As for accurate predictions, I shanked my forecast into the woods.
I had the Bucks 63-20, starting JTB, racking up tons of big points and giving up a few on D.
WRONG, WRONG but maybe oh well, WRONG and REALLY WRONG.
I got the overall summary right, where the lack of preparation would make things sloppy but totally missed on the game plan they’d choose which would make things worse for the O.
Frankly, I never would have predicted 38 - 0. But I was happier with the way the game played out than my prediction even with the O issues. I was 27 points off on the D if you include the scoop and score, and 32 points off on the O with the scoop going to the D. So it about evened out.
At this point in this season I’d rather have the D assert it’s will on a lesser opponent than run up video game stats in a meaningless game, and I’m very confident the issues on O will get sorted out.
Two things I was looking for in the game for improvement happened in spades: Turnovers and Red Zone D. We needed the TO margin of +4 as the game turned out or it would have been VERY UGLY. One way to play great RZD is to simply prevent the opponent from getting into the RZ.
When the Rainbows HAD the Ball.
I thought Wittek and Chow would have some moments. The back 7 looked a little shaky against VaT and Wittek has a much bigger arm, and frankly better X and Z receivers.
The D was having none of that. Ash’s ability to shut down the number one threat on an O is uncanny, and the Rainbows had no #2 or #3 threat. We played a lot of the 2 deep and still pitched a shutout. WOW. Color me very impressed. They could have and should have been flat, but played razor sharp.
When the Bucks Had the Ball
Well I was half right:
What went wrong?
IMO it started with a VERY poor game plan, and ended with some issues with the interior OL, and a tremendous plan and execution by the Rainbows where they put their one star in an interesting spot.
I forecast that JT would start, and my assumption was with the short week they’d run the basic game plan from the OOC games from last year. We’d have some surgical scoring drives, get everyone involved then take a nap for a few series... wake up and turn the keys over to CJ for some fireworks....
The problem wasn’t that they started CJ. The problem was that the game plan effectively put a black non-contact jersey on the QB, made no concerted effort to pound the rock inside and forced a bunch of plays to the H backs and WR’s in space….and one of the RW's DLine had a field day with the OL.
Have you seen it before???? Yes you have. It’s called the SPRING GAME. Recall how stellar CJ was in the spring game this year… how about JT last year… I’m not buying that the QBs were missing Tom Terrific whispering in their ears or Hawaii was clapping to throw them off… I think they were missing a real game plan.
You know an Urban game plan is off script when the QB has 12 rushing yards on 7 attempts 6 of which were sacks.
I fully understand why the plan didn’t call for a big dose of the running QB, but once you take that threat away the numerical advantage in the Urban O is negated.
It might have worked out OK if the RW’s had cooperated and played a BEAR with cover 0, which is what we practiced for all camp long… but they didn’t.
Chow and his staff were smarter than me and came in with a clever plan that assumed no QB run threat, and also assumed we wouldn’t try and pound the rock to Zeke. Unlike VaT, they kept a safety high, used 3 down linemen and a “mid seven” to clog up the east/west running game and underneath passing lanes. In many ways this is similar to one of our 3rd down looks, and very similar to NAVY. From this they run blitzed on early downs and played variations of a zone blitz from different angles with a robber on passing downs… of which there were many. They also tackled as well as any team we’ve played in recent memory.
Compounding the schematic limitations, our skill players all were trying to get on SportsCenter with every touch…. just like the SPRING GAME only more camera angles. Perhaps more troubling Boren and Price had problems controlling the strong side A gap for the second consecutive game.
Chow and Co also watched some film and took their best D player and only returning DL, Kennedy Tulimasealli and moved him from DE to play the 1 Tech on many downs. As with the VaT 1 Tech who has a similar skill set, Boren got frustrated, received little to no help from Price and it started to affect his snapping. You’d think Boren would be more comfortable with guys in his weight class, but the last two game indicate an issue.
Final Thinking:
No one on the CFP Committee cares, so I can only hope the Bucks can use the 5 plus score ugly win in game 2 in 2015 to learn as much as they did from the game 2 ugly loss in 2014.
They have to use the base game plan and run the QB some, focus on establishing the underneath and intermediate passing game and the running game BEFORE they try and hit home runs.
I think we saw GREED instead of GRIND with the game plan… Oh and Ed needs to work on some blocking adjustments for the small quik dude down low…. Sparty is starting Malik McDowell on the nose. He fits this type to a tee and he was making hay on Saturday Night versus Oregon.
I had the Bucks 63-20, starting JTB, racking up tons of big points and giving up a few on D.
