Mike West

I only saw bits and pieces of the the game. From what I saw, our offense is leaving full meals on their plate. What a waste of a dominant running game! QB Moore plays way better when the game is on the line. Night and Day difference. I realize OBD are down #s 1 and 2, but guys are open. I love Will Stein, and I want to see more simple routes (like the out route on the last drive) for Moore when he is struggling. Those screens are a waste of time in my opinion ( just run a RB screen instead). Stein can't exploit that dominant running game. I can't wait to see the entire game. I want to know how many TDs were missed. So far, against elite defenses, OBD are not scoring 20 points. If they can solve the passing conundrums, we're looking at an intriguing team.

You're on fire Solar. WRs raising their hands is a great one. They're open too much for Moore to miss. So part of this will be Moore's ability to determine which side of the field to key on based on alignment. When a QB only has two seconds, he needs to read the correct side of the field. Throwing WRs open would help (for those unfamiliar with that term, it means throwing the ball to a specific area BEFORE the WR makes his cut. It also includes making the LBs and Secondary pay for always looking at the damn QB-by looking away from that designated area). I hope Stein uses RPO tactics to figure out how Iowa will attack the running game. Pass first and determine the blocking schemes to counter their strategy. I happen to believe Stein is reacting quicker to what defenses are throwing at him. I also believe Lanning was certain we could have lit up Wisconsin throwing the ball, but decided to show teams we will stuff it down their throats at will. I think Lanning is playing the long game-that he will start introducing this weekend. OBD will have to shred pass defenses in order to win the title. And I mean shred. Stein showed me lots in the Indiana game. He cracked their code, but QB Moore went into a shell. You were spot on Solar about Moore bearing the burden. I think he reads zone defenses fine, but he is gun shy. Moore will need to come out of his shell. He has decided to return next year (a very wise move since he is still learning on the job and the extra 12-16 games will make him NFL ready). My thoughts on him are he needs to pull the trigger like Val Kilmer did in Tombstone. He has to make quicker decisions, with unbridled confidence. That hopefully has started in practice the past two weeks. This team will ride the fortunes of Dante Moore. By the way, I also believe the offensive line starts blocking with fury when the freshman are in the game. They truly start plowing once they're in regularly. To me, that means Whittington should be used for passing situations far more often. I don't even care if opponents figure it out. They still will have to stop them, and I don't believe anybody can. Including Ohio State. Those are my thoughts on the matter. Slowly unfolding an offense that will rip you to sheds because they can is what I hope happens. I even hope the coaches simply tell the players it's on them, and that they have complete faith in their ability to pull it off. It's all about confidence, and let the process develop that confidence. Put the best players in position to kill it, and let em play. Do you think Stein will start pulling out the kinds of plays he did against Montana State?

Believe it or not, this is the first week Indiana would be favored against OBD according to Massey. Massey considers Ohio State, Indiana and OBD the 1,2, and 3 most powerful teams. Strangely, Ohio State has the 4th most powerful offense according to Massey, with Indiana 2nd and OBD 3rd. How about that for power rankings? Massey considers Iowa our biggest remaining challenge with the 10th best defense, and the 45th best offense (USC is 29th and 9th, UW is 23rd and 21st). A stout defense in conditions similar to the Wisconsin game will be a challenge for certain. Though Stein likes to establish the running game early and often, will he against Iowa? Iowa has a good blitz package, so QB Moore will need to shine under duress. What will Stein pull out of his sleeve this weekend? How will Moore handle pressure from Iowa's stout DL and LBs? I am not so concerned about the OL run blocking. I wonder what Stein will do to protect Moore. One thing I feel good about is how much I am starting to trust both Stein and Lupoi. I think this is on the players. This is a young team. Surprisingly, they have handled conference road games better than conference home games. I look forward to the next four weekends.

This is exactly why I favor Play In Games. It will clear the air for all P4 teams. At present, I would prefer 4 significant blowouts. That would shut everyone up. There wouldn't be an argument that OBD aren't qualified. I also hope OBD avoid the CCG this year. No need for the possibility of what might as well be a year off. I would prefer two weeks off than close to an entire month. The season needs to be compressed. One tradition I am all for is ending the season on New Year's Day. One bye week for the top seeds and everyone else plays the week the seedings are announced. Enough of this layoff nonsense. I believe this all comes down to how well Dante Moore plays. I've reviewed the tapes. Stein has been killing it (after further review- the call I made about Stein being too conservative has been reversed). Moore missed two TD passes in the 3rd Quarter alone. OBD should have defeated Indiana, and it had two score margin of victory possibilities. But that is what is wrong with shoulda, coulda, woulda. I am even getting to the point where I believe Lupoi is in the same boat (but he has talent gap challenges Stein does not have). It is time the players bring considerably more effort-physically and mentally. I currently believe DL and staff have done everything to get the team over the hump. It is now on the players. I won't be ticked off if they don't play to the best of their abilities, because I still am proud at what they have done to date. Let's hope they put it all together the next two and a half months. That's all we can do. It is out of our hands.

