Some thoughts & an interesting quote

[Boiler Addict]

Read what Sarkisian mentioned he learned from Saban, it's simple but for an experienced guy at multiple P5 and NFL levels, its interesting to hear. For those unaware of Sarkisian's resume: USC and Raiders (QB coach), Washington and USC (HC), Alabama and Atlanta Falcons (OC) and 2021 Texas (HC).

“I think now having spent some time in the National Football League and having spent obviously the last two years with Coach Saban here in Alabama, you realize the value in the staff and why you hire such a good staff is to put people in place to do what you’re asking them to do what they’re hired to do,” Sarkisian said. “And in turn, I think that takes some of the burden off of your shoulders as the head coach and allows you to manage people and not overreact to some of the other things that are going on and allow those people to do what they do.”

#1 - I think Brohm hasn't learned those lessons completely and I think that's a potential growth area for him.

#2 Also, watching the Ohio State / Clemson game, the Ole Miss/Indiana game, along with other bowl games or even the Peyton Manning Colts, something I'm thinking about is how slow Purdue's offense is from play to play. While we can question the merits of Ohio State's offense / Clemson's defense or Ole Miss's offense / Indiana's defense or players, opt outs/injuries, strategy, recruiting, etc, the fact is those offenses didn't constantly let the defense get comfortable and in some cases, the defense was not even in position or confused on assignments.

#2 - I would like to see a quicker play to play strategy, I think we play into defenses sometimes by our pace or tempo.

For fun, here is Ole Miss's noteworthy offensive performances this year:
vs. #5 Florida 35 points, (L)
@ Kentucky 42 points, (W)
vs. #2 Alabama 48 points, (L)
@ Vanderbilt 54 points, (W)
vs. South Carolina 59 points, (W)
@ LSU 48 points, (L)

 

[Purdue85]

I don't think you're wrong, and I also think it's very easy to over-think these things.

What you posted is correct, and it's true not just of the better CFB programs, but organizations in general. (We have an occasional poster on this very forum who is a retired executive of a well-known international corporation.)

I think it's a bit far to write that Brohm hasn't learned the lesson of surrounding himself with good people. I believe he knows that. It's just not as easy as it seems. You not only need to find knowledgeable people, you need to find people that fit your culture, people that have the right demeanor, and people who can work with YOU.

I have a lot more to say on the topic, as this is something I've studied for some time.

What you've touched on is a multi-million dollar "industry", with numerous books written, and "experts" making a ton of money in the consulting business!

 

[Boiler Addict]

I don't think you're wrong, and I also think it's very easy to over-think these things.

What you posted is correct, and it's true not just of the better CFB programs, but organizations in general. (We have an occasional poster on this very forum who is a retired executive of a well-known international corporation.)

I think it's a bit far to write that Brohm hasn't learned the lesson of surrounding himself with good people. I believe he knows that. It's just not as easy as it seems. You not only need to find knowledgeable people, you need to find people that fit your culture, people that have the right demeanor, and people who can work with YOU.

I have a lot more to say on the topic, as this is something I've studied for some time.

What you've touched on is a multi-million dollar "industry", with numerous books written, and "experts" making a ton of money in the consulting business!

Agree. I'm trying to generate Purdue discussion. This board falls into the trap of talking about a rival football team more than Purdue, who cares about them?

As for the topic, some people are brilliant minds but not great managers of people, but they are not mutually exclusive to one another. Its clear the last two years Brohm has clashed with the defensive coordinator and we all know the outcome. No one really knows which was first, if Brohm started meddling, or if the defense truly failed.

I'm a proponent of Brohm. I'm just pointing out this is an area of growth for him. No one is perfect. I like stability and I do not think Diaco was given a fair shake, especially considering Brohm's pre-season statements. If a head coach gives up on a DC, the players will follow suit. I would suggest in most cases, when your assistants are leaving on bad terms, that's as much on the coach as it is on the assistant.

As for the topic that could generate more discussion, I still think the offense needs to be quicker tempo, say snapping the ball with 20-25 seconds left on the play clock?

I didn't see many "explosive plays", especially with Rondale playing. While I do not have the actual information, it seemed like Rondale caught/got the ball within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage on most plays this year. The strategy seemed to be "get him the ball" and let him (in Jeff's words) "showcase what he's all about". Bell seemed to catch a lot of short routes with a mixture of some longer catches. Not complaining per say, but that indicates to me a faster tempo offense could work and Jeff's "push the ball downfield" strategy was compromised in some ways.