Black Shoe Diaries

I agree with every word

I still don't like Ted Roof

But your points are fair.

Peter Gray - January 11, 2012 reply

He could be a total failure, which is entirely possible

but I’m just cautioning everyone to hold judgement on this one.

I know I'm in the minority on this

and definitely still in the “wait and see” camp, but I like the Roof hire a lot, for the same reasons Mike mentioned. He’s been great at improving defenses, getting pressure, and creating turnovers over the course of his career. What his defenses consistently lacked was sound tackling, and with LJ Sr and Vanderlinden still around, that really shouldn’t be a problem. This could go really, really well.

It will ALL depend on whether or not he can maintain the sound fundamentals

that Penn State has always displayed on defense. Adding in the ball-hawking nature of his previous defenses, it could be a great hire.

But we have to wait-n-see with this one.

This is my view exactly

The turnovers thing is compelling

Because I wantz them.

Peter Gray - January 11, 2012 reply

His defenses also consistently lacked the ability to prevent the other team from entering the endzone.

I'm of the opinion that this was always more of a tackling problem than a schematic problem

and that having LJ Sr and Vanderlinden should alleviate that to a huge degree and be a match made in football heaven. That’s probably overly optimistic, and as I’ve said, I’m still in the “wait and see” group more than anything else, but I could see this going really well.

I can understand people wanting to believe this will turn out well.

Because the alternative sucks. Roof’s last four defenses ranked 61st (w/ Minny), 76th, 53rd and 78th in scoring defense and 81st (w/ Minny), 68th, 60th and 80th in total defense. The two years prior to Roof’s arrival in Auburn, Auburn’s defenses ranked 6th and 14th in scoring and 6th and 29th in total defense. Having watched Auburn over the last three seasons, I can tell you that tackling was not the major issue (not that it isn’t an issue at all, it’s just not the biggest problem).

Just as I can understand people wanting to believe this will turn out poorly.

There are so many voices out there saying this is terrible. We’re simply saying it’s not a guaranteed #FAIL.

I don't think any of us WANT this to turn out pooly.

But I always try to stick to a realistic viewpoint.

So do it.

See? We can all get along just fine!

AH! "So do I"

#KeyboardingFAIL

I would love nothing more than to be proven wrong...

And have you make fun of me relentlessly for my lack of faith in the defensive overload that is Ted Roof. I’m just not optimistic.

In other news, I want Primanti Bros. That is all.

We all want Primanti Bros

We all do

Damn it

now I really want Primanti’s. Oh Hot Pastrami Sandwich, how you haunt my dreams…

Kielbasi with cheese

I’m too much of a polack to order anything else whenever I’m there in the Burgh

really, the correct answer is "all"

but yes, kielbasa, hot sausage, the burger,galhglashghowhg….

truth

If you don't order the cheesesteak, you're wrong.

COME AT ME FOODBROS.

Next time I’m in the Burgh, I’ll have to try the cheese steak there.

I am going to hammer Primanti Bros. for dinner tonight.

I don't think anyone has tried to proclaim him a perfect defensive genius

Just that in tandem with who PSU has on staff with him, this might be a great fit

That's kind of content-free in a sense.

Urban Meyer or Nick Saban aren’t guaranteed to take your team any further than Jay Paterno would either. Does that lack of a guarantee mean there’s no obvious chasm between them?

M1EK - January 11, 2012 reply

I see the optimism in LJ and Vandy teaching sound fundamentals

but isn’t a lot of that related to how much time is allocated to that type of teaching work? Tackling skills aren’t like o-line footwork, it isn’t that complex where some people just don’t get it — I have trouble believing Ted Roof doesn’t know how to teach a kid to tackle. It’s more about practice and reps, and if his defenses couldn’t tackle, I have to believe it’s because they spent time working on other things rather than doing tacking drills, something LJ and Vandy can’t overcome even with the best technique teaching skills.

Caveat — I never played a down of organized football and could be completely wrong.

PSU Mudder - January 11, 2012 reply

I'm late to the party,

but Roof absolutely did nothing to improve the defense under Auburn. They regressed BADLY. The dude was basically run out of town this year. Do I hope he will be good, of course. Do I think he will be, no – based on my own observations.

Paige2PSU - January 11, 2012 reply

Hey, Fuck You!

(I didn’t listen.)

I can't wait for the day when

I’m not checking this site or my twitter every 15 minutes for updates. I’m not sure when that day will be. I thought the commentary was great. I really like the idea of these coaches being able to recruit well out of state.

