Mario Cristobal & Players Postgame Press Conference | SMU Game

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I mean don’t you guys think Mario plays scared ? Like he plays not to lose? And that’s a sure way to never win on a significant level.
I understand the theory about playing the percentages and all that. Game Theory Optimal is a cancer in the poker world. Playing pure percentages and odds and that. Same with Moneyball and the MLB. Moneyball was cool when the Oakland A's were doing it, but the moment the big clubs started doing that, it nullified it.


It's often said in poker that you can't lose what you don't put in the middle of the table. But you don't win anything either. Mario was under JJ. Did JJ have the ability to roll the dice? You bet your *** he did. Schenllenberger, same deal. You don't have to do it all the time, but you got to occasionally to keep the other guy honest.
 
I understand the theory about playing the percentages and all that. Game Theory Optimal is a cancer in the poker world. Playing pure percentages and odds and that. Same with Moneyball and the MLB. Moneyball was cool when the Oakland A's were doing it, but the moment the big clubs started doing that, it nullified it.


It's often said in poker that you can't lose what you don't put in the middle of the table. But you don't win anything either. Mario was under JJ. Did JJ have the ability to roll the dice? You bet your *** he did. Schenllenberger, same deal. You don't have to do it all the time, but you got to occasionally to keep the other guy honest.
I think Mario’s a poor man’s Butch Davis. Not that any of them are poor
 
I think Mario’s a poor man’s Butch Davis. Not that any of them are poor

Both are great recruiters, and bad game day coaches. But Butch was not nearly as conservative as Mario is. Butch would occasionally have a wild hair up his ***, and with the probie teams; he had to roll the dice sometimes. But Butch would occasionally do boneheaded things in different ways than Mario.

Butch was more of a defensive guy, and Mario is all about trench warfare.

And honestly, I LIKE power football. I think it's still a perfectly viable system. But when YOU RUN THROUGH the 1 and 2 gap all the time, how hard is that to defend? Run off tackle. I don't see us run play action passes towards the sidelines. They stack the box, run a play action and turn a TE or WR out. If baffles me that you want to have a run first system, but not protect it with stuff like, PA, off-tackle, tosses, etc. Oh, and you play actions? SELL them. Don't do this weak *** 'ole' **** that nobody believes you are handing it off because you are doing it so half-heartedly. Make them believe it.

Even the McKay USC teams of the 60's-70's, who ran a Power I, had all sorts of wrinkles in their system. Yes, they had OJ Simpson, who made any offense look good. But it wasn't 1 and 2 Gap ONLY.

You can have a run-first philosophy and be dynamic.

 
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Since I'm in the mood for it; here's a bonus.

Theisman was a great QB, but the Hogs and Riggins were the absolute bedrock of that Skins team.

"Oh look! The RB doing a counter play to force the defense to over commit to one side of the line! Who would've thought of that? NOT US APPARENTLY"



A run-first balanced offense is a perfectly legitimate system. But if you don't have the personnel to implement it or an OC to utilize it properly, it's gonna look like ***.
 
Since I'm in the mood for it; here's a bonus.

Theisman was a great QB, but the Hogs and Riggins were the absolute bedrock of that Skins team.



Sadly, our OL aren't tone setters. They may have been game 1-3 but they have gotten worse by the game. Cooper has had his worst year and FM is invisible while committing bad penalties. Brock is brutal and McCoy and Bell have had their issues. They're pretty good at pass pro but overrrated in run game
 
Sadly, our OL aren't tone setters. They may have been game 1-3 but they have gotten worse by the game. Cooper has had his worst year and FM is invisible while committing bad penalties. Brock is brutal and McCoy and Bell have had their issues. They're pretty good at pass pro but overrrated in run game
Maybe, but I think the scheme is not helping at all. How about a trap play? How about anything? If they stack the box to cover the inside run, there are many ways to exploit and take advantage of that. And we either don't do it at all, or do it poorly, and it's frustrating.
 
Maybe, but I think the scheme is not helping at all. How about a trap play? How about anything? If they stack the box to cover the inside run, there are many ways to exploit and take advantage of that. And we either don't do it at all, or do it poorly, and it's frustrating.

