Turned to the Auburn Wiscy game for two plays and the Auburn OL clearly held on both, didn't get called for either. Do they hold every play? No wonder their offense is so good.

Joined: 12/15/2012

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alum96

January 1st, 2015 at 1:37 PM ^

Considering how they recruit Wisconsin does well.   You saw the lack of athletes esp on D v OSU.  They recruit in the 40s most years.  Auburn recruits 5-10 most years.  They are bringing knives to a gunfight when they go up against elite athletic teams.  In terms of what they recruit they do well. 

They have a ceiling just due to athleticism, esp when trying to match up to high octane offenses with future NFL players.

Joined: 04/28/2012

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alum96

January 1st, 2015 at 1:31 PM ^

I've said over and over (and over) MSU simply could not play their style of D in the Pac 12 or Big 12.  Esp the Pac 12.  Every team plays Air Raid or pass spread.  Bringing your safeties up to within 8 yards of the LOS every play would kill you in those conferences. 

They just so happen to be in a conf full of mediocre QBs and even the "good ones" like Braxton Miller complete passes at a 55% rate. Perfect D for the Big 10 - exploited elsewhere.  Now Baylor is a steroid laden version of offense but a typical week in the Big 12 is vs Texas tech or West Virginia and in the Pac 12 its Cal or Washington State - in the Big 10 its Illinois or Northwestern. 

 

Joined: 04/28/2012

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alum96

January 1st, 2015 at 1:40 PM ^

Dunno.  Purdue was running a pass oriented offense all year with Tiller.  Places like Kansas and Oklahoma arent super warm in November.   Oregon and Washington dont have great weather in November etc.  Certainly Minnesota Wisconsin and Michigan have worse weather but not by a huge degree than those locations.  75% of your season is over by late October when the weather is fine.

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alum96

January 1st, 2015 at 2:00 PM ^

Kyle Orton and one other guy can't recall off top of my head (Tate?) also did well.  And they were not surrounded by UM or OSU type talent.   Again 3/4ths of your season is played before Nov 1 when the weather is fine.  And yes its easier in California or Arizona.  But not impossible north of Mason Dixon.

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bronxblue

January 1st, 2015 at 1:48 PM ^

They would have to change some of the aggressiveness, but I still think that defense can work if you accept you'll be burnt sometimes.  MSU probably wouldn't give up under 14 points a game or whatever, but it's also not like most of the teams in those conferences play much defense either, so they'd be able to put up lots of points that would offset giving up the 24-28 they would likely give up.

Also, I had a couple of TTU guys on my fantasy team this season - you are overrating them a bit offensively if you think they'd be able to move the ball consistently against MSU.  They get lots of yards, but the three good-ish defenses they faced this year (TCU, Texas, and KSU) absolutely shut them down.  Same with WVU.

MSU's defense would work against the average-to-bad teams in any conference about the same with some tweaks.  But yeah, it would get eaten up by the elite offenses, just like most teams'.

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