SI Top 25 Scouting Reports from Anonymous Coaches
More scouting from anonymous coaches from SI. They talked to coaches about the SI preseason top 25. Here is the excerpt on Michigan:
No. 11 Michigan: 'Harbaugh Wants to Beat You Into the Ground'
[Junior] Wilton Speight isn’t a great quarterback, but he’s solid. He’s efficient. He’s not a great runner, though he does have surprising escapability for someone who’s 6' 6", 243 pounds. He manages the game well. [Coach Jim] Harbaugh wants to beat you into the ground, and he’s got a big, physical team. All 22 guys, the backups, special teams—they look the way they’re supposed to look.
They’re so aggressive on defense, whether they’re playing man coverage or in their zone packages and third-down stuff. Don Brown is the most aggressive defensive coordinator I’ve seen in a long time. That system has worked for him for 25 years and he keeps tweaking. Now he’s got a lot of high-level talent and depth. You can get some chunk plays against them because of all the man coverage, but you’ve got to finish drives. They’re stingy in the red zone.
They’ve lost a lot of guys to the NFL, but many of these new starters have played and they’re talented. We loved [sophomore] defensive tackle Rashan Gary. To be that big [6' 5", 287 pounds] and move like he can is rare. He’s gonna be an All-America either this year or next. I like [6' 2", 282-pound senior defensive tackle] Mo Hurst. He’s a powerful dude with good feet. Mike McCray [a 6' 4" senior linebacker] is rangy and does a lot for them. He’s 245 and moves like he’s 220.
A lot of fluff in the piece, but there is some good stuff in there. The Oklahoma one is worth it.
EDIT: Forgot the link:
https://www.si.com/college-football/2017/08/10/preseason-top-25-teams-rival-scouting-reports
August 10th, 2017 at 4:04 PM ^
Forgot to add the link at the end.
August 10th, 2017 at 4:04 PM ^
Since this is all anonymous, I'd love for one of these coaches to just once go batshit crazy.
"James Franklin at PSU? Who cares about that giant sack of STD-infested dick tips??? That guy couldn't coach his way out of a placenta! And FYI, I hear he molests diseased roosters on the weekends."
August 10th, 2017 at 4:09 PM ^
[DC] Mike Stoops gets waaaay too emotional as a play-caller. His team gives up a big play, and you know he’s gonna come after you, and you can burn him again. They don’t have the same caliber of talent on the front seven. Their secondary, though, is really good. Jordan Thomas [a 6-foot, 185-pound senior corner] gets his hands on a lot of passes. He or [6' 1", 204-pound senior safety] Steven Parker is the best guy on that defense. Jordan Parker [a 5' 11", 188-pound sophomore], the other corner, made them better.
August 10th, 2017 at 4:33 PM ^
So, probably someone from Texas, then?
August 10th, 2017 at 7:37 PM ^
Mike Stoops was very emotional as a player too. When Bob Bergeron kicked the game winning field goal to beat Iowa at the big house in 1983, the ABC cameras zoomed in on Stoops sobbing on the sidelines.
Skip ahead to 6:54...
August 10th, 2017 at 5:44 PM ^
August 10th, 2017 at 4:16 PM ^
Too vanilla for my taste
August 10th, 2017 at 4:20 PM ^
Coaches are rarely going to give you anything that they think could possibly motivate an opponent even if it is anonymous.
I think the best versions of these are the ones from anonymous players who are more forthcoming.
August 10th, 2017 at 4:31 PM ^
Many coaches know or are familiar enough with each other so they're not inclined to level much criticism. Think of your professional circles - you're in some sort of competition but there is enough empathy to keep things civil. Besides, you might have to work together someday.
August 10th, 2017 at 5:30 PM ^
Understood. But these aren't just avoiding being critical--that's understandable. They aren't telling us much of anything about the teams, other than "this guy can really play," etc. The only real exception is that Oklahoma quote.
The ideal from these things, and the whole point given anonymity, is to get real insight from someone who actually gameplans against these teams. But in most cases (again, Oklahoma excepted) there isn't anything here that tells me something that someone with an internet connection can't already find out from fluff pieces. It turns into mostly personnel overviews.
I will say that the OSU offense question (is it going to be Wilson running Urban's offense, or Wilson's offense?) is an interesting one that is brought up.
August 10th, 2017 at 4:18 PM ^
From the article:
"... he’s got a big, physical team."
Lame. I'll bet they "play together as a team," too.
It wasn't all bad. I liked the Don Brown part.
August 10th, 2017 at 4:36 PM ^
August 10th, 2017 at 4:45 PM ^
This is the picture above the Michigan quote:
I took one look at it and thought to myself "Man, Michigan has great colors."
August 10th, 2017 at 4:56 PM ^
I think it's the best (home) uniform in college football. It makes the road uniform (white / maize / whatever pants) look mediocre in comparison.
August 10th, 2017 at 4:54 PM ^
which coach is the most overrated. The most popular answer was Harbaugh. However, if its any consolation, Saban came in second. This illustrates how useful these polls are.
August 10th, 2017 at 5:02 PM ^
actually gave an answer to the question "who is the most over-rated coach in FBS football?"
Nick Saban garnering 2 votes (9% of 23) was hilarious.
Of course, we can make a very good conjecture as to who those 2 coaches were:
(1) Bret Bielema. He's already publicly mouthed off about Saban. Bielema, of course, remains winless for his career vs. Saban.
(2) Lane Kiffin. Would you expect Kiffin to drop a grudge?!?!? No doubt in Lane's mind: if he had coached in the Championship game, Alabama would have beaten Clemson.
-------
Lovie Smith also got 2 votes in that poll. That was very bizarre as well.
August 10th, 2017 at 5:40 PM ^
August 10th, 2017 at 5:58 PM ^
Not much of a poll when it's only 23 total respondents, and 11 of them don't give a response. But yeah, Harbaugh with 3 votes; Saban, Kiffin, and Lovie Smith with 2 votes each; and Brian Kelly, Muschamp, Tom Herman with 1 vote each. Seems statistically valid to me /s
August 10th, 2017 at 5:54 PM ^
August 10th, 2017 at 7:56 PM ^
August 11th, 2017 at 3:47 AM ^