Eleven Warriors

Ed: Bumped because M Man was nice enough to review three of the most painful years of his life. Also, because this review is thorough and well-written.

Happy Tuesday and welcome, to your Eleven Warriors Skull Session – Book Review Edition. 

Today marks the release of Three and Out: Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan Wolverines in the Crucible of College Football, by John U. Bacon.  (Farrar, Straus & Giroux).   It is the most interesting college football book in years, and it just might be the most important college football administration book in a generation.  While loving care has gone into the telling of the Rodriguez story, this is not a fan’s ode to one team that is very much loved in Michigan and very much hated in Ohio, but rather a very clear-eyed look at the sport we share in common.   In working on this book, John U. Bacon was given what no other writer has been given in recent history; complete, unrestricted access inside a major college football program.  The result is remarkable.

I suspect that most of you would happily sit down with a cold glass of Schadenfreude and spend a few minutes confirming your worst suspicions that Rich Rodriguez was an incompetent buffoon, and more generally your worst preconceptions about your football rival.  And I imagine it would be a relief for just about all of you to dig into a nice football story without any mention of the names Tressel, Pryor or Rife.   Well, I have good news, and also better news.  With one very small (and needless, in my view) exception, there is not a page of Buckeye-bashing in this book.  But the better news is that for most of you, your (mis)perception of Rich Rodriguez will never be the same.  And Buckeye football fans, as good as there are in all of sports, will be the better for it.

Basically, this is a book that every Buckeye who is deeply interested in The Rivalry should read.  And it is a book that every Buckeye who might be involved in a future coaching search should be required to read.

John U. Bacon is known to many of you through his semi-regular appearances on the Big Ten Network’s feature presentations.  (You've seen them; "Leaders and Legends of the B1G"; "B1G Legends and Leaders"; "Leaders and Legends and What Have You")  Bacon is technically a Ph.D. candidate in American Culture in Michigan’s College of Literature, Science and the Arts.  He is also a non-tenured Instructor in the school, and the small series of courses he teaches (History of Sports writing, etc.) feature the longest waiting list of any class in the college.  He’s a past Golden Apple Award winner as the best teacher in the University, and he’s been blowing away audiences in speeches since the publication of his last book, Bo’s Lasting Lessons.  He’s now doing some teaching at Northwestern’s Medill School, in addition to a weekly Ann Arbor radio program gig.

All that of course is some great Michigan-Man-crap, but we come back to the question of why should any self-respecting-Buckeye-bother?  The answer is, because you’ll be better, smarter supporters of your own program when you understand what has been going on at That School Up North.  Nobody, but nobody, has ever had press access like this to Michigan’s football program.  I dare say nobody’s ever had access to your program like this.  Well, maybe Bobby DiGeronimo…  I kid.  M Man is such a kidder.

First posted by Brady, at Inside The Shoe

I really don’t think that our young coach has any shot of hanging on past this season despite the news he finally is coaching under a legit contract until the end of 2012. It’s true that Fickell was dropped into an impossible situation with all of the suspensions and the turmoil surrounding the program but most fans still believe he is in way over his head. Ohio St. is one of the few jobs in America that other coaches pine for and the school should be able to hit a home run once this season comes to an end.

However, if Luke wants to put a HUGE notch under his belt and make the brass at Ohio St. second-guess their impending coaching search, this weekend certainly presents the opportunity. Wisconsin will be a great challenge for this team and its’ coaching staff moving forward.

Will the Buckeye’s be able to throw or even move the ball against a stout Wisconsin defense? Can Braxton escape this Saturday with body intact and all wits about him? Will Bollman dial up some plays that don’t remind us of leather helmets? I don’t really have the answers to these questions but I am dying to find out the answers in person this weekend at the 'Shoe!
Wisconsin will be pissed coming off that dramatic loss at the hands of Sparty on Saturday night. I have been racking my brain trying to figure out if that loss will be a good thing or a really bad thing for the Buckeyes. One could argue the Badgers will be hungry to atone for that last-second loss and OSU may be in trouble because of it. Wisconsin was beat up for most of the game against MSU but still managed to climb back in during the 4th quarter with some great plays by Russell Wilson. Besides the two-headed running attack and massive offensive line, Wilson is the guy that scares me the most.

