Evenly split fouls = Good officiating??? The fouls called on Rutgers (particularly on their center) were total BS. The center got his 4th foul for a moving screen when he was completely stationary and then got fouled out standing straight up with his arms and hands vertical --- there was no contact. Meanwhile on key possessions no call for clear fouls on OSU. I had no rooting interest in this game, but was amazed by how inept the officiating was. Total shit show and it decided the game.
While I would love a big name hire like Mullen or Meyer, that seems very improbable. Our program is a wreck, there are positions (DB,DT) that lack talent, and our fanbase is very demanding. This is a high pressure job! I would like us to hire someone who has been successful developing players and building a program.
Here are some coaches that don't get talked about enough, but I think could be a good fit:
Dave Clawson -- The job he has done at Wake Forest is amazing. He has very little talent to work with, but is winning football games. Was successful in turnarounds at Fordham and Richmond (Won conference titles at both schools).
Tom Allen -- He has done a really nice job at Indiana, they develop players and recruit excellent skilled players.
Bryan Harsin -- Great track record as OC and HC at Boise State.
Mark Farley --- Great track record at N. Iowa in FCS. Might be a little bit of a reach and there is a good chance he will coach at Iowa once Ferentz retires.
This is spot on. If a DT can more or less stalemate a double team that is a win. Eating a double team allows LBs to flow and Safeties to fill to make plays for minimal gains. In this game the LBs and Safeties were inconsistent in their ability to make those plays....this is not on the DTs.
I actually thought Kemp did a really nice job in this game holding up to doubles and I don't understand all the negativity on the UFR. He is a very underrated player on this blog and seems to have improved from last year. He may not be a difference maker (i.e. a first or second team B1G player), because he is unlikely to split doubles and wreak havoc in the backfield on a regular basis, but he is a solid player. It is possible that he will struggle against better O-lines (Wisc, OSU), but lets give the kid a break and benefit of the doubt. He is a high effort player and a team leader who just played a solid game against a top 25 team that was 11-2 last year.
Its a near certainty that Panasiuk and State are going to play dirty. I suspect Harbaugh and company are preaching composure and will be working the refs before and during the game to be on the look out for it.
It is typically the player that retaliates that gets flagged. Best to get revenge between the whistles and on the scoreboard.
Watching live I felt like Minn's success was due to poor interior D-line play.
However, on a detailed re-watch the D-line held up well. Most of the yards on the ground were due to poor fills from LBs, some run support issues from S, or from scheme (3-3-5).
I played DL at a DIII school so I feel pretty confident in my review of our DL. Less so on LB/S play.
I am interested if UFR agrees with my take on James Ross. Despite having several tackles and a great interception I felt like he made several mistakes by shooting/slanting into the backfield instead of flowing across the field...this resulted in him running behind and missing the RB instead of tackling at 2-3 yards. It is possible that this was scheme, but I tend to think these were over-aggressive errors that will get cleaned up.
As a former small college DE, I like the pick-up. While I only reviewed his highlights and not game film there is a lot to like IMO. 1) He makes a lot of plays 2) He plays with an edge - he likes hitting people and when playing TE he stays on blocks and mercilessly drives opponents to the ground 3) He hustles - multiple clips where he is pursuing screens downfield. This looks like a Don Brown & Harbaugh guy! On the downside, he looks like a 3-star from an athletic standpoint - he is not slow, but he will never be confused with Gary, Clowney, Winovich, or Uche. Also his technique needs some work - even in his highlights he often comes out of his two point stance too upright. I suspect, as others have suggested, that he will be a project- over his first two years he will likely pack on some weight, improve technique and in slide inside to be a rotation piece at the 3-tech. Every class needs a few developmental players like this with a high motor.
I know this is a highlight reel, but how is this kid unranked? His athleticism jumps off the screen and his highlight reel goes on and on and on. He is a playmaker with his legs and seems to have good arm strength. DO WANT...to heck with the star gazers.
Taking the family; got 4 tickets for $80 each on Vivid Seats. We will be on Michigan sideline at ~25 yrd line ~ 35 rows up. Looking forward to the curb stomping. Should be fun celebrating with maize and blue brethren as we take over their stadium!