We’ll never know as long as Mario/mirabal are the architects of the run game .
 
You think it’s Dawson pulling those strings? I think some of this running up the A gap stuff has been imposed on him.
Never doing a double move on those lateral passes other teams continue to jump Mario too? I haven’t seen one all year . If that’s Mario on all this we’re in trouble . To much talent not to go 3 and 4 wide some times .
 
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Never doing a double move on those lateral passes other teams continue to jump Mario too? I haven’t seen one all year . If that’s Mario on all this we’re in trouble . To much talent not to go 3 and 4 wide some times .
That’s true but it seems like the actual running scheme is Alex and Mario.
 
Sadly, our OL aren't tone setters. They may have been game 1-3 but they have gotten worse by the game. Cooper has had his worst year and FM is invisible while committing bad penalties. Brock is brutal and McCoy and Bell have had their issues. They're pretty good at pass pro but overrrated in run game
Heresy GIF by DrSquatchSoapCo
 
His "Charts"… At the end of regulation.

That's a total lie. You better rip those f***in charts up if it isn't.

:25 and a timeout is a go ALL DAY. You are basically not trying to win the game. Just ridiculous. Pay a guy 3 million to take a knee.
More ridiculous to pay a guy 8mm (10?) to let "charts" dictate how he coaches a football game.
 
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Mario is *** but I’m not going to keep excusing Dawson, by saying he’s just doing what Mario is telling him. Mario may be the bigger issue but Dawson def is culpable

I'm neutral across the board on Dawson…I can take or leave him.

And although I've supported CMC on many fronts, and acknowledge his program building and I'm actually a fan of smash-mouth football and teams. I'm sorry I can't believe the same Dawson that threw that deep ball to Marion (where the flag miraculously got picked up, an absolute robbery there) is the same OC as OT…. I truly believe Mario shut him down and pulled the plug in OT…We weren't going to throw until we had no choice. It was the same with ND and our kicker Davis bailed him out by making the bomb.
 
I'm not happy with the play calling but it aint why were losing.

In our last 17 games where we've had 2 or more turnovers were 2 - 15.

We pull points off the board and extend crucial drives every single game that would have change the outcome of the game.

We gave them a TD on the hand off by JoJo. We lost in OT because of the INT. We had the ball on 8 with first and goal and didn't even end up with a FG because of 3 straight penalties. We gave them a 4th down conversion when its mattered the most by a stupid fn penalty.

No team can overcome those things on the road against a decent opponent.

Talent isn't only about ball skills. It's about not killing yourself as well.

What our OL gains in being bullies they lose in being jittery.

The game plan is always bad but it ain't so bad that you can't beat inferior opponents, it's not gonna win you a ship but these two losses are straight up mistakes on the players.
 
This dude has no business being on the sidelines on game day or having any say in the game plan. Same goes with his midget friend Mirabal. Make him GM or something but he cannot be in any way involved on saturdays if you’re serious about winning
 
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This dude has no business being on the sidelines on game day or having any say in the game plan. Same goes with his midget friend Mirabal. Make him GM or something but he cannot be in any way involved on saturdays if you’re serious about winning

This. Mario would make a great GM but he just doesnt have it to be calling the shots on game day.

The only hope for this program is he comes to the same realization.
 
Not sure whose call (Hetherman or Mario), but that 4th and nine timeout was brutal.

National media does a MUCH better job than local media in identifying the problems. Would like the local media not be neutered and get back to what they were: journalists.

These after game pressers are more fluff than about getting to brass tax. Tuff talk without the tough questions.
 
I'm neutral across the board on Dawson…I can take or leave him.

And although I've supported CMC on many fronts, and acknowledge his program building and I'm actually a fan of smash-mouth football and teams. I'm sorry I can't believe the same Dawson that threw that deep ball to Marion (where the flag miraculously got picked up, an absolute robbery there) is the same OC as OT…. I truly believe Mario shut him down and pulled the plug in OT…We weren't going to throw until we had no choice. It was the same with ND and our kicker Davis bailed him out by making the bomb.
Two things can be true. Mario may have told him to rein it in, be safe, and run it. However the predictability of what type of run play for example is called, is on Dawson
 
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