Mike West

Cmon GatOrlando. You know EXACTLY what I am going to say. Looking at the damn QB instead of taking his options away. Cost Georgia a Natty against Tua. Last week, Indiana's first TD was because the safety was looking at the QB instead of taking away the TD pass in the area he was responsible for. My Beloved Bryce Boettcher is guilty of this countless times. Though he does break up plenty of passes, his INTs always come from taking the option away, then turning around to a pass directly aimed at him. OBD have given up numerous third down conversions for that very reason. I can't emphasize enough how much I hate the fact coaches teach that tactic. It is the most egregious act in football. Rant done.

They can vacate that year all they want. USC is the 2004 title holder. Point blank. They were more than dominant from 03 to 05. They didn't take away Auburn's 2010 title despite everyone knowing AU bought Cam Newton. So I'll be damned if anyone outside of this forum wants to say USC wasn't titleholders in 2004. Mythical or not though, USC and UW were dominant the years they were deemed champs. I don't like the hate for our PAC8 brothers. They were more successful then, now they're not. I was happy the PAC12 was obliterated. I didn't feel the need to justify regional support for teams that didn't support college football like "they should have". But I support the four that joined the B1G. They earned those titles. They market their teams appropriately. That is what one does when one wins. We will do the same if(when?)we win ours. And I certainly see hundreds of thousands of Duck fans will be just as arrogant as the blue blood fans we hate. We may never get the respect we deserve. But it will be fun when we defeat more blue bloods. Because all they will have to say after we defeat them is we aren't a blue blood. Then we can say: well what justifies you as a blue blood now that you lost to us?

Well the Devil is in the details. One thing I absolutely like is that would obliterate a Super League. I'm no longer a fan of the Second P2, but millions of people are, and they matter to the future of college football if it will thrive as an institution like it thrives now. I absolutely love the idea of "play in" games for the college playoff. But only if the field is twelve teams. The second P2 won't see much in a boost in ratings, but they'll get much needed money. We're way past the late 1800s. CFB has been an money making business institution since the 70s. The kids were massively exploited, and now they're not. While I despise knowing 17 year olds are getting paid millions because they might be good, now any kid that can garnish a huge social media following can and should get paid. And average players are getting paid for the time they invest in the sport. That just. Not fair, but actually a just act on the part of the universities. Us "mummies" remember an era when integrity was an actual institution itself. Now greed, as Michael Douglas so eloquently explained, is good. The idea that the B1G is looking at preserving itself as an institution isn't horrible, it is pragmatic. Clearly the SEC is trying to scheme everyone else. So I see nothing wrong with the B1G mapping out a future for itself. We'll have to scour the details to determine if they pulled off a wise move. If course it's no surprise seeing Ohio State and Michigan trying to rule things. Methinks OBD need to win this conference five years straight so they recognize a new sheriff is in town. I've changed mind about going undefeated all year and winning the conference again. Ohio State and Michigan need a tremendous dose of humble pie. Sorry for the rant, but I'm getting tired of being ignored when it's clear "new money" is here to stay. The Rockefellers and Vanderbilts are getting rocked by new blood. We're taking the mantle damn it, and there's nothing they can do about it. Now if we can get a couple of Natty's...

I actually believe he has the LBs to run the Mint. But he doesn't have the DL this year. The LBs cover sideline to sideline better than everyone else in my opinion. But they don't get to the QB as effectively as they did during the Title runs. I haven't seen the Bama get her in detail. But after reviewing the Tennessee tape, it doesn't appear their CBs are as effective either. I believe that depends on the set of WRs they face though, as they seem to have Texas' number, but not Bama's. And Tennessee really went after them. Long story short, I'm not sure yet. I do think the scheme has run it's course though. But it just might be the talent level across the board is much more equal than before the NIL era.

This post right here...Priceless. When Harbaugh had Andrew Luck, they were formidable. That is what Allar is closest to. But he is pressing too much. Partly because he really doesn't have threatening WRs. And his OL is not top shelf-it is A- in a world of A and A+ defensive fronts. James Franklin may have to win to start getting the type of talent Ohio State and Michigan (and OBD of course) harvest every year. He is as close as he can get now. They need two WRs to step up. They are no threat downfield. I've watched Allar in all of his Spring Games. Its the same every time: he holds the ball waiting for his WRs to get open. It looks weird because you can tell he's uncomfortable about it. Heck, last year, his WR flopped a beautiful pass in the end zone against Ohio State that should have been a TD. It was intercepted instead. That is Drew Allar's life. Guys he isn't sure he can rely on, and he wings it because he feels he has to. He'd never say that-and maybe I'm wrong. That's what I see though. Allar is at least one guy short of producing elite results at WR this season. Franklin wouldn't have to change the strategy is he had that. For now, he should change some things up. They need to get the WRs the ball more often-even if that means easy curls and down and outs all the way down the field.

