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

[iam416]

urban's run at osu benefitted from a very weak Big Ten. This is not to say he is not a great coach. He is but he rode the exceptional record he's accumulated on the backs of some of the weakest head coaches in all of CFB.

Yeah, when I was comparing JH to UFM, this is a huge point. UFM walked into a B10 without, well, UFM. The 2012 team was not very good, but there wasn't much to get in its way. The 2013 team was pretty good, but not quite there. I'm still disappointed UFM let the B10 CCG get away, but that's life. This year's team is legit in any conference.

As I said in on of the M threads, if JH was hired when he should have been hired (2011) he would have a similar start as UFM. Unfortunately for JH, he was hired after UFM had a 3-year head start.

I will say something about M fans and last night...I think this was good for them to tamp down expectations a smidge. Now, this forum--you guys are basically level-headed, not unduly irrational in your exuberance and basically have very realistic expectations for JH. That's why I like this forum. Some other M fanboards -- Stadium & Main and MGo -- reflect what a bit of irrationality, IMO. I think UFM's run should get most of them to realize that it won't be so easy trucking OSU. Conversely, if you were to peruse OSU fanboards last night surely had the opposite effect....heh....but that's the way it goes.

[froot loops]

This an OSU brand we've not seen in a long time if ever. The combination of ruthlessness in both recruiting and game plans is a step up. Cooper could recruit but couldn't coach a big game. Tressel ball was successful but it could keep the opponent in the game. This is totally different.

The game itself underscores the absurdity of focusing on the VT loss. Early in the year when you test yourself against an actual program it is much better than a money grab versus UT Martin. Teams are always much different by the end of the year.

For Michigan to compete you'll see a brand you've never seen before.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Watching Ohio State run Elliot was a thing of beauty. I'm sure Hannibal was well-pleased with the fact that OSU basically ran one play up there ass. Not only that, but the play is basically the counter-trey. Sure, it's out of the spread and they put a wicked horizontal constraint on it with Marshall, but it's fundamentally the Hogs blocking for Riggins....out of a 21st C formation. I think that's the biggest difference between Oregon's spread and OSU's spread. Fundamentally, UFM wants to be a power run team. That's it. It's old as goddamned time. The way he does it...different....but still, there's a connection to the core, bedrock principles of the game.............

Casual football observers, pay attention to this lesson. Saban built Alabama on the principle of being really good at running one or two plays. Last night was a classic example of the value of that approach. This is NOT Mike Debord sending Mike Hart off the back side of the left guard over and over and over, it is modern football using constraint as a means of making something work well.

I'm baffled that more CFB offensive coordinators and head coaches seem not to understand this and, instead, choose what they consider to be leading edge plays ..... a lot of them intended to confuse a defense, finesse a defensive linemen or LB or develop mismatches with chicanery.

This game was a beat down. It demonstrated the irrefutable value of simply wearing down the opposing team with brutal and physical play up front. That osu scored, what, 21 points in the 4th quarter is a testament to that venerated view point.

I think you are going to see a lot of that from M going forward. It's what characterized M's (and osu's who continue this tradition) best years. They ran the football and they ran it well with the best offenses just getting better in the 4th quarter because the other team gives in.

[iam416]

For Michigan to compete you'll see a brand you've never seen before.

M has basically been absent from the national title picture for 65 years. They've played 1 bowl game with the national championship at stake since 1950. ONE!

So, yeah, JH's M is going to have to surpass Bo's M if they want the success they expect -- so long as UFM is still at OSU.

[Rocky Bleier]

That was an unbelievable run. To win with your third QB... wow. The biggest surprise for me was the defense the last 3 games. Good: Basketball-on-grass fails again to win the NC. Bad: The gap between Michigan and osu because Dave Brandon was the AD, and he hired Hoke a full year before Meyer went to osu.

[iam416]

I think you are going to see a lot of that from M going forward. It's what characterized M's (and osu's who continue this tradition) best years. They ran the football and they ran it well with the best offenses just getting better in the 4th quarter because the other team gives in.

M will do it differently, obviously, but yes. So, from what I recall about watching Stanford, I really loved the way JH used his TEs to control the middle of the field. I also think JH is fairly open to "advanced" offensive ideas based on what they did with Kaepernick. In an ideal world, I think JH would like a QB that can run a bit...doesn't have to be Braxton...Cardale would do just fine. But he knows the value of making the defense account for an extra player.

