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

[Hannibal]

How would feel if your team was 7-0?

I dunno. How should I feel if my team has a shitty defense on one side of the ball and is 7-0 against an easy schedule because of a crazy playmaker on the other side of the ball? Put Braxton Miller on Michigan's 2009 team and we easily start off that season 7-0.

[iam416]

Eh, if Braxton is the only thing that separates this year's OSU team and 2009 M, then it's a name your score game for Hokattison. If Indiana, a team that Indiana State held to 24, can score 49 against Ohio State, then I'd have to think M is good for 70 if they want it. Of course, with Hokattison stifling the OSU offense, they may just be killing the clock in the 4th and only hit 56.

So, Hanni, how many will M put up against Ohio State? Do you think M has a better offense than IU?

And, obviously, it's been a while since M has been 7-0, so I can understand you not really remembering how that feels.

[Hannibal]

I'm not sure that Michigan's offense is significantly better than Indiana's, and I see Braxton Miller being worth at least 24 points on his own against our defense, which got disastrously shredded by the only two teams that it faced which can run the ball effectlvely. I think we need 35+ to win this year. I'll save my prediction on whether we can do that for at least a few more weeks. Given that OSU's defense this year so far is statistically indistinguishable from Michigan's 2009 defense, 35+ isn't exactly a stretch.

[Hannibal]

I made a mistake earlier. OSU is actually allowing 32.8 points per game in four games against B1G+Cal.

[iam416]

I'm not sure that Michigan's offense is significantly better than Indiana's,

Well, better or as good=49 points. As you took time to point out, IU left gads of yards and points on the field. Probably should have scored 63.

So, better or as good=49. Not this wishy-washy 35 bullshit. I mean, they scored 40 against OSU last year. Have to think 50+ is in the offing. And Miller may be worth 24 on his own, but the rest of the offense is worth, well, maybe 3? I dunno....59-27. I could see Borges calling the dogs off in the 4th.

But, man, it'd sure stink to lose a rivalry game to a team that sucks, that has a coach that doesn't care about defense and, as a result, has a god-awful defense. That one would be tough to swallow. Fingers crossed, though, that my underdog Buckeyes can stun the world in November.

[Pasadena Blue]

pointless

[Optimus Prime]

You still plan on coming, OP? FYI, I'm nearly relocated to Columbus so you should come in the night before instead of launching some sort of special ops mission from Indy at 3am.

Good times!

Unfortunately Talent, No. Even had to bail on the Bama game in Dallas.

Unfortunately it's "SW Texas Specials Ops" and it has ruined my entire CFB season.

Business is booming, my partners and I will close on 5503 acres in Texas, Oil & Gas sector by the 23rd of this month. Domestic shale gas production, over the next decade domestic consumption will grow from 25% TO 56%. US realistically will slash imports by over 50%, let China buy oil from the Middle East.

Your Boy just became an Aqua Baron, selling 42 gallon barrels of H2O to the hydraulic fracturing and directional drilling oil companies, via a tanker fleet.

The extraction process is incredibly water-intensive. With nearly 9 square miles, we have the land surface that meets ALL EPA regulations, permitting us to sell millions of gallons of H20 to these insatiable companies.

Adios, Amigo!






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[iam416]

Excellent. Well, I wish you could make it, but I've always said water is liquid gold!

[iam416]

I mentioned this earlier, but this expounds on what I consider the macro-issues with the defense (with the micro-issue being thin LB depth and underachieving LB play). There are some things I take issue with, but I think it gets to the big picture issue.

