NCAA Football 2015

[Valmy]

The crowd that showed up to the games seemed much better than what it used to be like, even with the lower attendance numbers due to suckage and whatnot. 

It is so true. The crowds were great (small but great...) all year. I had a blast. So weird they were never this into it when Texas was blowing everybody out. Probably because middle class slobs like me got priced back into being able to attend the games and rich tea sipping snobs all stayed home.

[MadBurgerMaker]

It is Swoopes. He is maybe 50% when the receiver is wide open. He is an unstoppable monster when he runs though and Tech cannot tackle. But it hardly matters. Texas finds ways to lose.

Yeah they would have found a way to lose anyway, but calling a pass on 4th and 7 isn't crazytown type stuff even if it is Swoopes (hell Heard has trouble throwing the ball too ugh). 

[MadBurgerMaker]

It is so true. The crowds were great (small but great...) all year. I had a blast. So weird they were never this into it when Texas was blowing everybody out. Probably because middle class slobs like me got priced back into being able to attend the games and rich tea sipping snobs all stayed home.

Tea sipping snobs.  But yeah, I think when it starts getting like this is when you have the more enthusiastic type fans showing up instead of the olds who sit there and nod smugly at every TD then bail at the end of the 3rd Q.  Getting everyone beered up can't hurt either. 

[Valmy]

Yeah they would have found a way to lose anyway, but calling a pass on 4th and 7 isn't crazytown type stuff even if it is Swoopes (hell Heard has trouble throwing the ball too ugh). 

Texas is great at finding QBs who cannot throw the ball. That strikes me as a pretty important thing to recruit for but hey I guess Mack kept hunting for the next VY, as if that guy is a proto-type that can be repeated. We will get Strong's first QBs next year we will see if he actually found somebody who can be confused with a College QB when he throws the ball.

[alfred russel]

I generally believe that if the rulebook allows you to use 11 guys on a play, you maximize your chances by using all 11. As a coach, if you only use 10 because one has lined up in a position that will make it difficult to contribute, you have increased the risk of a negative play and decreased the chance of a positive one. Ie: there is downside to the formation.

Oh noes they lose a yard!  That has never happened in the history of ever on running plays!  I don't know how they could have overcome such a crushing blow.  And the clock is still rolling btw.

All of which would be true if they ran the Chuck Pagano fake punt as well.

My point was that it was a poor play call because the formation should not have confused Texas and, absent that confusion, left Texas Tech poorly positioned to generate a successful play. Yeah, that just means they lose a yard. That doesn't make it smart.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Can Locksley throw?  I know nothing about the guy.  Merrick is still around too, I think.  Surely out of the four, they can find a damn QB who can throw, right? Right?????

[MadBurgerMaker]

All of which would be true if they ran the Chuck Pagano fake punt as well.

My point was that it was a poor play call because the formation should not have confused Texas and, absent that confusion, left Texas Tech poorly positioned to generate a successful play. Yeah, that just means they lose a yard. That doesn't make it smart.

So, let's just be clear here:  You don't like it and don't think this running play on first down with 3:00 left in a game they have the lead is smart just because you don't like the odd formation and you somehow think it takes a player out of the play.  It doesn't mean they're playing 10 v 11 or whatever you're talking about (is this something you believe occurs when the QB hands the ball off and does nothing else?), it just didn't use blockers out front of the play, it instead used them to pull defenders away.  There are "regular" plays that exist where this happens too, you know.  They probably hoped this one would draw more defenders further away, but even when it didn't, he still got by them.

I'm also not sure why you don't think defenders wouldn't be at least momentarily confused by that formation and that motion.  This was a weird victory formation type thing with 3:00 in a game that, once snapped, had nearly everyone in the backfield running to the right.  If a playaction fake handoff routinely sucks defenders in, why wouldn't something like that pull defenders along with it?  They weren't standing there acting like Tech just took a knee or whatever you are attempting to imply by bringing up the formation over and over, they were just moving to one side of the field the way the play appeared to be flowing.  When they saw where the ball was, they got in front of it.  After that it was just a matter of making a tackle, which they didn't do. 

[dps]

Just watched WVU defeat their traditional rival, Iowa State.

I hate it that WVU is in the Big 12.

[Valmy]

Just watched WVU defeat their traditional rival, Iowa State.

I hate it that WVU is in the Big 12.

In a few decades it will be your traditional rival. Hey we wanted to take Pitt as well but they leveraged their invite into getting an ACC invite.

