UM 8-3 0SU 11-0
AN NFL GUY
If you click on the pic above and press play on the video you will see the kind of NFL offense that Brady Hoke hopes to one day run at Michigan (make sure to watch all the way thru to catch all the nuances of this intricate scheme). He’s an NFL guy. The superior type of football that has worked for 50 years and will continue to work at all costs regardless of any innovation or advancement of the game.
To his credit, Hoke has proven adjustable enough to make use of what the Father of Spread Option left behind – namely a great run first QB. He has two very good coordinators in Al Borges and Greg Mattison. But again, both of these guys have been schooled in the NFL Way and run into problems when they stubbornly adhere to those principals. Especially when facing PS schemes such as Nebraska, Northwestern and what they will see today.
WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE
For the first time all year I am calling out the OSU coaching stuff. The first drive against Wisconsin was brilliant. Especially the Stoneburner fake screen-block pass that had touchdown written all over it. We need to continue this aggression throughout the entire game, though. I think this young team is ready to grow up. Just in time for 2013. The 3 keys I have written about the last couple of weeks seem to be improving. 1- Our starts have been better. 2- Our execution has been better. 3- Our Defense has been better and not giving up big points at the end of games. Miller is still far from a good passing QB. He has a good enough arm and his mechanics are improved, but he still has a long way to go reading defenses. But he’s come far enough, imo, to handle more hurry up and passing spread, which will loosen the defense for the spread option. And we need to continue to go deep, both down the seams and sidelines, to keep the defense honest. If I see what I saw the first drive against Wisconsin, but for the WHOLE game, I will be a happy camper and so will the rest of Buckeye Nation! .PREDICTION
Hoke is a good Head Coach in many ways and should land his coveted NFL job in the near future, but he’s no match for the sheer power behind the Power Spread. As long as we are not too excited and execute as we have been the last 2 games this should be a Buckeye win and the start of a new Buckeye run.
The man that put us back on the map as far as The Game is concerned is here today for the 2002 National Championship Ceremony. A great coach who, not only made sure Michigan was put in their proper place, but who made this program into a monster powerhouse again. It’s only appropriate that Coach T should be here today – a “passing of the torch”. Only this time the torch is being passed to the Future. And that Future is the Power Spread.
Sorry Brady
~PS
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[…] approach in leading UM out of the recent RRod doldrums – especially on Offense. In my 2013 The Game Preview I actually compared Hoke and Borge’s Offense to the Eton Wall Game. A year later and it looks […]