Texas Tech Monday Morning Notes - Room For Three Edition
by Seth C
on Aug 18, 2008 6:20 AM CDT
in Morning Notes
Double-T Nation News:
Don't forget to check out the updated depth chart and let me know if I've missed anything. There's really a lot of movement at almost every position other than the receiver, which could happen if some injured guys don't get back on the field.
DTN's Top Nine:
- Smart Football with an incredibly detailed look at the A-11 Offense. If you spend your time reading about football today, let this be it.
- Da Wiz on Myles Brand's paycheck.
- The Phelps-Cavic photo finish. Amazing to see it close-up.
- Donald Draper advises you on the summer drink. Stick to rye.
- ESPN's Big 12 Blogger on the Big 12's top defensive backs.
- World War II, cartoonist Bill Mauldin via The Morning News.
- Interesting BlogPoll ballot from Rocky Top Talk.
- Pysch. Schnellenberger was just kidding.
- USA Today's Top 5 non-QB Heisman Candidates, Mr. Crabtreee makes the list.
Texas Tech Football:
LAJ's Don Williams morning feature is on L.A. Reed's transition to cornerback. Here's Reed on the move:
"I wouldn’t say it feels like it’s freshman year, because I was at safety last (spring)," Reed said. "When I moved to safety, it kind of felt like my freshman year again, being on a whole new side of the ball and having a totally different mentality than offense. Switching to corner didn’t really change my mentality. I’ve had to pick up a little bit different scheme, but it wasn’t that hard to do."
While cornerbacks coach Brian Mitchell says that Reed is meeting expectations:
"He has done a tremendous job technically," Mitchell said over the weekend. "Every day that we add something new scheme-wise, he’s in there applying it, not only in the classroom but on the field. He’s doing a very good job."
This is just another thing to take note of in terms of putting talent on the floor. I don't think there's any doubt thaat Ruffin McNeill will try and put the most talented players on the field, the guys who give Texas Tech the chance to be successful. I'm not sure that I've really considered how big of an undertaking this is, putting Reed at corner after only having a spring practice at safety. This has the potential to be really great or fail in a real bad way.
Just two more weeks.
Along the same lines of putting the most talented players on the field, in Williams Red Raiders Football Notebook he details the coaching staff tinkering with Brandon Sesay at defensive tackle.
Again, most talented player on the field, position be damned.
Here's McNeill on the move:
"I’ll put him everywhere," defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill said. "Brandon is a guy that can play end for us with the size that we need. He’s also a guy that can move inside and give us great 3-technique help."
And Sesay:
"I’m just learning the plays," Sesay said. "It’s something I’m looking at and seeing how I can adjust to it, which is not a big problem. I’m just playing my heart out. Wherever I can fit in and make things happen, that’s where I’ll be. It’s not like definite, You’re playing D-tackle or anything like that.’ I’m a defensive end."
The only thing that bothers me if this means that Chris Perry isn't playing up to potential, which is why Sesay is seeing time at defensive tackle. I haven't heard Perry mentioned throughout the spring and I really want Perry to succeed.
Williams also updates us on the kicking situation, the freshmen running backs having a tough time behind young offensive lines, upates on the defensive end position and the kicking situation.
DMN's Brandon George writes about the running back situation and perhpas the most interesting quote from the article is from Captain Leach:
"We'll be able to design roles for all of them," Leach said. "Typically it's two, but if they're real comparable, maybe there is room for three."
It seems that Captain Leach has always been a one running back kind of guy, but it appears that he's ready to get each of them opportunities in game situations, but I think that this also might mean that Leach is going to have to increase the number of carries or the running backs are going to have be more efficient.
The FWST is previewing the top 25 and Texas Tech checks in at #13.
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Preseason polls out of wack
I read through the Rocky Top blog on their lame excuse for a preseason poll. Not that theirs is any better than the AP in general but the issue was that the poll was tweaked and tweaked somemore to prove a point that you can make a poll based on numbers that just do not make sense.
personnally if you look at history, teams with high returning starters and a consistant program then you have a high expectation of success.
But who should be number 1 in the preseason poll? I have to agree with most people that Georgia is not it. Nor is LSU or West Virginia and so forth. The truth is that I do not know who should be number one for 2008.
Its impossible to know who will be the top dog until a couple of games with good competition route out who are the best teams.
Based on the pure fact that I have worked on a polling system for 4 years, I have come to the conclusion that its impossible to predict who is the better teams meaning top 10 before game 4 of the season. I can suspect some teams should be a top ten but its not based on anything other than faith.
I have finished the seasons the last 2 years better than Vegas as to who finishes the season. Its paid for a nice vaction for me to the Bahamas.
What I have found is that there is basically 4 statistic catagories are the most important.
1. Run defense
2. Pass Defense
3. Total offense
4. Turn over magin
These 4 items consistantly show who are the better programs and you can link the best teams in the nation to having high ratings in these top 4.
These are not the only catagories I look at. But It is the top 4 in relationship to ranking and poll positioning.
For a preseaon poll, it should be based on returning starters, where the team finished last season and on replacement ratings.
If people did that then you would get a better poll in the end. Although the top 35 will not drastically change as to who is there, but where they fall would change.
The problem with polls is that preseason polls are considered as the standard placement of a team and especially the AP and Coaches polls do not like to admit that their preseason picks suck. So they allow their picks to remain high in the polls way longer than they should and is the reason why a team with two or 3 losses are rated above another team which is unbeaten or one loss.
The preseason poll needs to be abolished as to how it applies to the BCS. Only then will be get a better handle and better matchups in the post season bowls.
by Pablo M on Aug 18, 2008 6:58 PM CDT 0 recs
Adding my poll for top 15
Based on returning starters replacement quality and last year’s finish. This is by no means who I think will finish the season as top 10 or 15. There are other teams like Oregon which should do well along with Auburn and yea Michigan should break the top 15 if they are focused.
I have:
1. Ohio State
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma
4. USC
5. Missouri
6. Clemson
7. Arizona State
8. Penn State
9. Georgia
10. Florida
11. Texas Tech
12. Oregon
13. Wisconsin
14. Louisville
15. North Carolina
by Pablo M on Aug 18, 2008 7:29 PM CDT 0 recs
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