Another One Bites the Dust: Charlie Weis

by Arnaldo

It's been rough few years for coaching at the University of Florida.  In case you haven't noticed, we've lost a top coach (head, offensive or defensive coordinator) every year since 2008: Dan Mullen, Charlie Strong, Urban Meyer, Charlie Weis.  It's clear we've been feeling the effects.  Stability is one of the most important aspects of a coaching staff; where would we be as a country if we switched presidents every year?

Someone pointed out we don't need
his "fupa" around anyway.

Since Charlie's hiring as Florida's offensive coordinator, many fans have had mixed feelings about his possible contributions and whether or not he would fit in the culture we have. As I've said, I was a Weis fan, along with many Gator fans. Dub, however, stands on the other side of the ropes. He feels Weis was a big sexy hire by a new coach who felt like he had to make a splash to get Gator fans excited.

We have the most demanding fans in the nation, at any level, in any sport. It's a culture that was rebuilt by Urban Meyer and his all-star coaching staff, which can only lead to heartbreak. From 2005-2009 (Urban's glory years at Florida) we had one single digit win season, and three 13 win seasons, all of which resulting in a BCS National Championship or BCS Bowl victory. Our team was so hypercompetetive, that we as fans grew to accept nothing less than elite national contention year in and year out.

Coach Muschamp stepped into a position where he had to make noise immediately. He had to get someone as flashy and as storied as the Florida program had been during it's streak of absolute dominance. He went after the man who coached the offense of the New England Patriots during their historic "3 out of 4" Super bowl run, circa 2001-2004.


So What Now?


First and foremost, there's a bowl game to be played.  In situations like these, a departing coach makes the decision to stay to coach the bowl game, or get a head start at his new institution, familiarizing himself with the team, fellow coaches, perhaps hire new coaches, recruiting, etc.  When Dan Mullen accepted a head coach position, he stuck around to coach the 2008 National Championship game, but it seems a 6 win Gator Bowl isn't enough to keep Charlie Weis around.  This promotes current running backs Brian White to interim offensive coordinator, which has its advantages and disadvantages.  On the one hand, he hasn't called plays since 2007 at Syracuse, but on the other, Ohio State has absolutely nothing to study and must prepare for everything.

Now let's look at some candidates to replace Charlie Weis.


Leading Candidate: Kerwin Bell


Who's Kerwin Bell?  Kerwin Bell is probably Florida's most prolific quarterback not to win a Heisman Trophy.

He's even in the "Gator Legends" painting.

Suck it Palmer!

Bell walked on to the 1983 Florida team as a quarterback and earned a scholarship and the starting job the following year.  He led that team to a 9-1-1 record, an SEC championship (later vacated), and a No. 3 AP end-of-season ranking.  The following year was a repeat 9-1-1 record and atop the SEC (though ineligible to hold title or bowl game).  Bell was awarded SEC Player of the Year in 1984, finished honorable mention All-American in 1985 and 1986, first team All-SEC in 1985, and received Florida's Fergie Ferguson Award as a team captain his senior year.  While at Florida he passed for 7,585 yards and 56 touchdowns.  In 1997, he was inducted into UF's Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great".

No joke: voted 2nd ugliest football
uniforms ever on an ESPN fan poll.

Drafted in the seventh round by the Miami Dolphins, Kerwin Bell didn't see the field despite being traded twice.  He played for several non-NFL teams before landing a spot in 1996 for the Indianapolis Colts where in week 15 was put in late for his only NFL appearance.  Interestingly, he completed five for five passes and one touchdown, giving him the highest passer rating in NFL history.

Bell began coaching as the offensive coordinator for the Toronto Argonauts for the 2000 and 2001 seasons.  He then was the head coach for Trinity Catholic High School from 2001 to 2006, where he briefly coached our very own John Brantley, and led the Celtics to a state championship.  This led to the head coaching job at Jacksonville University.  He took a 3-8 Dolphins squad and made them a 9-4 Pioneer Football League champions in 2007.  2008 had Bell recognized as the PFL Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson award.  His 2010 squad went 10-1 and ranked No. 22 in the FCS, an all-time high for the young program.


It is clear that Kerwin Bell has an immense talent for coaching, and has sufficient experience in running an offense as a quarterback, coordinator, and head coach.  Also, he is very familiar with the recruiting landscape in Florida, having played and coached almost exclusively therein.  Will Muschamp has stated he is looking for a coordinator who is very proficient with a pro-style game and assures the Gator Nation he will hire "the nation's best offensive coordinator."  He has already interviewed Bell, but the nature of the interview was kept private.  No official decision has been made.

Secondary Candidate:  Brian White


Brian White, as mentioned earlier, will be the interim offensive coordinator for the Gator Bowl this January.  He is officially our running backs' coach and is one of the only staff members retained by Will Muschamp from Urban Meyer's administration.  Meyer hired him days after the 2008 National Championship game as the tight ends' coach.  White served the University of Wisconsin for 11 years, under icon Barry Alvarez, as running backs' coach and offensive coordinator in 1999.  He led the Wisconsin offense to its Big Ten prominence it still enjoys today, and earned an Assistant Coach of the Year award in 2004.  He was the unfortunate collateral damage of Alvarez's retirement from coaching in 2005.  White made his way to Washington and Syracuse as offensive coordinator before Urban Meyer brought him to Florida.

It is uncertain if he's been interviewed for the position since he is already part of the program.  However, White has a giant opportunity calling plays at the Gator Bowl to impress Muschamp and secure his future at Florida.