Actually, after looking at that last sentence, the whole freakin’ Wisky offense is what scares me the most. I always have faith in a Buckeye defense but remain unconvinced that OSU has the horses to bang heads all night and stop that rushing attack. The loss of Nathan Williams will be felt during this game. He was excellent at getting pressure on the quarterback along with shutting down the running game. I hope that Hankins and Simon are up to the task but it won’t be easy pushing those giants around up front.

The Badger offense is good. No football fan in their right mind would argue that point. For the Bucks to have a shot they will have to move the ball and put up a bunch of points. Those two basic football concepts have been hard to come by this year. Part of the problem is starting a Freshman quarterback but Braxton has shown flashes of the talent that had fans drooling over his arrival last spring. Bollman and Fickell MUST open up the playbook for this one. Besides the Michigan game, this will be the marquee match up of the season for our young team. We still don’t know what the NCAA will decide later this month so a bowl game can’t be counted on either. This is Homecoming against a national power! Pull out all the stop’s coaches. I beg of you!

After watching that MSU-UW game on Saturday night I don’t think the Badgers are as invincible as I once thought. The Spartan defense had a great game and forced Wisconsin to throw more than they wanted to. I believe the OSU defense has just as much talent which gives me hope that the Buck’s can stay in this thing until the end. The D line will have to find a way to get pressure on Wilson and get his ass on the ground a few times early. They can’t let him get comfortable and pick our young secondary apart . If Wilson can couple that with a bruising running attack the game could be over before half time. Ohio St. is capable of a good defensive showing so let’s hope Heacock has some tricks up his sleeve for this one.

This game will be an opportunity for Fickell to wash the bad taste from all of our mouths. Most folks understand that it isn’t entirely his fault but it’s hard not to lay some of the blame with him. Our fans are a fickle bunch (pun sort of intended) and we expect to be in the race every year. That dream is long dead but there is still an outside shot to get back in the Big Ten race. A lot of dominos must fall in our favor but stranger things have happened. I want to remember Fickell for the great nose tackle he was, not the overwhelmed coach with a thousand-yard stare. This Saturday the healing can begin.

On behalf of the entire Eleven Warriors team and the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research, I want to thank you for purchasing a VIP ticket to Eat Too, Brutus 2011. As you know, the event will be held this Saturday, October 29th, prior to the Wisconsin game. To ensure smooth planning, this guide will cover everything you need to know.

DRINK TOO, BRUTUS

Please join us for a happy hour in the Arena District to kickoff the weekend on Friday night. It's a great chance to mingle with D-list site writers and meet other readers.

• LOCATION: Bar Louie in the Arena District (504 Park Street)
• DATE/TIME: Friday, October 28th @ 7:30pm

EAT TOO, BRUTUS

This is the main event and will be catered by City BBQ and Cheryl's Cookies. Since you purchased a VIP pass, your food and drink are covered for you. You must only show up, ready to have a good time.

• LOCATION: The RV lots behind the Schottenstein Center (Detailed Map).
• DATE/TIME: Saturday, October 29th, 1pm - 6pm

Although you're more than welcome to wear your t-shirt to the event, you do not need to. However, to secure your VIP wristband(s), you must bring a photo ID.

Your food and drinks are covered at this event, but, if you make a mean chili or batch of brownies and you want to show off your cooking skills, you're more than welcome to bring additional food to the event. What quicker way to make additional friends?

Among the activities planned for the event is a charity raffle to help generate even more money for the Stefanie Spielman Fund. We will be selling raffle tickets for $2 each and will be able to accept cash or credit cards. Among the items up for raffle:

Mark Titus' sock from the Final Four

• Chris Spielman autographed helmet
• Mike Vrabel and Matt Finkes autographed helmet
• Cris Carter autographed football
• Robert Smith autographed football
• A poster autographed by the 2010-11 Ohio State men's basketball team
• A Final Four-worn sock, autographed by Mark Titus
• LeCharles Bentley autographed football
• Jimmy Jackson signed photograph
• Gameday prints from M. Walton Keys
• Phil Steele autographed previews
• Buckeye Vodka gift basket

POSTGAME PARTY at SCHMOOGATE

Last, but not least, your VIP wristband will gain you entry to a postgame party held by our friends at SchmooGate, so please don't discard it after the tailgate is over. Once the Badgers are vanquished, there's no telling where the night will go.

• LOCATION: 263-265 W Norwich, Columbus, OH 43201 (Detailed Map)

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us. Thank you, again, for your support of the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research. We're looking forward to seeing you on Saturday.

