I didn't play OL but know a great deal about it (coach the position along with some others). Most of what I learned was from days as a member of a collegiate team. But the year I was the video coordinator at the collegiate level I learned a great deal about the OLine. I shot the tight copy, which is tackle to tackle or tackle to TE. For that year I watched every snap and every play the ol played in, it was a very good learning experience from that vantage point.
I think our problems are with emotions and line play. If you watch our line they miss blocks and just don't seem to get after it. I go to these coaching clinics to all these colleges and it appears to me that they all seem to be teaching the same techniques, which tells me it's how these young men are blocking or not blocking. They are getting good coaching and technique. The Irish line are taught how to block against the 9, 7, 1, and 0 techiques to name a few. There taught to peel off and get secondary level blocks, seal people off, when to cut, when to scoop, and everything else in the world you could imagine. Repitition is key and when I was at Notre Dame practices in the spring they were getting that too. I have a DVD of the OL blocking drills I watch and run my players through the same drills. The drills they do at ND are top of the line and work on so many things that improve the player it almost seems unfair. It's so easy to want to blame coaching when you are grasping at straws trying to figure out what's wrong. There are many people that are going to disagree with me on this I'm sure, and that's fine it's only what I've seen and my opinion. But I bet if you ask the other two coaches that went with me to ND they would agree with me on what I've said. I also went to App St. and seen how they do things and it's pretty much the same thing and they get after your ass when their running. So when I watch our OL at Notre Dame I just think they got to get after it, block their assignments and play harder. For me it comes down to effort and heart. Having said that, I do think they will get there because I think they can be a productive group. Next game watch and see if lineman are engaged with defenders during a run or towards the end of a play, if they aren't engaged with a defender then their not blocking their assignment right.
Thanks for your insight and expertise. That was very enlightening, to say the least. You bring up a valid point about it being emotion and just wanting to "get after it". However, that leads to the question: What do you do about lack of heart? I played basketball at the collegiate level and coached for many years. In my experience, no matter what you do, you can't coach heart. Maybe you can for a play, a series, a game, or even a few games, but ultimately it has to come from the player. What do these boys have to do? Like I said in a previous post in another thread, I was fortunate enough to tour the locker room, go down the stairs, hit the sign and jog out onto the field. Even without a single person in the stands, I was so excited, I almost peed myself! How can you not get jacked up when you put on that uni and the helmet and run out onto that legendary field in front of 80k people?
It is definitely a head scratcher for sure. If it were up to me and I was head coach from my couch, I would put in anyone who wanted to get after it regardless of talent level. I would much rather watch someone give their all and lose, than play uninspired football and win some (and lose others).
To agree with you more: Just once, after Jimmy takes a late hit from the other team, I would like to see one of the linemen go over to the guy, get in his face, and rip is freakin helmet off. I don't care if you get an unsportsmanlike penalty. I am old school. Someone does something questionable to your QB, they are going to get about 700 lbs of O lineman in their grill. I have not seen that in '07 and thusfar in '08 and, with as many times as Jimmy has hit the dirt in that time, I think they owe him at least that. Just my opinion, even though I am sure some will disagree with me.
Thanks again for your great info!
