What's up with Colvin?

[trpltongue]

Colvin has been a fantastic lock-down corner for us. He plays great man coverage and has a nose for the ball with great recovery speed. However, the last couple of games he has been picked on repeatedly by Baylor and WVU with great success. I just don't understand it. Granted, Geno Smith made some fantastic throws to hit Bailey, but Colvin seems to be either a step out of position, to slow to recognize the route, or not finding the ball quite a bit lately.

I think he's one of the better corner's we've had here but something doesn't seem right recently and I'm just wondering if anyone can see what's going on because it just doesn't make sense?

[delhalew]

Didn't he finally get a take away on a route he jumped?.

[jk the sooner fan]

sometimes you cover guys that are just faster than you

???

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Can't really blame him after looking back at it..playing that 4-0-7 defense, you get caught looking in the backfield a lot if you are a corner and their runningback has 2000 yards of offense in the game.

Colvin will be fine, but he needs another year to fine tune some stuff..And to put some weight on.

[Soonerjeepman]

1 pick and 1 deflected for another pick. The deep ball I thought TJ was the safety and suppose to be behind him...sometimes other teams players make great plays as well. I was just as frustrated but I'm sure they got caught looking in due to Austin running all over our a$$... ;-)

[jk the sooner fan]

i thought Colvin played a better game than the rest of them - even when he gets beat - it's not like he's out of position - i agree with the need to add weight - that was one reason he got beat by the ND receiver - the dude was just bigger

[C&CDean]

He's doing fine selling newspapers down on Campus Corner.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Here is the thing...In most situations, he is getting matched up with the other team's best WR...So, that means more passes to his guy because Hurst can cover anyone's wr2...

[jk the sooner fan]

i think Colvin's gonna play on Sundays and make a bunch of $$ - he's one of the best cover corners we've had at OU in quite some time

[PrideMom]

The receivers' coach needs to show him how to hang on to the ball when it comes his way.....

[stoops the eternal pimp]

He will...He would already be a draft pick in the next draft, but there are a ton of good corners going to be available this year.


He stays, adds some pounds and gets more acclimated to playing corner with the technique issue, and he is only going to move up.

I normally say go early, but he really could help himself..One of my favorite players though.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Seriously, when there is 0 linebackers and you have Austin running to your side of the field and there is no one else except you to make a play on him 15 yards down the field, mistakes in coverage are going to happen.

[tulsaoilerfan]

No corner in the world can cover when you have zero pass rush

[OkieThunderLion]

Colvin is an awesome corner and is the least of OU's concerns.

When you are constantly put on an island vs NFL caliber WRs, they'll make some plays. But overall he's been great.

[OkieThunderLion]

1 pick and 1 deflected for another pick. The deep ball I thought TJ was the safety and suppose to be behind him...sometimes other teams players make great plays as well. I was just as frustrated but I'm sure they got caught looking in due to Austin running all over our a$$... ;-)

TJ is also being put in an impossible position. Being asked to do both the job of a weakside linebacker and free safety.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

TJ is also being put in an impossible position. Being asked to do both the job of a weakside linebacker and free safety.

Exactly...We need you to help on the deep routes and make every tackle on run plays...That's a tall order.

[ouleaf]

Tough for a cover corner to stick with their guy every single play, especially given the rules are so in favor of the passing game. I like Colvin and he has the speed to cover just about anybody, but Bailey is a tough cover for anyone.

Front seven hasn't really done them many favors by getting much pressure on the QB either.

[BoulderSooner79]

He's been all over the WRs in both games. But the rules favor the offense and look at the passing stats of both Baylor and WVU - these guys can sling it. A lock down corner can't take away a receiver, but they make a QB pay if they try to go there too often. He cause 2 picks against WVU and should have caught a 3rd one in the endzone. 2 picks usually wins you the game.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Tough for a cover corner to stick with their guy every single play, especially given the rules are so in favor of the passing game. I like Colvin and he has the speed to cover just about anybody, but Bailey is a tough cover for anyone.

Front seven hasn't really done them many favors by getting much pressure on the QB either.

Probably because they are playing with a front 4 and not a front 7.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

He's been all over the WRs in both games. But the rules favor the offense and look at the passing stats of both Baylor and WVU - these guys can sling it. A lock down corner can't take away a receiver, but they make a QB pay if they try to go there too often. He cause 2 picks against WVU and should have caught a 3rd one in the endzone. 2 picks usually wins you the game.

Saw some more of those ticky tack PI Big 12 calls again and people wonder why our WRs can't get open against SEC teams when their DBs are allowed to play pass coverage.

