The difference

[ZachTheZip]

I was flipping through the channels the other day, and came across College Football Live on ESPN. They were talking about what sets the SEC, PAC-10, and Big XII apart from the Big Ten. It was interesting to hear, because they basically said it wasn't lack of talent at the skill positions, worse coaching, or size. They said that what set the Big Ten back was one thing: speed in the trenches. We usually don't think about a center's 40 time or a DT's quickness, but it can make a difference in the game.I thought the same thing applied to us relative to the BCS schools. The MAC has plenty of talent at the starting "skill" positions, equal to most BCS teams. JD said it was difficult to recruit good defensive linemen, and this might be what he was referring to. It's one thing to be big and able to plug holes. It's another thing to be big while flying through the holes and terrorizing the backfield. Same with the O-line. It's easy to find big guys that can form a wall around the QB, but it's harder to find guys who can quickly get in position to stop any incoming LBs. Our linebackers are another issue. They just can't seem to get past the O-line and put pressure on the other QB. I think we're pretty good on the O-line for now, but the defense needs to be both faster and bigger. Or at least faster while playing bigger than they are.

[GP1]

This is a good point. It takes 22 good players to win. Big Ten schools usually only have 11 good players on the field compared to the Big XII, PAC 10 and SEC.In the end, a lot falls on the coaches shoulders because he is responsible for not as much the coaching (coaching staffs all know about the same things) of the players as much as getting good players to come to his school. Recruiting is the single most important thing a coach does.John Calipari (sp?) said on TV the other day that the three following things were necessary for a coach to be successful:1. Recruit good players2. Recruit good players3. Recruit good playersI couldn't agree more.

[g-mann17]

"I just wish that I could recruit non-qualifiers like some of these other schools" - The Chest

[Class of 82]

This is exactly why people attribute so much importance to guys like Ryan Bain, Chris Henderson and Phil Tonga. Quality defensive linemen are the hardest guys to find for a MAC football team, and they are among the most important. You can have great linebackers and safeties who can make plays, but it's the D-line that more often than not determines if those guys are making plays near the line of scrimmage... or seven yards downfield. (Sound familiar?)

[skip-zip]

A really glaring example of this was 2 years ago in the national championship game between Florida and OSWho.The DLs from Florida were running right past the Suckeye O-Linemen all night long.

[Class of 82]

A really glaring example of this was 2 years ago in the national championship game between Florida and OSWho.The DLs from Florida were running right past the Suckeye O-Linemen all night long.

And Lauranitis was getting his tackles after huge gains. Not at the line.