An observation on the size of the Qbs for Meyer’s national title teams.
His first title team had Chris Leak as a starter, but used Tebow extensively on third downs and near the goalline. Tebow would helm the second title team. Tebow was 6'2" 235 lbs.
JT Barrett is 6'1" 225 and Jones is 6'"5 249. Meyer's system,it seems, works best when it has a big, strong, QB who can absorb a lot of punishment. As seen by Miller's mauling by MSU it doesn't work quite as well(although still extremely successful) with a slender, less bruising QB.
I wonder if this explains in part why Meyer's spread is so successful? Rodriguez and the Kelly/Helfrich are pretty good offensive minds themselves, but they haven't gotten over the hump vs physical defenses like Meyer has. Could the size of the QB be all the difference? Or is this a fallacious supposition on my part?
January 14th, 2015 at 5:29 PM ^
I suppose it makes a degree of sense but dont discount Barrett's contrubition throughout the entire season to get them in position to be considered for the playoff in the first place. Okay, he broke his leg against UofM this year, but to some degree the leg break is a bit of a fluke and there's no telling how Jone would have fared across the entirity of the season compared to Barrett. In general however, I would think bigger if not better is at least a safter bet.
January 14th, 2015 at 5:29 PM ^
I never really considered Meyers offense a true "spread" (a la Oregon and Arizona). I always thought it was a spread looking offense with a lot of power elements. Urban knows how to find the perfect QB's too. I don't think Marcus Marriota would fit as well in his offense, and I don't think Barrett or Jones would work quite as well in Oregon.( Don't get me wrong, those guys could be successful either offense, I'm just talking about that ideal fit )
January 14th, 2015 at 5:30 PM ^
Oregon and RR's spread teams rely on spacing and keeping the defense on its heels while getting to the outside when possible. Meyer runs a more power spread incorporating MANBALL. There's your difference.
Very few defenses can figure out spacing to stop Oregon/RR partially due to the athletic discrepency in college.
If you watch the NFL, Chip Kelly's offense gets botched through many stretches in tough games since the defenses don't blink as much as they do in college.
I think OSU would have beaten ND for the title in 2012 if they were eligible with Braxton Miller at the helm. I think it just so happens that Meyer had more Big Ben-esque QBs in his tenure while winning.
January 14th, 2015 at 5:34 PM ^
National Championship and your former notorious coach is inducted into the college hall of fame. There is no kharma.
January 14th, 2015 at 5:36 PM ^
of the O-Line vs. the QB and the fact that Meyer believes in defense.
January 14th, 2015 at 5:40 PM ^
I see that your measurements are correct, but i just don't think JT Barrett is 225. Sure doesn't look like it. Jones looks every bit 250 but just doesn't seem like Barrett is that "thick". Could be a case of "program" Height/weight with Barrett. Kind of like how they used to say Charles Barkley was 6'8". That being said, it still doesn't discredit your point because although i don't think JT is that big, he still isn't Denard or Pat White skinny.
January 14th, 2015 at 5:41 PM ^
And it is a Boren brother at QB.
January 14th, 2015 at 5:59 PM ^
He typically mixes super fast dudes (e.g. Percy Harvin, Devin Smith) with bruisers (e.g. Tebow, Jones). That means they have personnel mismatches designed for big lumbering defenses and also ones that allow them to run over smaller, quicker defenses.
There aren't a whole lot of defenses out there that are both big and fast, after all, so there's generally a sword on hand for most forms of shield.
January 14th, 2015 at 6:35 PM ^
January 14th, 2015 at 7:24 PM ^
There are no small QBs at OSU.
January 14th, 2015 at 6:46 PM ^
Yes the system helps and is QB friendly but OSU QBs, all three, are light-years ahead of Shane Morris. I don't understand how OSU can have three quality QBs, start a freshman, win a NC with a third string QB and UM can't field a single competent QB.
January 14th, 2015 at 6:52 PM ^
If you want a competent QB, it helps to have a competent coach.
January 14th, 2015 at 11:32 PM ^
Well, it also doesn't hurt when injuries happen that your third string QB is the more talented than the 1st and 2nd stringers.
January 15th, 2015 at 12:45 AM ^
Would OSU have won the NC if Barrett didn't get hurt?
Clearly, Urbz did a horrible job choosing the starter this year.
If you were a high school QB considered likely to have NFL draft stock after only three starts, would you want to go to OSU and sit behind someone less able?
January 14th, 2015 at 11:21 PM ^
"and UM can't field a single competent QB."
Dont you mean "and UM couldn't field a single competent QB."? UM has moved on. You should too.
January 15th, 2015 at 12:47 AM ^
so how could StraightDave expect Mich to field a competent player at a position involving much more complexity?
January 14th, 2015 at 6:52 PM ^
He's not a slight guy; everyone agreed that he was the prototype to run Urban's offense and that he lucked into having him (Urban tried to recruit him to UF, but Braxton stuck with OSU).
Also, it was Tressel that recruited Cardale Jones, not Meyer. Jones greyshirted at Fork Union and arrived during Meyer's first year. Meyer honored the offer to not piss off the faithful and/or disrupt OSU's relationship with Glenville/Ted Ginn Sr. He wouldn't have recruited him.
January 14th, 2015 at 7:21 PM ^
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January 14th, 2015 at 7:40 PM ^
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January 14th, 2015 at 8:08 PM ^
January 15th, 2015 at 12:05 AM ^
If you look up denard's combine measureables they listed him at 5'10"
January 14th, 2015 at 7:46 PM ^
Must have lots of hormones in the corn down there.
January 14th, 2015 at 8:21 PM ^
I was thinking that as well
In my mind I was thinking - damn Tebow is like the white Jones. (or in less PC terms, damn Jones is like the black Tebow)
What sort of shocked me is how Urban was willing to run Jones so often and not coach him to "avoid hits" (he trucked a NT! and some LBs) when his backup was the WR Marshall. I mean he was playing as if he had 2 QBs ready to come in at any moment.
Of course the way this season went, Marshall would have went in and thrown for 300 yards.
January 14th, 2015 at 11:25 PM ^
"In my mind I was thinking" <-- The tautology that belittles itself. If you really need to tell us that you think in your mind, then that mind should perhaps stop hitting the gym with its body and instead hit the books.
January 15th, 2015 at 12:55 AM ^
so it was helpful to know that this wasn't just some weiner-generated tomfoolery.
January 14th, 2015 at 9:03 PM ^
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January 14th, 2015 at 11:50 PM ^
Rich and Oregon's spread relies on 3rd and 4th wideouts making important catches in pivotal moments. Urban relies on his number 1 runningback running and catching.