BIG 12 Defense

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MaxyJR1

MaxyJR1

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Here is a tweet from Adam Rittenberg:

"Big 12 defenses = ultra soft. Nebraska's D can hang in Big Ten, but Huskers' O needs to be prepared for much better defenses."
 


How about Zook calling the naked bootleg up 31-14 with under 2 minutes and then letter a senior LB kick off? Briles follows it up with a time-out with 2 seconds left down 38-14. Looked like he had some words for Zook as well after the game.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
How about Zook calling the naked bootleg up 31-14 with under 2 minutes and then letter a senior LB kick off? Briles follows it up with a time-out with 2 seconds left down 38-14. Looked like he had some words for Zook as well after the game.
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Did they go for 2?
 



No it is 100% true. The BIG XII went so heavily towards the spread that every programs defenses had to adjust to defend it. One MAJOR issue though, any team with any size or power running game was going to smash those defenses.

People are already seeing many of the BIG XII teams go more back to a power rushing attack more similar to the BIG 10 since they know the defenses as a whole aren't geared to stopping those attacks. It all goes in cycle. Remember at one time the BIG XII was considered one of the most physical defensive conferences in the country, but again that changed with the adaptation of the spreads.

Missouri gave up over 300 yards rushing to ONE back against Nebraska and of course let a true frosh in Coker go for over 200 last night.

The BIG 10 schools adapted by keeping their smash mouth physical style of play on both sides of the ball, but adjusted and recruited more for speed in the secondaries to handle both styles.

With everything said, Iowa struggled badly trying to slow down Missouri's passing attack, but implemented a bend but don't break philosophy. They knew the closer Mizzou got to the endzone, the less field they had to work with. Just try to keep them out of the endzone... games turns much more physical.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
How about Zook calling the naked bootleg up 31-14 with under 2 minutes and then letter a senior LB kick off? Briles follows it up with a time-out with 2 seconds left down 38-14. Looked like he had some words for Zook as well after the game.
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I was having dinner in a restaurant with a television and looking up every so often. I didn't see Illinois last score, but knowing now that it came on a misdirection play with the game well in hand, I can understand Briles' consternation during the post-game meeting in the middle of the field.

The only other thing I noticed about the game is how good Illinois can be when hitting on all cylinders. That's one physically talented team. I watched Baylor earlier in the year and wasn't impressed then, but they got wiped up tonight by a much better team.
 

The Big 12 was over-rated again? Shocking.
 

I too was at a bar and I caught the last half of the fourth quarter. I thought the bootleg play for a touchdown was pretty cheap. I also thought the Wisconsin 2 point try in the Gopher game was cheap. I know there are a lot of people that say "If you don't like it, stop it." That's fine. Not everyone agrees. However, I have been and will always be in the camp that says you do not pull stunts like that when a game is late and well in hand. I thought Iowa played it right when they were running out the clock against Missouri and ended up having a guy ramble down to the one foot line. They went victory formation at that point, sitting on their opponent's one yard line. I am pretty sure Wisconsin would have called a simple dive play rather than the victory formation to get a score. I find the one approach to be classy, and the other to be cheap. The defensive ability to stop it has no bearing on the class level of the offensive play calling, in my opinion.
 



I'll defend Illinois, you may have a point that it wasn't neccassary but given the field position, I would have called it. You're on you end of the field and want to run out the clock and the opponent is stacking the box. A naked bootlegg with the intent of getting the first down is not a bad call. If the play had gone for 15 yards and loosend up the defense so that the Illini could run out the clock no one would be complaining. The fact that Baylor had so sold out in stopping the run that Scheelhaase was able to go 55yds for the TD is more a Baylor problem than an Illini.
 

nsmike said:
I'll defend Illinois, you may have a point that it wasn't neccassary but given the field position, I would have called it. You're on you end of the field and want to run out the clock and the opponent is stacking the box. A naked bootlegg with the intent of getting the first down is not a bad call. If the play had gone for 15 yards and loosend up the defense so that the Illini could run out the clock no one would be complaining. The fact that Baylor had so sold out in stopping the run that Scheelhaase was able to go 55yds for the TD is more a Baylor problem than an Illini.
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There was under ONE MINUTE to play. I would agree with you if there were 3 or 4 minutes left in the game.
 

nsmike said:
I'll defend Illinois, you may have a point that it wasn't neccassary but given the field position, I would have called it. You're on you end of the field and want to run out the clock and the opponent is stacking the box. A naked bootlegg with the intent of getting the first down is not a bad call. If the play had gone for 15 yards and loosend up the defense so that the Illini could run out the clock no one would be complaining. The fact that Baylor had so sold out in stopping the run that Scheelhaase was able to go 55yds for the TD is more a Baylor problem than an Illini.
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If they are selling out to stop the run, that indicates that they are still playing to win. If Baylor had wanted mercy, they shouldn't have stuffed the box.
 

I don't think it is the losing team's job to "ask" for "mercy". I feel it is the winning team's job to show class.
 



Schnauzer said:
I don't think it is the losing team's job to "ask" for "mercy". I feel it is the winning team's job to show class.
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Define class..

Not playing hard? Not scoring as many points as possible to guarantee a 'W'?

You sound like Mason. Ever think maybes that's why the Gophers are in the record books for giving up the most 4th quarter points in a bowl game to lose?
 

Formo said:
Define class..

Not playing hard? Not scoring as many points as possible to guarantee a 'W'?

You sound like Mason. Ever think maybes that's why the Gophers are in the record books for giving up the most 4th quarter points in a bowl game to lose?
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The big difference is that Mason's teams quit playing defense with 15 minutes left in the game, not with a minute left in the game.

If the game is in the books, a little perspective may be appropriate.
 

When Art Briles called the timeout with two seconds left, Chris Speilman actually said "I'm looking forward to the postgame handshake. Will be see another Bret Bielema/Tim Brewster?"
 

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