I come in peace! I hope to spend some time here chatting with you ND fans and hopefully I can be a useful source of information for you as we discuss the upcoming game. Certainly it is shaping up to be one for the ages!

 

My take (opinion, sorry so long winded)-

 

Certainly two great defenses will have the opportunity to showcase their ability. While I do consider our defense to be a bit young, with everyone we lost to grad/draft last year, we have had the benefit of rotating the younguns in for the last two years so by this point everyone you will see has already gained significant game experience. Power up front, speed from the LB's is at the core of our defensive attack. Our secondary is a bit of a weak spot and taller receivers / TE's (which I know you have a goodie) have been an issue for us. In the end, I believe our ability to rotate players in/out of the game and keep them fresh, especially after such a long layoff, will be key to us being able to play up to the standard required to win. Keep you eyes on CJ Mosley. He is a good one to watch like your Te'o, though their games are different. CJ is a hard hitter but most impressive in the passing game.

 

On Offense, we feature one of the best O-Lines in coverage; true road-graders! We will tell you we are going to run, let you stack the box and still run it right down your throats. Seriously, ask Jarvis Jones and he will tell you DJ Fluker (our RT),before the play, told him we were going to run right at him. We have one of the best LT's in college football in Cyrus Kouandjio. I can't recall him getting beat this season and of coarse We have Barrett Jones in the center who has been one of the best at aver OL position he has played (LG, LT, C) over the last 3 years.

 

Running behind our massive OL is Eddie Lacy, TJ Yeldon and Kenyon Drake. All should play but Lacy and Yeldon will carry most of the load. This (and receiver) is where injuries have hurt us the most this year losing both Jalston Fowler (H-Back/Full-Back) and Dee Hart (small change of pace burner) to ACL's. That said, Lacy and Yeldon are one of the better tandems ND's D is likely to face this year. Lacy will run through you or use his spin move to make you miss and go around you. What I find most impressive is that he seems to maintain his speed after the spin. Yeldon is a tall/lean slasher but he still has the leg strength to run at you and is really hard to tackle/get a hand on,in the open field. He is a true freshman and has fumbled a few close to the goal line so security will be a point of emphasis for him the next 3 weeks. Drake is a bit taller than Lacy but runs behind his pads and will get some yards for us when needed.

 

AJ McCarron is solid as a QB and more than the game manager that most give him credit for. He understands our offence and is good at reading the D and getting us into the right play. He normally has 3 plays with 2-3 variations on each when he comes to the line. He has a strong arm and throws a nice deep ball. He is generally very accurate and rarely throws a pick which leads to him having the best passer rating in CFB.

 

Receiving we feature Kevin Norwood who, if you watched the BCS last year, you will see is a sure handed possession type receiver who can be lethat 10-20 yards beyond the LOS. Our other primary target is Amari Cooper, a true freshman burner who has good hands and can stretch the field, especially on play action. Injuries have claimed Kenny Bell (our fastest player) and Chis Black (who may make a return from a season long leg injury. We also have some good tight ends but they are primarily blockers in the run game and don't get too many passes (except for goal line). Names to watch out for are Michael Williams, the best pass catcher of the group and Brian Volger who will be run blocking 10-15 yards down field.

 

Special teams we have a real good FG kicker from w/in 40 yrds (hasn't missed one yet) but outside of that we are a little shaky. Punting is solid but coverage lacks at times.

 

I think our game plan will be to establish the run and then establish it some more. You will have to prove you can stop it before we get too creative in the passing. Don't get me wrong we will pass it early in the game but it will be vanilla until we gain an understanding of how your D is playing us. The key is to stay ahead of the chains. Then once you have 8/9 in the box we will play action and take our shots deep.

 

On D, we will probably spy your QB like we did DRob. Though I think your guy has a much better arm and is probably not as big a threat to run, if he can extend the play like Johnny Football he will get his chances to make plays (but more with his arms than legs). I don't watch a lot of ND football, mainly because I am a Bama Fan, really not an ND fan since 1966 (http://keithdunnavant.com/book_missing_ring.php), and I live next to a huge ND fan and used to live next to a former player who, even in the down years were intolerable, so... I don't know much about the rest of your offensive weapons (this is why I am here, to learn).

