Mike West

Steven, Logic completely says Indiana takes this game hands down. They look unstoppable. The eye test shows it, their experience (players and coaches) seem insurmountable, and they just don't give you many chances to beat them. Talent is overrated, and Indiana has proven it. I do think talent will matter in this game, and I think the Ducks, despite the evidence, pulls this one out.

Triphibius, You've added much to the discussion of what we've been looking at. I hadn't put much stock into the 9 am playing time (but I did find out the Orange Bowl usually the last bowl on New Year's Day). I hope Harris plays. We need hum. I believe that Oregon route Indiana IF Moore processes what he sees accurately because Indiana gave him 3 TDs he didn't see. Ifs and butts...candy and nuts. This game has a chance to be really fun.

Thanks Smith 72. I enjoy writing, but I especially enjoy the discussion after. Talk about great insights and perspectives, I learn more than you can imagine from the forum.

Nice additional perspective "Happy". I didn't think about the motivation factor entering the battle in Eugene. Not to mention Dante Moore admitted he was shaken by Indiana, and didn't lead as effectively in the game. There truly are lots of "ifs" in this game. Execution, mistake free play, and making plays when absolutely necessary. Motivation will be key. Thanks for that nugget of info.

Geeze, The comments are of the charts! Charles (Forum Royalty), This is what I call throwing the receiver open. The first case may be a little late, but both were open. The second case requires the kind of trust and touch that should be developed in practice because it requires precision. In both instances, it requires guts to throw knowing you may get hit, AND fitting the pass in tight windows(though the first screenshot is a clear case of TDs to either of them). The other skill Dante needs work on is feeling out the pocket better. He needs to recognize when to shuffle into the pocket, or set his his get quickly enough to deliver a pass. Moore walked (ran) into several sacks this year. Even if he leads OBD to a time this year, he needs to come back. He needs more experience against full speed scenarios isn't used to seeing.

In my mind, the only difference between these two teams is the level of execution.

Your comments are killing it! I'm licking my chops at each suggestion. I have a thought about Stein and Moore I will share Thursday (man, its going to be tough to match the quality of suggestions in this thread. And I can only wonder what Stein is thinking about with so much on his plate. This game is going to be very interesting.

Mr. Marsh, I have saved you for last because you write the articles that gets everyone thinking. And your comments the past few hours really dialed in on some key themes that will play out in this game on Friday. That isn't anything against what has been some excellent dialogue. I had to write notes down for your comments more than others tonight. I do believe Lanning short circuited the aggressive play calling in the second half. It was obvious OBD were going to win. Stein was simply tasked with winding the game down. But it was so frustrating. Tech's Front 7 was rearranging our OL, and their LBs were filling gaps so quickly it was difficult to run anywhere. They are probably the best group of defensive lineman and linebacker in the country this year. They presented challenges that were tough to overcome. STILL... I also believe Lanning was aggressive in a destructive manner. While I didn't mind any of the 3rd and 4th down calls that were less than 3 yards, I did mind the type of plays that were called. That 4th and Goal pass was similar to that disaster in Seattle. That was Stein's/Lannings worst play choice of that group in Seattle. It was open, but for the wrong reason. It was not open in Miami. It was going to be an Interception as well. OBD got lucky. How much Davison plays will be key. I totally like your thoughts on using a 13 set (1 RB, 3 TEs). And using it to run roughshod. The most important aspect of your thoughts is Indiana will have to chose between attacking a run play or laying off to cover those TEs. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about that concept. In my eyes, these are the concepts that should be worked on starting in January. Its the stuff I would expect the analysts to work on, hashed out between that group and Lanning/Stein. Re-hashed every practice for at least 20 minutes. I'd put every kind of scenario on the table. I'd make it a one quarter challenge between coordinators and their analysts, with Steak Dinner or Oatmeal at stake. Every week. 10 months. Drill that ability to recognize and counter strategies, philosophies, and every play known to the football world. Spy versus Spy. So much so that it is routine to handle in any kind of game. Now I do believe that has been happening this year-the adjustments that is. But my dream world as a HC would be to drill my entire staff on going at each other play by play, series by series. So when they are scouting other teams, they are crafting counter strikes automatically. Street ball. In as organized a fashion possible. I want those guys as loose as a goose. I think I have seen some of that this year. Because I am having a difficult time determining what Stein is designing for this game-and I now believe Lupoi has his unit seeing the whole field. I am still studying this year in review for both teams. And I can't wait to figure out what we have been looking at this past six weeks.