That's an interesting take. Seems to me Nick Saban chewed out players routinely. How many titles does Saban have? And yes, plenty of those rage fests were about dumb things players did. I'm sure this is a generational divide. This old dude never saw stupid acts of display from players because we knew damn well we'd get chewed out AND benched. Discipline matters. That's the gist of my argument. and if you're going to be hard on players, you better love them massively, because that is the only way yelling at them will work.

We'll have to respectfully disagree. I believe there are times when a coach should erupt. Maybe not that particular issue, but players need to understand limits. And boundaries. Which behaviors are unacceptable, which have grey areas. Kalen DebBoer learned that exact lesson. He hard to be hard nosed enough in order for the players to respond when necessary. Furthermore, players must learn respect. For the game, for other players. For something outside themselves. I betcha DL gets on their behinds. We just never see it. Maybe that is what is preferred. Private lessons. As to Mario, that interaction has nothing to do with the way he loses in my opinion. He simply makes poor decisions, and in many instances, has little grasp of the pulse of the game in the moment. Those are two entirely different issues as far as I am concerned. I highly doubt Miami players even know of this dressing down. For why would they play for a man that is "out of control"? I root for Mario because he contributed to Oregon's ascent. I believe he had to go in order to salvage any opportunity at a job like Miami's because the book was out on him-at least for us. He ruined the greatest offense Oregon ever had - The Gulf Coast-and wanted to entirely junk explosive plays as a matter of course in Oregon football in order to prove how good of a coach he was. Cristobal routed Utah when we thought they would boat race us. He won two PAC12 titles beside himself. He won a Rose Bowl as well, going counter his tendencies. He contributed to our current status. And yes, he chewed out a self absorbed player that could have cost the team a loss. That is why I like Cristobal. I'm still glad he is at Miami. But he will stay in Duck lore forever in my mind because I doubt Dan Lanning comes here if not for what Cristobal laid as a foundation.

Oh I was quite pleased. I cannot stand players that showboat like that. It is completely unacceptable. I found it refreshing because too many players are selfish. That cost the team a first down in that situation. It should have been addressed. Point blank. It should never come to blows like it did in Arizona, which was another absolutely unacceptable act from a player (for those of you that don't recall, Arizona was blowing out a team, they ran back a fumble for what should have been a TD, but the player dropped the ball at the one and it became a touchback. Arizona lost the game). Players are too full of themselves. They must be humbled, or if not replaced. It's why I like the steelers and the Patriots. They let their players know they are very expendable. And they're both regular playoff teams. Those are teams I can get behind.

Look at what Ohio State did to Penn State. They threw the ball deep. Bama, Georgia, Miami earlier in the season, A&M, Tennessee- all throw deep early and often. If you want to win a Natty, you're going to have to throw the ball deep. How did we beat Ohio State? Throwing the ball deep. How did we lose to Washington? Throwing efficient pass schemes nearly the entire game. OBD threw one TD pass against Indiana. What kind of pass was it? A bomb. It has been my opinion all year, you have to score 40 a game. Explosive run plays for TDs don't happen often against playoff teams. Explosive plays are necessary to win. That leaves explosive passing. Figure it out, don't make excuses. Throw the damn ball deep.

The LBs are the key unit in the Mint Defense. The position requires a particular type of athlete. Jackson fits that archetype, but he runs himself out of plays as you adroitly mentioned. BB makes up for his lack of speed with instinct. The players don't fit the scheme, but Lupoi has managed to put the LBs in position to make plays more often this season. The secondary performed fine against Indiana in my opinion. The corners were left in islands and didn't get beat deep- Indiana ran simple out routes, which is their staple when they can't get down field. Ohio State does the same with Smith, who simply throws guys off of him to get open. Not sure you can ask more from the secondary since there really hasn't been an effective pass rush this year. I still like what I see. Not perfect, but not a mess. I do want to see less lethargy on both sides of the ball though. Not sure how close OBD can get to that August performance. Sure would like to see that, or at least what we did to Ohio State in Eugene.

