The Snowflake Thread: Offensive Line (Specific OL Issues)
"There are several teams across the country who are operating with extremely young O-linemen. And they all seem to be able to run the ball."
Comments like these have been quite common in response to those posters who think there isn't anything the coaches can do given our line. However, I've yet to see anyone actually name one of these supposed teams. So, honestly, which teams have 3 (or more) starters on their O-line that are as young and inexperienced as ours but actually field good offenses? I honestly want to know if these teams actually exist.
MOD EDIT: The original title was "Which teams have competent O-lines that are young and inexperienced?", but as this might become a center point of discussion, this will be repurposed as a separate Snowflake Thread. Hopefully, the OP does not mind - LSA
OP EDIT: I specifically made this thread about other team's young O-lines because just making a thread about OL issues would likely lead to complaints about Borges or the players or whatever has been said a million times already, although those complaints are rife here as well unsurprisingly. However, I don't mind because it doesn't seem like anyone has an answer except UCLA, and theirs doesn't appear to be better than ours.
November 3rd, 2013 at 3:50 AM ^
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:49 PM ^
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:31 PM ^
How exactly do you see this talent? What do you see that shows you how talented they must be while the coaching is lacking?
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:26 PM ^
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:51 PM ^
As far as the Oline issues go, with the youth and inexperience, it seems a lot of people are forgetting about the lack of experience at the TE position as well.
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:34 PM ^
Yes, good point, especially in Borges' offense. Someone mentioned Auburn having a good rushing offense, but I'm guessing they don't use their TEs like Michigan does. Now, part of that is on Borges, but it's unfair to say he should just install a full spread. That's not the offense he has learned. People talk about putting square pegs in round holes in terms of players, but the same goes for coaches. That's why I'm not on the Fire Borges train yet.
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:13 PM ^
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:13 PM ^
UCLA is top 40ish in most offensive catagories and is ranked. Their losses are to Stanford and Oregon and they beat Nebraska. They are playing one Jr, one RS So, a true So, and two true Fr.
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:20 PM ^
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:25 PM ^
is too lazy with the ball after the snap. He takes 1/2 a beat long to gather the ball, another half beat to hand it off. On pass plays he costs himself almost a full second of surveying the field by just being so slow to gather the ball and move.
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:20 PM ^
we should fire Hoke. He is terrible. We will propably lose Peppers and Hand will sign with Alabama for sure. But I'm tired of being out coached every week.
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:27 PM ^
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:36 PM ^
OK, if the coach's clothing is "driving you crazy," you need to take a step back from the ledge. That's moving beyond normal coaching criticism into "I hate everything about the guy now" ranting, like you'd hear from a scorned ex-girlfriend.
(Besides, Dantonio didn't exactly glam it up with his scruffy gray sweatshirt, either.)
Hoke actually did wear a headset at times today, incidentally. It did not result in any miraculous improvement from our team, though.
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:37 PM ^
Seriously? Your criticism of him is in regards to his clothing style?
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:58 PM ^
If your avatar pic is of yourself you need to stop dressing like an ass. Drives me crazy. No headset. You look like an idiot. You look like a 3rd grader whose parents bought him clothing a size to big because they didn't care about how it looked and he would someday grow into them. Also, I don't know why you 'quoted' toughness and your puns are week.*
*no.
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:22 PM ^
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:51 PM ^
November 2nd, 2013 at 11:13 PM ^
Did watch FSU in 2011 when those "veterans" were playing for the first time? They went 8-4 with losses to Virginia and Wake Forest with a defense that was more talented than ours.
November 3rd, 2013 at 1:14 AM ^
Woo 2 years after that!
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:23 PM ^
of the most disappointing 5 star oline recruits I can remember. For a guy that whined about wanting to play last year he's been nothing but awful for most of the season. Really tired of seeing Gardner go down on the ground with Kalis standing there looking at his man make the tackle.
Think its bad now wait till next when the only two current olinemen with any competency move on to the NFL.
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:30 PM ^
Mary Sue should be glad that Coach isn't firing her /gordongee'd
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:49 PM ^
November 2nd, 2013 at 11:21 PM ^
you spend your time between truck driving on mgoblog? Man you really should find a hobby.
November 2nd, 2013 at 11:44 PM ^
Our kids don't seem to learn from their mistakes (they keep making the same ones) and they can't stop anyone or push anyone off the ball. I see Lewan getting beat all the time, putting him and Scofield on the same side does nothing. They don't open any holes either. I think it comes down to coaching and strength and conditioning. Our guys are weaker, slower and out of position way too often.
Funk, Weller and their cohorts need to go.
November 3rd, 2013 at 3:55 AM ^
November 3rd, 2013 at 12:06 AM ^
November 3rd, 2013 at 12:12 AM ^
and the only 2 linemen who have played well were RR recruits.
November 3rd, 2013 at 12:16 AM ^
November 3rd, 2013 at 12:35 AM ^
It's too bad he stopped recruiting.
November 3rd, 2013 at 12:55 AM ^
November 3rd, 2013 at 12:22 AM ^
November 3rd, 2013 at 12:32 AM ^
November 3rd, 2013 at 12:29 AM ^
November 3rd, 2013 at 4:07 AM ^
November 3rd, 2013 at 8:20 AM ^
I love that play where our QB and RB run sideways 5 yards behind the LOS and wait for the Defense to come get them, then the QB hands off to the RB when they get close. That play was perfect yesterday.
/s
Serious, wtf was that? They throw the ball to get all the way down the field, then pull out these dumb ass run plays? You have to run quick run plays that go north and south. This east west crap just doesn't work.
November 3rd, 2013 at 8:22 AM ^
November 3rd, 2013 at 10:05 AM ^
November 3rd, 2013 at 10:46 AM ^
- LT: Spencer Drango, RS SO
- LG: Cyril Richardson, 5th YR
- C; Stefan Huber, 5th YR
- RG; Desmine Hilliard, RS SO
- RT: Kelvin Palmer, 5th YR OR Troy Baker, RS JR
Yep. Just like Michigan in age and experience.
November 3rd, 2013 at 10:49 AM ^
November 3rd, 2013 at 12:41 PM ^
Well, that's true of course, but I think the bigger point is that they DON"T HAVE A SINGLE GUY STARTING that's in less than his third year in the program, and yet they're trotted out as a comparable to a Michigan team whose interior is entirely made up of first and second-year players.
People are just throwing shit out there on the assumption that no one will bother to fact check.
November 3rd, 2013 at 12:42 PM ^
November 3rd, 2013 at 10:59 AM ^
- LT: Jake Matthews, SR
- LG: Jarvis Harrison, RS JR
- C: Mike Matthews, SO
- RG: Germain Ifedi, RS FR
- RT: Cedric Ogbuehi, RS JR
They have scholarship upperclassmen at C and RG who were beaten out for jobs.
What's going on this year at Michigan and UCLA is pretty unique. Barring a total catastrophe like the Tulane hurricane or the SMU death penalty, nobody goes multiple years with 0-1 OL recruits and nobody has multiple positions on their line without a single third-year-and-up scholarship player. Maybe you find a young guy that's better but the older guys exist on your roster.
November 3rd, 2013 at 12:43 PM ^
November 3rd, 2013 at 11:31 AM ^