Month: July 2018

Bill Snyder on changes to his ways, the QB battle, and dime defense

I asked a single question (this first one) during the televised Big 12 coaching pressers of the legendary Bill Snyder and then some additional questions during the breakout. I’ll list the single question first and then the breakout discussion we had before offering my own commentary. What tactical changes have your new coordinator hires brought … [Read more…]

Outstanding tiny people, Holgorsen’s move to the wishbone, and the OSU D

I had a few brief interactions at B12 media days with Jalen McCleskey, Dana Holgorsen, and Justin Phillips I’ve transcribed here. We’ll start with Dana Holgorsen, who seemed bored and irritated by the time I headed over to his booth at the breakout session. Holgorsen What did you make of some of the dime defenses … [Read more…]

Lincoln Riley on Sooner strategy and identity

I caught a few words with Lincoln Riley during B12 media days, transcribed here. Coach what went into the decision to move Caleb Kelly inside? Just thought it was the right time, kinda had an opening there with Emmanuel Beal graduating. It’s gonna allow us to keep Caleb on the field a little bit more … [Read more…]

Campbell on building a Midwestern B12 team

At the 2016 Big 12 media days Matt Campbell was a little resistant to the idea that the goal at Iowa State was to build a Midwestern-Style football team to take on the Texas-based squads elsewhere around the league. However, I came back and revisited the topic at the 2018 Big 12 media days and … [Read more…]

Explaining my terminology for B12 positions

I tinker with positional designations and roles a lot, typically trying to capture the evolving nature of the game in the Big 12 and the roles that are emerging. I wrote up a glossary for positions a few years back and then for formations more recently. But then my preseason All-B12 team included the “shock … [Read more…]

In defense of Big 12 defense…

Okay, hang on though… As a Texas guy who’s watched the Longhorns languish the entire decade due to self-made problems while the league’s reputation and leverage across the sport has declined, I’ve got a fairly good view of what exactly the Big 12 is and what it isn’t. It isn’t the SEC, the passion level … [Read more…]

How do you build a good defense in the Big 12?

As a close follower of the Texas Longhorns, my starting assumption to the question of whether you can recruit a top defense is “no, you cannot.” Texas has regularly recruited at the highest level in the Big 12 this decade and also put some pretty bad defenses on the field in that time. However, Texas … [Read more…]