 

I think we will be careful with the ball and not try anything gimmicky or risky on special teams. Turnovers will be key. When we don't give the ball away we tend to win. Also, I think we will do what we do, not change too much based on what you do or what we think you will do.

 

In the end, I think we are too deep, benefiting from 6 years of recruiting at the level you all have signing in February, and we will wear you down and win in the 4th quarter... Okay so I am a bit of a homer!

 

That said, here's to a great game, injury free, and to my guys winning #15!

Thank you. I figure somebody will be wearing somebody down in he 4th quarter. Can't imagine either of these defenses not showing up and having it end up a blowout though.

 

McCarron's experience could make the difference. Golson needs to play his best.

 

On offense we've got the big TE Eifert and an RB named Riddick who has really come along lately. A regular sized back who has been gutting it out for incredibly tough yards the last few games. A real surprise this year. He needs to be given the ball more in the red zone.

You may have been successful telling LB's like Jarvious Jones that your going to run right at him and had success . But this is not going to work against us . Difference is Jarvious is a pass rush LB not so much a run stuffer. Unlike our boys Teo and Carlo Calabrese #44 they both will fill holes harder and smack you right in the mouth. No doubt this will be the most physical defense Bama and ND both have seen. My prediction is this ......Bama's run game will not flourish against our D , if you guys will have any success on O it will be dinking and dunking. As for us on Offense we will also struggle with the run and though I think Golson will make some nice plays with his feat it will ultimately be his arm that beats you. We are going to beat you in a close one 20 -17.

Edited December 12, 201211 yr by ND_Clover

You may have been successful telling LB's like Jarvious Jones that your going to run right at him and had success . But this is not going to work against us . Difference is Jarvious is a pass rush LB not so much a run stuffer. Unlike our boys Teo and Carlo Calabrese #44 they both will fill holes harder and smack you right in the mouth. No doubt this will be the most physical defense Bama and ND both have seen. My prediction is this ......Bama's run game will not flourish against our D , if you guys will have any success on O it will be dinking and dunking. As for us on Offense we will also struggle with the run and though I think Golson will make some nice plays with his feat it will ultimately be his arm that beats you. We are going to beat you in a close one 20 -17.

 

I am sure excited to see how we do against Te'o and Calabrese. It will be important for our line to get to them and keep them bottled up. Certainly no small task!

 

Good point about Jones but when you run right at someone all they have to do is make a tackle. Instead we got a hat on him and moved him off the ball using brute force. Don't know if we can do the same to your guys but this will definitely be a key to our run production.

 

I don't think we will have much success w/ dink & dunk. First, its not our style (we would need a better pass catching TE) and second, I think it safer to try and exploit your secondary that your LB's, especially w/ the season Te'o put together.

 

That said I think Eifert presents our biggest defensive challenge. If you watch the aTm game you will see we struggle with tall/strong TE's. I think part of it is scheme, as aTm put the TE in the slot and out wide a lot forcing us to cover w/ a corner/saftey or some combo of both. Needless to say it didn't work out too well for us.

 

You are correct, this game will be a close one! I think you are correct on your final score but in favor of my guys!

 

Roll Tide

I literally cannot wait to see some of these match ups with all of these future NFL stars .Your O Line vs. Our D Line and linebackers. This will be one for the ages.....I do think you will be pleasantly surprised at how well you will be able to dink and dunk though.....Our defensive philosophy all year has been bend but don't break. We will give you the underneath routes all day. It's all about if you guys can finish. And how many drives you can finish. There will definitely be some Wills tested mentally and physically.

I think Eifert presents our biggest defensive challenge. If you watch the aTm game you will see we struggle with tall/strong TE's. I think part of it is scheme, as aTm put the TE in the slot and out wide a lot forcing us to cover w/ a corner/saftey or some combo of both. Needless to say it didn't work out too well for us.

 

I think that Saban will use the four weeks between now and the game to develop multiple double teaming schemes that will (at least partially) take Eifert away as a weapon. As a result, ND's WR's will need to win some 1-on-1 battles. I am also curious if Bama will play an attacking defense or more of a bend/don't break one.

 

I have not watched Bama much but it seems that they completed screen passes whenever they really needed a play on offense. Hopefully, the Irish can stuff those along with the run and force Bama to try to win through the air.

 

One key for an Irish win will be having their O stay on the field for multiple first downs each possession so ND's first team D-Line can stay as fresh as possible since I do not think that the second string will get many snaps.

