Practices This Week

I love how our fan base expects perfection but we should try to be realistic and at least see the good that's happening.  

We are gaining 67 more yards per game than Indiana who is tied for 1st place in the East.

We are gaining 24 more yards than Georgia who is sitting in 2nd place in the SEC East.

There are a pile of teams below us in a lot of categories...  I know, wins are what matters but they will come imo.

Our defense is playing good enough to win games.  We are making correctable mistakes.  I think many of those will be corrected over the next few games.

I'm optimistic because it finally looks like we have the athletes to be good - really good.  I think we go 5-1 or 4-2 to finish the season.    

 
Hilltop said:
In 2018 we actually ranked fairly well scoring in the red zone at 39th nationally and 5th in the B1G (ahead of Clemson).  We finished at 89%.  2019 we dropped considerably because we had very few talented players and were missing almost 2 full classes of Juniors and seniors.  Scheme can move the ball between the 20s much easier than it can in the red zone.  Talent differences really start to show when the field is compressed.  I say all of that because yesterday really is an outlier.  It is extremely rare to dominate an opponent the way we did and only score 13 points...    

Regarding under center, I was simply agreeing that we haven't done it much and that on the only LM under center I remember, it was fumbled.  I agree we need to do it some, and maybe he was supposed to?  Scott did say LM had them in the wrong formation.
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I'll call cow manure on the talent comment as well. We have more talent than Northwestern, Purdue, Illinois, Iowa, at almost every position, yet they can still manage a higher point per attempt in the red zone. Heck, there are FCS schools that do better against FBS teams. It comes down to play calling and want to. I'm not sure that we have seen growth in either. 1 team "O", vs 1st team "D" at the 20. We go until we score, and then we'll do it again and again and again. 

 
Hilltop said:
I'm optimistic because it finally looks like we have the athletes to be good - really good.  I think we go 5-1 or 4-2 to finish the season.    
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If we beat Penn St, I think it is the shock of confidence this group needs, and I don't think 5-1 is out of the question at all.

If we lose to Penn St, we hang our heads and I won't be surprised to finish 2-6. 

 
Hilltop said:
I love how our fan base expects perfection but we should try to be realistic and at least see the good that's happening.  

We are gaining 67 more yards per game than Indiana who is tied for 1st place in the East.

We are gaining 24 more yards than Georgia who is sitting in 2nd place in the SEC East.

There are a pile of teams below us in a lot of categories...  I know, wins are what matters but they will come imo.

Our defense is playing good enough to win games.  We are making correctable mistakes.  I think many of those will be corrected over the next few games.

I'm optimistic because it finally looks like we have the athletes to be good - really good.  I think we go 5-1 or 4-2 to finish the season.    
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Regarding the bold.  The schedule does not look intimidating at all.  The wins are there for the taking.  Like @Atbone95 said, win this week and you have momentum. 

 
Hilltop said:
I love how our fan base expects perfection but we should try to be realistic and at least see the good that's happening.  

We are gaining 67 more yards per game than Indiana who is tied for 1st place in the East.

We are gaining 24 more yards than Georgia who is sitting in 2nd place in the SEC East.

There are a pile of teams below us in a lot of categories...  I know, wins are what matters but they will come imo.

Our defense is playing good enough to win games.  We are making correctable mistakes.  I think many of those will be corrected over the next few games.

I'm optimistic because it finally looks like we have the athletes to be good - really good.  I think we go 5-1 or 4-2 to finish the season.    
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Most of us can see that and it's reason for confidence but it NEVER seems to happen.  Ready to turn a corner! That corner hasn't been turned this millennium.

Atbone95 said:
If we beat Penn St, I think it is the shock of confidence this group needs, and I don't think 5-1 is out of the question at all.

If we lose to Penn St, we hang our heads and I won't be surprised to finish 2-6. 
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So true.  I agree with both of you that one big victory might do it but man they've come up short for such a long time.

 
Hilltop said:
I love how our fan base expects perfection but we should try to be realistic and at least see the good that's happening.  

