http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/forum/buckeye-football/627214-cal-bears-tosu-sat-sep-15-noon-abc.html
tOSU fan says, "we should have a field day on offense."

I don't know about you guys, but this game is screaming upset any way you look at it. I actually wouldn't be surprised if we kept it competitive and pulled out a last minute victory.

My concerns for the game are if we come out too conservative in the passing game and end up throwing a bunch of bubble screens. I'm not oppose to dink and dunk passes if Maynard can be extremely consistent. But getting the ball down field a few times should help our OL.

In order to stay competitive in this game Cal must control the line of scrimmage and run the ball with a TE and FB as often as possible, but in addition to the power, misdirection plays are going to keep OSU guessing and on their heels, i.e. counters, traps, bootlegs, play action, half-back pass. This will prevent OSU D from pinning their ears back.
And no bubble screens if possible. I'd hate to see our WR or RB get lit up on National Television.

The second most important thing for the Bears to do is get the ball down field. Complete some passes over 15 yards when the game is close.

I'd definitely have Maynard on a short leash. The minute he shows he's having an off day, I'd yank him and wouldn't think twice about it. I'd put in our 'future' qb, whoever that is. I wouldn't wait until halftime because there would be to much time to sike an inexperienced QB out.

If I was JT, I'd:

scrap the goddamn no huddle and just control the clock. If we have four backs that are as good as he pretends, then use them. Keep Braxton Miller off the field.

take enough shots down field to keep them honest, but keep Maynard in a position to succeed - short, high percentage throws are where he functions best. We know that.

run Maynard more.

deploy Bigelow as a decoy on occasion. Again, keep them honest.

Misdirection is a good tactic here as well. Counters, draws, anything that might turn their aggressiveness against them - because I expect they'll see a line missing its best lineman [MSG is not listed on the depth for this week], and turn the dogs loose.

go for it in every 4th and short situation [or at least play to win], knowing damn well that my fanbase is foaming at the mouth for any excuse they can come up with to get me fired

i wouldn't run a trick play for the sake of running one, but I'd have a couple tricks in the bag ready to go, just in case.

win a defensive slugfest.

Use fullback for extra run blocker.
No bubble screens or swing passes.
Let Maynard roll to buy time and make throws downfield on the run, it's OK to pick up some yardage if nobody is open.
Continue using no-huddle.
Find a way to use more Bigelow and Lasco.

On defense, use a linebacker/saftey to track the QB.
Hit the QB on every option play, make him want to option the ball.
Mix more man defense with zone coverage.

Start fast.
Make the right adjustments at halftime, please try something different if the same thing isn't working.
Play to win and not punt to lose.

tOSU is a good team but they're not LSU.
Go Bears.

Question: what have we seen out of these two games that makes anyone think we are a good uptempo team? We can't keep drives going consistently enough for it to work, and short, unsuccessful drives (like we had against Nevada) only put an unnecessary strain on the defense.

BlueAndGold;841945840 said:

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Question: what have we seen out of these two games that makes anyone think we are a good uptempo team? We can't keep drives going consistently enough for it to work, and short, unsuccessful drives (like we had against Nevada) only put an unnecessary strain on the defense.

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It was funny that our no-huddle actually got SUU confused. But we seemed not to know what to do when guys were late shuttling in and out. It almost seemed like we were waiting for SUU players to get back on the field, as we wanted to play fair. I'm not sure JT told the players what the point of the no-huddle is.

I like the no huddle, especially for a qb who's a little mental. Doesn't give him time to think, but only of you run hurry up, not just no huddle. We don't seem to be able to hurry up, we just sit there at the line and collect false start and formation penalties all day.

Like or dislike the no huddle this is not the game for it. The biggest decider in this game will be how long we keep their offense off the field. We must possess and be as consistent and time consuming on offense as we can. The defense, when left on the field for long periods gets down in the chops. Quick turnovers are a no-no. Short, three and out drives are a no-no. Slow, methodical drives downfield are a must. Keep the ball in our hands.

Be aggressive on defense, but not to the point of taking excessive chances. This will be a well schooled team and will take advantage of defensive mistakes. Other than that, hope and pray a lot. Succeed early and build on it. A slow start in an unfriendly environment will not be good.

