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Around SBN: Ellenberger vs. Sanchez Heats Up, Hughes Talks Retirement

State Your Preference

As I begin to dig into the possible replacement options for Larry MacDuff, I'm curious what fans are interested in seeing happen. If you care to explain, use the comment section below.

Poll
What's your preferred course of events?
Akina leaves with MacDuff
217 votes
Akina stays, new LB coach calls plays
298 votes
Akina stays, retains play calling duties
11 votes

526 votes | Poll has closed

Comment 14 comments  |  0 recs  | 

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It will not work with Akina

lurking over the new D coordinator's shoulder. Duane needs to move on. I like the guy, but time for a fresh start on both sides.

Mack "the CEO" would be making a colossal management mistake by creating this type of personnel structure.

Cats and dogs sleeping together.

by EYESofBEVO on Jan 3, 2008 2:11 PM CST reply actions  

colossal mistake?

that's exactly the structure they had in place when Chizik came here and they won the MNC.

by gwh65 on Jan 3, 2008 2:21 PM CST up reply actions  

Not quite...

Yes, of course that's the same structure, but I think the OP's point is that now, Akina would have just been demoted, which certainly wasn't the case in '05 — hence the "lurking over the...shoulder".

by bbatsell on Jan 3, 2008 2:31 PM CST up reply actions  

The Tenuta factor

Like you pointed out, PB, if Tenuta wants to come here, Akina might need to be shown the door. I'm willing to make that sacrifice.

My adopted kid is pure genius at the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model.

by jc25 on Jan 3, 2008 2:31 PM CST reply actions  

Give the new DC a free hand

Akina is a great guy and presumably is good at teaching individual skills (by all accounts) but does not seem to have figured out how to group these guys together as an effective secondary.  The DB coach should be able to do this.

The new DC needs to be in total command and have agreement from mack that Mack will not interfere with the D.  Mack is an O guy and needs to leave the D decisions to the DC.

If the new DC wants to keep akina, great.  If not, that is also OK.

by Kafka on Jan 3, 2008 2:52 PM CST reply actions  

Just read...
that Will Muschamp of Auburn has interviewed for the vacant job opening at Texas.  Me likey.

by Misterserious7 on Jan 3, 2008 3:47 PM CST reply actions  

Last Auburn DC we snaked worked out nicely...

... Let's go for two!

Growing up, I only fed Jared Norton paper. That's why he eats plays.

by Horn Brain on Jan 3, 2008 4:55 PM CST up reply actions  

Really, brain, we need a finer analysis

if this is happening.

We know Auburn has fine talent on defense and has been consistently strong for some time.

Having talent can skew the numbers, and we need a better sense of just how good Muscamp was, given the level of talent available.

We know he was excellent against the field, but how much of this was due to him? (Think system QB at Tech; paper bag stats.) Defense can be a system itself; Texas was under DKR up through part of Freddy Blue Eyes' reign.

Last, I'd like to think Muscamp thinks he is coming into something good here, a unit with only four starters returning but several key non-starters. If he really likes linebackers - and he talks like it, heh - then maybe he saw something he can work with, that could bring a smile to his face, a mofo growl to his lips.

If I had a word of advice: WVU D. I wanna do that to OU. And everybody else, too. One of the emotions I felt last night after the game was sheer jealousy: I had wanted the Horns to do that to OU. But we could never get to Bradford like they did.

by whills on Jan 3, 2008 11:41 PM CST up reply actions  

Good points...

... Auburn has always had a good D.  Before and after Chizik.  Tuberville has a lot to do with it, obviously.  But look at Muschamp under Saban at LSU.  He ranked #1 scoring and yardage D in the country in 2003 (good enough to win the BCSCG).  In the NFL, he had something like the 10th best D in the league at Miami.  These are good signs, obviously.  Even aside from that, though, I've heard that he likes to play agressive, bump-and-run coverage on the corners, expects a lot from his line backers, and expects his front four to get pressure.  He says he wants to go after the offense, to the point where we will say what plays the offense can run and can't run, and we will be waiting on them.  If he brought nothing but that attitude to Texas, our defense would improve monstrously.

