First of all, I'm going to say that I'm not Bill Walsh. I'm not Bill Parcels. I'm not even Wayne Fonts.. Heck I'm not even Billy Lynch. But since I'm of the opinion that Indiana people do not know or understand football, I think knowing you don't know anything and admitting it is a step in the right direction. 
But I've read and studied football theory and conferred for a very long time. I DO know some things and can recognize others.
For the greater part of 4 seasons Coach Wilson has taken his care of criticism on this forum and in the press because he plays spread and fast and seems to put his defense on the field too much. I do not know much but I can recognize that on defense, IU doesn't compare with OSU or MSU, or Mich, Iowa, PSU, athletically. The strength of the defense is in the size and strength of it's DL. It's not an overly quick nor fast defensive front. But it's not like defensive fronts that have played at IU for most of the last oh... 100 yrs. Quickness is not a strength in it's defense. The linebackers are pretty good in terms of IU. Scales, Oliver, and Simmons can hit for sure. But aside from Scales, and maybe Oliver, their lateral quickness and flat out speed are good but not elite. Simmons is pretty good straight at the play but from sideline to sideline isn't Ray Lewis.
The secondary is as green as corn in May and vulnerable to taking bad pursuit angles and getting out of position against the pass up the sideline. That's part of youth. It's fixed by three things:
a. Experience
b. Repeated exposure
c. Signing better players if a & b don't yield results.
To compensate, IU plays a lot of "keep the ball in front of you" defense to make teams utilize a lot of successful plays to score.
Offensively they run the ball well and have a smart and efficient QB. Elite passing against good teams is elusive. IU has some terrific freshmen wideouts and a potentially terrific JC player who is sitting out. Another terrific slot man is sitting out with a broken collarbone and Ricky Jones is a potentially terrific slot man. But make no mistake about it. IU's pass game is going to be tested for the rest of the year.
But it seems like the offense is as much about keeping possession, not turning it over, and resting the defense.
By running the ball and not turning the ball over via fumbles nor mistakes in the passing game, IU has done the following:
a. Maintained possession of the ball.
b. Kept the young secondary off the field.
c. Worn on the defense of most of their opponents.
d. Kept IU in games.
In other words, many of the things people griped about before, aren't an issue now. But that does' mean people don't gripe about something anyway. Mostly that the play calling isn't as "colorful" as past yrs.
For all the complaints about not protecting the defense, IU has done a very good job of it this year in respect to past season. By not taking chances in the passing game, they haven't given opponents short fields.
Their "takeaways" have given IU extra possessions and good field position where their lack of explosion plays is minimized.
Of course, that won't keep the "internet coaches" from complaining about the nature of play calls or Nate's ability. they are playing to their strengths and away from their weaknesses. As a result I don't believe he has the supporting cast to throw for 450 each week.
Down the stretch I look for more play action to the TE's as things go forward. I look for fewer, but select shots "down the field". But I believe Nate is doing a great job managing the game and when guys aren't necessarily open, throw it where it can't be caught by the defense.
they are playing it closer to the vest than before. It will be interesting to see how things play out the rest of the way.
But I've read and studied football theory and conferred for a very long time. I DO know some things and can recognize others.
For the greater part of 4 seasons Coach Wilson has taken his care of criticism on this forum and in the press because he plays spread and fast and seems to put his defense on the field too much. I do not know much but I can recognize that on defense, IU doesn't compare with OSU or MSU, or Mich, Iowa, PSU, athletically. The strength of the defense is in the size and strength of it's DL. It's not an overly quick nor fast defensive front. But it's not like defensive fronts that have played at IU for most of the last oh... 100 yrs. Quickness is not a strength in it's defense. The linebackers are pretty good in terms of IU. Scales, Oliver, and Simmons can hit for sure. But aside from Scales, and maybe Oliver, their lateral quickness and flat out speed are good but not elite. Simmons is pretty good straight at the play but from sideline to sideline isn't Ray Lewis.
The secondary is as green as corn in May and vulnerable to taking bad pursuit angles and getting out of position against the pass up the sideline. That's part of youth. It's fixed by three things:
a. Experience
b. Repeated exposure
c. Signing better players if a & b don't yield results.
To compensate, IU plays a lot of "keep the ball in front of you" defense to make teams utilize a lot of successful plays to score.
Offensively they run the ball well and have a smart and efficient QB. Elite passing against good teams is elusive. IU has some terrific freshmen wideouts and a potentially terrific JC player who is sitting out. Another terrific slot man is sitting out with a broken collarbone and Ricky Jones is a potentially terrific slot man. But make no mistake about it. IU's pass game is going to be tested for the rest of the year.
But it seems like the offense is as much about keeping possession, not turning it over, and resting the defense.
By running the ball and not turning the ball over via fumbles nor mistakes in the passing game, IU has done the following:
a. Maintained possession of the ball.
b. Kept the young secondary off the field.
c. Worn on the defense of most of their opponents.
d. Kept IU in games.
In other words, many of the things people griped about before, aren't an issue now. But that does' mean people don't gripe about something anyway. Mostly that the play calling isn't as "colorful" as past yrs.
For all the complaints about not protecting the defense, IU has done a very good job of it this year in respect to past season. By not taking chances in the passing game, they haven't given opponents short fields.
Their "takeaways" have given IU extra possessions and good field position where their lack of explosion plays is minimized.
Of course, that won't keep the "internet coaches" from complaining about the nature of play calls or Nate's ability. they are playing to their strengths and away from their weaknesses. As a result I don't believe he has the supporting cast to throw for 450 each week.
Down the stretch I look for more play action to the TE's as things go forward. I look for fewer, but select shots "down the field". But I believe Nate is doing a great job managing the game and when guys aren't necessarily open, throw it where it can't be caught by the defense.
they are playing it closer to the vest than before. It will be interesting to see how things play out the rest of the way.
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