His advantage over Kewin Bell: extensive resume.  His disadvantage: his extensive resume.  Let me explain.  Assistant coaches who have high level experience (offensive/defensive coordinator) coupled with success, do not last.  They'll receive head coaching jobs elsewhere that will pay much better.  One of the reasons behind hiring Weis was that he already tried head coaching and was not very successful; we thought it was unlikely he would receive, or accept, head coaching offers.  If we choose Brian White and have a successful year, there is a risk he'll be noticed again and picked up.  Kerwin Bell, on the other hand, has no FBS experience and shouldn't be offered another job, no matter how much success he has, for at least three years.  Keep in mind that what the Gators need now more than ever is stability.

We aren't in the business of speculation so we won't go into detail on any other possible candidates.  However, he is a list of some being mentioned:

Todd Monken - Oklahoma State offensive coordinator
Major Applewhite - Texas co-offensive coordinator
Greg Davis - Former Texas offensive coordinator

Letter to the Editor

Dear Bucs,

     Before I begin, let me openly state that I have been a fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization since I was old enough to hold a football.  My entire family is from the bay area, and I have been a fan through thick and thin; through 12-4 Superbowl winning seasons, and through 4-12, not-so-super seasons.  One thing has always seemed constant, among the winning and the losing seasons, though. One thing I have never seen the Buccaneers do is play without heart.

     Maybe it's our lack of vocal, outspoken leaders.  Maybe it's having the youngest team in the league.  Maybe the culture of the NFL has changed so that the focus is less on pleasing the fans, and more on personal goals and gains.  Maybe undisciplined football, poor technique, and little effort is what this team is all about. We started out 4-2 this season, hit a rough stretch, and gave up like a little kid who gets beat in a game, saying "well I didn't want to win anyway".  What you don't realize is that you play for a lot more than yourself or this team.  You are a source of inspiration for people everywhere, and to see you get shellacked by a bad Jaguars team leaves quite a bit to be desired.

     What you, and the other 31 teams in the NFL, have forgotten is that we are the biggest reason you play this game.  America can survive without football.  The NFL can't survive without viewers.  You can read this and pull a LeBron and say "I don't care what you think, because at the end of the day, I'm still an NFL player, and you're still a sad, broke fan".  Or, you can read this and realize that you are a highlight in some of our lives. You play for our favorite teams.  We wouldn't rather cheer for anyone else, and we will stick with you until the last seconds of every game.  Watching you play warms our hearts, and we will root for you any day of the week, but you have to know that we can not tolerate the indifferent acceptance of mediocrity, the "meh" that we've been seeing on the field the last couple of weeks.  As my parents taught me, if it's worth doing, it's worth giving 100%. Go Bucs.

Love,
The Fans

If you have a letter to the editor in reference to the Gators, Bucs, or general football topics, e-mail it to us at bruceandalbert@gmail.com

Xs and Os: Basic Offense

receiving the ball and running straight forward into the A-gap (the gaps between the center and either guard).  Typically the full back will run ahead and serve as the lead blocker, though dive plays can be run out of formations without full backs.

Power - a power run consists of an angled exchange between the quarterback and half back, leading the half back into a route towards either the B-gap (gap between a guard and a tackle) or the C-gap (between a tackle and a tight end).  There is typically a full back as the lead blocker (but again not necessary), and there is always a pulling guard from the backside (the side where the play is not developing, opposing the playside).  "Pulling" refers to a player leaving his usual post to block elsewhere.  This is one of the most common run plays in football.

Counter - a counter run starts like a power run, but after the half back takes one or two steps in one direction, he cuts to the opposite direction.  The counter technique can be applied to more than just the power run, but is most commonly so.  It is designed to trick linebackers to start moving to one side, only to be delayed in recognizing and reaching the true play side.

Dotted lines denote toss

Sweep - a sweep refers to the direction of the running route and can be run several different ways.  The route moves directly outwards towards the sideline and curves up towards the endzone, beyond the tackles.  There are 3 basic sweeps: Toss, QB, and jet.  A toss sweep, the most popular, usually run out of an Ace or I-formation, involves the quarterback turn around and toss the football back to the half back as he begins running the sweep route.

A QB sweep is a sweep patter ran by the quarterback himself.  It can be run out of almost any formation and is popular in the spread option style where quarterbacks are typically mobile.  The jet sweep has the backside slot receiver in motion before the snap towards the quarterback.  The ball is snapped as the receiver is close and immediately handed off to the receiver who is already at near top speed.  This is a great way to get the ball quickly to the outside, before the majority of the defense can react.

Green denotes pre-snap motion

The jet sweep is also ran effectively from a empty backfield set, where the quarterback is alone in the backfield and the defense does not expect a run play without a running back on the field.





FB run - a full back run refers to any run play where the full back is the designated ballcarrier (excluding the option).  This is typically ran out of the I-formation but again can be run from where ever there's a full back.  The play sacrifices a lead blocker but gains an element of surprise.  The fullback is much closer to the line of scrimmage and so the play takes off in less than half the time as a conventional dive play.  Also, full backs are typically larger and stronger than half backs and can push through defenses.  Some instances have the full back actually switch to the half back position for extra momentum on short yardage situations (see Mike Alstott).

QB sneak - a run designed for the quarterback from under center.  As the name implies, the play is sneaky.  From under center, the quarterback wastes no time to hand the ball off to anyone and immediately starts forward progress.  This play is fairly commonly used in very short yardage situations (inches).  Most of the responsibility actually lies with the center and the two guards to push the defense enough for the quarterback to get the ball passed the first down marker, inches away.

Draw - a draw is any type of run that is first disguised as a pass.  The key in recognizing (and executing) a draw is a delayed hand-off.  The quarterback will take his drop into the pocket as if looking for receivers, but then hand the ball off.  Draws can be made out of almost all conventional run plays where the quarterback can at least appear to be passing.  In offenses with mobile quarterbacks, the quarterback himself can run the ball in a QB draw.  Draws are a way to open up running lanes by "drawing" linebackers back into coverage as they expect a pass.


