Six weeks ahead of last year?

[Deeringfish]

Many of us have expressed our dismay concerning the OL. Performance has been widely criticized for a few years. Our concern has been exacerbated this past week by Fitz's choice to run against the conventional wisdom that an OL is a unit requiring time to gel and learn to trust each other to recognize defensive sets and carry out various blocking schemes. In stead he will experiment trying guys at both tackle and guard with just a couple of weeks to go till kick off.

I have been thinking that this is a disaster and way too late. That serious consideration for who would comprise the first string unit should have been set months ago giving guys a chance to bond and study film together as the Sky Team reportedly does. It occurs to me however, that last year's ISU loss seemed to be the capstone of OL unpreparedness so maybe we are 6 weeks or so ahead of last year.

Anyone have any real experience about what it is like to be part of an "OL unit"? Is the whole bonding thing over blown? Could so much have changed in the past couple of months that the coaches are just now figuring out what we have got? Is the whole thing a ruse and this shake up is simply a way to let the guys practice with out revealing anything to our opponents?

Any thoughts?

 

[NJCat]

Any thoughts?

I think we won't know anything until around 6:00 pm Saturday September 2.......

 

[ChappyCat]

It could all be window dressing as well. I trust that Fitz and his staff have a plan and know what they are doing. This is the year to rise above so time will tell. If it doesn't get done, then we will have our empirical evidence.

Keep in mind that in the 1960s, nationally ranked Alabama and Bear Bryant changed their entire offensive scheme and kept it hush hush and it worked out pretty well. Apples to Oranges you might say but my point is that Fitz has NEVER really given much to the media and rightfully so.

I think the fuss over the O-line is pointless right now. They have a good enough stock to work with and I think the scheme is easy enough to pick up (especially for Northwestern students)- it's a matter of getting them all enough kinesthetics to feel comfortable and practically be able to handle if they are the next man up.

Cush and Mick and Fitz will get it done and until results in 2017 are shown, the burden of proof is on those who make the claim that it is a "disaster" and that evidence just hasn't presented itself yet.

But you are certainly entitled to your opinion.

 

[willycat]

It could all be window dressing as well. I trust that Fitz and his staff have a plan and know what they are doing. This is the year to rise above so time will tell. If it doesn't get done, then we will have our empirical evidence.

Keep in mind that in the 1960s, nationally ranked Alabama and Bear Bryant changed their entire offensive scheme and kept it hush hush and it worked out pretty well. Apples to Oranges you might say but my point is that Fitz has NEVER really given much to the media and rightfully so.

I think the fuss over the O-line is pointless right now. They have a good enough stock to work with and I think the scheme is easy enough to pick up (especially for Northwestern students)- it's a matter of getting them all enough kinesthetics to feel comfortable and practically be able to handle if they are the next man up.

Cush and Mick and Fitz will get it done and until results in 2017 are shown, the burden of proof is on those who make the claim that it is a "disaster" and that evidence just hasn't presented itself yet.

But you are certainly entitled to your opinion.

So Fitz will secretly unveil his "new" triple option or offense or maybe use a few sindle wing formations on 9/3. Wow, can't wait.

 

[ricko654321]

It could all be window dressing as well. I trust that Fitz and his staff have a plan and know what they are doing. This is the year to rise above so time will tell. If it doesn't get done, then we will have our empirical evidence.

Keep in mind that in the 1960s, nationally ranked Alabama and Bear Bryant changed their entire offensive scheme and kept it hush hush and it worked out pretty well. Apples to Oranges you might say but my point is that Fitz has NEVER really given much to the media and rightfully so.

I think the fuss over the O-line is pointless right now. They have a good enough stock to work with and I think the scheme is easy enough to pick up (especially for Northwestern students)- it's a matter of getting them all enough kinesthetics to feel comfortable and practically be able to handle if they are the next man up.

Cush and Mick and Fitz will get it done and until results in 2017 are shown, the burden of proof is on those who make the claim that it is a "disaster" and that evidence just hasn't presented itself yet.

But you are certainly entitled to your opinion.

I don't think it is a disaster, just that the news so far makes me (and apparently some others) a bit more concerned than we were before. When at least 3 of the 5 starting spots have not been settled, and it sounds like players are actively rotating around from one position to the next day to day in practice, I don't think that sounds like a great recipe for success.

But hey, it could just be a smoke screen. We will see, the proof will be in the pudding once real football starts.

