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I read a poll yesterday taken of a large sample of UCLA and USC players relating to their attitude about moving to the B10. Most of them approved (like 55%), but of those who did not approve the reason given was overwhelmingly because they don't want to play in cold weather. If you watched Ole Miss v Arkansas this past Sat, you saw what cold did to Ole Miss. I'd love for a big bowl to be played in MN or MI in late Dec.
Trust me UNL had to play the fucking Florida teams damn near every year in big bowl games...some for Natty's...would have loved to play those pricks in Lincoln in January instead...
Here we see the famous 1926 Nebraska Popinjay team that went an entire season without scoring a point, after the season ending game against Truman State. Someone has sarcastically painted "champions" on the game ball though none of the lads look terribly proud of themselves, as you can imagine. This was also before the team adopted the "N for knowledge" and instead wore a "Y" for "yooniversity".
Here we see the famous 1926 Nebraska Popinjay team that went an entire season without scoring a point, after the season ending game against Truman State. Someone has sarcastically painted "champions" on the game ball though none of the lads look terribly proud of themselves, as you can imagine. This was also before the team adopted the "N for knowledge" and instead wore a "Y" for "yooniversity".
Excellent work.
"The problem with quotes on the Internet is that it is sometimes hard to verify their authenticity." -Abraham Lincoln
Some reading and watching today leads me to some of these early thoughts on the opposing offenses:
Given what I think about how this game goes, the potential for wet weather is going to play.
CRD has built his team around the big passing play, explosiveness via the pass and shocking the opponent. Harbaugh has built M around an occasionally explosive run game but depends more on sitting on a team rather than exploding against them. Wet weather is more limiting to OSU's offense than to M's.
CRD wants to force M to keep up in a game that features scoring efficiency (OFEI), JH, based on the 10 previous games, wants to force CRD out of that advantage OSU has with Stroud and his receivers.
Harbaugh would like to shorten the game and run 70 plays or so. A low scoring game favors M and in that same way, weather has a tendency to produce a low scoring game. Given OSU OFEI (ranks 2nd nationally),
I don't think M can win this game without weather that mitigates OSU's scoring efficiency or, alternatively and much harder in good weather, a M game plan that simultaneously shortens and keeps the game low scoring.
M's ability to force the game flow, regardless of getting help from wet weather, in a direction that favors M depends on the run game being successful (>4 ypc). Some "shock and awe" bursts by the RBs would be additive. We may not see them at all. We know of injuries to the RBs - there's a good chance M's run game will not be explosive.
Nonetheless, If Harbaugh can slow the game down, get time consuming, 11 play scoring drives and play keep-away with CRD, that favors M. I don't think M can win this game without keeping the scoring low and close into the closing minutes of the 4th quarter.
The big picture requires CRD to have some semblance of a possession run game and ability to convert 3rd and short, move the chains to set up Stroud for the big play or get the ball into the EZ on goal to go. The pieces are there. Likewise, JH has to have a semblance of a passing game to keep the chains moving, possess, burn clock, shorten the game and score (preferably TDs).
Given that M's run game is hobbled it seems obvious to me that Weiss has to build in a hefty number of RPOs. Failing that, OSU is simply going to ignore that threat and stuff as many hats in the shoe box that he can get away with. M's offense will die. An RPO heavy offense for M has not been seen during the season. One would hope those plays have been repped all season, held close to the vest and will be incorporated v. OSU. IMO, it's the only way M has a chance. Some early Illinois game analysis out of mgo suggests that M pulled some RPOs out in the 4th - at least it looked like it. The prominent question, was JJ actually reading his keys or were these just planned plays either to run or pass. The RPO structure was there but favor the later circumstance.
Mission to CFB's National Championship accomplished. But the shine on the NC Trophy is embarrassingly wearing off. It's M B-Ball ..... or hockey or volley ball or name your college sport favorite time ...... until next year.
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