The unofficial online home for fans of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(10-22-2022 07:37 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  When I get the chance this weekend I'm going to look at the relationship between playing above a 90% WP and the final margin of victory. It seems Fickell has blown more surefire blowouts than any other top end coach in the country.

Definitely feels that way. But they're 90%+ all the time because he's built a team that plays at a high level. He's got a lot of jim Tressel in him when he gets a lead.

(10-22-2022 07:45 PM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(10-22-2022 07:37 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  When I get the chance this weekend I'm going to look at the relationship between playing above a 90% WP and the final margin of victory. It seems Fickell has blown more surefire blowouts than any other top end coach in the country.

Definitely feels that way. But they're 90%+ all the time because he's built a team that plays at a high level. He's got a lot of jim Tressel in him when he gets a lead.

As fans, it's typical to be critical when watching the game. It's typical to want to improve in any area that needs improving. My hand is raised. That said, there were a lot of comments in this thread about how the coaching is bad/dumb/unacceptable/insert other words here. For every part of the Jim Tressel in him it is also countered with the Big Fick that we all loved and cheered when he first got here with his aggressiveness especially on fourth down. When a coach wins a lot of games and believes in his players [and vice versa] it isn't that hard to understand why he does what he does. We tend to forget the former coach and maybe the one prior when winning wasn't happening at the clip it is now. All-time winningest coach in UC history. Year Six. 54-16. Throw out his first season and he's now 50-8.

50-8!

That's an insane winning percentage for ANY PROGRAM and especially for little ol' G5er Cincinnati. Fick knows what he's doing despite his occasional self and others on the former and current staff.

This team feel like it's being coached by Mick Cronin in those years where we played crappy enough to lose most games but had just enough talent to beat the cruddy AAC opponents.

This year through 3 conference games the Cats are not winning by big margins - Tulsa was by 10. I would have to go back and look at what we did in-conference in years prior but it still feels like this team is trying to put together a complete game. Is it all the new faces playing together? Is it some positional depth/limitations/experience? Is it new position coaches? Are other teams amped up to knock us off the perch? We are playing extremely undisciplined? Probably a bit of all this. Hopefully, the jury is still out and we can get better with five games to go.

In 2019, we won several games in the last minute on last second FG's or defensive stops. There are many areas where they're still trying to put it all together. This coaching staff preaches playing fast and aggressive on defense. The team in general hasn't figured out how to do that, yet play smart. UCF lost last night at ECU, so we'll see how that effect the home team's play next week.

(10-23-2022 06:13 AM)Edgebrookjeff Wrote:  In 2019, we won several games in the last minute on last second FG's or defensive stops. There are many areas where they're still trying to put it all together. This coaching staff preaches playing fast and aggressive on defense. The team in general hasn't figured out how to do that, yet play smart. UCF lost last night at ECU, so we'll see how that effect the home team's play next week.

This year is going to look a lot like 2019, 2018, and 2008. Very good UC teams that basically won ugly. I added 2008 in there because that team got crushed by Oklahoma and UConn and needed miracles to beat multiple opponents

(10-22-2022 10:35 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  This year through 3 conference games the Cats are not winning by big margins - Tulsa was by 10. I would have to go back and look at what we did in-conference in years prior but it still feels like this team is trying to put together a complete game. Is it all the new faces playing together? Is it some positional depth/limitations/experience? Is it new position coaches? Are other teams amped up to knock us off the perch? We are playing extremely undisciplined? Probably a bit of all this. Hopefully, the jury is still out and we can get better with five games to go.

I think all of that + the play calling is night and day once we get a 10 point lead. The running game looks like the defense expects it every time and it feels like we suffocate opponents with talent as opposed to stepping on the throat. Mark makes a good point about the Tressel ball coming out in him at times when we'd be better off seeing the Urban Meyer ball instead.

(10-23-2022 07:46 AM)UCBearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  

(10-23-2022 06:13 AM)Edgebrookjeff Wrote:  In 2019, we won several games in the last minute on last second FG's or defensive stops. There are many areas where they're still trying to put it all together. This coaching staff preaches playing fast and aggressive on defense. The team in general hasn't figured out how to do that, yet play smart. UCF lost last night at ECU, so we'll see how that effect the home team's play next week.