Sure thing. A 3-4 scheme employs 3 down lineman (guys with their hands on the ground) and usually 4 linebackers "in the box- a rectangle that stretches as wide as the players on offense at the line of scrimmage (usually the five lineman and maybe a Tight End) and five yards into the teeth of the defense. A 4-2 alignment would be 4 down lineman and two linebackers. That one change makes it more difficult to "seal the edge"-which is both ends of where the lineman and tight ends line up. Another element of that scheme is when Lupoi employs that alignment, he drags the backside Defensive End (the one on the opposite side of where a running play is going) to the "middle of the box"-or the center of the Line of Scrimmage. Typically coaches replace that DE with a Linebacker to maintain the edge-but Lupoi/Lanning don't do that because they are trying to defend strong passing attacks ( so they replace a linebacker with a safety). Every smart offensive coordinator I've seen has attacked that scheme and how it is used. Chip Kelly basically dialed up three explosive running plays because he also pulls two lineman to the "backside" of the play-which opened up massive space downfield. Franklin did that once Lupoi changed to the 4-2 himself. Which is why I believe he is an elite coach because he recognized the change and immediately attacked it. To the degree Penn State slowed down their efforts on that final drive in regulation to keep Moore and Stein from breaking their hearts in regulation. GatOrlando, This is why I love your posts. You can't outsmart facts. I have to say my thoughts on Franklin are always an opinion because of the facts you posted above. What makes me believe Franklin is elite is the fact he hasn't come close to fielding an elite team like Ohio State and Michigan have regularly, but he always forces both teams to bring their absolute best or they lose. Over the last 5 years, if both those powers had made a mistake, Penn State was good enough and performed well enough to notch one of those top 5 / top 10 victories. Franklin has been better at this than when he was at Vandy. Nobody cares to evaluate Penn State on the talent merits. They never get NFL caliber WRs. You can't beat elite teams when you have pedestrian WRs. Penn State is usually third or forth in the Conference at the Line of Scrimmage. They are physical, but they don't take charge like the elite teams because they can't. Penn State does need to reach another gear. He started that when he employed the Max Protect scheme to get back into the game. He probably needs to assign OC Koltenicki to look at some of the schemes the Rams use and especially what Lin Kiffin employs at Ole Miss (the two squads are similar in that Ole Miss is a lot more physical at the LOS on offense than people think). I've said it before and I'll say it again...If I am HC, the first thing I'd assign my coordinators to do is scour every football scheme known to mankind. Then I'd have a 20 minute session of use everything in the world's playbook-we're playing street ball. The purpose of that is to get them out of their strategy mindset for an opponent. Sometimes you need to look at what they are doing and attack that specifically. Not after a 2 quarters, but right when you see it. They can't adjust as fast because now, they aren't drilling to adjust in that fashion. Coaches like to go with what they know-and are willing to lose with that scheme because at least they did it their way. I agree. Except my way is to make you think of a hundred plays to defend in one series-not the 15-20 you'll see the entire game. Chip Kelly once said "I have 187 plays in my playbook". I say I better see at least half of them every game. So GatOrlando, do you think Franklin will "hear what we're saying"? I think he's capable-even with the talent deficiency, because parity has arrived at the college lever. Any given Saturday will be a moniker soon. What do you think?

