http://www.roanoke.com/sports/colleges/va_tech/ohio-state-players-ready-...
The "Bear" defense that Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster devised for last year's meeting gave the Buckeyes plenty of problems. The blitzing Hokies stacked the box and trusted their cornerbacks to contain the Ohio State receivers without any help.
"They played a defense that we weren't ready for," Decker said. "Now that we've seen that and we've seen their defenses, we're going to be prepared for those. We're going to be prepared for the Bear."
Because everyone knows Foster will run the exact same D. Also this reflects poorly on AnOSU coaching staff, don't prep and don't make in game adjustments?
"I don't feel like they just flat out went out there and beat us man to man," said Decker, one of eight returning offensive starters. "I don't think they just won every one-on-one battle. They had a great scheme and they had a great game plan ... and they have really good players.
"But I think if our preparation was on the same level, we'll beat them every time."
This article is full of head scratching BS.
Comments
I gotta stop reading things that raises my blood pressure...
They talk about Bama having excuses, and they have just as many, they lost plain and simple and boohoo they had to play Navy, we play GT every year. As many 4 and 5 stars as they have and their coaches I don't care to hear it. We have a better team and coaching staff than they give us credit for, our fans are just as passionate so I hope they keep talking. So what they lost 4 and still say next man up, but when they lose all of a sudden next man up goes out the window and the excuses will start piling up again. When Bama won the NC and then opened up against us at a neutral site the score was 35-10 and the defense only gave up 14 points (had offense and special teams done their part the final score would have been 14-10 Bama at a neutral site Georgia which was mostly their fans). This team has more offensive skill and a better defense than that 2013 team did and I like Slye more than Journell. So let them talk I feel awfully good about our chances because the guy behind Bosa will be taken by surprise when he goes up against Hansen and that offense of theirs has forgotten about Bud and his D!
A Logan Thomas pick 6 and 2 special teams mishaps that allowed Bama to return 2 kickoffs for touchdowns were the other 21 points in the game.
To be fair, the OSU players tried to explain how they weren't making excuses and how they just got beat last year, but as is life, the explanations flew right over Berman's head.
Now let's be honest. It doesn't take much to fly over Berman's head.
i am so confused by this.
Oh, I was just trying to show exactly how high one must leap to fly over Berman's head....
oh, ok then. That makes sense.
All we keep hearing from anOSU is excuses excuses excuses. Guess we'll be hearing all new ones on 9/8.
Excuses?????
Nearly every opponent played a version of the bear defense after the VT game and all of them failed. I don't anticipate Foster to run the EXACT same defense however. Like I said on another post I would much rather have this team with the suspensions and a proven OL and QB than last years team at home with a new OL and QB.
Is it September 7th yet?
A version of the Bear at other places IS NOT the same as the bear at VT under Foster. French had a great post about why MSU, Bama and Oregon did not play a real Bear D.
I did happen to catch the one and I absolutely loved it. It was amazing to me how the biggest difference was the ability to get the edge at the LOS. I do not expect your defense to allow that again this year I will be interested to see what differences the offense makes to counter. PS you guys have a heck of writing staff.
Yes, sir, we do.
I'd also like to note that with 1 exception, the Buckeyes visiting have been outstanding online individuals.
That's not entirely true. Indiana had a great deal of success running the bear out of their base 3-4. It kept them in the game way past when they should have. Well, that, the persistent turnover problem you guys had, and linebackers not making the correct run fits against Tevin Coleman. I was surprised that it didn't get more attention, but I suppose since you guys ran away with it in the 4th quarter the booing in the 3rd quarter got ignored. Anyway, Jalin Marshall pretty much single-handedly won that game for OSU and he isn't playing in this game, so...
Other teams had a lot of success with stacking the box and eliminating the numbers advantage. It was just that no teams other than VT and PSU had secondaries good enough to hang with your WR corps and play it consistently. Minnesota had some success flashing a 4-4G look (I think it was this and not a 46 look) and cover 0, but they couldn't stop that QB counter. Anyway, as a result of weaknesses in the secondary, only Maryland, Kent State, and Indiana ran the bear with any consistency. And none of those teams really have the same amount of talent in the front 7 that we do.
That being said, I very sincerely doubt that Bud Foster will run the bear so frequently this time because of the weaknesses that it does have and because, well, he very rarely runs the exact same defense against a team two years in a row.
I think that Ohio State wins this game. But this persistent disrespect for the skill of our players (especially on defense) is a constant source of frustration. Very few teams have the personnel to do what we did. There were probably only a dozen secondaries that could have held their own against your receivers and only 4 or 5 defenses that could have stymied your offense (VT, PSU, Clemson, Stanford, and maybe Ole Miss). Yet all that we (and PSU fans) get are excuses.
I have ZERO disrespect for your offense I find it absolutely amazing that every single player who scored a td is coming back (I think that was the stat). Like I said this game is a toss up.
Shoot even I have a little disrespect for our offense.
For too long, unfortunately.
What is even more amazing is that the vast majority were scored by freshmen.
Those are all great points, I would be more surprised to see the same defense again two years in a row like you said it never happens. All I know is I'm writing this game as a toss up. It's anyone's game but should we win anything more than 10 would really shock me.
Me too. I am going blue in the face trying to convince Buckeye fans that this game will be close. I'm thinking 27-21. I can feel my stress hormones release when I see someone say we're going to score 60 (and I'm sure the Hokie fans feel the same way about that).
Thinking you are going to drop 60 on someone is a good way to win a game and still be pissed off. Why would you want to do that?
aashokie, I have to say, you are a seriously knowledgeable poster. I find myself thinking back to a theme in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid reading your posts. ; )
Hahahaha, it's just been a very, very, very long offseason and I'm missing football a whole bunch. Gotta have something to obsess about.
not only does Paul Johnson completely disagree with you here, but he knows that there are 6 or 7 teams that run the exact same defense every year...it just comes down to who has better players. CPJ gives the advantage to OSU
PJ also runs the exact same offense every year.
Ehhh that may be a stretch. Same system, but he definitely tweaks it a bit year to year.
If you ask me Bud's game plan last year has already set the trap...
It's obvious that Foster is not going to throw the Bear at OSU again. The real question is if the Buckeyes will be able to handle the ManBearPigAntelopeGazellePlayedHisNutsOff defense.