Excellent assessment Don. Kaden Wetjen is a BEAST! He has deceptive speed, and he is explosive. Is he a WR for Iowa? He should be. Right on target concerning QB Gronowski. I personally believe he is playing better than he did at South Dakota State, and his accuracy is improving downfield. As for their defense-they aren't elite, but you have to beat them. They make few mistakes, and they are ferocious when they blitz. QB Moore will have to demonstrate he can read what they throw at him (does Stein have a full session in practice dedicated solely to recognizing blitz packages and his perceived weakness at reading zone coverage? I wonder). I'm all over Ducks -2 if that is the point spread. I recognize many Duck fans are truly concerned about OBD, but the talent advantage is far too much to ignore. I've been sunshine and buttercups lately for a reason. Let's see how things pan out. Thanks Don, you presented a fairly accurate picture of an improved Iowa team that is deadly if you don't match their intensity and effort (as far as I have studied).

Our defense has come to this in my opinion: if you can't pass on them, you won't win. In fact, the only time a team ran on us effectively in the Lanning era was little brother. Indiana did a very good job passing on OBD. I was pleased however because it wasn't the blitzkrieg we have faced from Ohio State and the Fuskies. If there is anything that will be an indicator of how elite our defense is, watch how we defend the pass this month.

Well, I believe we've seen Vandy's ceiling. They aren't going anywhere near a playoff berth anytime soon. And since we're not really looking at any home runs outside if Kiffin, most programs are going to regret firing their coaches expecting to climb the ladder in a field of very, very established elite programs. If I'm Kiffin, I'm staying out and getting a bonus. Doesn't even have to be huge. And truly, I'd say spend a good deal if that money in NIL and facilities. Ole Miss is in position to compete better than ALL of the programs looking for "that guy". Sorry GatOrlando, but if you had reservations about your for.er coach. I'd be shaking in my boots right now, because the elite teams are going to feast on this mess.

Anybody still think Penn State isn't a good indicator of what OBD should do to Iowa? Or maybe I should say it this way: Iowa showed their best against Penn State and Indiana. OBD showed it's worst at home against Indiana, let Penn State slip back in the game after controlling it The Iowa game is OBD to lose. A rematch against Indiana is OBD to lose. And from the likes of it, Ohio State has lots to improve on themselves if they are going to run the table on the elite. OBD are definitely capable of winning the Natty.

I always give the secondary a mulligan if someone else is open. Coverage rules will take care of that. To give up a TD like that is absolutely unacceptable

So of course, I watch the Safety responsible for the middle of the field-especislly since the OTHER SAFETY BLITZES-look at the QB instead of take Jeremiah Smith out of the equation. What do I ALWAYS SAY ABOUT LOOKING AT THE QB? YOU WILL NEVER COVER THE QB. HE ISN'T RUNNING DOWN THE FIELD.

I believe AQs are necessary. But THREE instead of four. I also believe the play in games should be used instead of expanding the field to 14 or 16. That in essence expands the field beyond 12. We will know in three weeks who is really slated to be considered playoff worthy. I'll definitely say this: there is no way on this planet that there are NINE SEC teams worthy of top 20 status. That is absolute nonsense. Florida, LSU, South Carolina and Auburn have been used as justification for bolstering a pretty average set of teams. The madness needs to end.

I would add Solar that Moore needs more looks outside the pocket (for the third time this week-am I a broken record?). The middle of the crisis play call that bought Moore time resulted in a TD against Indiana. The OT pass that Moore threw was a designed bootleg. Moore has such a strong arm and is an effective enough runner screams for using that as an option at least a third of our calls. It was also mentioned by David Marsh that Davison is a better blocker than Whittington. I believe more two back sets, and better use of the RBs in pass blocking schemes is necessary. I happen to believe the OTs are being set up for failure. They are not quick enough to handle DEs that line up more than two yards away from them. They require assistance. The interior Lineman also seem to stand up too quickly at times, which creates havoc inside (hence my call for two back sets). I would also use Jet Motion far more often. Especially for WR Moore and Sadiq. Then run designs for the TE inside as you suggested Solar. As I have mentioned countless times, it is not the gameplan that matters, it is the ability to draw plays up on the spot based on what the defense is doing to counter your game plan. Hence, my call for knowing every damn play known to mankind. "Gentleman, this is a football". That is what that quote means to me. Football isn't simply what you can do at the LOS. That always blows up in your face eventually when you face teams of your caliber or better. It's what you do to respond to diminish their advantage. You must be prepared for poor play and getting manhandled as much as you prepare for your opponent. One of the greatest skills Kirby Smart displays is his ability to neutralize multiple score leads. I believe it is because he junks his gameplan and starts looking at what is actually going on in the game. Whenever I do root against Georgia (usually it against Tennessee or Ohio State), I am never comfortable with two score leads, because I KNOW WHAT IS COMING NEXT. Georgia slowly climbs out of the hole, because they no longer focus on what they wanted to do-they focus on finding out what will work. That is Dan Lanning's next step in his evolution as a coach. I saw sprinkles of it last week. He took the win. But before he decided to minimize the play calling, he dialed up throws downfield. THEN he had Stein change formations. If I see Moore getting out of the pocket more (pun intended), then I believe Lanning is starting to look for every solution possible. But I am seeing that idea percolating in his head.

