You choose your attitude

bgsufalcon24 · Post by **bgsufalcon24** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 2:55 pm

One thing I have to wonder right now is why everybody is complaining about the play calling. So what if we run the same plays all the time and most of them are running plays? We have the O-Line and speed and power in our QBs/RBs to run all over virtually every defense in the MAC except maybe Akron. We don't have to be that diversified to be successful in this conference.

TG1996 · Post by **TG1996** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 2:58 pm

bgsufalcon24 wrote:One thing I have to wonder right now is why everybody is complaining about the play calling. So what if we run the same plays all the time and most of them are running plays? We have the O-Line and speed and power in our QBs/RBs to run all over virtually every defense in the MAC except maybe Akron. We don't have to be that diversified to be successful in this conference.

But we could be so much more powerful, and that showed in the first drive. I don't think anyone would argue against "holding back" against a Buffalo if the situation called for it, but we were down in the fourth quarter and continued to run the same play four or five times in a row. Yeah, in the end it worked out for us, but even looking at the game in a positive light, that has to have ya scratching your head.

(All points to back this up have been made, but for reference, see: Pete Winovich and running sweeps and draws out of an empty backfield.)

Jacobs4Heisman · Post by **Jacobs4Heisman** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 3:12 pm

bgsufalcon24 wrote:One thing I have to wonder right now is why everybody is complaining about the play calling. So what if we run the same plays all the time and most of them are running plays? We have the O-Line and speed and power in our QBs/RBs to run all over virtually every defense in the MAC except maybe Akron. We don't have to be that diversified to be successful in this conference.

If you think running 40 QB draws and sweeps is going to beat anyone in the MAC other than Emich and Kent, you're way off base.

BGDrew · Post by **BGDrew** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 3:31 pm

Jacobs4Heisman wrote:
bgsufalcon24 wrote:One thing I have to wonder right now is why everybody is complaining about the play calling. So what if we run the same plays all the time and most of them are running plays? We have the O-Line and speed and power in our QBs/RBs to run all over virtually every defense in the MAC except maybe Akron. We don't have to be that diversified to be successful in this conference.

If you think running 40 QB draws and sweeps is going to beat anyone in the MAC other than Emich and Kent, you're way off base.

And had you told me that Western Michigan would whoop Toledo I'd say the same thing.

This "the sky is falling" attitude is getting reaaaaal old. Can we just see what happens this Saturday and then make some judgements about whether the ST problem has been taken care of?

Jacobs4Heisman · Post by **Jacobs4Heisman** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 3:44 pm

BGDrew wrote:
This "the sky is falling" attitude is getting reaaaaal old. Can we just see what happens this Saturday and then make some judgements about whether the ST problem has been taken care of?

Stop reading my posts then.

Do you think running 40 QB draws and sweeps will beat Toledo?

1987alum · Post by **1987alum** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 3:55 pm

My attitude:

I'm so friggin' thrilled that football season is here!

I know this season is going to be a gut-wrenching roller-coaster ride because of all the talent and experience we lost after last season. I know we're going to lose some games I wouldn't normally expect us to lose. I know some players aren't going to play as well as I'd like. I'm hopeful that Coach Brandon is in the midst of a transformation into the HC I believe he can be. I am also hopeful that we'll see some good crowds at The Doyt!

Oh, and AZZ.com fans = Best. Fans. Ever.

NWLB · Post by **NWLB** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:26 pm

I've spent too much time thinking about it. But I agree there are very real issues that are growing roots right now.

Its early the year, nobody wants to write off an entire season after two games. Nobody wants the shining city on a hill to turn out to be Detroit.

I think the excuse that expectations are high doesn't cut it this year. Expectations were high. Last year. And rightfully so. The ending to the last couple of years have been let-downs compared to the expectations which Urban Meyer created. Expectations which Brandon agreed to live up too when he took the job. But this year is different. This year the expectations have at best plateaued, and more realistically are lower than they were. People are nervous because of what they are seeing on the field. What had been dismissed as aborations have become nagging issues. The program on the rise has become just “another” decent MAC school.

No, it is too early to fire Brandon, not that this school could ever summon the moxy to spend such money. But we can't let this program get sucked into the self-defeating cycle of settling for a bowl win or divisional title. This isn't just another mid-level MAC team, its the second winningest program in the conference's history, which should never have been so weak as to allow UT to tie our title record, or start into this lateral rut it is in. Winning a couple of bowl games and a otherwise pointless divisional title would be great things to celebrate...after Brandon finished the job by winning the conference. He didn't. He choose to follow a two year instant-legend in Urban Meyer and to this day his abilities, recruiting, coaching, and players are being questioned because of that. He asked for it. Thats his job. Now he has to continue doing his job by fixing the issues or moving on.

After Blackney's final dive, Urban leaving, and Buddy getting fired, I choose not to try to get to know the new football and hockey staffs. Knowing the coaches is fun, but its a liability. While it might not be the warm-fuzzy BG thing to do, to critique a coach or team results, it is the objective thing to
do.

I have spent too many years following my alma mater's teams and caring for them more than most do. So I will take unkindly to anybody that questions my brown and orange patriotism by expressing my views.

What I see now is a program whose fans are in some cases torn between speaking their mind or their hearts. We should expect no less than Toledo, Miami, and NIU fans do. Those programs have come from less, won more, and done so more recently than we have. If you want to tell me that we have nothing to worry about, or any right to complain, then you should follow that with an explanation. You should explain to me as to why we should accept being lesser programs compared to those I mentioned. Because right now we are, and several other programs stand to move past us as well.

transfer2BGSU · Post by **transfer2BGSU** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 7:52 pm

NWLB wrote:So I will take unkindly to anybody that questions my brown and orange patriotism by expressing my views.

