Interesting comments about Brett Bielema...

[cmhawks99]

Apparently Athlons. This is via the Web as I din't buy any Mags this year so can't verify its veracity....these are commenst from SEC coaches. I'm not a Bielema fan at all but I find the "scheme" comments and "physical" football comments interesting since we fade so much heat from our very own fans about our O....


""“They have some schematic advantages because of how they play. They’re one of the harder teams to defend now because the league has changed so much. It’s become more of a Texas A&M, Ole Miss offense-type league so it’s hard to prepare for Arkansas. They still run two-back trap, still line up in two tight ends so you have to change the way you practice.”"""

"""“They seem to get stronger as the year goes on because of how they play. When you’re wearing out a little bit physically in November, that’s the last team you want to see because they’re not going to stop pounding it and they’re just huge up front. If you can catch them early in the year when you’re at full strength you have a better chance.”"""

 

[milehighhawkeye24]

I agree with this and as a football coach it can be very difficult to prepare for what many fans deem an "old school" system. This is mostly because you have 7-8 straight weeks of defending the spread and all the sudden you have to teach your DE's to fight a double team (bc now there is a TE), Teach MLB to take on a lead block (bc of fullback) and now bring the safety into the box (they were defending doubles or trips)....not to mention many do not understand that a pro style offense is actually more complex systems than the spread teams, especially for defending purposes on a 3-5 practice week.

 

[spbc7]

For me, there is nothing more entertaining to watch than a team just completely demoralize a defense with a power run game. There is nothing they can do about it, so they just have to continue to take the beating. As the game wears on, those 3 yard gains from earlier slowly turn into 6, 7, or 8 yards gains on each handoff. Great way to control the tempo, put up points, and keep your defense fresh.

 

[cmhawks99]

I agree with this and as a football coach it can be very difficult to prepare for what many fans deem an "old school" system. This is mostly because you have 7-8 straight weeks of defending the spread and all the sudden you have to teach your DE's to fight a double team (bc now there is a TE), Teach MLB to take on a lead block (bc of fullback) and now bring the safety into the box (they were defending doubles or trips)....not to mention many do not understand that a pro style offense is actually more complex systems than the spread teams, especially for defending purposes on a 3-5 practice week.

This is a million dollar statement right here....

 

[cmhawks99]

For me, there is nothing more entertaining to watch than a team just completely demoralize a defense with a power run game. There is nothing they can do about it, so they just have to continue to take the beating. As the game wears on, those 3 yard gains from earlier slowly turn into 6, 7, or 8 yards gains on each handoff. Great way to control the tempo, put up points, and keep your defense fresh.

Agreed...!!! Then when you can throw it over the top, look out.

 

[scotthawk1964]

But it's not sexy. Lol where is all of our old school football haters because they weren't sexy enough. Lol

 

[Dauminator]

For me, there is nothing more entertaining to watch than a team just completely demoralize a defense with a power run game.

Unless it's happening to you

 

[JerryDennard]

Unless it's happening to you

TOO SOON.

 

[Pepperman]

Unless it's happening to you

That's football.

 

[cmhawks99]

That's football.

Yes it is, and on that note its always funny to me how everyone has expectations of how someone should act or talk. With that said, that is something I've learned. The art of "acting" or responding the way people "need" to see you respond. At least in real life, on here I don't really care so much..... But I've always said if KF came into a press conference and got real fiery and pissed off and said a ton a idiotic things he'd be able to get people to back off...whether he was sincere or not.

People are typically easy to derail with excitable language. Carry on....

 

[Keeker16]

I agree with some of this, but one that Brets wisky teams did a lot of that we don't is get leverage using motion. When he was at Wisky they would run three or four different motions before one play and change the formation drastically. Seemed like it forced a lot of defenses to stay in their base because they weren't sure what the formation was actually going to be when the ball was snapped.

And on a side note if you haven't checked out the espnu series "being Bret" it is gold.

 

[cmhawks99]

I agree with some of this, but one that Brets wisky teams did a lot of that we don't is get leverage using motion. When he was at Wisky they would run three or four different motions before one play and change the formation drastically. Seemed like it forced a lot of defenses to stay in their base because they weren't sure what the formation was actually going to be when the ball was snapped.

And on a side note if you haven't checked out the espnu series "being Bret" it is gold.

I assume you could say that about most teams but interestingly enough it doesn't seem to be working in the SEC early in the year. Meaning they all do things differently that other teams don't do, etc.?

 

[blockm2]

While I don't personally care what style of offense any team runs, there is truth to the fact that it helps to have a system that is not as popular since opponents don't get as much practice defending it and don't recruit players made to defend it.

When the spread option first gained traction in the 90s and early 2000s, the early adopters found massive success not just because of the offense but because teams had no idea how to defend it successfully. As it has gained wide use, defenses are better designed to handle it. They see it a lot more often and practice against it routinely. If once in a blue moon they now face a more traditional power running game, it's completely different for them. They may not have the depth/size on the DL to combat it and they may not be used to the reads they have to make in the running game.

