NCAA Football Week 8 Running Thread: The Brian Greasy Edition

DanOregon · Dec 15, 2014

I Should Coco · Oct 21, 2011

West Virginia just getting run over by Syracuse.

Looks the Big East's BCS bowl team could have three or four losses again.

BrianGriffin · Oct 21, 2011

Versatile said:

BrianGriffin said:

Versatile, I think LSU's secondary loses its identity. Their best unit is when Mathieu is at nickel (his best position) and Simon comes in at corner. To me, Simon's a better pure cover corner than Mathieu and may be a better prospect as a cover guy than Claiborne because Simon is a long-armed 6-foot-3 and still has loose enough hips to turn and run (and he runs well too).

LSU's at its best when teams try to spread them out and they are in their nickel package and they have Simon, Claborne and Mathieu playing up in receivers' faces. When Mathieu is doing this on a slot receiver, he's at an angle where he can instead come on a blitz and he's so dangerous at that.

Anyway, LSU's ability to play across-the-board press man is compromised. Brooks, the fourth corner in the rotation who will start for Mathieu, is a notch below the top three. I don't even know who the next corner would be so in a nickel they might bring in a safety as the third cover guy and that's a clear drop off from having Mathieu at the nickel.

At RB, Ford and Blue are good but they don't quite have the power element that Ware brings. Their third fullback, Hilliard, is also a power TB, so he might get some carries. Copeland and Stampley are strictly blockers (Copeland was a defensive lineman) and I would be surprised if either get a touch.
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I agree, to a degree. If they don't have those three back against Alabama, that's a killer. Maybe I underestimate Auburn, but I can't imagine how it will be a huge problem in this game.

Auburn is weak across the board on defense and can't pass. If Stephen Garcia doesn't play for South Carolina and John Brantley had been healthy for Florida, Auburn would be 2-4 right now. Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb are a great pair of running backs, but neither Mathieu nor Simon (aside: when I called Simon a nickelback, I meant he came in on nickelback packages, if there was confusion) was essential to LSU's run defense.

LSU -- not just its secondary -- does lose its identity to a degree. Mathieu, Simon and Ware are three of the team's six best players. (My rankings: 1. Mathieu, 2. Claiborne, 3. Rueben Randle, 4. Ware, 5. Reid, 6. Simon.) But it's a one-game thing, it seems. Synthetic pot shouldn't lead to any more of a suspension.

My guess: LSU wins easily, albeit not by 30 points as it might have with Mathieu, Simon and Ware. Then those come back, and we have the Game of the Year.
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Agree with all that. And they could actually come out of this better because they'll mature in their use of the two QBs (I think they'll need Jefferson's running packages more) and you would think a back will emerge this game -- probably Ford if he doesn't leave the ball on the turf -- so that they'll have a legitimate two-man combination for Alabama. Up to now, it's been Ware and ? Changes every game, it seems.

On defense, they'll probably be more of a cover 2 team, but I like their safeties too. Reid and Taylor can punish people and Loston is a talent. They might go from a mode where they are denying every pass with man coverage to one where they are punishing receivers with their physical safeties.

Steak Snabler · Oct 22, 2011

Mateen Cleaves on the Game Day set as guest picker.

Wonder if Albom wrote an advance column on it ...

Armchair_QB · Oct 22, 2011

Man, Carolina-Clemson got out of hand quick. Was 10-10 a couple of minutes ago. Now Clemson leads 24-10.

JayFarrar · Oct 22, 2011

Ole Miss, Ole Miss???, is making Arkanpig look like dogshit right now on the JP/Lincoln/ESPN broadcast.

Pilot · Oct 22, 2011

KU is epically horrible. Play by play of the last seconds of the second quarter and first of the third:

-- KU, down 28-14 with some momentum and 0:14 in the second quarter, kicks off. KSU return to KSU 43.
-- Collin Kline to wide open Tyler Lockett for 49-yards to KU 9.
-- K-State field goal as time expires, 31-14

------- Third Quarter--------

-- KU Kickoff to open second half. KSU's Tyler Lockett returns for a touchdown. 38-14
-- KSU Kickoff. KU flagged for three different penalties on the return, 1st and 10 at the 5
-- KU Fumbles on first play, KSU recovers
-- KSU scores two plays later, 45-14.

ucacm · Oct 22, 2011

JayFarrar said:

Ole Miss, Ole Miss???, is making Arkanpig look like dogshit right now on the JP/Lincoln/ESPN broadcast.
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...aaaand Arkansas scores 24 unanswered. However, this is exactly the type of game that Nutt seems to randomly pull out of his ass.

mb · Oct 22, 2011

Ole Miss executes as clean an onside kick as you'll ever see.

And then takes a sack. SMH. And then throws a pick.

Well, that went to shit in a hurry.

ucacm · Oct 22, 2011

I wonder if Ole Miss fans will be chastised for wanting to get rid of Houston Nutt. I can't imagine they could find someone better.

mb · Oct 22, 2011

Shoulda never gotten rid of Cutcliffe, IMO. But I might be the only one that thinks that.

mb · Oct 22, 2011

LSU is not kidding around. At all. 42-3.

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NCAA Football Week 8 Running Thread: The Brian Greasy Edition

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NCAA Football Week 8 Running Thread: The Brian Greasy Edition

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