I don't agree that he is heavy-footed. He appears to have quick feet for a high school player of his size. That being said, he appears to lack the conditioning needed to attack defenders at the second level. Seems like a developmental prospect that has some of the genetic tools needed to play interior line at the power 5 level, but will need to have his body reshaped.
I haven't logged in to post a comment on Mgoblog for 5 years, but something about this thread touched a nerve.
Like the OP I am always miserable after a loss, especially after a loss to a rival. I have followed M football for forever (I am in my mid 40's) and unfortunately the sting from a loss doesn't seem to get less painful as the years go by.
So why do I allow myself to be so emotionally vulnerable when it comes to M sports?
Because the pain of defeat is the price I pay for the elation that comes from a big win, a big ten championship season, or a Natty. If you are not invested emotionally in your team and don't feel every loss, then you wont feel the wins either.
This season may have a few more dark days in store for us, but it will be worth the investment. Michigan will be back to being a perenial powerhouse soon and the good times and feelings will roll!
I was fortunate to sit next to Bob and his family for 15+ years at the big house and I consider him a friend. He was a great person and was very humble regarding his many accomplishments as a Michigan football player. My heart goes out to his family. Bob we will miss you...Go Blue!
the same thing. I don't understand why we didn't start running some tunnel screens or RB screens agianst the double A gap blitz? In general I have liked Borges, but I think he had a bad game. I am sure he had his reasons or maybe he tried to adjust, but it did not work out. The D played well enough to win and the O did not get it done. Sure some of it was execution but a lot of it was poor calls/ adjustments against the blitz. I hope we have an answer for it next week because I have a feeling that every team will try this blitz strategy.
Although both are gutsy play calls, there is one major difference here. Our biggest weapon on offense without question is denard's legs. Back in 91 our biggest weapon was Desmond Howard and Grbac was an excellent passer so in a way that call made some sense. This playcall did not play to our strengths as an offensive football team.
I totally agree with you guys. I have always wondered on fourth an inches why anything other than a QB sneak would be called. Even handing the ball off allows defenders extra time for penetration. Denard behind Molk should equal a first down everytime. I wonder if any of the stat guys around here know the odds of picking up fourth and inches with a sneak vs hand off vs pass. I would sneak it everytime and guess that the odds of success drop off with other play calls!
MSU blitzed on most plays in the second half. They brought pressure on every first down with the double A gap blitz. Where was the screen game??? It seems like this would have been an ideal way of keeping them onest. MSU was telegraphing the corner blitzes most of the time and I dont understand why we did not check to draws or screens?
Instead we chose to rely on our backs to help pick up the blitz and for our receivers to run hot routes...this strategy requires everybody to be on the same page and most of the time we were not. We made them pay once on the roundtree TD, but jeez take the easier route and mix in some draws and screens.
Okay, so clearly he made some errors including several missed tackles, but he was in position to make several big stops because of his speed and insticts. I was actually encouraged by his play, failing to wrap up is very correctable, ability to shoot gaps to get into the backfield or chase down plays is more innate. I think he will be very good as he continues to get experience, but he will probably continue to have some ups and downs as most young players do.
I agree that this is a 46 defense, first made famous by Buddy Ryan and the Chicago Bears (superbowl shuffle team). You can tell when we are in the Bear's when our d-linemen cover the center and both guards.
Roh has been singled out as playing poorly because we all had high expectations for him. People need to be patient. He was on the backside of most of the running plays because ND had success running at Heninger and Black. I think his production will increase as the season progresses.
I also agree that the offense was struggling due to poor execution not poor play calls and as much as we all love denard, he was making a lot of mistakes. I think he was too excited.
Let me preface my comment by stating that I watched the game only twice, but I used to be a DE in D-III so I watched the D-line closely.
It is true that Roh has been quiet over the past two weeks, but suggesting he play TE or that Koger play DE is insane and to me you loose all credibility for that comment.
I think all of us had high expectations for Roh coming into the season and that is why his lack of production has been so noticable. In my review of the film he had a few QB pressures off of the edge and was in position to make some plays in the running game. He was on the back-side of many running plays because ND was taking advantage of Heininger and Black and did not have as many opportunities to make plays in the running game. In addition, while I agree he needs to be better at getting off blocks he was not being blown off the football.
I agree with you about big Will he played very well against the run.
