OT: NFL Conference Championships Open Thread

Submitted by M-Wolverine on
Though how OT can Tom Brady and Jim Harbaugh be, Amirite? Zoltan too.

B-Nut-GoBlue

January 20th, 2013 at 3:16 PM ^

I know.  Though they got it to 5 again with, maybe 2:00 or so to go.  Yeah, I didn't expect the upset to happen but thought it a damn valiant effort on Northwestern's part and is more proof that Indiana is vulnerable (e.g. they "struggled" with the 1-3-1 down the stretch) or that NW realllllly isn't all that terrible when they have all their players playing.

tbeindit

January 20th, 2013 at 3:19 PM ^

Indiana won the game (was about a 5-7 pt margin before end of the game fouling), but I cant help but feeling that they really struggle against teams that can change the tempo.  Zeller is amazing in transition, but outside of that, he loses a lot of his significance.  He's dangerous on the offense side and is a decent defender, but the only thing that really makes him special is in transition.  If Michigan and other teams can slow down the Hoosiers, I think they have a great shot at beating them. Assuming they knock down some shots of course.

FreddieMercuryHayes

January 20th, 2013 at 3:14 PM ^

But it's not. And probably won't be as long as we have Hoke. Hell probably won't ever be again since RR failed here. But it is what Ohio runs. So you're basically cheering for a system whose success will make recruits like Ohio's offensive system better ours. The only thing I really care about in the NFL right now is seeing the spread option fail and pocket passers win MVPs and Super Bowls.

FreddieMercuryHayes

January 20th, 2013 at 3:43 PM ^

Disagree to a point.  I agree that all succesful NFL teams need to throw the ball in order be actually successful, but there's a huge difference between a pocket passer who's mobile and Colin Kaepernick who can run a 4.4.  And the 49ers run a fair amount of read option with Kaepernick now.  How many times have we seen his huge read-option TD against the Packers on ESPN.  I just don't want young kids coming up in football thinking "man, I would be a better QB/RB/WR/whatever if I played in a read option spread".  I want them thinking "man, I would get a ton of yards if I played in a read-option offense, but it doesn't seem to set me up for the next level well."  Pretty much the only reason why I want Chip Kelly to fail spectacularly in the NFL.

M-Wolverine

January 20th, 2013 at 3:04 PM ^

I think the Pats would have an easier time with the Falcons. I don't like how they match up with the 49ers. But if the Pats lose to the Ravens it's all up for grabs. I'm torn between The Harbaugh brothers getting a lot of pub being cool and the fact that it'll be ALL the media talks about for two weeks being nauseating.

mGrowOld

January 20th, 2013 at 3:25 PM ^

Slightly off topic but how in the Hell does Pat Shurmer fit as Chip Kelly's OC in Philly?  I spent the last two years watching what Shurmer tries to pass off as an "offense" and it couldnt pssibly be more anti-spread.  

M-Wolverine

January 20th, 2013 at 3:32 PM ^

Holding them to a FG might have saved this game. 49ers seem to struggle at the start the week after playing great.

M-Wolverine

January 20th, 2013 at 3:54 PM ^

Not great, but not annoying. But the Joe Buck mythology boggles me. And he's even said he doesn't care that much about football. Onside ring they have Gus Johnson now it's a crime.

Bodogblog

January 20th, 2013 at 4:09 PM ^

The fact that committed West Coast guys like Harbaugh and Roman are willing to incorporate spread concepts, coupled with the fact that Borges/Hoke were forced into running it for Denard, give me hope that we may still see some of it in the future at Michigan. I mean, the team already knows how to run it

mGrowOld

January 20th, 2013 at 4:20 PM ^

Man Davis is a tough handle.

And the Falcons - to the surprise of absolutely no one who watches football - are about to let the  49ers back into this game.

Edit: Rinse....repeat.