If I was dropped in from Mars...

#1
05_never_again

05_never_again

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#1
...to read these boards, all references to final scores were removed, and I could only read reactions, descriptions of the quality of play, etc., I would think that this team is 0-3, 1-2 at best, and I would bet 100% of my life savings that the VT game was something like a 55-10 beatdown.

Having said that, doesn't there appear to be something robotic and a "we're just trying not to turn the ball over" feel when we are struggling on offense? Then Dobbs will scamper for 15 yards and it feels OK and loose for a second, before sputtering again?
 
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#2
#2
05_never_again said:
...to read these boards, all references to final scores were removed, and I could only read reactions, descriptions of the quality of play, etc., I would think that this team is 0-3, 1-2 at best, and I would bet 100% of my life savings that the VT game was something like a 55-10 beatdown.

Having said that, doesn't there appear to be something robotic and a "we're just trying not to turn the ball over" feel when we are struggling on offense? Then Dobbs will scamper for 15 yards and it feels OK and loose for a second, before sputtering again?
Click to expand...

If you go off responses from this board, or Vol fans period, you must not be from this planet. If you are from mars, look out for some good recruits for the O-Line.

Appreciate it!
 
#3
#3
the2marvinani.gif
 
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#6
#6
05_never_again said:
...to read these boards, all references to final scores were removed, and I could only read reactions, descriptions of the quality of play, etc., I would think that this team is 0-3, 1-2 at best, and I would bet 100% of my life savings that the VT game was something like a 55-10 beatdown.

Having said that, doesn't there appear to be something robotic and a "we're just trying not to turn the ball over" feel when we are struggling on offense? Then Dobbs will scamper for 15 yards and it feels OK and loose for a second, before sputtering again?
Click to expand...

I do get this feeling as well. It feels like we're having to work exceptionally hard for every yard this year. It also feels like all of our first downs come after third down.

I think it's because we haven't had a drive yet where we just gashed the defense over and over. I think that mostly comes down to playcalling, though. Hard to keep getting chunk yardage when your playcalling is absurdly predictable.
 
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#7
#7
chatt-townVOL said:
I do get this feeling as well. It feels like we're having to work exceptionally hard for every yard this year. It also feels like all of our first downs come after third down.

I think it's because we haven't had a drive yet where we just gashed the defense over and over. I think that mostly comes down to playcalling, though. Hard to keep getting chunk yardage when your playcalling is absurdly predictable.
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The best way I know how to describe it is that they don't play matchup-based football. They don't have a playcalling philosophy designed to identify specific advantageous matchups (e.g., a WR on a CB, RB/TE on a LB, etc.) and get the ball to said player. They have a few certain types of plays they like to run (Hurd off tackle, Kamara swing pass, screen passes that require 2-3 blocks from TEs and WRs after the catch to get positive yards) and don't deviate from them regardless of the situation.

Football is an offensive-based game now that is quite akin to basketball on grass. This offense does not approach or play the game that way. It does not really matter what your general philosophy or gameplan is now as long as you can consistently identify and exploit the personnel matchups that are in your favor.
 
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#8
#8
chatt-townVOL said:
I do get this feeling as well. It feels like we're having to work exceptionally hard for every yard this year. It also feels like all of our first downs come after third down.

I think it's because we haven't had a drive yet where we just gashed the defense over and over. I think that mostly comes down to playcalling, though. Hard to keep getting chunk yardage when your playcalling is absurdly predictable.
Click to expand...

Let's say you are right and even with absurdly predictable play-calling we've made it to 3-0. We're going into a game with a team we haven't beaten in 11 years. The question now is was the absurdly predictable play-calling prior to the upcoming game strategic or is that all there is? Everybody obviously seems to think we could do differently so when would you want to show your hand, when you don't need it, or when you desperately need it? Just curious. If we have some unexpecteds in our playbook it might be wise to use them when we needed them more than to pacify an audience that wants to see a beatdown of a MAC opponent. A win is a win. Amirite?

As long as we continue to win I'm going to try to stay open minded (granted - that's a hell of a struggle) because in my current profession they say "a bull market climbs a wall of worry."

While a "wall of worry" may sometimes consist of a single economic, political or geopolitical issue significant enough to affect consumer and investor sentiment, it more commonly comprises concerns on numerous fronts.
Click to expand...
 
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#9
#9
You think the boards are bad? Hop on Facebook and read the comments on articles shared from WBIR lol.
 