Spielman's mustache had 155 tackles, good for #2 in the conference

On Saturday, months of planning and fundraising for the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research will finally come to frution with Eat Too, Brutus. From one tailgate, awareness (and some money).

The power of awareness cannot be measured like dollars for research. The ubiquity of the pink ribbon has done wonders for breast cancer awareness, which leads to earlier diagnosis that produces more treatable patients, better outcomes and saved lives, all independent of dollars raised.

If you're having trouble drawing a parallel to this type of proactivity, changing attitudes and habits around men's health issues, it's because you can't. The women's health movement is light years ahead of the the men's. And that's why Movember was created.

As October is the month of the pink ribbon, November is the month of the mustache. Movember is about wearing your support for men's health issues right beneath your handsome beak.

If you'd like to make it official, on or before  November 1 you can register at Movember.com with a clean-shaven face - there's an Eleven Warriors Movember team that you're welcome to join.

Think of your mustache as a pink ribbon you wear for a month, except that it's to raise awareness around cancers that affect men, most specifically prostate cancer.

If you'd like to make it official, on or before  November 1 you can register at Movember.com with a clean-shaven face - there's even an Eleven Warriors Movember team that you're welcome to join. Join our team, donate and grow a mustache for 30 days.

Or just join our team without donating or growing. It's all about awareness. I'll be 'staching out in November, and when people ask me why - I'll tell them.

You'll notice that all of the men and both of the ladies of 11W are on board. Resta assured; our ladies will not be growing mustaches - they simply support the cause.

Beyond the awareness that Movember generates, funds raised in the US support prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men. The money raised is directed to programs run directly by Movember and its men’s health partners, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG, which you probably know as Lance Armstrong's Foundation. 

For more information, visit the Movember home page. To join Team 11W, visit http://mobro.co/elevenwarriors.

First post here at 11W.  This comes from my weekly look at the spreads that I post on my blog "Healthy Scratch".

Another 5-2 week (6th 5-win week in a row, 33-15-1 overall) but once again, not only do I not gain any traction on Bradley, but I fall further away.  His only loss?  Georgia Tech.  What a Delta Bravo.

There are a bunch of good games on TV.  I am an average bettor that looks at this stuff for a few hours each week and have a winning percentage of 67%, and I am not even winning my own pick 'em pool.  The goal for point spreads is to have have of the bettors take one side.  For Vegas to break even, the bettors should be around .500.  Anyway, this year, the guys who pay rent by betting are absolutely killing Vegas.  Therefore, all the spreads are inflated and I do not feel comfortable taking all 20 and 30 point favorites.

This week I am heavily relying on the trends of America and anything over 90% is fair game.  I don't like to bet on random games that aren't even on TV and in the past this has bitten me in the ass, but that's my strategy this week.  Conference USA/ESPN3.com dominates my picks to click for Week 8:

#4 Oklahoma State (-7) at Missouri Noon FX #riseandfire

I have taken the Pokes for 6 weeks.  I am 5-1 (damn you ULL).  10 point W at least.  This game will last longer than The Godfather.



#9 Arkansas (-18) at Ole Miss 12:21 SEC Net

Arkansas is on a roll and Ole Miss is the mattress of the SEC West.  The 'Hogs only have one loss to Alabama.  They came back against TAMU in Jerry's World and handled Auburn last week.

Wake Forest (-3) at Duke 1230 ACC Net

I will take any three-point favorite at Duke.  Wake has been playing well this year, beating FSU at home.  Duke is surprisingly 3-3 with wins against Boston College (20-19) on a missed XP, Tulane and FAU.  Their losses? Stanford, Richmond and Florida State.  Soon to be the Demon Deacons.

#13 Nebraska (-25) at Minnesota 3:30 ABC/ESPN2

Huskers put 34 on Ohio State (28 unanswered).  Minnesota gave up 58 (58 unanswered) to Michigan.  The Gophers did put a fight vs the Spoiled Children Sexual Ballers but that was week 2 which seems like 50 years ago.  Nebrasky is well rested after a bye week.  Another big L for the Maroon and Gold.

#17 Texas A&M (-21) at Iowa State 330 ABC/ESPN Gameplan/ESPN3.com

Fresh off a win over Baylor, the Aggies head into Ames against a horrible Cyclone squad.  TAMU may be down, but Tannehill threw 6 touchdowns last week against an above average BU team.  He may get 600 against Cy and the boys.

