Reader Questions on Oklahoma State’s New DC and What 2018 Could Look Like

We only had a couple of reader questions and/or comments this week, and one was from somebody I pay. So keep the questions coming in via DM or email. I’ve been trying to get to 2-3 of them a week. Here are this week’s.

On the DC, one thing that stood out to me that I liked, was someone said he was good at masking deficiencies, I like that. You need to get your boy Fleming in a dark room watching Duke game film. I want to know how quickly he adjusts during the game.

My biggest issue with both coordinators in 2017 was their inability to adjust during the game, like in between series. It took Yurcich far too long to start calling slants, out, and comeback routs against TCU. Same with Spencer, took him too long to play man coverage and take away TCU’s short passing game. Give me someone that doesn’t go into shut down mode when the non starting QB enters a game. -Chris M.

This is a good point. The last level of being an elite coordinator, it seems, is the ability to adjust inside of a game when the chips are down. Anybody (ok, not anybody but anybody) can throw together a game plan on Tuesday or Wednesday when you’re watching film and everybody is healthy. The TCU game epitomized this on both sides of the ball.

We did stick Fleming in a dark room (shout out Mike Leach) alongside Adam Lunt. They didn’t talk specifically about adjustments, but it doesn’t really sounds like Knowles is big on changing much of anything when it comes to schemes. OSU will be simpler than it has been in the past, which is probably a good thing, and the adjustments might be more subtle than any of us want them to be.

It’s certainly something to watch for, and I think the first half of the season next year is going to be fascinating. We’re all going to want Extreme Change, and we may or may not get it. I think it’s important to remember that next year is a stepping stone season into something (hopefully) even better in 2019. Defense included. Maybe defense especially.

I want to know which two linebackers stay in the 4-2-5. -Steven M.

Well one of them has to be Neutral Zone Bundage, and I would suspect the other is Justin Phillips (who, by the way, played on the last Les Miles team, yes?) Bundage will almost definitely start, and I think Phillips is just better than the 6th president Kenneth Edison-McGruder. Plus Phillips offers better run support than KEM, which will be key considering you’re only rolling with two LBs.

The other thing you could do is make Bundage the 5th DB. I don’t know if they’ll do this, but he’s athletic enough that it could work out. Although, at this point I’m not sure “it could work out” is what you want if you’re watching the Oklahoma State defense.