ManBearPigAntelopeGazelle(OrWhatever)PlayedHisNutsOff Defense
Ftfy
#ManBearPigAntelopeGazellePlayedHisNutsOffdefense
Forgot "ScaldedDog"?
If the Virginia Tech defense needed some additional inspiration for this game, this article provides it.
^^^^This.
This article needs to be locker room wallpaper this Friday.
I also want to add that WE HAVE to get you off the field on 3rd downs this year. 50% ins't great but I expect more out of an Ohio State defense than that.
Brewer was a virtuoso on third down last year.
Berman is short.
Come back and I will taunt you for a second time!
I don't buy that this game is "huge" for them in the sense that it is for us. Us beating them Last year didn't keep them out of their conference championship game, the playoffs, or winning the Natty. However, it has been on our mind for a year. This is the biggest game in Lane and we want to crush them. They just want to get by.
I strongly disagree. This team (and its fanbase) spent the entirety of the season hearing about an "inexplicable" and "head-scratching" loss - no disrespect meant, but statistically, in terms of at least one metric, this was the worst loss by a National Champion since the late 60s. Rest assured, we want to crush you too.
Yea, OSU wants to prove it was a "fluke".
There is nothing to disprove. The loss stands. More and more I'm tired of the talking. If Beamer can't get this team ready with all the available fodder, he's ready for the horse pasture. Let's get this thing on.
Fluke or not, it will still go down as this unranked football team from Southwest Virginia walking into a Buckeye stadium filled with over 108k fans on national television and beat the home team. I honestly want a win just to prove that we deserve credit where it is not been given but if we lose all it does is even the series 1-1.
True, but I'm saying Ohio State would like to win by a strong margin, as "proof" that last year meant that they were off their game, not that VT did something special there.
I would think the Buckeyes will take a win of any margin and be satisfied. In a way, it's the only unfinished business from last season and the team is feeling like they have a score to settle.
win or lose, I'll always have the win in Columbus to remember. When the series was initially announced my first thought was "God, I really hope we can win just one of those..I'd take a 1-1 series with OSU" and when we won in Columbus my expectations were met (I never dreamed that our 1 win would be on your turf...and I was there!!). Certainly I would love to make it 2-0 but OSU is a ridiculously talented team and they don't lack for motivation. I expect this game to be an all out dog-fight and I'm just hoping that it doesn't get ugly. With how good OSU is, I'll walk out of Lane not feeling too bad if we can keep it within 2 scores. A win would be the best case, though. Let's hope for a good game with no injuries and no reason to blame the zebras for the outcome. Go Hokies! #beatOSU
That's where my head is. I get to finally see another game in Lane ( it's been 20 plus years), VT beat anOSU in the vaunted Shoe.
We win the National Championship and y'all are happy with just winning atat our house for an OOC game in September, and don't even really care if you win this year as long as you keep it close.
I guess that's probably just a byproduct of where our two programs are in the whole landscape of college football.
It has more to do with having legit expectations.. sadly the last few years VT has been mediocre at recruiting (30-40 range), had 3 OL coaches in the past 4 years or so and the whole beamer health debate definitely doesn't help.
Winning against OSU again and possibly the coastal is a legit target, the NC is years away for sure.
If any hokie fan says oh we're winning the title this year i'd love to know what he is drinking/snorting/taking because were 1 injury away on the OL from looking like a 6 or 7 win team
don't misconstrue what I'm saying. Certainly I care about more than just not getting blown out. Just as any fan would, I hope that VT wins 15 games every year. But I'm also a realistic person and I know that VT doesn't currently, and likely never will, match the resources that OSU has. I will be at the game and I will be yelling and screaming and supporting my team until the clock hits 00:00. I will show up a Hokie fan and I will leave a Hokie fan. I know that we're capable of winning (last year's game in columbus) and I know that we're capable of playing poorly and getting blown out (Miami Thursday night at home last year) so I temper my expectations accordingly. Just because I hope that my team wins but I won't jump off a bridge if they don't doesn't give you the right to be arrogant.
For the most part I have had no issue with what you've said here but "I guess that's probably just a byproduct of where our two programs are in the whole landscape of college football" is an unnecessarily arrogant thing to say.
I do not appreciate that you're trying to paint us as apathetic fans. We're not LOLUVA for crying out loud. We just know that OSU is undoubtedly the best team in the country and we still have a riddle to figure out offensively. Realistically it's silly to expect this VT team to beat the #1 team in the country on a given night, but that doesn't mean I don't care if they don't do it. I take solace in the fact that we did beat OSU last year and that met my expectations for the series but that does not mean I am satisfied with the result. I hoped we could win one of the games and we did. I'll be satisfied when we drop you guys again in 35 days.
Dude, you came in as Kramer, now you are Michael Richards. Wtf happened? Can we have friendly back and forths without comments like this? 11W is a great place for BS jabs like this.
He really has been hovering around this line for a while now...
Seems like more comments than not have included at least one backhanded compliment. Starting to get the feeling he just came in here with the pure intention of trying to kick up the hornet's nest, but had at least enough of an understanding of the system to know he needed to build up the TL repository before letting the crazy out.
So y'all can take friendly jabs at our players, school and program, yet I have to just play nice not say a thing you disagree with?
Well... yeah.... its a VT site that caters do the VT mindset
Your statement was dripping with arrogance and that is the issue I have. I have no problems with you taking 'friendly' jabs at our players, school and program but blatant arrogance irks me. Hell, I've taken jabs at our own program (like how our offense is unreliable). I'm not butthurt that OSU is wealthier, more talented, and probably has overall better coaching than VT (Foster is in a league of his own but Loeffler has left plenty to be desired thus far making the overall coaching staff sort of middle-of-the-pack imo) and I don't mind pointing out that VT did win in Columbus last year. However, when I set my expectations at a reasonable level considering our team's recent history (7-6 season after 7-6 season) and you translate that into apathy resulting from the fact that we don't deserve to be on the same playing field as OSU that is unwelcome here. Go ahead and make fun of our offense over the last 12 years. Talk about how many picks Brewer threw last year or how many sacks he took. You could even point out that our Rover spot (arguably one of the most important positions in BF's defense) is a huge question right now. You're more than welcome to take some friendly jabs at us but for the love of all things holy, don't be arrogant about it.
I would say you are being treated far better than I would expect to be treated if I said similar things on any Ohio State fan website. What do you expect from posting that your football program is better than ours? Are you adding anything of value or just trying to step on toes? There are unbiased OSU fans on here and it has made for good constructive conversation. Your comments have not been inline with that.
