Kansas Crimson

With as deep as we are the running back position, it's likely we have the right type of backs to play in the offense. We have speed guys like Gardner and Hisaw. We have the power back with Pesek-Hickson. Then we bring in Devin Neal. Running back is loaded. If our offensive line can get those concepts down, we could have success running the ball.

Neal might be the guy. He’s a typical running back in terms of size and speed. Gardner and Hishaw are going to be nice complement pieces and then Pisek-Hickson for the goal line and short yardage situations.

You are encouraged by the depth in the RB room and the potential they carry but we all know they aren't going to be worth shit if the O-line is as bad as it has been in the past. We are going to be asking Fuchs to make chicken salad out of chicken shit.

holidaysmore wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 11:56 am You are encouraged by the depth in the RB room and the potential they carry but we all know they aren't going to be worth shit if the O-line is as bad as it has been in the past. We are going to be asking Fuchs to make chicken salad out of chicken shit.

Think we end up with a transfer or 2 from Buffalo. Add in Grunhard, hope to have some good talent in the short run and then hope all those freshmen you played last year mature even more.

Best case scenario and I believe / I hope you are right.

Encouraged by what I heard today. I was one of the few that liked Elliott but both of these hires are significant upgrades.

Doom and gloom would be the return of Ianello as the recruiting coordinator when Jones was doing so well at that. Maybe Jones didn't want that role anymore.

Coordinators were impressive. Borland and Leipold are both pretty boring but that's perfectly ok. Kotelnicki is a man full of energy and a good vibe around him.

All 3 mentioned how they all have trust in each other. Leipold has some input during the games, but he is mostly focused on what's happening on the field at all times, not focused on calling the next play.

This was not mentioned today, but Kotelnicki mentioned he likes being the TE coach on top of OC. When teams do inside running drills, he is there observing the TEs but also his OL and RB at the same time. But when they do 7v7 passing drills, he is there watching the QB/WR connections on top of observing the TEs.

holidaysmore wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 12:06 pm Best case scenario and I believe / I hope you are right.

Encouraged by what I heard today. I was one of the few that liked Elliott but both of these hires are significant upgrades.

Doom and gloom would be the return of Ianello as the recruiting coordinator when Jones was doing so well at that. Maybe Jones didn't want that role anymore.

I honestly have no idea what Ianello will do here. Probably just Leipold's right hand man type of thing. But keep him off the field, and I'm perfectly OK with that.

holidaysmore wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 12:06 pm Best case scenario and I believe / I hope you are right.

Encouraged by what I heard today. I was one of the few that liked Elliott but both of these hires are significant upgrades.

Doom and gloom would be the return of Ianello as the recruiting coordinator when Jones was doing so well at that. Maybe Jones didn't want that role anymore.

Eargle was the recruiting coordinator.


As far as Ianello, being off field here tells me a couple things: 1. Leipold really values having this guy around, and 2. the KU donors were not keen on him coming back as a staff member.

holidaysmore wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 11:56 am You are encouraged by the depth in the RB room and the potential they carry but we all know they aren't going to be worth shit if the O-line is as bad as it has been in the past. We are going to be asking Fuchs to make chicken salad out of chicken shit.

Different level, but the Vikings have successfully ran the zone blocking scheme with a chicken shit offensive line but an All-Pro running back. Maybe not as successfully as the 49ers, but there may be something there with the scheme that can work with a subpar O-Line.

Passing game will still likely be a nightmare, though.

Especially when he worse than all the other coaches on staff. He has almost exclusively coached WRs, he's not better than Jones, and it's not close either.

CrimsonNBlue wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 1:15 pm

holidaysmore wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 11:56 am You are encouraged by the depth in the RB room and the potential they carry but we all know they aren't going to be worth shit if the O-line is as bad as it has been in the past. We are going to be asking Fuchs to make chicken salad out of chicken shit.

Different level, but the Vikings have successfully ran the zone blocking scheme with a chicken shit offensive line but an All-Pro running back. Maybe not as successfully as the 49ers, but there may be something there with the scheme that can work with a subpar O-Line.

Passing game will still likely be a nightmare, though.

Good point CnB. The best scheme for an undersized, not as good OL is a zone-based scheme. I honestly think that Leipold is going to throw the ball like 15 times per game in 2021. The QB just has to hit the open guys. Don't care if they're bombs either. Give me a 20 yard pass play every drive and I'm happy.

You are right, CnB about 'crootin coordinator. I really don't care about Rob but I have seen enough posts other places that people are all worked up about it.

Best example would be the Denver Broncos under Shannan. They ran zone running schemes and created cut back lane after cut back which got TD to the Hall of Fame and a slew of unknown RBs to 1k like it was nothing.

Until they can find the QB for the future (or maybe he is on the roster) a great running game can hide a lot of inconsistencies from the QB. Shorten your down and distance and work from play action. Make the throws easier while your QB progresses.

sounds so easy lol

holidaysmore wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 2:46 pmBest example would be the Denver Broncos under Shannan. They ran zone running schemes and created cut back lane after cut back which got TD to the Hall of Fame and a slew of unknown RBs to 1k like it was nothing.

I think it all came from Shanahan. Vikes through Kubiak. 49ers, obviously. Not sure how the Titans got there, but I bet Shanahan or Kubiak's names are on the tree.

CBS did a ranking of all P5 Head Coaches.

Leipold comes in at 35.
Lance Leipold: Leipold has the second-highest ranking of any newcomer in this year's poll. That seems right, but should he be starting at No. 35? That I'm not quite as convinced, as I have him at No. 50. Still, it's hard to argue that he's an excellent hire for Kansas as the things he accomplished at Wisconsin-Whitewater and then Buffalo are exactly what Kansas needs somebody to do with its program. 2020 rank: n/a

Others in Big 12..

62. Aranda at Baylor
60. Wells at Tech
46. Sark at Texas
41. Brown at West Va
37. Klieman at kstate
19. Patterson at TCU
15. Gundy at oSu
9. Campbell at Iowa State
3. Riley at OU

Those rankings don't mean much as I'm pretty sure Les was in the 30s or 40s when at Kansas. Just interesting off-season fodder.

I used to insist on playing as a bad Chiefs team on NFL QB Club on NES. Quickly my son learned to defend the screen pass and he beat the absolute crap out of me every time. KU reminded me of that last year. Bubble screens for negative yards. Sacks. Draw plays on 3rd and forever.
Lance L. has a pretty good chance to top my expectations.

Man, NFL QB Club was amazing. Loved that game. Think I first got it in 96 with Steve Young on the front.

I played many games of that on GameBoy while traveling with family.

I just like how Kotelnicki said "Multiple pro-style offense with spread components and concepts with the optimal word as multiple" Mentioned that sometimes you have a scheme and for one reason or another, you can't get the players to fit that scheme all the time, so you better know how to adjust and be multiple. And that's their day one approach, it's what they hang their hat on.

8 minute TD drive to begin the 2nd half.

That ended the game. What a methodical drive

I don't care how banged up OSU was, that was an absolute beatdown coming off of a bye week. Not sure how it looked on TV, but the game wasn't close and was never in question. Our staff schooled their staff. Atrocious defense by OSU. In what world do you play off of the LOS and let Devin Neal run and Bean throw underneath all game.