[thecrimsoncrusader]

I am just glad to see OU using man coverage again. Big time prep corners love that and OU's recruiting in that department should vastly improve in the coming years. Now if the Sooners could just get some DTs to help those guys out in the defensive backfield.

[BoulderSooner79]

I am just glad to see OU using man coverage again. Big time prep corners love that and OU's recruiting in that department should vastly improve in the coming years. Now if the Sooners could just get some DTs to help those guys out in the defensive backfield.

We had them last year - DEs not DTs. Alexander and R. Lewis consistently put pressure on QBs without having to blitz. And we had Beal and Austin before that. Seems we usually have good pass rush DEs and the pipeline just came up empty this season.

[OUTrumpet]

Isn't he quite a bit shorter than some of the receivers he is trying to cover? That Notre Dame receiver was a head taller than him at the line of scrimmage and they would just jump ball to him.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Not really...The ND guy was bigger, but weight in his case is a bigger issue than height...not a lot of 6'3-6'4 corners

[Widescreen]

So what are the odds that we continue to play this silly 7 db set the rest of the year?

[rainiersooner]

He's doing fine selling newspapers down on Campus Corner.

that guy is still around?? wow...it's been a decade + since I left norman...can't believe he's still slinging papers!

[Scott D]

So what are the odds that we continue to play this silly 7 db set the rest of the year?

99.67% it's this years bad cops ;)

[trpltongue]

I can definitely see the point about peeking in the backfield with Austin running around free all night. I guess I just recall seeing a number of times where the receiver got behind him right at the line and then he was running a step behind the whole way. I guess it's just a little bit of technique that he needs to work on but it's something I don't recall seeing him do earlier in the year.

I completely agree that he's a fantastic corner, I'm just so surprised that Baylor and WVU were so willing to repeatedly throw at him all night and their guys kept making the plays. I hope he has a short memory because OSU can sling the ball as well as any of them :)

[stoopified]

The receivers' coach needs to show him how to hang on to the ball when it comes his way.....The wr coach couldn't teach Colvin to catch,that is why he is a db and not a WR.

[EatLeadCommie]

Colvin is good. It was Hurst that was picked on consistently during the Baylor game. Geno just made some fantastic throws a couple of times and it's not like Bailey is some scrub. Dude is one of the best wideouts in the country.

[Scott D]

Colvin is good. It was Hurst that was picked on consistently during the Baylor game. Geno just made some fantastic throws a couple of times and it's not like Bailey is some scrub. Dude is one of the best wideouts in the country.

To expound on it, Bailey is one of the three Bilitnikoff finalists.

[StoopTroup]

that guy is still around?? wow...it's been a decade + since I left norman...can't believe he's still slinging papers!

Dean took his place. :wink:

http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/01/71/46/498052/3/628x471.jpg

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

I think what you see from Colvin is inexperience. It looks like Mike is trying to get him to do what he is capable of a little before he believes he can do it. The biggest problem is that he is having issues forgetting that he is no longer primarily a safety (as mentioned above with peeking into the backfield), but that he can still use those skills. When he combines the play of the two positions, the result is phenomenal (like that near INT in the end zone where he played the ball better than the WR).

[StoopTroup]

I think what you see from Colvin is inexperience. It looks like Mike is trying to get him to do what he is capable of a little before he believes he can do it. The biggest problem is that he is having issues forgetting that he is no longer primarily a safety (as mentioned above with peeking into the backfield), but that he can still use those skills. When he combines the play of the two positions, the result is phenomenal (like that near INT in the end zone where he played the ball better than the WR).

Sounds like Mike isn't simplifying things. :D

[trpltongue]

To expound on it, Bailey is one of the three Bilitnikoff finalists.


That is a very good point. On a lot of those receptions Bailey had only slight separation and I felt that Geno Smith had a fantastic game passing. So many of those balls were perfectly placed! I guess it's just little technique things like getting his hips turned quicker at the LOS, etc. A lot of where he seems to be "losing" the battles is at or near the LOS. Against a "slower" receiver it's not a problem since Colvin can catch up if he misses a jam or is slow to turn, but on a guy like Bailey, if Colvin isn't step for step from the beginning he isn't going to catch up.

[VA Sooner]

Reading this thread has calmed me down quite a bit. Went back and watched some of the series and WVU had some great throws/catches to beat our DBs.

[FirstandGoal]

Agreed that Smith had a great night passing. All in all, I'm happy with Colvin's performance. I think the kid did a great job in a very difficult situation and I'm glad that he got this kind of experience because it usually serves to elevate the level of performance for the next time he might find himself in a tough spot.

Can't wait to see how hungry our D is against OKLAST.........