After watching IU hang with Ohio State yesterday with a chance to tie game on last play, I'm now 100% convinced that we need a new offensive scheme in this program to succeed. Yes, we need to get bigger along the LOS on D and play a more physical, attacking style of defense too, but I just don't think we will ever field the quality of horses up front on the OL CONSISTENTLY that we need to play this "mono y mono" style of offense vs. the MSU's, PSU's, OSU's and UM's of the world. I also don't feel we will ever get the stud program changing pro-style QB either because they don't grow on trees. Capable dual-threat type QB's seem easier to find (IU has TWO of them) and actually, I think Laviano would be a more capable QB in IU's offense than he is in ours. Not saying change the O for Laviano, just making a point.
Let me jump out ahead and address the push back I will get on this post.
"Recruiting will suffer because we won't be preparing our offensive players for the NFL".
Response: Sending players to the NFL is great, but this isn't 2002 when Rutgers Football had a poor track record of sending players to the pros and needed to increase that number to build the cache of the program. We have plenty of alumni in the NFL currently and players know that if they are good enough, they can graduate our program and play professionally. What we need to do right now is WIN AS MANY COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMES as we possibly can and not worry as much about developing NFL players. And kids like to play in fun offenses. Any coach should have little trouble selling an open offense to recruits.
"The current roster is full of players tailored to the pro-set just like when Rich Rod took over Michigan"
Response: This is a legit concern and there will be a year or two of growing pains as we transition but I don't think it will be as bad as people think and we will be better off long term for changing.
"Offense wins games, defense wins championships."
Response: We need to win games at this point. We need to win as many college football games as possible over the next five to ten years to build our stature in the B1G. We can do this by running an offensive system that best utilizes the talent in our recruiting base (NJ/NY/PA produces a boat load of P5 level skill players while not as many big time P5 level OL and pro-style QB's). We do have speed here in NJ and we have also been successful of pulling speed out of Florida over the past 10-12 years. Indiana's defense is nothing to write home about but they were able to hang in that game yesterday. Why? Because every time OSU punched them in the face, they had the OFFENSE to respond. And with a back up QB none the less. Not saying that defense isn't important...it is...but in the college game, OFFENSES rule for the most part unless you are Bama or LSU. We are not nor will we ever be Bama or LSU on defense.
"It's about the Jimmy and the Joe's, not the X's and the O's".
Response: To a certain extent, this remains true but not to the level it did 20+ years ago. With scholarship limits reduced from 120 to 85 per school parity has set in in college football and with the right coaching you can compete with the blue bloods even if you aren't pulling in Top 10 recruiting classes. Cincinnati, Boise State, TCU, Houston, etc. Memphis was absolutely terrible before Justin Fuente got there and now they have embarked on a nice run. Even Temple with Matt Rhule...taking kids we didn't want like Nate Smith and PJ Walker...and winning games with them.
Again, I know there are many ways to skin a cat and a lot of people won't embrace this position but in my personal opinion this is the best way for us to grow the program in our new conference. It doesn't have to be a Baylor type system where we throw the ball 60+times per game either. Just an offense not predicated on bunch formations and use of full backs taking the defender to the ball. And let's not focus just on Indiana when talking about scheme switch. Northwestern has also done well running a non-traditional/pro set offense. I think it's time for a change on the Banks.
Let me jump out ahead and address the push back I will get on this post.
"Recruiting will suffer because we won't be preparing our offensive players for the NFL".
Response: Sending players to the NFL is great, but this isn't 2002 when Rutgers Football had a poor track record of sending players to the pros and needed to increase that number to build the cache of the program. We have plenty of alumni in the NFL currently and players know that if they are good enough, they can graduate our program and play professionally. What we need to do right now is WIN AS MANY COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMES as we possibly can and not worry as much about developing NFL players. And kids like to play in fun offenses. Any coach should have little trouble selling an open offense to recruits.
"The current roster is full of players tailored to the pro-set just like when Rich Rod took over Michigan"
Response: This is a legit concern and there will be a year or two of growing pains as we transition but I don't think it will be as bad as people think and we will be better off long term for changing.
"Offense wins games, defense wins championships."
Response: We need to win games at this point. We need to win as many college football games as possible over the next five to ten years to build our stature in the B1G. We can do this by running an offensive system that best utilizes the talent in our recruiting base (NJ/NY/PA produces a boat load of P5 level skill players while not as many big time P5 level OL and pro-style QB's). We do have speed here in NJ and we have also been successful of pulling speed out of Florida over the past 10-12 years. Indiana's defense is nothing to write home about but they were able to hang in that game yesterday. Why? Because every time OSU punched them in the face, they had the OFFENSE to respond. And with a back up QB none the less. Not saying that defense isn't important...it is...but in the college game, OFFENSES rule for the most part unless you are Bama or LSU. We are not nor will we ever be Bama or LSU on defense.
"It's about the Jimmy and the Joe's, not the X's and the O's".
Response: To a certain extent, this remains true but not to the level it did 20+ years ago. With scholarship limits reduced from 120 to 85 per school parity has set in in college football and with the right coaching you can compete with the blue bloods even if you aren't pulling in Top 10 recruiting classes. Cincinnati, Boise State, TCU, Houston, etc. Memphis was absolutely terrible before Justin Fuente got there and now they have embarked on a nice run. Even Temple with Matt Rhule...taking kids we didn't want like Nate Smith and PJ Walker...and winning games with them.
Again, I know there are many ways to skin a cat and a lot of people won't embrace this position but in my personal opinion this is the best way for us to grow the program in our new conference. It doesn't have to be a Baylor type system where we throw the ball 60+times per game either. Just an offense not predicated on bunch formations and use of full backs taking the defender to the ball. And let's not focus just on Indiana when talking about scheme switch. Northwestern has also done well running a non-traditional/pro set offense. I think it's time for a change on the Banks.
