My Thoughts and Observations

[ZippyTuba11]

Amid the "sky is falling" and the "fire everybody" threads, I thought I'd take a crack at what I have seen so far.First, there is no one player, coach, or group to blame for what went wrong in Mt. Pleasant. The suckage we saw was a complete team effort.All this hate on Rodgers is a little misplaced, IMHO. Did he make mistakes? Absolutely. All things considered though, I still like him as our QB better than Jacq. At least Rodgers can make some plays on his feat, where Jacq would have just taken an ugly sack. I also don't want to see Nicely's redshirt burned. If this season is a bust, wait until next season and come out strong. The last thing we need to do with good talent is what the Browns did to Frye. The passblocking has to get better before I'll call for Nicely to be thrown to the dogs. The coaches also need to completely ditch whatever playbook they have now and get a new one. Almost anything would be better than what we're running. The few times there were plays that went deep, and Rodgers got time, it ended up being a big play. The same was true against the other three teams we've played. I know we cannot do that all the time, but that tells me that Rodgers has a decent arm, and when he can set up for a throw, he can make the right decision and get the ball there.Rodgers is also very dangerous on the ground. I lost count of how many sacks he was able to escape because he was good enough to move around.That said, he is a rookie sophomore and is making young QB mistakes. I think he is going to improve, and with the opponents we have coming up, he will look better and better.To really make him better though, the coaches really need to make a change in the plays they are calling. There is no trickery or any threat to any draw or screen we run. The defense knows what's coming. I know what is coming. The drunk tOSU fan sitting beside me knows what's coming.The coaches need to design some draw plays specifically for Rodgers. Let him do some roll-outs with a pass threat. Instead of handing the ball off on that fake boot-leg, let Rodgers carry it occasionally. We finally saw a few two-back sets, but each time, the RB didn't follow his blocker to paydirt. WTF? Are they not running these plays in practice? In those situations, the RB needs to lower his head and stay behind the blocker until he gets through the line. The only back we have that I have seen that does this is Tuzze. GIVE HIM THE BALL.While I'm on the subject, why do we keep running an ACE set? The O-line can't block, so why do they keep leaving it up to the O-Line to block for the RB? The only way I see the running game being successful is if we give the RB more blockers. We just don't have the speed at that position to do it any other way.And what's up with Igor? If that Chip guy wasn't there to block that kick, the center would have had the world's worst prostate exam. Kudos to the kick return team though. Almost every return was well blocked, and the team came out with fire. After the first return almost went for a TD, I really thought we'd be in for a great game. Man was I wrong. But still, I liked what I saw on most returns. Why can't this carry over to the offense the rest of the way?I have mixed feelings about the defense. On one hand, the pass D does a great job. I see them getting pressure on the QB. Yet they give a lot of room to WRs fairly often.I also noticed that there were several times that we rushed only 3 guys, and they were completely eaten up by the O-line. Chasing Lefevour out there all over the field made them look bad, real bad. The tackling needs to get better. I can't stand seeing plays that could be ended for a loss go for a big gain, and it happens a lot. How about a few corner blitzes? I think that might work well every now and then.On JD, I'd like to see him go at this point. Watching what he marches out there each week is so damn frustrating. The team lacks fundamentals. It's easy to see that there is little discipline out there. That is what JD should be on each day with these guys. Maybe he is ramming it down there throats and they just aren't getting it, but I doubt that is that case. The team needs more time on fundamentals, especially the O-line. I'd love to see JD come out and for every time a defender got to the QB or RB behind the line, the entire O-line does laps, suicides, stairs, or whatever along those lines. It won't take long to bust them into great shape with the way they are playing.It's hard to say what will happen with JD at this point. I sincerely believe he is not a lame duck yet, at least not this early in the season. The season gets a lot easier the rest of the way (except syracuse). The season can still be turned around, but it's going to be no small effort. Right now it doesn't matter who the team faces, they are beating themselves. If JD can pull a winning season out of his ass, I'll be very interested in seeing what opinions on here change. We've got a long way to go.Lastly, with all this fuss over firing JD and Rodgers, and the defense, and the O-line...did anybody notice that Temple drubbed Buffalo 37-13? How about Ball U putting up 30 on Auburn? Hofstra gave WMU a bit of a scare. My point being, this is the MAC and crazy and impossible seasons are the norm. We still have a long way to go, and anything can happen.EDITED TO ADD: We have 4 home games left. 3 should be gimmes (Can't, Temple, EMU). All are games we should win. Taking one from Buffalo, NIU, or BG will be a long shot, but possible (I like our chances against buffalo). 5-3 conference finish. A 6-6 or 7-5 overall is still not a lost cause.

[Spin]

A new Spin?What's wrong with the old one?

[Z.I.P.]

A new Spin?What's wrong with the old one?

+1 Yeah!

[cornbread]

I think we need to hire an old, no-nonsense, grizzled coach. Recruit samoan linemen and find a middle aged farmer QB with a year or two of eligibility remaining. The undoubtable issues he has to work out will help bring the team together over the course of the season.Then, through in some ninja linebackers, and an extra lady or two from the Akron soccer team, and I think we have a recipe for success in 2010**edit** I think Rob schneider is available for in-game commentary

[g-mann17]

I think we need to hire an old, no-nonsense, grizzled coach. Recruit samoan linemen and find a middle aged farmer QB with a year or two of eligibility remaining. The undoubtable issues he has to work out will help bring the team together over the course of the season.Then, through in some ninja linebackers, and an extra lady or two from the Akron soccer team, and I think we have a recipe for success in 2010

Let's not forget a grad student funny guy who also has year of eligibility left that is the QB's best friend. Hopefully the crusty old president doesn't ruin the whole thing for us by making the players take a super hard test.(Matt Rodgers did look an awful lot like that back up poindexter QB from that movie..."Blow the whistle! Blow the whistle!")