Passing Plays


Passing plays are nothing but a combination of different parts: formation/personnel, routes, and protection.  Each formation puts a different number of receivers in different places on the field.  Formations can put together a different combination of wide receivers, tight ends, full backs, and half backs, but all of these are eligible receivers.  Each runs a different route that is predetermined, and the quarterback has a "progression" of receivers he will try to throw too on each play.  A half back or full back might run a short route and wait as a last resort, called a "checkdown".  Alternatively, the half back or full back, or both, may stay in the pocket to help the offensive line block for the quarterback, which is referred to as "max protect".  I intend on delving into formations later on, so for now let's look at some common routes.

Slant - a slant route is one of the more common patterns.  It has the receiver run directly at a 45 degree (or less) angle from the line of scrimmage.  Slants may be towards the center of the field or away.

Hitch/comeback/curl/hook - these are a group of routes that are all fairly similar.  Each has the receiver run straight forward (towards the endzone), stops, and turns around to make the catch.  Hitch routes are shorter (two or three steps before turning) while curls and hooks are longer (four or five yards).  These are common checkdown routes.

* From the right side of the field (slot or Z receiver)

Go/fly/seam - a go route has the receiver go in a straight line directly towards the endzone.  Hail Mary plays consist of four or five of these.

Post - a post route begins like a go route but cuts into an angle towards the center of the field (the goal post).

Corner - a corner route is the opposite of a post route where it begins like a go route straight forward but cuts in an angle towards the sidelines.

Drag/in - a drag or an in route has the receiver take a few steps forward and then cut at a 90 degree angle towards the center of the field.

Out - an out route is the opposite of a drag route, where the receiver will take a few steps and then cut 90 degrees towards the sidelines.

Flat - a flat route is ran exclusively by running backs that start near the quarterback, and run directly towards the sidelines.  Flat routes may be flat or slanted.  They can also be used for a lateral pass that won't count as a forward pass, allowing the receiver to then make a forward pass himself, which is considered a trick play.

Wheel - a wheel route is also usually ran out of the backfield (though less commonly also by wide receivers).  It starts as a flat route that cuts 90 degrees towards the endzone.

Sluggo - a sluggo route is a "slant and go".  After the receiver makes his initial slant cut, he makes another cut into a go route to shake off his defender.

These routes combine with formations to form specific passing plays, like "all slants" or "double sluggo".


Unconventional Passing


Play-action pass - play-action passes are like draw runs but reversed.  They are passes disguised as runs.  The quarterback will fake a hand-off with a running back, who will fake "running the ball".  The quarterback then resets himself into the pocket and makes his pass.  Most passing plays can be made into a play-action pass with the addition of the running fake.  It has its advantages and disadvantages.  Play-action passes take much longer to develop and requires the quarterback to read his progression much quicker since the play has been in motion for some time before he sets in the pocket.  This extra time also makes the quarterback more susceptible to pressure and sacks.  If executed well, its advantages outweigh these.  Defenses first need to recognize the play as a run or pass.  If fooled into a run, they might forget their coverage assignments and pursue the ball carrier, leaving receivers wide open.  Even a small hesitation by linebackers or cornerbacks can be exploited by an experienced quarterback.

Flea-flicker - the flea-flicker is a more extreme play-action pass.  In a flea-flicker, the quarterback will actually hand off the ball to a running back, who will then take a step or two with the ball, stop, turn around, and toss it back to the quarterback, who then makes a pass.  The flea-flicker is rare because it shares the same advantages and disadvantages of the play-action pass, but amplified; high risk, high reward.

Andrew Luck on a simple flea-flicker

Screen pass - a screen pass is a specially designed pass.  As I mentioned earlier, on a pass play, the quarterback goes through a progression of potential receivers.  Screen passes are designed with one receiver in mind, and moves other players around him to block for after the catch.  There are several types of screen passes but two I want to focus on.

Bubble screen - a bubble screen is thrown to an outside reciever (X or Z) as makes a "bubble" route behind and around the slot receiver.  It can also be thrown to a slot receiver as he makes a bubble route around the outside receiver.  The other receiver serves as his lead blocker.

Notice the pulling linemen

Slip screen - a slip screen is the most common screen pass.  Three offensive linemen (center and guards) will block for only a moment, leave their assignments and move the pocket towards a sideline with a running back following.  The quarterback is left alone and typically finds himself backing up several yards as the unblocked defensive linemen pursue.  Once the "side pocket" is formed and clear of defenders, the quarterback makes the easy pass to the running back, who now has several blockers ahead of him.  It takes very experienced defensive linemen to recognize this play as it develops and react appropriately.


Bootleg - the bootleg is really both a run and a pass play.  The bootleg refers to the route ran by a quarterback on certain play-action passes.  It begins with the normal fake hand off but instead of setting himself in the pocket, the quarterback will look for receivers in a run towards the sidelines (concealing the ball behind his hip like a bootlegger).  A half back or full back might serve as his lead blocker for protection or if the quarterback decides to tuck the ball and run it himself.  If no blocker accompanies him, it is called a "naked bootleg".  Several conventional running plays will have the quarterback run the bootleg route without the ball anyway to try to confuse the defense and to set up the bootleg play-action.  Bootleg passing and running are integral components in several offensive philosophies.

 

Peyton Manning on a bootleg keep

Heismanology

by Arnaldo

Heismanology: the study behind the assessment of players and their skills, and their likelihood of being awarded the Heisman Trophy.

The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award is the single most coveted award in sports.  Only 56 living persons can call themselves Heisman Trophy winners.  That title will accompany their names for as long as they live, and will be uttered just about every time they are mentioned.

How do you not trust this face?