You know the wild thing about that astute assessment is nobody knows what is going to happen next on offense. We keep waiting for this nuclear explosion to unveil itself, and it "never comes". I will say this, I am sure Indiana is very concerned it will drop in Atlanta on Friday. What truly isn't working? And that isn't a disagreement about your premise. I see too many missed assignments". But they look like horrible play calls-especially for certain situations. What truly IS working? That is a serious question as well. Stein is killing us. But I do believe his opponents have been saying, "man, Indiana (Penn State, Iowa, Washington, USC ) really lucked out". That's the conundrum. When will we see that Montana State, Oklahoma State performance? Will we see that Oklahoma State, Montana State performance? I sure hope Stein uses that Action-play of yours (is it also called a Draw Play). It works. And again, it pulls the Back 7 back to the LOS. We want that group up close and personal because they will not win those battles. Very, very good observation on this team as a whole trusting themselves. That is an intangible that has been a constant theme. Brandon Finney is the one young gun that has brought swagger all year. But I saw a lot of that on defense last week. Like you have consistently said: Dante Moore needs to read properly. He needs to trust himself more than anyone else when he is under duress. I believe he completely realizes he doesn't have the experience yet to dismantle a havoc clad Front 7. You hit the bullseye-he needs to Yoda this baby (I wonder how much Lanning has grilled him, and Stein has drilled him on just throwing the damn ball to a guy he is staring at).

Sometimes I really wonder what Stein is up to in the middle of all the chaos. It was frustrating last week to see Tech escape so many times.

This game is going to be the ultimate chess match. I LOVE your thoughts on drawing Indiana inside. Our Tackles will probably need help. But some NFL style checkdowns would really work here. Not sure Stein would dial them up (I'll have to show them in the offseason), but forcing the Back 7 closer to LOS will open up massive space for the TEs, or whomever runs the seam, curl and dig routes. Turnovers are always key, but I see a clean game from both teams. Moore has thrown 3 Interceptions so far. None of them really hurt the team, and only one of them was a questionable decision on his part. I sure hope Stein dials up a October 2024 surprise again. Not sure yet what he and Lanning want to do this game.

This: That’s the nature of that intangible called motivation. I believe Curt Cignetti is the best in the business at present. His staff is awesome at developing precision level performance. I'm talking German Craftmanship here. With a Formula One style of play. He does have a very mature group of players-they're mostly 22 or older. That takes nothing away from the preparation and performance his players have dialed up this year. I also happen to believe Lupoi and Stein in particular are growing on the daily. I have seen more adjustments, and more precision in their ability to spot key plays to attack and defend. But they are not Jedi yet. Sometimes they have to unlearn what they have learned. What they plan to do, and how they adjust during this game will say a whole lot about their futures. So, which Dante Moore will

Boy do I hope they have a set of sequential/constraint plays in store for the Hoosiers based on that play. Everyone seems to blow up that play because it is so easy to read pre snap. Sometimes it is a blown block, but every time I have seen that play, every secondary zooms in on the designated receiver like a guided missile. Stein is ultimately responsible for the unit's performance. Even if the players aren't executing. What will it take to maximize their performance? That has to be on the staff's radar. Four excellent defenses, four games of missed opportunities left on the plate. We as fans are starving, and this unit is throwing away more than scraps. We're talking about a course or two from a five course meal.

Excellent Post! This Forum of Decorum brings out the best in us. I agree Indiana is less prone to change much. I do wonder if they will throw more wrinkles as it appears they brought out more of their arsenal against both Ohio State and Alabama. And they looked scary against Bama ( Bama pulled that disappearing act again. I am beginning to believe they are more scared of themselves than teams and programs fear them now). I'm not sure how OBD waltzed into the IU game. But I am more prone to believe your premise that they strode in with a Business as Usual approach-thinking they had hurdled the most daunting task they had ahead of the CCG in December. Last year, Indiana wasn't so physical at the Line of Scrimmage (LOS). Boy did that change this year. Cignetti's crew outcoached Lanning's, and that has been the case in every game of theirs but the close call in Happy Valley (and its too bad Penn State collapsed, because that hurt our reputation). You hit is dead on: Lanning and crew must demonstrate even more growth than they already have this year. In my opinion, the disjointed efforts on one side of the ball in numerous games makes everyone wonder if Lanning has put it all together yet. This really is Lanning's most significant game.

That thought reminds me of the 2 point conversion in the 2011 Natty. The play flowed to the right and Lance Allworth's stunt double (jeff Maehl) gracefully snatches Darin Thomas' backside heave.