[Dr Z]

All things considered though, I still like him as our QB better than Jacq. At least Rodgers can make some plays on his feat, where Jacq would have just taken an ugly sack. I also don't want to see Nicely's redshirt burned. If this season is a bust, wait until next season and come out strong. The last thing we need to do with good talent is what the Browns did to Frye.

You watch a different team than I do. Sorry.

[uafan]

I think we need to hire an old, no-nonsense, grizzled coach. Recruit samoan linemen and find a middle aged farmer QB with a year or two of eligibility remaining. The undoubtable issues he has to work out will help bring the team together over the course of the season.Then, through in some ninja linebackers, and an extra lady or two from the Akron soccer team, and I think we have a recipe for success in 2010**edit** I think Rob schneider is available for in-game commentary

Let's not forget a gorgeous kicker from the ladie's soccer team!

[Lee Adams]

Amid the "sky is falling" and the "fire everybody" threads, I thought I'd take a crack at what I have seen so far.First, there is no one player, coach, or group to blame for what went wrong in Mt. Pleasant. The suckage we saw was a complete team effort.All this hate on Rodgers is a little misplaced, IMHO. Did he make mistakes? Absolutely. All things considered though, I still like him as our QB better than Jacq. At least Rodgers can make some plays on his feat, where Jacq would have just taken an ugly sack. I also don't want to see Nicely's redshirt burned. If this season is a bust, wait until next season and come out strong. The last thing we need to do with good talent is what the Browns did to Frye. The passblocking has to get better before I'll call for Nicely to be thrown to the dogs. The coaches also need to completely ditch whatever playbook they have now and get a new one. Almost anything would be better than what we're running. The few times there were plays that went deep, and Rodgers got time, it ended up being a big play. The same was true against the other three teams we've played. I know we cannot do that all the time, but that tells me that Rodgers has a decent arm, and when he can set up for a throw, he can make the right decision and get the ball there.Rodgers is also very dangerous on the ground. I lost count of how many sacks he was able to escape because he was good enough to move around.That said, he is a rookie sophomore and is making young QB mistakes. I think he is going to improve, and with the opponents we have coming up, he will look better and better.To really make him better though, the coaches really need to make a change in the plays they are calling. There is no trickery or any threat to any draw or screen we run. The defense knows what's coming. I know what is coming. The drunk tOSU fan sitting beside me knows what's coming.The coaches need to design some draw plays specifically for Rodgers. Let him do some roll-outs with a pass threat. Instead of handing the ball off on that fake boot-leg, let Rodgers carry it occasionally. We finally saw a few two-back sets, but each time, the RB didn't follow his blocker to paydirt. WTF? Are they not running these plays in practice? In those situations, the RB needs to lower his head and stay behind the blocker until he gets through the line. The only back we have that I have seen that does this is Tuzze. GIVE HIM THE BALL.While I'm on the subject, why do we keep running an ACE set? The O-line can't block, so why do they keep leaving it up to the O-Line to block for the RB? The only way I see the running game being successful is if we give the RB more blockers. We just don't have the speed at that position to do it any other way.And what's up with Igor? If that Chip guy wasn't there to block that kick, the center would have had the world's worst prostate exam. Kudos to the kick return team though. Almost every return was well blocked, and the team came out with fire. After the first return almost went for a TD, I really thought we'd be in for a great game. Man was I wrong. But still, I liked what I saw on most returns. Why can't this carry over to the offense the rest of the way?I have mixed feelings about the defense. On one hand, the pass D does a great job. I see them getting pressure on the QB. Yet they give a lot of room to WRs fairly often.I also noticed that there were several times that we rushed only 3 guys, and they were completely eaten up by the O-line. Chasing Lefevour out there all over the field made them look bad, real bad. The tackling needs to get better. I can't stand seeing plays that could be ended for a loss go for a big gain, and it happens a lot. How about a few corner blitzes? I think that might work well every now and then.On JD, I'd like to see him go at this point. Watching what he marches out there each week is so damn frustrating. The team lacks fundamentals. It's easy to see that there is little discipline out there. That is what JD should be on each day with these guys. Maybe he is ramming it down there throats and they just aren't getting it, but I doubt that is that case. The team needs more time on fundamentals, especially the O-line. I'd love to see JD come out and for every time a defender got to the QB or RB behind the line, the entire O-line does laps, suicides, stairs, or whatever along those lines. It won't take long to bust them into great shape with the way they are playing.It's hard to say what will happen with JD at this point. I sincerely believe he is not a lame duck yet, at least not this early in the season. The season gets a lot easier the rest of the way (except syracuse). The season can still be turned around, but it's going to be no small effort. Right now it doesn't matter who the team faces, they are beating themselves. If JD can pull a winning season out of his ass, I'll be very interested in seeing what opinions on here change. We've got a long way to go.Lastly, with all this fuss over firing JD and Rodgers, and the defense, and the O-line...did anybody notice that Temple drubbed Buffalo 37-13? How about Ball U putting up 30 on Auburn? Hofstra gave WMU a bit of a scare. My point being, this is the MAC and crazy and impossible seasons are the norm. We still have a long way to go, and anything can happen.EDITED TO ADD: We have 4 home games left. 3 should be gimmes (Can't, Temple, EMU). All are games we should win. Taking one from Buffalo, NIU, or BG will be a long shot, but possible (I like our chances against buffalo). 5-3 conference finish. A 6-6 or 7-5 overall is still not a lost cause.

thats amusing...this team playing 'gimmees'... LOL... i needed a good laugh after all this crap...

[Lee Adams]

face it nobody, not the coaches or players or ANY of us know what to expect from this team over the next 3 weeks...