The Heisman Trophy is presented to the most outstanding college football player.  That term is important because it's supposed to mean the "pursuit of excellence with integrity", which its recipients are expected to represent.  2005 Heisman recipient Reggie Bush returned his trophy when allegations of NCAA violations arose, but interestingly enough, O.J. Simpson still has his.  So when looking at Heisman candidates, unlike other awards where stats are read and trophies are appropriately awarded, the Heisman Trophy requires its voters to take several different factors into consideration.


Who is considered?


Who gets chosen to compete for the Heisman is a delicate subject open to much debate.  It's why the term Heismanology exists.  How do we compare a quarterback to a running back?  Where to defensive backs fit it?  And what if there's a REALLY good offensive lineman?  Shouldn't he be able to receive the award?

All legitimate questions.  Unfortunately, there are no conversion factors for passing touchdowns to rushing yards or tackles for loss made.  Instead, voters have to rate a player in his position and compare him to other players in theirs.  But at least players within the same position are easy to compare, right?  Give it to the quarterback with the most passing yards.  Done... Still not that easy.  There are other factors which need to be considered.  How did that player earn those statistics, and against what competition?  Conferences and strengths of schedule are all factors which are heavily considered.  Another significant intangible is referred to as "Heisman moments".  Voters and fans like to see candidates have a big plays around the end of the season, despite their progress throughout the entire year.  This is purely political and subjective, but unfortunately it has a huge influence on voters.  Minor factors include players' activities off the field, and how they influence their team's moral and performance.

Cast on your non-throwing
arm? How original.

Tim Tebow: trend setter.

For example, in 2008, the top two candidates were Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow.  Tebow had just won the award the previous year and had to compete against himself as well as Bradford, but team circumstances prevented Tebow from achieving the same stats.  The Gators were winning games by very comfortable margins and sitting Tebow early in the 4th quarter (sometimes in the 3rd) and had more playmakers to spread the wealth, so his stats were naturally less impressive, though Tebow was widely regarded as much improved from '07.  Oklahoma had a very similar season winning the same number of games by giant margins, but while Tebow was sitting on the bench, Bradford was still throwing touchdowns late into games.  Voters were forced to choose between who they believe was more skilled, or who was having a more outstanding season.

How are they voted on?

The Heisman recipient is chosen by mostly football journalist, because they are "informed, competent, and impartial."  145 media voters are chosen from each of six regions for a total of 870 media votes.  All living Heisman winners also get a vote, totaling 56 (Reggie Bush is ineligible, but somehow O.J. is, though it's not certain if he's allowed to vote while imprisoned).  One last vote is given to a fan poll on ESPN.com.

Voters are given access to an online ballot where they enter their top three candidates in order.  Each first place votes receives 3 points, second place votes get 2 points, and third places votes receive 1 point.  The candidate with the most points is awarded the Heisman.  This brings up another BCS-style controversy.  Under this system, a candidate could receive the most first place votes but not win the Heisman, as long as another candidate accumulates enough second and third place votes.  Back to 2008; Tim Tebow had the most first place votes, but Sam Bradford won the trophy with a flood of second place votes.  Think this through: most people felt Sam Bradford was the second most outstanding player in college football and he won the Heisman. 

2011 candidates

Andrew Luck #12 - Quarterback, Stanford

Trent Richardson #3 - Running back, Alabama

Robert Griffin III #10 - Quarterback, Baylor

Montee Ball #28 - Running back, Wisconsin

Tyrann Mathieu #7 - Cornerback, LSU

Andrew Luck has be revered as the most complete and NFL-ready quarterback.  Not only is he ready to dominate in the NFL, he was ready last year.  Despite being the Heisman runner-up to Cam Newton, it was unquestionable that Luck would be chosen No. 1 over all in the 2011 NFL Draft.  Instead Luck decided to stay at Standford for another year, and he's still eligible for yet another.  Since that time, he's been the clear favorite to win the 2011 Heisman and the No. 1 pick all over again.  Luck had a flawless season up until Stanford's loss to Oregon where he threw two interception, the most in any game this season.  Since the loss, Luck never again reached the 70%-85% completion rating that earned him such a lofty lead early on, and interceptions became a weekly occurrence.  He lacked any definite late-season "Heisman moments" which will hurt his stock.  He finished the regular season with 3,170 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions.  Voters will be torn with Luck.  They will recognize his remarkable ability as second to none, but must also admit that the Stanford quarterback's year was not outstanding.

Trent Richardson is your prototypical freight train running back.  When he's not plowing over linebackers, he's juking them, stiff-arming corners, and out running safeties; there's little Trent Richardson can't do.  His biggest claim is the list of defenses he did so against.  There's no longer any debate that the SEC houses the best defenses in amateur football.  Draft experts point at almost the entire LSU and Alabama defensive starters as draftable, and not just that, but all in the first three rounds.  And it was against the nation's best defenses that he racked up such staggering numbers.  125 rushing yards and 85 receiving yards against Arkansas, 181 rushing yards for 2 touchdowns and 27 receiving yards against Florida.  A definitive "Heisman moment" in the always difficult Iron Bowl against Auburn for 203 rushing yards with a spectacular 57 yard run.  And probably the most telling statistic is what he accomplished in the loss against LSU and the unquestionably best defense in the nation: 89 rushing yards and another 80 receiving in that "boring" game of the century.  His season all purpose totals are 1,910 yards for 23 touchdowns.  These factors combined tell me Trent Richardson will either place second overall or bring Tuscaloosa its second Heisman Trophy in the last three years (also ever).

