4 Hard Downs:Just Dance, Final Song Of This 12-Team Dance and Cover-1
We have separate conundrums, I'm a dance uncle and how do these teams handle playing C-1 to bring pressure
There is a lot going on as we are aabout a week away from the CFP National Championship Game. AFCA, where yesterday I got to see some friends and talk a little shop. I also spent Sunday afternoon a few blocks from the conference, but that was because I was at a dance showcase.
My niece had four songs, or as a current “swim dad” would say “events” on Sunday and she was amazing. Tap. Hip Hop. I don’t know, jazz or modern maybe? I know way more about swim than I know about dance; but I do know she was good.
That’s family, we show up for each other. Speaking of showing up, a week from today we will have two teams show up, so let’s go ahead and SPOT THE BALL!!!!
1st Down: Cover-1 Conundrum
Cover-1 is man coverage and both teams like to play it. However, it presents problems, and in this instance, two separate problems.
So, basically both teams, when they want to go Cover-1 are going to have a problem. Ohio State going C-1 has to deal with Riley Leonard on the move. Notre Dame going C-1 means they are 1-on with Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate.
Not easy for either of them, but in different ways. This will be a huge part of what decides the game.
2nd Down: Knee Pads For What?!
If you don’t know, I hate knee pads. Honestly, they’re are good for about two things and neither of them are protective to the actual wearer. So when I see things like this, specifically the comments:
I’m like yeah, but no.
Knee pads are marginally okay at stoping bruising when you get hit on the knee, specifically colliding with another knee. They “excel” and that’s being nice, at stopping you from knocking someone out.
A running back against a cornerback who is trying to go low and just blowing his entire skull up is where a knee pad works. Not for the RB. For the CB.
Personally, it didn’t even work for me. During a scrimmage scrambling for a fumble I got kneed in the back of the head by a guy wearing knee pads and was out cold. He was on my same defensive unit and was jumping over me. Knee to the dome and done.
So, I’m pretty okay with these short pants because knee pads for what? Especially for skill players who work in space and don’t collide like interior players. Knee pads aren’t stopping a torn ACL, MCL, PCL or cracked patella. Kneed pads, based on my anecdotal evidence, also don’t stop the other player from being concussed.
And not making light of it, one of the worst injuries I’ve seen in football, ask Willis McGahee if a knee pad stops that from the BCS Championship Game. Will link but I’m not posting that video.
Hip pads. Butt pads. Thigh pads. Knee pads. Just extra time getting ready but basically useless.
Come at me.
3rd Down: This Cannot Be Real, But It Is
Bill Belichick, UNC’s new head coach (which is another topic to be discussed), was pretty clear on that one and he’s spot on. He’s a coach who benefitted tremendously from the “Tuck Rule” but is also a defensive mind and straight up notes that the NFL is an offense forward league.
There is no way this is not a fumble, except in a world where helping offense is job one from the officials.
Sidenote: Belichick at UNC is really taking his time (or having a hard time) hiring his staff. This is going to be wild and it isn’t working as Heels fans have hoped.
4th Down: CFP Dance Dance Revolution Coming To An End
This week is super deep dive on the game as I re-watch some very specific things with each team heading in over the course of this week.
Goal one for today? Watch as much of the mutual opponent games (Penn State, Indiana, Purdue) for the two teams while also checking the lineups compared to now in terms of injuries.
Penn State is the priority because that’s the best mutual. Indiana is going to be interesting because of the style of football Indiana plays, station-to-station, and how they attacked it, a game they both won. If I don’t get to Purdue, a very bad team, I think I’ll be ok.
We are less than a week away, let’s finish the drill.
Cheers!!!