East Region Playoff Discussion

[JQV]

I'm not rooting for anyone in the playoffs.  I do think SC is a gimmick offense.  I am not arguing that they don't play the option extremely effectively but, I think it doesn't work when they run into playoff teams.  I call it a gimmick because they just do one thing over and over.  If it wasn't a gimmick offense, it would work on any type of playing surface.

[John McGraw]

whoa whoa whoa, gimmick offense? gimmick coach? get your facts straight. sc isn't going to trick you with anything. you know what is coming and as a coaching staff, its your job to coach up the option as much as possible, which is hard as hell by the way. its hard to simulate the speed of that offense with any scout team, or the discipline they have. ithaca didn't "stop" the offense that day. the sloppy field, weather conditions, and uncut grass did. regardless, if they play on a sloppy surface in the postseason, their chances aren't as good as playing on any artificial surface. and if i recall, sc made it to the final 8 in 2000 with cahill at the helm. in 2002, they played a "home" game at brockport. they were the 4 seed and brockport was the 5 seed but since the field hockey national championship was at sc, administrators didn't want to do their job and shift the games around to accommodate the football program. so what am i getting at? they played on the worst field imaginable at special olympic stadium...a field that didn't host the following weeks game against christopher newport. in 2003, as i mentioned last night, they ran into an rpi team clicking on all cylinders. seriously, the shotgun, 5 wide, no huddle offense ate them up. but that game wasn't a fluke either, as rpi advanced to the final 4.

i don't think fan of d3 thinks everyone is against sc. i would hope that fellow e8ers are rooting for springfield.

Enough about the grass and mud. Yes, mud and grass are harder to make cuts on than field turf. But, Springfield's won before at Butterfield Stadium with the same type of offense.

Football is an outdoor game. You have to adapt to the conditions to win. Ithaca adapted to the conditions and won the football game.

Sooner or later, Springfield, if they advance, will need to play on grass in rotten conditions. Winter and the northeast have a way of turning even the nicest grass fields into slop.

[The Truth 00]

i'm pretty sure a gimmick offense involves a lot of trick plays jose...how can it be gimmick when they are running option play after option play. to run that offense, just like most offenses, takes a lot of discipline and execution. if you don't have a qb that can run it, the whole offense sucks (reference to sc's 0-4 start in 2005). the sharpe kid will turn out better than both sylvia and cahill...those 2 never put up the numbers sharpe did this year, not even close.

[maxpower]

ithaca didn't "stop" the offense that day. the sloppy field, weather conditions, and uncut grass did.

I was at that game buddy. Sharpe was ineffective in a lot of ways that had nothing to do with the grass.

[JQV]

Isn't the option a trick play?  And don't they run it play after play?

They run it well.  But I don't think they can win with it in the playoffs. 

As for the grass, before the game SC fan(s) were arguing that the grass would not be an issue because the defense had to run and cut on the same field.  Is that argument now abandoned because the defense did run and cut on the same field?

EDIT:  Yet again, SC fans have diverted the discussion away from the question I posed.  Why is this SC team different than previous SC teams that couldn't win with consistency in the playoffs?

[The Truth 00]

jose, they have won in the playoffs. and in the playoffs, their offense won't be the issue...it will be their defense, known to be extremely porous at times. they can win with that offense. i've seen it firsthand.  so there you go, i'm not diverting from your question. also, i think this team is better coached than in previous years. they find a way to keep the ball in sharpe's hands.

that blocked punt killed sc from the start of that game, that is for sure. they never had a chance to play on top, something they've done pretty much all year. hopefully they learned their lesson. were the sc fans arguing jose or were they saying? i think your lawyer nature is coming out today!

[maxpower]

jose, they have won in the playoffs. and in the playoffs, their offense won't be the issue...it will be their defense, known to be extremely porous at times. they can win with that offense. i've seen it firsthand.  so there you go, i'm not diverting from your question. also, i think this team is better coached than in previous years. they find a way to keep the ball in sharpe's hands.

that blocked punt killed sc from the start of that game, that is for sure. they never had a chance to play on top, something they've done pretty much all year. hopefully they learned their lesson. were the sc fans arguing jose or were they saying? i think your lawyer nature is coming out today!

This doesn't really answer the question..... why can SC win in the playoffs this year... you say they are better coached, HOW are they better coached?

[JQV]

their offense won't be the issue...it will be their defense, known to be extremely porous at times.

This certainly has been a problem.  Not to be cliche, but championship teams always have good defenses.

i think this team is better coached than in previous years. they find a way to keep the ball in sharpe's hands.

Finally, something that is different than previous seasons.  My follow up question is, if the ball stays in Sharpe's hands more often, does that make them too one dimensional?

that blocked punt killed sc from the start of that game, that is for sure. they never had a chance to play on top, something they've done pretty much all year. hopefully they learned their lesson.