[alfred russel]

All of which would be true if they ran the Chuck Pagano fake punt as well.

My point was that it was a poor play call because the formation should not have confused Texas and, absent that confusion, left Texas Tech poorly positioned to generate a successful play. Yeah, that just means they lose a yard. That doesn't make it smart.

So, let's just be clear here:  You don't like it and don't think this running play on first down with 3:00 left in a game they have the lead is smart just because you don't like the odd formation and you somehow think it takes a player out of the play.  It doesn't mean they're playing 10 v 11 or whatever you're talking about (is this something you believe occurs when the QB hands the ball off and does nothing else?), it just didn't use blockers out front of the play, it instead used them to pull defenders away.  There are "regular" plays that exist where this happens too, you know.  They probably hoped this one would draw more defenders further away, but even when it didn't, he still got by them.

The problem with the formation is that the RB is lined up in the "safety" position in the victory formation--to tackle guys in the random event of a fumbled snap that could be picked up by the defense--and is too far off the ball to be effective at the start of the play.

Obviously that wasn't fatal to the play--the entire reason I brought this play up was the combination of: a) it being (imo) a stupid call, and b) it working.

I'm also not sure why you don't think defenders wouldn't be at least momentarily confused by that formation and that motion.  This was a weird victory formation type thing with 3:00 in a game that, once snapped, had nearly everyone in the backfield running to the right.  If a playaction fake handoff routinely sucks defenders in, why wouldn't something like that pull defenders along with it?  They weren't standing there acting like Tech just took a knee or whatever you are attempting to imply by bringing up the formation over and over, they were just moving to one side of the field by the way the play was flowing.  When they saw where the ball was, they got in front of it.  After that it was just a matter of making a tackle, which they didn't do.

You want to get everyone on the right? Why not run a similar formation but split the RB way off the ball to the right, so at the start of the play a CB is way out to the right and a safety lines up a few steps further in that direction?

The point of being in the victory formation, as far as I can tell, was to confuse the defense into thinking, what exactly? That you were going to kneel down?

[MadBurgerMaker]

The problem with the formation is that the RB is lined up in the "safety" position in the victory formation--to tackle guys in the random event of a fumbled snap that could be picked up by the defense--and is too far off the ball to be effective at the start of the play.

Obviously that wasn't fatal to the play--the entire reason I brought this play up was the combination of: a) it being (imo) a stupid call, and b) it working.

This is why I don't think you watched this play, or at least don't know what you were looking at.  That guy back there immediately ran to the right with his hands up like he was expecting a toss from the WR who was in a jet sweep type motion and who the QB had just faked a handoff to.  That guy back there was part of the misdirection to draw defenders over.  He's not missing from the play or whatever.

You want to get everyone on the right? Why not run a similar formation but split the RB way off the ball to the right, so at the start of the play a CB is way out to the right and a safety lines up a few steps further in that direction?

The point of being in the victory formation, as far as I can tell, was to confuse the defense into thinking, what exactly? That you were going to kneel down?

What?  Seriously?  The point is they have never seen anything run out of that formation before and don't know what to expect.  It's pretty obvious that no one was thinking they were just going to take a knee, but they had no idea what play was going to be run, especially one where they hid a small guy behind the OL while running other players to the opposite side and faking handoffs and tosses.  That formation is a way to have a little guy right behind the OL without it being out of place.

[MadImmortalMan]

Just watched WVU defeat their traditional rival, Iowa State.

I hate it that WVU is in the Big 12.

In a few decades it will be your traditional rival. Hey we wanted to take Pitt as well but they leveraged their invite into getting an ACC invite.

I don't get that decision. Why beat up on Miami when you can beat up on Texas?

[alfred russel]

I have seen the play and I am aware that the dude way off the ball was running to the right.

The bottom line is that I don't think the victory formation is an effective one to run plays out off. The formation is designed to minimize the chance of a catastrophe while voluntarily taking  one yard loss--not to maximize chances of generating offense. It is a formation that defenses are used to lining up against (eg, at the end of halves) when you need to be alert for trick plays.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Virginia Tech is going to replace Beamer with Fuente from Memphis.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/11/28/9082809/justin-fuente-virginia-tech-football-coach

ESPN also saying that Foster will stay on the staff.

[alfred russel]

I don't get that decision. Why get beat up on by Miami when you can beat up on Texas?

Fixed your post, as you may not have seen the triumphant result from yesterday.