College Bowl Pick'em

[grahamiam]

[sz_matyas]

Congrats to grahamiam and I am officially bad at picking games (making it a good thing I don't live in Vegas). Game I was most disappointed in was the Badgers though, Brett really needs to work on finding a good quarterback to go with his line and this team could take off. Instead he plugs in a nobody and the line makes him look just good enough to keep (and he's from WI with the dream of growing up to be a Badger, so we have to start him! um, no).

[killercane]

quote:Originally posted by Robboo

Well KC..we have 2 crystal footballs...subpar or not..no one else can say that.

You have to admit. LSU completely control this game since about 2 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. IF you followed LSu this year or last year...up by 2 TDs and the game is over. Pelini is a master on defense. His loss to Nebraska will be the hardest thing for LSU to overcome. In addition...LSU is still loaded with talent and while next year should be a down year(SEC west 2 or 3), the following year is scary with experience and talent.

Well my problem is not with LSU, I was of course pulling for them, I even cheered for Alabama in their bowl game. The problem is the lack of dominance, like an '01 Miami or '95 Nebraska. Now if Perilloux were say a senior, knew the offense inside and out and was a student of the game, and add in another stud defensive lineman to complement a healthy Dorsey, that team wouldn't lose to Kentucky and would pound anyone this year. They were thatclose to being a really great team, but on the other hand, they were also one big play in the SEC championship from going to the Citrus Bowl.

I guess that says a lot about parity today, but I like to see a national champ as a dominant force.

[killercane]

quote:Originally posted by sz_matyas

Congrats to grahamiam and I am officially bad at picking games (making it a good thing I don't live in Vegas). Game I was most disappointed in was the Badgers though, Brett really needs to work on finding a good quarterback to go with his line and this team could take off. Instead he plugs in a nobody and the line makes him look just good enough to keep (and he's from WI with the dream of growing up to be a Badger, so we have to start him! um, no).

Bielema seems to have good charisma. I dont doubt he could be a good recruiter. Does Wisconsin go heavily out of state for talent like TN?

The Badgers have always struck me as a team that could run the option well if they got the right skill players. They traditionally have some big cheese fed linemen, a good defense, and a strong running game in general. The old option is tough to stop for teams that dont face it often, and there is really no scheming to stop it. Its simply man on man.

[sz_matyas]

Bielema does have good charisma and is generally a great coach (plus having Barry as the athletic director with an office nearby doesn't hurt). One of the big traditions though is that we recruit heavily in state and tend to give preference to them in playing time. In general they get the best players in WI to come, but it somewhat discourages out of state players (though we do get some from MN and IL as they are considered almost in WI).

As far as an option offense, Wisconsin seems to focus more on powerful linemen than the athletic lean line you want to play the option. I think with some different training they could switch over to that style, but it would upset a lot of backers who enjoy the power rushing game. Since they just recently remodeled Camp Randal, these backers have a bit more influence than normal (or so it seems, given how some incidents with players are being handled).

The other big hangup on an option offense, is P.J. Hill doesn't have the speed to consistently hit the corner on the option. Instead he focuses on powering through the middle for the classic 3 yards and a cloud of dust. It works well, but a short controlled passing game to complement it would be a better idea in my view (rather than erratic but home run type QBs they currently favor).

[killercane]

quote:Originally posted by sz_matyas

Bielema does have good charisma and is generally a great coach (plus having Barry as the athletic director with an office nearby doesn't hurt). One of the big traditions though is that we recruit heavily in state and tend to give preference to them in playing time. In general they get the best players in WI to come, but it somewhat discourages out of state players (though we do get some from MN and IL as they are considered almost in WI).

As far as an option offense, Wisconsin seems to focus more on powerful linemen than the athletic lean line you want to play the option. I think with some different training they could switch over to that style, but it would upset a lot of backers who enjoy the power rushing game. Since they just recently remodeled Camp Randal, these backers have a bit more influence than normal (or so it seems, given how some incidents with players are being handled).

The other big hangup on an option offense, is P.J. Hill doesn't have the speed to consistently hit the corner on the option. Instead he focuses on powering through the middle for the classic 3 yards and a cloud of dust. It works well, but a short controlled passing game to complement it would be a better idea in my view (rather than erratic but home run type QBs they currently favor).

Looking at WisconsinPreps, they probably have a few more D1 prospects every year than TN. I like instate guys a lot, and I think TN should recruit more of them, but really to consistently be a strong team you have to recruit the Floridas, Alabamas, Texases, Californias and Ohios and attract those speed guys.

For the most part, running the option shouldnt involve linemen pulling very much, occasionally a guard on a weakside play or if you run a triple option like Vanderbilt used to or Air Force. Its mostly wide splits between the linemen, angles, and cutblocks. Barry Switzer's Oklahoma teams and Nebraska would often run a lead option with the fullback on the corner (no dive), with hardly any pulling. Zach Weigert and those kinds of guys werent fast, but were beasts in blocking the option.

Overall college football coaches dont take advantage of multiple formation offenses as well as they could. Going from spread formations to Notre Dame Box to prosets to I formations and back again in one series will not only confuse defenses but wear them down, cause them to use timeouts, and should lead to mismatches mistakes on the defense's part. The tough part is getting your players to memorize and execute those hundreds of plays I suppose, but heck, TN I know has a custom designed playstation football game with all their plays that players can play and practice so the technology is there to teach and retain lots of information.

[Robboo]

quote:Originally posted by killercane

Well my problem is not with LSU, I was of course pulling for them, I even cheered for Alabama in their bowl game. The problem is the lack of dominance, like an '01 Miami or '95 Nebraska. Now if Perilloux were say a senior, knew the offense inside and out and was a student of the game, and add in another stud defensive lineman to complement a healthy Dorsey, that team wouldn't lose to Kentucky and would pound anyone this year. They were thatclose to being a really great team, but on the other hand, they were also one big play in the SEC championship from going to the Citrus Bowl.

I guess that says a lot about parity today, but I like to see a national champ as a dominant force.

We had that other stud DL but he got hurt early and was loss for the year. I would have loved to see that combo in action. Alot of the stars on defense last night were not starters so I am happy about that.

This place was going crazy last night. People were shooting fireworks and generally screaming and carrying on more than New Years. I wasnt in Baton Rouge for 2003 but I understand it was crazier this year.


OH and if any of you guys want to join a football forum..LSU based of course. My buddy and I run it so if you want in just give me a heads up. We wont berated anyoen from other teams or tolerate rudeness and anyone is welcome. I think it would be good to get a few non LSU fans on there to liven it up a bit.