I would like to point out that it's working at Oregon in part because their offense scores so many points. It's not that big of deal if the opponent scores field goals with an occasional TD.
Bend don't break is not a bad philosophy, but Pelini was back words in the way he did it. You still should want to stop the run first. BP would never commit to stopping the run even when he was playing a run oriented team like Wisconsin or Minnesota.
yeah cause that's exactly what I said.
We got it now. You make great points about the schematics. No disagreement on that stuff at all. Like I said, from the beginning, it was about mentality to me. And when I think bend dont break, to me it means soft and tentative. Like we've been. Oregon doesnt play soft and tentative. They play fast and tenacious, within bend dont break scheme.I would say there are true aggressive defenses still, for instance, schools like ASU, TCU, UW, UCLA blitz FREQUENTLY, trying to put the heat on you, forcing quick 3 and outs. Oregon and other true "bend but don't break" want you to go on increased play drives so they can try and force a turnover. They are completely okay with giving up field goals because they know their offense will put up TDs. I'd consider those previous teams as an "aggressive" defense that is "NOT" bend but don't break. ASU blitzed on like 70% of plays or something insane like that. Dropping everyone into coverage (which is actually the sign of a strong DL) is bend but don't break. 2 high safeties ALL the time is bend but don't break. That's what Oregon does. Yards, not points. Not a lot of teams TRULY do this because they can't rely purely on their offense to get TDs and they don't have the DL/LB play to stuff the run while consistently dropping 7 or 8 in pass coverage. Oregon is very aggressive in their scheme (not playing patty cake, flying to the pall, press corners, force TO's at all costs) but their scheme is not an aggressive one (lack of blitzes, pressures, high safeties all the time)Well, by that i guess every defense is bend dont break then. It's hard and nearly impossible to just be a straight up shut down, 3 and out defense anymore. Bend dont break in this day and age to me is just what we've been doing here for the past few years. While Oregon may be so in a schematic way of thinking, to me, it's just more than that. it's not all X's and O's. it's a mentality. Aggression. They play with aggression. Even in passive schemes. WE havent been doing that. We've been playing tentative, waiting for the offense to dictate and then try to react. I see Oregon just doing what it does-even if it is a contain and sit back style-in a fast, aggressive, downhill style. it's a pretty widely used philosophy by a lot of defenses I guess. You got into schematics. I guess I was just talking from more of a phsychological standpoint.
Are you kidding me? I think I know Oregon schemes pretty well.. Oregon stunts their front four a lot, occasionally dropping DE's such as Armstead into a zone. bringing pressure from other angles, but its almost always 3/8 or 4/7 looks from them. They very rarely bring pressure outside of the red zone.
The idea that a bend don't break defense can't be physical or fast is incorrect. You can still fly to the football and rip it away (which is what the Ducks do, gang tackle, don't miss tackles, first guy wraps out, rest go for the ball. This is why they are one of the highest TO margin teams in the nation.
Finally, I'll let you argue with the Oregon DC, Don Pellum, who said they are still keeping Aliotti principles, the bend but don't break idea, fine with giving up yards, but will be more aggressive in passing down situations. just not points - something Chip Kelly constantly stated as well. Here are a couple articles from Eugene/Oregon about the "bend but don't break" philosophy that you say we don't run.
http://registerguard.com/rg/sports/32366310-81/not-this-time-no.-5-oregon-routs-stanford.csp# - "Erick Dargan intercepted Kevin Hogan at the Oregon 1-yard line and later forced the Stanford quarterback to fumble to highlight another bend-but-don’t-break effort by Don Pellum’s defense."
http://portlandtribune.com/pt/12-sports/245503-112460-oregon-defense-has-stated-its-case- - "As the saying at UO goes, the Ducks will give up yards all day, as long as they win."
http://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/index.ssf/2015/01/10_reasons_why_oregon_ducks_co.html#0 - reason 3 or 4
http://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/index.ssf/2015/01/breaking_down_the_national_cha_3.html - "The one thing the Ducks don't allow, though, is a ton of points. Bend but don't break is their specialty. "
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/national-championship-preview--oregon-s-secondary-210110821.html - "Oregon will bend and bend, but the Ducks won't break. Take the Rose Bowl, when Oregon gave up 528 yards of offense to Florida State but allowed just 20 points"
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2015/01/09/oregon-ohio-state-college-football-playoff-national-championship-att-stadium/21480097/ But what has remained the same — from the first day of the preseason until the final practice before the championship game — are the philosophies. Oregon still wants to go fast. Ohio State still wants to control the tempo. The Ducks will bend but not break on defense. The Buckeyes would rather not bend at all.
All different sources - but yeah, we don't play bend but don't break, right?
I do, however, agree with you that Bo Pelini's bend-but-don't break was garbage mentally compared to Oregon's, though. Oregon doesn't wait for the team to come at them. They react as quickly as possible and FLY to the ball once the play is diagnosed, wrap & rip
Pelini seemed to get caught up in his masterful scheme used in the Big 12 days, when there was no qb run game to worry about, and very little run game period. We played offenses who slung it around 50 times a game. we could line up 4 down, tee off, and sit 7 in coverage, after hours of film study, and know each team's every tendancy, route concept, check, and skillset. Theres so many instances in 2009 and 2010 where it's clearly obvious that each and every one of our 7 db's/backers knew what routes were coming before the snap. This made our matchup coverage like a blanket. And it wasnt bend dont break, it was shut down.
Exactly.
Troof. This was evident in our first year in the B1G.
This is pretty much what I think as well. We didn't have to defend the run in the Big XII because not only were teams not good at running the ball, they didn't even try to run the ball (for the most part). Plus, you have a once-in-a-generation DT with enough quality around him to make that work.