If you want your biased opinions validated, try them on 11Warriors. I'm sure if I got on 11Warriors or another OSU website, I could find a "friendly jab" at VT or it's players that would anger me. This is the reason I don't get on 11Warriors.
Know your audience hoss
Or at least know your hoss.
#HorseOnATreadmill
Damn right.
That hashtag is like a Batsignal for me.
Aaannnnddd...
So. It. Begins.
We're proud of our accomplishments and realistic about our expectations. The majority of us would still bleed maroon and orange if our team lost every game on their schedule. We want to win. When we don't, it hurts. But there's not that much we can do to dictate the outcome. We show our support the best we can. We are behind our team. If we lose to a team we should have beaten or blow a game by making a dumb mistake, the loss stings more. If we hang in and give it our all to a team that for numerous reasons fields a superior squad than ours, then it's hard for me or a rational person to look at our boys with disdain. Ohio State is and for the foreseeable future will be a much better football program than Virginia Tech. We play on September 7th. I will be there, and I hope we win. If we do, I won't give any OSU fans shit about it. If we don't, I certainly won't make any excuses about it. Buckle em up and play. In the end, it won't make a whole hell of a lot of difference what the outcome is. Blacksburg will still be my second home. The New River will always be the best place to fish in the world. And I will still chug at least one beer a year from the mug I stole from the Hokie House when I was a junior. GO HOKIES!!!
Yup...New River...awesome Smallmouth Bass fishin'.....James River pretty damn good too! ;) And oh yeah....GO HOKIES! Make it two in a row Baby!!!
Any relation to the late Captain Jack from Tennessee?
Naw...no relation...Vuuuginia here all the way...
Read this differently at first... then I saw the second "I"
HaHaha! That's correct Cap'n Jack Sparrow....words are indeed important....spellings too!
The Jester of Tortuga
Captain Jack was a fishing guide from maore than a decade ago. He stroked out running too many cut rate trips, but he was a legend in his own mind, to speak less than glowingly of the dear departed. Glad you're not related, but not glad he isn't still with us.
Sorry to hear of another waterman's passing... may he fish and rest in peace.... No, though I love the wading of the Va. rivers and streams...the smallmouth bass & mountain trout... and am the captain of my own 12-ft. row boat... I take the name from the rock band I was a part of during my Tech daze in the early 80s....good times....good times.... :)
You guys are hoping for a national championship, we are hoping for a conference championship.
We usually don't have to state obvious facts, so I put it into a simple sentence for you, unlike you and your cohorts we live in reality.
Good job trolling.
Ask your fellow fans. We are just another pushover. Ask any Hokie. We wanna kick the shit outta you.....respectfully :)
What I got from the OSU players is that the Hokies prepared them well for their run to the national championship. YOU ARE WELCOME BUCKEYES.
Hokies D & Bud will prepare them again, except this time around, the Hokies will not be too overjoyed and fail to prepare for the next games.
Honestly, you're not wrong about the preparation. While I still really want to beat VT this year, a lot of Buckeye fans, myself included, came to terms with the loss because of the gigantic improvement we saw after it. Without the loss to the Hokies, I think OSU would have lost to Penn State, Michigan State, or even Minnesota, which was just a 7 point win. That may sound like sour grapes but when rewatching the VT game compared to the last few games of the season, it's obvious you're not watching the same team. The loss contributed to chemistry, experience, and execution in a way that only being humbled can.
I really appreciate your honesty. You made some valid points. Just so you know, I personally wouldn't mind losing to OSU if it means bringing a national championship to Hokienation.
All I know is that the first hit Dadi lays on Jones, it will be the hardest he's ever been hit in a football game in his life.
Too bad we probably won't see this, because Barrett is the better player and will likely be the starting QB on September 7th.
"It wasn't like we were getting beat for those sacks," Decker said. "We had six blockers, they were bringing seven. We had five blockers, they were bringing six."
What exactly is the point of this quote? That's like us saying Duke Johnson didn't beat us last year, he just ran where we didn't have defenders over and over.
Please keep running that yap Buckeyes. Keep talking. Loving the bulletin board material.
I'm OK with that, as long as Bud figures out how to do it again.
Yeah, I mean, what he said is technically somewhat true, but Bud has been doing that to teams and lots of good o-lines for 20 years. There's a reason he's forced the most sacks since '96...
If only football were as simple as going 1-vs.-1 all the time without any tricks or disguises.
Dadi also respectfully disagrees. At least one of his sacks was him completely embarrassing their right guard.
Also, Kendall and Facyson repeatedly won one-on-ones. It wasn't all about numbers.
*EDIT* Here it is. Skip to 5:52 to see what I'm talking about.
How do you construe that Virginia Tech didn't win any one-on-one battles from this quote?:
It was a combination of winning the point of attack, scheme and players. But Decker's point was that it wasn't just getting manhandled upfront.
I personally think that's a pretty fair, level-headed assessment.
Because that comment implies that it was simply the scheme that won us the game. It completely disregards the fact that VT might actually have superior players at some positions. The impression (and yes, I understand it's just my impression) I've gotten from OSU fans, players, coaches, etc. is that the bear alignment simply caught OSU off guard and once they fix that little thing, they'll wipe the floor with VT. However, as has been said repeatedly, the bear alignment was just a different way Foster lined up his defense while keeping all the same basic principles the same, which is vastly different from what other teams normally do week to week (I'd recommend reading some of French's stuff about the defense to get a better idea).
The play I pointed out above (and a lot of them actually) were VT guys winning one-on-one battles, which I get the impression OSU's players now believe to be impossible.
I've read French's stuff, that's the main reason I'm posting here because I appreciate his deep insight into the game of football. That being said, I don't take his word as gospel and I think some of the points he makes are actually a slight to the opponents that Ohio State played later in the year, as well as the improvement that OSU obviously made last year.
I posted this thought in another thread (I think, maybe this one) but Ohio State had the second youngest offensive line in the entire country last year. I bring this up not as an excuse, but as a fact. They didn't even handle a base 4-3 that Navy played with undersized cadets. They didn't gel and understand the scheme. Obviously both OSU and VT were young teams, but the cohesiveness and understanding of the BASE blocking scheme is a paramount understanding for a great football team. If we didn't grasp the base scheme fully, how were they going to understand the adjustments against a front they've never seen? The worst thing a football player can do on the field is think. It makes you slow. Read and react, that's the way to play high level football.
