Ozigbo
- Thread starter chicolby
- Start date
Rushing stats for Nebraska 1st game:
Bryant 31-192; Pierson-El, 2-23, Wilbon, 2-15, Morgan 1-2, McNitt 1-0, T.Lee 1-minus-7
Bryant 31-192; Pierson-El, 2-23, Wilbon, 2-15, Morgan 1-2, McNitt 1-0, T.Lee 1-minus-7
So he had more yardage than Lee
Not disciplinary nor injured. Insiders have said he was told he wasn't in the picture. So short of injuries or special situations I wouldn't count on him much.
Something must be going on. He has shown he has the talent to play. Is he in shape? Is he in need of an attitude adjustment? Is he not picking up the offense? He had size and the ability to make solid cuts in many games last year.
Tre played really well - so as long as his body holds up giving him majority of the carries is fine with me. Wilbon is closer in skill set - so there might be a desire to use those 2 as the best fit for the plays they want to run. Oz is a good back and actually runs the screen game well for a bigger guy. But he may not be showing as much in practice as the other 2 RBs. Injuries will happen at RB - so Oz will be needed at some point.
Ozigbo was excellent last year against the Ducks and in the bowl game against the Bruins. I don't know what is going on. His playing time diminished last year, supposedly due to an ankle. Then he is listed as 1C to start out this year and doesn't get a single touch. It's perplexing. Some are saying its disciplinary but others are contradicting that. It'd be nice to know.
I'd like to see a good dose of him Saturday. The ducks didn't want to tackle him last year.
That's my angle. If Bryant is leaps and bounds better, that's fine. Then list him as 1, Wilbon as 2, and if Ozigbo is way behind them then he's 3. Ok fine.
But 1a, 1b, 1c does not mean a carry split of 31/5/0. So one ought make up one's mind.
So now the depth chart is an indicator of how many snaps a player will get? Is there nothing we won't ***** about? For Christ's sake, by listing them all the opponent has to at least plan for all three. Now Oregon is going to potentially plan for Bryant only or mostly and maybe Wilbon gets more carries.
Well, yeah, typically a depth chart is an indicator of playing time -- actually the indicator as far as the general public is concerned.
But you make a good point: the depth chart may also be used for the purpose of dissembling.
OK, clearly this Lee fellow is not pulling his weight, he needs to be out of the rotation. We can't afford negative yards.
You must know this is a ridiculous explanation.
You're really going with the deception angle? I'm sure the opponent prepares VERY differently for a back who's only kinda fast instead of a back who's pretty fast. And a back who's not very fast but pretty strong? No way to simulate that. If they were 1, 2 and 3 obviously the defense would know not to practice trying hard to tackle that week...
I mean why not just list everyone at every position as 1d, 1e, 1f and really keep 'em guessing?
I don't think Ozigbo is a bad RB. Ozigbo's biggest problem is that Tre Bryant is a really good running back.
So a coach says for 6 months all 3 are close, then in game one, one back gets 30 carries. I wouldn't think the offensive coaches put out the depth chart with 3 "ors" to deceive themselves. It is also clear that they knew very well who their bell cow for week one was going to be. So assuming they werent just trying to deceive themselves, who else would they be trying to deceive? The fan base?
My concern is whether they're deceiving their own players. I really doubt if you asked Diaco he's gonna tell you he's sweating small details of the other team's depth chart. He's focused on his guys running the plays he calls the way they should be run.
They did deceive the fans and the reporters obviously, but I don't particularly care about that for the sake of the fans and the reporters. I care about it because now you've created a question where it didn't have to exist. "If this guy is good enough to be a starter, he's not #3, then why did he get zero snaps?"
If he's 3rd on the depth chard, we go, "He's the #3 guy. He's not supposed to play in a close game."
OZ was not deceived. He was told approximately 10 days before the Ark game that he wasn't in the picture for starting and my take from this source is that he isn't in the big picture for playing time. But if this is accurate.....the coaches told him this specifically. Now injuries can change things and maybe certain game situations or defenses could change that.
I agree Bryant is really good but the guy has a lingering knee issue. We didn't need to work him that hard in game 1 with 2 very capable backups. Ozigbo should've got some snaps. Really weird deal if you ask me.
Not questioning your source, but why would the coaches tell DO, "Sorry kid, you're not in the plans."
It seems as if the only reason would be to passively encourage him to leave, but I don't see that happening. Maybe he would, as he does have a redshirt season still available, but still don't get the coaching staff telling him "you're not gonna see plying time." If he is gonna see extended time on the bench, I could see the coaches saying, "keep your chin up, your an injury away from getting key snaps."
Yeah you dont tell a kid "you arent playing this year." Thats the stupidest thing ive ever heard. Maybe if there was discipline but it would have to be pretty bad and we would hear about it. Also if our staff does that to players I dont want this staff, unless they are trying to get the player to consider transfering for their own good, but thats not ozigbo.
Maybe he was told he would t play in arky state, but the only reason you would tell him that is so he is not shocked and discouraged....further, the only reason you care is you plan on using him in other games and dont want him checking out and discouraged.
This is juat really strange overall. If Bryant is that much better, fine. But dont list 1c. Maybe they were scared to put in someone else late in the game when there was still doubt and bryant was in the whole rest of the time and had a rythm at least. More predictable.
And no one should buy the "tricking opposing team" angle. Thats a whopper.
Maybe he was told he would t play in arky state, but the only reason you would tell him that is so he is not shocked and discouraged....further, the only reason you care is you plan on using him in other games and dont want him checking out and discouraged.
This is juat really strange overall. If Bryant is that much better, fine. But dont list 1c. Maybe they were scared to put in someone else late in the game when there was still doubt and bryant was in the whole rest of the time and had a rythm at least. More predictable.
And no one should buy the "tricking opposing team" angle. Thats a whopper.
I didn't care too much for Bryant getting almost all the snaps, give him some relief. Wilbon could've taken 7 or 8 more snaps so we're not wearing one guy out. Besides that I wasn't bothered by the back situation. If someone is working in a game then take advantage of that.
Diaco said during his presser that the players knew their projected playing time / role going into the game. Which is a good policy. Don't know if that was for the defense only.
Not to be critical but I hope this has a little fluidity to it based on the player with the 'hot hand" or a favorable physical matchup that wasn't forseen.
You kind of went for it there. I get that you are playing the board optimist this week, but there's no way you, someone who knows real football, actually believes this nonsense.
Seems weird that he didn't play at all. Think about that for a minute. I think we see him this weekend.
I agree we probably could have gotten Oz some snaps but the game was too close for comfort and Riley and Langsdorf have said many times for running backs to get snaps they have to above all be great pass blockers. Ozigbo and Wilbon to a greater extent have struggled with Pass Pro
The fact that OZ got 0 carries tells me its a disciplinary thing. Also people should be taking depth charts with a grain of salt. People expecting/demanding a certain number of plays/touches based on depth chart are getting dangerously close to helicopter parent mode. The players know whats going on. Also, we have seen the last two years, Riley etc really do go with the hot hand. Relax. Frankie said so.