That thought crossed my mind, but I am not using manipulations of current stats to show a previous HC in a negative light or attempt to trash 40 previous years of NU football in the process. I think you can safely say, based on stats, that this is the best NU offense in a decade. Best WR group, best RB group, probably best TE group also (although there are some issues there). People loke to point at Ganz and the 2008 offense as being better than what we have now, and I don't think data supports it. If you go to 2009-2010...the difference is HUGE.
too much is made of 'anecdotal' observations in the heat of games. You need to step back and look at a bigger picture. We have put up almost 300 ypg rushing and 500 total/game for the season...something we haven't done since we had spread team personnel...and we have the worst staff in the country, according to many. Do we need better OT's/OT play? Yes. Do we need out TE's to block better? Yes.
However, I do NOT understand these repeated calls for Cotton, Beck, TM, et al to be fired/replaced. The results do not support it whatsoever. This offense has undergone a huge transformation in a short time, the QB has improved dramatically, the WR's are in position, catching everything, and blocking well. Beck has struggled at times...mainly being behind the 8-ball, but he is more flexible and creative this season. He found the weak spot in Nw's defense and attacked it repeatedly...they couldn't adjust. Same with Wisconsin.
This offense is effective at darn near everything except holding on to the ball, and that hasn't changed since our last HC, OC, our last RB coach, or our last QB coach, and you will be hard pressed to find an offense better suited to our current conference. Nobody else in the conference has a superior system at this point, including Meyer, who has a really good QB and not gotten his system fully into place yet. (Oh, and he hired the Iowa State OC). Michigan is going to switch to a pro-style offense and that will limit what they can do. I wouldn't trade for any other OC in the conference at this point.
I can point to three deficient areas that seem to be systemic...turnovers/takeaways, penalties, rush defense. The third one is DL/LB recruiting and injuries. I think the past two recruiting classes have addressed the LB issue and our DL class last year was very strong, just not ready yet. We need to repeat that this year and get some JuCo help up front. We are getting some aggressive penalties,and that's ok...better that than the passive play we saw last year on defense. The false starts, etc, were cleaner earlier in the year. How you get an OT not lining up on the ball...make that two different ones in the same game? As an offensive lineman lining up next to a guard that is on the LOS, how do you not line up on the LOS? Is it the OL coach in the booth or on the field that controls that? No...it's the player. Sirles was hitting himself in the head on the sideline...he wasn't blaming Garrison for his mistake.
as far as the other two major issues....I'm starting to be of the opinion that we need to offer Jack Stark a big check to come back. These are mental issues more than anything.
Find me a set of drills, or a 'system', or a shrink, or some other method of controlling turnovers and eliminating penalties that can be applied to the team. It has to be a change in mindset that permeates the team...leadership has improved in the off-season, but more accountability and urgency in controlling the rock is needed. I don't know what you can do when you have two of the best, most trusted offensive players that handle the ball all the time on punt return, one fumbles...you replace him and the 2nd guy fumbles. This is not a problem with the OC, the OL coach or the QB. You wanted accountability for individual mistakes? Right there you got it and it still didn't improve the situation. As a HC, what do you do about that short of go out and catch the punt yourself?
the defensive stats were surprising. Who would have guessed we are that good at sacks and TfL's considering our DL allegedly lines up 5 yards off the ball every play, runs a scheme so complicated no one can figure it out or uses it at any level of football, and we have the worst players in history there? On a side note...did you see how well our DL kept rush lane responsibility against NW and didn't allow big QB scrambles? Injuries aside, Kaz seems to be making some progress there, but it will take another off-season and some new blood developing to rectify. I knew the secondary was the strength of the defense, and the stats show this is the case. Joseph has done a tremendous job turning that group around in less than a year.
Some of these issues are whack-a-mole...you fix one, and another pops up. It seems to be a mental consistency issue that needs to be addressed at an overall team level, rather than a position coach or a coordinator...or even a "talent" issue.