Comments on: Oklahoma football: A change to 3-4 defense?

By: Muggs

Muggs — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 13:42:38 +0000

Beef on the offensive and defensive line is the only answer. They are the backbone on any team, without them you can forget about winning. They wear down the opponents strenth and then the will comes next.

Very easy to figure out, I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE BEEN A COACH.

By: scottnz

scottnz — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 03:54:18 +0000

I agree with the above poster. The only way a 3 man front works is with an immovable object in the middle. If you plan 3-man with small tackles and nose guards, the offense will get 4 yards a pop up the gut and wear you out in the process

By: Mitch

Mitch — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:47:35 +0000

Just look at Switzer’s defense.The downlinemen are tackles (not hue but quick). The outside linebackers are essentially what are our present D-ends are in size and play close to the line of scrimage. Reggie Kinlaw proved both in college and the pros you do not have to be a monster to play nose. This defense would be great for the read option and with a small changes cn be effective in he passing game.

By: Wino

Wino — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:14:56 +0000

Love this news, and I love the mention of the missing Lindley. Everybody wondering where our 240lb. meat-eating LBs are? Lindley is one. A 3-4 scheme should provide additional mobility in to address spread offenses and allow creativity in where the pass rush comes from. I agree with Galileo though….a 285lb. DT won’t be effective at NT; has to be a space hog who can’t be moved and demands a C and a G address his immensity. If C or a G alone can handle your NT then you are going to watch your OLBs get flattened by Ts all day.

By: JoeJoe

JoeJoe — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:14:03 +0000

Rocky Calmus was NOT a “big” LB. He was the size of Frank Shannon. At the end of the day, the key to a great defense is the defensive tackles. Massive LBs can’t do anything if they are fighting off 300 pound linemen every play. You need good “shields” to eat up blocks and space so linebackers can do their true job…roam and tackle.

By: JoeJoe

JoeJoe — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:05:07 +0000

Great scheme change. Now you can use the small Defensive tackles at end on 1st and second down and the small linebacker can play a bigger role in the defense. A lot more athletes or what some people call “tweeners” like Willie McGuinest and James Harrison can play in this scheme and make plays. OU always brings in a lot of athletes, now they can finally use them by mixing and matching the lineups and defensive plays

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 14:22:54 +0000

No defensive tackles. Not a great group of defensive ends. Weak at linebacker. Not much you can do with a defensive scheme to make up for lack of talent. My guess is they will go with a 3 man front but not a 3-4. My guess is with the pass happy Big XII they will actually go to a 3-3-5. What they could actually use is a 5-5-8.

By: Tim

Tim — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 05:11:46 +0000

Agree..where have the Rockly Calmus’ gone? No more small LBs…man-up!

By: Galileo, Houston

Galileo, Houston — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 01:38:37 +0000

Addendum: to be good in the 3-4 they are also going to have to find some bigger linebackers who can take on blockers and stuff the running lanes much better than the overgrown safeties they have been playing at LB the past couple of years.

By: Galileo, Houston

Galileo, Houston — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 01:22:20 +0000

If OU is going to be successful running a 3-4 they are going to have to radically change their philosophy about what a DT should look like. OU has repeatedly eschewed the 330 pound chubby nose tackle. They ran off Mo Dampeer because they wanted him to slim down and they consistently recruit 280 pound DT’s and let the biscuit boys go to other schools. Alabama and now Notre Dame has had a lot of success playing biscuit boys up front. It’s about time OU gets with the program now too.