Robert Griffin III would've fallen under "dark horse" candidate in the beginning of the season, and that might be an overstatement.  As usual, not much was expected from the Baylor Bears as preseason polls had them unranked and receiving no votes (putting them at best No. 51), but a stunning performance in the season opener against No. 14 TCU had the nation wondering where this prodigy with the fancy name had been its whole life, and the stellar throwing just kept coming.  His completion ratings vary from high 60s to low 90s, which is amazing even at practice.  What might hurt his resume are his team's losses.  A loss makes every player on the field look bad, and it always reflects on the Heisman ballot, even though the Heisman is an individual award.  What might remedy this are his stats on his worst lost.  Against an obviously very talented Oklahoma State, he may have thrown two interceptions, but still managed to rack up 425 yards in the air, and put up 24 points.  Numbers like those usually never result in an 'L'.  His "Heisman moment"?  Well he seems to be constantly having one.  From strong performances under difficult circumstances to the sheer number of yardage in a season, Robert Griffin III lives the "Heisman moment".  His end of regular season stats read 3,998 passing yards, 36 touchdowns, and only 6 interceptions.  He's tied in my mind for the trophy with Trent Richardson.



Montee Ball has been a staple in Wisconsin football for the last three years, so unlike RG3, he's no secret.  What shines about Ball is his new-found athleticism.  He lost 28 pounds over the off season to add speed and more importantly, elusiveness.  He's been cutting out of defenders' grasps and finding the endzone time and time again.  His other golden ticket lies in his number touchdowns.  He has 38 of them (all purpose).  To give you an idea, Trent Richardson has 23.  Quite frankly, that number alone got him in the Heisman debate.  What will deter voters is Wisconsin's use of Montee Ball.  He has a similar amount of rushing yards to Trent Richardson but 12 more rushing touchdowns.  When you look at Wisconsin's stats, Ball has more touchdowns than the team has passing touchdowns.  He has more than four times the touchdowns as their leading receiver Nick Toon.  Wisconsin is a one-trick pony and everyone knows it.  Whether they only give the ball to Ball in the redzone to pad stats or to win games is the coach's business, but with such a heavy touchdown to total yardage ratio, voters will consider these stats skewed.  Combine that with the argument that the level of defenses he's played against don't match those of the SEC, and things don't look too hopeful for Montee Ball.  He will, however, have a significant effect on the vote.  As a running back with 38 touchdowns, voters will be split from Trent Richardson's campaign.  Montee ball has a total of 2,014 yards for the 38 touchdowns.

Tyrann Mathieu is the "Honey Badger".  There's little debate that LSU fields the nation's best defense, and there's no debate that Mathieu is LSU's best defender.  He covers the whole field, tracks down the ball, and most importantly, makes game changing plays on special teams.  He's your do-it-all defensive back, a security blanket for any head coach.  As a defensive back, he's gonna be hard to compare to other offensive candidates, and as a cornerback, it's gonna be even harder.  Only one defensive back has ever won the Heisman Trophy, and even he lined up at wide receiver occasionally.  Offensive plays get the ball and are expected to do something with it.  Defensive players are supposed to cover their man, and if they do it well enough, nothing will happen.  That man won't be passed the ball, and as a corner, a running back has to escape some closer defenders before reaching him.  This is why Mathieu has a thin stat sheet; average tackles, average sacks, even average interceptions (2), because Tyrann Mathieu plays excellent coverage.  One defensive stat that does stick out is forced fumbles; he has five of them, and scooped two of those up for touchdowns.  What's most exceptional about Mathieu is his punt return ability.  Teams who've played LSU have had to punt a lot, and when they do, Honey Badger makes them pay.  He averages 16.15 yards per return (when not calling a fair catch) and has returned four of them for touchdowns, one of which was returned at the 8 yard line.  Voters will be conflicted to put Mathieu any higher than 4th for two reasons.  First, it's too hard to compare defensive backs against the skill positions.  If Mathieu had more sacks or more interceptions, he might have made more waves in the poll, and second, Mathieu was suspended for a game for breaking LSU's drug policy, and is considered a bit of a "dirty" player.  As mentioned earlier, voters like to see off the field attitudes that reflect their athletic performances.  I have Mathieu around 4th place, but Honey Badger don't give a . . .

Arnaldo's Heisman ballot:

Trent Richardson

Robert Griffin III

Andrew Luck

Tyrann Mathieu

Montee Ball

Arnaldo's Heisman prediction:

Robert Griffin III

Trent Richardson

Andrew Luck

Montee Ball

Tyrann Mathieu

Gone Bowling: University of Georgia vs. Michigan State University

Free Bloomin' Onions for everyone!

by Dub

Throughout the coming weeks, B&A will be going through some of the SEC bowl game match-ups and giving you, the fans, a little bit of background for both the teams playing. I don't know about you, but when bowl season starts, I usually try to catch a little bit of each one, and would like to know a little more about key players on each team, and some of the background of the two teams playing. That being said, let's get started with our first Gone Bowling Match-up: UGA vs MSU.

For our first match-up, we have what look like two very good but not elite football teams. Both are 10-3 and played in their respective conference championship games. The difference between these two teams is that Georgia is the fourth best team in the SEC (first almost anywhere else), and MSU is the second best in the Big 10. What really gets a lot of MSU fans is that Michigan (a 10-2 team that did NOT play in its conference championship game and was beaten head to head by MSU) is going to a BCS bowl, simply for the fact that they did not lose an extra game to Wisconsin.

Georgia is excited to be going to the Outback Bowl, because they have a young team who will likely finish in the top 15 this year, and have a load of returning players, namely Aaron Murray (QB), Isaiah Crowell (RB), and Malcolm Mitchell (WR) who all lead the team in their respective categories. Michigan State is losing both their #1 quarterback and #1 wide receiver, and will likely not be this talented of a football team when Bowl Selection rolls around next December. The point here is that Georgia is a fiery, scrappy team who still has a lot of time left to improve, and is chomping at the bit to get into the bowl, and Michigan State is a team who feels like they were cheated out of "real competition". Now the issue is that when you think the opponent you're facing against isn't up to your level, often times, you let him run right up to you and punch you straight in the face.

