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| Friday, September 29 Teams prepare differently for common goal By John Mackovic Special to ESPN.com | |||
| With some important conference clashes on tab for this weekend, the question of preparation is often asked. Do coaches and teams prepare differently for these games from the non-conference games? The answer is not a simple yes or no.
Teams fall into different categories regarding their non-conference scheduling. One group is trying to establish some groundwork, get a couple of easy victories and head into the conference schedule with a head of steam. Those who have not been regulars in the bowl scene need the early victories to help the won-loss record. Kansas State took this route for several years while building their program; others have taken note and are padding their early schedules to secure at least two, or possibly three, victories.
A second group is going for a national championship and early scheduling is critical in creating a presence and establishing a position in the polls. While they play some easy games, an eventful game like Michigan vs. UCLA or Nebraska vs. Notre Dame can catapult the victor into the top tier. These teams can afford no letdowns at any time, and their non-conference games take on the same meaning as any conference game because of the stakes at the end of the year.
Most programs fall somewhere in the middle -- they play three games before the conference hoping for at least a 2-1 split. By winning half of their conference games, they can qualify for a bowl and almost everyone who qualifies can play in the post season.
There is no question coaches hold something back in their non-conference games, unless it is absolutely necessary they utilize a particular weapon. For example, Nebraska probably did not need anything extra for San Jose State this year, but they had everything ready for Notre Dame. Most coaches put in offensive plays and defensive schemes and work on them for a couple of weeks during the non-conference games. There is no intention to use them; however, if a game develops into a dogfight they are ready.
Coaches approach the entire season in different ways. I always approached the season like a game with four quarters. Training camp was the first quarter when we trained and worked to get our team established and installed all of our basic offense, defense, and kicking plans. There was little emphasis on game planning and more on fundamental work.
The non-conference games were the second quarter -- they allowed our team to compete with the intention of winning every game while gaining experience and developing our strengths. We also could recognize our shortcomings. Everything went into these games, but because we did not play these opponents on a regular basis we did not know them very well. Much of our preparation came from early summer film study.
Third quarter was the first half of the conference season. With four games in this segment, it was important to win at least three of them if we entertained any thoughts of winning the championship. Two victories usually meant you were playing for the best bowl possible with your conference standings. Because we knew these teams very well, we would study two and three years of videotape to make comparisons and revisions in our game plans. Players had played against each other and past victories and defeats came with personal feelings. We could assess the improvement in players on the other side; sometimes we knew them better than they knew themselves. We also studied the coaching philosophies of the coaches -- where were they strong and what, if any, weaknesses could we find? Regardless of the conference opponent, every team steps it up a notch when these games are played.
The fourth quarter was the run for the championship, assuming you had taken care of business in the previous four games. Now the games took on a meaning beyond winning and losing; national attention to the race became a real issue. People wanted to talk about the different scenarios and who had the best chance down the stretch. Coaches worked overtime (how can anyone who normally works 80-90 hours a week work any more)? Strategy and motivation reached the highest levels; tension built every week and the players loved it. Players came in to watch more tapes of the opponents and they could not wait for practice to begin. . .yes, they looked forward to practice! The physical gave way to the mental as the season progressed. Players and coaches are durable, but the psychologists say we give in first with our minds. To focus on the technical part of the game was difficult at times.
If a team is fortunate enough to get to the last game of the season with the championship on the line, every detail is magnified. The game is a season in itself. The countless hours spent in the previous four months, conference or non-conference, are only a staging ground for the big one.
John Mackovic is a college football anyalyst at ESPN. | ALSO SEE Fowler: Opponents drown in noise at Ducks' pond Corso: Not So Fast, My Friends | ||
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