Our guys weren't there yet, and the players, scheme and inexperience played a huge role last year. I don't think it's trash talk to say any of that.
Around here, French's word IS gospel. And your offense won't be playing against 11 guys. You'll be playing against nearly 67,000 fans as well, and while you're used to big games, engaged fans and bigger venues, you'll definitely be treated to a rabid atmosphere and a serious roar that will make your ears ring until a couple of days later, when the silence in your meeting rooms will match the silence on this message board I expect from the OSU folks.
OSU absolutely improved tremendously as the year went on. It really was impressive - it's not easy to beat a top 15 team and then two top 3 teams, even with bye weeks in between.
However, that's not what Decker said. If he said something like "We were inexperienced last year, but we've improved a lot since then and I'm confident we can win," I'd have no issue with it. However, when reading Decker's comments out of context, it seems as though he implies that we used a 'gimmicky' defense to catch them off-guard.
This is the comment that bothers me. It's kind of like telling your boss "The quality of my work is bad because you're not challenging me enough."
That's bullshit that they had the second-youngest offensive line last season. OSU has 3 seniors on the line this year who all started games last season.
"It wasn't like we were getting beat for those sacks," Decker said.
The implication is that OSU unquestioningly has better players, who were beaten just because the scheme didn't match up. He's implying that the game was a fluke.
He's implying that the team wasn't prepared to handle it.
Put another way, do you think Ohio State improved as an offensive line last year from the Virginia Tech game to the Alabama game?
If yes, do you think it was because a better understanding of the blocking scheme, plays, etc. or do you think they improved physically (i.e. got noticeably stronger, faster, etc.)?
He clearly says that VT has a great team, great coaches, and great players. What more do you want him to say?
I see . . . lots of excuses. You flat out got beat. It worked out for you in the end though.
So you didn't answer any of my questions, got it.
If these Ohio State comments aren't motivation to do this again, I don't know what would be.
How is that motivation? Not that I really care, because both teams will be motivated to the hilt, but how is this bulletin board material? He said VT played really well, had a great scheme with great players?
I'm confused how y'all are misconstruing this.
His implication is that OSU has better players, and that if they adapt their strategy, that a similar result isn't possible.
And you think that's the wrong confident outlook for a player to have?
I'm not going to judge it, other than to point out that if I were on VT's defense, I'd see it as motivational.
I really think there is much better motivational material out there. Both teams will be amped, and come game-time, none of it will really matter anyway.
You never know what's going to motivate someone.
For me, a player essentially saying "Those guys are good, but we're better, and they only beat us because of some witchcraft trickery that we should have been prepared for" might be perceived as a reason to work just a little harder over the next month.
Then, again, we all know everyone was going to work really hard already, right?
Of course they are.
From all accounts, Ohio State has had a killer off-season and we have an excellent Strength and Conditioning coach that has been with Urban for years. I'm sure VT has a similar guy leading their off-season conditioning.
This whole thing really kicks off in 7 days when camp starts. And that's when the fun begins for these guys. Summers are where a lot of games are won and lost, but it's a grueling time where you have to wake up every day and get motivated. I think both Ohio State and VT had a lot of fuel for the summer workouts which should make this game a hell of a fight. I hope both teams stay 100% healthy through fall camp, I would hate to hear about guys from either side that worked their butt off all summer to not even make it to September 7th
Ummmm, Joey Bosa? I think there were a few more...
To be fair we have had a few personnel screw ups as well (CJ Reavis as an example), but I'm responding to your words.
I meant more like lost for the entire year a la ACL, Broken Leg, Etc.
I meant more like lost for the entire year a la ACL, Broken Leg, Etc.
That'll happen... That will happen
"It's not like we got beat one on one."
We have video evidence to the contrary.
Y'all are trying to manufacture things to get upset about, that's pretty clear from this thread.
Look, I mean no disrespect to you, but you have to understand how some of these player comments come off to a Virginia Tech supporter.
Yes, Decker, and especially Coach Meyer, had some complimentary things to say about VT, but in the whole context of the article, it all comes off as lip service.
The underlying theme to this whole article sounds like Ohio State is calling last year's game a fluke and should have never happened. Hell, I can understand that mindset, but at least give us a little bit of credit. Is our football program at the level of OSU's? Of course not. But it's not like we are Akron or Indiana either. The fact of the matter is, we flat out were the better team that day. Give us that much credit and move on.
Look at this way - how upset would an OSU fan be if a VT player came out and said "We went into the vaunted Horseshoe, in front of the biggest crowd in the history of that stadium, and took a dump on your 50-yardline"? To me, that is almost the level of disrespect the OSU players are making with their comments. Let's go through them.
"They played a defense that we weren't ready for," Decker said. "Now that we've seen that and we've seen their defenses, we're going to be prepared for those. We're going to be prepared for the Bear."
To me, I would be mad at this quote if I were an OSU fan because he basically admits VT outcoached OSU - which should be horrifying for a Buckeye considering Urban probably makes more himself than the entire VT staff.
That quote also basically says to VT "your defense can't match up with our offense. You just caught us with our pants down."
Fair enough. Challenge accepted. Again, to me that is huge bulletin board material.
"I don't feel like they just flat out went out there and beat us man to man," said Decker, one of eight returning offensive starters. "I don't think they just won every one-on-one battle. They had a great scheme and they had a great game plan ... and they have really good players.
"But I think if our preparation was on the same level, we'll beat them every time."
Again - basically he is saying all things being even, we are going to run you off the field. You can't tell me that is not bulletin board material. That is a direct insult to our defense.
"It looks like we weren't blocking anybody, but they were bringing more than we could block," Decker said. "And that was just a matter of our approach to preparation because we had not seen that defense on film."
Well, that's great. I'm sure Bud Foster is pleased to know you think his scheme was a one-hit wonder and a fluke. I'm sure he is sucking his thumb knowing a snot-nosed college kid has his decades of knowledge figured out after one game.
"It wasn't like we were getting beat for those sacks," Decker said. "We had six blockers, they were bringing seven. We had five blockers, they were bringing six."
So what happens if the Hokies bring seven defenders this time?
"I can't give away our game plan," Decker said. "But we've got it figured out."
I guess we will see about that in a month, won't we?
"We did a terrible job at executing against them last year — running [the] plays and staying in gaps and stuff," said Washington, one of seven returning defensive starters. "If we just execute our game plan, we'll be fine."
