Big 12 stinking it up with only one win thus far. The 3 losses (with OK State game still going on) none have been closer than 20 points.
SEC winning too many games for my liking.
(01-02-2016 02:42 AM)seniorowl Wrote: [ -> ]SEC winning too many games for my liking.
Not for mine.
I particularly enjoy watching SEC teams blow out XII teams. Hope Arkansas completes the trifecta.
(01-02-2016 02:43 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote: [ -> ] (01-02-2016 02:42 AM)seniorowl Wrote: [ -> ]SEC winning too many games for my liking.
Not for mine.
I particularly enjoy watching SEC teams blow out XII teams. Hope Arkansas completes the trifecta.
Love Arkansas! Fondest memories of the SWC was one of only two flying road trips the Men's Swimming Owls ever made during my tenure '79-83' when we flew Southwest to Tulsa then took the rental van to Fayetteville. Only time I scored individually in a full conference meet (12th in the 200 yard breaststroke at the SWC preseason meet in 1981) as the non-scholie Owls were completely outgunned by the then Olympic juggernauts at UT, UH, Arkansas and SMU. Full disclosure, SMU and UT skipped the meet!
Too bad we didn't follow the Hogs east to the SEC when we had the chance!
I think the big loser of this week, besides Michigan State, is anyone who has "Beat Nick Saban" in his job description. Who would have guessed Bama would lead Sparty 24-0 with Derrick Henry at 25 yards rushing? Great game plan and execution in the passing game by Bama.
Bret Bielema and Butch Jones, IMHO, know what the heck they are doing, yet each has pitchforks out because of losing records in conference, perhaps amplified by the "Look at McElwain's quick fix at Florida" effect. Richt's record would get statues built at most schools, but gets him fired in the SEC. Ditto Les Miles, almost.
Many bloggers think Auburn would trade out Malzahn for Kelly if they could. If you are counting, Malzahn is two years removed from national championship game. Same duration at which Chizik got fired.
SEC feels like an order of magnitude more competitive than any other conference.
(01-02-2016 02:43 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote: [ -> ] (01-02-2016 02:42 AM)seniorowl Wrote: [ -> ]SEC winning too many games for my liking.
Not for mine.
I particularly enjoy watching SEC teams blow out XII teams. Hope Arkansas completes the trifecta.
How's that fancy TCU defense that you like so much?
(01-02-2016 07:58 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote: [ -> ] (01-02-2016 02:43 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote: [ -> ] (01-02-2016 02:42 AM)seniorowl Wrote: [ -> ]SEC winning too many games for my liking.
Not for mine.
I particularly enjoy watching SEC teams blow out XII teams. Hope Arkansas completes the trifecta.
How's that fancy TCU defense that you like so much?
Where did I say that I like "that fancy TCU defense" so much. They run a 4-2-5 and I don't like the 4-2-5. I thought I'd made it pretty clear that I prefer an odd front, either 3-4 or 3-3-5. What I've said is that if you're going to play the 4-2-5, I like their version a lot better than ours. But I have been no fan of the 4-2-5 going back to watching Ken's flexbone teams simply destroy New Mexico's 4-2-5. And that was a defense with Brian Urlacher in it. To reiterate, I don't like the 4-2-5, but they play theirs a lot better than we play ours--including tonight.
But their biggest problem tonight is that they are going with a backup QB and it's obvious that the events of a day or two ago took a lot out of them emotionally.
I was listening to the Alamo Bowl on TCU radio. Their problem is not so much the QB as the secondary, which is better nag destroyed by Oregon. Oddly, the announcers say the TCU DL is definitely mating the Oregon O-line.
28-0 Oregon, 13:30 left in the second qtr.
(01-02-2016 08:11 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote: [ -> ]I was listening to the Alamo Bowl on TCU radio. Their problem is not so much the QB as the secondary, which is better nag destroyed by Oregon. Oddly, the announcers say the TCU DL is definitely mating the Oregon O-line.
28-0 Oregon, 13:30 left in the second qtr.
The QB is affecting them, not so much the performance of this QB but because of the Boykin deal they are obviously not in the game emotionally. You look at all the stupid penalties they've gotten. And this hasn't been the vaunted TCU defense all season. What they do is really hard to coordinate, and they've had holes in the secondary all season. They have given up 37 to SMU, 52 to TT, 45 to K-State, 49 to Okie State, 30 to Oklahoma.
(01-02-2016 08:16 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote: [ -> ] (01-02-2016 08:11 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote: [ -> ]I was listening to the Alamo Bowl on TCU radio. Their problem is not so much the QB as the secondary, which is better nag destroyed by Oregon. Oddly, the announcers say the TCU DL is definitely mating the Oregon O-line.
28-0 Oregon, 13:30 left in the second qtr.