All the "ideas" sound great ... if you're playing a video game.
My only questions:
how many minutes will pass before JT slams down his headphones and tries to yank ZM by his facemask ...
how many minutes will pass before a sloppily thrown screen pass turns into a pick-6 for tOSU
how many passes to Harper and Treggs will it take before KA starts sulking and causing a penalty to nullify a TD

Given the shoddy performance in two (2) "cupcake" games, this thread has to be regarded as silly, at best.
I'll be happy to eat my words, even if they're far less fanciful than all the "plans" posted for defeating tOSU.

I'll be happy to hear that the margin of tOSU's win is less than 30 points (hoping that they have the compassion shown to Cal by Tennessee in that blowout).

SonOfCalVa;841945888 said:

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All the "ideas" sound great ... if you're playing a video game.
My only questions:
how many minutes will pass before JT slams down his headphones and tries to yank ZM by his facemask ...
how many minutes will pass before a sloppily thrown screen pass turns into a pick-6 for tOSU
how many passes to Harper and Treggs will it take before KA starts sulking and causing a penalty to nullify a TD

Given the shoddy performance in two (2) "cupcake" games, this thread has to be regarded as silly, at best.
I'll be happy to eat my words, even if they're far less fanciful than all the "plans" posted for defeating tOSU.

I'll be happy to hear that the margin of tOSU's win is less than 30 points (hoping that they have the compassion shown to Cal by Tennessee in that blowout).

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Nevada doesn't seem to be a cupcake, actually, and I think you're being unfair to KA. Carry on ...

I think the spread and no huddle is still the way to go with Maynard. I can't envision a scenario where we can use heavy personnel to shove the ball down Ohio State's throat in their house. The spread/no huddle limits a qb's decision making which I think we can all agree is a good thing for Maynard.

On defense, we need to sell out to stop miller and hope that they can't connect on a pass over the top.

"All the "ideas" sound great ... if you're playing a video game."

Right you are. It's not negative to say that Cal is less likely to win this game than Mars is likely to crash into Jupiter. We all know what we have seen for two weeks. Subject to interpretation? Sure. Mine is 40-7 for the bad guys. 40-21 if they pull their starters at halftime.

Looka t the the 91 Citrus bowl. ESTABLISH THE PASS AND THEN WE CAN RUN LATER.

BlueAndGold;841945837 said:

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run Maynard more.

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I agree. It's simple and keeps the defense guessing. But they need to be designed plays, so Maynard knows exactly where he's supposed to go - less chance he'll do something stupid.
I hate to say it, but if the blitz is successful in reaching Maynard, we're going to have to run some screens - if Maynard fails to hit the running back/wide receivers, there's not much else we can do other than draws.

1979bear;841945905 said:

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"All the "ideas" sound great ... if you're playing a video game."

Right you are. It's not negative to say that Cal is less likely to win this game than Mars is likely to crash into Jupiter. We all know what we have seen for two weeks. Subject to interpretation? Sure. Mine is 40-7 for the bad guys. 40-21 if they pull their starters at halftime.

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I have to agree with you, but it's fun to play pre-Saturday quarterback instead of Sunday morning...

Even if Tedford comes up with a brilliant gameplan, it doesn't matter. He's guided this team to a point where they can't execute themselves out of a paper bag.

BlueAndGold;841945837 said:

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If I was JT, I'd:

scrap the goddamn no huddle and just control the clock. If we have four backs that are as good as he pretends, then use them. Keep Braxton Miller off the field.

take enough shots down field to keep them honest, but keep Maynard in a position to succeed - short, high percentage throws are where he functions best. We know that.

run Maynard more.

deploy Bigelow as a decoy on occasion. Again, keep them honest.

Misdirection is a good tactic here as well. Counters, draws, anything that might turn their aggressiveness against them - because I expect they'll see a line missing its best lineman [MSG is not listed on the depth for this week], and turn the dogs loose.

go for it in every 4th and short situation [or at least play to win], knowing damn well that my fanbase is foaming at the mouth for any excuse they can come up with to get me fired

i wouldn't run a trick play for the sake of running one, but I'd have a couple tricks in the bag ready to go, just in case.

win a defensive slugfest.

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Not so fast my friend....

The most telling and important stat of the Tedford era:
Cal is 62-5 when they score 30 or more in a game. Actually, that's a great stat for any team historically in the conference.

