tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20791448.post8656592282396553646..comments2023-10-31T10:50:44.200-04:00Comments on PITCH RIGHT: Competitive Parity in Division I Football as In Relates to Inter-Subdivision PlayAdamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17749495895201058539noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20791448.post-92186353583217512572008-01-06T12:18:00.000-05:002008-01-06T12:18:00.000-05:00I would offer this as a possible third reason as t...I would offer this as a possible third reason as to the rise of parity in college football. The influx of thousands of graduating college seniors who enter the strength and conditioning profession. This was an area of expertise exploited by only a few major universities back in the day. Nebraska, for years led the nation with an innovative strenght and conditioning program. Today every D1 program has not only top of the line facilities and equipment but also a plethora of highly qualified and well educated Strength and conditioning coaches. This area of expertise has now trickled down to D2, D3 and even high profile High School programs. This has added to the talent pool and increased the talent level at all levels. In Texas, strength and conditioning has become big buisiness. The Preformance Course, offers summer programs to High school players. The parents of these kids happily dole out the money for their Son to be trained to compete at the highest level so as to have an advantage when the recruits come around. Lets face it, not only are the numbers of participants up, but the numbers of kids who are training year round to take advantage of opportunities has gone through the roof.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20791448.post-33162709389160133082008-01-06T09:15:00.000-05:002008-01-06T09:15:00.000-05:00Gary,Not really. This has more to do with teams wh...Gary,<BR/>Not really. This has more to do with teams which are clearly underdogs, specifically I-AA teams. I could care less about Michigan and their transition. <BR/><BR/>Basically, it's goes back to value, and whether or not you believe the system makes the players valuable (which virtually everyone does, especially Navy fans) or if the players, who were both underrated and undervalued coming out of high school, are what gives the system it's inherent value. I'm chalking it up to the later.Adamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17749495895201058539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20791448.post-8959997476587132992008-01-04T19:24:00.000-05:002008-01-04T19:24:00.000-05:00Well done. Athletes are ever changing. Strong, fas...Well done. Athletes are ever changing. Strong, fast, artistic, etc. Money and opportunity draw - why not. Give me the flavor of the decade (perhaps 5 year cycle). Sorta like global warming. When I was a kid we talked about the next ice age.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20791448.post-74388901589475897002008-01-04T16:55:00.000-05:002008-01-04T16:55:00.000-05:00I agree, Adam, to some extent. Eventually, the sp...I agree, Adam, to some extent. Eventually, the spread will go by the wayside just like the Power T and the Wishbone, etc.<BR/><BR/>However, it works right now. Basically, all it is is the option out of the shotgun. It's like what Navy does, but instead of under center, the QB is a handful of yards away from center.<BR/><BR/>I agree that the football playing numbers have increased. I find it laughable that everybody scoffs at the fact that there are 32 bowl games. While that's too many, I don't want that total to go below 28 like it was prior to 2006. There are many good teams unlike the way it used to be. There are a lot of non-BCS schools that are competitive. I remember Northern Illinois was 10-2 in 2003 and didn't even get invited to a bowl game.<BR/><BR/>I'm not so sure about Michigan. We'll get either Mallett or Pryor. Pryor is awaiting Mallett's decision more than likely. Mallett would do fine in this offense, it just wouldn't look the same as West Virginia. Pryor would be the Pat White of the Michigan offense if he chooses to come.<BR/><BR/>I was actually kind of worried that the spread option didn't do that great against solid defenses. West Virginia proved me wrong in the Fiesta Bowl, so at least that's out of the way for me as a Michigan fan.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20791448.post-73881877575733275742008-01-04T14:57:00.000-05:002008-01-04T14:57:00.000-05:00There are a bunch of differing variations of the s...There are a bunch of differing variations of the spread offense which emphasize running or passing. To me, the proliferation of the spread offense is a response to the quickness employed by defenses in the last decade. You want to employ D-linemen with ridiculous 40 times, we'll put our QB in the shotgun, have him take two steps and wing the ball out to one of our wide receivers for a 5-10 yard gain and maybe more if your CB or safeties can't tackle.<BR/>The one point I keep coming back to is that kids want to play certain positions when they go from one level to the next and aren't content to play for the name program at that program's prescribed position and instead chose a "lesser" program so they can play something like WR or QB instead of CB or FS/SS. I can't remember how many times I heard that during bowl season: Player X chose to play at school A to play this position instead of signing with school B to play position Y.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20791448.post-87127781031531706652008-01-04T12:49:00.000-05:002008-01-04T12:49:00.000-05:00Lets see if I read into this right.My thoughts as ...Lets see if I read into this right.<BR/>My thoughts as to everyone on ESPN and the media treating "the spread" as the reason all teams that should not have lost and the lost to a team with that style is that they are in a way insulting that particular team under the guise of a "gimmick" offense.<BR/>As if they tricked a better opponent as opposed to "beating" them.<BR/>The fact is as you stated-its the players- not the "spread" or "the system" and I think a prime example would be that if the media myth about that offense is so right on then we should see Michigan go undefeated next year.<BR/>In fact Michigan is on for a rough ride for awhile and not too sure that offense will ever succeed at all in the Big 10.<BR/>You may be the only team employing it but you cant put a bunch of cows out on the field and expect them to perform like jack rabbits.<BR/>Oh well not sure how good this reply is-but why not.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com