Carl Pelini & Shawn Watson

[Hujan]

I think it's clear that Watson figured we'd run all over Texas, and then hastily inserted some pass plays when he found that his run game was getting stuffed.

 

How dare that coach make in game adjustments that put players in positions to make plays when the original gameplan wasn't working. What a bum.

 

Not sure if serious. The point is to prepare your team to execute beforehand, You know how Garrett Gilbert had never run much before the Nebraska game and then all of a sudden looked like the second coming of Colt McCoy and took Nebraska by surprise? Like that.

 

All you heard all week heading up to the game was mounds of praise for Martinez being heaped by Texas coaches and players. You think maybe, just maybe, they spent some of those two weeks figuring out how to stop him? To paraphrase Sam Rothstein from Casino, if Watson saw that coming and did nothing, then he was in on it. And if didn't see it coming, then he's too stupid to coach our offense. Either way, he's out.

 

The point is that Watson tends to respond to circumstances as they come up; a great coach anticipates the change before it is necessary.

[zoogs]

I think it's clear that Watson figured we'd run all over Texas, and then hastily inserted some pass plays when he found that his run game was getting stuffed.

 

I think that's pure conjecture, and it is far more likely that it isn't the case.

 

We installed new formations and new looks for what was then the biggest game of the year, by far. We used these new looks we had never, ever shown before to throw off the Texas defense. Obviously, we still needed to run our base offense, or there's nothing to throw them off of. But the change-ups worked to perfection but for the execution. Does it really seem likely these tailored new wrinkles were something that always existed, to be dusted off just for emergency situations, but never part of the plan?

 

Additionally, when we are struggling and our game plan isn't working, Watson (and Bo) like to get back down to the basics.

 

I agree one concern is that receivers have limited practice time for pass plays (in general). Not sure how that is playing out and affecting the team, but come on now, we run the ball 70% of the time this year, and that's the offense that not only Bo has wanted to steer us in, but which everyone has been basically begging for. It has obviously paid off in many ways, but there have to be trade offs, too, and that could be one of them. Can't have your cake and eat it, too.

 

We did make adjustments in that game, but these new formations and routes that were likely installed for it don't count as one of them. I remember hearing that in the 2nd half, we changed the way the OL was blocking (maybe that was a different game), and it worked. Having flexibility and being able to change what's not working, and adapt to the game scenarios as they unfold, is such an important quality in a coach - I guess I would say, that this seems to be really scrambling for ammunition against Watson.

 

The point is that Watson tends to respond to circumstances as they come up; a great coach anticipates the change before it is necessary.

 

Now I'm not sure if you are serious - because Watson has anticipated and come up with outstanding gameplans attacking teams' weaknesses, which we saw plain as day against Missouri, KSU, Washington, Texas (believe or not), and most impressively IMO, Oklahoma State. If this is the metric to judge coaches by, Watson gets a 'great' grade for this year. SDSU, granted - was a dud.

[mnhusker]

I think Carl may move up the list as people get a better understanding of how much of the D he really runs and how much success is due to Bo.

[RedDenver]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Watson has exactly one half of quality play against a top-25 defense (first two quarters against Mizzou this year).

Washington, KSU, and Okie St. might disagree.

[cerny50]

I blame our offensive woes on lack of big play ability guys at certain positions on the field more so than Watson, he's not the best OC in the world but I'd like to think that with more than T-Magic as our only big play threat he'd fair better, I know about Helu's game vs. Mizzou and I'm not saying he can't make the big play, I just think a lot needs to happen for him to do it, Taylor on the other hand doesn't always need a perfect snap or perfect blocking to go 70 yards when healthy, and our WR position could use an upgrade at game changing type player.

[I am I]

stats don't tell the whole story, but they don't lie either. and no, I wasn't a fan of his at the beginning of the season.

 

the stat i'm talking about is WHERE THE HELL IS THE PRODUCTION AGAINST TOP 25 TEAMS?

