Seth recommended a book, "Take Your Eye Off The Ball" by Pat Kirwan last week and mine arrived yesterday.  This is going to be a fun read.

It is written in the context of pro football, the NFL.  I think parts of it apply to college football as well, especially the parts about how to use people and the various perspectives regarding techniques on offense and defense.

The author is respected in the world of football so his opinions are creditible, but probably not definitive.

Here are a couple of teases that caught my eye as I looked over the scope of the book last evening:

"Q: How long does it take to convert a team from a 4-3 scheme to a 3-4 or vice  versa?

A:If a team is smart about it, it should take two years.  Let's say the team is switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4.  Maybe three of its front seven will have the skills that could translate into the 3-4; that means it need four guys to fill out that front seven.  A team could be able to make that conversion in two drafts and one free-agent period."

I found that interesting given the current work going on with our defense, we do not have drafts, he have recruiting classes, transfers, and walk-ons.

here is another:

" Q:  Is switching between man coverage and zone as hard for a cornerback as the adjustment a lineman would make switching between a 3-4 and a 4-3 scheme?

A: It might be harder.  There's such a difference in the skills needed to play conerback in one system or the other.

Zone corners...have made their living squatting in the flat.  But asking them to turn and run with a receiver, to mirror him around the field, is a whole difference ball of wax.  Instead of looking in on the quarterback, they now have to watch the receiver's face.  All the old cues that they used to use to gain an advantage no longer apply.

In zone, the corner would play his area and pass his man over to the next defender.  But in man, a corner has to cover a receiver like Lee Evans, who has 4.2 speed.  When he takes off on a 9 route, that corner is ging to need a burst of speed he's never needed before."

A 9 route is a fly pattern.  I know that because the book shows a route tree with routes 0 through 9 described, the routes all receivers use.

Other areas that I am going to learn about:

Game planning.

What a quarterback does.

Running game.

Receivers.

OL.

Innovations

3-4 and 4-3 fronts.

Protecting the QB.

Defensive backs.

Intelligence in football...smarts.

Drafting and analyzing talent.

Future of football.

This is going to be a fun read, one that because of the changes happening at TTU is going to help me understand  more why this and why that as we adapt to the new schemes....zone blocking for example.

Thank you again, Seth, I haven't read the book yet, but am ready to add my recommendation.