2009 TSUN News (football only discussion)

[LordJeffBuck]

And if you still manage to get good recruiting classes with minimal in-state recruits, almost none of those things matter.

When Michigan starts getting "good recruiting classes", then maybe you can make that argument. And by "good recruiting classes", I mean kids who can actually play, and not kids who are highly ranked by some recruiting guru who has seen five minutes of highlight films.

Maybe you should consider all of the out-of-state players who have transferred, were booted, or busted out recently - Sam McGuffie, Ryan Mallett, Matt Gutierrez, Pierre Rembert, Jeff Zuttah, Jason Forcier, Eugene Germany, Quinton McCoy, David Cone, Zion Babb, Jason Kates, Max Martin, Avery Horn, LaTerryal Savoy, Brett Gallimore, Grant DeBenedictis, Doug Dutch, Marques Slocum, Jeremy Ciulla, Keston Cheathem, Johnny Sears, and you can probably add perennial problem child Adrian Arrington to the list of players who were not exactly welcomed back to Ann Arbor....

Now consider that most of your best recent players have been from Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, that is, your local recruiting area - Braylon Edwards, Gabe Watson, Jason Avant, Willis Barringer, Jake Long, Prescott Burgess, LaMarr Woodley, Shawn Crable, Chad Henne, Tim Jamison, Will Johnson, Mario Manningham, Zoltan Mesko, Terrance Taylor, Brandon Graham, Obi Ezeh, and Morgan Trent....

Yeah, maybe you've got a point - it just doesn't matter where the kids come from....

 

[HINYG8]

Other than that, it doesn't matter that much what state the kids are from....

Pshaw...is that all you got?

 

[HINYG8]

Regardless of star rating...I always feel better about our chances when a kid is from Ohio rather than Florida..if anyone thinks distance doesn't matter, or that Midwest schools are on equal footing with the local universities in Florida, Georgia, California etc...you are crazy.

The odds of landing a kid are inversely proportional to the distance. Oh sure, UM, OSU and others pull kids out of Florida on occasion....but lets not pretend our school name resonates to the same degree as Florida, FSU or Miami when the kid is in Ft Lauderdale.

Let's also recognize that a lot of Florida kids that end up out of state do so because the local options were full or not as interested.

Is there really a debate about this?

 

[jwinslow]

Charleston Daily Mail - West Virginia News and Sports - Sports - Former WVU strength coach Barwis owes buyout?

Wednesday January 21, 2009

Former WVU strength coach Barwis owes buyout


WVU football notebook: Running back Kerns leaves university
by Mike Casazza
Daily Mail sports writer



MORGANTOWN -- Former director of strength and conditioning Mike Barwis hasn't paid West Virginia a liquidated damages fee the university believes he triggered last year when he followed football Coach Rich Rodriguez to Michigan, WVU sources said.
Barwis' final employment agreement with WVU, drafted in July 2005, said Barwis is to pay WVU a $50,000 buyout for terminating his contract without cause by the university. Sources said university officials are now looking to collect, but a lawsuit is not presently in the works.



Shea Browning, the Associate General Counsel at WVU, could not comment specifically Tuesday "other than to say it is an issue that has been brought to our attention and that we are investigating all of our options."


The contract, obtained by the Charleston Daily Mail under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act, contains no language detailing a schedule or deadline for payment.



It's a significant difference from Rodriguez's final contract at WVU.



WVU claimed Rodriguez breached his contract and ultimately sued him last year when he didn't make the first buyout payment for one-third of the total figure within 30 days, as the contract instructed.


...Cont'd

 

[jwinslow]

Daily Orange

2 players to stop the spread: The middle linebacker and free safety are the two key players in stopping West Virginia's potent spread offense

By Mark Medina
Posted: 10/12/06

[imgl]http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper522/stills/tz886fb6.jpg[/imgl]
Syracuse linebackers coach Steve Russ described the need to be physical, fast and disciplined to combat West Virginia's spread offense.

It will be a challenge for SU when it travels to Morgantown, W.Va, for a noon kickoff Saturday.

West Virginia averages 41.6 points behind Heisman Trophy-candidate running back Steve Slaton and the Mountaineers' spread offense that takes advantage of its running game, its quarterback's mobility and bubble passes.

Stopping a spread offense requires each player to master his assignment, given teams can distribute anywhere on the field. But middle linebacker Kelvin Smith and free safety Joe Fields play the two positions most important in limiting WVU's production.

West Virginia would go on to rack up 562 yds of offense, including 457 on the ground.

Smith sees a quicker no-huddle offense this year that requires endurance and discipline. So quick and efficient that Smith joked West Virginia will run a million plays in 20 seconds.

Syracuse lacked those qualities when Pittsburgh running back LaRod Stephens-Howling made a 70-yard touchdown run and 40- and 34-yard runs last week.

"Guys were trying to do too much," Smith said. "Guys were playing out of their ordinary job. It's like you're doing commentating and this guy is holding the camera but the cameraman wants to commentate, too. You just have to do your job."

Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson quickly pointed out that if you take away those three big runs, Pittsburgh's statistics read 32 carries for 135 yards, which averages to 4.2 yards a carry.

He constantly stresses the need to uphold the minimal assignment. It's more important to contain than it is to worry about making big plays.

...

the quarterback draw with Pat White, a handoff to Slaton or an option at the flip of a switch. Quickly confronting the offense rather than containing will cause them to change course.

Cont'd

 

[MichFan1997]

Michigan's last 4 recruiting rankings:

Scout
2008 - 6
2007 - 10
2006 - 9
2005 - 2

Rivals
2008 - 10
2007 - 12
2006 - 13
2005 - 6

2008 record: 3-9.

Hmmmm....maybe it's about more than just getting good recruiting classes.

Yes, I'm sure that 3-9 record had nothing to do with having a recruiting class full of kids brought in to play a completely different system. Obviously, win-loss record goes a LOT deeper than simple recruiting rankings.

 

[jwinslow]

Yes, I'm sure that 3-9 record had nothing to do with having a recruiting class full of kids brought in to play a completely different system. Obviously, win-loss record goes a LOT deeper than simple recruiting rankings.

It was the third bad season in 4 years.

 

[HailToMichigan]

It was the third bad season in 4 years.

So it's RR's fault, except for when it helps the argument at hand to say otherwise?

 

[t_BuckeyeScott]

So it's RR's fault, except for when it helps the argument at hand to say otherwise?

There's bad like the 2 of the non-Rod seasons, then there's Rod-bad: 3-9. Its a major qualitative difference.

 

[jwinslow]

So it's RR's fault, except for when it helps the argument at hand to say otherwise?

I know you've been sniping at very isolated areas of this thread lately, but please try to keep up when you jump in:

Why does it matter that much what state the kids are from anyways?

1) Because ...

... 12 very exhaustive points (edited)

Other than that, it doesn't matter that much what state the kids are from....

And if you still manage to get good recruiting classes with minimal in-state recruits, almost none of those things matter.

Michigan's last 4 recruiting rankings:

Scout 2008 - 6 2007 - 10 2006 - 9 2005 - 2
Rivals 2008 - 10 2007 - 12 2006 - 13 2005 - 6

2008 record: 3-9. Hmmmm....maybe it's about more than just getting good recruiting classes.

Clearly the facts don't really back up 97's flippant dismissal... and the discussion clearly extends well beyond RR, so your rebuttal really doesn't fit here.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

Yes, I'm sure that 3-9 record had nothing to do with having a recruiting class full of kids brought in to play a completely different system. Obviously, win-loss record goes a LOT deeper than simple recruiting rankings.

Georgia Tech agrees with you.

Oh wait......no, they didn't hire an incompetent boob.

 

[heisman]

Yes, I'm sure that 3-9 record had nothing to do with having a recruiting class full of kids brought in to play a completely different system....

UM suffered from turnovers, poor tackling, and poor blocking. I highly doubt the "system" has anything to do with a total lack of fundamentals--especially on the defensive side of the ball.

 

[NFBuck]

Georgia Tech agrees with you.

Oh wait......no, they didn't hire an incompetent boob.

Heh.

I just cannot fathom how anybody could possibly rationalize losing to Toledo with those recruiting classes. Yet, many of them do.

 

[shetuck]

Yes, I'm sure that 3-9 record had nothing to do with having a recruiting class full of kids brought in to play a completely different system...

So RR proceeds to run those kids off and decides to try and deploy their back-ups (which were, presumably, recruited to fit into the same system).

I guess the truth behind the widely-publicized notion that Carr left the cupboards bare remains a matter of perspective and debate.

Which still leaves me confused as to whether you think relationships need to be built with in-state programs or not... because I'm thinking that IF you guys are actually right and there's a total lack of talent in the state (i.e. never was, never will be), then why throw those lines out there about knowing how important in-state recruiting is and how RR hasn't yet had a chance to spend the time to build relationships with local coaches?

It seems like a lot of spin, to me. The whole thing is puzzling... even amusing in a sadistic way. I don't know if it's your unclear stance or piecemeal articulation of a well-thought-out plan by RR, or your attempt at making a confused coach's blind swings look much more strategically coherent and well-orchestrated.

But I suppose it doesn't really matter, because his record on the field will ultimately bring judgment. And, as a Buckeye fan, I couldn't be more happy about that because it means that it'll be twice as fun to not only watch the ship go down (again), but also sober you guys up a bit.

Nonetheless, I admit that it wouldn't be easy for me either to admit that it appears that my favorite programs' coach has more than a few screws loose and isn't going to be some kind of Moses bringing the Tablets down from the mountain in a couple years' time.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

So it's RR's fault, except for when it helps the argument at hand to say otherwise?

Let me quickly synopsize about three pages of post for you:

You've underachieved in three of the last four seasons for the talent you've brought on board, and DickRod made in even worse in the last of those four seasons because he stubbornly insisted on pounding a square peg in a round hole by forcing an offensive system from the beginning instead of weaning the system over the course of the season and allowing the players to adjust.