 

one game against NU 62-36 doesn't make an innovator. 2008 he was no god to me, personally...we had a very senior laden team.

 

3 times in the last 4 years, we have switched offenses in the middle of the season because all of a sudden, a guy who didn't get stupid overnight, couldn't figure out how to best utilize his talent til week 6 even though he had them since spring.

 

Last year, Bo had to pull the chain on complete incompetence, EVERY team has injuries. Look at Bradford (freaking returning Heisman) at OU, he got hurt and Landry had 26 TDS and 3200yds. THAT'S innovation.

 

We flat out haven't produced against top teams since Watson has been here. Not only that, we STILL don't have a TRUE identity as an offense. And finally: all the dropped balls, false starts, fumbles, burned timeouts, and and just plain inconsistencies eventually fall on the OC; whose job it is is to have the players DIALED in.

 

at Nebraska, we expect that to be every game, and if we still lose, or make mistakes while being dialed in...then we'll stand by the road as the winners go by. But this up and down, in and out pass/pound the rock, switch identities crap is Watson's fault.

[I am I]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Watson has exactly one half of quality play against a top-25 defense (first two quarters against Mizzou this year).

Washington, KSU, and Okie St. might disagree.

 

 

I think you missed the word quality in in Hujan posts...that's the problem. quality performance against quality defenses.

[zoogs]

Last year, Bo had to pull the chain on complete incompetence, EVERY team has injuries. Look at Bradford (freaking returning Heisman) at OU, he got hurt and Landry had 26 TDS and 3200yds. THAT'S innovation.

 

Not after that 5-pick, 3-10 loss to Nebraska it wasn't. Where was their performance against top teams?

[Pedro Guerrero]

Arizona had the #25 rated Defense last year.

 

Didn't OU and that Landry Jones led offense lose 5 games last year?

[The Dude]

innovative playcaller? not.

 

he just runs the flavor of the month. innovative is doing something different within your scheme that makes the other team, no matter how well prepared, left scratching their heads a little.

 

watson is neither inventive or innovative

 

Er - see Texas game for a prime example of head scratching? New routes, new formations, all within our scheme, but new looks that Texas was unprepared for. They were a good team then and had not mailed in their season at all, yet.

 

Now we have to decide whether we want our OC to be doing this sort of thing - exploiting various weaknesses, such as the power game on Missouri, the passing attack on OSU, the zone read on KSU - or if we should just do the same thing, over and over, and have an "identity" that happens to be so good nobody can stop it anyway.

 

I couldn't disagree more. The passes seemed more like desperation reactions to the fact that our zone-read wasn't working than the product of a pre-mediated game plan. I guess we'll never know for sure, but let me put this thought into your head: We tend to blame Burkhead, Kinnie, and Paul for all those dropped balls and claim that it was a lack of execution---not play calling---that doomed us. But which is more likely? That our players all miraculously failed to execute pass plays they'd been drilling all week? Or that the players failed to execute pass plays with which they were largely unfamiliar, having not run them regularly in practice leading up to the game?

 

I think it's clear that Watson figured we'd run all over Texas, and then hastily inserted some pass plays when he found that his run game was getting stuffed. If Watson comes in prepared to run and pass out of jumbo sets and the I-formation, we win that game.

 

Considering we ran the zone read over and over and over and over again in that game, even though it wasn't working, I'd say your on to something.

[Nebula]

No surprise that Watson has a lot of professional respect but little from the fanbase. A lot of good OCs are vilified by their fanbases when the offense has a bad game. I think OU and Texas both have some top tier OCs but last year after the NU game, guys were calling for the OU guy's head, and Texas this entire year, well. He had a charmed week the week of the Nebraska game, but. For some reason OC is just a cursed job, even more so than DC. Every play is expected to work well. If it doesn't, one of another hundred or so plays clearly should have been called.

 

I always seem to end up close to the genius who knows what play should have been called instead. "Good Lord, the post corner route is open all day long! See how the safety blah blah blah..." It's enough to make me want to dunk my head in acid.

