Beanie Carries the Torch
January 06 2008 06:57 PM -- Filed in: Football
It's almost a given that, if Ohio State is to win
tomorrow night, Todd Boeckman needs to play well. By
extension this also means the offensive line needs to
protect to provide time for Todd to find open
receivers. For me, however, the most important player
on our team tomorrow night will be Beanie Wells.
Wells is the one guy who will help all others. Todd will get more time if Beanie has established the run. He'll help the offensive line if he breaks tackles and a few long runs to the point where it saps some of the aggressiveness of the Tiger defensive front. Though only a true sophomore,
Wells has the rare opportunity to cap off a
season with roughly 1600 yards and a crystal ball
trophy. It's one thing to know he's critical to our
success, it's something else to understand why and
how he does it.
So, what makes Beanie special? I've made a quick image on the right which highlights three of his most important physical traits. We know he's big, strong and relatively fast but how about specifics. Below is my deconstruction of Beanie Wells:
a) Vision - Perhaps the most important of all is Beanie's vision. All great backs have it and Wells is no different even though this is rarely mentioned by the analysts. He's adept at finding the hole and setting up blockers. And, when the play totally breaks down he's shown the ability to make something out of nothing. He doesn't do it all the time but enough where weakside contain must mind responsibilities.
b) Power - Let it be known there is a vast difference between running with strength and running with power. A lot of running backs run with strength (Mike Hart) which allows them to churn out an extra yard before going down. But, Wells runs with strength and power which helps him break tackles and run over would-be tacklers.
c) Feet - Most of us know his measurables: 6'1" and 240lbs but the biggest tangible attribute for Beanie are his feet. He has relatively thin ankles and light feet to the point where he can high knee and chop step through debris at the line of scrimmage. Some excellent examples of this can be seen in my Michigan highlights video (youtube version).
If these traits are on display Monday night, one has to feel pretty good about our chances. But, naturally, Wells and Boeckman aren't the only determining factors. A 50+ day layoff gives opposing staffs enough time to chart every play run from the scrimmage this year based on down and distance. Using a game plan devised to break tendencies - without deviating from our basic identity - will put Wells (and Boeckman) in the best position possible to showcase their talents.
Wells is the one guy who will help all others. Todd will get more time if Beanie has established the run. He'll help the offensive line if he breaks tackles and a few long runs to the point where it saps some of the aggressiveness of the Tiger defensive front. Though only a true sophomore,
So, what makes Beanie special? I've made a quick image on the right which highlights three of his most important physical traits. We know he's big, strong and relatively fast but how about specifics. Below is my deconstruction of Beanie Wells:
a) Vision - Perhaps the most important of all is Beanie's vision. All great backs have it and Wells is no different even though this is rarely mentioned by the analysts. He's adept at finding the hole and setting up blockers. And, when the play totally breaks down he's shown the ability to make something out of nothing. He doesn't do it all the time but enough where weakside contain must mind responsibilities.
b) Power - Let it be known there is a vast difference between running with strength and running with power. A lot of running backs run with strength (Mike Hart) which allows them to churn out an extra yard before going down. But, Wells runs with strength and power which helps him break tackles and run over would-be tacklers.
c) Feet - Most of us know his measurables: 6'1" and 240lbs but the biggest tangible attribute for Beanie are his feet. He has relatively thin ankles and light feet to the point where he can high knee and chop step through debris at the line of scrimmage. Some excellent examples of this can be seen in my Michigan highlights video (youtube version).
If these traits are on display Monday night, one has to feel pretty good about our chances. But, naturally, Wells and Boeckman aren't the only determining factors. A 50+ day layoff gives opposing staffs enough time to chart every play run from the scrimmage this year based on down and distance. Using a game plan devised to break tendencies - without deviating from our basic identity - will put Wells (and Boeckman) in the best position possible to showcase their talents.