Tambo... thank you for your breakdown. That's really generous of you.

 

 

I am nowhere near as sophisticated, but my observations on the ND team are

 

<bold>Defense</bold>

ND's front 7 is stout and tested, as the rankings and SOS acknowledge. I believe your O-Line will be the best we will face this year, with the next closest being Stanford. The key to our run stopping, IMO, is Louis Nix (6'3", 340ish). He is very underappreciated by the national punditry, but he has demanded double teams the whole year. B.Jones vs Nix is the battle to watch... if Jones can contain Nix alone, or long enough, then Bama's run game stands a much better chance.

 

The LBs lead by Te'o are sound. Calabrese & Fox platoon.. Calabrese is the running stuffing beast, Fox plays on more of the obvious passing downs, but his run-stopping has significantly improved. Spond is another unheralded, but effective, LB who came back after a very scary (nerve-spinal?) injury pre-season. He contains his assignments and provides effective pass support. Our pass rush specialist is Shembo. If you have your hands full with our front 3, Shembo will penetrate and hurry McCarron.

 

The secondary is young, but has been playing smart and within their ability. By the third game of the season, we had lost one our two (likely) starting safeties, and one (likely) starting CB. That said, this crew has performed better than any in the last 5 years... maybe because the front 7 has been dominant. An accurate QB would want to test them.

 

My last note on our D is that they have been very, very sound tacklers... old and new. They wrap-up well, and they gang tackle effectively.

 

<bold>Offense</bold>

The offense has evolved significantly over the year, reflecting the pace of development of Everett Golson. Golson is a pass-oriented QB with a rocket of an arm... he's accurate, even on the run. He can beat you short and long... IF he can see the field; he's generously 6'. His progressions are improving, but he doesn't have the maturity yet. He has a better arm than Manziel... but Manziel is more unpredictable. Golson has been trained to be more disciplined.

 

Golson is not a natural running QB, but he is elusive. His playbook has increased because of his athleticism and elusiveness. He's been effective on designed option runs, but I don't think he'll be given free reign to choose option unless we were really behind and there was nothing to lose. If you can rattle him, he may start to lose focus on doing the basics like holding the football properly on a escape. He's improved significantly in that department

 

Our receivers... Golson has started to find a rhythm with Eiffert lately, which he didn't have earlier in the season. He has good connection with TJ Jones and Davaris Daniels (returning from injury). If you see Chris Brown out there... look for the deep play action ball, he's probably the fastest WR we have and he can jump (Nat'l HS triple jump winner). One receiver you may see, especially if you are week with tall, physical recievers is John Goodman (Sr) ... he has hands of glue, and he's deceptively fast (long strides).

 

RBs.. Theo Riddick is a tough runner, but he doesn't have the bulk to match, and he also has soft hands. So, he gives the offense a lot of options when he's out there. He will fight for every stinking yard there is. He epitomizes the fighting Irish spirit. GAIII (Atkinson) is track speed fast, and if he can get outside... he's gone; he does get tackled easily though and had a history of fumblitis. Cierre Wood is our most gifted runner (speedy, agile, vision), but he sometimes play soft if he's not confident. If his head is in the game, and he's not worrying about injury or something... he and Riddick will not give you a rest.

 

OL.. steadily became more consistent as the year progressed... our RG (Golic) has been exposed as a weak link, but he may also have been the victim of weak communication. The left side is stout, they operate as one man. Your penetration will likely come from the right side.

 

Slot.. Roby Toma is the principle slot... he gets open and has hands of glue.. he will consistently get us 5 to 10 yards. He's slight and doesn't have much speed, so if you will catch him, but he will move the chains for us.

 

 

<bold>Special Teams</bold>

Brindza is the kicker ... his FG % is about 75%. He has been clutch and boomed long ones, but he doesn't have consistency yet. I think the issue is more mental that confidence. He has the leg to kick it through the endzone.

 

Turk .. our punter is hot and cold. he's been more consistent lately.

 

Coverage teams are okay.. Receiving Team, especially for punt, has been abysmal. We never seem to block anyone on punts; we're supposedly always looking for the fake punt.

 

<bold>Conditioning</bold>

Our conditioning under S&C Coordinator Longo has been exceptional... we really start to roll teams by the fourth quarter. Whether we lose that advantage with the long lay off is to be seen. If teams are equally fresh, then it will be a great, fantastic battle, down to the last play.