Van Bergen was solid,
Martin made a few great plays and was fighting through a lot of double teams. It is hard to tell if he is stunting sometimes or commits too early to penetration on the right or left A gaps. It seems like sometimes he unintentionally opened some big holes by getting himself upfield and being sealed off. In general a nose should try to stand his ground then shed his block to make the takle at the line of scrimmage, but these may have been designed stunts.
Heininger did not play well. He gives great effort and I admire him for being able to play DT as a walk on-Impressive! He made 1 nice play and held his own on 2 plays against the run. The remainder of his plays against the run he was being blown off the ball.
Black is a great athlete but is still very raw. ND was running to their left a lot in the first half (right side of the defense) to take advantage of their OL against Heininger and Black.
Let see how this plays out over the next 2 weeks
I expect to see Big Will get some more time at DT and Nose on first and second down as a run stuffer.
I also think (hope) that its just a matter of time before we see more production from Roh.
How do you keep Ryan off the field? I anticipate that even when Cam is healthy, Ryan will rotate in and play significant minutes. Also, Cam better play well or Ryan will get more and more time.
Having played a lot on special teams at a D-3 college I can tell you that it was not the kicker's fault. Although the kicks were short, the primary reason for the big returns was a lack of discipline by the coverage team. The first thing you are taught in kick coverage is to stay in your lanes and then converge on the ball carrier. Our cover guys were vacating their lanes way too soon and opening up huge running lanes. If we had faced an elite kick returner we would have given up at least 1 TD today. However, this is easily corrected and is a typical first game problem (although not usually this bad)... a little film study and reps in practice should fix this, if not we are in trouble against teams with elite returners.
Hemmingway is no bust. He was plauged by injuries early in his carrer and lately has been overshadowed by Roundtree, but he is not a bust. Early in his carrer (2007) he showed flashes of brilliance against Utah with Threet as his QB before his injury and at times last season he was a beast. He was the difference between winning and losing in the indiana and illinois game by making increadible catches. He is a large, physical receiver, with deceptive speed and ellusiveness. ESPN get your act together.
Floyd was a beast, but my best ever goes to Jarod Bunch. He was a man. I remember being on the field after the spring game before his final season and his arms looked like hamburger from turf burns...despite the oozing and bleeding he was all smiles. Having had several turf burns myself I know how painful they are...that dude was tough! A great FB too.
Minnesota and Vandy are not the best teams to poach recruits from. However, when I said BCS talent, I was refering to players with offers from BCS conferences not teams playing in the BCS bowls.
Everyone would rather have top flight talent (dee hart types), but if Hoke and company think these players are worth a scholarship offer than I think we need to give them the benefit of the doubt especially this late in the game.
Also, remember that every year Wisonsin, Northwestern, and Iowa have recuiting classes full of lowly regarded players, but they do an excellent job with player development. Too early to tell exactly what Hoke's strategy will be, and I don't think we can draw any major conclusions from this class b/c of the lack of time he has had to put it together. If we have a class full of 3 stars formerly commited to vandy and minni next year I will be concerned, but with this class any BCS conference talent is okay with me.
With only a few days left before signing day and a recruiting class down to 11 or 12 commits we need to reach. Can't expect to fill with 4 and 5 stars this late in the game. Would be nice to grab one or two higher rated players, but any BCS level talent is good for now.
For what it is worth, when I played (small time college football) our team did have combine like testing with coaches present. 1 combine before offseason workouts started and 1 before fall practice started.
The new coaches have said that they will be building the offense around Denard. That would imply that there will be more QB running plays and more rollouts/waggles etc than normally in the traditional west coast offense. Gardner would fit this style too.
So what type of QB do we bring in? Pocket passer or do we continue with dual threat types or perhaps pocket passers with some running ability (ie drew henson, steve smith types)?
we should be happy about any good defensive prospect! This is not the time to nit pick over number of stars or which position they play. We need more defensive depth and talent at every position.
He does everything right except he has his head down. I can still remember my coach yelling "see what you hit". Having your head down is a safety issue. When you hit with your head down you axially load the neck which can lead to a serious injury (ie spinal cord injury, chuckie mullins RIP)
This is a great hire. I had pretty much ignored the rumors that Mattison was a candidate. Why a NFL DC (who coaches a dominant D), would leave to coach one of the worst collegiate defenses is beyond me I guess he loved his time in A squared as DC back in the 90's...Welcome Back! This should pay dividends in recruiting topflight defensive players.