It would be difficult to stomach Indiana taking the crown this year. It just doesn't make sense to me. First of all, I don't think they're really in the great team category. But this year, no team really is. Every contender has flaws. Every single one. But to watch Indiana get more hype than OBD usually does infuriates me. Indiana or Bama, I'd have to swallow hard to root for the Hoosiers, but I already believe Bama is top three if not the best. I don't want to see an SEC team win a title for 15 more years, so Hoosier Daddy? is my moniker if they get there. Sorry GatOrlando and Nevada Dog, I like both teams, but I am so sick of eSECpn hyping the conference to the degree even the eye test is being overlooked. The SEC is still Bama and Georgia until proven otherwise, and NO I DO NOT BELIEVE A&M is going to win a Natty. Great article Darren...as usual

If Brock Thomas replaced Moore in the playoffs, I would turn the TV off. I would prefer Smith Jr face the wolves and risk his confidence before I would give the reigns to Thomas. That clearly means I have no issues with either Moga or Novo. Brock Thomas has done a fine job. The play that should have been intercepted was-in my opinion a late throw. Dakorian Moore was open two seconds earlier. No disrespect to Thomas, but I doubt his arm strength downfield. More than our scholarship QBs. Thomas may be padding his highlight reel for a portal transfer. Penn State lost Bo Pribula (what an irony, Allar and Pribula get injured back to back weeks) because everyone got to see what he had to offer. He was forced to make that decision because of the Portal rules. Penn State would be in much better shape (definitely would have defeated Iowa) had Pribula been allowed a reasonable decision process. I believe that is in play at present. Novo and Moga can start for several conference foes. No reason to give them impetus to recruit them in my opinion. If I were Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Purdue Minnesota (who I believe may be losing their good QB), I would be chasing both Novo and Moga right now. Both would be an upgrade for those programs.

Really like your point of view GAT! In my eyes, Franklin should wait until the dust settles. He is under rated. Reputation be damned. That guy should wait to see if Vandy's coach gets scooped up and go back to Nashville. Va Tech is another "fit" I see for him. A program like that won't be unreasonable in their expectations. College Football is looking more like a landscape of parity. Franklin will revive a program from the ashes (Va Tech), or maintain a middling program as a threat elite programs will have to take seriously (Vandy). The dust is going to settle pretty unbalanced at Natty seeking programs like PSU, UF, LSU, Auburn and Florida State. They are going to be competing to keep their talent and convince the younglings they are worthy enough to develop them. There probably are some hidden gems in the coaching field at present. Some fan bases are not going to be happy with the choices they receive since they all have a title and expect one "yesterday". If the P2 get their act together and provide a better football environment than what has emerged the past two years, College Football has a wonderful future ahead of itself. If... I never imagined how wonderful and exciting the football world has been the past 15 months. NIL has shattered monopolies, and despite the sour taste of spoiled 17-22 year olds looking for unearned bucks, it has been a joy to watch the drama unfold these past two seasons.

