Pick6;508226 wrote:I think it starts and ends with the O line. Just watch Alabama with Ingram and Richardson (and no I am not trying to say Saine and Herron are as good as them), they hardly ever get touched until they atleast get to the second tier of the defense. Its alot easier to make guys miss when you are in some space.
I agree with this. I mean, I can remember when Michigan played Florida in Lloyd Carr's last game and Justin Boren reach blocking a guy shaded beyond his outside arm one of Michigan's famous zone runs that they ran back in those days and he handled him on his own, got leverage and shoved him to the ground getting us a touchdown.
Tressel's favorite play is what he calls the Dave where he pulls the guard like on a power but the run heads into the A gap. I have yet to see Boren exhibit the force on that play that he did on those zone runs at Michigan...I dunno. Maybe we don't give the Big Ten (even Illinois) enough credit....Against Oregon and Texas the last two years it seemed like we got more push out of our line to me. Last saturday I just think they looked slow and weak. JMO.
Sure, I don't think Saine's vision is that good and he doesn't have a lot of shiftyness...but when the playside guard is blown into the backfield my question isn't "why don't we have a superstar who can turn this busted play into something (even though that maybe should be expected at tOSU)," it's "Why can't the guard at least hold the line of scrimmage?"
Tressel's play calling is boring but damn...I can see him saying, "This is our bread and butter play and dammit I want you to get us 5 yards on it for once because we're not going to win the MNC if it's getting stuffed in the backfield."
