Norland @ Lakeland

[Longtime Observer]

If you'd like to watch live for free, there are two options. One is here, and the other will require a direct message as it is "underground". I hope the first link is of good quality, but I can't say as this will be the first broadcast seen at that link.

As for the game, I really have no idea how it will go. I know Norland is loaded, and is talking state title even as they share a district with the Central Rockets. Lakeland has a lot of talent as well, but much of it is unproven.

Lakeland will probably use a variety of offensive formations, including both spread and power/under center stuff. The QB is a Power 5 recruit at the moment, but did not demonstrate this against Armwood. Lakeland may have been holding back, we don't know. The defense prefers to use a small DL, but the guys are quick and tenacious and hard to keep blocked. Teams will definitely try to pound the rock on them. It remains to be seen how well they'll hold up. The back seven/eight is very good and blazing fast. 

Norland appears loaded throughout. The QB Yapoor makes it all go, accounting for over 4,000 yards-including 500 in a playoff game vs. Central last year- as a sophomore. He's a true dual-threat QB. If he gets confused by coverages, he's going to take off and run. He's a very strong runner, and will be tough to bring down as he's built like a power running back. The defense has a pair of twins who are all fast pass rushers. If they get an offense in a must-pass situation, they'll get a ton of turnovers off of pass rush and a great secondary.

For Lakeland to win, they'll have to do what they did often under Bill Castle: have superior schemes that keep the opponent off-balance. Castle isn't the head coach anymore, so we'll see how the rest of the staff does in scouting and game-planning. Shockingly, it appears highly unlikely there will be any sort of weather delay. If Norland's OL controls the LOS, Norland will win the ball game. If Lakeland's light, but fast DL can be disruptive, the 'Naughts have a great shot. 

[THIS_IS_DILLARD]

5 hours ago, Longtime Observer said:

If you'd like to watch live for free, there are two options. One is here, and the other will require a direct message as it is "underground". I hope the first link is of good quality, but I can't say as this will be the first broadcast seen at that link.

As for the game, I really have no idea how it will go. I know Norland is loaded, and is talking state title even as they share a district with the Central Rockets. Lakeland has a lot of talent as well, but much of it is unproven.

Lakeland will probably use a variety of offensive formations, including both spread and power/under center stuff. The QB is a Power 5 recruit at the moment, but did not demonstrate this against Armwood. Lakeland may have been holding back, we don't know. The defense prefers to use a small DL, but the guys are quick and tenacious and hard to keep blocked. Teams will definitely try to pound the rock on them. It remains to be seen how well they'll hold up. The back seven/eight is very good and blazing fast. 

Norland appears loaded throughout. The QB Yapoor makes it all go, accounting for over 4,000 yards-including 500 in a playoff game vs. Central last year- as a sophomore. He's a true dual-threat QB. If he gets confused by coverages, he's going to take off and run. He's a very strong runner, and will be tough to bring down as he's built like a power running back. The defense has a pair of twins who are all fast pass rushers. If they get an offense in a must-pass situation, they'll get a ton of turnovers off of pass rush and a great secondary.

For Lakeland to win, they'll have to do what they did often under Bill Castle: have superior schemes that keep the opponent off-balance. Castle isn't the head coach anymore, so we'll see how the rest of the staff does in scouting and game-planning. Shockingly, it appears highly unlikely there will be any sort of weather delay. If Norland's OL controls the LOS, Norland will win the ball game. If Lakeland's light, but fast DL can be disruptive, the 'Naughts have a great shot. 

Good luck bro

[Nulli Secundus]

On 8/24/2023 at 3:33 AM, THIS_IS_DILLARD said:

Good luck bro

Lakeland is looking good so far.

[FBGUY1989]

Where was the defense in this game 

[Longtime Observer]

7 hours ago, FBGUY1989 said:

Where was the defense in this game 

This game was much more about excellent offense and QB play. We're in a moment where great offenses beat great defenses. You see it in college football as well. Tennessee beat Alabama 52-49 in regulation; TCU beat Michigan 51-45 in regulation of a Final Four playoff game; Georgia beat Ohio State 42-41 in regulation of a Final Four Playoff game. The teams mentioned here all had the best defenses in the SEC and the Big Ten. They couldn't avoid crazy shootouts.