It helps a bit to be contrarian on offense.

 

[cmhawks99]

While I don't personally care what style of offense any team runs, there is truth to the fact that it helps to have a system that is not as popular since opponents don't get as much practice defending it and don't recruit players made to defend it.

When the spread option first gained traction in the 90s and early 2000s, the early adopters found massive success not just because of the offense but because teams had no idea how to defend it successfully. As it has gained wide use, defenses are better designed to handle it. They see it a lot more often and practice against it routinely. If once in a blue moon they now face a more traditional power running game, it's completely different for them. They may not have the depth/size on the DL to combat it and they may not be used to the reads they have to make in the running game.

It helps a bit to be contrarian on offense.

I don't necessarily disagree but it's worth mentioning they still didn't typically win national championships with those offenses and a multi-set Prostyle offense is still the one to beat in my opinion. I mean honestly and I'm sure you'll tell me I'm wrong but Michigan fans were all giddy about it in Ann Arbor and we saw how that worked.

People act like spread offenses are new and they aren't per se....the teams with the best execution and best leadership still are the teams to beat regardless of the schemes they run.

 

[Dauminator]

It helps a bit to be contrarian on offense.

There's a bit of a double-edged sword though. A unique system can help you catch an otherwise superior team midseason, yes. A good coaching staff with extra time (for a high profile season opener or a bowl game) can prepare their squad to nullify what you're trying to do. See Iowa vs. GT 2009.

a multi-set Prostyle offense is still the one to beat in my opinion.

Agreed. I'm not an athlete on anything like that level, but the more an opponent has to think, read, and react to you, the more initiative and advantage that gives you. Players play at their best when they can react to situations smoothly and instinctively.

the teams with the best execution and best leadership still are the teams to beat regardless of the schemes they run.

Talent still plays a role. If both sides execute, the more talented team should win. But otherwise, 100% true. As complicated as we make it sometimes, the game still comes down to blocking and tackling.

 

[championhawk]

Yes it is, and on that note its always funny to me how everyone has expectations of how someone should act or talk. With that said, that is something I've learned. The art of "acting" or responding the way people "need" to see you respond. At least in real life, on here I don't really care so much..... But I've always said if KF came into a press conference and got real fiery and pissed off and said a ton a idiotic things he'd be able to get people to back off...whether he was sincere or not.

People are typically easy to derail with excitable language. Carry on....

Are you on his payroll or something?

 

[cmhawks99]

There's a bit of a double-edged sword though.

Talent still plays a role. If both sides execute, the more talented team should win. But otherwise, 100% true. As complicated as we make it sometimes, the game still comes down to blocking and tackling.

People that have limited perspective (and I'm not being crappy just being honest) struggle when I or others make comparison of sport to industry, but its remarkable how similar they truly are. We all forget we get our kids involved in sports for exercise yes, but more so they can work and grow within the confines of a "system" with rules and team work. In my field, politics, home life, Church/Faith and yes sports. We constantly over think things and make them complicated. This board is famous for that.

The reason I didn't include talent is because it is of course always needed but speaking from years of sport "watching" and playing experience and managing an ever changing crew of men and women, I have found effort, focus, chemistry and desire are much more important. There always has to be a subsequent level of talent but I think we all can agree, Alabama was the best team of the 4 that played, but tOSU was the BEST & most talented team. I think we also would agree Stanford wasn't 30 points better than us, nor were they 10 points worse than NW. Yes it was early but you have to perform then like you do later, thats exactly the cusp of my over-arching point. Those outcomes still all count.

Obviously I'm preaching to the choir as you get this, but to those that don't. Yes Iowa had some talent deficiencies in a few key areas in recent years and as I've documented recently those 2008-2009 classes really failed. But what really held us back in recent years was execution. Not scheme, not play calling, talent to a lessor degree, but pass catching, inconsistent blocking, being out of position on defense and quite frankly our kids just not holding each other accountable.

We blame the coaches for that and yes it is ultimately their job to win games anyway they can. But this accountability thing is a chuckler for me. I hold myself to an exceptionally high level of accountability but I when we have meetings my owner always talks about accountability and I say ok how? See everyone talks about holding people accountable but after multiple failures all you can do is fire them. But unfortunately (and if you are a head of industry you know this) there are no good employees out there. Just like in sport, typically the guy already out there is supposedly the best and if the drop of is HUGE what do you do...?!

Point being only YOU can hold yourself accountable, that goes with on here, at your job, in your home and in life.....its tougher than people realize to manage or lead people. The accountability ultimately has to come from them and their peer group, not their parents or bosses or coaches. Yes we can discipline them (fans on here constantly whine about players not playing, guess what I'll wager they are being disciplined, just sayin...) .

Quite frankly what most of the world really wants is for EVERYONE else to be held accountable not themselves...this board is proof of that.

 

[cmhawks99]

Are you on his payroll or something?

Man I wish, I'd do an awesome job...