Forget about what I said for a moment. There are some very, very valid concerns about OBD. We look horrible. To the degree that a Big Ten Podcaster questions whether OBD are as good as Iowa. As you always find a way to explain Jon, other teams are deadly in their own manner. I also agree it is ridiculous that Iowa and the Fuskies aren't ranked. How in the world is Vanderbilt a top ten team? That is utterly ridiculous. I say that because Bama pretty much exposed them as an ordinary team in the SEC. Very ordinary. They, like USC, UW and Michigan, Iowa and even Nebraska are benefitting from a pretty ordinary schedule (much like Missouri, A&M, Oklahoma and Tennessee). It is, or it should be obvious the contenders in the P2 are Georgia, Bama and A&M, Ole Miss, OBD, Ohio State and Indiana. And the records aren't the reason. There are moments when USC, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa and those dreaded Fuskies have looked the part. The difference between that second group and the first is 1. talent and 2. they have demonstrated they can overcome poor play and win games they are supposed to win. No matter the circumstances or conditions. As I mentioned earlier, there isn't a fan base in group 1 that is claiming their team is going to win the Natty. That definitely includes Ohio State (they haven't played one elite team, nor have they faced anyone with enough talent-especially Texas-that has really exposed their flaws). All of the above programs will have to face the gauntlet of each other. Nobody looks like they are going to run away from the pack. Especially Ohio State. Idc what people are saying, Ohio State has not faced an A&M, Georgia, Bama or Indiana on offense. We will know what Ohio State is in December. We already have an idea of what the rest of the elite field looks like. And we know we haven't seen the best from any of them. OBD are quietly in the discussion, because lord knows, when the Ducks are humming, they are extremely scary. As in Ohio State will have problems if OBD unleashes the offense we saw in August. So the question is who does this team want to be? Not who are they? At least in my mind. Because it is time to commit. It is time to survey the landscape and determine how are we going to attack the playoff field. None of the teams on the rest of the schedule have the capacity to handle OBD if we decide to ATTACK THE PLAYOFF FIELD IN OUR STRATEGIES. In my mind, the rest of the season is about attacking them. On offense and defense. Without exposing the entire strategy, while putting away-early-the teams left on deck in the regular season. Those analysts that we hired to scout the field-regular season and playoff caliber teams-are the main focus at this point. DL needs to determine his path forward that handles the present, while attacking the 2nd season. We cannot prepare for the playoffs after the regular season ends. That work begins now. It doesn't have to look playoff form at present, but it better by the time the playoffs begin. So ugly wins and losses really don't matter. They're history. They sure better not be indicative of our future however.

You didn't come across whiney at all. You said what I've been thinking and been unable to articulate. I believe you have said better than most of us so far. For me, they are concerns, but they are correctable. Moore is effective both in the pocket and out of it. I believe he needs more reps outside the pocket-whether that be a moving pocket, max protection that gets him out of the pocket, or simple roll outs. Another aspect I see is missed assignments. The coaching staff is bent on running the ball, and I've seen far too many missed assignments (and I am not talking about getting beat at the point of attack, I am talking straight up not being where one is supposed to be when they are supposed to be there). This is happening in both run blocking and pass protection. What I really appreciated about this game is I saw adjustments much sooner than usual. FishDuck pointed out the formation changes in order to unleash the running game. Lanning also decided to just get the victory-no style points needed. He read the flow of the game and simply put pads on pads instead of just continuing what they wanted to do. Lupoi did the same. They recognized strengths and just went with them. There is nothing wrong with struggling in a game. And in my opinion, the struggle against Indiana was more lethargy than their ability. They didn't dominate us. People said the same thing about Auburn in the Natty. Remember, Cam Newton limped off the field. OBD were the more physical team, and the refs stole a sack/fumble/TD from us. Indiana is a marvel right now because they are boat racing the bums. They didn't boat race us. They didn't boat race Iowa. They are going to have to do more to win in the playoffs because they are NOT that physical. Long story short. This is experimentation time. This is a time to throw things on the wall-and I mean find out everything QB Moore can do and WHY. We have two blazing fast guys that can outrun every good corner and safety in the country, and we need to get them the ball downfield. We want to spring explosive running plays. Well, that requires setting a defense up to spring them. Bill Walsh used to script the first 15 plays on offense. That was in order to decipher what his opponents were planning to do and uncover what in his game plan would work. I believe we saw some aspects of that last night. I am hoping we don't fear what happens, rather we observe it and hope OBD handle it putting their best effort and brains into being successful.

If we keep doing what we're doing, you're correct. They cracked the code. It's not that difficult. Somebody's grandson was predicting plays tonight. The TD pass Dante threw against Indiana was schemed to handle what Indiana and Wisconsin pulled on us. It actually happened in the Penn State game too. You know, the clinching TD in OT? That is what needs to be more of the offense, when necessary. So, in my ultra hack opinion, we start getting Moore out of the pocket more often, or we get beat in the playoffs.

He's not a running QB. I wrote a couple of articles about him for my sister's paper. He is already better than he was in high school. If Stein can design a specific run package for him, he'll be deadly (or whomever at this point because Stein-for all my complaints is also getting better by the week-and he may be gone in Smith's era). I believe Jr. is going to be better than his dad was.

They're beating blocks because they know what we like to do, and they're aggressively attacking the point if attack. We're in a conference of very good coaches. They know DL and his staff pride themselves on physicality. How do you beat physicality? You go all in. It is no mistake that teams are trying to take away our running game. They've also schemed ways to bring pressure. Our staff wants to impose its brand. Teams are going to attack it with everything they have. What's the best response? Stop exclusively attacking teams the same way. That is exactly why constraint/sequential plays matter. I wrote a couple of articles about it. Check them out here. and here