** 2022 Opponent Previews : Minnesota (Game 9) **
- Thread starter Saunders
- Start date
Treand3
All-Conference
They do it to keep pace(and beat) with Wisconsin. Its smart in a sense that they can't recruit well enough to completely out athlete them but it goes back to what was said about being in the Big Ten west, the team that makes the least mistakes and can stop the run will be in great position to win the division.
Husker in WI
All-Conference
It's so frustrating that it works too. They are still the only football team I have ever seen kneel the ball twice to take the game to half time. That is dedication to shortening the game and not making mistakes, and I hate it.
Treand3
All-Conference
I hear you. All the *ss whippings and Ls we've taken from them and other west teams, they've never done anything spectacular to do so. Either we were severely outcoached, underrecruited in critical spots (DL/OL/LB) or made backbreaking mistakes at the worst times(i.e. a game opening KO return for a TD). Because Nebraska doesn't want to conduct business like most of its west counterparts, which I'm personally ok with, they've been poor at being efficient offensively via playcalling or QB play to apply pressure on then for playing that way meaning they cant just sit on the ball. See Michigan vs Iowa in Indianapolis or OSU against Wisconsin most years. We just make it entirely easy for them to play the way they want and prefer.
Xmas32
All-Conference
Oh, yeah I totally follow you and understand why they do it. It's just you hear Fleck talk and figure his offense would be akin to the Mike Leach Air Raid stuff versus the '3 yards and a cloud of dust' thing they've got going on up in MN.
Treand3
All-Conference
He's really good at the persuasion and charisma. It's really helpful he's at Minnesota as well. I know he wants to operate on a more Ohio State approach (Use a more wide open offense) but being at Minnesota is also a reason why it will be difficult.
Husker in WI
All-Conference
Does he though? His two best teams (2016 Western Michigan and 2019 Minnesota) have averaged 27/25 pass attempts and 45/43 rushing attempts per game. Ohio State last year averaged 38 passes/32 rushes. Although that was a bit of a departure, they were a lot more run-heavy with Fields/Dobbins in the past. I can't fault Fleck because it works, but I don't think he has any intention of opening things up.
Treand3
All-Conference
You could be right but point isnt the quantifiable part you mentioned but the how. Yes OSU does a lot of damage on the ground but they overwhelm you vertically with superior talent and mutiple receiver sets, thats what i think he wants but he doesn’t quite have the personnel to do it. Whereas their biggest rival, Wisconsin, is limited in how they can attack vertically outside of the rare alpha receiver they get and their usual TE. He wants the ability to be mutiple which is what OSU is.
What I will give you is that he invests heavily in the OL whether it's traditionally or in the portal and in big RBs.
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everybody knows my name
Five-Star Recruit
Really looking forward to this game. A win against Nebraska always look good on the resume, even in the 21st century.