 

 

<bold>Coaching</bold>

We get too cute in the Red Zone on offense. the best game called was Oklahoma... I will say that we have seen a lot of different offenses this year (Option (Navy), Smashmouth (MSU, Stanford), Pro (USC) , Spread/Pass (Miami)), and we've responded well to all of them... we have seemingly played down to some of our opponents (Pitt/BC, Purdue)... but those games followed very emotionally and physically draining experiences (OU, Ireland).

 

Our D is fashioned after the SEC... our O has had many identities. We started more Smashmouth due to the QB inexperience / limitations... we have been evolving into more of a play action / spread. I believe we can replicate some of what TAMU does. The O has gone up against 5 top 20 defenses (MSU, Michigan, Stanford, BYU, OU)... so they have confidence that they can move the ball.

 

I feel the vegas spread is too high, and maybe they're just looking for me to place a bet, but if i look at the match-up, i would think Bama is a 3pt favorite because of experience (been there for coaches and players) and depth (if we lose Nix, we are in trouble).

 

Our smarter posters will likely correct me...

 

Looking forward to a great game... it really feels like the right teams are in the NC.

Edited December 13, 201211 yr by 1qa

Tambo, welcome and thank you for your insightful post! Looking forward to two proud programs meeting for all the marbles.

What scares me the most is this...I believe the game can get away from the Irish but I don't think the Irish can pull away from Bama.

 

Bama wears you down physically which leads to mental breakdowns. However the Irish just battle and battle. I feel the Irish have to play near to perfection and Bama has to be off a little in order for a ND victory. And I'm nervous about that.

 

All that being said...what do I know?

 

Go Irish!!!!

I feel that way because of what we've seen.. the only tough team we played and put away was OU. We'll never know whether MSU was legitimately now. We had chances to put away USC... but never could.

 

But, it's not like Alabama ran over LSU or TaMU either..

 

Can't wait for the game.

Edited December 13, 201211 yr by 1qa

You may have been successful telling LB's like Jarvious Jones that your going to run right at him and had success . But this is not going to work against us . Difference is Jarvious is a pass rush LB not so much a run stuffer. Unlike our boys Teo and Carlo Calabrese #44 they both will fill holes harder and smack you right in the mouth. No doubt this will be the most physical defense Bama and ND both have seen. My prediction is this ......Bama's run game will not flourish against our D , if you guys will have any success on O it will be dinking and dunking. As for us on Offense we will also struggle with the run and though I think Golson will make some nice plays with his feat it will ultimately be his arm that beats you. We are going to beat you in a close one 20 -17.

 

I called this game at 21-17 for ND. Even if Bama dinks and dunks against us, they won't score TD's against us. Look at the stats. we have been up runners just as good as any Bama runner and Oline just as good as Bama's and they got no where. In fact, they got negative yards. To quote BK, "It's what we do!" Bama will have to settle for FG's and as long as we can score two td's, we win this game.

Not trying to argue but who have we played who is as good or better on the OLine than Bama? They are monsters up front, make no mistake. Yeldon and Lacy will get yards, that's a sure thing. I definitely think ND's front 7 is up to the task and we have solid tacklers in the secondary but let's not discredit what is one of the best OLines in the country. I know post-season awards aren't everything but don't they have two AP AA's up front (center and don't recall the other one)?

I think the layoff is going to hurt us big time. Our momentum has been stalled. Not saying we can't win, just saying I think we'll show some rust.

 

Alabama also has the benefit of being in this situation before. In 1988, I'll bet there were a dozen reporters. The media circus will be ridiculous...

I definitely think ND's front 7 is up to the task and we have solid tacklers in the secondary but let's not discredit what is one of the best OLines in the country.

 

I think Schwenke, Springman and Day are going to play a HUUUGE role in our success...

I think that Saban will use the four weeks between now and the game to develop multiple double teaming schemes that will (at least partially) take Eifert away as a weapon. As a result, ND's WR's will need to win some 1-on-1 battles. I am also curious if Bama will play an attacking defense or more of a bend/don't break one.

 

I have not watched Bama much but it seems that they completed screen passes whenever they really needed a play on offense. Hopefully, the Irish can stuff those along with the run and force Bama to try to win through the air.