#12
#12
If you made it here from Mars, I would hope you could find something better than these boards to read LOL

To your point on the offense being robotic...very much so. It's a reflection of the folks with the headsets on.
 
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#14
#14
ChattaTNVol said:
Let's say you are right and even with absurdly predictable play-calling we've made it to 3-0. We're going into a game with a team we haven't beaten in 11 years. The question now is was the absurdly predictable play-calling prior to the upcoming game strategic or is that all there is? Everybody obviously seems to think we could do differently so when would you want to show your hand, when you don't need it, or when you desperately need it? Just curious. If we have some unexpecteds in our playbook it might be wise to use them when we needed them more than to pacify an audience that wants to see a beatdown of a MAC opponent. A win is a win. Amirite?

As long as we continue to win I'm going to try to stay open minded (granted - that's a hell of a struggle) because in my current profession they say "a bull market climbs a wall of worry."
Click to expand...

Look at Louisville, they didn't hide anything in their first 2 games and still came out and destroyed FSU. We are messing up on the basic fundamentals of football right now. Our O-line is being pushed around and simply run past. Our front 4 on D can't get pressure. The majority of our D can't single tackle in the open field. If the team was just playing vanilla to not show their hand then why do the coaches keep moving guys around on the O-line trying to find a combination that works?
 
#15
#15
However if you had a TV on Mars and were unfortunate enough to struggle through watching our games BEFORE you were dropped to earth you would not have any problems understanding all the complaints on this board.
 
#16
#16
ChattaTNVol said:
Let's say you are right and even with absurdly predictable play-calling we've made it to 3-0. We're going into a game with a team we haven't beaten in 11 years. The question now is was the absurdly predictable play-calling prior to the upcoming game strategic or is that all there is? Everybody obviously seems to think we could do differently so when would you want to show your hand, when you don't need it, or when you desperately need it? Just curious. If we have some unexpecteds in our playbook it might be wise to use them when we needed them more than to pacify an audience that wants to see a beatdown of a MAC opponent. A win is a win. Amirite?

As long as we continue to win I'm going to try to stay open minded (granted - that's a hell of a struggle) because in my current profession they say "a bull market climbs a wall of worry."
Click to expand...

I think the playcalling we've seen so far is all we've got.

I appreciate a good finance analogy - although I admit I think our 3-0 start is a rally on low volume. :)
 
#17
#17
05_never_again said:
The best way I know how to describe it is that they don't play matchup-based football. They don't have a playcalling philosophy designed to identify specific advantageous matchups (e.g., a WR on a CB, RB/TE on a LB, etc.) and get the ball to said player. They have a few certain types of plays they like to run (Hurd off tackle, Kamara swing pass, screen passes that require 2-3 blocks from TEs and WRs after the catch to get positive yards) and don't deviate from them regardless of the situation.

Football is an offensive-based game now that is quite akin to basketball on grass. This offense does not approach or play the game that way. It does not really matter what your general philosophy or gameplan is now as long as you can consistently identify and exploit the personnel matchups that are in your favor.
Click to expand...

This a great and accurate point IMO. Recall last year when Hargreaves was injured when we played Florida...he had a back injury and was in and out of the lineup and clearly nowhere 100%. Yet, not once did we try to exploit that advantage...not once. It sure appears that we formulate an initial gameplan (and usually, at least last year anyway, it an effective one) and come he'll or high water, that's what we're running no matter what. After all, recall that Jones himself said that in-game adjustments weren't very important, only the devised gameplan going into each game.
 
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#20
#20
KBVol said:
This a great and accurate point IMO. Recall last year when Hargreaves was injured when we played Florida...he had a back injury and was in and out of the lineup and clearly nowhere 100%. Yet, not once did we try to exploit that advantage...not once. It sure appears that we formulate an initial gameplan (and usually, at least last year anyway, it an effective one) and come he'll or high water, that's what we're running no matter what. After all, recall that Jones himself said that in-game adjustments weren't very important, only the devised gameplan going into each game.
Click to expand...

Yeah. Even Ohio gets that. They went after Emmanuel Moseley on multiple occasions after Sutton's injury (and got him a couple times).

I think Butch and his staff outsmart themselves on offense. When there is an obvious personnel mismatch, it's like they think "well we can't do that, because it is so obvious the defense will be ready for it." Like Pete Carroll throwing on the goal line in the SB.
 
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