Packers Lose, Badgers Lose… we are all losers (2021 Week 4)

I would really like to know what you think on all or some of these topics…. go ahead and leave a comment below!

Wisconsin Badgers Basketball: The Badgers beat Northwestern somewhat easily last week. But that 2nd half was burial to watch….. 18 points point for Northwestern with 27 for the Badgers. Usually in most game, the 2nd half has more points than the 1st half just because the tempo is picked up as the end of game is near. Granted both teams are a little more pragmatic with the ball but there were multiple 90 and 120 second stretches with no points scored at least for the Badgers. This the same age old problem that happened in the later years for the Bo Ryan Badgers……. looooooonnnnnnnng stretches of the game with no scoring which usually come back to haunt them when they play a team that can break them down one on one (like Maryland). Now I felt this was worse under Bo as I remember multiple times where we would not score for 5. 6 or 7 minutes.

As for the Ohio State game, this was a collective failure. One thing I noticed this year is that nobody on the team (besides Trice) has any finesse on their shots like we saw out of Ohio State. We are unable to break down the defense one on one to get a short to mid range shot….. our shots are either 3’s or driving shots at the rim. We also lack the ability to go inside to create the outside shot like we saw with Ohio State. Once the ball goes inside with us, that is where it stays.

Green Bay Packers:

It comes as no shock to this writer but the Packers blow another NFC championship game with their loss to Tampa on Sunday. The same old issues creep up again (and again)……. lack of the pressure on the QB and lack of coverage down field because of the ridiculous 2 Defensive Line scheme…… If you have not noticed since the 2011 title defense season we have been playing this ridiculous scheme where we only have two defensive lineman while supplementing with Linebackers to rush the QB. The problem with this scheme? The O-Line of the opponent can double team the D-lineman while singling blocking the linebackers that are 50 pounds lighter than them. I have been saying for a decade now that the Packers need to switch back to the 4-3 defense….. you match up fat people with other fat people not lighter people. It does not matter who in bring in or draft…… the problem is not personnel on the field but the scheme itself. With this scheme with the 2 defensive line is like a Ford Fiesta (Linebacker) going up against a Tank (Offensive Lineman).

The reason I rail on this 2 Defensive Line scheme is because nobody truly wins with it, 9 out of the last 10 champions play the 4-3 and this years big game will feature two teams that play…….. any guesses???? 4-3….. if there was another style defense that works would you not think that other teams would jump on board?

You could clearly see it today…… when Brady was under pressure (rare occurrence) he would make mistakes, rush throws or miss on throws. When he was not he would make the plays he needed to make. While Rodgers was under constant pressure the entire game and was always moving or rolling out or getting hit from one Tampa D-Lineman.

The Field Goal call at the end of the game was questionable in my opinion but the dye was cast already with many many bad decisions even before the season when you take a QB we didn’t need, a RB we under utilized and a TE we need not need when we needed D-Line, O-Line, a Wide Receiver and maybe a Corner…… But there was one other thing I wanted to mention. The pass interference call near the end on King…….. By the letter of the law, it was PI, but based on how the rest of the game was called…. this was NOT pass interference. First of all there were multiple holding and other calls that should have been made all day including two obvious missed defensive holding calls on Lazard but then when King tugs the jersey a little then the Wide Receive acts like he was blasted out of cannon, you can’t make that call……. Additionally he would not have caught it anyway.

It is sad to say that Rodgers will continue to have disappointing loss after disappointing loss until he has a defense that either plays a true 3-4 with 3 high quality defensive lineman or switch to the 4-3.

Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks played the now rostered James Harden for the Nets…. and of course we lose….. The game was close but it comes down to it…… running plays mater! Granted the Nets really did not run plays either…. the Bucks should not rely on talent alone. I foresee another 2nd round exit from the playoffs this year for the Bucks if they do not learn to adjust in game and start running some real plays more consistently

Other Thoughts:

Other Thoughts #1: As I watched Ohio State lose to unranked Purdue…… Why is Ohio State consistently overrated for Basketball year in and year out in the AP poll? Really…. Why? Since 1998 Ohio State basketball has finished in the polls lower than where it started 11 times….. not 1 ……… 11 times!!!!! How many times in the same timeframe has Wisconsin done the same? Only twice!

