Recent Comments

This was a great article, thanks.

Not sure why this needed to be written. Pissing in other's wheaties just because you can or it is the right thing to do is usually not the right thing to do. But since it was written, I would like to have seen more balance in this article. Seems very insulting to the hard work done by Whit. Very insulting to RR. Seems very insulting to suggest that anything WV is above VT. We are integrally tied together with many many of us having personal and professional relationships with folks from WV.

We absolutely expect Whit to do the right thing and he has given us every indication that he will. Keeping his buddy at the top of the list because thats what friends do. I can't see RR being in the top 5. I can't see him getting the job before Bud. Why bother pointing out the negative? Because there is some WVU driven conspiracy about to get this guy as our HC above all the others? Not buying it.

Gene Chizik's took what most coaches do at the end of a game when they're holding a 1 TD lead and turned it into his entire defensive philosophy

We are driving up to Greensboro tonight what's the best route to the campus Sat morning?

So many colleges are shifting to a spread/read option scheme that NFL teams have no choice into looking at some kids from those systems come draft time. However, the NFL scouts take a hard look at those guys (see Marriotta) and they usually have to overcome a stigma and have questions about fitting into the pro game. The lack of pro-style offenses in college football is one of the big reasons that offense and quarterback play is so dreadful in the NFL. We have come a long way from when I was a kid and a huge NFL fan. It seemed like almost every team had a good QB. There were all time greats (Montana, Elway, Marino, Kelly, Young, Simms, Moon, Cunningham, Easison, Cunningham, Kosar, Aikman, Favre- I apologize if I left some out) and most teams had guys who were competent (Dave Krieg for Seattle/Kansas City, Tommy O'Brein for the Jets, Tommy Kramer for the VIkings, Jim Everrett for the Rams... hell those guys would be considered top tier guys now.) Now, a significant number of teams have dreadful QB situations.

Of the spread-read option offenses, RichRod's is perhaps one of the most lacking in sophistication I have seen. Any success he has comes almost entirely from play action. In the Pac-12 (where, after watching UCLA, Arizona, USC, and Oregon this season, it is clear that defense isn't at a premium), Arizona was able to put up some impressive numbers in the passing game because play action does generate openings. However, if their offense gets behind the sticks, it become significantly more limited. Their passing game also is limited because they zone everything up front in the run game, so it becomes easier as a safety or linebacker reading keys to recognize if an OL isn't firing out hard and drop under play action. Ohio State has similar issues in the passing game, however they are less limited because they can use play action off zone read, power, and other looks so the defense has more challenging reads. Ohio State also attracts a much superior level of athlete compared to all their B1G opponents, and that papers over a bunch of flaws.

Much like the flexbone, 3rd and 6 becomes a huge issue, and in a conference with more ornate and varied offenses like Clemson and UNC that can put up huge points, you have to sustain drives to be successful. Also, after an initial boost in productivity, RichRod's recruiting dropped off at both Michigan and Arizona. Just like Paul Johnson at GT, the offense negatively impacts recruiting, and the scheme can't always overcome the lack of talent. GT last year with two NFL receivers and an NFL guard.... very tough to defend. GT this year without replenishing the WR position and having two-star freshmen OL playing... not so good.

The 3-3-5 stack, well, I could write a book on where it can work and when it doesn't. I will be concise. 3-3-5 is really more of a 3-5-3. The design is to use your DL to keep blockers away from smaller, waterbug DB/LB hybrids who use movement and confusion to get unblocked lanes to the RB. It is built around stunts and movement. I highly suggest reading Smart Football's 3-3-5 breakdown. http://grantland.com/features/an-excerpt-essential-smart-football-birth-...
The challenge with being dependent on all that movement to win defensive match ups is that option football forces you to play base. Every team in the division minus Miami uses enough read option, and UNC/Duke/GT all excel at it. As a defense, it also tends to attract smaller defenders (also a bugaboo in Bud's scheme) and that creates match up nightmares against teams committed to power football like Pitt and BC.

I'll be there with my dad. No way we were missing Frank's last game in Lane!

I agree with that, but while the W-L record ticked up slowly, topping out at 7 wins, at Michigan, with a top-20 class? I just think that's a good argument against anyone who defends RichRod with "he's a good recruiter." He had the benefit of being at Michigan, had top classes, and still by the end of the 3 years (which is when I also begin to render judgment, as well), he had a 7-6 record.

True, but the second one, though only a sample of 1,900 people, gives a breakdown of what they found to be representative of fandom in the state. 32% UT, 16% aTm, 7.3% Baylor, 6.8% Texas Tech, 6.7% TCU, and then Houston at 3.4% with a bunch of smaller schools lower than that and unsure at 19%. Not fully indicative of the whole state, but somewhat paints a picture.

A humongous fungus.

Great point.

Who wants to be the guy to follow Herman, though? Especially if he ends up going undefeated (sure, not guaranteed, but at this point, a real possibility). I wouldn't want to be the guy who Houston paid double for to coach when Houston loses a game.

Must be ODU.

if not for Cam Newton, Gene Chizik would be viewed as a poor man's Lane Kiffin