When Silas Redd leaves Penn State, he will become the biggest win in the biggest of losing situations |
I'll come out and say it right now, I have no sympathy for what is going on at Penn State, don't believe any of the Joe Paterno apologists and am glad that Bobby Bowden once again owns the D1 wins record. But anyways, a lot of people are saying that the football players are the biggest losers in this whole Penn State shenanigans. They're really not wrong, except for one player, one special, game changing type of player. That guy is Silas Redd.
In a situation overloaded with losers, convicts and shot reputations, Silas Redd will win out. He's leaving a style of offense that salivates over the inside-the-tackle running, a rushing style unsuited for a guy his size. He's 5'10", 209 lbs, not really a body type that can take the abuse of defensive tackles and vicious hits from middle linebackers. The Big Ten is about big, strong, slow white lineman and similarly strong big players on defense who rely on form tackling more than play making ability. Simply put, Big Ten offenses (not including Michigan) are pedestrian, uninteresting and downright nothing to see. Not something a small, quick back like Redd really wants to deal with.
But now Redd will enter an offense he will absolutely, positively thrive in. A spread offense that has a phenomenal quarterback in Matt Barkley, who will open up massive rushing lanes on draws and other reverse play action plays. He won't have much competition at back since the Trojans best running back Curtis McNeal is less of a workhorse and can't handled the snaps Redd would get. Plus it's USC, a team that hasn't missed a beat even with the two-year postseason ban they received thanks to Reggie Bush. The Trojans have four lineman returning from last year on top of the fact ESPN ranked them as the best o-line in college football. There isn't a negative with this situation, not one. Leaving State College, PA for greener pastures in Pasadena, CA? Yes, I'll take it. Leaving the defense-centric Big Ten for the wild, high scoring offense-centric Pac-12? Yes, I'll take that too. And so will Silas Redd.
Everyone will talk about how the seniors at Penn State are going to stick to their commitments and are going to get destroyed by the Ohio State's and Michigan's of the world. Yeah, it does suck for those guys, but for a guy like Redd, his whole football career might have changed. And USC just became the National Championship favorite.
I mean, this is all if he goes to USC, which he will.
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