Additionally in the same timeframe the both Ohio State and Wisconsin had the same number of final fours….. with 3 and 1 national championship final lose at ….. 1

Number of times missing the big tournament same timeframe: Ohio State: 6 ; Wisconsin 1

As in Football…. this is why I have been in favor of the AP and Coaches not releasing any polls until the third week of each of their seasons.

Other Thoughts #2: Onto Soccer, just like my Ohio State and my previous Norte Dame rant…. this same principle applies to the English Premier League for Soccer. Currently Leicester City is in the hunt for another title…. yes another title….. yet all you hear is Man City! Man United! Liverpool! …….. the British media fearing another non-Big 4 winning the title as that does not pay the bills, they almost treat it as a “disrespect” to the power of the league as buying all the international players in the world do not buy you the title….. the British media will have to go back to the “underdog” storyline like their first title.

What the EPL fails to understand is that having a variety of winners is beneficial to the sport and league overall?

Badgers B-ball, Bucks Fail (again) and another Ohio State QB fails

I would really like to know what you think on all or some of these topics…. go ahead and leave a comment below!

Wisconsin Badgers Basketball: Only one game since my last post with a squeaker in double OT over Indiana. This game was won in my opinion with Trice and Wahl….. these two were the best players for Wisconsin while Brad Davison was the best player for Indiana in OT.

Davison starts out OT with a 3 after the Indiana basket….. then proceeds to miss a contested layup which he had no business taking then turning the ball over. Then proceeded to foul the Indiana shooter allowing him to make the shot easy to give him the +1 opportunity….. in the 2nd OT he goes 1 for 2 on his FT attempt……. Davison KNOW YOUR ROLE!!!! But this is on Gard….. so you could not play Ford or Potter because you were irrationally mad at them??? Davison is giving up points on both ends of the floor…. at least Potter was having a good night on the offensive end.

Green Bay Packers: The Packers last week got the #1 seed, which is great…. but in my irrational mind I can see the NFL doing the same thing that they did last year to the Packers….. think that they are “fraudulent” and now make the #1 seed play a wild card game for the 2021-2022 season just like last year when the Packers got the #2 seed. Then the NFL will be able to market the MEGA wild card weekend with games starting at 11am, 2:30pm, 5:45pm and 9:00pm each day.

Milwaukee Bucks: I hate it when I’m right…… the Bucks continuing to show that you can have all the talent in the world, but without plans, plays and adjustments you can not consistently win.

Other Thoughts:

Other Thought #1: Is anyone else concerned about the possible talent exit in College Football after the 2021 season? After the NCAA granted an additional year for all Football players, this means that after the 2021 season, all 7th, 6th, 5th, some 4th and some 3rd year players will exit the college ranks…. that is 5 years of talent gone possibly in in swat. I would think that might have kind of quality of game impact or a power vacuum for the 2022 college Football season, wouldn’t you think?

Other Thought #2: Another Ohio State QB fails in the NFL when the Washington Football Team QB Dwayne Haskins was let go. Granted if he was 10 or 11 win QB, I’m sure he would have been just hit with a fine and life would have gone on but when you have 3 wins in 13 starts….. you can’t escape outside indiscretions. Haskins is just one of a number of QB’s from the Meyer era to not find success in the NFL along with Miller, Barrett and Jones.

There is a reason for this lack of success in my opinion…… Ohio State QB’s feast off their system which works in college but not the NFL. The Meyer/Day offense uses speed to open up pass routes and eventually the run. The Ohio State passing game mainly has 5 routes….. now I know they have more but theses are the 5 main ones if you watch closely which requires the Ohio State QB for focus on the defensive Safety.

1. Go route to the end zone
2. Deep cross field post (usually run around the 40 to 50 of the opponent to the end zone)
3. 10-15 yard square in across field to hopefully turn up field after catch
4. TE 5 yard out route
5. Deep routes on one side, with RB leaking out opposite side

………. The first 3 route fully rely on speed past the CB or S. #4 on the list plays off the first 3 of the list while #5 is used when the safety is shifted over to help with routes 1 through 4. This works in college but the talent is condensed in the pros so CB’s can cover closer, the safeties play quicker and the defensive lines descend on the QB faster. Pro QB’s have to have proper form, get the ball out quick and learn how to change plays plus take what you have to read the ENTIRE defense and not just the safety. These issues on not directly a problem with Ohio State themselves….. they run an offense that works for them and it works, but the pro scouts have to look closer to see why a play looks good or a player looks good when drafting someone instead of just looking at the number .