I thought you bled blue and gold

h2oville rocket · Post by **h2oville rocket** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 9:17 pm

That's MIDNIGHT blue and gold, son.

Strouse · Post by **Strouse** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 9:28 pm

As a band member, I'm thrilled, along with '87 that the football season is finally here

As for the other comments that have been said, the only one I feel implied to comment on is the play calling. The only problem I have with running three or four different plays in an entire game is that is it way too predictable. I just hope that as the games go on, GB actually opens up the play book and lets AT and Barnes do what they do best. Otherwise when we get into the beef of our schedule, we won't come out alive.
I can only hope that for those football players that actually come on here and read these posts, that they don't lose the will to play just because of some of our comments and/or reactions.

NWLB · Post by **NWLB** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 9:28 pm

You mean like Michigan's colors, just not under copyright?

Schadenfreude · Post by **Schadenfreude** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:06 am

Jacobs4Heisman wrote:[Do you think running 40 QB draws and sweeps will beat Toledo?

It's possible. Running 30 of them got us within a touchdown of Wisconsin (setting aside our obvious problems on special teams).

I can't explain why Brandon is calling the plays he has calling.

But, first of all, they are working. We are getting five yards a pop with them.

It has occurred to me that there might be a weird confidence building thing going on here.

I don't even remember who was coach at Ohio U. at the time -- it might have been Jim Grobe -- but they were playing Akron and the coach was still trying to sell his players on his new option system.

Anyway, they were playing Akron, and they beat them without completing a pass the entire day... I'm not even sure if they even attempted a pass; if they did it was only two or three.

The players started to buy into the new system after that.

Another thing that has crossed my mind is that Brandon may be setting teams up on tendencies.

We are 1-0 in the MAC with this weird offense, and it's reasonable to think we could get to 2-0 running the exact same offense against Kent State.

At the right moment -- against Ohio U. maybe -- if we open it up all of a sudden, it could really catch an opposing coach with his pants down.

I know these are weird theories. The bottom line: It hasn't been ineffective and we are in first place in the MAC East. I'd rather not freak out about the future, which has great potential. We pay Brandon good money to do the freaking out for us.

Jacobs4Heisman · Post by **Jacobs4Heisman** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:27 am

That's a great point about building tendencies, Schad. This could really come in handy down the line.

Basically all I'm saying is that if this is the new offensive philosophy, we won't win more than a few games the rest of the year. If it's just being used to beat the lesser MAC teams up front, well I still don't agree, but at least we won. The playcalling was so bland though, it did *almost* cost us the game against Buffalo. That's pretty bad.

Maybe Brandon and Stud are just waiting to season Turner and the young receivers a bit more in practice before unleashing them. Our schedule does afford us that luxury. I'm in the camp that thinks we need to get these youngins going in games to get them some valuable experience. I wanted this year to be a rebuilding year in which we just gained experience for a couple of runs in the next couple of years. Running the QB all the time might win games against Buffalo and Kent, but it doesn't build any experience for our green skill players.

That's why I'm so upset. I want to see progress, and we've seen none so far. Yeah, we won, but it might cost us down the road when Zach Charles and AT haven't formed any kind of chemistry because AT's been running and Charles has been blocking all season. When it's third and 13 in the fourth quarter against Toledo with the MAC on the line, will our passing game have enough experience to draw from to convert? That's what I'm concerned about -- not how many yards we can roll up with QB sweeps againt Buffalo.

transfer2BGSU · Post by **transfer2BGSU** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:42 am

Schadenfreude wrote:Another thing that has crossed my mind is that Brandon may be setting teams up on tendencies.

We are 1-0 in the MAC with this weird offense, and it's reasonable to think we could get to 2-0 running the exact same offense against Kent State.

At the right moment -- against Ohio U. maybe -- if we open it up all of a sudden, it could really catch an opposing coach with his pants down.

I saw this happen in North Carolina when I was down there.

Our team came out and played a wishbone offense. The coaching staff for our following weeks opponent was scouting us and you should have heard his comments as he was trying to get his coaches to figure out how to defend it. The following week, we didn't run a single play from the wishbone and won by 45 points.

Warthog · Post by **Warthog** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:15 am

Schadenfreude wrote:
Jacobs4Heisman wrote:[Do you think running 40 QB draws and sweeps will beat Toledo?
It's possible. Running 30 of them got us within a touchdown of Wisconsin (setting aside our obvious problems on special teams).

I can't explain why Brandon is calling the plays he has calling.

But, first of all, they are working. We are getting five yards a pop with them.

First off, I think Stud is calling the plays not Brandon. Not sure of that, but I would think that, for example, Brandon would have ultimate authority on that fourth down call, but I think Stud calls the plays in the normal offense.

Second, in regard to all the QB runs. Let me say that I am not necessarily of fan of them. BUT, they have been effective. And I think it is simply a case of taking what the defense is giving us. If we line up with 5 guys split out wide and the defense spreads the field, that leaves our five OL against like six guys in the box. That means you run the ball up the middle. Until defenses start putting another guy in the box, running the ball is the advantage in this formation. When they bring another guy in the box, then that should give us an advantage on the outside somewhere and then we will pass the ball. It is very basic, but also very effective.