Yesterday was bullsh!t. Let’s just get that out of the way. But I don’t think you point to yesterday as any kind of proof that Harbaugh will never fully get the job done here. I do think it’s clear though that he can’t elevate this program by himself (even though that’s the guy I thought we were getting). He needs help, and the way the game has evolved over the last 10 years it’s made it really easy to lose ground even when you’re winning games. I believe that’s what was happening during some of those great seasons under Harbaugh and Brown. The seams were buckling from those OSU blowouts, even when we were crushing teams like Iowa and Michigan St and even Wisconsin and PSU some years. The rot and complacency was setting in.
Now, Josh Gattis is a young coordinator that’s installing a multifaceted vision. I’m on board. Even after yesterday. I thought Joe was a little too willing to check down and take what the defense gave him. He probably should’ve been a little more aggressive and challenged the defense more. I’d have liked to seen us stretch that zone and open up some seams in the middle of the field. But overall, what we saw yesterday was what a lot of us were afraid of...young and inexperienced players all over the field. We let a slow and undersized defense dictate what we did on offense...force us to execute and keep everything in front of them. We played to their strengths. Still shocked by that, but this better lead to growth.
That being said, yesterday was my tipping point for Don Brown. He just let a garbage offense that couldn’t run the ball arm punt their way to 27 points and 19 yards per completion. How you don’t incorporate a ton of zone defense and force Lombardi to actually complete several passes to move the ball downfield is baffling to me. Instead you line up in press man over and over and let him lob it up in the air knowing full well our CB’s would never find the ball.
Now, was it ridiculous and completely unsustainable with how many 50/50 balls MSU came up with? Oh absolutely. But that was the game plan. They weren’t going to let Hutch or Paye make plays. It was a 3 step drop and a prayer. But it worked, and it worked all game long. And we did nothing to counter it.
I’ve been critical of Brown in the past but I thought he was actually making some strides in evolving his scheme last year. I was hopeful for this season with a guy like Dax Hill adding a dimension to the defense. After yesterday though, I think it’s over. We had some great years with him, but once you move up to the big time you go from being a nuisance once per year at BC to being a team that your rivals game plan for all offseason. OSU broke him and everybody’s got the blueprint. A tiger can’t change his stripes it seems, at least not this one. For this program to get back to snuffing out garbage offenses and hanging with OSU, Harbaugh needs to go find his Josh Gattis on the defensive side of the ball. Someone who’s shown the ability to mix and match a multiple scheme without tipping coverage.
Saban’s right, good defense no longer beats good offense, but good defense will still beat crap offense and it can also at least slow a great one. Brown’s defenses aren’t doing either right now. 24 points won’t win you a lot of games nowadays, but it sure as hell should’ve been enough yesterday. I think it’s time we move on and modernize this defense if we’re ever going to get back to competing with OSU.
Now, Josh Gattis is a young coordinator that’s installing a multifaceted vision. I’m on board. Even after yesterday. I thought Joe was a little too willing to check down and take what the defense gave him. He probably should’ve been a little more aggressive and challenged the defense more. I’d have liked to seen us stretch that zone and open up some seams in the middle of the field. But overall, what we saw yesterday was what a lot of us were afraid of...young and inexperienced players all over the field. We let a slow and undersized defense dictate what we did on offense...force us to execute and keep everything in front of them. We played to their strengths. Still shocked by that, but this better lead to growth.
That being said, yesterday was my tipping point for Don Brown. He just let a garbage offense that couldn’t run the ball arm punt their way to 27 points and 19 yards per completion. How you don’t incorporate a ton of zone defense and force Lombardi to actually complete several passes to move the ball downfield is baffling to me. Instead you line up in press man over and over and let him lob it up in the air knowing full well our CB’s would never find the ball.
Now, was it ridiculous and completely unsustainable with how many 50/50 balls MSU came up with? Oh absolutely. But that was the game plan. They weren’t going to let Hutch or Paye make plays. It was a 3 step drop and a prayer. But it worked, and it worked all game long. And we did nothing to counter it.
I’ve been critical of Brown in the past but I thought he was actually making some strides in evolving his scheme last year. I was hopeful for this season with a guy like Dax Hill adding a dimension to the defense. After yesterday though, I think it’s over. We had some great years with him, but once you move up to the big time you go from being a nuisance once per year at BC to being a team that your rivals game plan for all offseason. OSU broke him and everybody’s got the blueprint. A tiger can’t change his stripes it seems, at least not this one. For this program to get back to snuffing out garbage offenses and hanging with OSU, Harbaugh needs to go find his Josh Gattis on the defensive side of the ball. Someone who’s shown the ability to mix and match a multiple scheme without tipping coverage.
Saban’s right, good defense no longer beats good offense, but good defense will still beat crap offense and it can also at least slow a great one. Brown’s defenses aren’t doing either right now. 24 points won’t win you a lot of games nowadays, but it sure as hell should’ve been enough yesterday. I think it’s time we move on and modernize this defense if we’re ever going to get back to competing with OSU.