 

One key for an Irish win will be having their O stay on the field for multiple first downs each possession so ND's first team D-Line can stay as fresh as possible since I do not think that the second string will get many snaps.

 

Good observations. I don't think we will double team the TE much but perhaps on obviousyl passing downs we will pay him more attention...

 

We do use the screen pass, but if you look at the situations it is either to slow down the pass rush or take advantage of the pass rush when we know it is coming. I think this is the play McCarron will check to most frequently if he feels there will be a strong pass rush.

 

Our ability to extend drives is ties to our running game which is why i think that will be our primary offensive focus. Stay on the field, ground and pond and try and wear your stellar D down so that we can find an advantage in the late 3rd and 4th quarters.

Tambo... thank you for your breakdown. That's really generous of you.

 

 

I am nowhere near as sophisticated, but my observations on the ND team are

 

<bold>Defense</bold>

ND's front 7 is stout and tested, as the rankings and SOS acknowledge. I believe your O-Line will be the best we will face this year, with the next closest being Stanford. The key to our run stopping, IMO, is Louis Nix (6'3", 340ish). He is very underappreciated by the national punditry, but he has demanded double teams the whole year. B.Jones vs Nix is the battle to watch... if Jones can contain Nix alone, or long enough, then Bama's run game stands a much better chance.

 

The LBs lead by Te'o are sound. Calabrese & Fox platoon.. Calabrese is the running stuffing beast, Fox plays on more of the obvious passing downs, but his run-stopping has significantly improved. Spond is another unheralded, but effective, LB who came back after a very scary (nerve-spinal?) injury pre-season. He contains his assignments and provides effective pass support. Our pass rush specialist is Shembo. If you have your hands full with our front 3, Shembo will penetrate and hurry McCarron.

 

The secondary is young, but has been playing smart and within their ability. By the third game of the season, we had lost one our two (likely) starting safeties, and one (likely) starting CB. That said, this crew has performed better than any in the last 5 years... maybe because the front 7 has been dominant. An accurate QB would want to test them.

 

My last note on our D is that they have been very, very sound tacklers... old and new. They wrap-up well, and they gang tackle effectively.

 

<bold>Offense</bold>

The offense has evolved significantly over the year, reflecting the pace of development of Everett Golson. Golson is a pass-oriented QB with a rocket of an arm... he's accurate, even on the run. He can beat you short and long... IF he can see the field; he's generously 6'. His progressions are improving, but he doesn't have the maturity yet. He has a better arm than Manziel... but Manziel is more unpredictable. Golson has been trained to be more disciplined.

 

Golson is not a natural running QB, but he is elusive. His playbook has increased because of his athleticism and elusiveness. He's been effective on designed option runs, but I don't think he'll be given free reign to choose option unless we were really behind and there was nothing to lose. If you can rattle him, he may start to lose focus on doing the basics like holding the football properly on a escape. *He's improved significantly in that department

 

Our receivers... Golson has started to find a rhythm with Eiffert lately, which he didn't have earlier in the season. He has good connection with TJ Jones and Davaris Daniels (returning from injury). If you see Chris Brown out there... look for the deep play action ball, he's probably the fastest WR we have and he can jump (Nat'l HS triple jump winner). One receiver you may see, especially if you are week with tall, physical recievers is John Goodman (Sr) ... he has hands of glue, and he's deceptively fast (long strides).

 

RBs.. Theo Riddick is a tough runner, but he doesn't have the bulk to match, and he also has soft hands. So, he gives the offense a lot of options when he's out there. He will fight for every stinking yard there is. He epitomizes the fighting Irish spirit. GAIII (Atkinson) is track speed fast, and if he can get outside... he's gone; he does get tackled easily though and had a history of fumblitis. Cierre Wood is our most gifted runner (speedy, agile, vision), but he sometimes play soft if he's not confident. If his head is in the game, and he's not worrying about injury or something... he and Riddick will not give you a rest.

 

OL.. steadily became more consistent as the year progressed... our RG (Golic) has been exposed as a weak link, but he may also have been the victim of weak communication. The left side is stout, they operate as one man. Your penetration will likely come from the right side.

 

Slot.. Roby Toma is the principle slot... he gets open and has hands of glue.. he will consistently get us 5 to 10 yards. He's slight and doesn't have much speed, so if you will catch him, but he will move the chains for us.