Other Thoughts #3: Watching the Colts-Bills game, it is baffling how teams are so adverse to the QB sneak with 1 or less yards to go or to score. So on 3rd down Indy has the ball at the 2 foot line to score but instead of the sneaking it they pitch it to Taylor after the fake jet sweep. This failed because the jet sweep person has to be someone who has run the jet sweep before with some success plus the jet sweep person must be perceived as more dangerous than the RB in the backfield.

This is why this play worked for New England under Brady than it does for the Rams (or Packers, they try this too) ….. New England would stick their 2nd or 3rd RB in the backfield so when the top WR goes in motion, everyone is going to that player.

But anyway, the fake sweep pitch was the wrong play call from the start as the QB sneak allows for the most direct route to getting the TD in this case. If the QB sneak is attempted you only have to snap the ball back 1 yard, make that 1 yard up and get the 1 yard to the end zone for a total of 3 yards.

If you do a traditional short yardage handoff you go 5-6 yards back, then the RB has to make that same 5-6 yards back up then get the 1 yard…… so 11-13 yards.

Think about it….. if you just stood on the field at the 3 yard line as compared to the 13 yard line, which position is closer and has a better chance to get you to the end zone?

College coaching going stupid

Why do teams like Alabama, Ohio State and Michigan win year after year? The answer is easy…. They keep it simple. I know that this is a general statement but this is how the good teams win. I got to watch two displays this last Saturday where college football coaches who had chances to knock off teams in the top 5.

The first was the NC State-Clemson game in which NC State had the chance to kick the game winning field goal at the end of regulation. They had the ball at the ~10 with about ~30 seconds and they call what play???? A PASS!!!!! Why?!!! Why?!!! Just take a knee or run it ahead of a couple more yards! The actual result: A sack which led to a field goal miss. Now I’m not saying the same thing would have have occurred if the ball was snapped at the ~7 yard line, but if you don’t give your team the BEST chance to win, then you should not be a coach of a major college program.

The second one occurred during the Ohio State-Wisconsin game. In overtime after the Ohio State TD score, the Badgers have 3rd and Goal from the ~5 yard line. What is the play call from the side line? A run to the short side for no gain. This was followed by a sack on 4th down to end the game. This loss by Wisconsin was due in part to poor coaching decisions. When you are at the ~5 yard line on 3rd down, you PASS THE BALL, the run has a low percentage chance of getting you to the end zone (or the 1 yard line) as Ohio State had been stuffing  you for most of the 4th quarter. Once again, the pass might have failed on 3rd down, it might have worked, but the point is that you give your team the MAXIMUM number of chances to go out there and win/tie the game.

In the second case, Wisconsin cut their chances in half with the run on 3rd down. I personally would rather have 5 pass catchers other there rather than 1 runner. If they did this twice, that is basically 10 chances to get into the end zone. This is why the Alabama’s, Ohio State’s win year after year, they give their players a chance to perform to the max of their abilities while calling simple plays to win the game. You see this in many upset chances that coaches go all stupids instead of using what got them there in the first place.

 

Anderson learns recuriting is key from Ohio State game

During the 31-24 lost to Ohio State on Saturday night, Badger head coach Gary Anderson might have been dumbfounded how Ohio State was able to move up and down the field at will with the speed rushers and speed receivers, but it call comes down to “Recruiting”.

That is something that has been missing in Wisconsin the last couple of years when Bret Bielema failed to properly recruit for the Wisconsin program having one foot out the door. Most people will say that we just won three consecutive Big Ten titles, but each one came with a catch. The first was due to a lucky tie breaker rue, the second the Badgers benefited from a good conference alignment along with Ohio State being nailed for violations plus a roughing the punter penalty. The final title was thanks to backing into the game along with two schools being ineligible to for postseason.

Recruiting was lacking at the end for Bret at these key positions:

• QB
• WR
• TE
• S
• K
• P

This lack of recruiting manifested themselves on Saturday night well have Bret(Who also lost Saturday) decided to cut and run.

I hope that Gary Anderson learned a lot about the game, I hope that he knows what he has to change for next season because of this game. If Anderson can not learn what he needs to change from this game, then he is of no use to us. I know the changes can not completed this season and I personally think that he called about the best game he could have given the circumstances.