[BostonCard]

This is exactly why I thought that rule change was moronic. (At least if the goal was actually a safer game via more touchbacks, which they always claimed.) It seems like they thought that the kicking team would always just boot it as far as they could, and that the returning team was deciding whether to take the touchback or not. But that's clearly not the case, and touchbacks on kickoffs never should have been moved out to the 25.

I think that is a general truism of the game.  Anything which benefits one side will be to the detriment of the other... so if it makes more sense the rule changes favor the returning team taking a knee, the kicking team will adjust by making it harder for the returning team to take a knee.  That being said, I think most teams lack the kickoff coverage accumen where a touchback doesn't still favor the kicking team.  Given that MSU's stats (21 yard opposing return) are pretty close to the median (they rank 60 out of 125 D1 teams), that means that if their average returnable kickoff starts at the 4 yard line, it is a toss-up of which is better.

BC

[BostonCard]

This is exactly why I thought that rule change was moronic. (At least if the goal was actually a safer game via more touchbacks, which they always claimed.) It seems like they thought that the kicking team would always just boot it as far as they could, and that the returning team was deciding whether to take the touchback or not. But that's clearly not the case, and touchbacks on kickoffs never should have been moved out to the 25.

I think that is a general truism of the game.  Anything which benefits one side will be to the detriment of the other... so if it makes more sense the rule changes favor the returning team taking a knee, the kicking team will adjust by making it harder for the returning team to take a knee.  That being said, I think most teams lack the kickoff coverage accumen where a touchback doesn't still favor the kicking team.  Given that MSU's stats (21 yard opposing return) are pretty close to the median (they rank 60 out of 125 D1 teams), that means that if their average returnable kickoff starts at the 4 yard line, it is a toss-up of which is better.

BC