Ohio State vs. LSU

Actually, the origins of the "southern speed myth" go back much farther than 2 years. Bo and Woody invented "3 yards and a cloud of dust" long before the SEC became arguabley the strongest football conference in the nation the last several years. The Big Ten hadn't seen a spread offense until Gary Barnett and Northwestern in 1995, and Joe Tiller and Purdue soon after. There are lots of reasons Michigan and tOSU got hammered last year. Speed was definately one of those reasons. But the notion that players from the South are faster than those from northern states is ludicrous.

But don't take my word for it. Let's go to the empirical evidence...


The Southern Speed Myth
LSU isn't any faster than Ohio State. Why does everyone insist otherwise?
By Jonathan Chait

http://www.slate.com/id/2181319/

 

Good read, thanks. I think the following entry from the article is an interesting take on the situation :

"Like many myths, this one contains a bit of truth. Southern teams play outside their region only during two parts of the year: in September nonconference games, and in the bowls. Since the former take place when it's warm everywhere, and the latter almost always take place in a warm-weather climate, that means Southern college football teams, unlike their NFL counterparts, never play in cold weather. As a result, many of them play a more wide-open, pass-oriented style than Northern teams, which need players and systems that can succeed in the snow as well as in the sun. So, while the Southern style of football certainly looks faster, that doesn't mean that the players actually run faster. After all, the few Northern teams that run wide-open spread offenses—such as Purdue and Northwestern—look fast, too."

 

I would be remiss to not point out that Michigan BEAT an SEC team and Heisman Trophy winner this year.
I think Michigan's record against the SEC is now 8-3.
OSU on the other hand................ouch!

 

MadCat,

Yes, I agree with you. I believe the paragraph you selected is spot on factual, and certainly makes a lot of sense.

I know it will never happen, but just once, wouldn't it be interesting to have a Jan. bowl game somewhere up North? Michigan vs. Florida at the Big House in the freezing cold and snow ala the Packers at Lambeau. It would certainly be an attempt to level the playing field as the Big Ten consistently plays their bowl games in their opponents' backyard.

Purdue vs Central Michigan in Detroit
Penn State vs Texas A&M in San Antonio
Michigan vs Florida in Orlando
Illinois vs USC in Pasadena
tOSU vs LSU in New Orleans

Five of eight Big Ten bowl games are played within driving distance for the teams they match up against. Think home-field advantage won't play a part tonight?

But let's be honest. Bowls are not about fairness. They are about $$$. And filling the seats in warm weather climates. And a "reward" to the players. Same reason the Super Bowl is played in a dome/warm state.

 

Is it me or did that halftime last longer than the entire first half?!

 

Congrats to GeauxTigers, LSU and the SEC for another dominating performance. Please, next year, at least try to find an opponent who can make it a game. I guess 38-24 at least sounds better than 41-14.

 

Another non-competitive game to end an ordinary bowl season. I am a huge sports fan and I love college football, but I don't know how much more of this I watch until they come up with a playoff which provides some sort of satisfactory ending to the season.

 

If you truly understood the "game" then you would realize it was alot more competitive than the score indicated.

OSU did move the ball against the vaunted LSU defense but their own mistakes, especially the unsportsmanlike penalties cost them dearly. The OSU dropped pass in the end-zone and subsequent blocked field goal was THE turning point in the game.

And for the 2nd year in a row, I do beleive that OSU was outcoached. Neither Florida nor LSU threw the ball deep but few times each. I think OSU is/was so worried about getting beat deep that both UF and LSU took great advantage of the underneath patterns. I also think that OSU could have done the same thing, especially against LSU. It would have also gotten the ball out of Boeckman's hands earlier.

 

Whatever. You are just bitter because your team got beat again, T8er! LSU rolled up 30 unanswered points--that was complete domination.

Talk about moving the ball against a vaunted defense! OSU was ranked number one in virtually every category and during that important stretch, they could not stop LSU. Excellent play calling.

 

OSU got beat bad. Not as bad as last year, but they were definitely outplayed. I think there were two big turning points in the game. one was the blocked field goal. To me, that was a 10 point swing. Second was the roughing the kicker call followed by another 15 yard penalty.

If the Buckeyes hadn't already recently won a championship I would say they were becoming the Buffalo Bills or Minnesota Vikings of the college world.

Here's hoping that all of their All-Americans don't leave early for the pros.

 

Sorry about your Buckeyes. I too thought that Tressel was outcoached last year, but I don't think that Les Miles outcoaches anyone. Tressel is obviously a really good coach -- I know Buckeyes fans don't want to hear it, but is it possible that Ohio State just doesn't have the overall talent (I said talent, not necessarily speed) to compete with the top teams in the SEC and PAC-10 ? Ohio State certainly competed better this year, but I got the feeling after the initial few possessions that LSU was going to be able to score whenever they had to.

 

All the talking heads pointed to the blocked field goal as the turning point in the game, but I'm with T8erman here. If Robiskie holds on to that pass in the end zone, the field goal attempt never happens. That play set in motion the final swing in momentum to LSU in a game that was still up for grabs.

This game was about opportunities. LSU executed when it mattered, while tOSU squandered theirs. It's that simple.

 

That may very well be when it's all said and done. With the Big Ten being "down" this year, did tOSU have an easier road to get into the game? Realistically, other than Illinois, did any other team give Ohio State a test this year? What I'm getting at is LSU survived a slew of injuries and quite a few close/overtime games this season playing a tough SEC schedule (as well as ACC champ VaTech OOC). I believe the fact that they came into the game "battle tested" played a big part.

 

I think maybe it is a "difference" in talent type. Every teams first priority is winning their conference championships, so Big 10 (colder-weather) teams typically must build teams that can play in non-tourist weather.

And if you are saying that OSU doesn't have the overall talent, compare how many Buckeyes are in the NFL vs. any other individual SEC team. They stack up rather well in ALL positions. And isn't the NFL the defacto judge when comapring talent?

 

They have the talent, it's just that they don't execute or come up big in games that matter, that's all

 

Not sure I buy this T8. OSU and the rest of the Big 10 played their last game in mid-November. For the most part the Big 10 teams play their games in ideal fall football weather. Do they really have to build teams that much differently than those in warmer weather climates?

IMO the SEC is just going through a cyclical period right now of having a lot of good teams who are generally doing well against the rest of the country. This, like all cycles, will turn at some point.

 

In truth, they have been coming up big in the games that matter very well. They have won 5 out of 6 against Michigan who is EASILY the biggest game on their schedule, maybe even including the NC game.

How many teams would trade places with OSU in the past 5 years? All but USC maybe.

 

Trust me, games can be extremely cold in November at alot of northern schools.

Does anyone here know anything about physiology? I wonder if there are any affects on the body after a long layoff and living in colder climes?

 

Homer! Come on, they have choked and gotten dominated in the National Championship Game two years in a row. No game is bigger. That's like saying the Redskins would rather beat the Cowboys than win the NFC Championship Game or Super Bowl.

But you are right. It's a premiere program that most fans would be proud of. Just giving you and OSU fans a hard time because you become insufferable this time of year, and it's fun to see OSU fans humbled

What other teams wouldn't trade OSU in the past 5 years? You forgot LSU!

 

First, I am suffering. But as far as being humbled, no need. I am not one of "those fans" that try to make their team seem better by belittling other teams. I absolutely DETEST trash-talking, I may play along at times but I NEVER start it.

And I guess it is easier to sit back and snipe when you do not have a stake in the game!