The QB is affecting them, not so much the performance of this QB but because of the Boykin deal they are obviously not in the game emotionally. You look at all the stupid penalties they've gotten. And this hasn't been the vaunted TCU defense all season. What they do is really hard to coordinate, and they've had holes in the secondary all season. They have given up 37 to SMU, 52 to TT, 45 to K-State, 49 to Okie State, 30 to Oklahoma.
Just reporting what the TCU announcers are saying. From their description, sometimes the OU receivers are so open they can order a pizza. I don't know how the QB being out makes that happen. I am sure a little more TOP would help the defense catch their breath, but so far, no defense.
Not watching or listening anymore.
(01-02-2016 08:24 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote: [ -> ]Just reporting what the TCU announcers are saying. From their description, sometimes the OU receivers are so open they can order a pizza. I don't know how the QB being out makes that happen. I am sure a little more TOP would help the defense catch their breath, but so far, no defense.
Not watching or listening anymore.
When you lose an emotional leader of your team under the circumstances that they did, you bet it affects how your secondary--and every other part of your team--performs. I can definitely understand how having your QB out under these circumstances can make your secondary perform poorly. I've seen it happen more than once. I am watching, and they are pretty much just sleepwalking out there. Bowl games are always a dice roll, which team will show up and which one won't, which is why you get some really crazy results sometime. In that context, Boykin's misadventure was probably a particularly costly move.
I have seen it go the other way too. I remember when Lou Holtz sent three guys home from the Orange Bowl and then went out and beat Oklahoma 31-6, when the national championship was on the line. Notre Dame ended up number one, after beating previously undefeated Texas in the Cotton Bowl, but I personally thought Arkansas was the best team in the country and should have gotten the national championship.
Don't look now, but TCU may win that game.
Down 31-28. TCU with the ball on OU 39. 2:17 left.
Up just 3, Oregon is panicking. Two clock-stopping pass plays nowhere near the WRs back up against their end zone. Even no-gain rushes would have wound the clock down.
Overtime!
Oops. Not yet. Oregon returns kickoff to their 48.
Going to overtime.
Yeah, that "fancy TCU defense" has actually done pretty well in the second half. Of course, it has helped a lot that Oregon's QB went down. But in fairness, both teams are playing with backup QBs.
As bad as the TCU defense looked in the first half, they held Oregon to 31 for the game. That's probably somewhere between half and one third what our defense would have given up to that offense. It's less than half what we surrendered to Southern Miss. It's also less than half what we gave up to Baylor, but Baylor is probably comparable to Oregon offensively.
I still don't like the 4-2-5. I like 5 in the secondary, but I like the 3-3-5 better because I like having that 3rd linebacker. If I had to choose, I think the extra LB is more valuable, I'd go 3-4 before I'd go 4-2-5. TCU makes it work because their front 4 puts pressure on the o-line and allows the LBs and DBs to run around and make plays.
Looks like the troubled TCU defense did a good job adjusting at the half--holding Oregon scoreless while the troubled TCU offense came back and scored 31 unanswered points to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Anybody's game now, but even if they end up losing, what TCU did when down 31 at the half was still impressive.
As to the 4-2-5: all NASCAR drivers now drive essentially the same car, with different coverings and stickers (uniforms) on the outside. What makes the difference is the experience and skills of the individual drivers (head coaches.) TCU has a pretty good driver. He could run any defense and would probably find a way to succeed.
It's the head coach that makes the biggest difference.
(01-02-2016 10:28 PM)greyowl72 Wrote: [ -> ]Don't look now, but TCU may win that game.
Down 31-28. TCU with the ball on OU 39. 2:17 left.
I actually thought TCU did a pretty poor job of clock management at the end. Maybe that's party due to having a backup QB in the game. Whatever the reason, they didn't handle it very well.
Your objective there is that you want to score the touchdown, you take the TD at any point without regard to the clock, and if not you want to snap the ball on the field goal attempt with 3 seconds left. The time out TCU took with 2:17 left really screwed up their clock management for the remainder of the half.
Bailiff's not the only coach who mismanages the clock. Even the best screw it up from time to time.
Best game of the bowl season.
Entertaining game, even for a football fan without a dog in the hunt.
Pretty gutsy call by Patterson to go for two there in 3OT to try to force the end. Showed great faith in his defense as it was unsuccessful, but TCU D still stopped Oregon to win the game.
Congratulations to TCU fans. Again, very entertaining football game. The blocked punt for a first down earlier in the contest was also something I had not seen happen in forever.
(01-02-2016 11:13 PM)GoodOwl Wrote: [ -> ]Pretty gutsy call by Patterson to go for two there in 3OT to try to force the end. Showed great faith in his defense as it was unsuccessful, but TCU D still stopped Oregon to win the game.
He has to go for two there, by rule.