Speed of Big10 vs. other conferences

[ginn421]

With the caliber of players teams like USC, Florida, etc have, it's very easy to look slow when you play tentative, out of position, and/or confused. As others have said, the players are just as fast but if they can't recognize schemes or understand the game well enough to play at a faster level, they will appear slow.

 

[OregonBuckeye]

Funny how speed is rarely mentioned in the NFL yet everyone makes it out to be the sole factor in how good a college team is. It has been taken way too far by douchebag analysts and fans who are too lazy to make a rational argument. Is the Pac-10 that much slower than the Mountain West?

 

[daddyphatsacs]

With the caliber of players teams like USC, Florida, etc have, it's very easy to look slow when you play tentative, out of position, and/or confused. As others have said, the players are just as fast, but if they can't recognize schemes or understand the game well enough to play at a faster level, they will appear slow.

Agreed...... But if that is the case then does it mean that we have been ill prepared for the past 3 "Big" games? Is it coaching? Is it the mental approach of the players? I'm not sure, but it's a pattern with the Big Ten as of late if it isn't talent (as you have stated). Is the coaching to blame?

 

[BUCKYLE]

It's Ohio intelligence. Jim Tressel, Urban Meyer, Bob Stoops, Les Miles. Mack Brown learned a lot while Texas was in town, and Petey spent time as a tOSU assistant. It's obvious.

 

[Best Buckeye]

I think the only speed differential is in the speed of the Defensive line and even more so in the DE position. IMO that was what killed us in the last 2 NC games.

 

[cincibuck]

Don't take this the wrong way Big10 fans, but I keep hearing about the Big10 not having the same speed as other conferences.

I know that certain Big10 teams will have more speed than certain Pac-10, Big12, SEC teams, but the best Big10 teams are being persecuted nationally to have less speed than the best teams from some of the other conferences.

I know tOSU gets really good recruiting classes and I'm sure Penn State and Michigan do too, so why is the Big10 ending up with slower guys?

FYI - this is not my personal opinion because I haven't watched every Big10 team play, but something I keep hearing in articles and during the Rose bowl so please don't shoot the messenger.

It's a gravity issue. If you'll notice Big 10 guys weigh more and are slower the closer you get to the iron ore deposits in Minnesota. That's becaise the gravity is higher there. It also affects their inner gyroscope causing them to have less balance than players from further south. Kids who play all four years at Wisconsin or Minnesota actually begin to wobble.

 

[OregonBuckeye]

I think the only speed differential is in the speed of the Defensive line and even more so in the DE position. IMO that was what killed us in the last 2 NC games.

I don't think that's it. The Big-10 has plenty of undersized quick DE's.

 

[ginn421]

Agreed...... But if that is the case then does it mean that we have been ill prepared for the past 3 "Big" games? Is it coaching? Is it the mental approach of the players? I'm not sure, but it's a pattern with the Big Ten as of late if it isn't talent (as you have stated). Is the coaching to blame?

It could be. I just think the Florida game caught us completely off guard, and every game after sort of snowballed from there to the point where our players were second guessing themselves to the point where they end up a half-step slow. That, or they try too hard and want to make sure of what action to take...then BAM it's too late.

Also, when the opposing team can ballpark what play is going to be ran before the snap due to our tendencies, it can make them seem overly fast. The same can be said for our defense looking slow when they play hesitant, not knowing what to expect when the opposition's offense plays a very diverse, balanced game.

EDIT: As far as the Big Ten not faring well, I think we just got a really hard draw this year. Sure, it's just an excuse, but with 2 teams in BCS bowls, it bumps every other conference team up a slot (MSU in the CapOne bowl instead of the Outback bowl since OSU got an at large bid, etc). That doesn't explain PSU getting whacked, but that's a whole other can of worms.

 

[23Skidoo]

But USC plays a pro-style offense - not the spread.

That's cuz they're pros... errr... wait...

And, of course, when it's PSU v. Ohio State, what did we hear about? Oh, just how fast PSU's line plays... and how this guy and that guy can keep up with anyone in the country....

It's crap. Oregon State wasn't faster than USC. Oregon State wasn't faster than PSU. Figure that one out.

Are you trying to say there's something to do with skill here? Banish the thought! It's all about that Mountain Speed now.

So are you basically saying I should stick to H&HG and leave the football talk to the more educated tOSU fans because I am posting stupid [censored]?

No, I think we're all just tired of this bullshit regurgitated crap.

Funny how speed is rarely mentioned in the NFL yet everyone makes it out to be the sole factor in how good a college team is. It has been taken way too far by douchebag analysts and fans who are too lazy to make a rational argument. Is the Pac-10 that much slower than the Mountain West?

Bingo.

EDIT: As far as the Big Ten not faring well, I think we just got a really hard draw this year. Sure, it's just an excuse, but with 2 teams in BCS bowls, it bumps every other conference team up a slot (MSU in the CapOne bowl instead of the Outback bowl since OSU got an at large bid, etc). That doesn't explain PSU getting whacked, but that's a whole other can of worms.

