"..public-private partnership"

i.e.

"The taxpayer foots the bill for this project. Most of the profits trickle down into my pockets. " 

In the end, it was one performance. There is no way to conclude whether this was a really bad day or symptomatic of a larger issue.  We will learn more in the coming weeks. I tend to suspect the former.  Either way, his draft stock took a big hit in primetime. To rehab his draft prospects, he needs to put in the kind of performances that leaves no doubt that this was only a fluke. 

He has a lineman's name.

Zen and Seth are good hardcore names for linemen.

It's not all bad. Putting up nearly 500 yards of offense against Oregon is not a charred performance. We learned from this game that our offense appears to be legit. The defense is a question mark at this point. The only conclusion we can draw from this game regarding the defense is that they are either far from a championship-caliber unit or they just had a very bad day - or something is wrong with how the defense is being coached. Or some combination of all these three. It will take more games to figure out what we really have with the defense. The game with PSU will tell us much more. If they put up a similar performance against PSU, then it's time to panic. 

Two months ago, I wonder what people would say if you opined that halfway through the season, Indiana would be sitting at the top of the Big Ten Conference. 

He won't state it. But he knows it. Using a reply like,  "The focus is on moving forward" is a way of indirectly admitting there were parts of the team that looked like ass. 

Sometimes, being humbled makes you better equipped to face the challenges that lie ahead. With all the talk about Natty or Bust, perhaps it's good to get a reminder that it's not as easy as showing up on the field of play with a team stacked with talent. 

Memento Mori. 

Remember, thou art mortal.

Better to learn this lesson now than in the playoffs. You aren't guaranteed anything. 

The team as a whole hasn't provided that kind of performance this season. There has been a common theme prior to the Oregon game - either the offense or defense comes in playing flat in the first half.  Then the defense comes in playing flat through most of the premier game on the schedule. It's not what one would expect to see from a hungry team whose stated mission has always been to deliver a Natty or Bust season that leaves no doubt. 

I am fans of teams and players but I always considered coaches as engineers whose job is to ensure the engine is operating at optimal performance. When you start getting attached to coaches from a personal perspective, your perspective can be skewed.  If your engine isn't running at the levels of performance expected given the quality of the parts, you are eventually going to have to point the finger at the engineer. This team is simply too talented to not be considering the coaching staff as part of the reason for subpar performances. 

I was surprised by the lackluster performance against Oregon. But what really surprised me was the ho-hum performance of some of the top players. That's what disturbed me more. When Burke kept blowing coverage in spectacular fashion, I was at a loss for words. He never played that bad. Nobody is perfect and some players have bad days. But given that this was the biggest game on the regular season calendar, I was not expecting this level of play from the Defense.

At the bottom is Brian Bohannon at Kennesaw State. He will 'only' make $387K this season. At least he should be able to afford a membership at the 1922 Club. 

With a $32M buyout, I wouldn't be having a lot of sleepless nights if I got fired. 

Not always.  Even remotely suggesting that there are some possible issues with Day's approach to the game will cause some people to become incensed. 

I wasn't commenting on any specific player or performance. I was reflecting on the team as a whole. The talent is certainly there. But things appear a bit discombobulated at times. So far this season, either the offense or defense comes into the game lethargic and has a slow first half. We still haven't seen a game where everyone is playing all four quarters firing on all cylinders. This goes back to the hunger I was talking about. I haven't really seen it so far. I see it from some individual players. But something is always not working like it should coming into the game. The overall tone and rhythm is not what I expected to see from a very talented team whose stated objective is a Natty or Bust season that leaves no doubt.  

I am neutral on Day. Time will deliver the verdict on his tenure and the longevity of the same. The only thing that confuses me about the ongoing Ryan Day debate is the emotional investment that some people have in it. 

I have trouble understanding why some people soil themselves over criticisms of Day. When someone makes an observation or offers a criticism, some folks' butthole immediately puckers up tighter than a snare drum. It's as if someone seriously dissed a family member and they feel compelled to defend their honor. I understand arguing football around the water cooler. I just don't get why some folks get so worked up over the subject of Ryan Day.  

True. But to me, the eye test doesn't yet indicate the team as a collective unit has the kind of hunger I described. Just saying Natty or Bust as your season goal doesn't display hunger. What team does not want to win a Natty ? 

During the first half of the season, I have seen a team where either the offense or defense has come out playing flat in the first half. I have also seen a defense that put in a pedestrian and uninspiring performance when they walked onto the big stage. I haven't seen the team develop Mojo yet. 

The biggest issue I see with expectations is that prior to the season, fans were placing too much emphasis on talent as the end-all and be-all of securing a Championship. To hoist the trophy, you really need to be hungry. The upper tiers of College football are extremely competitive and talent alone will never be enough to win-out in an expanded playoff against determined opponents. You don't demonstrate hunger by using catch-phrases like Natty or Bust. You demonstrate it with a no-compromise attitude and giving it all like they did on that last drive against Notre Dame.

