WTKA Roundtable 9/19/2024: OCBC

MGoBlog: The MGoPodcast

Things Discussed:

• How would Offensive Coordinator Brian Cook attack USC? Threats to both sides of the field to stretch defense horizontally, use your base runs with the QB.
• Add back the 2006-era spread-n-shred stuff: Inverted Veer/Power Read.
• Craig: Add back the Zone Read/Split Zone/Arc Read/Belly offense. Good idea because that split zone/bluff block is Bredeson. Works well for Michigan because they have a TE on the playside who gets a 2nd level block.
• Seth: Yeah, use their personnel to create matchups. Have Edwards as a receiver (this will raise his draft stock a ton) and have him threatening the outside while Mullings and Orji threaten multiple inside gaps.
• Sam: Don't call Orji a simplistic passer; he's one of the smartest guys on the team. Seth: okay, but we haven't seen more than two dropback passes and both were very simple concepts: Drive and Shallow Cross.
• Re: Drive and Shallow Cross, those are great concepts for a QB who's a vertical run threat, see: Virginia 2021 offense with Olu, where they had the center wait two beats then blast a DT to create a run lane and release downfield.
• Running QB can help your pass pro, because they mush rush, see Denard, how Michigan reacted to Sean Clifford.
• USC defense: D'Anton Lynn replaced Minter on the Ravens for 2 years before going to UCLA so they're in Year 1 of an Amoeba transition. Mel Kiper called for outlawing two-high safeties, so that defense is killing it at all levels.
• They patched it together out of transfers (9/11 starters) after benching two of last year's starters already. Looked good against LSU but that LSU win has lost some shine after they were outplayed by South Carolina, and they did give up 400+ yards.
• Offense: Lincoln Riley is a master at making X look like Y, is a finesse team that will get you at the skill positions. Moss will hit tiny windows and his receivers are monsters who will make him right.
• Predictions? Huge deltas, could be a lot of things but USC has playmakers on offense who will be the difference. Brian wants to limit snowball effect; Seth says don't blitz—let your front