 

 

<bold>Special Teams</bold>

Brindza is the kicker ... his FG % is about 75%. He has been clutch and boomed long ones, but he doesn't have consistency yet. I think the issue is more mental that confidence. He has the leg to kick it through the endzone.

 

Turk .. our punter is hot and cold. he's been more consistent lately.

 

Coverage teams are okay.. Receiving Team, especially for punt, has been abysmal. We never seem to block anyone on punts; we're supposedly always looking for the fake punt.

 

<bold>Conditioning</bold>

Our conditioning under S&C Coordinator Longo has been exceptional... we really start to roll teams by the fourth quarter. Whether we lose that advantage with the long lay off is to be seen. If teams are equally fresh, then it will be a great, fantastic battle, down to the last play.

 

 

<bold>Coaching</bold>

We get too cute in the Red Zone on offense. the best game called was Oklahoma... I will say that we have seen a lot of different offenses this year (Option (Navy), Smashmouth (MSU, Stanford), Pro (USC) , Spread/Pass (Miami)), and we've responded well to all of them... we have seemingly played down to some of our opponents (Pitt/BC, Purdue)... but those games followed very emotionally and physically draining experiences (OU, Ireland).

 

Our D is fashioned after the SEC... our O has had many identities. We started more Smashmouth due to the QB inexperience / limitations... we have been evolving into more of a play action / spread. I believe we can replicate some of what TAMU does. The O has gone up against 5 top 20 defenses (MSU, Michigan, Stanford, BYU, OU)... so they have confidence that they can move the ball.

 

I feel the vegas spread is too high, and maybe they're just looking for me to place a bet, but if i look at the match-up, i would think Bama is a 3pt favorite because of experience (been there for coaches and players) and depth (if we lose Nix, we are in trouble).

 

Our smarter posters will likely correct me...

 

Looking forward to a great game... it really feels like the right teams are in the NC.

 

Again, very good observations and an excellent breakdown of your guys. With Golson being relatively young and not having faced too many complex defenses, at least week in/out, do you think Saban's pro-style multiple look defense will give him some trouble? We are very good ad disguising coverage and blitz packages and have fooled SEC offenses that we see every year a good bit? How is his film study and does he have a tendency to not read the field well? I do think he is a fine athlete but I question if his arm is better than Johnny Footballs...

I feel that way because of what we've seen.. the only tough team we played and put away was OU. We'll never know whether MSU was legitimately now. We had chances to put away USC... but never could.

 

But, it's not like Alabama ran over LSU or TaMU either..

 

Can't wait for the game.

 

I think that had you played LSU or aTm they would have qualified as the best teams y'all would have played this year... Just sayin'.

I called this game at 21-17 for ND. Even if Bama dinks and dunks against us, they won't score TD's against us. Look at the stats. we have been up runners just as good as any Bama runner and Oline just as good as Bama's and they got no where. In fact, they got negative yards. To quote BK, "It's what we do!" Bama will have to settle for FG's and as long as we can score two td's, we win this game.

 

I can't agree with this at all... What O-line have you played that compares to Bama's with likely 3 1st/2nd round draft picks (Warrmack, Jones & Fluker)?

 

I also don't think you have faced a running combo like Lacy and Yeldon yet. Lacy is good and gets most of the load but pay particular attention to Yeldon during the game. He will impress you the most. For a freshman he reminds me of Eric Dickerson...

I think the layoff is going to hurt us big time. Our momentum has been stalled. Not saying we can't win, just saying I think we'll show some rust.

 

Alabama also has the benefit of being in this situation before. In 1988, I'll bet there were a dozen reporters. The media circus will be ridiculous...

 

I think the layoff will help us, honestly... You are correct we have been here before so we know the drill - how to get prepared. What will help the most is having time to heal up some nagging injuries (our nose guard most) and get some conditioning work done between now and 12/18 when we go back to the practice field.

I think that had you played LSU or aTm they would have qualified as the best teams y'all would have played this year... Just sayin'.

 

Stanford is just as good as LSU. Oklahoma is on par with Texas A&M.

I think that had you played LSU or aTm they would have qualified as the best teams y'all would have played this year... Just sayin'.

 

Stanford would easily beat TAMU and I think Oklahoma and LSU are almost identical in terms of skill....