Eleven Warriors

Now yank Spitler for Sabino and Ill feel better

The issue here is that we plays MOSTLY Nickel defense these days, with 4 down lineman, 2 LBs and 5 DBs.

In this defense, even with Russell starting, Hines is in the game as the "Star" 5th DB. The question now is who will play the star in our base Nickel?

Ideally, it would be Tyler Moeller.

Likely, it will go to either Russell/Orhian Johnson/Devon Torrence depending on the situation. The point is this: Russell is going to be on the field, because like it or not (and I don't), he is one of the 3 most talented safeties we have.

So, the larger question is this one: How do we MAKE SURE that Russell is not 1 on 1 with a USC WR? Russell can be MOSTLY solid in run support but I think we'll have to work to make sure he doesn't see coverage responsibilities on an island. Taking him out of the FS spot is a start, but more scheming will be needed.

To follow up, I'm personally in favor of making Devon Torrence into a FS or the Star this week.

He is a big physical corner who can be as solid in run support as Russell and offers a lot of skill and size as a coverage guy.

You don't have to worry about Torrence getting stuck on a WR and he can hold up against the run. I hope to see a lot of Torrence this week rather than a lot of Russell.

didn't spitler have a calf strain issue before the season started? could that be what's slowing him down?

If Sabino gives us a better shot at a W, then I'm in favor of that too. There should be no favoring of Seniority whatsoever.

This is positive news, because at least is shows a willingness to make personnel changes when we can be better by doing so. I was dead wrong with JT being willing to do this (thank god).

I am not sure how well Coleman can cover (interceptions do not tell the tale of coverage skills at all), but we know that Russell was dangerous out there and this removes a known weakness. We'll have to wait and see whether it ends up making us a lot better. I can't wait for the game.

i like taking the ball in the 2nd half myself. if you can manage to score before the 1st half ends and get the ball back to start the 3rd quarter i think that's huge.

nathan williams needs to be on the field more....all he does is make plays

I think all these guys will get some PT on Saturday. It's the only way to be successful; keep rotating fresh players in on defense to combat their experience offensive line.Show them different personnel, different looks, confuse Barkley and force him in to mistakes.

long story short, I agree.

Someone's been doing some research over there.

Can we bring Mike Doss back? He's not up to much right now.....

I gotta good feeling 'bout this one on Saturday fellas. I AM AMPED and it is only Weds.....

I want some of what you're drinking.

it's not "debbie downer" juice like you are i guess....

don't FCK the part of socal i live in please....

Rather than get superficially angry defending the Bucks, why not involve yourself in a dialogue about their realistic strengths and flaws.

I'll start.

We need to get a lot better along the offensive line if we're going to score enough points to keep up this Saturday.

I'd like to see the D all standing around the line of scrimmage before the snap of an obvious passing down similar to what you see NE and PIT do to Indy every year. It would confuse Barkley and may lead to a turnover. We have to disguise the blitz better than we have in the past. If we can get a couple good shots on him hopefully it'll rattle him into throwing the ball early rseulting in incompletions. What do you guys think?

just utilize the individual skillets of our players. we have dynamic play makers on each side of the ball, use them. This has been discussed before, but maybe something similar to the 2005-2006 Buckeyes with Troy Smith under center.

also, TWO BACK SET FTW!

skillets, ha

SKILL SETS*

Mike Doss. I have the dude's #2 number, home jersey. Let's start a petition to bring him back! ;)

I think the key to Saturday's game consists of us scoring more points than our opponents or to put it another way to hold our opponents to less points than what we score. Now get me a job on College Gameday becase that's what I call analysis!

Spitler is being moved to better facilitate his strengths. he didn't have that bad of a game by the way.. and we will probably see Sabino as well now..

Thad Gibson meet Matt Barkley. Matt Barkley meet Thaddeus Maximus.

I don't think sore ribs on the young QB is too much to ask for.

Man Coverage for the corners, maybe one of the safeties drops back and plays a lil zone or help on their number one wideout.

I'm calling it now, Coleman gets a pick in this game.

It was clear to me as early as the Troy game from last year that A Russell was a serious liability. Don't know whether it was that game or another, but he totally whiffed on a goal line tackle that went for a TD. That was it for me!