I am a huge fan of Denard and I love all of the optimism on the board, but I am not sure that the new offense will use him as effectively. I also worry that it will take him some time to adjust mentally to a new scheme. Also it is difficult to win the heisman unless you are on a national championship contending team. But, he certainly has the talent to win it and I agree that his passing skills should continue to improve.
but now I am coming around. I spoke with one of the position coaches at Wake Forest tonight and he thought Hoke was a great hire. He had no reason to feed me a line of bull. Hoke also seems to be rallying the former and current players.
My main concern is now that we have heard that Denard will return (thank god) will Hoke and company use him effectively?
For what it is worth, I just spoke with one of the position coaches at Wake Forest, who told me that Hoke has a strong national reputation among his peers and is an excellent hire. I was skeptical when Hoke was first announced, but I am starting to rethink things. Denard, Martin, and Fred Jackson staying are huge pluses.
The QB sweep? I am thankful that denard appears to be sticking it out! I hope Hoke and the new OC study lots of tape of Denard and keep some of RR's schemes. Please Please use Denard effectively!
I think Crowton gets a bad rap. LSU has been dominant defensively and has not had consistent QB play the last several years...wouldn't you be conservative and run the ball a lot too!
For what its worth his offenses run multiple sets including the option and zone read which would be perfect for Denard and D. Gardner.
Martin is a beast, but he is not a DE, he is an interior d lineman. His strength and ability to split double teams are his greatest assets, which would not translate into the DE position. He is quick but is not an edge rusher. However, I would like to see a lot more of him at DT instead of NT. In a 4 man front I think he would have more opportunities to create penatration and may see less double teams.
Recent Comments
Evenly split fouls = Good officiating??? The fouls called on Rutgers (particularly on their center) were total BS. The center got his 4th foul for a moving screen when he was completely stationary and then got fouled out standing straight up with his arms and hands vertical --- there was no contact. Meanwhile on key possessions no call for clear fouls on OSU. I had no rooting interest in this game, but was amazed by how inept the officiating was. Total shit show and it decided the game.
While I would love a big name hire like Mullen or Meyer, that seems very improbable. Our program is a wreck, there are positions (DB,DT) that lack talent, and our fanbase is very demanding. This is a high pressure job! I would like us to hire someone who has been successful developing players and building a program.
Here are some coaches that don't get talked about enough, but I think could be a good fit:
Dave Clawson -- The job he has done at Wake Forest is amazing. He has very little talent to work with, but is winning football games. Was successful in turnarounds at Fordham and Richmond (Won conference titles at both schools).
Tom Allen -- He has done a really nice job at Indiana, they develop players and recruit excellent skilled players.
Bryan Harsin -- Great track record as OC and HC at Boise State.
Mark Farley --- Great track record at N. Iowa in FCS. Might be a little bit of a reach and there is a good chance he will coach at Iowa once Ferentz retires.
This is spot on. If a DT can more or less stalemate a double team that is a win. Eating a double team allows LBs to flow and Safeties to fill to make plays for minimal gains. In this game the LBs and Safeties were inconsistent in their ability to make those plays....this is not on the DTs.
I actually thought Kemp did a really nice job in this game holding up to doubles and I don't understand all the negativity on the UFR. He is a very underrated player on this blog and seems to have improved from last year. He may not be a difference maker (i.e. a first or second team B1G player), because he is unlikely to split doubles and wreak havoc in the backfield on a regular basis, but he is a solid player. It is possible that he will struggle against better O-lines (Wisc, OSU), but lets give the kid a break and benefit of the doubt. He is a high effort player and a team leader who just played a solid game against a top 25 team that was 11-2 last year.
Its a near certainty that Panasiuk and State are going to play dirty. I suspect Harbaugh and company are preaching composure and will be working the refs before and during the game to be on the look out for it.
It is typically the player that retaliates that gets flagged. Best to get revenge between the whistles and on the scoreboard.
…
I agree with this take.
Watching live I felt like Minn's success was due to poor interior D-line play.
However, on a detailed re-watch the D-line held up well. Most of the yards on the ground were due to poor fills from LBs, some run support issues from S, or from scheme (3-3-5).
I played DL at a DIII school so I feel pretty confident in my review of our DL. Less so on LB/S play.