There is some outstanding talent on the Bucks and a few players who look hungry. But as a team, I have not seen this kind of determination yet. To be honest, the only team I have seen that appears to currently display this kind of Mojo is Texas.

Have players come here because they are hungry for a Natty or because they are looking to boost their NIL prospects and have a better pathway to the NFL draft by showcasing their singular talents in primetime? Have we assembled a hungry team or a gathering of talent ? After watching the first half of the season, I am not really sure if I can answer that question. 

Regarding killer Instinct, I would say the defense has definitely been lacking one at times this season. It's hard to define exactly what a killer Instinct is. It's not about stats and more about execution. It's one of those things where you know it when you see it.  When we played Oregon for the Natty, our defense definitely displayed a killer instinct. They were out for blood. This past Saturday, the dominant instinct displayed by the Defense seemed to be self-preservation. The hunter-killer drive never showed up. They were playing not to lose rather than to win. 

Nebraska is not a better team than PSU. TTUN? Yes.  Can Nebraska beat PSU? Sure.  But that doesn't mean they field a better team. Better teams don't always win. We saw that Saturday.  

The thing is, it's hard to prove. It has to be blatant without any room for doubt--i.e.the defender laying on top of the receiver and not letting him up.  Maybe the defender did trip on top of him two times when getting up. But common sense says otherwise. 

I do recall this because everyone on the Md sidelines was jumping up and down going off on the refs trying to argue that progress was impeded and the defender was intentionally pushing him down. Coach complained about the play after the game and said the refs blew it by not calling interference and resetting the clock. But the fans were screaming "Yeah ! Hold Him Down." so obviously they thought that's the aim. Same of these fans might now be complaining about Lanning being unsportsmanlike by using a penalty to shave three seconds off the clock.  

I am not bashing the Bucks with this example. Just saying you won't find a team that isn't sometimes looking to get away with what they can. Time shaving is the oldest trick in the book and everyone finds ways to do it at times. 

Time-shaving happens everywhere using all kinds of questionable methods. Teams are going to get away with what they can when it comes to gaming the clock. Only way to change this is to change rules on game clock management at the end of a half.  The method someone uses to shave time off the clock when the opposition has the ball varies but it happens everywhere. Some are common methods and some are rare. 

At the Maryland game last year I recall the Terrapins were close to scoring at the end of the half. There were twenty-seconds left. Time was running down and fans were laughing and screaming, "Hold him down" as a couple players were obviously trying to delay the receiver from getting back to the line in time. It worked and the clock ran out. 

Not defending any specific decision. Just putting this in perspective. Time-shaving is time-shaving and finding questionable and creative ways to run down the clock is a staple of Sports and probably always will be.  As mentioned before, people only notice it or make a deal of it when they are on the receiving end. 

 The play begins at 4:32 :

In fairness, Tressel would have been busted a few times. There were occasions I recall where he arguably used penalties to run down the clock a little towards the end.  

I am not addressing whether it is sportsmanlike behavior or whether players or coaches should be manipulating rules like this to their advantage. But gaming the clock has always been part of Sports.

It could be as simple as a defender who is intentionally slow to unpile himself off a downed player so they can't get up quickly as the clock winds down. This happens all the time. Our right tackle did it to a Maryland receiver at the end of the first half at The Shoe last season. He was lying on top of him and had a few 'stumbles' that placed him back on top when he was getting off. Everyone in the stands was laughing because it was obvious it was a pile-on to delay his exit and burn a couple of those remaining few seconds.

The problem with enforcement is it's hard for officials to actually prove intent in the moment. There is no way to do so. Maybe that defender legitimately stumbled and fell back down on top of the receiver holding the ball. As long as he quickly gets back up officials wont call a penalty. But looking for ways to shave a couple of seconds off the clock has always been around and probably always will be. 

Whether this is unsportsmanlike behavior or just part of the game is for everyone to debate. But people only make an issue out of it when they are on the receiving end, never when they are the ones delivering it. 

Is there a moral difference between a coach using a penalty to shave time or a player being slow to get up off a player in order to burn off a couple of seconds? Time-shaving is time-shaving. Happens all the time. 

Burke should have went to the NFL when he had an actual shot at making the late first round.

There is no doubt that his perceived draft value took a really big hit Saturday. The consensus among the media talking heads on draft boards is that if the draft were held today, he would be a late third-round pick at best. He needs to put in NFL-worthy performances in the remaining games if he wants to convince teams this game was just a fluke.  And everyone agrees that if he were to deliver another performance like he did Saturday, he will be extremely lucky to even be drafted.