Norland won this shootout because Lakeland took a couple of possessions to get on a roll, whereas Norland was on a roll the whole game. Last year, as a sophomore, Ennio Yapoor lit up Miami Central for 500 yards of offense on his own in a 3rd round playoff game. This year, he's back and with a better WR crew and better OL. It's going to be entertaining watching *any* defense try to stop that guy.

[SportsFan]

3 minutes ago, Longtime Observer said:

This game was much more about excellent offense and QB play. We're in a moment where great offenses beat great defenses. You see it in college football as well. Tennessee beat Alabama 52-49 in regulation; TCU beat Michigan 51-45 in regulation of a Final Four playoff game; Georgia beat Ohio State 42-41 in regulation of a Final Four Playoff game. The teams mentioned here all had the best defenses in the SEC and the Big Ten. They couldn't avoid crazy shootouts.

Norland won this shootout because Lakeland took a couple of possessions to get on a roll, whereas Norland was on a roll the whole game. Last year, as a sophomore, Ennio Yapoor lit up Miami Central for 500 yards of offense on his own in a 3rd round playoff game. This year, he's back and with a better WR crew and better OL. It's going to be entertaining watching *any* defense try to stop that guy.

And people still argue that the SEC is a defensive conference for some unknown reason

[Longtime Observer]

1 minute ago, SportsFan said:

And people still argue that the SEC is a defensive conference for some unknown reason

It is, easily, the best defensive conference in the nation. It's just that the best defenses are going to lose to the best offenses most of the time. 

[SportsFan]

5 minutes ago, Longtime Observer said:

It is, easily, the best defensive conference in the nation. It's just that the best defenses are going to lose to the best offenses most of the time. 

UGA was the only team who played elite defense and still got lit up by Ohio State because they lacked a strong secondary. Alabama didn't play great defense, Florida didn't, LSU didn't, Tennessee didn't

[SportsFan]

If your defense only looks good against cupcakes your not good, simple as that 

We used to see elite defenses shutting down great teams, now the SEC "top" defenses only look good when either 1) they play a cupcake or 2) they play a team whos offense is either sloppy or just plain terrible

[Longtime Observer]

34 minutes ago, SportsFan said:

UGA was the only team who played elite defense and still got lit up by Ohio State because they lacked a strong secondary. Alabama didn't play great defense, Florida didn't, LSU didn't, Tennessee didn't

If lots of points and yards allowed = not good defense, sure. The point is, there isn't a defense at the college level that could stop those offenses with any consistency. So, I suppose you could argue there are no good college defenses. But, I'd say it's more accurate to say the offenses are so sophisticated, and perhaps some rules currently favor offenses, and that's the reason why no playoff team kept their opponents under 40 points. 

To understand this, you'd have to have a strong understanding of the history of offensive and defensive schemes. Things were considerably more simplistic decades ago. The most vaunted offenses of the 70s and 80s weren't impressive at all by today's terms. It used to be that scoring a touchdown was about as hard and as rare as scoring a goal in soccer. Now, it's closer to basketball. The development of QBs who can read coverages and hurt defenses with their feet makes all the difference.

[SportsFan]

1 hour ago, Longtime Observer said:

If lots of points and yards allowed = not good defense, sure. The point is, there isn't a defense at the college level that could stop those offenses with any consistency. So, I suppose you could argue there are no good college defenses. But, I'd say it's more accurate to say the offenses are so sophisticated, and perhaps some rules currently favor offenses, and that's the reason why no playoff team kept their opponents under 40 points. 

To understand this, you'd have to have a strong understanding of the history of offensive and defensive schemes. Things were considerably more simplistic decades ago. The most vaunted offenses of the 70s and 80s weren't impressive at all by today's terms. It used to be that scoring a touchdown was about as hard and as rare as scoring a goal in soccer. Now, it's closer to basketball. The development of QBs who can read coverages and hurt defenses with their feet makes all the difference.

Again everything you said there is true, offenses as a whole are far better developed now than back then, I would also make the argument that defenses as a whole aren't elite, in fact a true elite defense is extremely rare in this offensive oriented game. And yeah I would say that maybe there just isn't a true elite defense in CFB anymore, offenses are just significantly better developed to the point the defenses can't really do much to stop them. Even UGA with all their defensive talent had a questionable secondary so maybe teams just don't know how to play defense at an elite level consistently anymore