I agree...

I am excited about the possibility of more aggressively recruiting out of the region, maybe even real nationwide recruiting like USC, OSU, Florida, and Oregon. Maybe PSU was doing that already, but it’s frustrating to look at the ESPN 150 list and see that a majority of them held offers from those USC, OSU, Alabama, etc. and PSU had offered maybe a handful.

I bet half of those ESPN 150 guys never live up to their hype

Sounds like a nice stats project to do if you have a couple weeks you never want to have back.

You must be relatively new around here.

/furiously compiles star data
//REWRITES #STARDEBATE POST

Oh boy, time to #BuckleUp

I'd like to shorten this

MainLion, please post the star/flashbang gif

psuphysicist - January 11, 2012 reply

I can't find any previous posts on this

what was the consensus?

there was no consensus!

stars are important…no wait, they’re not. or maybe they are…sometimes.

Cari Greene - January 11, 2012 reply

It's a divisive issue.

Neither side is wrong, but some people feel strongly both ways.

No thanks...

I finished Statistics – with a Chinese professor – last semester, and I need a break from it. :-)

I had one of those at PSU

for calc. We spent a whole class completely confused as he kept talking about “inn-ee-ah” equations. People kept whispering to each other “what the hell is that?”

Later in the class he wrote the word “linear” on the board. Ahaaaa!

PSU Mudder - January 11, 2012 reply

welcome to the Penn State Math department

one of my many gripes about them. I once had a teacher for Diff Eqs from somewhere in Eastern Europe who’s accent was so bad that several people walked out in the middle of the first class. I went home and switched my schedule right afterwards.

Kaz?

You better not mean Kaz because Kaz was the man. I don’t know if he taught 250.

Did he look kinda like a fat Borat?

more like a skinny Kaiser Wilhelm

The recruiting aspect could be huge, especially with McWhorter on staff as OL coach

he opens up Texas for Penn State. Maybe not a lot, but his foot in the door—plus that ’05 National Title ring—helps PSU immensely.

Even if it's just one or two guys, that's an improvement.

Chris said it earlier somewhere else, but we’re not going to poach top talent from Texas. That’s UT’s, then A&M’s, then SMU/TTech etc. But I would argue that some years (see 2011), the players left for PSU to get are just as good if not better than some of the available ones in PA.

Right. Just look at what teams like Rutgers, USF, UCF have done in Florida.

They take the “leftovers” that FSU, UF and UM didn’t take. But those guys were actually better 3-stars than many 4-stars in other states. Their values were simply deflated due to the greater talent pool they had to compete against.

Same thing in Texas. You can grab three 3-star guys out of Texas, but they’re equivalent to two 4-stars and a 3-star from almost any state outside TX, CA or FL.

I don't know if a Texas 3-star is better than a PA 4-star.

They’re still graded by the same metrics. But my point is that there are more three-, four-, and five-star players in Texas (as well as the SEC states) than in PA. So any inroads there increases our chances of getting even just one or two recruits of a high caliber.

Those 3 stars are big and bright.

And deep in the heart . . .

Never mind.

CvilleLion - January 11, 2012 reply

Serious question...

Do you really think SMU and Tech (post-Leach) have that big of a built in advantage over Penn State? I mean, if we end up sucking the next few years, then sure. But what if we compete for/win a Big Ten title at some point in the next 3 years? Maybe I’m too much of a homer but i would think kids would rather play for a Big Ten champ than team like SMU that is in a 2nd tier conference.

Nittany_Ryan - January 11, 2012 reply

It's 1400 miles from Lubbock to State College.

The distance thing is hard to overcome, which is why SMU, TT, etc. have a built in advantage to take the UT/TAM leftovers. But success begets success. Let’s win the B1G first, then start using that as a tool on the trail.

As I commented somewhere else on BSD...

You could built a top 15 team with the texas talent UT & TAMU completely ignore.

Also, PSU can beat the SMUs & TTs of the world in a recruiting battle, even in Texas…now, TCU & similar programs is where the fight would be on.

The Mustard Tiger - January 11, 2012 reply

Exactly

The McWhorter hire is great and I am excited to see what kinds of doors he is able to open up for us in the recruiting future. Great interview Mike.

I hope BOB does get that Superbowl ring.

I imagine BOB sitting in some recruits kitchen listening to his parents talk, not really paying attention and just nonchalantly tapping that obnoxiously huge ring on the table and staring at the recruit.