Not surprised by your assessment (once again). Indiana IS better on both sides of the LOS. I agree with FishDuck here. That talent still doesn't measure up to what OBD have on the LOS. I also believe Lupoi's Secondary and Coverage Rules will be tested this game. I was pleasantly surprised Lupoi scrapped the Mint Defense (at least the formation) for most of the game in Happy Valley. I will repeat for teh Umpteenth time, I do not believe it is a good defense-unless of course you have NFL talent at your disposal (that's why it looked so awesome in Athens). I happen to believe Indiana will still struggle against the most physical teams. Not as much, but it will be a deciding factor in their games against the elite teams. However, Cignetti is an elite coach, and I believe he is a year away from solving some of the disadvantages (think Max Protect like Penn State used to get their first touchdown on Saturday). I also happen to believe Coach Lanning is growing as we speak. I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't minimize the Mint scheme and start using all of the talent his team has on defense. They are much better in a 3-4 scheme, and the modified version of the 4-3 they have been using this year. I believe those two schemes will stop almost every offense they face ( I may explain why in a topic post later in the year if I have time). Now I look at it strategically, I can't explain the technical aspect of it like a coach does, but I'm seeing Lupoi using more creativity with his players-which is enhancing their strengths. What Lupoi and DL decide to do with Indiana's offense will tell me how "serious they are at winning a title". I put that in quotes because I'm a Hack. I've coached before, but nowhere near at their level and in an atmosphere where players are turning college football upside down in the NIL era. So I give many hats off to the progress I've seen, and the fact that Lanning is doing it the way he wants to and he is performing above lofty expectations. I'll say this. You Jon, surely bring info to the table that really sharpens my vision. Thanks my good friend.

Awesome article David. Even Josh Pate echoes your thoughts about Penn State's title chances. I must say, James Franklin is an elite coach. He doesn't have a talent advantage, but he's been able to give his team, with warts and talent holes at key positions, and a chance to tie or win games against more talented teams. His fan base , quite frankly, is spoiled like Ohio State's. Without any evidence backing their claim he can't coach. They claim he falls behind because he's soft and too conservative. Hogwash. His teams get out muscled, and his staff finds ways to climb back into contention. And he got lucky. Lupoi switched his 3-4 front to a 4-2 in the fourth quarter. But Lupoi was plain awesome Saturday. The best he's been. Franklin still dialed up Max Protect to get his team a shot. Then exploited that flaw I keep pointing out in the Mint defense (sliding the backside DE to the middle of the box). It came down to one mistake at the end, and an unfortunate reversal on the fumble in the third quarter. Franklin had some bad luck against a team that was slowly taking control of the game, and brought them back despite a talent mismatch. Penn.State fans should get in their knees and pray for forgiveness. For their arrogance. As for OBD. GUT check, answer. Coach Lanning is getting better every month. I had that one complaint. But that is mostly because I really don't like the Mint Defense. It only works with real NFL players in my humble/not so humble opinion. Stein is a beast. Lupoi can actually coach using the right scheme (again my opinion here). I feel for James Franklin. He has some physical guys that aren't physical enough, and he's going to need to add more schemes to the personality of that team. They don't have the kind of WRa to kill shot elite defenses, so he's going to need to study Stein and some NFL greats to compliment his physical style of play. David, you called the new fabric of the B1G. And if USUC, the Fuskies, Indiana, Illinois, or one of the other name brand schools decides to step up like Franklin has, the B1G could be dominant for years to come. But PSU definitely has another rivalry for elite pole position in the conference. How bout OBDs!!!!!

I was more disappointed that Riley chose to keep a balanced attack, instead of attacking Illinois' weaker secondary. And this isn't because Indiana scorched them. USC walked themselves into too many third and medium situations that in my opinion, Illinois could handle. My philosophy is avoid third down frequently, meaning convert as many seconds downs into a fresh set of new downs as your strategy. USC did that early, then when Illinois started taking control, USC slowed the game down. USC put their very good QB in too many clutch clad situations. Those third downs should be second down situations instead. From what I'm seeing, if you don't put up 45 points, you stand a good chance of losing. That means trying to score TDs on every drive in the first half. You want your opponent chasing you "out of their game plan" because only Georgia and Ohio State seem capable of handling that kind of pressure ( yes that includes Indiana because they use RPO, which sets up their vaunted passing attack they run to set up their passing).

I agree. I'm old school. I want to see football uniforms, not baseball or basketball ones. I know each era has its own style, and the kids are ok after all. I just like the era I grew up in and the few following decades. It's like everyone having all black uniforms...I hate it (and we started the trend).

My condolences Desert Duck. You missed one of the greatest College Football weekends ever. I gotta tell ya-I would have been HEATED. My wedding was the last week of February. No way football season gets sacrificed in my household. That woman hates men. That husband better not be a college football fan. I'd make him do up and downs for a week if he is.

When I was in high school, if we were a showboat after a play, teammates nominated you as the hotdog player of the week. That player had to eat a week old hotdog. You can only imagine the amount of trolling we did to each other. If you jumped up in excitement and it showed up on film day, you got nominated. A few times, guys forgot and got caught up in the moment. The room would erupt in thunderous laughter. We never trolled or taunted opponents, or looked like "we never had been there before ". That's one of the things our coach did to get the most out of us. This is what I'd tell the team: you're the best. Play like it on every down.

