Therapy / venting

[Max_Power]

1) arrrrrrrggggghhhhhhh
2) NU went from an original spread throw it all over the field fun team to watch to boring.
3) the next time a player other than Larkin extends a play with yac will be the first
4) everyone runs by NUs corners
5) NU is slow
6) you can’t play to impose your will on teams when you lack physical superiority
7) I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team score three defensive TDs in a game let alone a half
8) the bye is -14 over the Cats
9) honestly where does anyone see more than 4 wins for this team unless everyone including the fast guys are healthy by the next game - NU is staring at 1-4

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

1) arrrrrrrggggghhhhhhh
2) NU went from an original spread throw it all over the field fun team to watch to boring.
3) the next time a player other than Larkin extends a play with yac will be the first
4) everyone runs by NUs corners
5) NU is slow
6) you can’t play to impose your will on teams when you lack physical superiority
7) I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team score three defensive TDs in a game let alone a half
8) the bye is -14 over the Cats
9) honestly where does anyone see more than 4 wins for this team unless everyone including the fast guys are healthy by the next game - NU is staring at 1-4

Yes, 1-4 looks very probable. We still have Nebby, Rutgers, Minny, Lovie, that are each as bad or worse than us. Obviously, we have proved we can lose to anyone, but these are all games we should win.

 

[CatManTrue]

1) arrrrrrrggggghhhhhhh
2) NU went from an original spread throw it all over the field fun team to watch to boring.
3) the next time a player other than Larkin extends a play with yac will be the first
4) everyone runs by NUs corners
5) NU is slow
6) you can’t play to impose your will on teams when you lack physical superiority
7) I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team score three defensive TDs in a game let alone a half
8) the bye is -14 over the Cats
9) honestly where does anyone see more than 4 wins for this team unless everyone including the fast guys are healthy by the next game - NU is staring at 1-4

Say it with me... “Serenity now, serenity now. Beat Michigan and we’ll have a new season. Serenity now, Serenity now, and all trolls be gone.”

 

[mikewebb68]

1) arrrrrrrggggghhhhhhh
2) NU went from an original spread throw it all over the field fun team to watch to boring.
3) the next time a player other than Larkin extends a play with yac will be the first
4) everyone runs by NUs corners
5) NU is slow
6) you can’t play to impose your will on teams when you lack physical superiority
7) I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team score three defensive TDs in a game let alone a half
8) the bye is -14 over the Cats
9) honestly where does anyone see more than 4 wins for this team unless everyone including the fast guys are healthy by the next game - NU is staring at 1-4

Cam Green has extended quite a few plays this year with YAC. And it took me all of 5 seconds to think of him, suspect there are other examples.

 

[zeek55]

1) arrrrrrrggggghhhhhhh
2) NU went from an original spread throw it all over the field fun team to watch to boring.
3) the next time a player other than Larkin extends a play with yac will be the first
4) everyone runs by NUs corners
5) NU is slow
6) you can’t play to impose your will on teams when you lack physical superiority
7) I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team score three defensive TDs in a game let alone a half
8) the bye is -14 over the Cats
9) honestly where does anyone see more than 4 wins for this team unless everyone including the fast guys are healthy by the next game - NU is staring at 1-4

Well we've played a couple of horrible halves.

The question is whether this is a year more like 2014 or more like 2016.

This is where your coaches earn their paychecks: Make adjustments and figure out how to beat Michigan and/or Michigan State.

We've had plenty of years with bad starts that ended up being decent, and we've had some that end up as bad years.

Still 9 games to play and figure out how to get 5 wins.

I still think we've underperformed as much as other teams have beaten us.

If our OL is healthy and plays well and our WRs are put in a position to succeed, we can beat anybody on the schedule.

 

[Wrestlerneverdiesasacatfan]

Cathartic release
Will help to erase beatdown
Thank God I stayed home!

 

[GlideCat]

I still think we've underperformed as much as other teams have beaten us.

I saw the same thing posted on the Purdue board.

I am not saying that just to be snarky (side benefit).

1. I get tired of hearing that line when we beat other teams. Even in the first half, Akron's D-Line outplayed our O-Line. They outcoached us, won more than they lost in every phase of the game except our D-Line against their O-Line, and showed that they wanted the game more at the end. We will only have a sample size of one in deciding who is the better team. In that sample, they were the better team and deserved the wn.
2. I don't want to overlook three for three second half lackluster performances. This is due to one of three things, coaching, conditioning, or depth/talent. I do not think that Akron had a significant depth/talent advantage over us so it has to be one of the other two. Two weeks is enough time to positively impact conditioning. I don't know if it is enough time if the problem is coaching.

 

[zeek55]

I saw the same thing posted on the Purdue board.

I am not saying that just to be snarky (side benefit).

