I was fortunate or unfortunate enough to be at the game with my family and I refuse to watch it at this point but here are my random thoughts in the game FWIW
other observations:
1. Seems like when we ran tempo we were slicing through them - then we would stop mid drove and everything would bog down tremendously
2. Seems like there were very few progressions on pass plays to the 2nd 3rd 4th or 5th option CJ knew who he wanted to throw to at the snap of the ball…
3. Probably would have won the game in a rainstorm ironically - Knowles ran a scheme meant for a rainstorm
4. The first play 100000% should have been some sort of QB run - just like in 2018 with a QB7 named Haskins who also didn’t love to run…
5. This seemed to be almost a repeat of the ‘96 game but a modern versions - instead of the spring slip we have 5 springs slips - but the same atmosphere and nearly the same start with the weird opening kickoff
6. If you told me prior to the game that we have 4 trips to the red zone and they have one - I wouldn’t know how we could lose
7. If Hickman simply doesn’t face guard on the PI in our end zone at 24-20 - again we may pull this out
8. Is it true our WR’s aren’t at all physical and can’t fight off press coverage? Seemed to be the case - and I was told that their DB’s are grabbing and holding all the time but I couldn’t tell
9. The botched fake punt which happened right in front of me - is a mind boggling window into the chaos within our team - my girls are competitive golfers and we talk all the time about on course strategy and knowing your plan and what other unexpected things may happen - how in the world does Eichenberg not check with the snapper with a verbal password that it’s confirmed the fake was still on - inexcusable
does anyone know what the snap infraction was on the first try when there was the penalty?
10. I also thought we would go against our season long tendencies- fake bubble screens and go up top or fake the jet pass to Xavier and hit stover (if he can catch) on the same side - basically - punish the defense for jumping our routes - instead - we played even more
To our tendencies
11. We need to hire a TTUN staff (I’d call it war department) of 2-3 - only job is to
Watch TTUN film - infuse beating TTUN into our culture - hire Urban hire trees to run it - hire Speilman from the Lions to be like a GM / TTUN aficionado- or Mike Doss or Darron Lee or Troy Smith perhaps even
12. Coach Day is looking down the barrel of losing 3 straight big games - TTUN / Non CFP Bowl / @ND… if that happens - and we lose again to TTUN - there will be quite a hot seat into 2024 - hope I’m wrong here
13. Everything here is fixable but honest personal assessment by staff needs to be done - this was a mid 90’s loss to the TTUN if I have ever seen one
14. Urban and Tress and Earle always had us better in November - Coop was always remember September- our best game this year was Wisconsin in early October - we got worse and worse - that’s concerning
15. I give Hairball all the credit in the world (or his dad or brother Josh - whomever is pulling the strings) as they took a really honest look at both programs and essentially turned modeled their program after what Jim Tressel created - blue collar- ‘mostly 3-4 star recruits with precise attention to detail and discipline… and a renewed focus on the rivalry - hiring the culture guy Biff Poggi was genius - and now they are looking down the barrel at winning their 3rd in a row next year
16. I give Utah a punchers chance tonight - mainly be issue this will be SC’s third straight game against a very physical foe - UCLA / ND and now Utah - this caught up to us last year jn Ann Arbor after playing Purdue and Sparty - and Utah is actually playing the best they have all year with some freshman stepping it up and a UT transfer making waves at running back - may be wishful thinking but Go Utah
other observations:
1. Seems like when we ran tempo we were slicing through them - then we would stop mid drove and everything would bog down tremendously
2. Seems like there were very few progressions on pass plays to the 2nd 3rd 4th or 5th option CJ knew who he wanted to throw to at the snap of the ball…
3. Probably would have won the game in a rainstorm ironically - Knowles ran a scheme meant for a rainstorm
4. The first play 100000% should have been some sort of QB run - just like in 2018 with a QB7 named Haskins who also didn’t love to run…
5. This seemed to be almost a repeat of the ‘96 game but a modern versions - instead of the spring slip we have 5 springs slips - but the same atmosphere and nearly the same start with the weird opening kickoff
6. If you told me prior to the game that we have 4 trips to the red zone and they have one - I wouldn’t know how we could lose
7. If Hickman simply doesn’t face guard on the PI in our end zone at 24-20 - again we may pull this out
8. Is it true our WR’s aren’t at all physical and can’t fight off press coverage? Seemed to be the case - and I was told that their DB’s are grabbing and holding all the time but I couldn’t tell
9. The botched fake punt which happened right in front of me - is a mind boggling window into the chaos within our team - my girls are competitive golfers and we talk all the time about on course strategy and knowing your plan and what other unexpected things may happen - how in the world does Eichenberg not check with the snapper with a verbal password that it’s confirmed the fake was still on - inexcusable
does anyone know what the snap infraction was on the first try when there was the penalty?
10. I also thought we would go against our season long tendencies- fake bubble screens and go up top or fake the jet pass to Xavier and hit stover (if he can catch) on the same side - basically - punish the defense for jumping our routes - instead - we played even more
To our tendencies
11. We need to hire a TTUN staff (I’d call it war department) of 2-3 - only job is to
Watch TTUN film - infuse beating TTUN into our culture - hire Urban hire trees to run it - hire Speilman from the Lions to be like a GM / TTUN aficionado- or Mike Doss or Darron Lee or Troy Smith perhaps even
12. Coach Day is looking down the barrel of losing 3 straight big games - TTUN / Non CFP Bowl / @ND… if that happens - and we lose again to TTUN - there will be quite a hot seat into 2024 - hope I’m wrong here
13. Everything here is fixable but honest personal assessment by staff needs to be done - this was a mid 90’s loss to the TTUN if I have ever seen one
14. Urban and Tress and Earle always had us better in November - Coop was always remember September- our best game this year was Wisconsin in early October - we got worse and worse - that’s concerning
15. I give Hairball all the credit in the world (or his dad or brother Josh - whomever is pulling the strings) as they took a really honest look at both programs and essentially turned modeled their program after what Jim Tressel created - blue collar- ‘mostly 3-4 star recruits with precise attention to detail and discipline… and a renewed focus on the rivalry - hiring the culture guy Biff Poggi was genius - and now they are looking down the barrel at winning their 3rd in a row next year
16. I give Utah a punchers chance tonight - mainly be issue this will be SC’s third straight game against a very physical foe - UCLA / ND and now Utah - this caught up to us last year jn Ann Arbor after playing Purdue and Sparty - and Utah is actually playing the best they have all year with some freshman stepping it up and a UT transfer making waves at running back - may be wishful thinking but Go Utah