 

[GlideCat]

So Fitz will secretly unveil his "new" triple option or offense or maybe use a few sindle wing formations on 9/3. Wow, can't wait.

Well... what Randy Walker unveiled in 2000 had a lot of similarities to the old single wing. (single wing tailback = Walker quarterback and single wing fullback = Walker tailback)

So, if we could have that kind of success with a new offense, I would certainly take it.

 

[Hungry Jack]

I try not to judge teams based on summer workouts, camps and media reports. It just seems that performance is so variable from year to year that it is hard to get too worked up in one direction or another.

 

[stpaulcat]

So Fitz will secretly unveil his "new" triple option or offense or maybe use a few sindle wing formations on 9/3. Wow, can't wait.

It will be interesting if he unveils these on 9/3. Possibly at church?

 

[gocatsgo2003]

It will be interesting if he unveils these on 9/3. Possibly at church?

Hopefully not begging for forgiveness.

 

[The_Waterboy]

There's a lot of credence to establishing synergy amongst the starting 7-8 O-linemen (given the usual 2-3 extra lineman rotation paradigm that is the norm in today's offensive schemes, especially with NU's offensive brain trust). Conventional wisdom dictates establishing this OL dynamic as quickly as possible before the season opener and let it solidify as the season progresses. The fact (if it can be identified as a "fact") that NU's offensive brain trust have taken the public stance, as reported to media types, that the competition for starting 5 positions among OL candidates remains open & fluid is understandable given the under-performance from the 1st half of the 2016 campaign. It also adds credence that the field play from the OL "starters" wasn't solidified enough in spring ball either. So... what does that leave us, the patently worry-wart Purple Populace, when evaluating whether or not overall improvement may be in the works for this fall's OL? It leaves us with NOTHING. No news - No confirmation - Only speculation. One item of note: it's not uncommon whatsoever for the OL depth chart of most Power-5 teams to be fluid and remain so over the course of a single season. Only the perennially elite Power 5 teams (read: the Da BuckNuts, Meat-Chickins, Abalamas, U$Cs, etc... of the college pigskin universe), have their OL depth chart carved in stone by the season opener. And it's so by design simply due to their football factory reputations for being erstwhile minor league-like, fast track portals to the NFL. Among most 2nd millenium college DL nowadays, a standard rotation of 8-9 players is the ideal to accomodate substitue options for poor performance and expected attrition due to injuries to player personnel. IMHO, it should be the same with the OL. I personally applaud the current "interchangeable parts" strategy for their 2017 OL taken by Fitz & OL coach Adam Cushing. It's all about preparing every individual OL player to realize that the "next man up" thing can occur at any time & consequently his number will be called to fill the hole... so get your head right early fellas. Your turn at standing in the 'Cat OL batter's box is but a single play away. Prepping for that possibility is simply a matter of common sense.

 

[stpaulcat]

There's a lot of credence to establishing synergy amonst the starting 7-8 O-linemen (given the usual 2-3 extra lineman rotation paradigm that is the norm in today's offensive schemes, especially with NU's offensive brain trust) as quickly as possible before the season opener. The fact (if it can be identified as a "fact") that NU's offensive brain trust have taken the public stance, as reported to media types, that the competition for starting positions among OL candidates remains open & fluid is understandable given the under-performance from the 1st half of the 2016 campaign. It also adds credence that field play from the OL "starters" weren't solidified enough in spring ball either. SO... what does that leave us, the patently worry-wart Purple Populace, when evaluating whatever or not overall improvement may be in the works for this fall's OL? It leaves us with NOTHING. No news - No confirmation - Only speculation. One item of note: it's not uncommon whatsoever for the OL depth chart of most Power-5 teams to be and remain fluid over the course of a single season. Only the perennially elite Power 5 teams (read: the Da BuckNuts, Meat-Chickins, Abalamas, U$Cs of the college pigskin universe), have their OL depth chart carved in stone by the season opener. And it's so by design. Among most standard 2nd millenium college DL, a rotation of 8-9 players is the ideal to accomodate for poor performance and attrrition by injury to player personnel. IMHO, it should be the same with the OL. I personally applaud the "interchangeable parts" strategy for their 2017 OL taken by Fitz & OL coach Adam Cushing. It's all about perparing every individual OL player to realize that the "next man up" thing can occur at any time & his number will be called eventually... so get your head right early fellas. Your turn at standing in the OL batter's box is but a single play away. It's simply a matter of common sense.

Great explanation of the situation, thanks. Although "No news - No confirmation - Only speculation" is something we should be used to by now.