Again, a complete lack of respect. And then I will leave with this quote, which basically contradicts the we weren't prepared mantra that seems to be the excuse for last season's game.
"We're going to be really good regardless of who's out on the field, just because of the culture," Perry said. "We have great players who can fill in. It doesn't matter who's really running out there in the starting 11."
So they have complimentary things to say, but you want more, is that fair to say? First off, I've watched the entirety of these interviews on video and I don't get the tone that y'all are perceiving. Secondly, I think these comments are just our coach and players being honest about how they feel the game went down last year. They honestly don't think that VT was the more gifted team on the field last year. That might sound tough to hear, but as a competitor, can you really go into a game thinking that the other squad is better than you and still be prepared to win? Of course you can't. And VT damn well will be thinking that the game was about the players and the scheme, and that it wasn't a fluke. That's just the nature of sport.
I think they did more than enough of that. As opposing fans, it may not be enough to satisfy you, but the overall tone wasn't combative or cocky; it was confident. The same confidence that I'm sure VT will have on Sept. 7th.
Well that's basically what happened, and it's frustrating as hell. At least we got a pretty decent consolation prize at the end of the year.
It wasn't a question of preparation from coaches, but experience and understanding of the offensive blocking schemes. As a football fan, you can't tell me that cohesiveness of an offensive line is something that can be coached in a 2-week fall camp. That's not an excuse (unless you want to incorrectly construe it that way), it's a fact. The reason why we couldn't adjust in-game is because the second youngest offensive line in the entire country last year didn't even fully understand our blocking schemes against a base 4-3 undersized Navy team the week prior, let alone a young, athletic front they've never seen before. IF you don't understand your base offensive scheme well enough to execute, then you don't have the foundation to make adjustments in-game for something you've never seen before. Again, not an excuse. You beat our ass upfront with scheme, execution and damn strong players.
If your players didn't think they could knock the hell out of Ohio State and shut them out or at least hold them under 14 points, how would you feel? There's nothing wrong with the mentality that you think you are capable of inflicting your will on an opponent. None at all. Sorry if that hurts your feelings. Ohio State has proven they can do that to the best teams in the nation in the very recent future.
First off, that "snot-nosed college kid" is probably the best offensive tackle in the draft next year and will probably be a top 10 pick. He never said he knew more than Bud, just that they have a better understanding overall. And I would think that's fair to say since every team after Va Tech used that scheme at least in part and it failed including teams like Alabama (12th ranked defense in 2014), and Michigan State (8th ranked defense).
Again, not an excuse but a fact. We had a freshman QB making his first start against a team with a defense with a pulse. (Navy 72nd ranked total defense in 2014). Being on a message board, I assume you know that the QB typically makes line calls at the LOS. Barrett looked totally lost vs VT again because of extremely athletic DL, a scheme he's never seen, and excellent execution. If they bring more than we can pick up, as he's learned, he needs to go to a hot route, run, or throw the ball away. But I'm sure you already knew that.
He's talking about the suspended players and their young but extremely talented back-ups. With the leadership and experience that we learned over the course of last year(and I'd say we learned a hell of a lot and backed it up on the field later in the year) he's saying that the culture of the team is next man up. Again, do you think it would be a good mindset for a team to come into a game thinking they weren't going to be successful?
I think it's being a big disingenuous to be so upset by comments that have no intended ill-will behind them. But maybe I'm being naive.
Best of luck in a month, no matter what some homer OSU fans are saying, we all know this will be a great hard fought game that will probably come down to the late 4th quarter. Can't wait til it gets here.
Again, not an excuse but a fact.
excuse
noun: excuse; plural noun: excuses
ikskyoos/
1. 1. a reason or explanation put forward to defend or justify a fault or offense.
Thanks for the vocabulary lesson, but I was referring to the negative connotation that comes with the word "excuse."
why is this down-voted???
Someone's been downvoting almost all his stuff on this thread. I've been upvoting just to cancel it out.
me too
Also, when you call a corner blitz and neither the QB nor the WR make the right adjustment (change route, hot read, throw it away, whatever) and the corner gets there for the sack then that is yet another case of a guy winning a MENTAL battle against his opponent.
The main issue with last years game was our offensive line. That was brutally obvious. Not to make excuses since both teams were young, but Ohio State had the second youngest offensive line in the country last year. They didn't play very well against an undersized Navy team that played a straight 4-3.
So here we are with an O-line that can't even block a normal front effectively, and they are thrown something they've never seen before. Its very difficult to adjust your blocking scheme if you don't even understand your base. That's why adjustments were so difficult to make if not nearly impossible.
We have all heard that the last thing you want to be doing on the football field is thinking, you need to be reading and reacting. We were abused up front physically and mentally, 100% no excuses, you beat our ass at the point of attack on our offensive side of the ball.
It was a culmination of a lot of factors, but I can guarantee you that our adjustments this year to Bud's wrinkles will be very different than they were last year. Let alone the fact that we may actually have the ability to force our offense on to your defense.
It will certainly be fun to watch to say the least.
this GIF is French-approved.
Reading this thread, having a few beers, and getting really close to just saying....
"SCOREBOARD!"
But I won't do that quite yet.
I have a reply for that so don't make me use it.
Hey, that's just a fact.
I have facts too.
I have facts. 35 of them in fact. Until something changes on 9/7, those and your 21 facts are the only ones that matter.
Rather than wade into the sub-thread above, I'll say that this is my impression of Decker's comments: they're inconsistent or incomplete. He's mixing a bit of diplomacy with confidence. What else would we expect from a college kid? He did alright but not perfect:
1. In fairness, he absolutely does give credit to our scheme and players. Respect.
2. He makes a few statements that are too generic to be universally true (we did in fact beat some guys one-on-one, but true it wasn't "every time." We also didn't simply outnumber them every time, but that implication is probably just from poor word choice.)
3. anOSU finally figured out the Bear? Cool story, we won't do the same thing.
Finally, this conversation is just all of us gearing up for one hell of a matchup. If healthy, VT will have an elite defense this year. anOSU has a collection of outstanding athletes on both sides of the ball. Our offense...no one knows but the potential is there.
Sept. 7 can't get here soon enough.
Very level-headed response.