WRONG, WRONG but maybe oh well, WRONG and REALLY WRONG.
I got the overall summary right, where the lack of preparation would make things sloppy but totally missed on the game plan they’d choose which would make things worse for the O.
Frankly, I never would have predicted 38 - 0. But I was happier with the way the game played out than my prediction even with the O issues. I was 27 points off on the D if you include the scoop and score, and 32 points off on the O with the scoop going to the D. So it about evened out.
At this point in this season I’d rather have the D assert it’s will on a lesser opponent than run up video game stats in a meaningless game, and I’m very confident the issues on O will get sorted out.
Two things I was looking for in the game for improvement happened in spades: Turnovers and Red Zone D. We needed the TO margin of +4 as the game turned out or it would have been VERY UGLY. One way to play great RZD is to simply prevent the opponent from getting into the RZ.
When the Rainbows HAD the Ball.
I thought Wittek and Chow would have some moments. The back 7 looked a little shaky against VaT and Wittek has a much bigger arm, and frankly better X and Z receivers.
The D was having none of that. Ash’s ability to shut down the number one threat on an O is uncanny, and the Rainbows had no #2 or #3 threat. We played a lot of the 2 deep and still pitched a shutout. WOW. Color me very impressed. They could have and should have been flat, but played razor sharp.
When the Bucks Had the Ball
Well I was half right:
Nothing can stop this Buckeye offense except themselves, and they will try hard at points during the game to do this.
I see big plays and scoring galore: Braxton accounts for at least 4 scores, Paris, Zeke, Jalin and Nick all score, and my prediction still leaves some room for someone else.
What went wrong?
IMO it started with a VERY poor game plan, and ended with some issues with the interior OL, and a tremendous plan and execution by the Rainbows where they put their one star in an interesting spot.
I forecast that JT would start, and my assumption was with the short week they’d run the basic game plan from the OOC games from last year. We’d have some surgical scoring drives, get everyone involved then take a nap for a few series... wake up and turn the keys over to CJ for some fireworks....
The problem wasn’t that they started CJ. The problem was that the game plan effectively put a black non-contact jersey on the QB, made no concerted effort to pound the rock inside and forced a bunch of plays to the H backs and WR’s in space….and one of the RW's DLine had a field day with the OL.
Have you seen it before???? Yes you have. It’s called the SPRING GAME. Recall how stellar CJ was in the spring game this year… how about JT last year… I’m not buying that the QBs were missing Tom Terrific whispering in their ears or Hawaii was clapping to throw them off… I think they were missing a real game plan.
You know an Urban game plan is off script when the QB has 12 rushing yards on 7 attempts 6 of which were sacks.
I fully understand why the plan didn’t call for a big dose of the running QB, but once you take that threat away the numerical advantage in the Urban O is negated.
It might have worked out OK if the RW’s had cooperated and played a BEAR with cover 0, which is what we practiced for all camp long… but they didn’t.
Chow and his staff were smarter than me and came in with a clever plan that assumed no QB run threat, and also assumed we wouldn’t try and pound the rock to Zeke. Unlike VaT, they kept a safety high, used 3 down linemen and a “mid seven” to clog up the east/west running game and underneath passing lanes. In many ways this is similar to one of our 3rd down looks, and very similar to NAVY. From this they run blitzed on early downs and played variations of a zone blitz from different angles with a robber on passing downs… of which there were many. They also tackled as well as any team we’ve played in recent memory.
Compounding the schematic limitations, our skill players all were trying to get on SportsCenter with every touch…. just like the SPRING GAME only more camera angles. Perhaps more troubling Boren and Price had problems controlling the strong side A gap for the second consecutive game.
Chow and Co also watched some film and took their best D player and only returning DL, Kennedy Tulimasealli and moved him from DE to play the 1 Tech on many downs. As with the VaT 1 Tech who has a similar skill set, Boren got frustrated, received little to no help from Price and it started to affect his snapping. You’d think Boren would be more comfortable with guys in his weight class, but the last two game indicate an issue.
Final Thinking:
No one on the CFP Committee cares, so I can only hope the Bucks can use the 5 plus score ugly win in game 2 in 2015 to learn as much as they did from the game 2 ugly loss in 2014.
They have to use the base game plan and run the QB some, focus on establishing the underneath and intermediate passing game and the running game BEFORE they try and hit home runs.
I think we saw GREED instead of GRIND with the game plan… Oh and Ed needs to work on some blocking adjustments for the small quik dude down low…. Sparty is starting Malik McDowell on the nose. He fits this type to a tee and he was making hay on Saturday Night versus Oregon.
