I’m going to continue some of the work I’ve done on this blog in the past at a new location, America’s War Game. America’s War Game is a newsletter about football’s strategies and place in America. Read my introductory post and check it out.
I saw Matt Reeves’ take on “The Batman” last weekend and have been stewing on a number of thoughts about the movie I’ve decided to put here. It’s not a sports movie, per say, but there are some interesting components to the Batman character and Robert Pattinson’s portrayal which make him “athlete adjacent” if nothing … [Read more…]
By Cameron Soran This article is being reposted here after originally finding it’s home at riley-kolste football. If you enjoy Cameron’s detailed breakdowns of playbooks and coverage, his book is a must have! Nick Saban’s success as defensively-minded head coach at Alabama is almost unparalleled. An official record of 218-62-1. Eleven SEC West titles. And, … [Read more…]
by Cameron Soran This article is being reposted here after originally finding it’s home at riley-kolste football. If you enjoy Cameron’s detailed breakdowns of playbooks and coverage, his book is a must have! ******** Plato and Aristotle. Pompey and Caesar. Obi-Wan and Anakin. Hayes and Schembechler. The motif of the student-turned-rival is as old and … [Read more…]
One of the reasons Ohio State was a favorite (not with Vegas but with many commentators) was the awesome power and ability they had in the run game. J.K. Dobbins had 301 carries this season for 2003 yards at 6.7 ypc with 21 touchdowns, amazing production. While not as densely packed with “blue chip” talent … [Read more…]
Brent Venables’ Clemson Tigers defense got themselves into quite a hole against Ohio State in the playoff semifinal. The score was 16-0 midway through the second quarter and the Tiger offense was struggling to find room to breathe against the Buckeyes between a sudden rash of injuries at receiver and Ohio State’s amazing athleticism. The … [Read more…]
Over the last couple of years, particularly while researching and writing my book… …I developed a theory that the college football playoffs essentially come down to which teams have the best spread passing attacks. I reference this theory all the time here, at Football Outsiders, and at Inside Texas but I haven’t fleshed out the … [Read more…]
You can check out my preseason list here. I like to use different categories than the official ballot when I make my own team. The goal of the media/coaches selections is primarily to recognize the best players in the conference in a given year. I like to make designations that reflect the sorts of roles … [Read more…]
Obviously Oklahoma won the Big 12 championship in 2019. This was the fifth consecutive time they’ve done that and the sixth time this decade (2011-2019). It’s also worth pointing out that Oklahoma drew a playoff berth as a result of finishing 12-1 and that this is the fourth time in five years that they’ve been … [Read more…]