Georgia is a team loaded with talent, and the only reason they aren't playing for a BCS bowl is that three other teams in the SEC could all win a national title, playing against anyone else in the nation. This season, Georgia had a front-loaded, painful schedule against two top 12 opponents, which set them back 0-2 right off the bat. They reeled off 10 straight on their way to Atlanta to face eventual SEC Champion LSU. The issue with Georgia isn't the players they have or the schemes they run. The issue is youth, and with youth comes inexperience. LSU was built for the long haul from day 1; when a player went down, another took his place, and played at an All American level. Georgia was decimated by injuries by the time they locked horns with LSU, and it showed.

Michigan State is a team that lost a head scratcher to Notre Dame in September by three scores. Then again, one might look at a schedule from the past couple of years and realize that MSU has lost a game to an unranked opponent early in the season for three out of the last four years. When you don't play in a hyperconference where everyone and their mother is ranked in the top 25, you don't have the strength of wins to be a two loss team and skyrocket through the BCS rankings to play in a big time bowl. Michigan State was blown out by Nebraska by three touchdowns, got it back together, and then lost by a field goal to Big 10 Champion Wisconsin. However, MSU did have big regular season wins over #6 Wisconsin and #11 Michigan. Michigan State doesn't have issues with talent, but with consistency, and unfortunately, they play consistently bad during bowl season against SEC teams.

Now we'll go through and look at three players to look at as these teams meet in January.


Georgia

• Jarvis Jones #29 LB: His 13.5 sacks are good enough for 2nd in the nation, and he is an absolute monster at disrupting the comfort and poise of the opposing QB. Fast getoff, great balance and technique, and a speed rush that could leave even the best offensive lineman dizzy.
• Bacarri Rambo #18 S: An absolute ballhawk who rarely let a big play develop. His 7 picks this year are, like Jones, good enough for 2nd in the nation. He's got a nose for the ball, and he takes advantage of QB mistakes.
• Aaron Murray #11 QB: Passed for 2861 yards and 33 touchdowns, which broke the UGA single season mark of 25 set by Matt Stafford in 2008. Murray is an undersized quarterback who plays a lot like Drew Brees, making up for lack of size in arm strength and timing. Look for him to utilize his tight ends, Charles and Bennett.

Michigan State

• Kirk Cousins #8 QB: Cousins is as good a quarterback as there is in the Big 10 and holds the MSU career passing touchdown record at 62. He's got good arm strength and good anticipation, which leads to a number of good plays against lazy defenses. Look for him to work the pro sets he has in this game, and to be rolling out of the pocket, as he'll be feeling the pressure of UGA's pass rush. The good news is that he is as deadly on the rollout as he is in the pocket.
• Denicos Allen #28 LB: This season, Allen has 10 sacks, and plays a similar style to Jarvis Jones, a speed rushing outside linebacker who disrupts the backfield. He is very athletic, and makes plays that force his opponents to account for him on every down. If you want to see how much of a pure athlete he is, go here.
• BJ Cunningham #3 WR: Cunningham is a big bodied, big play machine. He has 72 catches for 1200+ yards and 12 touchdowns this year, and looks to improve upon those numbers against Georgia's smallish cornerbacks. In order for him and Cousins to have a good game, MSU will need to implement short, quick routes to keep the defense honest and allow the field to open up.

Ultimately, both of these teams are very similar in play style and in ability. Georgia has a bit more of an undersized speedy defense, whereas MSU has a bigger albeit slower defense that relies on sound gap protection to minimize big runs. Both teams are ranked in the top 10 nationally in total defense, and are both top 20 in scoring defense. The series between these two teams is tipped in Georgia's favor, winning 34-27 in the 1989 Gator Bowl and 24-12 in the 2009 Capital One Bowl.

For Georgia to win, they must control the line of scrimmage and force Michigan State to beat them through the air. If one of Georgia's (many) hurt running backs is back for this game, I think UGA wins, propelling themselves into next season with high hopes and a very talented football team.

For Michigan State to win, they must run the ball well against Georgia's very talented front 7. Look for Michigan State to use screen packages and quick pass plays to force Georgia to play off the ball a little bit and give themselves room to run. Michigan State can not win if they cannot establish a run game.

Dub's Prediction: Georgia 37 Michigan State 24

'11-'12 Bowl Game Schedule

by Arnaldo

Here is a comprehensive bowl schedule that's easy to read and all in one place, for those of you that are like me and hate having to go to ESPN.com every time I want to know when there's a game on and who's playing and have to click on a 8 different places.  Enjoy! (click on picture, right-click and save, so you get the high-resolution version.)

Xs and Os: The Option

by Arnaldo

If you've watched the Florida Gators play under Urban Meyer, or the Denver Broncos in the last few weeks, you've probably heard the word "option" thrown around a bit.  In this Xs and Os, we're not just gonna define the option, we're gonna get into its specifics, technique, and recent application in the NFL (via Tim Tebow).

The option is nothing more than a series of run plays (from a variety of formations) where there are two or more potential ball carriers.  Conventionally, a run play will have a single predetermined ball carrier running a predetermined route.  The option allows the quarterback to decide during the play, how he wants the ball to be ran.  He does this by reading certain players before the snap, and during the first few moments of the play, and decides how to proceed based on these reads, called "keys".


Option Plays


There are essentially only two option plays that can be executed from various formations.  Each has only two potential ball carriers, or "options".

Read Option

The "mesh" exchange between Tim Tebow and Jeff Demps.
Note Tebow's eyes as he reads his dive key and decides what
to do with the ball.

