Sporting Fools
Sporting Fools
Sporting Fools
Sporting Fools
The frequent and occasional humorous musings behind two of the World's greatest underappreciated sports minds.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Discussing BC-FSU (Part 1)After spending a day over at Eagle in Atlanta answering questions, I decided to invite him this way for a longer discussion about Saturday's ACC showdown.
Here's Part 1 the transcript.
12:13 p.m.
What's up Bill,
So what do YOU think of the game. Seems like most of my Seminole brethren expect an easy win, a few of us (myself included) think it's going to be a dogfight, especially if it's raining. Most of my people seem to think FSU's speed on turf will be too much, but I think the turf actually neutralizes a lot of the speed because BC is going to benefit as well. So what do you feel about this game?
12:28 p.m.
There is a strong streak of pessimism in every BC fans heart. We’ve been letdown too many times before (I have hotel reservations for last year’s Fiesta Bowl to prove it) to every think this will be easy. This game is going one of two ways: dogfight or FSU is going to kill us. I am not so much worried about the speed. BC can hold their own and scheme around it. I am much more worried about the inevitable big play. Can this team stay composed if FSU blocks a punt or picks off an early pass? That is what scares me.
My hope really lies in Jeff Bowden. Is he as bad as his rep? Will he over think this and try to pass against BC? If I were Jeff, I would do what Syracuse did last year. Run. Run. And then run some more.
12:37 p.m.
Hard to really say with Jeff. The problem with Jeff is that the final call goes to Bobby and sometimes (hell a lot of the time) the coach is stubborn in his ways. Look at the Miami game when FSU had 1st and goal at the 1. Miami is putting 11 in the box, Jeff calls for a playaction on second down and Bobby overrules him with another run that, of course, nets -2 yards.
I've always wondered what would happen if Jeff was allowed to call a full game. He won't be allowed this week and I believe FSU will have a real conservative gameplan. There doesn't seem to be a reason to pass against BC, especially if it's raining. The fact that Weatherford is starting is alone the result of an overly conservative gameplan.
12:44 p.m.
Don't worry about the rain. If anything it will take the crowd out of it. BC fans enjoy tailgating more than they enjoy getting wet. And no one goes overly conservative like Mr. Marine, Tom O'Brien. It amazes me sometimes that he was the one calling the plays when UVA handed FSU their first ACC loss.
Give me some hope. The last few seasons the 'Noles have lost games at Clemson, at Maryland and at North Carolina. I also remember close calls at Syracuse and Wake. What did these games have in common? What do they do differently on the road that keeps these games closer than they would be at Doak?
1:10 p.m.
Well each game has it's own issues and most of them deal with Chris Rix being Rix and Bobby Bowden afraid to yank him.
at UNC (2001): Hmm I vaguely remember that game. It was the second Saturday after 9/11, remember college was basically canceled the week before. It was tied 7-7 at the half and Rix just imploded in the second half. Three or four turnovers, most of them stupid and a horrible penalty took away a touchdown pass to Javon Walker that would've tied the game at 17. In the end FSU lost 41-9 because they couldn't hold on to the ball.
at Clemson (2003): Was another Rix beauty, three turnovers, all horrible, and Bowden didn't yank him until it was too late. The weird thing was that Fabian Walker came into the game and threw for almost 200 yards and two touchdowns (one of which was called back) in the fourth quarter! Have Bowden yanked Rix at the end of the first half, he might've won the game.
at Maryland (2004): Well Wyatt Sexton was playing at this point so the blame goes squarely on a poor offensive gameplan that was either dive running plays or 50/50 deep balls. Maryland was giving them the underneath stuff, but the staff wasn't taking.
And the other close games are the same. You've got either an abnormal amount of turnovers or poor play calling/execution or both. You want hope? How about the fact that Weatherford committed three turnovers last week against the Citadel.
Here's Part 1 the transcript.
12:13 p.m.
What's up Bill,
So what do YOU think of the game. Seems like most of my Seminole brethren expect an easy win, a few of us (myself included) think it's going to be a dogfight, especially if it's raining. Most of my people seem to think FSU's speed on turf will be too much, but I think the turf actually neutralizes a lot of the speed because BC is going to benefit as well. So what do you feel about this game?
12:28 p.m.
There is a strong streak of pessimism in every BC fans heart. We’ve been letdown too many times before (I have hotel reservations for last year’s Fiesta Bowl to prove it) to every think this will be easy. This game is going one of two ways: dogfight or FSU is going to kill us. I am not so much worried about the speed. BC can hold their own and scheme around it. I am much more worried about the inevitable big play. Can this team stay composed if FSU blocks a punt or picks off an early pass? That is what scares me.
My hope really lies in Jeff Bowden. Is he as bad as his rep? Will he over think this and try to pass against BC? If I were Jeff, I would do what Syracuse did last year. Run. Run. And then run some more.
12:37 p.m.
Hard to really say with Jeff. The problem with Jeff is that the final call goes to Bobby and sometimes (hell a lot of the time) the coach is stubborn in his ways. Look at the Miami game when FSU had 1st and goal at the 1. Miami is putting 11 in the box, Jeff calls for a playaction on second down and Bobby overrules him with another run that, of course, nets -2 yards.
I've always wondered what would happen if Jeff was allowed to call a full game. He won't be allowed this week and I believe FSU will have a real conservative gameplan. There doesn't seem to be a reason to pass against BC, especially if it's raining. The fact that Weatherford is starting is alone the result of an overly conservative gameplan.
12:44 p.m.
Don't worry about the rain. If anything it will take the crowd out of it. BC fans enjoy tailgating more than they enjoy getting wet. And no one goes overly conservative like Mr. Marine, Tom O'Brien. It amazes me sometimes that he was the one calling the plays when UVA handed FSU their first ACC loss.
Give me some hope. The last few seasons the 'Noles have lost games at Clemson, at Maryland and at North Carolina. I also remember close calls at Syracuse and Wake. What did these games have in common? What do they do differently on the road that keeps these games closer than they would be at Doak?
1:10 p.m.
Well each game has it's own issues and most of them deal with Chris Rix being Rix and Bobby Bowden afraid to yank him.
at UNC (2001): Hmm I vaguely remember that game. It was the second Saturday after 9/11, remember college was basically canceled the week before. It was tied 7-7 at the half and Rix just imploded in the second half. Three or four turnovers, most of them stupid and a horrible penalty took away a touchdown pass to Javon Walker that would've tied the game at 17. In the end FSU lost 41-9 because they couldn't hold on to the ball.
at Clemson (2003): Was another Rix beauty, three turnovers, all horrible, and Bowden didn't yank him until it was too late. The weird thing was that Fabian Walker came into the game and threw for almost 200 yards and two touchdowns (one of which was called back) in the fourth quarter! Have Bowden yanked Rix at the end of the first half, he might've won the game.
at Maryland (2004): Well Wyatt Sexton was playing at this point so the blame goes squarely on a poor offensive gameplan that was either dive running plays or 50/50 deep balls. Maryland was giving them the underneath stuff, but the staff wasn't taking.
And the other close games are the same. You've got either an abnormal amount of turnovers or poor play calling/execution or both. You want hope? How about the fact that Weatherford committed three turnovers last week against the Citadel.
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