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[QUOTE="sholokov2, post: 3009197, member: 6629"]
To all who have done a great job analyzing the past season, thanks for your bright and trenchant remarks.  Thinking back on all those seasons ending in disappointing results, I recognize themes in many of our past critiques.  Poor invert play has been a constant for many of the less than successful years.  I believe the foundation of this flaw is poor slides from the low defense and Lsms.  Mellen for all his great play does not play well against picks on inverts where the pick is near the post.  Slides to his side are often late.  I have always wondered if the rest of the d expects too much of him and is not ready to slide hard and quickly.
I believe the team does not pick well on offense.  I know Mellen does not usually cover inverted middies, but the same dynamic applies in picks on ssdms.  I think the reason inverts work at the end of a game is fatigue among the defensemen.  Slides come a second slower and a bit softer.  When the team does not play well against them regularly fatigue will be lethal.

Second, I cannot remember an NC winner that has not included at least one superior scorer, A Spencer or Thompson, Sowers or Powell, someone who can rise above the ill winds on the field and lift the team regardless of circumstances.  Aitken, Ament are among todays exceptional talents.  I'm sure there must be teams who could prove me wrong, yet I believe the principal stands.

No easy fix.  Recruit the giants and train pick play.  In the coaches shoes, I would have the SU team set multiple picks in every practice scrimmage until the defense feels like it is caught in continuous revolving doors.
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