I'm actively trying to counter my Hokie homerism with my intrinsic analytical side. Both fan bases are going to ratchet up their optimism now; it's a natural consequence of August rolling around. The Buckeye faithful are going to say, "it can't possibly happen two years in a row!" and they have reason to believe that because, after all, the whole National Championship thing. Hokies are going to point to last year and say "anything can happen - we did it once and now we're on our turf!"
And then the VT hype video drops tomorrow.
It really is fun having OSU fans around to chat with; good conversations so far. A bit more impassioned in the last few days, but that's to be expected :)
I tried to play nice in order to get to 40 turkey legs to start a thread at some point. I hope I didn't ruffle any feathers so to speak.
It is gonna be a passionate month, best of luck and thanks for having me!
something was done here...
I hope I didn't ruffle any feathers so to speak. Well played, sir, well played.
Just know your surroundings, and the locals, and don't make any rash moves, or you'll have to deal with
Definitely going to be a passionate month!
I appreciate the level headed discourse, I really do.
But when it comes to football...VT football...and now that it is August...
Well, I'll stay in line, but I'm about as diplomatic as this guy:
Well if you've heard of VT Defense then you must have heard of......
(except I don't think Bud's jewish, but handles offenses the same way....)
Pissed off with a baseball bat? Yeah, that's about how I imagine Bud doing things.
Eh, I see Bud as more of a chainsaw or dinamite kind of guy. But, that's jmo.
Bud only needs his intellect and his bare hands.
Bud can slam a revolving door
It's the glare. Those eyes. It's the glare.
That article made me smile. Decker actually thinks the best defensive coordinator in college football is going to bring the same exact gameplan that beat them the first time. But you know what they say at Ohio State: "we ain't come to play school."
Congrats on having the dumbest post in this thread. We actually had some really good discussion going on through out.
You may just want to take a step back from this thread.
Bringing up a tweet from 3 years ago to label our entire football team either dumb, uneducated, unwilling to learn, etc. seems a bit classless.
Just my opinion.
I like your avatar. I'm going to send it to our football players on September 8th to remind them not to repeat last year's record.
It's a little trash talk. Cardale said something stupid. We poke fun at it.
He's turned it around and in his recent statements, I have found him humble and articulate. Doesn't mean we don't like to needle the opponents a bit. Nothing worse than you'll find in any other forum.
Posting guidelines dictate that when you say something like "dumbest post in the thread," you're taking things too personally and we're bordering on attacking other posters. I usually ignore snark or ask people to tone it down a bit, but as you see the community is reacting with disapproval. If you disagree, cool. This post is all you needed to say. My suggestion is that the homerism is coming out here in full force (which makes sense because the article was written by
beat reportertroll Mark Berman, so I guess the agitation is to be expected), so you may have more productive discussions on other topics. I understand you'll defend OSU, and I expect you to. But now that buttons have been pushed, people will keep doing it because we're desperate for some football :)No problem, It wasn't meant as a personal attack, more of an attack on a specific post from an all around good thread. I have pretty thick skin, so it's all good from my end. I have a lot of internet experience on a certain former opponents message board from the SEC so I know it's all in good fun.
If I crossed the line I apologize, I was actually looking for the site rules/guidelines so I didn't overstep any bounds since I'm sure rival fans tend to come in here and troll pretty often and I don't want to be lumped in with them. Thanks for helping to run a nice, informative site!
It's cool. We're pretty insulated from trolls, actually, and we deal with them swiftly if they're jerks (if the community doesn't quickly vote them into oblivion, I can take care of that; each of my downvotes is a -10 so I can ban someone quickly if Joe isn't around to fully drop the hammer in one shot).
The guidelines are http://www.thekeyplay.com/community-guidelines - there's nothing specifically against what you said or how you said it, but the spirit of the community is to avoid snarky replies and stuff like that. Like I said, I'm not going to pull the trigger on something like that and hit you with a -10 (I reserve that for stuff that really is out of line); I just try to steer everyone back into the type of discourse we all enjoy.
Sounds good, thanks for the link.
I'll also point out this awesome new feature that Joe added this year: the "collapse thread" arrow. Push it and annoying trolls go away.
Again, welcome (have a leg or 10), and thanks for the discourse above, I really enjoyed seeing both sides of the discussion.
No need to get defensive. I was just poking fun at a tweet that is certainly poked at by more than just Hokie fans.
At the same time, though, you cannot expect Bud Foster to bring the exact same defense. A player like Decker should understand that, in my opinion, before spouting off to the media about how they're going to be ready for a defense they most likely won't see for more than 10 plays.
Yup. That tweet will probably haunt 12 Gauge for a while; which is why I am glad I was in school when the only people who heard you were other students and probably too drunk to remember it the next day.
I would expect Foster to add some new wrinkles but I doubt he would install a whole new defensive scheme , especially just for us. He'll need to deal with a much more experienced QB who has the confidence of the coaches to be more aggressive; as well as some new wrinkles in our offensive capabilities and some areas where we are still questionable. I'd expect him to adapt to what he thinks we'll bring and go from there.
Of course, I am an OSU homer so I see Decker's comments in a different light, as a player who got beat last year, is itching for a rematch and saying he'll be ready; rather than a slight or dismissal of VT's team.
Its interesting that you mention that. Reading French has been an education to me. To me it used to look like Bud somehow was running a different scheme every week. After some more education it really is just different wrinkles. The fundamentals have been the same for years, which is why the players can adjust to the wrinkles so well, but they are clever enough to make it look like a completely different defense. Simply put I really don't think there is anyone better.
Of course, I am an OSU homer so I see Decker's comments in a different light, as a player who got beat last year, is itching for a rematch and saying he'll be ready; rather than a slight or dismissal of VT's team.
Saying he's going to be ready is different from saying "Oh, they just beat us because of...", which is really saying that VT isn't as capable from a personnel perspective.
He went there, and it is in fact a) giving excuses, and b) dismissive.
He was very polite about it.
I view it as a positive. If they are making excuses and blaming it on scheme, they probably are really giving the "respect" lip service and really don't respect us. I'm okay with that, as long as they respect us after the game.
Yeah, me too.
It's good to see that Berman puts the same effort into both football and basketball articles.
Guess he couldn't find an appropriate leg to hump over the weekend. Shame
It's so cute when OSU keeps giving us reason to lick our chops.
Finally jumped in and read this entire thread. This made me fall out of my chair laughing.
This thread is kinda like the waiting room at a divorce lawyers office when the meeting has been postponed by like 2 hours and the AC is broken.