Eh, there's so much time to talk about this. Should be fun.

[iam416]

My favorite play last night was a third-down run by Cardale. Oregon ran a zone blitz and dropped the Nose into coverage. Cardale stepped up in the pocket and took off for the line. The NG is sitting out there in coverage, steps up and hits him 3 yards before the line and gets trucked for the first down. Grown. Ass. Man.

In the Alabama game, I think he was basically responsible for f'n up Landon Collins. There was a run at the end of the first half where the big fella built up a 20 yard head of steam, ol' Landon has to make the tackle with a right shoulder that is already hurt and he sort gives it, an "ah fuck...stands there makes the play with his off-shoulder but gets run over in so doing.

[entropy]

when you peak is important and OSU peaked at the right time.

Also, Ohio had a lot of talent on the roster when Meyer took over. It's not like he took Indiana to the NC game. He deserves all the credit in the world for turning around the team and managing 3 QB's the way he did during the season. But Tressel left a lot of talent on that roster.

[entropy]

talent.. not sure if you saw my comment that Hoss made to me.. Elliott looks like Lawrence Phillips when he runs. Very similiar. He's a stud

[hack]

The Bucknuts are always insufferable. But Urban Meyer...creep can roll, man.

THIS. That creep can roll.

Congrats, Talent and DSL. Enjoy it. Deserved. Awfully impressive.

Also, fuck off.

[iam416]

The cupboard was far from bare. But any offensive talent suffered through a completely lost season in 2011. When Herman and UFM finally came to save Braxton they were flabbergasted at his development.

And the team that played last night only had 8 seniors playing. I mean...good ones...Spencer, Devin Smith, Bennett, Doran Grant...but basically the team that won out there is UFM's team. The vast majority of contributors were recruited by UFM.

His early success was combo of horrible B10 and decent residual talent. Getting them from great "B10" team to National Elite....that's all on UFM and his staff.

I can't overstate the job Warriner has done. Seriously. 3 of the 4 starters from last year's OL started for NFL Playoff teams this year. That was unthinkable in 2011. Then they lose those guys and end up with an OL that performs like that...including reclaiming Darryl Baldwin, a 5th-yr Sr, off the trash heap. He may make an NFL team next year! And they have a couple young 'uns that they love...the OL really isn't dotted with 4*/5* kids, yet...soon, though.

I also think the executive decision to get Withers out and bring in Ash was massive. The first part had to be done, but then to get the right guy. That's huge.

I also think plucking Herman out of Ames was brilliant.

UFM might not be 38-3 if he had to step into a loaded B10, but I do think he would have got the program where it is right now regardless. Dude, 38-3. 24-0 in B10 regular season games. The first ever CFP champions. To borrow from JRB, creep can roll.

[iam416]

talent.. not sure if you saw my comment that Hoss made to me.. Elliott looks like Lawrence Phillips when he runs. Very similiar. He's a stud

Yeah, I loved it, Entropy. For OSU fans, his upright style reminds of Eddie George with a touch shorter stride. But I think LP may be a better comparison.

The other thing about Elliot...guy is badass lead blocker. You didn't see it in the last three games because QB leads went out the window, but they'd run a JTB lead several times a game and Zeke would blow people the fuck up. He had a block against Alabama on a Marshall jet where he led throw hole and blew up DePriest...dead balls pancake.

Zeke was a huge pull for UFM. Made a last second official to Mizzou and had OSU fans worried, but stuck with his verbal. Thank god. Heh, he couldn't even make any version of the All B10 team at RB! Shows you how deep the conference was at RB!

Conversely, OSU may have the 3 best QBs in the league (Connor Cook would have something to say about that -- so certainly 3 of the best 4.)

[entropy]

We used to experience that... from 1970-2001 nebraska had at least one all conference OL each season.. Each season. Reloading was both recruiting and development. A good OL coach is worth their weight in gold

[UMStan White]

No doubt it was a great game for OSU but I find it amusing that Talent bemoaned an inevitable loss to Oregon all week and now seems to be taking credit for "analyzing" UFM's game plan that worked to perfection as if to say "I knew it all along".

[entropy]

don't blame me stan.. I tried jinxing them.