Predictable play calling

[TedKumsher]

OK -- so seriously -- I can't stand listening to people complain about predictable play calling. Really -- much of the time a non-predictable play is stupid. Take 3rd and 8 from your own 15 yard line. A quarterback sneak is clearly NOT predictable -- but it IS stupid. 3rd and long seems like a good example -- it's all about statistics. You want something that has a good chance of gaining the first down (pass play high percentage--QB sneak low percentage). You clearly can't run the exact same play over and over (unless it works every time -- wouldn't that be nice -- Ryan Kock short yardage). On the other hand -- it's not like you've got 17 fundamentally different plays that have a high probability of converting a 3rd and long (not that I really know anything about football).

Anyway -- I think I just get tired of listening to non-coaches who are obliviously adamant in their opinions. (I don't mind having an opinion.)

If you think I'm wrong -- please discuss.

 

[The_Architect]

I did not think our playcalling has been predictable at all lately...I think it's been pretty darn good actually.

With that being said, I sure would have liked us to be predictable to pick up one foot on the goaline Saturday rather than running a play (speed option out of the gun) that has a lot more moving parts and requires more pieces to work just right.

 

[4429 mcc]

I predicted another dumb thread about play calling. I went with the odds...I was right

 

[CyGuy33]

When a fan can sit in his living room without watching ever play of the season and tell you what is coming 80% of the time, you are TOO PREDICTABLE.

That is where our coordinators are at this point. No one is fooled by anything we do right now.

 

[atlantacyclone]

Much better play calling, in my humble opinion. Still, there are a lot of mistakes that you can put on the coaches.

 

[CyinCo]

I think 95% of the offensive calls are decent plays.

I've complained about the 5% of play calls where it seems our entire sideline is lost at a time they shouldn't be. Like when we are out of timeouts and time is ticking away. Or, it is 4th down and we aren't sure if we aren't going for it or not. Or it is goal line and we still don't have a play into the QB. It doesn't happen often but tends to happen during critical points of games.

Every situation should have a plan.

 

[kurimski]

When a fan can sit in his living room without watching ever play of the season and tell you what is coming 80% of the time, you are TOO PREDICTABLE.

That is where our coordinators are at this point. No one is fooled by anything we do right now.

Are you serious? I don't know if it's you or somebody else but a fan predicting 80% of the plays? That sounds a bit ridiculous. I would possibly consider buying that a fan could predict 50% of the plays but 80%? That seems like quite a bit.

 

[Knownothing]

I don't think it's predictable. I just think some of it's questionable.

Take 3 and 8 and we throw a pass for 6 yards. That makes no sense.

3 and 11. Yep you guessed it a 9 yard pass. Nobody predicts that. They predict that we throw far enough for a first down.

 

[isuno1fan]

Nothing is wrong with the playcalling. Every team has a handful of plays that their fanbase abhores.

Also...everyone nitpicks when a given play doesn't work, but when the play does....noone says "brilliant call".

 

[Stewo]

Our play calling wouldn't really be an issue with the fans if the WR's would catch the damn ball!! In the first half, AA led RJ on a beautiful fly route and the ball wasn't caught. That looked like an easy 6 as he had his man beat. The play calling, except for the last play IMO, has been pretty solid. Go back 2 years. THAT'S predictable play calling.

 

[cycloneG]

Nothing is wrong with the playcalling. Every team has a handful of plays that their fanbase abhores.

Also...everyone nitpicks when a given play doesn't work, but when the play does....noone says "brilliant call".

I'll give you a "brilliant call" play from Saturday. The play where Collin Franklin released and ran across the formation after the receivers had cleared out that side of the field. Arnaud hit him for a huge gain. That was one of the best designed/executed plays of the season by this team. It was perfect.

 

[CyGuy33]

I'll give you a "brilliant call" play from Saturday. The play where Collin Franklin released and ran across the formation after the receivers had cleared out that side of the field. Arnaud hit him for a huge gain. That was one of the best designed/executed plays of the season by this team. It was perfect.

Was that designed? I loved the play don't get me wrong. But it looked like everything broke down and Collin released. If it was designed it was a great call.

 

[cybsball20]

I don't think it's predictable. I just think some of it's questionable.

Take 3 and 8 and we throw a pass for 6 yards. That makes no sense.

3 and 11. Yep you guessed it a 9 yard pass. Nobody predicts that. They predict that we throw far enough for a first down.

Thats execution, not playcalling... Most of those are the third and fourth option anyway, the receiver needs to know where they are and get past the sticks...

 

[CyinCo]

Our play calling wouldn't really be an issue with the fans if the WR's would catch the damn ball!! In the first half, AA led RJ on a beautiful fly route and the ball wasn't caught. That looked like an easy 6 as he had his man beat. The play calling, except for the last play IMO, has been pretty solid. Go back 2 years. THAT'S predictable play calling.

Agreed as well. The play calling the last couple games seems lightyears better than the Mac Offense. And at least the QB isn't getting sacked 3 times per quarter.

I just wish we were smarter at critical points in the game.

 

[isuno1fan]

It was definitely designed.

 

[ISUFan22]

Agreed as well. The play calling the last couple games seems lightyears better than the Mac Offense. And at least the QB isn't getting sacked 3 times per quarter.

I just wish we were smarter at critical points in the game.

This is probably true. Well, it's 100% accurate regarding the sacks. IMO, that's been just as much (if not more) about the QB play as it is the offensive line.

 

[CyinCo]

This is probably true. Well, it's 100% accurate regarding the sacks. IMO, that's been just as much (if not more) about the QB play as it is the offensive line.

Yep. Meyer had a way of getting himself sacked.

 

[ISUFan22]

Yep. Meyer had a way of getting himself sacked.

He did, but - look at how few sacks he took in his senior season compared to '06. I believe our QB coach to be one of the better asst. coaches on the staff.

 

[chuckd4735]

He did, but - look at how few sacks he took in his senior season compared to '06. I believe our QB coach to be one of the better asst. coaches on the staff.

Barney Cotton's departure had alot to do with this as well...

 

[Clonefan94]

I think most fans interchange the words predictable and conservative without really thinking about it. That's the first problem. Secondly everyone complains about "predictable" play calling when I highly doubt that anyone on CUs team predicted we'd run an option on the goal line. It's a convenient term to use when things aren't going well for you. Bears fans here do it all the time as well. In fact I heard endless calls today on sports radio complaining about the same thing. This is the same fans that love that offense when Kyle Orton is winning games with it.

Anyways, from what I see, our problem isn't so much play calling, but our inability to execute the plays properly. When we execute well, we look like a really good football team. A lot of times though we are either getting dumb penalities (not getting the play in on time), not blocking, not catching the ball or not breaking tackles. I didn't notice the game on Saturday, I listened for my sanity, but one thing I've noticed about this team, the other games I've watched, is we just don't break tackles. There are very few big plays run in a game where a guy doesn't get touched (accept the other teams playing us, lol). Anyways, the big plays usually come on what should have been a 3 or 4 yard gain and the guy breaks the tackle and it able to scoot past the deep defenders that just came up to help finish the play.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that we don't have some real solid guys with a lot of potential, but, right now, I just don't see that big play maker for us. Arnaud seems to be trying to get there, but we don't have that guy that is able to step up to that next level and do something unexpected. And in the end, I think that's what makes us look predictable. It's not that these other schools are running all kinds of crazy **** on the field that makes everyone so confused they can't defend it. It's the guys making the plays, not only doing what they are supposed to, but stepping up and going beyond what's expected of them that makes the difference.