Friends, I am at work, but I haven't forgotten you. Talk about some very insightful posts! After work, I'll respond to those posts. So hold on Mr. Marsh; Gotcha;Solar; Kamakazi Kid; WTD25; Washington Waddler and Mikethehiker. You guys are feeding the post graduate level analysis here. Thanks for your thoughts. Can't wait to as my thoughts...

There you are notalot (l lol-I've been gone from the forum awhile), I like what you're saying. I think Stein goes away from that to much. He started last game just like that, and then left it alone ( might have been the faster clock Tech was forcing). Stein's paying concepts work, but the combo of self inflicted wounds and to make this and long situations like momentum. There are some matchups I look forward to. It's going to be an interesting game.

ESPN broadcasts two views. The All 22 view you saw the second time, and its regular broadcast. They will show both during the Natty. There is a guy that replays some of the All 22 view, but for copyright reasons, he can't show all of it. I didn't realize ESPN rebroadcast the game (with the All 22s at that). The All 22 aspect really flushes out the game better. You can see missed blocks, assignments, reads and strategies. NFL.com broadcast the All 22s from the end zone and the field. It is absolutely awesome. I wish they would do that in college football. Not sure the coaches want that out there though. They get enough critics as it is.

Jon, You're even more of a joy to read! As to those crazy 4th down plays. I totally believe Lanning was telling the whole world Tech was not going to win this game. And he wanted to end it quickly. I agree on the first point. I didn't mind the first 2 calls. But sometimes you gotta put points on the board. I'm pretty sure he knew well before the game started that OBD were going to take it to Tech, and they couldn't do a damn thing about it. Did I write an article about that? I can't remember (not to toot my own horn-because the film I looked at was my basis-not me. I don't know how Lanning could not believe his team was going to dominate this game-objectively at that). Which brings me to your main point. This team can win it any way they want-if they execute enough. It really is a Swiss Army Knife kind of team-even the defense. I personally don't like going for the throat because it is more entertaining-I just want to end the game before its gets going. You have to pass the ball to get that done. But Grandpa Duck really hit it on the nail-I think I am going to be sorely disappointed with the strategy Lanning and Stein employ. We do need balance. We do need to run the ball-effectively. I just want to slash that damn throat!!! Too bad for me!

I cannot disagree. The run game has been there all along. Yet, and this is no criticism of what you've pointed out, the Fuskies went to town on that run game and forced us to make very good plays to seal the victory. I believe there is a flow to the game that is difficult to diagnose in the heat of battle. I believe Stein has done a very good job of adjusting, but sometimes the timing of his calls are off. Nonetheless, I believe the analysts are part of the game and they need to provide feedback live on what Stein wants to do-including adjusting alignments, blocking schemes, sequential/constraint plays etc. I really thing we can run on Indiana. It's just a matter of how to balance the mix with passing the ball. I also believe Stein dialed up winners passing the ball that Moore simply missed. That is why what Solar has been saying has been paramount. Moore must play his best ball. He must identify pre snap as much as possible what spacing (how IU places their back 7 pre snap against the receivers) is the area to attack based on the play call. And he absolutely must throw more once he plants his feet (which also includes just pulling the trigger with faith he made the correct decision). There is a lot to being an awesome QB. I know Shedeur Sanders is a controversial player, but how he has developed in the NFL-albeit slowly for my tastes- is what Dante is going through. Moore is handling the pressure in his face well. And I do believe Stein needs to dial up the kinds of plays he did against TTU on early downs if he is going to pass the ball. More on that later. This game can go several ways. Lanning is quite comfortable playing it close to the vest, as both teams can grind it out. Cignetti is also very aggressive so the tempo of this game will determine if Lanning dials up an aggressive passing attack or not. I absolutely believe nobody can stop the TEs/WRs. They just can't. That's why I want to drop 40 plus. It is totally possible. Yet...I have to agree with you. OBD should be able to run the ball to open up that lethalness. It is a matter of preference.

