re: Is Bobby Petrino really the best coach in the SEC?

quote:

---

He may not be the best but he certainly is one of the best. He is very disciplined, focused and excellent at creating matchup problems for opposing defenses. Like Miles and apparently unlike Saban, puts alot of emphasis on special teams. Like Saban, he is extremely proficient at his specific specialty. Saban's is defense and Petrino's is Offense. Saban can make an excellent Passing team look sub par. Petrino's passing offense can make an excellent defense look poor. The key for an excellent defense to avoid being made to look poor agains Petrino is all about discipline. He uses the opposing defenses speed and aggression to his advantage. His receivers are big, fast and have good hands. His QB's are disciplined and well coached. The defensive line has to made the QB throw quickly, the defense has to account for every single potential receiver every play. Lastly, and most important is the defensive player who is the first player to make contact with the receiver, RB or Tight end receiving the ball, MUST wrap up on the man. Don't try to knock the player down or knock the ball out. They must wrap their arms around the receiver or grab onto their Jersey, legs, anything until another defender arrives for support. Watch Petrino's teams from Louisville and now Arkansas. Notice that most touchdowns or large gains are a direct result of the first defender not containing the ball carrier until help arrives. As a result the receiver break the first contact and either takes the ball to the house or at the very least picks up alot of extra yards. Petrino's offenses seldom "ground it out" or sustain long, methodical drives. Their touchdowns are usually from poor discipline on the part of the defense and tenacity and discipline by the receivers and QB. Eventually the good defenses will catch up to this and he will have to evolve. But for now, his QB's, RB's and Receivers are coached more intensively than most others. They all know how to read practically any defensive formation, where the blitzes are coming from and thus where the week spot will be and who to pick up and block. Hopefully Friday our defensive backs and linebackers will realize these specialties and stay disciplined and play as team to gang tackle and keep every Arkansas RB, TE and receiver accounted for. Bama did this and won. We didn't last year and lost. GEAUX TIGERS!

---

Good observations. There are three keys to Arkansas moving the ball against LSU Friday:

1. Getting the right matchups, especially with LSU linebackers.
2. LSU ability or inability to get a pass rush with their DL. If the Tigers have to resort to blitzing to get to Wilson, they may get to him a time or two but that will make them vulnerable to big plays.
3. Wilson and the RB’s ability to recognize the blitzes and where they are coming from.

LSU '10
@ UCSe '10
LSU '08
@ UGA '10
Aub '09
eATMe '10
@ Aub '08 (just because it got them a road SEC win)

In my mind, BMFP is building something for the long-term. One of the things I was thinking about this morning is that I can't remember us losing a game when we were favored in the last 2, maybe 3 years. That's the first step. We dno't yet have the stunning upset of Bama, or a top team that is heavily favored over us. But we are taking care of business when we have to. Another thing that I like about BMFP's teams is that when we do have those horrible games against inferior competition (OM, Vandy), we still find ways to win. Nobody is happy with 5 and 3 point wins there, but at least we're not talking about losing those games and what could have been...

The next big step this program needs to take is to elevate the talent and the game to the level where LSU and Bama are. I think we're close, and if anybody can do it, it's BMFP.