S&C - Speedy Delivery
- Thread starter snowling
- Start date
I get more and more confident in this making a massive difference the more I read/watch about Ballou & Rhea's program.
Everything just makes logical sense and their theories explain why traditional football S&C doesn't translate to gains on the field for a lot of guys.
I think we're on the cutting edge here and it's going to give us an advantage over other teams in the conferences like the Oakland A's/Tampa Bay Rays had over baseball teams 10-15 years ago since they used advanced analytics and the big teams were just using traditional baseball wisdom.
Everything just makes logical sense and their theories explain why traditional football S&C doesn't translate to gains on the field for a lot of guys.
I think we're on the cutting edge here and it's going to give us an advantage over other teams in the conferences like the Oakland A's/Tampa Bay Rays had over baseball teams 10-15 years ago since they used advanced analytics and the big teams were just using traditional baseball wisdom.
Fascinating article. The speed gains, in particular, are mind-blowing.
This area (S&C) is the thing that I'm most intrigued by going into the season. Ballou and Rhea clearly do impressive work. The speed numbers are amazing and, on paper anyway, I'm assuming we're the fastest team in the conference. The question, though, is how these gains transfer to Saturdays and how much they move the needle in terms of number of Ws. It's kind of a wild card, that may (or may not) have a significant impact on the W/L record. Let the games begin.
I was a Rivals member for years on the Colorado board and remember reading about S&C changes. I have never seen results like this. This just puts a new light on anticipation for a football season. Im super pumped BUT there are other factors. Coach Mac at CU has a saying knowledge=confidence=playing fast. Hopefully these guys are just repping and repping to get that confidence level up.
So pumped about this year. Hopefully they'll open up a fall scrimmage. Season cant get here soon enough
Love these guys already. Fred needs to say yes to everything they want. And that also means pay increase and long term contract.
Agree. If this pans out to many wins these guys will be in high demand. This could be game changing technology. Good for them and I hope IU opens up the checkbook.
Or IU was one of the slowest teams in the conference. Either way they improved.
"Coach Ballou and I sat down and mapped out where we thought we needed to be to really compete in the Big Ten. And I think our guys have outdone themselves, have worked really hard. I think where we're at from a speed standpoint is really good. You can never be fast enough, can always get faster, and we'll keep working at it. I saw an interview with a strength coach for a team out West that's known for its speed, and he was pretty happy that they have 20 guys running over 20 miles per hour. We have 47. So I'm pretty happy with where our speed is at right now."
"I have the numbers of the team where I was at last year," Ballou said, referencing Notre Dame. "I'll just say this, without getting too specific: We are much closer to those numbers than I thought we had a prayer of being when I got here in January. Let's put it that way."
Last edited:
I do want to be careful about not "Bronzing the two S&C Coaches" before we've even had a snap. But I too am very excited about their arrival for sure! I think the first credit goes to Coach Allen for seeing a team that was not fast enough, beat up and not able to control the lines. He went out and found the best guy out there, who ironically happened to be an IU alum!
That was a dry eyed assessment and one made almost immediately after the season and that appears to now be paying off in the form of a faster, stronger and more confident team.
I take Ballou/Rhea at their word that IU's speed is likely now on par with more winning programs. And it was nice to see Ballou say they are not too far from last year's ND team that had 2 Top 10 OL picks. But it's always better to be humble and "trust but verify" before spiking the ball just yet.
Once we see more burst and control from Oline, more breakaway plays from RB's & WRs, more pass rush, picks from backfield and less overall injuries, this is still an IU program that has to prove it.
But I love Coach Allen and his integrity + intensity. I believe there is more athletic talent than past teams and I'm optimistic the breakthrough is definitely on track for the program.
That was a dry eyed assessment and one made almost immediately after the season and that appears to now be paying off in the form of a faster, stronger and more confident team.
I take Ballou/Rhea at their word that IU's speed is likely now on par with more winning programs. And it was nice to see Ballou say they are not too far from last year's ND team that had 2 Top 10 OL picks. But it's always better to be humble and "trust but verify" before spiking the ball just yet.
Once we see more burst and control from Oline, more breakaway plays from RB's & WRs, more pass rush, picks from backfield and less overall injuries, this is still an IU program that has to prove it.
But I love Coach Allen and his integrity + intensity. I believe there is more athletic talent than past teams and I'm optimistic the breakthrough is definitely on track for the program.
This is fantastically interesting article that Andy Graham has compiled. The strength and speed/power gains our players have made since February is staggering. Most importantly, the kids themselves are believers in the program. Their confidence is rising. Can’t wait to see how all this will translate to the next 12 gamedays!
If this translates to a big season, Fred will have to throw the kitchen sink at these guys. If he doesn't double their salaries, I'm sure they'll be gonzo.
I'm confident IU will open up the checkbook and Coach DeBord will open up the playbook.
Our S&C guys have done a great job along with our players working very hard. Coach Allen comment that last year IU was too slow compared to other B1G teams. He made the change with S&C for that reason and for the number of injuries due to not being conditioned and not strong enough.