Exactly. Nor did the B10 play any midmajors or have any "gimme" games. I mean, seriously, just look at the teams the P10 beat... yawnfest.
The easiest team B10 faced was South Carolina. If we can apply that "the schedule is so difficult" bull to SEC all year every year for a decade... there is no reason it's not perfectly viable for B10 bowls.
As for USC... play that in PA and it's a different ballgame entirely. The Rose Bowl is the biggest bullshit in the history of the Pac-10. Nine times out of ten it's played by USC or UCLA... and if it's not them it's Cal.

 

[reagdog]

Exactly. Nor did the B10 play any midmajors or have any "gimme" games. I mean, seriously, just look at the teams the P10 beat... yawnfest.
The easiest team B10 faced was South Carolina. If we can apply that "the schedule is so difficult" bull to SEC all year every year for a decade... there is no reason it's not perfectly viable for B10 bowls.
As for USC... play that in PA and it's a different ballgame entirely. The Rose Bowl is the biggest bull[censored] in the history of the Pac-10. Nine times out of ten it's played by USC or UCLA... and if it's not them it's Cal.[/quote]


PAC-10 BOWL GAMES
non-ranked Uofeh beat 17th ranked BYU

unranked Cal beats unranked Miami

#24 Oreg.St. beats #18 Pitt

#15 Oregon beats #13 Oklahoma St.

#5 USC beats #6 Penn St.


The Pac-10 beat 4 teams in the top 20. What else do you want?

BIG-10 BOWL GAMES
unranked Wisconsin gets killed by unranked Florida State

#22 ranked Northwestern loses to #25 ranked Missouri

unranked Minnesota gets killed by unranked Kansas

unranked Iowa beats unranked South Carolina

#19 ranked Mich. St. loses to #16 ranked Georgia

Penn State - see above

#10tOSU plays #3Texas

So the Big-10 played 4 ranked teams (3 in the top 20).


I don't see how the B-10 played a tougher schedule than the Pac-10??

 

[Mike80]

The speed discussion is a product of:

and other lazy-ass commentators who don't bother to research things like this douche:

but the myth itself is perpetuated by mouth-breathing, sister-fucking SEC fans like this douchebag (no offense intended Gator):

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzFc9IIg7i0"]YouTube - Florida Gator Fan Cries[/ame]

 

[osugrad21]

I think the only speed differential is in the speed of the Defensive line and even more so in the DE position. IMO that was what killed us in the last 2 NC games.

I don't think that's it. The Big-10 has plenty of undersized quick DE's.

BestBuckeye hits it on the head and Oregon gives the perfect illustration...

The SEC DL doesn't need to be "undersized" to be considered fast.

There is a difference in the trenches. No doubt in my mind.

 

[23Skidoo]

PAC-10 BOWL GAMES
non-ranked Uofeh beat 17th ranked BYU

unranked Cal beats unranked Miami

#24 Oreg.St. beats #18 Pitt

#15 Oregon beats #13 Oklahoma St.

#5 USC beats #6 Penn St.


The Pac-10 beat 4 teams in the top 20. What else do you want?

BIG-10 BOWL GAMES
unranked Wisconsin gets killed by unranked Florida State

#22 ranked Northwestern loses to #25 ranked Missouri

unranked Minnesota gets killed by unranked Kansas

unranked Iowa beats unranked South Carolina

#19 ranked Mich. St. loses to #16 ranked Georgia

Penn State - see above

#10tOSU plays #3Texas

So the Big-10 played 4 ranked teams (3 in the top 20).


I don't see how the B-10 played a tougher schedule than the Pac-10??

Look at those games again, P10 is matched up against a team at their level in every single game.
B10 is matched up against higher teams.

If you really believe whichever arbitrary ranking numbers you threw out... then why bother posting at all? You could just post an audio clip of Mark May spouting off bullshit.

 

[reagdog]

Look at those games again, P10 is matched up against a team at their level in every single game.
B10 is matched up against higher teams.

If you really believe whichever arbitrary ranking numbers you threw out... then why bother posting at all? You could just post an audio clip of Mark May spouting off bull[censored].

What are you talking about??? It's the AP poll #'s

Pitt was ranked higher than Org. St.
Ok. St. was ranked higher than Oregon
BYU was ranked and Uofeh wasn't
Neither Cal nor Miami were ranked
USC was ranked 1 spot higher than Penn State

Northwestern was ranked higher than Mizzou
MN, IA, SC, WI, FSU and KS are unranked
Michigan St. was #19 and Georgia #16
tOSU is #10 and TX #3

What am I missing?

 

[buckeyebri]

BestBuckeye hits it on the head and Oregon gives the perfect illustration...

The SEC DL doesn't need to be "undersized" to be considered fast.

There is a difference in the trenches. No doubt in my mind.

+1 to what Grad and others are saying here......

It has been said for many years that games are won and lost in the trenches and the losses that OSU has experienced in the 2 NC games and against USC were epitomes of this.

I also think, and have said this in other threads, that the main SEC teams, main Big 12 teams, and USC play with an attacking style and play tremendously aggressive. If they get burned on a play, so what they tee it up and come again on the next play. They come to kick your ass and win big, where we seem to come to play not to lose.





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