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David Molk, the Center Position, and Run Blocking
Posted by Tim on October 1, 2008

An interesting tidbit I saw on ESPN’s College Football Live today. John Saunders, Doug Flutie, and Trevor Matich went to the demonstration field in the studio to discuss primarily the Wildcat (Wild Hog, Wild Reb, etc.) formation. Though Michigan has run out of this formation very few times this year, the emphasis of their segment was on how running out of the shotgun formation is particularly taxing on the center.

Perhaps not coincidentally, Michigan’s offensive line (especialy David Molk, the center), has been very good in pass protection, but has struggled when running the ball out of the shotgun. Matich’s demonstration on why running the ball from the Wildcat formation is difficult may explain why Molk has struggled.
The general premise of the bit was that the center snapping into the shotgun for a pass play (or, theoretically a draw) can simply snap the ball and take steps back to protect the passer. For a run play, however, he must snap the ball, turn to block the defender in his area, and fire forward, all at the same time. In Matich’s demonstration, he illustrated how the center was going to be prone to bad snaps from this formation, because he is turning his hips to the defender and firing forward before the ball leaves his hand.
David Molk hasn’t had many bad snaps this year (despite playing in poor weather in the Notre Dame game), but he has had trouble blocking against the run. Is it possible that he has focused on making sure the snap gets to the quarterback, at the expense of turning and firing forward? I would assume that the shotgun snap is emphasized by the coaches in practice, and perhaps that is at least a partial explanation for Molk’s issues in run-blocking.

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Across the Border: Wisconsin
Posted by Tim on October 1, 2008

Massey from Buckeye Commentary offers his take on Michigan’s win over Wisconsin. And hey! He actually watched the game this week.

What I saw…

Wow. I will tell you what I saw – an entirely different team appearing from the locker room after halftime. Let’s focus on the action after halftime. No need to dwell on that first half.

That was an impressive turn around considering their performance for the previous 6 quarters. They never quit and even stepped up their play. The team obviously believes in Rodriguez and continues to play hard for him. I am not sure what a galvanizing win is supposed to look like, but a new Wolverine team has showed up in the second stanza. At the very least, the players have to feel good about their performance and believe that execution will lead to more victories. I think this win is more important to the program at large than this particular season.

I also saw: Michigan overcome horrible field position in the second half. Do you realize their average starting position was their own 20-yard line?…I also saw Threet run farther without being tackled than I ever thought I he would. I loved the two hands at the end…Speaking of Threet, how about that jump pass on the first possession of the second half. Tebow-esque?…For the most part, Wisconsin did not cross midfield in the second half until their penultimate drive. Their opening drive made it into Michigan territory for a few plays, another started at Michigan’s 46 (because of a penalty) and went backwards, and one other drive made it to the Michigan 49-yard line. Wisconsin never sniffed a scoring opportunity until they were desperate.

What I didn’t see…

Those underachieving Michigan linebackers I keep reading about online. I know Beckum was out, which helped their cause, but the Michigan defense (and linebackers) played well. Hell, they even scored a touchdown. They gave up 19 first half points but you can thank the turnovers for that. Wisconsin only gained 145 yards on their five scoring possessions. If a team like Wisconsin only has to average a 30-yard drive to score, they are going to get points. In the second half, the Badgers went nowhere for 25 minutes.

I also did not see: Nick Sheridan, which was somewhat surprising considering Threet’s halftime stat line…Wisconsin’s ability to cover the intermediate routes. (Mathews dropped the two long pass attempts I can remember.) Give Michigan’s coaches credit for using those routes over and over…Wisconsin jump the snap. Michigan seems to snap the ball in the same rhythm each play – about one second after Threet claps…Any reason not to go for two after the interception return. I understand there is some debate on that point, but a successful try takes pressure off the defense.

Who I watched…

I have to admit, I did not watch anyone in particular. There was not much to watch in the first half and by the time the scoring burst was over, I had been transformed into your basic fan. I was the purest of spectators, without agenda or analytical bent. I was just watching a great finish.

What I expect next week…

Let me play Captain Obvious for a moment and say that a performance similar to their second half will make for a close game. Vegas has the Wolverines as the favorites, so they appear to be counting on that continued performance. Michigan’s offense should look improved against Illinois, but can the defense slow down Juice. I doubt it, and I think Michigan will need to score 30 points to win the game. That means that the offense will have to take some chances early in order to avoid having to play catch-up for a second straight game…I also expect that the boos will be gone for a while. The crowd for the Illinois will be far less timid after that comeback and well be ready to go from the beginning.

