Football Karma and Tacopunts: Oregon State
4th and 7, Oregon State Ball with ~3:05 remaing:
Oregon State long-snapper snaps high, Nick Porebski is able to bring it in, gets the punt off and is clobbered. Incorrect roughing the kicker is called, giving Oregon State a first down and prompting Jim Harbaugh to call a timeout. 2:57 remaining.
1st and 10, Oregon State Ball
Incomplete pass to Jordan Villamin
2nd and 10, Oregon State Ball
Seth Collins 8 yard run to Michigan 38
3rd and 2, Oregon State Ball
Seth Collins -1 yard run to Michigan 39
Now, this is was some bad coaching by Oregon State. They have two options:
1) Go for the first down
2) Punt
There are no other possibilities here. At the very least, you want to see your team line up for the punt (or even better, like you are attempting to score), try to draw the defense offsides and take the delay of game if not. If you are going to punt anyway, the difference between punting from the 39 and punting from the 44 is going to be marginal (both have a 95% chance of being a touchback*). But we see Oregon State take the delay of game without attempting to draw Michigan offsides. Michigan then calls a timeout (I don't understand why, the clock should have been stopped here with the delay of game).
Oregon State then lines up for the punt, punts it, and gets an Illegal formation call. Another five yards.
We all know what happened next.
Anyway, I guess I don't have a major point to make here, it is just interesting to list a couple of things that could have drastically changed the end of the first half:
1) No roughing the punter call. Michigan ball, chance to score with about 3 minutes remaining, but they have to go 70 yards.
2) Oregon State attempts to convert the 4th and 3 (the obvious choice if you are playing to win, especially on the road) and fails. Michigan Ball, 60 yards to score and roughly 1:30 remaining.
3) Oregon State picks up the first down, is able to kick a field goal to end the half. Teams tied 10-10 at half.
4) No illegal formation on the 1st (2nd?) punt attempt. Michigan ball, I believe this one went out at the 2 or 3 yard line, not much chance of scoring, with only 90 seconds and at least one rushing play just to escape the goal line
*--totally made this statistic up.
EDIT: Adding a major point to squash the haters:
My major point is, if your drive could be extended by a roughing the kicker call that shouldn't have been a roughing the kicker call, you should decline the penalty and avoid football Karma
September 14th, 2015 at 2:07 PM ^
September 14th, 2015 at 2:10 PM ^
Has anyone tried the Taco Bell breakfast tacos?
September 14th, 2015 at 2:11 PM ^
if there were no health repercussions, i would eat these everyday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
September 14th, 2015 at 2:21 PM ^
You have to die from something. Might as well control your own destiny. Amirite?
September 14th, 2015 at 2:27 PM ^
yeah but my hedonistic desires require me to not be a fatty who sweats grease and squirts Fire sauce whilst walking.
September 14th, 2015 at 4:27 PM ^
September 14th, 2015 at 2:57 PM ^
Slow the eff down in life if you need to wrap up your whole plate in a tortilla and eat it at the same time.
September 14th, 2015 at 2:14 PM ^
September 14th, 2015 at 2:15 PM ^
Everyone is negging me today. I haz a sad. You either die a hero or stay around long enough to become the MGrowOld.
Good Bye 4Ever
September 14th, 2015 at 2:22 PM ^
Well . . . . (wipes tears) Double Ds do make me happy.
September 14th, 2015 at 5:45 PM ^
I suggest you find a new blog to post.
We will be fine without you.
Have a happy life.
September 14th, 2015 at 2:20 PM ^
Exactly.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
September 14th, 2015 at 2:21 PM ^
If you type that mid topic, just hit delete.
September 14th, 2015 at 2:25 PM ^
when your footnote asterisk to point to a made up stat
September 14th, 2015 at 2:27 PM ^
What if you type "Gadsbudlikins!" several times mid topic?
September 14th, 2015 at 2:23 PM ^
September 14th, 2015 at 2:30 PM ^
Because I am trying to achieve 15,000 points in 1 year of posting, just like you. Duh
September 14th, 2015 at 2:32 PM ^
nice comeback! What will Moe say in return!?!? Tune in next time!!!
September 14th, 2015 at 2:39 PM ^
I updated this to include a major point
September 14th, 2015 at 2:31 PM ^
That's a lot of words for not having a major point. Reading that would have been a major pain in my arse. Worse than the hot ball of lead food baby amalgam that would coagulate in my stomach and slowly seep out of my anus after eating taco bell for breakfast.
September 14th, 2015 at 5:52 PM ^
"Anyway, I guess I don't have a major point to make here..." just adds non-helpful word weight to your post in addition to trashing it.
September 14th, 2015 at 2:30 PM ^
Football Study Hall did an analysis last year regarding touchbacks, win probabilities and overall success. It also discusses the correlation between "success rate" and special teams strategy a bit too. Not completely related to the OP's point, but not a bad place to share this - LINK
About 35.9 percent of college football kickoffs resulted in a touchback in 2013. Obviously that skews the frequency chart a good amount, but we can also see here that two-thirds of kickoffs resulted in a net of between 35 and 45 yards, or field position between the 20 and 30.
The analysis involves net return yards a bit as well, which makes it rather interesting.