We are gaining 67 more yards per game than Indiana who is tied for 1st place in the East.

We are gaining 24 more yards than Georgia who is sitting in 2nd place in the SEC East.

There are a pile of teams below us in a lot of categories...  I know, wins are what matters but they will come imo.

Our defense is playing good enough to win games.  We are making correctable mistakes.  I think many of those will be corrected over the next few games.

I'm optimistic because it finally looks like we have the athletes to be good - really good.  I think we go 5-1 or 4-2 to finish the season.    
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I don't disagree with how "effective" our O is, but we only use about 80 yards of the field.  The red zone is our Kryptonite.  Both those teams you mentioned above are scoring.  We are not.  And that's the problem....Indiana is averaging 37ppg and UGA 27.5ppg........We gotta find a way to get into the red zone in a manner not predicated on "chunk plays".  I see now why Frost spoke so much last year about needing "chunk plays", the O in year 3 shows it doesn't have the "scheme" to score in the red zone.  

Red Zone efficiency

2018 we were 39th (Riley's guys) Oz, Stan, Farmer and Foster and a great AM

2019 we were 105th

Currently we are 109th.....

Our D is playing well enough to win/keep us in the games.....

 
teachercd said:
It does sound stupid but I think NU just needs one good thing to happen.  I think they can catch that lightening in a bottle.
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This is coming from someone who has coached. So many times as a coach you can tell when your team is ready to take the leap. You just need that one good thing to happen. It could be in a season or in a game. 
 

I think if they have some breaks go their way and best PSU then they will go on a run. 

 
Born N Bled Red said:
 It comes down to play calling and want to. I'm not sure that we have seen growth in either. 1 team "O", vs 1st team "D" at the 20. We go until we score, and then we'll do it again and again and again. 
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Want to-how do you quantify that?

Play calling-incredibly subjective topic

I'm hoping we have more armchair quarterbacks that hope that they can just send coach Frost (or any other coach) a detailed practice plan that they could implement for the entire year to ensure the development of EVERY player, their health, and takes into account time of year, age, maturity, team being played, and countless other factors.

Sorry-I just get so frustrated at fans who make this coaching thing appear so easy to fix and don't even notice when things have significantly improved.  Our D is night and day different, our want to (those kids and coaches give a damn about their performance) is there, play calling is a topic for discussion (art and science).

 
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“The good thing happening then a spark to inferno” can happen when all 3 phases make something happen a few series in a row. The whole team can feel it at that point. 
 

but when the D plays “well enough to win”  but the offense can’t score or no big plays/field flip on ST don’t, then it’s harder. Or any combo of that. 

once a team makes plays together, individuals really feel free to play without failure, knowing the other facets have their back. Let’s some damn team play this week 

 
teachercd said:
It does sound stupid but I think NU just needs one good thing to happen.  I think they can catch that lightening in a bottle.
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100%.  Momentum builds.  Lost in Minnesota's "breakout" season was 3 close calls vs cupcakes to start the season.  

I try to avoid playing psychologist, but it's appeared Frost & Co. keep expecting this singular performance that is going to turn the tide, and when they find themselves in a tight game instead, the pressure sets in, & they wear it poorly.  

There's another thread which addresses the psychology of a team, but the only thing I know for certain is that L's breed doubt & W's breed confidence.  Frost & Co. have to start finding ways to come out on top & there's just no way around that.   

 
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floridacorn said:
100%.  Momentum builds.  Lost in Minnesota's "breakout" season was 3 close calls vs cupcakes to start the season.  

I try to avoid playing psychologist, but it's appeared Frost & Co. keep expecting this singular performance that is going to turn the tide, and when they find themselves in a tight game instead, the pressure sets in, & they wear in poorly.  

There's another thread which addresses the psychology of a team, but the only thing I know for certain is that L's bread doubt & W's bread confidence.  Frost & Co. have to start finding ways to come out on top & there's just no way around that.   
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