I am interested if UFR agrees with my take on James Ross. Despite having several tackles and a great interception I felt like he made several mistakes by shooting/slanting into the backfield instead of flowing across the field...this resulted in him running behind and missing the RB instead of tackling at 2-3 yards. It is possible that this was scheme, but I tend to think these were over-aggressive errors that will get cleaned up.
As a former small college DE, I like the pick-up. While I only reviewed his highlights and not game film there is a lot to like IMO. 1) He makes a lot of plays 2) He plays with an edge - he likes hitting people and when playing TE he stays on blocks and mercilessly drives opponents to the ground 3) He hustles - multiple clips where he is pursuing screens downfield. This looks like a Don Brown & Harbaugh guy! On the downside, he looks like a 3-star from an athletic standpoint - he is not slow, but he will never be confused with Gary, Clowney, Winovich, or Uche. Also his technique needs some work - even in his highlights he often comes out of his two point stance too upright. I suspect, as others have suggested, that he will be a project- over his first two years he will likely pack on some weight, improve technique and in slide inside to be a rotation piece at the 3-tech. Every class needs a few developmental players like this with a high motor.
Coach is putting the players in positions to have open shots. It is up to the players to execute.
Most were wide open three point shots. Two of the misses were easy lay-ups. His shot and confidence are broken.
I know this is a highlight reel, but how is this kid unranked? His athleticism jumps off the screen and his highlight reel goes on and on and on. He is a playmaker with his legs and seems to have good arm strength. DO WANT...to heck with the star gazers.
Taking the family; got 4 tickets for $80 each on Vivid Seats. We will be on Michigan sideline at ~25 yrd line ~ 35 rows up. Looking forward to the curb stomping. Should be fun celebrating with maize and blue brethren as we take over their stadium!
I don't agree that he is heavy-footed. He appears to have quick feet for a high school player of his size. That being said, he appears to lack the conditioning needed to attack defenders at the second level. Seems like a developmental prospect that has some of the genetic tools needed to play interior line at the power 5 level, but will need to have his body reshaped.
Wrangler to Anthony Carter my all time favorite UM vs IU memory.
I haven't logged in to post a comment on Mgoblog for 5 years, but something about this thread touched a nerve.
Like the OP I am always miserable after a loss, especially after a loss to a rival. I have followed M football for forever (I am in my mid 40's) and unfortunately the sting from a loss doesn't seem to get less painful as the years go by.
So why do I allow myself to be so emotionally vulnerable when it comes to M sports?
Because the pain of defeat is the price I pay for the elation that comes from a big win, a big ten championship season, or a Natty. If you are not invested emotionally in your team and don't feel every loss, then you wont feel the wins either.
This season may have a few more dark days in store for us, but it will be worth the investment. Michigan will be back to being a perenial powerhouse soon and the good times and feelings will roll!
Go Blue!
I was fortunate to sit next to Bob and his family for 15+ years at the big house and I consider him a friend. He was a great person and was very humble regarding his many accomplishments as a Michigan football player. My heart goes out to his family. Bob we will miss you...Go Blue!
the same thing. I don't understand why we didn't start running some tunnel screens or RB screens agianst the double A gap blitz? In general I have liked Borges, but I think he had a bad game. I am sure he had his reasons or maybe he tried to adjust, but it did not work out. The D played well enough to win and the O did not get it done. Sure some of it was execution but a lot of it was poor calls/ adjustments against the blitz. I hope we have an answer for it next week because I have a feeling that every team will try this blitz strategy.
Although both are gutsy play calls, there is one major difference here. Our biggest weapon on offense without question is denard's legs. Back in 91 our biggest weapon was Desmond Howard and Grbac was an excellent passer so in a way that call made some sense. This playcall did not play to our strengths as an offensive football team.
I totally agree with you guys. I have always wondered on fourth an inches why anything other than a QB sneak would be called. Even handing the ball off allows defenders extra time for penetration. Denard behind Molk should equal a first down everytime. I wonder if any of the stat guys around here know the odds of picking up fourth and inches with a sneak vs hand off vs pass. I would sneak it everytime and guess that the odds of success drop off with other play calls!
MSU blitzed on most plays in the second half. They brought pressure on every first down with the double A gap blitz. Where was the screen game??? It seems like this would have been an ideal way of keeping them onest. MSU was telegraphing the corner blitzes most of the time and I dont understand why we did not check to draws or screens?