Wow, does that sound like the voice of unfortunate experience.
I'd like to ask our OSU friends if they are on other opponents sites as well, or is TKP enjoying their presence exclusively as a result of last year's game? I like them being here, just wondering.
I post primarily on an LSU site, which I think is the best on the internet. I've been there since 2007 when LSU played OSU in the national title.
I found TKP from posting a little on Eleven Warriors, but the layout of that site's forum drives me crazy. But it's the best free OSU message board. I share a 247 account with my brother, so I don't like to post on 247 forums under our shared name.
I googled Virginia Tech Football Message Boards and first arrived at TechSideline, but that site layout for the message board was from the late 1990s. Ended up here, and I am enjoying myself!
I bet you wouldn't believe that they made a conscious, business decision to go from a conversational forum layout, like what you see here, where you can see the entire conversation in one click, to what they now have if I didn't tell you. Yeah, they lost too much revenue from lack of page clicks driving ads, so they reverted back to their original coding from the mid 1990s.
....Yep....
They also lost revenue because people left after the switch. People liked that awful layout so much that they left. Unreal.
I stopped visiting as much because the amount of toxicity (and toxic posters) on that board.
Yup, and they went back to it after pleading with everyone to adapt a year prior.
Basically told everyone around that those who stuck with them didn't matter, and they were going to completely revert to win back the guys they lost. At the very least, they could have (should have) thrown out free 1 year subscriptions to those who stuck with them through the thick and thin, but they didn't even care. Worst part is, they were building a pretty good, younger crowd with the new system, and had they just allowed it to continue growing, it would be a good rival to TKP. But now, they just seem as old and tired as the outgoing administration in the school, and it really does feel like their days may be numbered.
and today there are people with obvious buckeye usernames asking for 4 tickets and a parking pass.. people are absolutely killing said people.. its comical and i am glad we don't deal with that ish..
That's been the only redeeming quality over the past few days. Watching these obvious OSU fans struggle to keep their lies together and getting blasted for it. It's entertaining at least.
one guy said he went to VT then said he's 17 and got accepted into VT.. its hilarious and I'm glad people are giving them shit.
How bout the guy who started posting pics of some random student he found online to prove he has been to campus.
called the cassell the cossell.. ohh man its hilarious, he actually gave his real name in a post too :(
Yeah, but they make good points...
If you're looking to unload tickets to the game, probably best to avoid unloading them to anyone with an account that's older than a couple weeks.
I tend to like TSLs. Its easy to see what the new posts are, and you don't get those silly 400 post threads where nothing new is being discussed. This one is similar to 11W in terms of format, but I like the color coding of posts here better. At 11W it can be really hard to see where the new posts are. Here they are helpfully highlighted.
I tend to go to the opposing team's blog before the Buckeyes play them and since VT is the 1st game of the year I just get to be on here for a month than the week that it is for most other games.
I do visit some others throughout the season. TKP has been very welcoming and enjoyable. I generally lurk for a while to see what a board is like, I have no desire to post on boards full of clowns and assorted Internet tough guys.
Delete
I'm not entirely sure why you guys are so upset about this guys comments. Havent' we been saying that we want these guys overconfident?
Don't poke the bear!
It just might get after ya.
Let them discount the fact that VT had injuries and digressed until the latter part of the season. VT was a better team but got worse instead of improving. The season's results are what people are using to judge VT and not that game. I think it shows how nervous they really are if they even have to talk about it. Looking back instead of forward. Worried the bear is going to bite them again.
I'm hoping Bud comes up with a lion and tiger defense. Just so we can see poster with lions and tigers and bears, oh my.
Bud Foster verse Mark Berman
Side note - your signature is from an excellent movie.
sheesh, like Bud's going to run the same defense which stopped them last year...
Bud's been gameplanning since the day after the Military Bowl. He wants this one bad.
I'd go so far as to say that Bud knew he had to stop them twice and factored that into his approach the first time around. He's going to give OSU plenty of the same looks but add a ton of wrinkles. I'd wager that last year Bud designed the game plan to show certain weaknesses in the scheme that could be easily exploited by the offense after reviewing some film so that he can dictate how OSU will try to attack his defense this year. It's a trap!
I wouldn't go that far, but I'm sure Bud has some things up his sleeve to counter some of OSU's counters - like that speed option they so comically abandoned after the 3rd quarter.
Ya gotta admit, though, it was a decent flight of fancy. I just couldn't figure out how to reply to it. Bud sure seems capable of the long con, but that was a stretch...or was it?
My Bold Prediction: On the first play when VT is on Defense, Bud has them line up in the Bear look. Then when Barrett or Jones claps his hands, they all shift into a completely different look. The crowd is out of their minds and the OSU QB has to call a timeout due to the combination of confusion and crowd noise.
I actually wouldn't be surprised to see something like this happen. Foster and Gray do stuff like that with their DBs all the time. They'll show press, bail into deep half or third responsibility right before the snap, then plant a foot at the snap and come up in run support/cover the flat. They love to bait the QB into seeing certain things and then countering the obvious counter. Given the amount of attention the bear look has gotten since that game, I think Bud could have a lot of fun early in the game that will force Meyer to make a whole bunch of adjustments.
I can imagine that Bud has some totally unique things planned to shift to out of the bear look.
I think Bud needs to expect Meyer to go for a home run really early and try to get 7 or 14 quick points. The D has to be ready for this or OSU is going to punch Tech in the mouth early and never look back.
I'm pretty much scared of them sending their receivers deep, clearing everything out, with our DBs in man, with back to the LOS...
then flaring something to Braxton in the flat with a LB sprinting to catch up, totally susceptible and crushed by a "one cut and go".
It's like a QB tuck and run with two running QBs. I don't like that one bit. The only defense I can come up with is to get somebody up close and personal, busting across the line at the snap to narrow the space Braxton has to work with at all times.
But I didn't take the "coach mcguirk" name because I have confidence in my prescience and overall coaching genius.
So your last name is not McGuirk?
"The fact that you're playing an evenly matched opponent on the road — or at some positions, maybe more talented — that gets your focus," - Urban Meyer
That's all that really needs to be said. VT has an ELITE defense and combine that with Bud Foster stealing Tom Herman's cookies and breaking in 4 new starters on the O-line, you get the beating we took last year. OSU fans who are expecting to score 40+ points will be in for an unwelcome surprise. Excuses out the window. The players and coaches know they were out manned and outcoached last year. Simple as that.
