Anybody else think this game is winnable with AOC?

[DAG10]

Bigger issue last year than covid .. much bigger, can you guess ?

I was just getting at the point that at least in my mind, I don't feel like last year's team was better than any that preceded it...and, would suggest that the '17 and '18 team were better as well than the '19 team (although that has some context to it with the injuries to Sindelar and Moore certainly).

 

[FirstDownB]

MSU typically gets very good athletes. Without even looking I wouldn’t be surprised if their front seven wasn’t the best combo of size and explosiveness left on the schedule (OSU linebackers are eh…)

we better beat Illinois soundly or this board will be unreadable and you know I’m far from a homer.

after Illinois I think the offense will come down to exactly what you said. If teams can get close to what ND did they probably can hold us to 20ish.. with our defense anything more may not be enough from their point of view …

now, I’m an Oconnell guy.. I do think he might make just enough of a difference to massively swing the pendulum.

I don’t just think that for no reason ..

What would help if defenses actually can play us similar? A guy who can step up, get drilled and hit Doerue, anthrop or Wright open with room in front. I really wish I felt like plummer could. Maybe next year as he did make progress.. and maybe we see immediate progress this week. But I don’t think he’s that guy yet

The ace in the hole for Plummer is his alleged mobility. I don't know that I really see that translate on the football field. He is good for picking up a first down with a QB draw maybe once per game. That's about it. His bread and butter has to be as a pocket passer, with his arm and decision making. I think both he and Aidan struggle with the decision making aspect when under pressure as most QB's do. Unfortunately, against good defenses either guy will continue to be under a lot of pressure with minimal running game and a leaky Oline. We don't have Mike Vick back there to juke and elude defenders and buy time for guys to get open downfield.

 

[BCfanatic2020]

Umh,

Florida State scored 38 points on ND (only 17 against Jacksonville State and 14 against Wake Forest)

Toledo Scored 29 points on ND (only 6 against a 1-2 Colorado State Team)

Purdue scored 13.

So far we are the only ones who haven't figured out how to score against that "big and explosive" front 7.

ND fans themselves said that freeman was over complicating things and bringing exotic blitzes leaving offensive players wide open. That he just needed to go athlete for athlete .. that’s what he did against us .. ND was shooting ND in the foot

 

[FirstDownB]

A FSU team that put up 38 on ND managed 17 a week later against Jacksonville St. and 14 this past week against what I am guessing is not an incredibly talented Wake Forest team (Norfolk St. scored more just a week prior)...yet, Purdue managed 13...I am not big on the whole transitive thing either, but, it should at least be concerning I would think.

I am still not sure how much the defense has improved...it has definitely improved, but, it would be damn near impossible to not have. It is still tough to know just how much better it really is in that I still don't know how good Oregon St. may genuinely be, UConn is irrelevant and ND has shown itself to not be very good offensively (including against Purdue). I am still skeptical that it can consistently stop the run, and, defend teams with quality skill players. To your point, however, I feel better about the fact that Rutgers is going to repeatedly run QB or RB up the gut and Purdue never stop them.

If this team somehow finds a way to win enough games to get to a bowl, that would absolutely be progress...and well received...but, it won't be easy, particularly if the OL remains the issue that it has been...and I don't know how that just magically gets fixed...thus the need to scheme for it and try to overcome the problem that way.

That's fair. IMO as to Saturday, I think Purdue probably could have scored a bit more with a more aggressive game plan, but also likely would have surrendered more points to ND through sacks, picks, and putting the defense on the field more. It was a defensive posture for 3 quarters, a coin flip as to who would make the first big mistake. And it almost worked. Purdue actually outgained ND in the end. ND just make 2 more big plays. I think Brohm probably wanted to take a few more shots downfield, but it didn't work out. That was the game. So, it sucks to lose, but it wasn't a game we were supposed to win and I didn't see anything emerge as a new concern moving forward. I don't think you can extrapolate scoring 13 points against ND on that day = x points against y team. As BC stated above, ND didn't shoot itself in the foot, which was in itself a bit of a surprise based on their first 2 games.

 

[BCfanatic2020]

I was just getting at the point that at least in my mind, I don't feel like last year's team was better than any that preceded it...and, would suggest that the '17 and '18 team were better as well than the '19 team (although that has some context to it with the injuries to Sindelar and Moore certainly).

They were 2-0 when karlaftis went down or 2-1?

 

[BCfanatic2020]

The ace in the hole for Plummer is his alleged mobility. I don't know that I really see that translate on the football field. He is good for picking up a first down with a QB draw maybe once per game. That's about it. His bread and butter has to be as a pocket passer, with his arm and decision making. I think both he and Aidan struggle with the decision making aspect when under pressure as most QB's do. Unfortunately, against good defenses either guy will continue to be under a lot of pressure with minimal running game and a leaky Oline. We don't have Mike Vick back there to juke and elude defenders and buy time for guys to get open downfield.

So I think here’s what’s going on..

This approach of ND makes you step up in the pocket and hit longer developing routes..

If Oconnell comes in I think teams will play man and try to bring serious heat… because he actually can step up in the pocket and get deep into his reads

 

[FirstDownB]

So I think here’s what’s going on..

This approach of ND makes you step up in the pocket and hit longer developing routes..

If Oconnell comes in I think teams will play man and try to bring serious heat… because he actually can step up in the pocket and get deep into his reads

Maybe the best thing to come out of this game is Brohm seeing how his Oline stacks up against a talented defensive front. He will adjust his game plan going forward, but that likely won't include a QB change right away nor abandoning the run. He might have a quicker hook on Jack if he doesn't step up in the pocket and deliver some confident throws downfield. If Burton can truly bring a mobility advantage I'd like to see him in on a red zone package if a bunch more drives end in field goal attempts.

 

[BCfanatic2020]

Maybe the best thing to come out of this game is Brohm seeing how his Oline stacks up against a talented defensive front. He will adjust his game plan going forward, but that likely won't include a QB change right away nor abandoning the run. He might have a quicker hook on Jack if he doesn't step up in the pocket and deliver some confident throws downfield. If Burton can truly bring a mobility advantage I'd like to see him in on a red zone package if a bunch more drives end in field goal attempts.

I was just giving what I think jacks challenge is and then saying how I think teams would play Oconnell differently