Tell us what you really think

[DeGrozz]

I don't like coachspeak. That's why I like reading articles like this:

ACC Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2017

 

[bcubs9497]

"Their O-line was atrocious last year."

"Obviously their defense struggled, but it’s so easy to point at that. In reality, their offense put them in a bind quite a bit. They’ll turn the ball over or go quick three-and-out or put their defense in bad situations.”

What I'd been saying all of last year.

 

[SoBristol]

"Their O-line was atrocious last year."

"Obviously their defense struggled, but it’s so easy to point at that. In reality, their offense put them in a bind quite a bit. They’ll turn the ball over or go quick three-and-out or put their defense in bad situations.”

What I'd been saying all of last year.

Atrocious is a tough word -- but it is fair to say that the OL was over-matched, and too young after Byrne and Adams had to replace the only seniors in the unit that entered the season.

Could use the same word (over-matched) to describe the DEs (playing true frosh), and the secondary. I am sure there were games when the offense put the defense in bad situations, there were also games like Pitt where that excuse would not wash.

 

[bcubs9497]

Atrocious is a tough word -- but it is fair to say that the OL was over-matched, and too young after Byrne and Adams had to replace the only seniors in the unit that entered the season.

Could use the same word (over-matched) to describe the DEs (playing true frosh), and the secondary. I am sure there were games when the offense put the defense in bad situations, there were also games like Pitt where that excuse would not wash.

There were a lot of games where the O put the D in bad situations. The biggest things being those damned false starts, off-sides, and illegal formations. Killed momentum. Were I an OL coach, I'd make any kid flagged for a false start or off-sides run until he puked what he ate at 6 mos of age.

Defensively, scheme killed us more than anything else. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Tampa 2 isn't going to cut it much against the likes of FSU and Clemson.

 

[RMH44]

"Their O-line was atrocious last year."

"Obviously their defense struggled, but it’s so easy to point at that. In reality, their offense put them in a bind quite a bit. They’ll turn the ball over or go quick three-and-out or put their defense in bad situations.”

What I'd been saying all of last year.

I love the entire "Orange is the new fast" concept but unless you can consistently move the sticks it can become a huge burden on the defense. Three and outs suck!

HCDB has said on more than one occasion that the key to winning FB games is having the ability to run the ball and, conversely, stop the run. In order to limit the number of three and outs and to move the sticks consistently the running game has to significantly improve. And as we all know...that starts with the OL.

 

[Scooch]

One could prove or disprove this theory if one looked at the stats for first half (or first 3 quarters) time of possession and average field position.

There was a similar theory about a Marrone team years ago (the O is killing the D because the D is wearing out and getting put in bad field position) that was thoroughly debunked by the stats.

 

[buffalorange]

There were a lot of games where the O put the D in bad situations. The biggest things being those damned false starts, off-sides, and illegal formations. Killed momentum. Were I an OL coach, I'd make any kid flagged for a false start or off-sides run until he puked what he ate at 6 mos of age.

Defensively, scheme killed us more than anything else. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Tampa 2 isn't going to cut it much against the likes of FSU and Clemson.

"until he puked what he ate at 6 mos of age." Made me laugh out loud. and I agree - no excuse for a false start.

 

[DeGrozz]

Just for the hell of it, here are the rest of them:

Big Ten Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2017

Coaches Talk Anonymously About Notre Dame for 2017

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/sec-coaches-talk-anonymously-about-conference-foes-2017

I'm guessing the PAC and B12 will come out today or tomorrow.

 

[AAM62]

Someone needs to get that article to the OC and O-line coaches. Glue it to the walls in the room.

 

[cuse10]

“Being Year 2 in that system, I think they can be dangerous."



"It’s not easy to pick up that offense in a short period of time, not so much from the schematics but really the tempo of it. (Dino) Babers is used to having a track team at that position when he was at Baylor, and I don’t see that kind of speed there. They had two good veteran receivers who graduated (Amba Etta-Tawo and Brisly Estime), and they can’t run that system without some guys who can beat you vertically."



"They’re still going to play Eric Dungey at quarterback. He’s got some ability, you know, but he gets hurt all the time."



"Their O-line was atrocious last year."



"Syracuse is the kind team you kind of don’t want to play, particularly up there. It’s a bad environment, and if your guys don’t go in there with their mind right, they can beat you. That’s what happened when they beat Virginia Tech."



"Obviously their defense struggled, but it’s so easy to point at that. In reality, their offense put them in a bind quite a bit. They’ll turn the ball over or go quick three-and-out or put their defense in bad situations.”

ACC Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2017

 

[skurey]

It's always the offense putting the defense in a bad spot. How about the defense giving up a ridiculous amount of points making the offense one dimensional?

 

[orange44]

It's always the offense putting the defense in a bad spot. How about the defense giving up a ridiculous amount of points making the offense one dimensional?

Agree!

 

[bcubs9497]

It's always the offense putting the defense in a bad spot. How about the defense giving up a ridiculous amount of points making the offense one dimensional?

The offense has been one dimensional because 1. run blocking has sucked balls and 2. the running backs, on the whole, can't run through the trash.

 

[money3189]

There were a lot of games where the O put the D in bad situations. The biggest things being those damned false starts, off-sides, and illegal formations. Killed momentum. Were I an OL coach, I'd make any kid flagged for a false start or off-sides run until he puked what he ate at 6 mos of age.

Defensively, scheme killed us more than anything else. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Tampa 2 isn't going to cut it much against the likes of FSU and Clemson.