Well.....you may score that many, but that would involve defense and special teams scores.
Welcome. Excellent first post. Have a leg
I think the nuts will use to some kind of no-huddle/hurry up or quick snap count to prevent VT from making reads and blitz calls. Last year showed we had the scheme and talent to match up so this year it will be about using tricks.
They go no-huddle as it is.
We use no-huddle for every play. We hurry to the line, then often the players will check in with the sideline to see if they want to make any changes based on the defensive formation. I can definitely see us speeding up the tempo tho this year. Last year's game we played about as slow as any game under Urban, undoubtedly bc Foster was in the head of Herman all freaking game. Our interior line was the huge weakness at the start of last year. They manhandled Bama's DT's in the Sugar Bowl. Biggest weakness this year will be our new RT (former dlineman). Worried about Dadi matching up with him all night.
Honestly, I'm a little scared of no-huddle offenses because we don't see them very often. I definitely think Bud can overcome, but its the time between getting beat by it and adapting that will probably influence who wins this game. That and if tech's offense can perform as well as everyone acts like they can. And tOSU has a very scary defense to test that offense on. If we can come out and execute well on offense, as long as the d adapts well to the gameplay of tOSU, I see this as being a complete toss up. If our offense has problems, the buckeyes will roll over top of us because we can't get the d off the field, which has been a huge problem the last 3 years.
For our offense to execute, we need 2 running backs to consistently put up 3-4 yds per carry to open up the passing game.
Clemson, OSU, Michigan and UNC all come to mind as talented spread teams that VT has handled pretty well recently. Sure there have been games like UCLA or this past year's BC game that give us pause, but it isn't like spread no-huddle concepts have destroyed Bud's gameplans consistently over the years.
Agree with your premise, but would not include Clemson in that group. Clemson has been one of those teams Bud has not been able to figure out based on our most recent engagements.
Our D held up pretty well against the juggernaut offense that Clemson fielded in 2011-2012. It was more of the offensive ineptitude that put us in the hole, especially in the games where Clemson racked up the points.
Our D gave up an average of ~30 points to a team averaging 45+.
2011 Game 1: 23 (24) points (1 turnover)
2011 Game 2: 38 points (we had 3 turnovers)
2012 Game: 31 (38) points (we had 4 turnovers including an INT return TD)
I agree with what you are saying. I just think we don't see them often enough to be completely comfortable if they come out firing on all cylinders in a spread no-huddle. Not saying Bud can't shut it down, but I'm saying that the time between getting punched in the teeth by a no-huddle hurry up offense and adapting to shut it down could be the difference in the game. If Bud reacts fast and stays proactive, vt could very well win the game. If not, I can't see us with a solid chance at winning. Jmo
Would you say you'd be more comfortable going against a traditional attack like Miami's?
With or without Duke Johnson
Better question is probably with or without Luther Maddy. My point is that when Bud's defense can shut down or have epic breakdowns against any opponent. I don't have numbers in front of me to back this up, but I don't think Bud's consistently done much worse against up-tempo offenses.
Never said he's done worse, I'm saying we see it less often, so its reasonable to be worried about an offense we are not as used to facing. Do I think CBF can make a game plan or ten to shut down OSU? Yes, because he is arguably the best DC in college football. Can his game plan not accurately predict what they will do and our d get knocked around for half a quarter? Yes, it happens to teams every week. Can VT recover? My opinion: not if it take more than half a quarter. Our offense is not tested, so we can't reasonably expect them to play like semipro players first game of the season. Do I want a hokie win? You bet your sweet ass I do
I'd argue we see it just as often if not more, given how little the Whip actually plays these days.
I'll rephrase it to mean what I was thinking and not what I wrote. We don't see a well executed HUNH offense as often as we see more traditional schemes
Without Duke Johnson and with our starters, much more so. Don't get me wrong, they're both good offensive formations, but we see Miami and a traditional formation many times more year after year. Can Miami beat us? Without question. Every time? Not with a CBF defense. Can OSU beat us? Again, without question (although they haven't done it yet). Every time? See previous answer.
I have been planning to do this for awhile now, but I wonder what OSU's scoring rate is after their first first down of a drive. Towards the end of last year it seemed as if we didnt go three and out we would score. Once we get that first first down is when we usually kick in the tempo offense and it seems like our offense is a boulder trucking down a mountain. Problem is when you run into a buzz saw defense like we did last year and our offense can't get off the ground. This is why I think Barrett starts. He makes quicker reads, distributes the ball better and is a more efficient runner than Jones.
Agreed. The offense with Jones in seemed pretty feast-or-famine. He hit a bunch of big plays and got out of some sure sacks and at least a couple of safeties, but then he made some really bad errors as well and could have easily lost either of the playoff games. On the other hand, Barrett - even at times against VT - was a guy who got the offense going forward and reeled off a big run here and there while distributing the ball to his playmakers. Jones is scary on any given play as an individual, but Barrett makes the entire offense more difficult to defend.
I have gone on record thinking that if 12 Gauge starts we will lose a game this season we shouldnt. Barrett is so calm and collected he wont lose us a game on his own and rarely makes silly decisions (VT game obviously excluded). Devin Smith in the NFL also hurts Cardale's chances as we dont have an established deep threat currently. (altho I think Devin Smith was the most overated player on our roster last season)
So we aren't the only team that converts D-lineman into RTs. I was worried about Bosa on our former DL, but I like the idea of Ekanem or Dadi going up against theirs.
Something we loved to do under our old o-line coach. Actually our RT last year started on the dline and our RT two years prior was a former TE. It's not all that uncommon as kids grow and develop outta high school.
The problem we ran into with our old OL coach was that was almost exclusively how he recruited O-linemen. He'd take athletic TEs and fatten them up so they weren't athletic anymore, put them on the interior of the line where they hadn't played, and then neglected to actually teach them the position. Seriously, we've heard stories of freshmen offensive linemen coming in and being expected to know the entire playbook and steps and techniques first day of practice without ever being told how. Un-freakin-believable.
But I'm not bitter.
Edit to clarify:
*EDIT* Lolz.
Aaaannd we have the SI cover jinx going for us.
this is quite possibly the only thing dealing with anOSU that I would give a leg for
I'm just glad we see Bosa on that cover, and not on the field in Lane Stadium.
TCU
Notre Dame
Mississippi State
Lots of jynxs to go around.