Sign stealing

[PokeBloke]

With all the accusations directed at Oklahoma football the past few weeks, does anyone feel that former head coach Gundy’s signs were easily stealable? Over the years, the way OU always had “sooner magic”, made no sense to me. There were many trick plays they would blow up before we even got started. Lane Kiffin referenced safeties coming down into a slant route before they even broke the route off.

I know it’s a moot point.

Curious on others thoughts?

 

[Backin82]

With all the accusations directed at Oklahoma football the past few weeks, does anyone feel that former head coach Gundy’s signs were easily stealable? Over the years, the way OU always had “sooner magic”, made no sense to me. There were many trick plays they would blow up before we even got started. Lane Kiffin referenced safeties coming down into a slant route before they even broke the route off.

I know it’s a moot point.

Curious on others thoughts?

According to multiple reports, we were so predictable that sign stealing wasn't even needed. Remember the defensive player from a recent early-season opponent said we ran plays that were identical to what we did the year before including identical formations, etc... and they could easily predict what we were gonna do on most plays.

Even casual fans could predict most of our plays.

Nobody needed to steal signs from us after the Holgorsen/Monken era. We ran like 6-8 plays.

 

[007Poke]

It was said we had to keep things simple for the players by the man who could not learn their names. Is it possible it had to be simple for his sake?

 

[Midnight Toker]

With all the accusations directed at Oklahoma football the past few weeks, does anyone feel that former head coach Gundy’s signs were easily stealable? Over the years, the way OU always had “sooner magic”, made no sense to me. There were many trick plays they would blow up before we even got started. Lane Kiffin referenced safeties coming down into a slant route before they even broke the route off.

I know it’s a moot point.

Curious on others thoughts?

What OU's defense is really good at, probably as good as or better than everyone else, is they spend tons of time watching film and picking up on tendencies. When it's 3rd down and 4 at this yard line, at this point of a 1 score game, their staff will already know that (for example) you run it in between the tackles 47% of the time, you run outside the tackles 14% of the time, you throw a rb screen 19% of the time, you throw a 5 yard out to a WR 9% of the time and 11% of the time the qb hits his first read to the tight end on a curl route. In this scenario they know they can plan for a ~80% chance that the RB will get the ball.

Knowing these tendencies makes it easier to call the more correct play. I know this isnt uncommon, that they arent the only ones who do it, but that Venables has been doing this for more than 30 years, since his days at kansas state, so he's really good at it.

So the best way to battle that is to know your own tendencies and try to make that run/throw % closer to 50/50

 

[cowboyinexile]

What OU's defense is really good at, probably as good as or better than everyone else, is they spend tons of time watching film and picking up on tendencies. When it's 3rd down and 4 at this yard line, at this point of a 1 score game, their staff will already know that (for example) you run it in between the tackles 47% of the time, you run outside the tackles 14% of the time, you throw a rb screen 19% of the time, you throw a 5 yard out 9% of the time and 11% of the time the qb hits his first read to the tight end on a curl route.

Knowing these tendencies makes it easier to call the more correct play. I know this isnt uncommon, that they arent the only ones who do it, but that Venables has been doing this for more than 30 years, since his days at kansas state, so he's really good at it.

 

[Midnight Toker]

Moral of the story, know your tendencies and go against them

 

[Cowboyshoopspride]

I present Kendal Daniels as exhibit 1A, 2A and 3A as the most damning evidence that everything the he posted is absolute horse$hit and they were definitely cheating.

We watched him for 4 years. He didn’t suddenly improve and play like he cared, he just knows the play ahead of time now.

Don’t get me wrong, I wish we were stealing signs too. Seems like a genius move to me.

 

[Ryno]

With all the accusations directed at Oklahoma football the past few weeks, does anyone feel that former head coach Gundy’s signs were easily stealable? Over the years, the way OU always had “sooner magic”, made no sense to me. There were many trick plays they would blow up before we even got started. Lane Kiffin referenced safeties coming down into a slant route before they even broke the route off.

I know it’s a moot point.

Curious on others thoughts?

Pretty sure we used decoy callers before the advent of helmet mics.... just like you do in high school.

Three signal callers, one is the actual play caller and the other two are decoys. Unless you know who was calling what, would be a 33% guess on the defense's part. Each quarter (or as needed) you'd change who's the actual play caller.

It's what we did in high school as coaches. All three would call the formation and the only one was the true play. Other two were total BS. OL would know blocking assignments based off play and how the defense lines up.

Prior to those tactics... it was simply 'running in the play' each down. Nothing to steal.

 

[Midnight Toker]

I present Kendal Daniels as exhibit 1A, 2A and 3A as the most damning evidence that everything the he posted is absolute horse$hit and they were definitely cheating.

We watched him for 4 years. He didn’t suddenly improve and play like he cared, he just knows the play ahead of time now.

Don’t get me wrong, I wish we were stealing signs too. Seems like a genius move to me.

All we have is that one play where he quickly diagnosed the play and went after it. Sounds like he watches film. He is a solid player in a better system, and he's getting better coaching than he had at osu so it makes sense that OU is able to get some good quality play out of him. Just keep in mind OU staff is known for their film watching and picking up on the other team's tendencies, it's what BV has always been good at

Everyone who is capable of studying a team's tendencies will do it, it's just that some are better than others at it. Also highly suggested that OCs utilize technology available to them and send the play calls to the QB using helmet communication, and of course using decoy signalers, because it's pretty effective. Or using those posterboard signs, i remember osu doing that all the time. At this point it's really kind of lazy on your part if your signs get hijacked by OU.

Anyway, teams who know their tendencies dont usually have this problem

 

[Backin82]

All we have is that one play where he quickly diagnosed the play and went after it. Sounds like he watches film. He is a solid player in a better system, and he's getting better coaching than he had at osu so it makes sense that OU is able to get some good quality play out of him. Just keep in mind OU staff is known for their film watching and picking up on the other team's tendencies, it's what BV has always been good at

Everyone who is capable of studying a team's tendencies will do it, it's just that some are better than others at it. Also highly suggested that OCs utilize technology available to them and send the play calls to the QB using helmet communication, and of course using decoy signalers, because it's pretty effective. Or using those posterboard signs, i remember osu doing that all the time. At this point it's really kind of lazy on your part if your signs get hijacked by OU.

Anyway, teams who know their tendencies dont usually have this problem

Our coaches were too busy hunting and enjoying time off. They didn't have time for film and pesky stuff like that.

 

[Midnight Toker]

Our coaches were too busy hunting and enjoying time off. They didn't have time for film and pesky stuff like that.

For a couple years now too it seems, bizarre.

 

[DxCowboy]

All we have is that one play where he quickly diagnosed the play and went after it. Sounds like he watches film. He is a solid player in a better system, and he's getting better coaching than he had at osu so it makes sense that OU is able to get some good quality play out of him. Just keep in mind OU staff is known for their film watching and picking up on the other team's tendencies, it's what BV has always been good at

Everyone who is capable of studying a team's tendencies will do it, it's just that some are better than others at it. Also highly suggested that OCs utilize technology available to them and send the play calls to the QB using helmet communication, and of course using decoy signalers, because it's pretty effective. Or using those posterboard signs, i remember osu doing that all the time. At this point it's really kind of lazy on your part if your signs get hijacked by OU.

Anyway, teams who know their tendencies dont usually have this problem

I want to personally thank you for disproving the old adage that ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder.’

My god I’d almost forgotten what a sage you truly are, and your desperation to let everyone know.