The first is called a "read" option, which has two possible options, a "dive" track and a "keep" track.  The quarterback takes the snap and puts the ball in the belly of his running back.  Instead of handing it off, he holds it there and follows along with the running back's movement for as long as he can without taking an actual step.  This amount of time is called the "mesh".  During the mesh, the quarterback reads his "dive key", a defensive end (opposite of the running back's direction).  If the end pursues the running back, the quarterback with keep the ball and his keep track will run in a direction away from the dive track.  If the end recognizes the play as an option, and waits to see how the mesh unfolds, the quarterback will hand it off and the play follows the dive track.  Keep in mind that a dive refers to a running route directly up the middle.  If the quarterback reads his key correctly, the offense will always have the upper hand, because the keep track moves away from the end's direction, and the dive track will have a head start on the end who hesitated.  This play is also sometimes referred to as the

Speed Option

Tim Tebow in the motion of pitching the ball on a speed
option run.

The second option play is a "speed" option.  It is so named because as soon as the quarterback receives the ball, he immediately goes into motion.  The two tracks here are the "keep" track and the "pitch" track.  A running back, here refered to as a "pitch back", will be running a few yards beside the quarterback.  When the quaterback (still carrying the ball) runs into some defenders, he may chose to keep the ball, or pitch it back to the running back, based on his read, here called a "pitch key" (usually a linebacker or defensive back).  If the defender pursues the quarterback, he'll pitch the ball, but if the defender follows the pitch man, he'll keep it.  As long as both options aren't being simultaneously covered, the speed option should always get positive yardage.

Triple Option

Josh Johnson running his keep track.

Those two plays are essentially the building blocks of the option.  There are two forms of "triple option" that derive from them.  Triple option meaning that there are three possible ball carriers, the conventional triple option is a combination of both the read option and the speed option.  With two running backs, the play begins and runs exactly like the read option.  If the quarterback decides to keep the ball, he still has the pitch man running beside him (the speed option).  This entire sequence is also known as the "veer" (play; there is also a "veer" formation).

The other triple option is a double speed option.  Innovated (debatable) and perfected (indisputable) by Urban Meyer, this involves all three backs to rush in one direction just like the speed option.  The only difference is that the quarterback has two pitch options, one on either side of him.  The benefit here is that typically on a speed option, the quarterback finds one or two defenders ahead of him, but hardly ever three.  The third option allows allows for positive yardage, almost all the time.  Note that the forward pitch is called a "shovel pass".  This is done to differentiate the two because even a forward pitch is a forward pass.  If it is dropped, the ball is dead as an incomplete pass.  A normal pitch (backwards), if dropped, is a fumble and a live ball.


Formations


Originally, the option was invented out of the single-wing and T formations, but quickly became prevalent out of the wishbone. All three formations are now extinct, so we'll just skip over them.

Flexbone

The most successful flexbone option team.

The wishbone evolved into the flexbone in the '80s where Fisher DeBerry combined the double slot formation with the wishbone option concepts.  The flexbone moved the wishbone's backs into the slot back positions.  This made the overall scheme more pass-friendly, whereas the wishbone wasn't.  This completes the flexbone into a full offensive scheme.  Today, only four FBS teams base their offense off the flexbone option and are considered true option teams.  They are the three service academies, Navy, Army, and Air Force, and Georgia Tech.  If you ever have the chance to closely watch any of these teams play, pay close attention to how the run these plays from the flexbone.  As you can see, the flexbone utilizes four backs, the quarterback, a full back, and two slot backs.  A slot back is a role typically filled with half backs or wide receivers.  The position is a hybrid of the two, and slot backs need to be skilled evenly between the two positions. 

Triple option in the flexbone.  Note the read option that may
become a speed option.

Now lets look at the option plays from the flexbone.  Typically, one of the slot backs goes in motion before the snap, and ends up past the full back by the time of the snap.  The quarterback sidesteps to enter the mesh stage with the full back.  He reads his dive key and makes a decision.  If he decides to keep it, he follows his keep track along side the pitch track ran by the slot back who went into motion before the snap.  After reading his pitch key, he may keep it or pitch it.  This same play can be redrawn in several variations with the tracks slightly moved around.  There is also a lot of room for pass plays and play-action passes from this formation.

Shotgun

Read option from the shotgun (see top picture).

I say shotgun and not spread here because the spread isn't a formation; it's a scheme.  A formation with three or more spread out receivers with the quarterback in the shotgun is considered spread.  Now a shotgun isn't a particular formation either but an umbrella of formations with the quarterback several yards behind the center.  This is the new wave of option football popularized by Urban Meyer, Rich Rodriguez, Chip Kelly and others.  Under this system, the quarterback receives the snap and enters the mesh immediately, or takes off on his track on a speed option, just like before.

Triple option (double speed) from the shotgun.

The difference maker in this system is the spread concept.  Three to five wide receivers spead the defense out and makes wider holes for the option run to find.  This is why under this system, small shifty backs (Chris Rainey, Jeff Demps) are more useful than big, strong, power backs.  The other advantage behind this scheme is that it doesn't become predictable or one sided.  The spread is without a doubt, the best scheme for strong passing.  Look at any two minute offense.  Look at Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers pass in the spread.  It gives them great field vision, several receivers causing separation in the secondary, and mismatches that will always favor the offense.  Defenses have to prepare for a deceptive option game, and a spread passing, and that's not even factoring what happens when you combine the two for play-action passing.  Defenses can be talented, but unless they're properly disciplined for this type of offense, they'll lose every time.