I believe Penn State ran for 287 yards because they stacked 7 guys in the box and we countered with two down lineman ( two guys with their hand on the ground before the snap). A defensive lineman cannot "hold the line" while standing up. This was a topic I brought up in the Spring- Lupoi scheming right into an elite team's strength. I've been more concerned with the pass rush. Or lack thereof. Am I concerned Penn State will boat race OBD? Not one bit. Our defense has given up half their rush yards in the fourth quarter. Well after the game was decided. Montana State would give Northwestern a run for their money, and I believe they would defeat Oklahoma State. That doesn't mean our defense should be content. I don't believe there is a sense of urgency to dominate the teams OBD have played. There will be a much greater sense of urgency to play their absolute best when they go to Happy Valley. Then we'll know where they stand. I've already stated in not convinced we have an elite defense. But I do know we have one if the best offenses in CFB. This year is like the Alabama v. Clemson showdowns. Offense is going to wil the Natty this year.

Soooooo, S What have I ranked about for what seems like Centuries? Take away the QBs options by covering your man instead of looking at the QB. WHAT'S THE RESULT? INTERCEPTION. Even in NW's big pass play, the safety was covering his man ( he bit on a good fake. I'll take that every play for the rest of time- that's what I want to see). That strategy alone will make this defense a 14 points per game juggernaut.

I actually think he destroyed his career this Winter. Looking like another fifth round draft pick. Won't go so far to say deserved, but this guy doesn't have the leadership skills to carry a team. Pride cometh before the fall (I believe almost all of us have been there before-but not so publicly with a few million in the bank).

Looks like Stein was told to put a blanket on the offense. Circa usu2 2024. He opened it up on that last drive just enough to show OBD can score anytime they want. Nothing to be alarmed about. This is a slow roll strategy against a team incapable of doing any harm. I like it. Sweet lullabies to put the audience to sleep. Keeping scouts wondering how lethal the playbook really is.

Coach, It's good to see you're still around! Hope all is well and thanks for the pointing it out. I didn't even notice it until you brought it up.

His injury derailed his ability to perform like he did in high school. He isn't the same player. I do wish him the best. He comes from a very rough neighborhood, and it appears football is the route he chose to escape it. It always pays to have a backup plan. I absolutely hope Jurrion is planning for life after football. I have serious doubts he will play in the NFL.

Well my entertaining friend, you bring up so many astute observations yourself. You're a key part of an ensemble of guys that really help me look at OBD from better perspectives. I do hope 1/1/25 is on everyone's minds every hour on the hour. The time off (three weeks) really hurt, but that sting is ample motivation to make sure that never happens again. And I want some Buckeye blood. I already have a problem with Buckeye fans (I happen to really like Ryan Day, and that fan base is ridiculous about the guy-he's been nothing but stellar. And he is starting to look a lot like Kirby Smart in his own fashion-so their arrogance and distaste for Day miffs me quite a lot). I think Lupoi has improved. I don't like the Mint defense, so that may be more my problem with the issues I see. But I do like that he is moving players more towards their strengths. He absolutely must get his linebackers to take away patterns in the middle of the field. They keep drifting out of coverage responsibilities. Coverage rules in my mind dictate the corners take the short routes outside. That leaves the LBs in seam, slant, digs and post pattern support. But that's just me. Let's see if Lupoi irons those things out. Keep them coming Jon. You add so much to this forum!

Thanks for the article David. Another deep set of observations as usual. Not much to add to this one, as you really hit the nail on the quality performances coming out of so many players.