Young guns like this "mofo" play with much more pride than the old guys who have done everything and are content to just win "well enough".  If WM makes the deal here, I doubt you'll see anymore backup QB's marching their offense down the field for score after score once the game is over.  Letting Tech score 21 points in the fourth quarter was embarrassing, and letting ASU's backup score two TD's in a row was embarrassing.  WM would bring some pride to the D, and set in their heads the goal of "We will stop the offense on this drive,"  on every drive.

I like the basics of his "don't bend a f@*$ing inch" attitude, because unless we're going up against a future Pro-Bowler, college qb's thrive on checking to the wide open guy, and having their throw decided before the snap.  See Sam Bradford.  When WVU played big cushions on the corners, Bradford threw the easy 8-9 yard hitch/out/stop/whatever every time.  Once that was taken away, either by the defense or by not calling those routes anymore because they're looking for the big play, Bradford was a tackling-dummy.  The kid has the pocket presence of David Carr.  Clamp down on his receivers and happily collect the picks, sacks, fumbles, and runs for no gain as they rain from the sky.  Most qb's are like this.  They see the "soft" defense all year, and that's what they know how to play against.  Throw in some evil, meat-grinder D, and they start thinking about transferring to the FCS (D-1AA, fuckever).

Growing up, I only fed Jared Norton paper. That's why he eats plays.

by Horn Brain on Jan 4, 2008 9:50 AM CST up reply actions  

Thanks, that's certainly more intense
and quite in line with the WM philosophy.

I've personally always liked the attack-attack-attack defense.

I remember the days when the first D would get pissed if the subs let anyone score.  There was both a sense of pride and a sense of completion about the overall defensive performance. The modern era is much more "just keep us sorta close" and "we'll figure out something."  

I agree that Bradford has surprising little escapability. We forget he's just so young, ala Colt in his first starting season, and prone to the same mistakes if the D attacks relentlessly. The bulk of INTs always comes when the QB is under pressure, regardless of the QB, a fact KSU knows all too well. Put a young or inexperienced QB in that position and feast away.

BTW I was impressed with Kansas' defense last night. Really a much more solid unit than I expected.

by whills on Jan 4, 2008 11:34 AM CST up reply actions  

Wonder why they looked so bad against Mizzou?

They got freaked out at playing their first big game and played soft on the receivers.  I remember watching that game and seeing nine yards, nine yards, eight yards, seven yards, 10 yards.  It was like watching a replay of the RRS.  No amount of crazy blitzing will get pressure on the QB if you don't press your man at the line to give the rush time to collapse the pocket.  That's why DA's blitzes look so stupid.  We probably would have had a much better pass rush and pass coverage if we played hard on the corners and didn't give up the easy yards.  I think that if we hadn't jumped out to a 21 point lead, ASU would have been more calm, taken the easy 9 yards, and their offensive line would have looked amazing.  As it was, they were standing around waiting for their routes to come open while big men leaped at their fragile rib cages.  This is why I think it's silly for anyone to think DA would have been better next year.

Growing up, I only fed Jared Norton paper. That's why he eats plays.

by Horn Brain on Jan 4, 2008 12:21 PM CST up reply actions  

Va Tech was terrible

I thought that I would never say this, in that, their playcalling was atrocious. I thought Greg Davis was bad but their playcalling was atrocious. Instead of giving the ball to Brandon Ore, they kept letting Sean Glennon throw the ball on every single play. To win, all they had to do was run the ball and yet they gave up on it in the second half.

It was a pathetic performance by Va Tech. To think, they were an onside kick recovery from playing in the National Championship Game.

This is kind of off topic but I hate Mark Mangino. What a little sissy, in not letting his players give him a gatorade bath.

Go Longhorns

by horn4ever on Jan 4, 2008 1:20 PM CST up reply actions  

Mike Zimmer

Has anyone else heard his name thrown around.  I heard it on a local radio show in Dallas.  He had a pretty nice run with the Cowboys and I like the idea of ex-NFL DC's running a college defense.  It worked pretty well here with Greg Robinson.

by Hot Hands on Jan 3, 2008 4:49 PM CST reply actions  

Muschamp, Tenuta, In that Order

Akina is a great DB coach but no way in hell should he call the defensive plays, Holiday Bowl not withstanding.

Did he even call the plays in that game?

Give me Muschamp first.  If he ain't available, I'll take Tenuta who should be good as long as we're not playing Georgia.

by SDHornEsq on Jan 3, 2008 7:54 PM CST reply actions  

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