Get the offense back to having confidence and moving the ball and scoring some points....the outcome usually takes care of itself.

Floundering around and scoring 9,14 or 15 points against teams won't get wins.
A perfect example is last year's UCLA game. The offense lost that with turnovers and short field advantages to UCLA. Make fewer mistakes, score 30, and UCLA most likely doesn't. Nevada...31, Cal 24. JT has to get Cal back to an offensively confident football team. I'm not convinced the recent string of QB's have been able to make the decisions, reads or error free football to make that happen. I understand completely that it not all on the QB...but it is obvious to me that offensive confidence just isn't there like it was at one time...

no huddle doesn't mean you have to snap it immediately. It should, in theory, mean you limit defensive substitution and take advantage of occasional confusion. But there's nothing that says you can't use the no huddle and just hang out at the line of scrimmage until there's 1 second on the play clock.

Maynard needs to learn to protect the ball before we start running him a lot.

If I were JT, my strategy would have started 4 or 5 seasons ago when the SRs and RS SRs were being brought on board.. I would have installed an offensive identity, recruited players to fit that system and devoted a large majority of practice and game plays to that philosophy. I would have done the same on the defensive side of the ball.

chazzed;841945894 said:

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Nevada doesn't seem to be a cupcake, actually, and I think you're being unfair to KA. Carry on ...

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slider643;841945967 said:

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If I were JT, my strategy would have started 4 or 5 seasons ago when the SRs and RS SRs were being brought on board.. I would have installed an offensive identity, recruited players to fit that system and devoted a large majority of practice and game plays to that philosophy. I would have done the same on the defensive side of the ball.

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Correct ... Nevada was NOT a cupcake; Cal was their cupcake.

"If I were JT ... " ... should be a thread soon.

IF I were JT, ...
I'd realize that I've provided for at least my grandkids to live comfortably, and maybe great-grandkids .... then look in a mirror, realize that I'm obsolete and just getting older ... and retire with the legacy accumulated. JT could become the honored ex-coach, watching games from the AD box, then hoisting a few at the faculty club with the other super-wealthy alums. Maybe throw in a couple thou donation every year to make myself feel good.

Hire a crop duster, keep the CAL players in the locker room during warmup's. Have the crop duster spray the OSU players with insect poison. They become sick and don't play very well. That's how we can win the game.

bar20;841945982 said:

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Hire a crop duster, keep the CAL players in the locker room during warmup's. Have the crop duster spray the OSU players with insect poison. They become sick and don't play very well. That's how we can win the game.

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I take it you're not planning to be in attendance for this one.

SonOfCalVa;841945980 said:

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Correct ... Nevada was NOT a cupcake; Cal was their cupcake.

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CAL was not a cupcake for Nevada, Twinkie maybe but a cupcake? No way!

No huddle is not the problem. It's execution. Stupid penalties, poor blocking (particularly run blocking...but pass blocking needs some work too), fumbles (looking at you, ZM and CH), and inaccurate passes are killing this offense right now.

Oh...and Keenan Allen's shoes. Somebody please, please, please get him some new cleats.

As for the defense...

Too much soft zone (especially on pass plays) and too little push from the D-line.

In two weeks there has been little indication that this team is ready to fix these problems, so I don't blame anyone for their pessimism.

But if you think the problem is the no huddle, you're not paying attention.

If we lose by less than 14 points I'll be happy. Based on what we've seen the past two weeks, there is absolutely no reason to believe the game will even be close by the 2nd half.

Is there a chance we will win? Yes. If we get our sh%t together we can beat anyone. But anyone who has watched the first two games has no reason to believe our sh%t is together. And I am the biggest sunshine pumper of all of us.

1. No turnovers. Not one. Hang on to the ball
2. No mental penalties i.e. delay of game, offsides, false starts, too many men on the field. Physical penalties, while not acceptable, are more acceptable than mental ones.
3. Win the special teams battle

Not sexy answers but ones I feel are very important in any football game but even moreso when you are playing on the road. Just look at the Raiders last night-stupid penalties, bad special teams play, and too many turnovers. Not surprisingly, they lost.

Calntheplay;841945833 said:

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http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/forum/buckeye-football/627214-cal-bears-tosu-sat-sep-15-noon-abc.html
tOSU fan says, "we should have a field day on offense."