 

This is seriously no different than saying, "GD Watson, why didn't you call the touchdown play? This is garbage! He called the 'lets lose three yards on pitch' play. See, now I would have called the touchdown play, because the team with more points win, and I'm a complete idiot who makes up for said stupidity by being insanely loud."

 

Don't be that guy/lady. You are impressing no one, Bill Walsh.

 

Sorry...not sure where that outburst came from.

[Pedro Guerrero]

I always seem to end up close to the genius who knows what play should have been called instead. "Good Lord, the post corner route is open all day long! See how the safety blah blah blah..." It's enough to make me want to dunk my head in acid.

 

This is seriously no different than saying, "GD Watson, why didn't you call the touchdown play? This is garbage! He called the 'lets lose three yards on pitch' play. See, now I would have called the touchdown play, because the team with more points win, and I'm a complete idiot who makes up for said stupidity by being insanely loud."

 

Don't be that guy/lady. You are impressing no one, Bill Walsh.

 

Sorry...not sure where that outburst came from.

 

[huskered17]

I hope Carl stays till we get our feet wet in the Big-10. Watson needs to be here also. Going into next year, we don't need any thing to change for at least the first year, in our new conference.

 

I thought this was put to rest already, Watson did not loose the Texas game. Maybe Texas did figure how to slow Martinez's running game, but we all know why that game was lost. Doesn't matter if he had to call some plays that the team didn't practice much, that week. 3 or 4 passes that were dropped for touchdowns, should have been caught, don't care how unfamiliar the players were with the plays called. The passes hit them in the hands, what else can you want. I am not sold on Watson yet, but he starting to get some good recruiting classes to work with. Time will tell, if he sticks around long enough. JMO

 

GBR!!!

[I am I]

Last year, Bo had to pull the chain on complete incompetence, EVERY team has injuries. Look at Bradford (freaking returning Heisman) at OU, he got hurt and Landry had 26 TDS and 3200yds. THAT'S innovation.

 

Not after that 5-pick, 3-10 loss to Nebraska it wasn't. Where was their performance against top teams?

 

 

well, first of all, you didn't see Stoops pull the plug on the ENTIRE offense did you? I mean, there were OU fans saying that thier 5 pick performance only scoring 1 FG was like our ISU turd earlier that year.

 

Secondly, that wasn't just a "top team' defensively...it was the Number 1 defense in country, with an unstoppable man in the middle wrecking havoc.

 

Third, my point in using that example was that, despite a game or two, OU didn't just fold the tents and crap down their leg offensively the rest of the year after a rash of injuries. They found a way to move the ball and score points.

 

Admit it. We DO NOT know what we are going to get offensively week to week. We could score 5 TDs on plays over 52 yds and blow someone out, or we could grind to a halt, not being able to string 10-12 play drives out. That is the identity i'm talking about. Our identity is to hit home runs, and if we're not, no matter who the opponent is our offensive lays eggs.

[74Hunter]

If you wanna go with that, though. He was OC at CU for 5 years, and they had a winning record 3 of those seasons. In 2001, maybe you'll recall them whipping Nebraska 62-36.

Every time I see or hear that quote, I want to eat a kitten for desert. That was ONE FREAKING GAME in his career, and it was against a team that was in decline. If you look at his time as OC at CU, his offenses were mediocre at best.

 

While I don't think that he is great by any stretch, I think that the texa$$ game was one of his better called games, the players just didn't execute. I would agree that it seems to take him half of a season to figure out what he our offense does well and to game plan around that. Also, Watson will never make the fan base happy, half of the people bitch because he is too stubborn, half bitch because he tries to do too much and gets cutsie. Half bitch because he is trying to be multiple, half bitch because he is doing the same thing over and over again.

 

Sometimes things are not always as they appear. I don't neccessarily think that he does the best to take what the other team gives us, or plans to our strenghts. I do feel that the jury is still out on his effectiveness as OC.