Big picture:
Everything still tells me we are pretty good.
Not elite.
Yet.
Will we continue to get better? Hold serve? Fade?
Our next 3 are still winnable/losables.
We gotta get better.
We're 5 games in.
You need to be firing on all your cylinders by now.
Generally, except for injuries, you are who you are by now.
It's the time of year when "the best" start to separate, and the rest face the challenge of staying in there or fading. Some teams have a schedule that helps hide weaknesses.
We don't.
We are good, not great.
Solid, not complete.
Dantonio was talking yesterday about how it took 9 years to build State into what he thought was a high-level program, (all you instant gratification types take a note), but here they are struggling to close/win. Just a few missing or cattywumpus parts and you don't win those toughest games against the toughest teams.
Yesterday:
They averaged 57 points coming in (skewed high by 77 against BG early - we held them to 38 (with 2 sorta gimmes) - their lowest so far.
The allowed an average of 9 points - we scored 17 with an injury-impacted OL.
They were getting 576 yards - we allowed them 383.
They were giving up 238 - we got 281
Held them to 93 passing but they weren't really trying to throw it much.
We forced them to run Barrett a LOT more than they wanted to.
I thought the game was closer than the score, but if we played THAT team 20 times, we win 1.
They block SO WELL on offense.
We still held them under their average, but more important - they USE their blocks.
They also get off blocks on defense.
Haven't seen all their games, but I'd bet nobody gets the corner against them.
I feel better about the Nebraska game.
Their defense is not ash good as OSU.
BUT Armstrong is very close to Barrett.
If our rushing can keep him off the field a bit, and our defense can continue the best improvement arc in college football, we beat the Huskies.
I hope the suns shines.
Gloria Victoria!
Everything still tells me we are pretty good.
Not elite.
Yet.
Will we continue to get better? Hold serve? Fade?
Our next 3 are still winnable/losables.
We gotta get better.
We're 5 games in.
You need to be firing on all your cylinders by now.
Generally, except for injuries, you are who you are by now.
It's the time of year when "the best" start to separate, and the rest face the challenge of staying in there or fading. Some teams have a schedule that helps hide weaknesses.
We don't.
We are good, not great.
Solid, not complete.
Dantonio was talking yesterday about how it took 9 years to build State into what he thought was a high-level program, (all you instant gratification types take a note), but here they are struggling to close/win. Just a few missing or cattywumpus parts and you don't win those toughest games against the toughest teams.
Yesterday:
They averaged 57 points coming in (skewed high by 77 against BG early - we held them to 38 (with 2 sorta gimmes) - their lowest so far.
The allowed an average of 9 points - we scored 17 with an injury-impacted OL.
They were getting 576 yards - we allowed them 383.
They were giving up 238 - we got 281
Held them to 93 passing but they weren't really trying to throw it much.
We forced them to run Barrett a LOT more than they wanted to.
I thought the game was closer than the score, but if we played THAT team 20 times, we win 1.
They block SO WELL on offense.
We still held them under their average, but more important - they USE their blocks.
They also get off blocks on defense.
Haven't seen all their games, but I'd bet nobody gets the corner against them.
I feel better about the Nebraska game.
Their defense is not ash good as OSU.
BUT Armstrong is very close to Barrett.
If our rushing can keep him off the field a bit, and our defense can continue the best improvement arc in college football, we beat the Huskies.
I hope the suns shines.
Gloria Victoria!