#19 Houston (-21) vs. Marshall 4:50

Houston is undefeated.  They have beaten UCLA 38-34 and UTEP 49-42.  Not a very impressive resume, but they do have 6th year senior Case Keenum and Marshall is 3-4.  They have lost to WVU, Ohio 44-7, VT and UCF 16-6.  They are not good and Keenum may have 700 yards.  At half.

SMU +3 at Southern Miss 8:00 CBS Sports Network

A great Conf-USA clash between 5-1 teams.  Home teams usually get 3 so these teams are even.  98% of America is taking the Mustangs so I'm gonna roll with the underdog who beat TCU on the road in overtime a few weeks back.  That's about all I got.

Games I like but aren't going to take:

#15 West Virginia (-14.5) at Syracuse 8:00 ESPN FRIDAY

WVU's O can score 14 in 2 plays and the Carrier Dome hasn't been rocking since McNabb's victory over VT in 1998.  WVU also has revenge on their beards.  Mountaineers roll.

Air Force at #5 Boise State (-31.5) 3:30 Versus

The Falcons gave up 59 to the Irish and 41 to the Aztecs their past two games.  Happy times stopping Kellen Moore on the blue turf for the Broncos' first ever MWC home game.  Boise should not be wearing blue shirts though so birds don't think they are moving puddles, or something.

#10 Oregon (-32.5) at Colorado 3:30

Running back: out.  Quarterback: Out.  Colorado: horrible.  45-0 at half.

#6 Wisconsin (-7.5) at #18 Michigan State 8:00 ABC GAMEDAY

Only a touchdown?  Is it really going to be that close?  At Sparty at night, ok.  MSU's d-line makes me scared from my couch/south stands, but the 10-7 Buckeye game sticks with me.  State is off a tough, clean win against their arch rivals.  Can Spaty keep up with Wisky?  I say neh.  Possibly a classic intra-conference slug fest.  Probably not.

#25 Washington at #8 Stanford (-20) 8:00 ABC

Congrats U-Dub, you have a number now!  You do not have a Locker, you do not have Luck on your side (high fives for puns).  I could see the Huskies nipping the Cardinal if this was a noon game, but at night, on national television?  Stanford sends a message to the Ducks.  Sorry Huskies, you sniffed up the wrong tree on this evening.

Games America Likes:

Illinois -4.5 90% at Purdue

Clemson -10.5 96% vs. North Carolina

Kansas State -12 95% at Kansas

Maryland +16.5 98% at Florida State

Tulane -12.5 96% vs. Memphis

Alabama -29 92% vs. Tennessee

Middle Tenn. -6.5 99% at FAU

Washington State -3 95% vs. Oregon State
 

This was written by Brady, first at Inside The Shoe

It’s amazing what one win can do for your psyche in this kind of a season. Food has tasted better this week, it has seemed brighter outside (which is hard to do considering the amount of rain that has fallen over northern Ohio) and I have generally been nicer to those around me. All of this because of a football game. It’s hard to explain to those outside of our OSU fanatic niche how much a football team can mean but it really is one of the most important things in my life. As long as family, friends and my job are all humming along as expected, football is pretty much the next item on the list. I guess what I am trying to say is.. THANK GOD WE F’N WON A GAME! I was beginning to think I might never feel this way again in 2011.

The Buckeyes had been playing uninspired and sloppy football for the last couple of weeks which added two more losses to the one already collected in South Beach a month ago. If you’re counting at home, that is 3 freakin’ losses only half way through the year. Under normal circumstances that is like two years worth of losses. Unfortunately this season is anything but normal and OSU desperately needed a win in Champaign to get that Herpes B infected monkey off their back (too soon?). I think we all expected some growing pains this year but nobody predicted the horror show err... offensive production witnessed thus far.

Heading into windy Champaign, the OSU football team was still reeling from the 2nd half collapse in Lincoln. The game against Nebraska could have been a season changing victory on the road. Instead, it turned into the latest chapter of despair for this team and its’ fans. I really didn’t know how they were going to react following that second half against the Huskers. My blind Buckeye allegiance was telling me that OSU would be pissed and come back to give the Illini hell. My brain said otherwise and believed that there was no way this team won on the road against an undefeated ranked opponent. I feared that Illinois would be another loss in a long line of potential losses to finish out the year. There was hope because Braxton was cleared to play but the passing game was still only pre-Woody at best so I didn’t know what to expect.

The defense showed as usual and the running game looked good for most of the afternoon.

