M-Borg vs. THE Flavortown U Thread, Orig. by Buckeye Paul, absconded w/by talent.

[Hannibal]

I was surprised that Braxton Miller wasn't in the game against Toledo when the offense continued to suck so badly.

[iam416]

I go back and forth between thinking this is 2004 and 2008. I think it has a bit more of the 2004 feel. In both seasons, a clear starting QB was displaced. In 2004, it was an injury that mercifully ended the Zwick Era. In 2008, necessity (ie, no Beanie and really bad OL) forced TP into the starting lineup.

At some point, Miller will play b/c Bauserman's ceiling is so much lower. And after last week's game, there's no reason at all to think OSU can complete a pass more than 20 yards downfield. So, load up against the 3rd string RB and short passing game. There's a credible chance Miami will deliver a beatdown akin to 2008 USC that will usher in the new era. The sooner the better. That's what we leared in 2004 -- the sooner, the better.

Of course, unlike either of 2004 and 2008, at some point OSU is going to get back 6 of its top 15 players. That "infusion" of talent may coincide nicely with the commencement of the Future and cement Miller a bit. Hard to say.

[Jamie H]

RichRod had his huge flaws, but did he blow a game like that at all? RichRod seemed to be really good in close games, and Kelly sucks ass in them.

We've detailed the massive flaws that Rodriguez had, but game management was not one of them. He was generally very good with his time management and decision making (punt vs go, TD vs FG, etc.) outside of the MSU game last year where he just gave up for no reason.

I honestly think that if we had had Mattison here with Rodriguez (and he had let Mattison do 100% of the defensive planning and recruiting) it could have been pretty special. But maybe Hoke will be special too, and a guy like Mattison would never have worked for RichRod.

[hack]

No way. Forget questions of culture and fit -- RR just didn't have it. No attention to detail, not much in the way of leadership, and the kids didn't play all that hard for him. Unless it was ND...

[Optimus Prime]

Not to mention he decimated this program in three very short years, never speak his name again.

[hack]

Hoke's really interesting. He's brought a good staff and isn't overly impressed by any particular scheme, but seems to get that the focus is on having good players, coaching them well, and getting the most out of them. There's no wheel reinvention going on like with RR's spread, and he's done a ton to restore a healthy chain of command. His public persona is absolutely ideal. I LOVE that he went for the win last night instead of the tie. In the end, The Process still sucked, and I have questions about the guy's ceiling, but the floor with Hoke isn't all that low. He'll do what good coaches do, which is demand effort, preach fundamentals, and get good coordinators. We may have gotten very lucky.

[lineygoblue]

I like Hoke's sideline manner. I noticed right after Denard threw that interception at about the 3:40 mark, he got Denard to come right straight to him, and he just calmly started coaching him up. No blood veins bursting, no near-stroke, no screaming, .. all he was doing was talking to the kid. I like that a lot. Even Bo wouldn't have been that easy going after a big turnover like that.

I suspect that Brady saves the in-your-face stuff for the practice field. And from what I understand, there's not a whole lot there either.

[hack]

I didn't notice that, but certainly that's the sort of thing I'm talking about. His public persona is fairly unflappable. Good trait for an HC.

[iam416]

RichGOD really did seem like an asshole. I'm certainly not going to recount the Boren-transfer nonsense, but I will say that if Hoke was the coach then Boren would have finished his career with M. Tressel (and Fickell) seem that way, too -- I never heard of Tressel even yelling at a kid during practice. In the era, I think that's a better approach -- kids don't want want to be berated and it conveys that the coach is in control.

Like I said, I was coached by a couple Bobby Knight wannabes and liked all but 1. But, I think today it's not the best way to proceed. Frankly, it devalues your anger a bit.

[Rocky Bleier]

People will eventually tune-out someone who frequently screams at them. Nothing constructive going on...

[Hannibal]

I view it as a "what's the right tool for the job?" issue. Cracking the whip can be the right tool on a group that is lazy, apathetic, and/or demoralized. It can backfire badly when you have a group that is ready to work and learn or if you constantly scream at them for honest split-second mistakes. This is especially true if a guy just doesn't have the physical talent to do what you ask him to do. Personally, I hated playing for asshole coaches. The best coach I ever had was the best coach because he obsessively taught technique like Mister Myagi.

[hack]

Use all those tools judiciously, but during the game it's time to stay composed and confident. If you're losing it on the sideline your players are more likely to lose it during play.

[Optimus Prime]

Wax on, wax off.....

[whodean]

Coach Hoke seemed remarkably composed and thoroughly "in charge" throughout Sat. night, if he can do so through that situation and environment....lets just say it bodes well for the future. I am interested to see how his relationship with the referees evolves.

[Jamie H]

I can only imagine being a defensive player on the team last year, getting yelled at by Rodriguez, and then having to read his "I don't have time to coach defense" crap in the paper.

I'm not against a coach yelling to make a point. But as someone upthread said, too much yelling just causes players to tune out. Plus, yelling at players who are already low in confidence can just drive them deeper into a place where they question every reaction they have, and that will just kill you when you have to instantly read and react.

I agree. Yelling should be used for lazy, undiciplined play, or for unacceptable stuff (late hits, taunting, stupid BS). But using it for honest mistakes isn't always the best policy.