Instead we chose to rely on our backs to help pick up the blitz and for our receivers to run hot routes...this strategy requires everybody to be on the same page and most of the time we were not. We made them pay once on the roundtree TD, but jeez take the easier route and mix in some draws and screens.
Okay, so clearly he made some errors including several missed tackles, but he was in position to make several big stops because of his speed and insticts. I was actually encouraged by his play, failing to wrap up is very correctable, ability to shoot gaps to get into the backfield or chase down plays is more innate. I think he will be very good as he continues to get experience, but he will probably continue to have some ups and downs as most young players do.
I agree that this is a 46 defense, first made famous by Buddy Ryan and the Chicago Bears (superbowl shuffle team). You can tell when we are in the Bear's when our d-linemen cover the center and both guards.
Roh has been singled out as playing poorly because we all had high expectations for him. People need to be patient. He was on the backside of most of the running plays because ND had success running at Heninger and Black. I think his production will increase as the season progresses.
I also agree that the offense was struggling due to poor execution not poor play calls and as much as we all love denard, he was making a lot of mistakes. I think he was too excited.
Let me preface my comment by stating that I watched the game only twice, but I used to be a DE in D-III so I watched the D-line closely.
It is true that Roh has been quiet over the past two weeks, but suggesting he play TE or that Koger play DE is insane and to me you loose all credibility for that comment.
I think all of us had high expectations for Roh coming into the season and that is why his lack of production has been so noticable. In my review of the film he had a few QB pressures off of the edge and was in position to make some plays in the running game. He was on the back-side of many running plays because ND was taking advantage of Heininger and Black and did not have as many opportunities to make plays in the running game. In addition, while I agree he needs to be better at getting off blocks he was not being blown off the football.
I agree with you about big Will he played very well against the run.
Van Bergen was solid,
Martin made a few great plays and was fighting through a lot of double teams. It is hard to tell if he is stunting sometimes or commits too early to penetration on the right or left A gaps. It seems like sometimes he unintentionally opened some big holes by getting himself upfield and being sealed off. In general a nose should try to stand his ground then shed his block to make the takle at the line of scrimmage, but these may have been designed stunts.
Heininger did not play well. He gives great effort and I admire him for being able to play DT as a walk on-Impressive! He made 1 nice play and held his own on 2 plays against the run. The remainder of his plays against the run he was being blown off the ball.
Black is a great athlete but is still very raw. ND was running to their left a lot in the first half (right side of the defense) to take advantage of their OL against Heininger and Black.
Let see how this plays out over the next 2 weeks
I expect to see Big Will get some more time at DT and Nose on first and second down as a run stuffer.
I also think (hope) that its just a matter of time before we see more production from Roh.
How do you keep Ryan off the field? I anticipate that even when Cam is healthy, Ryan will rotate in and play significant minutes. Also, Cam better play well or Ryan will get more and more time.
Having played a lot on special teams at a D-3 college I can tell you that it was not the kicker's fault. Although the kicks were short, the primary reason for the big returns was a lack of discipline by the coverage team. The first thing you are taught in kick coverage is to stay in your lanes and then converge on the ball carrier. Our cover guys were vacating their lanes way too soon and opening up huge running lanes. If we had faced an elite kick returner we would have given up at least 1 TD today. However, this is easily corrected and is a typical first game problem (although not usually this bad)... a little film study and reps in practice should fix this, if not we are in trouble against teams with elite returners.
Hemmingway is no bust. He was plauged by injuries early in his carrer and lately has been overshadowed by Roundtree, but he is not a bust. Early in his carrer (2007) he showed flashes of brilliance against Utah with Threet as his QB before his injury and at times last season he was a beast. He was the difference between winning and losing in the indiana and illinois game by making increadible catches. He is a large, physical receiver, with deceptive speed and ellusiveness. ESPN get your act together.
Floyd was a beast, but my best ever goes to Jarod Bunch. He was a man. I remember being on the field after the spring game before his final season and his arms looked like hamburger from turf burns...despite the oozing and bleeding he was all smiles. Having had several turf burns myself I know how painful they are...that dude was tough! A great FB too.
Minnesota and Vandy are not the best teams to poach recruits from. However, when I said BCS talent, I was refering to players with offers from BCS conferences not teams playing in the BCS bowls.