Seriously though, WTF is up with passing game? This is still Ohio State right? ONE pass completion! That’s all we got? It was a good pass to complete but how can Bollman or Fickell look themselves in the mirror and be happy with one pass? The most damning stat I saw concerning our “passing game” was a tweet from 11W’s Ramzy on Sunday. He found that 2 RB’s and 1 WR had more completions on Saturday than the Buckeye’s. I didn’t even know how to react to that one. Braxton is definitely you and is probably in a little over his head but there is no rational argument to be made as to why you can’t get more than one pass completion.

That one completion did go for a score on a beautiful toss over the middle to Stoney. Miller had a clear throwing lane and managed to lead Stoneburner with a perfect spiral. My point is that it wasn’t like Braxton was launching Bauserbombs into the next county. He showed the ability to complete a college throw and should’ve been given the opportunity for more. I realize the running game is the horse we rode in on but don’t put the air attack out to pasture just yet.

We are going to need that passing game if OSU is going to have any chance of upsetting the Badgers. Wisconsin will be selling out to top the run and you can’t blame them for implementing that strategy. There is absolutely no reason to fear an all out air assault next weekend. If Bollman wants any chance of leaving Columbus without a police escort at the end of the season, he HAS to come up some throws to loosen up that defense. Wisky won’t be as easy to push around as the Illini were. Fickell basically told Zook that he was going to run the ball on every play and they still couldn’t stop us. That’s a testament to the RB talent on this team but that strategy won’t fly against the 4th ranked team in the country. Stopping the Badgers on the other side of the ball is a whole other column unto itself but that is another column for another day.

Before the season started, the best Sister and Brother-in-law on the planet decided to present me with an early Christmas gift. They opened up a package that contained tickets to every OSU home game with instructions to pick my favorite game to attend. Naturally I chose the Wisconsin game figuring that the Buckeyes would be 6-1 and in the hunt for another BCS bowl game bid (obviously that was WAY off but that’s what being a blind OSU supporter is all about). Little did I know the hornet’s nest the Bucks would be facing that late October evening. 

Anything can happen but it’s going to be tough sledding against those corn-fed brutes from Wisky. That’s not the point. I will be able to spend some quality time with my brother Tony who is usually overseas helping to keep this country safe. As a bonus, we get to spend that time with 105,000 of our closest red-clad friends (wear RED to the game if you haven’t heard already). I wanted to use this public forum to thank all of those who serve in the armed forces. They enable us average Joe’s to enjoy great sporting events like the one on Oct. 29. Thanks again for the gift Alison and Tony. Go Buckeyes!

With all the recent talk about Urban Meyer's inevitability as the next head coach of our beloved Buckeyes, I have to ask you all:  what's the argument against re-hiring Jim Tressel?  It was Ramzy's moving article describing the unseen good that Jim Tressel did as head coach that originally brought me to this website.  So if we all know what a quality human being Jim Tressel is, and we all know what an amazing head coach he was, then why are we not supporting him as the next head coach?

I ask you, if you could have anyone, wouldn't it be Tressel?  Do you care what ESPN thinks?  Do you care what the NCAA thinks?  Do you care what ANYBODY else thinks who doesn't care about Buckeye football?  Then get behind this movement:  RE-HIRE TRESSEL!  (Seriously.)

Here is the scenario

Team A plays against Team B.

Weather, low temperature of the day 53 degrees F, high temp 84 degrees F, avg wind speed 2.5 mph, precipitation 0.0 inches

Team A has 194 total yards of offense on 59 plays for an average of 3.3 yards per play against Team B.

Team B has given up at least 4.7 yards per play against all previous 6 opponents.  Team B has given up at least 6.5 yards per play against 2 of those 6 opponents.  Team that only gained 4.7 yards per play is currently 0-6.

Team A is starting a freshman QB who was the #9 QB in the 2011 recruiting class and they also play a freshman who was the #1 ranked Pro Style QB in the 2011 recruiting class.  Team A is starting a senior RB with over 2,000 career rushing yards and over 20 career TD's.  Team A is starting a senior WR with over 90 career receptions and another WR who was the #2 ranked WR in the country in the class of 2009.

Team B is the 98th ranked run defense in the country, even after giving up only 66 yards rushing to Team A.  Team B is the 89th ranked pass defense in the country even after giving up only 128 yards passing to Team A.  Team B is the 60th ranked scoring defense in the country, even after giving up only 6 points to Team A.

