Three years in the Big Ten and I still have to read about how we need to "take advantage" of Washington's weak run game. Groundbreaking analysis from Yahoo Sports. Like yeah, no kidding we should run the ball against a team that couldn't stop a nosebleed on the ground last season. But here is the thing that nobody wants to talk about. Our offensive line is still a question mark. We have bodies in the room but I am NOT convinced we have the maulers you need to actually impose your will in this conference.
You want me to feel good about a crystal ball prediction that we can run on Washington? Show me the tape from spring practice that proves we have a downhill run game. Show me the 247 composite grades on the interior linemen we brought in. All I see is the same finesse approach that got us pushed around in the trenches last year. Washington is vulnerable, fine. But are we actually built to exploit that vulnerability? Because I have seen this movie before. We talk about running the ball in June, then September comes and we are throwing 45 times because we cannot get four yards on the ground.
The staff needs to prove it in the fall. Not with preseason predictions, not with Yahoo Sports articles, not with recruiting hype. Put the pads on, get downhill, and show me we can control the line of scrimmage against a Big Ten opponent. Until then, I am keeping the receipts on these takes.