Reemergence in the NFL


If you're like me, or plenty Gator fans, you've been paying close attention to the Denver Broncos and Tim Tebow.  After going 1-4, the Broncos start Tebow and implement the spread option which has never seen decent play time in the NFL.  As I mentioned earlier, the early option concepts thrived in pro football, but the spread option has never quite made the transition (one exception is the Josh Johnson Buccaneer package).  In my opinion, as reluctant as the NFL has been to change, the players who were a part of the popularization of the spread option are now all in the NFL.  There was bound to be a breaking point.  This isn't to say that all teams will start encorporating the this scheme.  They won't.  There a reason the most popular offensive style is called the Pro-style.  The NFL, like all pro sports, is a business.  A business where people quit their jobs, and get new ones.  Franchise players are a thing of the past.  Free angency, and the need for greed, has homogenized NFL schemes.  Because players and coaches are constantly shifting from team to team, all offenses and defenses styles are basically the same.  There are slight differences and plenty of variations, but they are conceptually the same.  A team that sets out to break these tendencies needs stability so that all their players can adapt to the new system.  It's like moving to a country where they drive on the opposite side of the road.

Yeah, these idiots.

I will say this, however.  There is a reason Tim Tebow excels at these plays.  He is a Heisman winning, two-time National Champion under this system, but as great as that sounds, he's not alone.  There happens to be not one, but two other quarterbacks in the NFL with similar resumes: Vince Young and Cam Newton.  Newton, we all know, won a Heisman and a national championship doing almost exactly what Tim Tebow did a few years prior.  And Tebow succeeded Vince Young, winning a national championship at Texas and coming in second in Heisman voting behind Reggie Bush, who vacated the award (so it's basically his).  They're also not having the most success right now.  Young's future is up in the air.  On the other hand, Cam Newton is having little to no problem fitting into his new scheme, but it still isn't his forte, and the Carolina Panthers still need a jump start.  Don't be surprised if we see Carolina pull a Tim Tebow, and put Newton in a similar option situation next year.

Conference Realignment: What It Means for the SEC and Florida

by Arnaldo

A conference is like a party.  You go where your friends go, that is after all, the whole point of the party, being with your friends.  If one person wants to leave to go to another party, chances are, they'll take someone with them.  Two less people there give a third person less reason to be there instead of another party.  A chain reaction ensues and before you know it, said party is over and the keg is still full.  Now I don't know what the keg is in this metaphor but the rest should be pretty clear, and that's exactly what's been happening the last year of college football.


But how does it affect us?

First of all, it really shouldn't.  The SEC scheduling looks like this (as of before the realignment): there are 12 teams and 2 divisions.  Each school plays the five other divisional schools, one permanent school from the other division, and two rotating home-away basis schools from the other division.  The four remaining games are out of division and up to the school itself to schedule.  I say this because intraconference scheduling is up to the conferences and not the NCAA.  Each conference schedules differently.  The Pac-12 plays a 9 game conference schedule with 12 teams.

So does this mean the SEC needs to move to a 9 game conference schedule?  Not necessarily, but it isn't a bad idea.  The problem here is that removing one of those slots removes the SEC's much needed "padded match-ups".  Coaches will tell you they need these games, especially in the beginning of the season.  The SEC is obviously the toughest conference in the NCAA; that's no longer a point of contention.  Each match-up has the potential to be unforgiving and disastrous.

We have to contrast this to the problem with keeping an 8 game conference schedule.  With one more team in each division (Texas A&M to the west and Missouri to the east [sure, moving Auburn to the east was rumored and makes more sense, but that's just making too many waves]), one interdivisional game has to go.  Schools and fans will not allow the permanent match-up to dissolve.  Florida would lose playing LSU every year, and Deep South's Oldest Rivalry (Auburn-Georgia) would need a new name, or actually no name at all.  The SEC, however, will probably prefer this option so that there is more complete competition.

Trust me, we NEED this game.

Either way, the media loves to pretend these things are already decided and that all rivalries will cease to exist starting next year, but they're just plain wrong.  The worst case scenario involves some teams losing secondary or tertiary rivalries, which is a loss, don't get me wrong.  When the SEC was last expanded in 1992, Florida and Miami had to stop meeting up yearly.  Miami's rivalry with Florida State held together because Miami moved from the Big East to the ACC in 2004, FSU's conference.  The teams that suffer the most are the teams actually moving, and they elected to move in the first place.  Texas A&M will most likely keep their rivalry with Texas in the same way Florida plays Florida State every year even though they're in separate conferences.  They will lose yearly match-ups with Texas Tech and Baylor, but coincidentally, the Aggies are rivals with Arkansas and LSU and total over 60 match-ups with each.  Obviously they'll be awarded those rivalries back.  In the same fashion, Missouri should keep their Border War with Kansas but lose their rivalries with Oklahoma and Illinois.  Their rivalry with Nebraska already dissolved when The Cornhuskers moved to the Big 10.  Hopefully, Mizzou will develop another Border War with Arkansas in the upcoming seasons.


Where do we go from here?

But we JUST made this cool new logo.

The SEC looks pretty comfortable with 14 teams; let's hope the superconference trend ends there.  I say this because larger conferences only complicate things.  Think about it, if conferences get bigger, more divisions will be formed, more rivalries lost, and there will be a larger pool of teams from which to play all around.  The end result is a copy of the NFL, where there are no real rivalries and nobody remembers which conference they're in, because the conferences mean nothing, only the divisions do.

However, I see no problem with the constant changing of conferences for teams scattered around the map; not only is it happening now, it's been happening for years.  This holds with me as long as the party scenario doesn't happen again.  Conferences were already nicely set geographically across the map, rivalries were well established, and scheduling was simple.  The sad news is that despite adding TCU and West Virginia, the Big 12 is still not stable.  Less stable than them is the Big East.  Losing their BCS automatic qualification is looking inevitable, and hopefully this may make them less desperate to add more significant teams and help them to stabilize.

What's most important to remember is the SEC is looking indestructable. Five consecutive national championships (six soon), the addition of two teams that should be growing back to prominence (new management at Texas A&M with an SEC budget should help), and a sweet TV deal with CBS that should (God willing) be opting for an ESPN upgrade in the near future makes the SEC party look like New Years at the Playboy Mansion.

This actually looks kind of awesome.