Love that imagery...

of BOB tapping the “obnoxiously huge” SB ring.

Listening intently to the parents with his hand strategically placed on his face.

Not like any of these guys, but with that big ring, with all of its diamonds, just staring at the parents.

I thought the same thing last night...

How freaking awesome would it be as a recruit to hear that my potential head coach was the OC for the SuperBowl winning team?

The Mustard Tiger - January 11, 2012 reply

Me too

I was kind of annoyed when BOB first said that he would be staying with the Pats for the rest of the season because I was in the mind set of, "ok, you’re here, make us better, you bleed blue and white, and should only ever care or think about Penn State Football. Now I realize the positive impact a super bowl win may have on potential recruits. Silly me.

Especially those offensive skill positions.

NE may throw a lot with Brady, but that’s just out of necessity. With a good running game like PSU has, expect a very balanced attack.

Who is the other line coach though?

I mean, McWhorter will surely be great coaching the left tackle and right guard, but who is going to coach the right tackle and left guard? Not too mention, who coaches the center and the punter?

WFY - January 11, 2012 reply

Just having a head coach who will actually visit recruits has gotta help

Also agree with the wait and see approach to Coach Roof. Penn State has terrific athletes on the defensive side of the ball. A more aggressive approach could work out really well.

MB in MI - January 11, 2012 reply

Whoa whoa whoa I thought this was a radio show?

Where are the fart noises and slide whistles?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK9bbLQZ3Bo

I'll just leave this here

The Mustard Tiger - January 11, 2012 reply

I hope that's a clip of Dingo and the Baby.

Given the choice...

…between $10,000 and an elephant, I’ll Stampy.

Don't forget the stippers and porn stars...

DoubleM'd!

/instinctively changes channel

That intro music was pretty awful

Being a Packers fan kinda hope Bob doesn't get that big ring

but if he does, at least I can see the upside

MB in MI - January 11, 2012 reply

I'm torn this weekend.

Root for the Pats so BOB can get closer to getting his ring, or root for TebowMania, which is annoying as all hell and just beat my Steelers?

Root for a good competitive game with lots of points being scored...

because whatever happens, PSU wins.

More face time for our new coach and closer to a SB ring.
Or he’s freed up to go full time while there’s still some time to recruit.

And really, in this match-up who is more annoying… Brady or Tebow?

BNittsDeMilo - January 11, 2012 reply

Sorry Jeff. Felt bad for the Steelers this past weekend

I’ll give Tebow credit but you can’t win the game with your entire starting defensive line standing on the sidelines with injuries.

MB in MI - January 11, 2012 reply

Since I have no dog in this hunt,

I hope BOB gets a ring while setting a SB record for offensive output. And then Tom Brady gives him credit while holding up the SB MVP trophy. LOL.

CvilleLion - January 11, 2012 reply

I've boycotted everything ESPN for weeks now

Including ESPN radio, which is a shame because I do enjoy listening to the local guys on 1050. Yesterday I randomly decide to tune in on my way home and low behold Mike was on. Great job Mike and let us know ahead of time when your going to make any other appearances.

Lion Eyes - January 11, 2012 reply

This was throw out to us around 3 p.m.

and I was running errands with my infant son, so I wasn’t able to Tweet or post a heads-up about it beforehand. You can yell at the other BSD guys for that.

But I got home and had just enough time to throw together my cheat-sheet for the appearance, completely forgetting to promote it online.

I'm working on making this a semi-regular or regular thing.

Chris Grovich - January 11, 2012 reply

Just throwing a question out there

How many people think that Chizik was the one really calling the shots at Auburn? How much autonomy do people think Roof had there?

Ya know, I didn't even think of that till now.

Chizik WAS a defensive coordinator before he was a HC. So it’s entirely plausible.

Good job on the show, btw

Worth noting that Auburn had two INTs returned for TDs this year. We had zero. That could be seen as some measure of how differently the corners are utilized

Nice take Mike P

I felt like a fool for my two-faced attitude about Bob (Hated the rumor, but really like his presser) so I’ll take heed and wait it out for a bit.

Artiefufkin10 - January 11, 2012 reply

NO YOU MUST PANIC NOW BEFORE ALL THE PANIC RUNS OUT

I KNOW

But seriously, its a long off-season, gotta save my energy.

Artiefufkin10 - January 11, 2012 reply

I dont' know, you better strike while the panic is hot

This is exactly why I've been stockpiling panic for the past couple of years