1. I get tired of hearing that line when we beat other teams. Even in the first half, Akron's D-Line outplayed our O-Line. They outcoached us, won more than they lost in every phase of the game except our D-Line against their O-Line, and showed that they wanted the game more at the end. We will only have a sample size of one in deciding who is the better team. In that sample, they were the better team and deserved the wn.
2. I don't want to overlook three for three second half lackluster performances. This is one of three things, coaching, conditioning, or depth/talent. I do not think that Akron had a significant depth/talent advantage over us so it has to be one of the other two. Two weeks is enough time to positively impact conditioning. I don't know if it is enough time if the problem is coaching.

On the first point, that's why you don't overreact to a singular game (or why none of us should, though this Akron performance comes as close to a game that calls for overreacting as any game should).

Take Ohio State-Iowa last year. If Iowa and Ohio State play 10 times, Ohio State is going to win 8 or 9 times.

If we play Akron again next week, we'd still be favored by at least 10. You could argue that's wrong, however one game where we completely collapse doesn't really dictate who's the better team overall. Maybe at the end of the season you can make a judgment on that, but it's way too early right now.

But your second point does illustrate a real issue, we are playing horribly in 2nd halves of games. We're not making adjustments, and other teams are dissecting our offense and shutting us down completely. Akron even started to stretch the field and really take advantage in a way their offense couldn't in the 1st half.

Our coaches have 2 weeks to get this fixed because if we don't take one of the Michigan/Michigan State games, we'll be 1-4 and looking at a disastrous season.

 

[FanatiCat]

Yes, the biggest difference from other years is that we are terrible in the second half, primarily on offense. That is concerning and it must be on coaching. Defense has not been too bad in 2H of games especially considering how poor the offense has been. They gave up 13 to Purdue, 0 to Duke and 15 to Akron I believe.

The poor second half performances are probably the most concerning indicator for the rest of the season.

 

[BigCatFan19]

On the first point, that's why you don't overreact to a singular game (or why none of us should, though this Akron performance comes as close to a game that calls for overreacting as any game should).

Take Ohio State-Iowa last year. If Iowa and Ohio State play 10 times, Ohio State is going to win 8 or 9 times.

If we play Akron again next week, we'd still be favored by at least 10. You could argue that's wrong, however one game where we completely collapse doesn't really dictate who's the better team overall. Maybe at the end of the season you can make a judgment on that, but it's way too early right now.

But your second point does illustrate a real issue, we are playing horribly in 2nd halves of games. We're not making adjustments, and other teams are dissecting our offense and shutting us down completely. Akron even started to stretch the field and really take advantage in a way their offense couldn't in the 1st half.

Our coaches have 2 weeks to get this fixed because if we don't take one of the Michigan/Michigan State games, we'll be 1-4 and looking at a disastrous season.

I would agree the in game adjustments are a problem. The game is a game of adjustments - trying to find an advantage. I think our coaching staff made some assumptions and they came up short.

1. QB's age old statement - if you have 2 - you don't have one. Here, the slippery slope is the injury. So, we need to limit the snaps of CT - so the team needs to be very strategic about when changes take place. It simply can't be a phone call from the medical staff that says - make the change now. My example, start the game, or the quarter, or the half - but not when your trying build momentum. (This team could be 0-3 right now)

2. My biggest complaint about in-game strategy is simply moving away from the idea of this is our identity this is what we do. Here, game situations, game conditions, down and distance all factor into the decision process. I see this time and time again starting behind the chains because we want to establish our identity.

It will be a long 2 weeks after this past Saturday for everyone.

 

[GlideCat]

Take Ohio State-Iowa last year. If Iowa and Ohio State play 10 times, Ohio State is going to win 8 or 9 times.

Except you only play once. And arguably that loss kept them (and the conference) out of the play-offs. So, a close flukish loss is one thing. A complete embarrassing meltdown is another. That is why I am not angry with the overreactors. The memorable nature of this loss makes it worth an overreaction.

The one good thing is that the television coverage of it was terrible and most people did not see it.

 

[zeek55]

Except you only play once. And arguably that loss kept them (and the conference) out of the play-offs. So, a close flukish loss is one thing. A complete embarrassing meltdown is another. That is why I am not angry with the overreactors. The memorable nature of this loss makes it worth an overreaction.

The one good thing is that the television coverage of it was terrible and most people did not see it.

Fair enough; as far as the last part goes, my biggest issue with having bad losses this year (like Akron, not Duke) was that this is an extremely important year for the program: 1) lots of nationally relevant games at home with likely much higher attendance numbers and more national attention to our program than usual, and 2) first recruiting class with the new facility open and before Hunter Johnson starts his 3 years.

If we're going to really get the program to the next level to get where Stanford is, then the next couple of years are vital and we can't really afford slip ups. That's probably why more than anything the Akron loss hurts.

If we beat Akron, we still go into the Michigan/Michigan State games with a chance to really get ourselves into the national spotlight.

Now it sort of feels like we have to win the Big Ten West just to get any attention, and we know how hard that will be...