Everyone would rather have top flight talent (dee hart types), but if Hoke and company think these players are worth a scholarship offer than I think we need to give them the benefit of the doubt especially this late in the game.
Also, remember that every year Wisonsin, Northwestern, and Iowa have recuiting classes full of lowly regarded players, but they do an excellent job with player development. Too early to tell exactly what Hoke's strategy will be, and I don't think we can draw any major conclusions from this class b/c of the lack of time he has had to put it together. If we have a class full of 3 stars formerly commited to vandy and minni next year I will be concerned, but with this class any BCS conference talent is okay with me.
With only a few days left before signing day and a recruiting class down to 11 or 12 commits we need to reach. Can't expect to fill with 4 and 5 stars this late in the game. Would be nice to grab one or two higher rated players, but any BCS level talent is good for now.
For what it is worth, when I played (small time college football) our team did have combine like testing with coaches present. 1 combine before offseason workouts started and 1 before fall practice started.
The new coaches have said that they will be building the offense around Denard. That would imply that there will be more QB running plays and more rollouts/waggles etc than normally in the traditional west coast offense. Gardner would fit this style too.
So what type of QB do we bring in? Pocket passer or do we continue with dual threat types or perhaps pocket passers with some running ability (ie drew henson, steve smith types)?
we should be happy about any good defensive prospect! This is not the time to nit pick over number of stars or which position they play. We need more defensive depth and talent at every position.
I am not sure why you think Hollowell isn't going to pan out? Please explain.
He does everything right except he has his head down. I can still remember my coach yelling "see what you hit". Having your head down is a safety issue. When you hit with your head down you axially load the neck which can lead to a serious injury (ie spinal cord injury, chuckie mullins RIP)
This is a great hire. I had pretty much ignored the rumors that Mattison was a candidate. Why a NFL DC (who coaches a dominant D), would leave to coach one of the worst collegiate defenses is beyond me I guess he loved his time in A squared as DC back in the 90's...Welcome Back! This should pay dividends in recruiting topflight defensive players.
Fan support will come.
I am a huge fan of Denard and I love all of the optimism on the board, but I am not sure that the new offense will use him as effectively. I also worry that it will take him some time to adjust mentally to a new scheme. Also it is difficult to win the heisman unless you are on a national championship contending team. But, he certainly has the talent to win it and I agree that his passing skills should continue to improve.
but now I am coming around. I spoke with one of the position coaches at Wake Forest tonight and he thought Hoke was a great hire. He had no reason to feed me a line of bull. Hoke also seems to be rallying the former and current players.
My main concern is now that we have heard that Denard will return (thank god) will Hoke and company use him effectively?
For what it is worth, I just spoke with one of the position coaches at Wake Forest, who told me that Hoke has a strong national reputation among his peers and is an excellent hire. I was skeptical when Hoke was first announced, but I am starting to rethink things. Denard, Martin, and Fred Jackson staying are huge pluses.
I like how the players sing the victors with the student section. That was new under RR right? Edit: Sorry somebody beat me to it.
The QB sweep? I am thankful that denard appears to be sticking it out! I hope Hoke and the new OC study lots of tape of Denard and keep some of RR's schemes. Please Please use Denard effectively!
I think Crowton gets a bad rap. LSU has been dominant defensively and has not had consistent QB play the last several years...wouldn't you be conservative and run the ball a lot too!
For what its worth his offenses run multiple sets including the option and zone read which would be perfect for Denard and D. Gardner.
Is Gruden's nick name. He sort of resembles the chucky doll from the horror movies when he scowls.
What about tressel. I am so sick of him beating our ass.
I would take the 17 points. Oklahoma has been very disappointing in BCS games. I think UCONN keeps it close.
Really?
Martin is a beast, but he is not a DE, he is an interior d lineman. His strength and ability to split double teams are his greatest assets, which would not translate into the DE position. He is quick but is not an edge rusher. However, I would like to see a lot more of him at DT instead of NT. In a 4 man front I think he would have more opportunities to create penatration and may see less double teams.
by the recruiting services. I guess they didn't know about his dropsies.
Bell came in as a safety, and has always been on D.
Well done.
I was trying to reply to the title of his post; what happened to t-robs playing time?...it dropped.
Poor execution on my part.