Here for the Wins

I’m confident in it. Was just trying to stir up some drama. It would not surprise to see the best prepared UF offense this year.

Let me rain on your parade. Per OFEI, UTEP is the worst offense in the country. Our overall opponents to date rank 122 out of 136. We don’t know what we have.

This is quite a good post. We can only hope our opponents prepare to do what UTEP did. If Mateer were to have beaten us, that means their Oline won. Quite a lot. And that their receiving corps won. Quite a lot. It is difficult to see that happening.

Auburn gave their RBs 8 carries after getting sacked 10 times the week prior. That is dome unusual play calling.

And that got started earlier than anticipated with FSU losing yesterday. But, oh no, who’s going to beat UVA now? I’m not certain who was supposed to win, but ASU beating TCU also muddied the waters. After today we’ll have another round of this teams so good, and this team has weaknesses. That’s true. Today. Welcome to college football because that may largely different a month from now. As a Texas fan, we want Georgia over Bama.

There are few teams as well positioned to make the playoffs as Texas. It’s mostly conference games moving forward. Defensively, there are few with our talent for the starting 11. There are few with respectable depth that we have. Not just this year but historically. We’re well balanced too. We’re good at the run game. Good at covering. Good at getting to the QB. So we’re as competitive here as anyone. Offensively, that’s the concern. But in a sense for the entire season our most difficult matchup was and should be Ohio State. That game was competitive so that should provide the baseline for competitiveness. The public discussions have focused on the negatives but ignoring the positives. There are references but not significant discussions regarding Sark and his efforts to plan for the long season not the 4 game stretch in September. For any concern one may have for the offense, there are justifiable reasons to believe that concern can be improved. Starting next week, we’ll likely be healthier and more experienced than we’ve been. Unpredictability is Sark’s friend. That’s the key. We are not an impose our will offense but one that can make it difficult for a defense when you have to defend our options. The play calling needs to follow suit. Let’s do it.

I’m not sure how much it was considered versus UTEP, but there were lots of guys running routes that had not run many in live games. And the completion percentages to those 4 targets, maybe toss Baxter in there, could be an indicator too. Moore is a big deal. And maybe a bigger deal than most realized. Honestly, WR blocking may be the thing I pay least attention to but can see how Moore can be a key there based on how he plays the game.

Are you disagreeing that Hill should have made the play? And are you disagreeing that any top flight D1 school if allocating bodies in the manner OSU did on that sneak would stop it? Do we need to be better? No doubt, but this season has had 3 practices and OSU. The Oline was not great versus OSU, but they showed some life. Our playcalling did not give us a chance because Sark played in to their numbers advantage. Arch has scored rather easily several times now so that should loosen that interior. Bleed that 2nd TE into the flat a time or two and give the defense something to think about. Until you make your opponent defend outside the box, you will have issues. And right now, we don’t really know what this offense is.

So you show a video of us versus OSU in which Hill is 3 yards in the backfield and blocks himself and are convinced that’s great line play? They doubled a dude and won yes but ignored Hill and he blew it. The one for us - they had 3.5 guys over our C/RG. You aren’t winning that. We even tipped the sneak. OMG. It’s a goalline play and Banks is blocking no one. Fire him. I simply cannot believe Conner didn’t block those 3 defenders. Helm looking at his QB. Thank goodness he left for the NFL, and we don’t have to deal with that anymore.

And we’ve largely whipped our opponents short yardage efforts too for the last handful of years so where are their dominating road graders? Goalline and short yardage is about numbers. There is no one to block a Ransom or Downs. The play caller has to account for those dudes. We have added some QB run to the mix. That’s already helped. This belief that defenses get moved off the line is a fallacy. In the 8 game regular season SEC slate last year, we led the conference in yards per carry with no help from the Qb and backs generally perceived to get what was blocked. No team, in the theoretical best conference, is moving teams off the line consistently. You gave no examples on these dominating offensive fronts. We clearly value pass protection. Our tight ends are generally better pass catchers than blockers. Until proven otherwise that’s where our priority lies. I understand that’s a problem for you.

To put some numbers to this, he was 128th in big time throw percentage last year. His rate was twice as high the year before at 5.7%. Think his average depth of target is just under 10 this year so not dinking and dunking but limited big time throws, which are heavily weighted towards deep throws and less at the intermediate range. Like many guys he’s improving as he matures, at least from s statistical standpoint.

Yet somehow that C, in spite of being injured, was picked up by the defending Super Bowl champs. The team whose starting crew is considered by some to be the best unit in the NFL. That problem at G was so terrible he was drafted. For two years running, Texas had a top 3-5 ish pass blocking unit. I’d challenge you to find me any OL, but provide some support for you claim, that could claim to be top 5 in both pass protection and run blocking. I’d bet you can’t find one. And you sure as hell won’t find one in which all 5 members are equally adept at pass protection and run blocking. And even in spite of this major “problem” two of the plays on our final important drive last year were off the edges. All teams have strengths and weaknesses. And that’s for certain in every teams Oline so it’s really more about playing into your strengths. But sure let’s harp on it as a problem that probably doesn’t have a solution to satisfy you. Its still early so we don’t fully know what we do best. Funny too that message board warriors had themselves convinced that our interior run game would be improved because the “problems” were now gone.

Evaluate to a theoretical standard that doesn’t exist. How do you develop a baseline of what is poor, average or great line play? Yeah, I get it, the eye test. The reference to Ohio State was that some teams have played 3 games, some 4. We are top 3rd in pass blocking, top half in run blocking per PFF. Each player is graded to a standard. I’m not sure that is measured relative to opponents strength but I’d assume not. Now mix this with some FEI rankings. The relative strength of the defenses we’ve played to date says that’s the 32rd toughest defensive schedule. Our OFEI is 22nd. There are exactly two offenses higher than ours currently that have faced a tougher defensive schedule. Those two are Ohio State and Miami. Obviously, all this will play out over time. This early in the season the problems vary from week to week and won’t necessarily correlate to the next game. Some of those could be more inexperience than lasting problems. And some may be simply a bad game from a guy here, a guy there. I feel confident in saying the UTEP game for example was a gameplan you won’t see any other game with Baxter being a big part of that. Then he went out after one play. There’s data and enough available to say we’re ok and there are rational reasons to explain whatever shortcomings thus far. Problems? It’s still early to make that declaration.

Have you ever watched anyone else with the same fervor? Maybe go watch several other games with the same intent. In the run game, it’ll be tough on a given play for every guy to win. And I will tell you that broadcast footage is pretty limited. More context. We are 59th in run blocking grade and 42nd in pass blocking. Ohio State is top 20 in both run defensive grade and pass rush grade.

I guess if you consider the guy lined up as LT, likely covered up, blocking 5 yards downfield and engaged with the defender as legit. I’m not saying it should be called. If you can point me to the discussion saying that’s ok, I’d legitimately be interested. Technically, I’d say he’s illegally downfield and committing pass interference. Then, if we wish to discuss targeting, the rules stipulate “no player shall target….” It requires “one indicator of targeting.” It references a legal tackle and provides some indicators, which obviously is not all inclusive. It references a launch. A crouch followed by upward and forward thrust. Leading with the helmet. Lowering the head. Taaffe ran through his tackle. Both arms wrap around the receiver. The intent of the rule is not to eliminate incidental football contact. The play was bang-bang with two dudes trying to play football. There’s nothing in the rule that I see it is undoubtedly a foul.