Frost Installing Osborne's Playbook

[Jeremy]

When your team is so physically defeated and demotivated, the #1 responsibility is to get their heads back into the game and give them a taste of success. You don't stand a chance of winning? Fine. Just show that you belong on the field, gain yards however possible, and get a man in the end zone. If they're expecting you to pass out of desperation, then run the ball instead.  Give players game-time experience. Let a bench player show his stuff. Keep playing with real stakes. Test that new play you've been practicing in game conditions. 

At the end of the day, an opponent will be watching game film. You'll always be showing them the breadth of the playbook. Most the time you're going for in-game adjustments --- they think they know you, and you have to mix them up. If you're depending on a new look or scheme you've never tried in big game stakes — and this bigger playbook demands practice reps -- it may not be worth it.

Or to put it another way, by the time we play Iowa, do we have anything we've held back,?  Is compiling losses while withholding looks make any sense? Or does it just allow excuses? And if you abandon the element of surprise the moment you get punched in the mouth, what's the point?

I not confronting you, Undone. Mostly just venting. 

You make good points. I'd like to think we would be able to move the ball like that for the duration of the game, but it's hard to say. We probably wouldn't have thrown any more interceptions, and that definitely would've helped our case. If we could have moved the ball at least moderately effectively, we could have kept our leaky sieve of a defense off the field, and maybe we hold them to 41, maybe we score again to make it 41-14. It does look a little better, but not much.

 

[Mavric]

I know everyone gets pretty excited when they line up like this.

But now that people can prepare for it, it creates a similar problem as it did for Riley - the defense can load the box.  Northwestern basically has 11 guys in the box here:

 

[Jeremy]

I know everyone gets pretty excited when they line up like this.

But now that people can prepare for it, it creates a similar problem as it did for Riley - the defense can load the box.  Northwestern basically has 11 guys in the box here:

Yeah, they were expecting it, but it was really just 7 in the box. They were reading run to be sure, and that's why the play action worked so well the next play. Allen was wide open and dropped the pass. 

As in the Glory Days of Yore, teams would creep up to stop the run, the secondary would start peeking in the backfield, and play action would bite them for a big play.

With good blocking and tough backs, there's NO reason why I Option/Power and play action won't work. Unfortunately, we might...lack good blocking. 

 

[ColoradoHusk]

I know everyone gets pretty excited when they line up like this.

But now that people can prepare for it, it creates a similar problem as it did for Riley - the defense can load the box.  Northwestern basically has 11 guys in the box here:

Sam said that NW is the wrong defense to try the I-formation stuff. They have a great front 7.  It’s not a bad wrinkle, but needs to be used against the right defenses. 

 

[Mavric]

Yeah, they were expecting it, but it was really just 7 in the box. They were reading run to be sure, and that's why the play action worked so well the next play. Allen was wide open and dropped the pass. 

As in the Glory Days of Yore, teams would creep up to stop the run, the secondary would start peeking in the backfield, and play action would bite them for a big play.

With good blocking and tough backs, there's NO reason why I Option/Power and play action won't work. Unfortunately, we might...lack good blocking. 

Eh, it's a slight exaggeration.  But as the receiver crosses the formation, they have 10 guys within 5 yards of the LOS and the 11th is at 6 yards.  There's literally nowhere to run.

 

[EmeraldIngot]

Eh, it's a slight exaggeration.  But as the receiver crosses the formation, they have 10 guys within 5 yards of the LOS and the 11th is at 6 yards.  There's literally nowhere to run.

Seeing them creep up like that, it would have been a good time to audible into spread. Either that, or attack the edges with PA, like a quick out, or some kind of sweep or pitch play to the field. 

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Seeing them creep up like that, it would have been a good time to audible into spread. Either that, or attack the edges with PA, like a quick out, or some kind of sweep or pitch play to the field. 

If the play shown would have been a true option instead of a fullback dive, I would agree with you. But with 22 personnel and Mills not being a strong threat in the pass game, it’s tough to split into a spread after being in the initial formation. Plus, the play clock would have been a factor. 

 

[EmeraldIngot]

If the play shown would have been a true option instead of a fullback dive, I would agree with you. But with 22 personnel and Mills not being a strong threat in the pass game, it’s tough to split into a spread after being in the initial formation. Plus, the play clock would have been a factor. 

If I remember correctly, we had Mills at FB and Robinson at IB, correct? 

The two TE could split out to the slot, with Robinson and the other WR split wide, Mills as the RB in shotgun.

Play clock may have been an issue before that first play, but if we play with tempo and get lined up real quick, we would have the time to shift to a new formation. 

 

[ColoradoHusk]

If I remember correctly, we had Mills at FB and Robinson at IB, correct? 

The two TE could split out to the slot, with Robinson and the other WR split wide, Mills as the RB in shotgun.

Play clock may have been an issue before that first play, but if we play with tempo and get lined up real quick, we would have the time to shift to a new formation. 

All are possible, but considering the field position and starting a new drive, I bet Frost was thinking to try a quick hitter with Mills to get 5-6 yards and get a manageable 2nd and 3rd down. Unfortunately, NW’s front 4-7 are strong and made the play for a short gain. 

 

[Nebfanatic]

Yeah, they were expecting it, but it was really just 7 in the box. They were reading run to be sure, and that's why the play action worked so well the next play. Allen was wide open and dropped the pass. 

I want to watch that play again but it seemed to me like we were trying to get the ball to Woodyard deep, but quick interior pressure got to Martinez and he wasn't able to get set to make that throw. Woodyard was in 1 on 1 coverage and had his man burned.

Edit: think we are talking about the same play but we might not be.