Cubs, those are all mistakes that young lineman make. Especially learning a new offense as your thrown into the fire due to injuries. Penalties like that come from thinking too much about your assignments and checks (and fatique). As a coach, you address areas of concern with conditioning or whatever but it doesn't mean the player will correct the mistakes. Ive experienced that as a player and coach. IMO with exception of Conway and maybe Roberts, none of those lineman should have been playing. They werent ready to play, they were out matched by most D lineman they faced.

 

[PhatOrange]

i thought the line did ok in pass protect.

 

[Finwad32]

I thought there was a lot of accurate statements in there. Could be pretty telling. We need some development up front because on the whole, that was a pretty spot on.

The reason they may have looked a little better in pass pro is because 70% of the time we get the ball out in about 2 seconds.

 

[money3189]

It's always the offense putting the defense in a bad spot. How about the defense giving up a ridiculous amount of points making the offense one dimensional?

I will give the O line a C- in pass protect. A lot of our throws were quick passes. Fades, jailbreaks, bubbles, hitches and outs. Plus our RPO plays helped the lineman a lot because they performed run blocking on those plays. We struggled with longer routes, relied too much on play fake to freeze the defense. Even our long balls to Etta Tawo were quick release passes. We couldn't throw a lot of true 5 step passes. Even on those Dungey had to elude a rush to throw it. They will be much better this year.

 

[Chip]

Defensively, scheme killed us more than anything else. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Tampa 2 isn't going to cut it much against the likes of FSU and Clemson.

Nothing Alabama did was cutting it against Clemson either.

Tampa 2, as I understand it, is designed to keep plays in front of you. What killed our defense last year was big plays. Probably attributed to Cordy's injury and 2 true freshmen DEs more than anything else. A bunch of missed assignments and players who aren't physically ready to play leads to the other team getting big play after big play.

Pitt scored on consecutive 75 yard jet sweeps to the same side of the field. Has that ever happened to anyone?

 

[jr4750]

Yikes, you read that and you think 4-8 at best.

 

[chakka3421]

Both O and D performed significantly better in year 2 under Babers at other universities...except that they didn't face the schedule we face this year. It sucks to say this but a 5 win season would beat expectations (and maybe get us bowling) given our strength of schedule but a 6 win season would make believers out of all the naysayers going into year 3 - and a much weaker but in a rebuild under a new coach better schedule. My expectations are set at least 6 wins either 6-7 or 7-6 season...would be a huge statement of progression and deliverance on faith without evidence speech when Babers first started.

Year 3 will be a big year...especially if SU has the balls to pay up to keep Babers at the end especially if he wins big with Dungey as a senior or DeVito in 2nd year.

 

[bcubs9497]

Cubs, those are all mistakes that young lineman make. Especially learning a new offense as your thrown into the fire due to injuries. Penalties like that come from thinking too much about your assignments and checks (and fatique). As a coach, you address areas of concern with conditioning or whatever but it doesn't mean the player will correct the mistakes. Ive experienced that as a player and coach. IMO with exception of Conway and maybe Roberts, none of those lineman should have been playing. They werent ready to play, they were out matched by most D lineman they faced.

Way too many penalties, even for an inexperienced line. At least twice, there were back-to-back false starts. Pretty much unforgivable.

 

[bcubs9497]

Nothing Alabama did was cutting it against Clemson either.

Tampa 2, as I understand it, is designed to keep plays in front of you. What killed our defense last year was big plays. Probably attributed to Cordy's injury and 2 true freshmen DEs more than anything else. A bunch of missed assignments and players who aren't physically ready to play leads to the other team getting big play after big play.

Pitt scored on consecutive 75 yard jet sweeps to the same side of the field. Has that ever happened to anyone?

Clemson didn't bitch-slap Alabama, though, did they? That game was an excellent example of great receiving corps going against great backfields. With two QBs that are/will be in the NFL.

Us? Goose-egged.

 

[money3189]

Nothing Alabama did was cutting it against Clemson either.

Tampa 2, as I understand it, is designed to keep plays in front of you. What killed our defense last year was big plays. Probably attributed to Cordy's injury and 2 true freshmen DEs more than anything else. A bunch of missed assignments and players who aren't physically ready to play leads to the other team getting big play after big play.

Pitt scored on consecutive 75 yard jet sweeps to the same side of the field. Has that ever happened to anyone?

Exactly, If we are gonna talk about scheme being a factor, the first thing should be brought up is the players in it. Watching our defense last year was like watching someone putting square pegs into a round whole. Im's not a Tampa 2 guy, buts its not as unorthodox as people making it out to be. Lets judge Ward's Tampa 2 when he actually has the players he wants to put in it. Most of the players in the defense were recruited for a small, fast, attack style defense. On top of that, we had freshman DE's, 5'7 and 5'9 safeties. Interior tackles and backers were the only solid groups but those groups get worse when you don't have good play from positions around them.

 

[money3189]

Way too many penalties, even for an inexperienced line. At least twice, there were back-to-back false starts. Pretty much unforgivable.

I saw them, I agree, but do you think the coaches ignored it and didnt try to address it?

 

[bcubs9497]

I saw them, I agree, but do you think the coaches ignored it and didnt try to address it?

I'm sure they did. Matter of fact, I know they did. With "colorful" language. As badly as they were sometimes dressed down, one would think they'd have stopped shooting themselves in the foot with those @#$#@ false starts, etc.