Team A has an offensive coordinator who has been a head coach in college football.  Team A's offensive coordinator has also been an offensive coordinator in the NFL.  He has won 3 Super Bowls as an offensive coordinator.

Yes, the Florida Gators with all of their offensive firepower and offensive coaching acumen have now gained fewer than 225 yards in 3 consecutive games.  Yes, a freshman QB completely changes the ability of an offense to succeed at a high level.  Yes, Florida had averaged over 450 yards per game prior to losing their experienced starting QB.

Seriously Buckeye fans, wake up to the reality that this offense has a complete dearth of experience on the offensive side of the ball at WR and QB.  Wake up to the fact that even a Super Bowl winning offensive coordinator is completely handcuffed by having no experience at QB.  NO MATTER HOW TALENTED THAT QB MIGHT BE.

As many of you know, Eat Too, Brutus is sold out this year (thank you!) and we're looking forward to an epic Saturday that leads to us giving the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research a nice fat check.

While we still have many surprises in store for Saturday, we wanted to go ahead and announce Drink Too, Brutus, which is a companion happy hour for the main event. Whether you purchased a VIP pass to Eat Too, Brutus or not, you're welcome to join us for drinks on Friday 10/28 - 7:30pm at Bar Louie in the Arena District.

This is a great chance to meet your favorite D-list bloggers and site regulars while enjoying the standard happy hour fare: $3 beers, and half-off appetizers. DJ has promised to show up in a top hat and a cane, and will be posing for photos, and Pitbull guarantees you'll have a real good time.

Again, just to bullet Drink Too, Brutus 2011 up:

• LOCATION: Bar Louie in the Arena District (504 Park Street)
• DATE/TIME: Friday, October 28th @ 7:30pm
• DECONSTRUCTING BOLLMAN, A SYMPOSIUM: To begin one hour into the night, or when everyone is drunk.

Completely ripped off from MGoBrian.

He explains his terms here http://mgoblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/hennechart-legend.html

Yeah, the touchdown pass is dead on.  The grade might be overly generous but it was on target, on time and thrown down field with a 30 mph wind at his back.  The first pass attempt of the day was listed as catchable, Brown was coming back to the football and the defender went through him to break up the pass.  The officials were ok with that for reasons that escape me.  The two inaccurate are deep balls that are overthrown with the wind at Miller's back.

Runs

So some people on the boards are claiming they would have liked to see more passing plays called.  Well Ohio State called 8 passes in the game, good for -8 yards.  Illinois waited until 6:22 remaining in the game to bring more than 7 men into the box, and that might just be because the formation was 2 TE 1 FB 1 RB and 1 WR.  The combination of Illinois failing to adjust, Ohio State failing to gain yards on passing plays, the score and the wind make me believe . . . Jim Bollman did the right thing.  On designed running plays Ohio State gained 237 yards on 46 carries, good for 5.15 yards per play versus the -1 yard per play on designed passes.  In truth any criticism of the play calling should be why did Ohio State try to pass in the middle of the second quarter from their own 39 yard line on 2nd and 5 when the running game was working.  Ohio State went incomplete/sack/punt instead of sticking with what was working.  Also the 3rd and 5 play on that series was a read option play action pass.  When running the read option the backside defensive end is unblocked and the quarterback reads him to determine if he should hand off or keep the ball.  If you run play action on this play you are running a slow developing passing play with an unblocked defensive end.  This strikes me as an incredibly bad idea.  If anybody has information on this idea working for read option teams (preferably with video link) I'd love to see it.

Receivers

Not a lot there, nice route by Stoneburner on the TD.

This next table is similar to what I think mgobrian is doing with his receiving chart but I am unable to find a link to his explanations so mine will have to do.  The first digit in the grade is from the receiver’s point of view, 4 easy to 1 impossible.  The second digit indicates the presence of the defender (1 there, 0 not there) at the time the ball hits the receiver’s hands.  When I say there, I mean close contact.
Therefore:
11  Bad pass, tight coverage.
10  Bad pass, no defender to stop it
21  Really tough ball to catch and in tight coverage.  A catch on this means the receiver is saving his qb.
20  Really tough ball to catch, no coverage.
31  Ball outside the strike zone, tight coverage
30  Ball outside the strike zone, no coverage
41  Ball on the money, tight coverage
40  Ball on the money, no coverage

For the receivers this is catches/opportunities