Last year, I believe Chip kept his best plays close to the vest and waited to unleash his full set of plays in the playoffs. It explains the close games after losing in Eugene in my mind. Penn State, Nebraska, and Michigan had no business staying close in the regular season last year, and I believe Chip just let the defense do its thing, and baited the physical teams into believing they had a shot in the playoffs (Georgia and OBD come to mind). I believe Stein is serving notice he not only has the talent, but he also has multiple offenses that DCs will have to prepare for. It still hinges on a powerful running game, but one thing that stands out in my mind is Stein is getting Moore out of the pocket. That is going to wreck havoc on pressure oriented schemes. Not only does it mean Stein is looking to buy time, but it messes with coverage rules (because now Moore is also a running threat). Getting Moore out of the pocket also disrupts blitz strategy as Stein has already shown multiple ways he will get Moore rolling out (left, right, bootleg looks, and he hasn't had Moore simply roll left or right yet). Stein is also designing plays for his talent. He now has three reliable WRs he can get the ball to in the 8-12 yard range. He is using the TEs more creatively, and he hasn't really shown what he is going to do with Sadiq yet. Moore is a slot receiver, but he can stack Moore behind a blocking WR, or like he has already shown, the WR screens are no longer a feature, they are a foundation for getting the ball downfield. I believe Stein is providing information overload, as now, he is showing looks that don't tip off what they are actually going to do (like they did last year). The best aspect of it is I am not as concerned about WRs having cruise missile speed anymore. WR Moore is enough, because Sadiq is also lightening fast, so Stein can occupy Safeties using either Sadiq or Moore. And he is throwing formation looks that make it difficult to determine what he is up to. That he has simplified the packages to the degree he has with more formations is awesome. Not only am I impressed, I am not even sure what he has pocketed for future use.

FPI is based on raw talent and past results. The SP+ rankings are more accurate. They include current year performance, and expectations based on the current composite of the team. FPI is what the Sports Books use to calculate point spreads, and they are probably more reliable as the season wears on. Texas is high because they were more potent last year against the second tier level of schools (now that we have the Ohio State sample, we now know Texas struggles against elite defenses. Clemson is in the same category as the sample is out there as well -though I am not so sure about LSU yet). I haven't watched the Florida-South Florida game yet-or a number of others, so I don't have a complete feel on the group of teams outside of Ohio State that I feel are OBD's biggest challenges. I will say this about OBD: effort and depth are outstanding. I still have some concerns about the secondary, but the talent and skill level is much better than any time in the Lanning era. I still see the LBs watch the QB too much, and I do believe coverage rules are a problem more than the talent-but the LBs not taking away options (instead of trying to determine where the QB will throw the ball) is a major weakness. Lupoi absolutely needs to keep his edge defenders on the edge, somebody is going to crush it with counter runs if he keeps dragging the DEs to the middle of the box. I believe Stein recognizes he will need to drop forty on everybody, as he is employing a much more aggressive approach to the game. Stein is using some elements of Taggart's Gulf Coast offense. And he is going under center. I love that. He is actually employing elements of other offenses into his scheme. Lanning even referred to it in an interview-they are scouting other CFB teams, and maybe even looking at the NFL. Whatever it is, Stein just signaled he is going to unleash more styles than he has been employing. Somebody mentioned it, not sure who, but the WRs blocking downfield is much better. And the WR screens are now a set up for Sequential/Constraint plays downfield-the screens are a set up for fakes so Moore can throw downfield. So I believe the staff learned its lessons in January. You can't put up enough points against elite teams. You need to think its an NBA scoring fest. Like the Alabama/Clemson title games last decade. Until I see the secondary shut down elite WRs, I will not crown this defense as elite. Georgia and Ohio State have the best pass defenses in the country until proven otherwise. That is the kind of defense OBD need. If we get those kinds of defenses, then we are looking at the rest of the decade as true top shelf, tough to defeat elite teams. Like Nick Saban/Kirby Smart kind of teams. Lanning has the team on the path. I just need to see the defense tighten up some loose ends

A major lack of desire. They didn't look like they were interested in defending their legacy, much less put a foot up FSU's behind for talking smack before the season started. They expected to walk in and dominate, and when FSU was taking it to them, they didn't respond. It took a late fumble for them to get back in the game, and when their defense started putting in effort, it didn't last when FSU responded (FSU wanted that win way more-it was totally evident the entire game).

They were that bad. Saw the whole game, eating massive crow!!!

It is so great to be humbled so emphatically!!! It's definitely Gut Check time for DeBoer. He looked a little dazed. Unlike Ryan Day last year during the Michigan game, DeBoer looks concerned. I watched an ESPN analyst put it all on QB Ty Simpson, and I laughed outright. Bama might have lost its soul when Saban retired, Or perhaps he saw they didn't have the fire in them anymore. Whatever it is, nobody fears Alabama anymore. I loved the QBs today. Wished Novo got more time. DL has a dilemma on his hands. Play Novo and burn a redshirt (or Moga for that matter), or race to 45 and get them both some ample experience against teams like Indiana and Iowa (which it looks like both are possible-no joke. I wasn't impressed by either on the LOS). There is still much to work on, but now we know this team is more focused and seems to have a chip on their shoulders.