What this game tells me about The Game…

Michigan is capable of stringing first downs against a legitimate defense when they do not engage in a fumble festival. We know Ohio State has struggled with spread attacks in the past, so Michigan may be able to move the ball if they continue to improve on offense. It is difficult to speak with certainty regarding their response to adversity since this was a home game (see Notre Dame for opposite road reaction) but I think this win can provide the confidence that was sorely lacking. I have to admit, I have a renewed interest in watching this team. I was really getting bored after four games.

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Blogpoll Roundtable 4.3
Posted by Tim on October 1, 2008

Hosted by Big Red Network.

Q: Of the four presumed national title contenders to go down this past week–USC, Florida, Georgia, Wisconsin–which team has the best chance to get back in the race by the end of the year?

I’m not sure Wisconsin really counted as a national title contender going in, so the loss to Michigan seems to keep them out for sure, unless they completely run roughshod over the remainder of their schedule.
Florida and USC both lost to vastly inferior opponents, and the Gators had the added “benefit” of doing it on their home field. The Gators, however, face a schedule that is sure to give them the opportunity for several more quality wins over the course of the season. USC, on the other hand, is playing in the relatively weak PAC-10. Only their run of “dominance” (which really seems to have ended a couple years ago) that has voters constantly voting them high can possibly keep them in… and of course they destroyed former #2 Ohio State.
Georgia got completely housed in its home stadium, but at least they lost to a team that was previously undefeated, and is now likely to be the #1 or #2 team in the country by any reasonable standard. The SEC schedule (and a possibly-quality OOC win against Arizona State on the road), including a championship game if they get that far, more than gives them the opportunity to work their way back into the MNC game – assuming Bama stumbles somewhere along the way. 

Q: But what does this mean for Ohio State? Are they back in?

They are back in, but only in the sense that it brings USC, Georgia, and Florida one step closer to having two losses this early in the season. Ohio State will have to be a full game better than any of those teams to make it back to the championship. It may not be fair for the Buckeyes, but in the world of college football, perception is everything, and getting killed in front of a national audience in their last three big out-of-conference games makes the Buckeyes comparatively weak.
Q: Did the week that was open the door for any of the undefeateds out of some of the non-BCS conferences like the Mountain West or the Big East? (Yup, that’s a cheap shot. Thanks, Virginia Tech for not allowing me to make it about the ACC.)
The door is theoretically open, but BYU or Utah would have to perform well against their non-conference competition (Utah has its last chance against an Oregon State team that just thoroughly dominated USC, and BYU’s last effort will be against… Utah State) AND beat the other team, on top of running the conference table. BYU’s non-conference run was less impressive, so Utah probably has a better chance to make it to the MNC game.
However, like Ohio State, these two teams are playing at a major disadvantage in terms if perception. BYU has a little more histroy on its side, but Utah’s season would be more impressive if they finished undefeated. Either way, it will require that no BCS-conference team is undefeated, and more likely that there are very few legimiate contenders with only one loss.

Posted under Analysis, BlogPoll

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Blogpoll Final Ballot: Week 5
Posted by Tim on October 1, 2008

Rank Team Delta
1 Oklahoma 1
2 Alabama 15
3 Missouri 5
4 Penn State 3
5 Texas —
6 LSU —
7 South Florida 5
8 Brigham Young 3
9 Georgia 5
10 Florida 7
11 Southern Cal 10
12 Ohio State 2
13 Oklahoma State —
14 Auburn —
15 Utah 1
16 Texas Tech 1
17 Kansas 1
18 Vanderbilt 5
19 Illinois 3
20 Wisconsin 11
21 Boise State 3
22 Fresno State 1
23 Florida State 3
24 Virginia Tech 2
25 Wake Forest 6

Dropped Out: Miami (Florida) (#20), Clemson (#25).

Changes from Draft: Bama moves over LSU because their resume is much more impressive so far, same with Mizzou over Texas. I moved Penn State up some because I simply think they’re good, not necessarily because their competition has been all that good (though they haven’t let anyone come close yet). Georgia, Florida, Ohio State, and USC moved within proximity of each other, and they are ranked as they are because USC’s loss was embarrassing, but they beat OSU, and because Georgia’s loss was embarrassing, but Bama looks right now like a really good team. Illinois moves down slightly because they do have two losses, but both are to top teams. Wisconsin is back in, because their omission was nothing more than an oversight by me.

I’m still not enamored with my ballot. Next week, I’m going to start phasing out the “hybrid” and go more towards straight-up resume ranking.

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