Are you saying they can't play from behind or just didn't know how that day?  I would think one is good and one is bad.

were the sc fans arguing jose or were they saying? i think your lawyer nature is coming out today!

Fan of SC just kept using the word "irrelevant."  I think it was on his word-of-the-day toilet paper this morning.  Thank the lord "superfluous" wasn't today's word.  

[JQV]

Max,

Nice use of the government grant guy.

Shouldn't be applying for some of those by now?

[The Truth 00]

they find ways to keep the ball in the best player's hands...as i mentioned earlier. thats better coaching. plus, look at their draw this year. they need to beat an nefc team, then the winner of a matchup of 2 teams they've already beaten this year....and they get them at home, although i will say that its hard to beat a team twice in one year.  i have a good feeling about this team.

[Reno Hightower]

Isn't the option a trick play?  And don't they run it play after play?

They run it well.  But I don't think they can win with it in the playoffs. 

As for the grass, before the game SC fan(s) were arguing that the grass would not be an issue because the defense had to run and cut on the same field.  Is that argument now abandoned because the defense did run and cut on the same field?

EDIT:  Yet again, SC fans have diverted the discussion away from the question I posed.  Why is this SC team different than previous SC teams that couldn't win with consistency in the playoffs?

When was the last time Ithaca made it as far as the final 8?
Springfield, I believe, did it in 2000 and that gimmick offense scored over 40 in an Elite 8 Game.....

[maxpower]

Max,

Nice use of the government grant guy.

Shouldn't be applying for some of those by now?

Already applied for one, with your help, if you remember. Does trying to go to grad school for free count? Also, how the hell do I write a "statement of purpose", especially when one is supposed to be 500 words and one is supposed to be 2-3 pages?!

Isn't the option a trick play?  And don't they run it play after play?

They run it well.  But I don't think they can win with it in the playoffs. 

As for the grass, before the game SC fan(s) were arguing that the grass would not be an issue because the defense had to run and cut on the same field.  Is that argument now abandoned because the defense did run and cut on the same field?

EDIT:  Yet again, SC fans have diverted the discussion away from the question I posed.  Why is this SC team different than previous SC teams that couldn't win with consistency in the playoffs?

When was the last time Ithaca made it as far as the final 8?
Springfield, I believe, did it in 2000 and that gimmick offense scored over 40 in an Elite 8 Game.....

He's right Jose. Ithaca hasn't made it to the final 8 in (gasp) three years (three fewer than SC, as you point out yourself Reno), which has a large bearing on how SC will do this year.

[John McGraw]

By the nature of Springfield's offense, its hard for them to play from behind. There's always the threat of a big play with Sharpe or one of the running backs breaking a big run. But, there's not the big pass play potential to get them right back in it. Sure, Springfield occasionally throws the football, but if they're behind, I see them staying in the more conservative ground game. And if SC can't bust out a big run and the ground game is held up, that's a majority of their offense.

FYI, Springfield went to the regional final in 2000 and was aboslutely destroyed by Widener at home, 61-27. The same Widener team boasted Post Patterns favorite poster, Widener WR Jim Jones.

[JQV]

Isn't the option a trick play?  And don't they run it play after play?

They run it well.  But I don't think they can win with it in the playoffs. 

As for the grass, before the game SC fan(s) were arguing that the grass would not be an issue because the defense had to run and cut on the same field.  Is that argument now abandoned because the defense did run and cut on the same field?

EDIT:  Yet again, SC fans have diverted the discussion away from the question I posed.  Why is this SC team different than previous SC teams that couldn't win with consistency in the playoffs?

When was the last time Ithaca made it as far as the final 8?
Springfield, I believe, did it in 2000 and that gimmick offense scored over 40 in an Elite 8 Game.....

Seriously dude, its called Google.  Look into it.  It really keeps the taste of shoe leather out of your mouth.

[maxpower]

Isn't the option a trick play?  And don't they run it play after play?

They run it well.  But I don't think they can win with it in the playoffs. 

As for the grass, before the game SC fan(s) were arguing that the grass would not be an issue because the defense had to run and cut on the same field.  Is that argument now abandoned because the defense did run and cut on the same field?

EDIT:  Yet again, SC fans have diverted the discussion away from the question I posed.  Why is this SC team different than previous SC teams that couldn't win with consistency in the playoffs?

When was the last time Ithaca made it as far as the final 8?
Springfield, I believe, did it in 2000 and that gimmick offense scored over 40 in an Elite 8 Game.....

Seriously dude, its called Google.  Look into it.  It really keeps the taste of shoe leather out of your mouth.

Google, hell, I'll pull a Pat Coleman and say just check out THE WEBSITE YOU ARE CURRENTLY USING once in awhile. I hear they have some info on DIII football!