Big Ten Football Needs Coaching Perspective Change

I don’t get it. 

I am a Big Ten fan (Ohio State). After the first two bowl games, the Big Ten is 0-2.  I live in Florida and was at the Champs Sports Bowl.  I watched the Alamo Bowl on TV.  The Big Ten didn’t lack speed, nor did they lack athletes. What they lacked is coaching perspective.

What do I mean by coaching perspective? It seems that while the game is going on, Big Ten coaches sometimes don’t see the game.  Here is my take.

In the Champs Sports Bowl, Wisconsin outplayed Florida State in the first half and trailed 10-3. Wisconsin could have built a solid lead, but did not.  The reason why can be traced to five factors, four of which were attributable to lack of coaching perspective. Here’s how it happened.

First, Wisconsin had poor field position in the first quarter, starting on their own three, one, and one-yard line. These were just great punts by Graham Gano. FSU earned this.

But there were three decisions in the second quarter that prevented Wisconsin from taking control of the game. While I am using Wisconsin as the most recent example, I see Big Ten teams do the same thing all too often, and it costs them out-of-conference WINS.

The first decision that turned the game in favor of FSU occurred with Wisconsin on the FSU 19-yard line. Here a backward pass was tipped and then picked up by a FSU defender and run for a 75-yard touchdown.  This put FSU up 7-0.

To this point, FSU had not been able to stop the Wisconsin running attack.  Why not give the ball to P.J. Hill or John Clay?

On the next series, Wisconsin had a 3rd-and-2 on the FSU 37.  They got there by running the football.  The Wisconsin defense was playing well, and to my way of thinking this should be four down territory.

But that was not the way Wisconsin coaches were thinking.  They attempted a pass, the QB was sacked, and Wisconsin punted into the end zone.  Why not give the ball to P.J. Hill or John Clay?

The third coaching decision occurred with seven minutes to go in the first half. Wisconsin had moved to the FSU 19 and had a 1st-and-10.  They had moved the ball to this position by running Hill and Clay.  Now they rush for two, then pass incomplete, pass incomplete, and settle for a field goal.  Why not give the ball to P.J. Hill or John Clay?

Finally, with 1:38 to go in the half, Wisconsin was pinned on their own seven-yard line by another great Gano punt.  The first play was a rush for four yards. Then there was an incomplete pass that stopped the clock (which benefited FSU), followed by a short completed pass and a punt.  FSU gets the ball on the Wisconsin 47, the defense goes prevent, and FSU scores.  They lead 14-3 at halftime. 

In the first half, Wisconsin had 24 rushes for 119 yards.  FSU was not able to contain P.J. Hill and John Clay.  So why, when there was an important play, did the coaches put the game in the hands of a mediocre quarterback? For the game, P.J. Hill had 15 carries for 140 yards.  Why didn’t Hill get the ball somewhere between 30 and 40 times?

In the Alamo Bowl, Northwestern won everything but the game.  Tyrell Sutton rushed for 114 yards on 29 carries.  The defense played great as Northwestern outgained Missouri by 376 yards to 311.

But in the middle of the second quarter, Northwestern had a 3rd-and-2 on the Missouri 29.  To me, with the offense and defense playing well, this is four down territory.  But an incomplete pass and missed field goal left Northwestern without points.  This hurt, but a missed extra point and a punt that Jeremy Maclin returned for a touchdown were the game outcome determinants.

In bowl games last year, I watched Big Ten teams do similar things.  Boston College couldn’t stop the combination of Javon Ringer and Jehuu Caulcrick (36 carries for 165 yards).  But with the game on the line, the coaching staff put the ball in the hands of a mediocre quarterback (14-36-4, 131 yards). MSU lost 24-21.

In the Outback Bowl, Tennessee could not stop P.J. Hill, who carried 16 times for 132 yards. But with the game on the line, the coaching staff put the ball in the hands of a mediocre quarterback (14-25-1, 155 yards). The interception was in the end zone with less than a minute to play. Tennessee won 21-17.

In the National Championship game, LSU couldn’t stop Beanie Wells, who had 20 carries and 146 yards. In this game, personal fouls and a roughing the kicker penalty really helped LSU, but once behind, Wells seemed to be forgotten and the coaches put the game in the hands of a mediocre quarterback (15-26-2, 208 yards). OSU lost by 14.

In the games I outlined above, Florida State, Tennessee, and LSU had the better quarterback.  Wisconsin/Missouri was a quarterback draw. 

So, my message for Big Ten coaches is this. There are times to play for field position and times not to do so. When the other team has the better quarterback, your team is inside the opponent’s 40, your running game is working, and the defense is playing well, make it four down territory.

The worst that can happen is you don’t make it and get beat. The history is, when you play for field position in these situations—you lose. There is a difference between getting beat and losing. Big Ten teams lose too often.