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I'm the one that said that. I also said you guys (which I got from this forum) said you couldn't contain mobile QBs and had issues stopping the run. Both of these are our strength. You also left off the part where I said...if what they said is true, THEN we should have a field day on offense.

TarzanaBear;841945930 said:

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Worked well against nevada

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And Texas Tech.

boredom;841945945 said:

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no huddle doesn't mean you have to snap it immediately. It should, in theory, mean you limit defensive substitution and take advantage of occasional confusion. But there's nothing that says you can't use the no huddle and just hang out at the line of scrimmage until there's 1 second on the play clock.

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In addition to no subs, the offense can use it is to get a look at the D and have the coaches then signal a play in response. Seems like a very Tedford thing to do - if the QB can't read the D, JT will do it for him (or at least some coach on the sideline will)!

Posted this on another thread, but more appropriate here...

to beat tOSU, I'd say Cal should do the following.

*Short pass us to death.
*Hog the clock, start running it from minute one.
*Spy Braxton every single play.
*No turnovers, or win the turnover battle.
*No dumb penalties and keep penalties in general to a minimum.

What NOT to do:

*Run the ball up the middle more than once in a while.
*Hurry up offense.
*Deep QB drops w/deep WR routes.
*Clog the box.

Just my two cents of course.

Defensive strategy should be: HIT BRAXTON MILLER AS HARD AS YOU CAN EVERY CHANCE YOU GET. I by no means wish injury on any player, but as any strategy- you have to use what you got. Urban is worried about the beating he has taken and wants to limit it. So hit him. I would tell my D too- you got one good 15 yard late hit. So take it and make it a good one. As someone said earlier, make it so Braxton gets shook up, or that their gameplan becomes a little different, and Miller gets less runs.

See The Arkansas game last week. The Louisiana Monroe team teed off on Arky's QB. It worked. They won the game. Sorry Braxton. You are the offense. And you must go.

The downside to that plan....throughout two seasons, his only injuries were a tweaked ankle and cramps.

This despite the hits he's taken over the past two seasons....and last year our O-line was less than average.

Coqui;841946378 said:

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The downside to that plan....throughout two seasons, his only injuries were a tweaked ankle and cramps.

This despite the hits he's taken over the past two seasons....and last year our O-line was less than average.

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so you're saying he's due for an injury! (kidding)

generally the goal with a "keep hitting the qb hard as much as possible" plan isn't to injure the guy as much as to rough him up and make him shaky and a little gun shy. Looking for rushed throws because of phantom pressure and not taking opportunities to run for yardage.

So far this year we've shown no evidence of doing anything but politely asking the qb to stop so I wouldn't worry about it if I were an OSU fan.

ColumbusTheCity;841946344 said:

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Posted this on another thread, but more appropriate here...

to beat tOSU, I'd say Cal should do the following.

*Short pass us to death.
*Hog the clock, start running it from minute one.
*Spy Braxton every single play.
*No turnovers, or win the turnover battle.
*No dumb penalties and keep penalties in general to a minimum.

What NOT to do:

*Run the ball up the middle more than once in a while.
*Hurry up offense.
*Deep QB drops w/deep WR routes.
*Clog the box.

Just my two cents of course.

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Just forwarded this to Coach Tedford. You guys are in trouble now!

Agree with controlling the clock...but the D has to show up big time and create turn overs. It worked against Stanfurd a few times, in particular '09.

Coqui;841946321 said:

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I'm the one that said that. I also said you guys (which I got from this forum) said you couldn't contain mobile QBs and had issues stopping the run. Both of these are our strength. You also left off the part where I said...if what they said is true, THEN we should have a field day on offense.

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Urban Meyer and Tedford have been good friends for a long time. Both teams will be ready to play come Saturday. In these type of games you can almost throw out records and what might appear to be an illusion as to what 'might happen' in the game. Nobody really knows. OUtside of a couple positions, (QB, couple OLmen, FS), the talent between the two teams is very marginal IMO.

Anyhow, thanks for clearing that up Coqui. I hope for an all out slugfest and an injury free game. Hopefully, the Bears can come out and catch OSU off guard for a quarter or two and keep it close in the final minutes:gobears:.