just a couple humble thoughts about boise/ole miss.
the number is 9.5 today, was 10 last week and i know movement right now doesn't mean a lot, but this still doesn't make any sense to me.
harisn's second year in boise is here, and while i really like their chances in the MW, i don't see their recruits or gameplan set up for coverage town in hotlanta when they meet the rebs.
their best RB, baltazar transferred out. ajayi is their guy now, but he had fumbleitis last year.
qb is grant hedrick, i actually like this kid. he's a sr this year, and he's gonna be good in the MW.
they're gonna run more than usual if they follow the harsin arky state formula, and i'm guessin they will. the o line is by far the weakest part of this team, and running the ball against ole miss's d line is gonna be tough. play action is probably gonna be a big part of this scheme, but that's tougher than normal when facing a 4-2-5 w/speed and depth.
WR's matt miller and shane williams-rhodes are gonna have an impact, but with the size/speed/experience of the CBs at ole miss, this is gonna be an issue.
shane williams-rhodes is more of a scat-back with hands, and he'll get his yards, but after him and miller, there ain't much there.
23 combined starts with this boise o-line.
the back 7 on the defensive side of the ball brings back everyone. they're gonna have experience. but they're gonna be all alone out there because the pass rush from boise is really lacking. d lawrence is now in the NFL, and he lead the team with 10.5 sacks last year. harsin brought in 3 juco d linemen, and two of them are tackles.
good offenses lit this defense up lats year. they were pretty decent in the MW, but washington, byu, fresno tore this unit a new one. yes, the experience is there in the back 7, but being on an island against the talented receivers at ole miss is gonna get old, quick.
who's gonna cover treadwell?
vince sanders is back and the dude can flat-out fly.
who's gonna stop all sec TE evan engram?
Ole miss is loaded at the skill positions, and i see their quickness and speed becoming a problem for a better than average MW defense.
Ole miss iwillstruggle against a good pash rush. good thing boise won't be fielding one of those. Ole miss has big bad bo coming back ready to light shit up, and this offensive system allows him to get the ball out real quick to avoid the weakness that his O line is. nevermind the fact that bo can run and make plays happen on his own.
if the secondary of boise state is on an island, mr wallace should have the time and ability to connect with his receivers and avoid 3rd and longs.
oh yeah, in the red zone have fun with akeem judd at rb and liggins at belldozer. as long as ole miss still slings the rock instead of trying to force a running game, this team is gonna put up points.
As far as the rebels defense goes, the 4-2-5 is goofy to look at first, but once you figure out why it exists, it starts to make sense. You gotta have a nasty run defense for this formation to even work, and the rebels had that last year, and that's with a bunch of injuries. This d line is nothing but more experienced, and that's gonna be a shitty situation for boise. the beast MLB marry is gone, but shackelford ain't no slouch. he's a senior and his lateral movement and size make him scary.
if you can't run the ball against a 4-2-5, then you gotta throw. and when you gotta throw into a permanent nickel defense--you're fucked. the secondary might be the deepest, and fastest in the country. they bring everyone that matters back, with a couple 4star freshmen just waiting to jump on the field and make a difference.
So from where i'm sitting, boise state is gonna try and establish a running game and not be very successful at it. their o line is inexperienced, and ole miss's d line is phenomenal against the run. 3rd and long means throwing into a nickel defense that loves to steal the ball and take games over.
ole miss is gonna try and run a balanced offense until they realize they're not very good at that and their receivers are a notch above anything these boise players have seen.
let bo sling it.
gl, ya'll.
