I was not sure what I wanted to write after this game as I wasn't even able to be particularly angry as I watched that disaster unfold. As this game was going on, regardless of the result, my main though was it was now 3 of 4 games (or 2 1/2 as the tOSU first half was good) where this team looked nowhere near being able to win the West. We are supposedly a "development program", but where is the development? Tanner Morgan has regressed, the Oline has regressed, we still don't have a home run hitter at RB (in year 5) yet we insist on running the ball like we're a service academy. Defensively, where are the big time play makers? Statistically we were good there today, but I thought we also missed a lot of tackles and looked very slow on that key 3rd down where we couldn't get the sack and the Bowling Green QB scrambled for a gain large enough to convert on 4th down. This Minnesota team looks and performs like it belongs in the MAC with Miami (Oh) and Bowling Green as they simply don't stand out from either a strength or speed perspective.
As for the coaching, it's more of the same. Once again, PJ Fleck calls a timeout before a key play (this time a 4th and 1 from his own 30) and comes up with a shaky decision and an uninspired play call. I think the announcers on TV mentioned it, but Bowling Green looked like they were set up to block a kick on that 4th and 1. How do you plan to get a yard by hading off 4-5 yards deep in your own backfield against that look? If you are going to make a reckless (IMHO given time, score, opponent) decision to go for it there, you should have a hurry up play installed that your team defaults to in that situation. Then you had the 3rd and 6 RUTM call followed by the decision to try Trickett from 52. If the call on 3rd and 6 is RUTM, then you should have made a go for it or punt decision prior to that play...getting stuffed for nothing and then trotting your mediocre kicker out there was asinine. Finally you had the decision to accept the penalty on the punt late in the game. You know your limitations on special teams as you barely try to return anything, they had already been a disaster in this game, and the time left on the clock was precious. To have them punt a second time was just inviting another disaster and it almost happened.
Why is Rob Wenger still employed? One of the most impressive things about the 2019 season was they managed to be a top 10 team while losing badly on the margins. special teams were awful that year, we couldn't cover kicks, we couldn't trust a kicker to make a chip shot fg, etc, etc. The special teams were somehow arguably worse in 2020 and yet in 2021 the same guy is still here? There were huge errors against Colorado and then a bunch more today.
Mike Sanford has been a disaster. It sucked last year and I get giving him a second chance because of the limited practice time before that season but the regression of the passing game has reached a level that through just 4 games a demotion or dismissal is warranted. My optomism for this program during/after 2019 was that we would simply be much better as a passing team (especially in regards to explosive plays) than Iowa and Wisconsin and that advantage would negate a (hopefully shriking) advantage those schools had in the trenches. We no longer have that advantage and don't seem all that interested in reacquiring it either. Without the big play ability, I don't see a way for us to win those games...we're less physical in the trenches and much worse on the margins with regards to special teams and in game decision making.
So where is this program going? If we assume we are playing our best players, then it certainly seems like a step back next year. Where is the evidence of player development to believe the guys replacing Morgan, most of the Oline, and Autman-Bell on offense will not be downgrades? Why should we expect this program to contend even for something as modest as Big Ten West title again given what we've seen now in the last dozen or so games over 2 seasons? We're not showing an improved talent level, we're not showing improved in game coaching decisions, and PJ is not showing any willingness to make significant changes to any area of the program.
As for the coaching, it's more of the same. Once again, PJ Fleck calls a timeout before a key play (this time a 4th and 1 from his own 30) and comes up with a shaky decision and an uninspired play call. I think the announcers on TV mentioned it, but Bowling Green looked like they were set up to block a kick on that 4th and 1. How do you plan to get a yard by hading off 4-5 yards deep in your own backfield against that look? If you are going to make a reckless (IMHO given time, score, opponent) decision to go for it there, you should have a hurry up play installed that your team defaults to in that situation. Then you had the 3rd and 6 RUTM call followed by the decision to try Trickett from 52. If the call on 3rd and 6 is RUTM, then you should have made a go for it or punt decision prior to that play...getting stuffed for nothing and then trotting your mediocre kicker out there was asinine. Finally you had the decision to accept the penalty on the punt late in the game. You know your limitations on special teams as you barely try to return anything, they had already been a disaster in this game, and the time left on the clock was precious. To have them punt a second time was just inviting another disaster and it almost happened.
Why is Rob Wenger still employed? One of the most impressive things about the 2019 season was they managed to be a top 10 team while losing badly on the margins. special teams were awful that year, we couldn't cover kicks, we couldn't trust a kicker to make a chip shot fg, etc, etc. The special teams were somehow arguably worse in 2020 and yet in 2021 the same guy is still here? There were huge errors against Colorado and then a bunch more today.
Mike Sanford has been a disaster. It sucked last year and I get giving him a second chance because of the limited practice time before that season but the regression of the passing game has reached a level that through just 4 games a demotion or dismissal is warranted. My optomism for this program during/after 2019 was that we would simply be much better as a passing team (especially in regards to explosive plays) than Iowa and Wisconsin and that advantage would negate a (hopefully shriking) advantage those schools had in the trenches. We no longer have that advantage and don't seem all that interested in reacquiring it either. Without the big play ability, I don't see a way for us to win those games...we're less physical in the trenches and much worse on the margins with regards to special teams and in game decision making.
So where is this program going? If we assume we are playing our best players, then it certainly seems like a step back next year. Where is the evidence of player development to believe the guys replacing Morgan, most of the Oline, and Autman-Bell on offense will not be downgrades? Why should we expect this program to contend even for something as modest as Big Ten West title again given what we've seen now in the last dozen or so games over 2 seasons? We're not showing an improved talent level, we're not showing improved in game coaching decisions, and PJ is not showing any willingness to make significant changes to any area of the program.