The old Tampa-Two I think it was. I think we still run that scheme now, but like you said, the difference maker is pressure on the QB.

Completely off-topic: I love dogs, but am I the only one who really doesn't give a shit what TP2 (or the rest of the team for that matters) puts on his eyeblack? It's clear by listening to TP2 speak and by reading his Twitter page that he's no (academically) Krenzel or Lanese, nor do I really care. All I care about is TP2 punking some Trojan ass; not what him, Posey, Hines, and Thaddeus think. Am I the only one who feels this way?

Kyle = genius

is your first name Lou and do you spit when you talk about how great Notre Dame is?

"eye-black-gate" has been blown way WAY out of proportion. So has that half of a quote TP gave about murder..... out of context and an incomplete thought.

I think that part of the reason we all loved Troy so much is that he knew what to say--aside from the humble, all team effort stuff--is that he was not controversial. I think that is my point. Someone with so much attention on them should be careful with comments and not just aviod bulletin board material, but also things that could lead to off field distractions. I am pretty sure we agree that it has been blown out of proportion (and to go a little further, could have been worse), but the LAST thing we need are the haters to have an excuse to start banging the 'character issue' drum. His talent speaks for itself and everyone who missed out on getting him wants nothing more than to be able to say they were glad he didnt come to their school.

Is saying be careful too much?

I am not talking about suspension, or even actions for that matter. I am talking about comments to the media...

Well if you want to say Troy Smith is the perfect example you need to look at the whole picture. He accepted some money from a booster which is a big no no.

My point is that no one is perfect, so why do we expect a 20 year old sophomore in college who is under the microscope to be perfect?

Troy and everyone else has brought on their own haters because that is the nature of the hater. The hate what they envy. Don't expect more from TP than what is realistic. (3 natl. championships. I kid, only 2)

actually, it was 2.5. He was suspended for the alamo bowl, the opener the following season and then split time with the Zwack Attack for Texas.

I'm not sure Troy is who you should be bringing up if you are trying to say that is who TP should be emulating. Southbaybuck mentions the booster incident but what about the on campus assualt he was involved with earlier in his career at OSU. My memory is fuzzy but I think he hit a female.

Nothing like that so far for TP. He said a few ill advised wordz...he is a kid that should be given a break.

Just win baby!

Wow. You guys have some serious hero worship going on. Give me a break. My point is simple--you have a spotlight on you, dont say stupid stuff. Oh, and btw, the whole twenty year old thing? Puh-leeze. He is not your average twenty year old, now is he? Do other twenty year olds have people lined up to get thier autographs???? Do twenty year olds have legions of alumni following their every move? If he were any other 20 year old, who would give a flip what he says. BUT HE IS NOT. He is the QB at a major program who represents you, me and every other person who has had the absolute honor to be a part of this University.

Oh, and when did I say 'emulate' Troy? Again the example was they way he SPOKE TO THE MEDIA. Not about boosters, suspensions, or his escapades prior to the Fiesta in 2006.

Southbaybuckeye, specifically, why are you so hostile? To answer your questions (although I am fairly sure I laid it out prior to this post), NO I am NOT talking about taking money from a booster, and NO I am NOT kidding.

On that we can agree!

Someone I know and I were talking all offseason about converting Hines to a LB. Beef him up, put him on the strong side, and see how he does.

I think we'll see him play more of a Star position. He'll line up a lot like a LB, but have a DB's sort of duties, keeping the outside in check and the like. I hope we'll see a lot of Amos/Torrence at nickel, playing a more traditional DB role.

The result is something that is very flexible, we could have Hines blitzing or cheating against the run, or have him drop back into some coverage and play a zone with 5 DBs, or even fake a blitz from Hines and zone blitz from the other side. It's very versatile, almost like playing a 3-3-5 with a strong focus on the run.

We won't see it, it's very unorthodox, but it's the kind of package when we put Malcolm in at safety in some nickel plays that would just throw quarterbacks through a loop.

FWIW Jay Marrioti jumped on the bandwagon about a week late today.

http://www.waitingfornextyear....

another reason to hate mariotti