Comments on: Meyer vs Weis Part II

by: Henry Gomez

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 04:07:01 +0000

Stats prove nothing, except everything. Remember the score of the game is a statistic. If you look at the right stats and analyze them correctly you can form opinions about teams that tend to be proven correct more often than not. Ask Kirk Herbstreit, the poster boy for gut feeling anti-stat guys. He was the worst prognosticator out of 24 TV talking heads, beating only a coin flip.

Zook deserves 0% of the credit for the Gators MNC. Why should he get any? Because he actually did part of what he was being paid for?

No way, Jose.

by: EMcCarthy

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:34:54 +0000

Comment to RJSPLOW Comment above -

I think too much is made about Meyer using Zook’s recruits. While I will concede a big portion of the defense was recruited by Zook & staff, two of the biggest playmakers - Harvin and Tebow - were pure Meyer. Many have argued that we would not have gotten as far with Tebow as full-time QB, while I agree, the spark and element of complexity he added to opponents gameplanning made a huge difference.

Also, players like Dallas Baker were underachievers in Zook’s discipline-free system until Meyer molded them.

by: bob martin

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 18:52:16 +0000

Stats are a lot of fun and prove nothing.

Just answer 2 questions and you will instantly have your answer to “Weis vs Meyer”.

Let’s say all schools were looking for a HC and only CW and UM were available. How many would pick Weis and how many would choose Meyer?

Which one would command the most money?

Hands-down Urban Meyer would be the answer to both questions.

by: rjsplow

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 14:45:24 +0000

this is an excellent post, along with the first installment in the series. i think that a much more interesting, and ultimately more fair, evaluation will be in order after the 2008 season when both school’s 2006 recruits will have played out their junior years. i think that extra year is necessary because the 2005 classes were probably subpar for both programs, as both coaches did not have much time after hiring to swing recruits. plus, both teams will be suffering from a dearth of upperclassman for the next year or so as as result of attrition and light recruiting by the programs the year or two before the coaches got onboard at their respective programs (notre dame’s smattering of 5th year seniors notwithstanding).
while previous posts of mine have, ahem, not ingratiated myself with the notre dame readers of this site, i think it’s only fair to acknowledge that weis inherited a team that had nowhere near the talent that meyer had to play with, at least on defense.
and finally, i have a question for Keltic, Rob G, Pilot or anyone else that may have an explanation for me: why do many coaches lately seem to do better with other coach’s recruits? a couple examples come quiclky to mind: coker with davis’s recuits, tressel in 2002, and meyer with zook’s. i’m not saying by any means that OSU and UM are washed up (well….hopefully one of those schools is), and the jury is still out on UF’s chances from here on out, but the titles were won with the talent supplied by the previous regime’s players. thanks, and keep up the good work~

by: DTM

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 14:25:49 +0000

Don’t forget, when looking at offensive production in ‘06 vs. previous years, that the clock changes skewed total game & season statistics. However, things like yards/play (like you point out) are still valid measuring sticks.