My man Triphibius, You nailed some great observations. I'll hit your main point last. First of all, Pregnon, Luli and Ipani need to clean it up. I say a few, and only a few, missed blocks. One prevented Davison from scoring on second and Goal from the 9. TTU's DL was simply too powerful for that group. More on that in a second. Secondly, I'll check on the IU zone blitzes. Or as they coined it "simulated pressures". I haven't looked at the IU game for analysis yet. Third, I definitely will look into the Zone Defense yo brought up (that Lanning mentioned). Finally, as to the running game against IU. It was definitely clicking. But they short runs were getting blown up and it was disrupting rhythm in the game. But. And that isn't an excuse. Stein dialed up some very good runs, and the OL executed very well. I hope Stein and the analysis crew are keying in on short length downs. It has been a glaring weakness. I'm not sure if it is because defenses are stacking the box, missed assignments blocking, or a combination of both. In any event, execution on 2nd, 3rd and 4th down when the line to gain is under 3 yards has been poor. That is where those analysts must do their job. They need to assess, and diagnose the challenges and solutions. My opinion of course.

Agreed Steven, That is one DUDE. He needs at least 5-7 targets each game (I hope we get another). Not to mention, getting him on Safeties, and even IU's corners is an absolute must. I watched IU handle osu2's WRs well, but they were holding those WRs. They also know they can't stop our WR/TE group. More on that Thursday. You read my mind on the double moves. That will be key. But they must be set up. Not sure how much time Stein will have designing a groujp of plays to go to and get the practice in, but I hope that is a feature. The more I watch tape, the more I have to admit they may have the best DL/Front 7 in the country. They were excellent in so many ways. I hope to have time to explain why later. I think Moore needs to lose sleep this week watching tape (until Wednesday). It will take some timing in practice this week as well. So I'm hoping they drill the heck out of reading each side of the ball pre snap and making decisions based on spacing as well as reading Man or Zone coverage. I think he is doing fine, but it takes awhile to master that skill set. He should come back next year-it will boost his NFL career for sure in my opinion.

Excellent points Happy! A few thoughts. Dave23 has a very valid point about running the ball on Friday-I agree. With stipulations, but we ran very well on the Hoosiers. More on that when I respond to his comment. Excellent observation on getting the ball to the TEs on early downs. I neglected to mention the TEs as a force as well-they are very difficult to stop. I do believe Moore is reading fronts much better. Its the pressure that is effecting his execution. More on that later (sorry, that will be a response to Triphibius-he nailed that analysis). I like the idea of wearing down IU's Front 7. Didn't work on TTU, and I believe the Hoosiers are well conditioned as well. Doesn't mean Stein should forsake a quick tempo though. It MAY work after all, and also that pace may be an advantage. I'm writing another article Thursday and may go into that concept more. I watched more tape, and I changed my mind a little on what Stein was doing. I still think he adjusted a little late-but that is me expecting perfection. If yo have time, look at this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSE5awo-gG0). It is a very good breakdown of most of the key concepts and plays from the Tech game on offense.

The basics have to be there. Some of that is pure talent (arm strength) , some of it is knowledge, some of it is the ability to make plays on your own. The development part is learning the game, the speed of the game, and your OC's philosophy. Dante is way better than average. The speed and complexity of reading coverages under duress is very difficult to master. I watched a play in the TTU game in which I knew what was open after the completion. I reviewed it over ten times to see if I could time reading what was going on quickly enough to make the proper read. It is difficult to master for sure.

As usual, there are very good comments to ponder over. I am going to write another article. Not sure if it will drop tomorrow or Thursday. I have to talk to FishDuck about what I have so far. But I definitely feel like posting sunshine, rainbows and lollipops, even though I don't feel that way about this week. It has been a great year. It is tough to remember how young this team actually is. I expected a 10-2 year, or maybe 11-2 at best. The roller coaster ride is a total reflection of how young this team is. I have seen improvement from all phases of the team-staff, starters, units and backup players. I believe we expect too much perfection from a team that has its limits. And the fact that Indiana doesn't seem to make any mistakes makes that tough to swallow. Cignetti and his staff are an outstanding group of pure excellence. But he has a ten year head start on Lanning. For all of Lanning's aggressiveness, he has the second best record of any coach in FBS with as many games played. Friends, we have one of the very best in the business. And he is growing right in front of our eyes. He has only lost three games of 10 points or more-two to title winners, and one to the only undefeated team this year. He has never lost to an unranked team. He has defeated the #2 and the #3 team back to back years, and has posted an Undefeated season himself as the regular season #1 team. He defeated every blue blood team in the B1G his first year in the conference. He has defeated every brand name team in the conference already. Dan Lanning, with a much less than perfect team, has a chance to redeem his only loss this year. And a shot at a National Title in 16 short days. I doubt we lose by 10 this time. I expect an instant classic type of game-circa UW/Oregon in Seattle. Despite the questions on offense, and defense. This team is unpredictable, in a good way. We are very very fortunate. We are living Thanksgiving in January.