Mike West

Stein needs to chip those ends. That blocker should be the check down option. No need to prove anything here. Tech should not be able to cover with the additional time ( this has to be a strategy the rest of the playoffs). I don't want to waste the best mismatch we will have the rest of the year.

Ohio State and OBD don't have agile enough lineman to bully these quick DLs we've seen. This requires blocking heads up (one-on-one). Tech has been smart. They totally know they are not going to cover the WRs. So they are laying off the LOS.

I'm telling you, I wouldn't waste my time establishing a rhythm. Moore missed a wide open Benson for a TD. That mismatch is already apparent.

OBD 35-16 2 2 325

My thought all year has been OBD need to average 42 in the playoffs to win it all. We just didn't have the kind of personnel to handle elite offenses.

I forgot about your take on that. I also believe the Tigers were lucky the first quarter ended before OBD ran another play. They got to rest... otherwise it may have been over before it started. Auburn didn't start stopping OBD before that point.

I hope not ...and pride has nothing to do with it. I want to see an annihilation tomorrow. It's time people respect OBD.

Yeah, Well see whether Bucknut fans about their Rose Bowl victory was the flex they bragged about all year.

You should watch the Miami/Florida game. That front door was g ferocious. I was pretty concerned about the Hurricanes from them until they lost to Louisville. I wasn't sure which Miami team would show up today. I guess they've shown us.

I don't either... I happen to believe the Red Raiders did their job winning the games they were supposed to. They do have a stout defense. It hasn't really been tested though. None of the teams they've faced are elite. I also believe Indiana changes the narrative about OBD. The response reminds me of all the talk about Auburn after they stuffed out running game. I will always believe that Chip was so bent on proving he could run in the Tigers instead of exploiting their weakness against the clear advantage OBD had passing that day In my mind Auburn was lucky he did, because OBD were by far the better team. We held the most explosive SEC team to 19 points ( in a conference known for its physical prowess) and had the opportunity to drop 30 plus if we had just passed the damn ball. The SEC and ESPN got away with a false narrative.

Yep, this is the time to force Tech to play a complete game, not just feast on turnovers and explosive plays.

I believe zone blocking will be more difficult on Tech. The edges are very quick. Surprisingly, running to the edges has worked on this defense though. If Lupoi forces Tech to drive the entire field, I don't believe the Red Raiders will score much. They need explosive plays to stay in this game in my opinion.

I prefer burnt steak. We used to call it burnt toast when this old dog played football!

This is where we get to see if our young team has developed killer instinct. If it ever was necessary, Tech is the kind of team to put down early, and keep down late.

David, the refs have cost us one title (Newton fumbled that TD run, he threw the pick, and we all know they got a gimmie at the end of the game). I am going to have to keep my cool this playoff season, because JMU got two explosive passes on pushoffs the refs didn't call. So I have to expect that will be par for the course.

Agreed! I do not believe TTU has the type of depth to sub much in this game.

Ah Solar, So glad you brought those issues up. I don't believe Tech can play a straight up game tomorrow. They will have to do more than go at it one on one. They like to bring their Safeties up-essentially bring eight guys into the box. Their base defense also allows for exotic blitzes no one has seen much from them. So how much do they vary their style? They will absolutely need to bring heat, because they will not cover OBD WRs well. I do doubt Stein gets outcoached. I thought he did an excellent job of adjusting to Indiana, and Moore simply wasn't ready to handle that much variety. Also, OBD RBs each ran for more than 5 yards per carry. The running game was there to exploit on a Defense I consider far more disruptive than Tech's. Steele considered IU the 15th best DL in the country. That unit proved repeatedly they are much better than that. Tech's LBs are also a major strength, but they do not have great closing speed in space. LB Rodriguez is a faster version of Boettcher-and he always is in the right place at the right time. Their edges are nearly unstoppable, and their OLBs also make very good plays. But they will be forced to commit to one or the other: run or pass. They cannot stop both. That will be apparent sometime in the middle of the first quarter in my opinion. Lupoi appears to be playing possum. I don't think he showed what he intends to do this playoff season. The LBs are the weakest link, but the Safeties have been their key assistants. I wonder if Lupoi is going to start bringing more heat himself when it matters (and the sooner the better). OBD will have to outscore the better offenses from this point on. I am not sure Tech is a part of the group I consider lethal enough to be a threat.

Mistake free football: the defining factor in playoff games. The Tech defense really focuses on forcing fumbles. They are really good at it. But you can tell they actually practice that skill-as in drills on a daily basis.

Fingers crossed. The layoff will be an interesting factor in this game as well.

I am looking at that dimension as well. I want to see how Stein attacks that front four. Also, if Stein starts moving Moore around, I believe Moore will be more deadly.

Steele has more interesting assessments. BYU, whom Tech essentially wrecked, returned 4 starters on offense, and 5 on defense. They were rated the 10th best OL and 11th best DL. They should have been routed given those ratings. It seems like Steele is more in love with the SEC and hasn't completely adjusted to the impact NIL has fostered on the game. He also whiffed last year on the top teams in the country.

Agreed! And these points stand out for me. If OBD play a complete game, this will be a cruise control win.

Spot on Jon! I believe the JMU game was very helpful in that respect. I also believe the staff and the players have done well to minimize responses to all the hype Tech is receiving. I was completely shocked at what I was looking at when I started to dig into the weeds. It stood out immediately. I could be completely wrong, but I'd be very shocked if I am. And of course, I will give the Red Raiders their due credit if it turns out they are as good as they are being hyped.

Both times we wore grey pants in the postseason, we lost I just wish we wore our traditional colors.

I believe your observation about that aspect of the offense in the Indiana game is spot on. I also had those thoughts. I have watched the game a few times. I do believe Stein went away from the run game more than I would have liked. It wasn't as if he choose poor plays in my opinion when he decided to pass the ball. Moore just didn't execute what he was given. I saw two missed TDs (an additional 8 points there-not to mention momentum lost and more pressure on the defense to hold the line), and some crafty plays to get guys open-on one missed TD, TWO players were open for TDs. Moore simply missed both, and they were easily going to score if either of them caught the ball. I believe Stein sets defenses up much more than we suspect. I believe execution has been the issue with the offense since Stein has been at the controls.