- People are saying that Luke Fickell is in way over his head, which could possibly be true, we don't know that yet. The same misinformed folks are saying that Jim Heacock is what's needed back at Ohio State, which is also misinformed as it can be. Who has Fickell learned from the past few years? What style would Fickell PREFER to run? Which style of defense do you think Fickell BELIEVES in? Which style of defense has had Ohio State ranked pretty darn highly the past decade? You tell me, because that IS NOT the style of defense Urban Meyer wants run at Ohio State.
- The Ohio State philosophy under Jim Tressel was 180-degrees opposite of Urban Meyer, which is not to say one is better than the other. There are more than a few ways to win in college football, as we see every week. BUT, the Tressel philosophy worked hand in hand, offense and defense in perfect harmony. We DO NOT see that today. Everett Withers is from the Heacock school, as is Fickell. BUT, Urban Meyer wants them to play defense HIS way, which is absolutely his right. Meyer wants cornerbacks to play man-to-man press coverage, not allowing a lot of room for the wide receivers to move. This puts a lot of pressure on guys like Christian Bryant,Orhian Johnson and C.J. Barnett to be more involved in coverage, and forces them to be sure tackles, because a miss equals a touchdown.
- The problem as I see it is the exact opposite of what you see on offense, and the coaching, scheme and players on the field are FAR more suited to play the Heacock style of defense. The Meyer style of defense DEPENDS, RELIES and LIVES off pressure coming from the Front-Four. This is the BIGGEST problem with this defense. The current defensive line members are all great run-stuffers, but they do not attack the passer relentlessly. Johnny Simon has his moments coming off the edge, but he would not have the Alabama or Florida staffs worried sick about protecting their quarterback from him. Not at all. Indiana threw FIFTY-FOUR passes the other night. How many times were they sacked? ZERO. NADA. ZIP. Go play man-to-man for 80 plays with players recruited to play in the Heacock zone-system, and get no sacks, then come back to me and tell me about your shutout!!!! Will NEVER, EVER happen.
- These players were all recruited to play in the Heacock system, were taught the Heacock system by the Heacock protege at defensive coordinator. A defensive line that gives up being a high-pressure group, but gives up NO running lanes at all. Linebackers that take deep drops and come up and make tackles in the zone. Heacock wouldn't ask Storm Klein to cover Shane Wynn. He would catch that five-yard pass and eight guys would come up out of the zone to kill him. Cornerbacks that play ten yards off the ball, with the two safetys splitting the field in deep zones. The star needs to be a player that is a sure tackler, and a physical hybrid. Tyler Moeller.Jermale Hines. Is that player Orhian Johnson? You tell me.
- Why is it that Ohio State's best game defensively came against one of the best teams they will play this year, Michigan State? Because that was a Tressel/Heacock/Fickell/Dantonio type of game, and we all saw that movie over the past decade. It's not that OSU CANNOT defend the spread at all. Heacock/Fickell saw plenty of spreads and decimated most of them. Ask Rich Rodriguez if Ohio State can defend a spread. BUT, they defended the spread THEIR way, not this way. Different philosophies.

[Hannibal]

Eh

"This guy wasn't recruited for this system" is an overrated factor in coaching switches. I doubt that many coaches would recruit a guy who can legitimately cover Shane Wynn and play LB, unless they want their LBs to be 190 pounds.

I can buy that guys are still learning how to play differently, but I'll bet that there aren't many, if any, guys that Tressel recruited that Meyer wouldnt' want out there anyways.

[iam416]

That's the macro issue. The more important issue, IMO, is still the LBs. Shazier still plays way too inconsisently. And he's the best they have at the moment. It's a disaster. On a micro level, the safeties also have been suspect. But Barnett has been out for awhile and this was his first game back. And he did make a really nice play to break up a Roby Pick-6 in the 3rd quarter. Uggh.

All that said, none of it makes me think, oh my god, UFM will fail or UFM teams don't play defense.

[WM Wolverine]

Doesn't nearly your entire DL graduate after this season except Hankins who could go to the NFL?

[iam416]

3 of the 9 who play regularly graduate, including Nathan Williams, who has probably played 40% of the downs, maybe.

But, yeah, Simon and Goebel are losses. They'll be really young up front. Spence and Washington are already playing in the 2-deep. Michael Bennet was the starter until he was hurt. But they'll be thin up front. Bosa will be in the 2-deep next season, IMO.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I try to look at it from the perspective of "how would I feel if this was my team"?

How would I feel if my team gave up an average of 433 yards per game to BCS conference competition? Probably, not too good.

How would you feel if your coach had won two national titles, was 7-0 this year, and a Sparty fan told you he was doomed to fail because the B1G will eat him alive?

[Pasadena Blue]

it depends on whether my coach lost his last game of the year or not. None of the rest matters much when you are on probation and ineligible for everything.