This year is going to look a lot like 2019, 2018, and 2008. Very good UC teams that basically won ugly. I added 2008 in there because that team got crushed by Oklahoma and UConn and needed miracles to beat multiple opponents

I think this team is more talented than the early Fickell teams though. That's what makes it frustrating when we don't take our chances to blow the doors off people.

It wasn't fun to watch, but the Bearcats are now bowl eligible and have the winningest coach in school history. Not bad for a windy afternoon's work in Dallas.

An ugly win beats a pretty loss every time. And fans of the '22 Bearcats should know that by now as we've viewed a good sample size of this team's work. No doubt that questionable decision to go for it on 4th down on UC's side of the field turned out to be a pivot point in a game where the Bearcats were totally dominating SMU. That call breathed new life into SMU's homecoming hopes.

Ivan Pace is a remarkable talent but UC doesn't need him going all Vontaze Burfict on us at critical moments. If he can't control his excesses, those behaviors may become viral with his defensive teammates and will certainly cost the team a win down the road.

But for October 23, let's enjoy the win and hope the journey to the CCG gets a little easier to watch in the coming weeks.

(10-23-2022 10:06 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  It wasn't fun to watch, but the Bearcats are now bowl eligible and have the winningest coach in school history. Not bad for a windy afternoon's work in Dallas.

An ugly win beats a pretty loss every time. And fans of the '22 Bearcats should know that by now as we've viewed a good sample size of this team's work. No doubt that questionable decision to go for it on 4th down on UC's side of the field turned out to be a pivot point in a game where the Bearcats were totally dominating SMU. That call breathed new life into SMU's homecoming hopes.

Ivan Pace is a remarkable talent but UC doesn't need him going all Vontaze Burfict on us at critical moments. If he can't control his excesses, those behaviors may become viral with his defensive teammates and will certainly cost the team a win down the road.

But for October 23, let's enjoy the win and hope the journey to the CCG gets a little easier to watch in the coming weeks.

I think the off setting personal foul on Pace where he tapped Rashee Rice on the head was BS, but like Burfict, his rope is shorter than the average players because the refs all believe he is a dirty player. Therefore, he is going to have to be extra cautious about playing after the whistle.

I posted this on Twitter yesterday, when you are an urban campus public school like UC and you play on the road against a school that is not one (not to mention the refs speak with a twangy southern voice) you best take care of business so that when they throw the yellow flag it does not affect the outcome of the game.

(10-22-2022 07:32 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  

(10-22-2022 05:09 PM)BomberMan Wrote:  

(10-22-2022 04:34 PM)Bcatbog Wrote:  How does coach discipline stupid as in running into the kicker?

By holding his assistants accountable. Financially

...what?

I don’t know. I was frustrated. Nothing to see here.

(10-23-2022 10:17 AM)BomberMan Wrote:  

(10-22-2022 07:32 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  

(10-22-2022 05:09 PM)BomberMan Wrote:  

(10-22-2022 04:34 PM)Bcatbog Wrote:  How does coach discipline stupid as in running into the kicker?

By holding his assistants accountable. Financially

...what?

I don’t know. I was frustrated. Nothing to see here.

Why wasn't Pace tossed after his second unsportsmanlike penalty?

(10-23-2022 10:35 AM)Edgebrookjeff Wrote:  

(10-23-2022 10:17 AM)BomberMan Wrote:  

(10-22-2022 07:32 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  

(10-22-2022 05:09 PM)BomberMan Wrote:  

(10-22-2022 04:34 PM)Bcatbog Wrote:  How does coach discipline stupid as in running into the kicker?

By holding his assistants accountable. Financially

...what?

I don’t know. I was frustrated. Nothing to see here.

Why wasn't Pace tossed after his second unsportsmanlike penalty?

I think the other was considered unnecessary roughness. I was confused as well

(10-23-2022 10:44 AM)Sweetness Wrote:  

(10-23-2022 10:35 AM)Edgebrookjeff Wrote:  

(10-23-2022 10:17 AM)BomberMan Wrote:  

(10-22-2022 07:32 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  

(10-22-2022 05:09 PM)BomberMan Wrote:  By holding his assistants accountable. Financially

...what?

I don’t know. I was frustrated. Nothing to see here.

Why wasn't Pace tossed after his second unsportsmanlike penalty?

I think the other was considered a personal foul. I was confused as well

Did Ivan do this crap at MU?

One was called unsportsmanlike conduct and one was called unnecessary roughness. Not sure if that distinction matters or not.