When you're an underdog...how do you prepare?

Boom. 

I agree with groundchuck.

One thing that we do is we "train" to beat those type of teams on our schedule all year. So it's a verbal thing that we put in their heads all year long. When we are doing something particularly tough or difficult in training, we might say "This is tough, but not as tough as X OPPONENT." Or "It will take even more than this to beat OPPONENT Y." Everyone has those few teams each year that are always at the top of their game. We train physically and mentally with the goal in mind to be able to beat those teams at all times. It's just something we always talk about so the idea is that it's drilled into their heads.

The week of the game? Business as usual. Because of how we treat it all year, the kids understand the impact of the game that week. We'll talk about having extra focus and everything. But we don't really do anything too different. You want the kids knowing it's just business and I think that helps them be more prepared knowing and feeling it's just another week.

Just like you would for any other game. Treat them all the same.

Chuck, I don't think you gave yourself enough credit on this.  This was a NICE move.   I may try this...

What was their response (body language, verbal, etc.) when you did this?

I've done this in the past and haven't done it in a while.  Thanks for the reminder on this technique.

It’s all about attitude. During the season you are going to play who you are scheduled to play. You can’t change that. Breaking the kid’s (and coaches for that matter) tendency to look at records, numbers, etc as a predetermination of the outcome of the game is, in my opinion, the only worthwhile exercise when it comes to the question of being underdog.

We are a new school with a four year old football program playing small ball (8-man ball in a charter / private school specific sanctioning body). Year 1 – all freshmen… year 2, freshmen and sophomores.. etc.. These schools are small enough that there are no JV teams. Last year was our first year with a real crop of seniors. That said – we were still running only 16-20 total players on the team with sophomores and freshmen making a significant chunk of the starting 16, and some of the schools that we will play will have 40 players on the sidelines and almost all juniors and seniors on the field. So… we know what it means to be an underdog.

What do we do? We talk about what it means to be a warrior – that in battle the biggest and strongest team does not always win – but the team with the strongest heart is in the best place to win. I don’t know how many times our boys have heard “it’s not the size of the dog in the fight that matters… it’s the size of the fight in the dog…” We don’t place emphasis on winning or losing the game, but rather on how hard we fight on the field, and how well we execute. We measure those things as well and if/when we play our game we beat teams that on paper we should not beat. Don’t get me wrong – our boys take the field expecting to win. When facing a team that has us out-numbered more than 2:1 they step on the field expecting to break them down and take the win from them.

I’d like to think that if our 20 kids who play 8 man ball out of a small charter school got the call to suit up, put together an 11 man play book and take the field against our Division 1 4000+ student neighbor – that they would strap it up and go hit them. Now – I am not suggesting that I would want this or even let it happen – and I am not saying that there would not be parts of the team that would be apprehensive – but I do know that the core of our team would get a gleam in their eye about getting out there and “taking it to them.” If it happened – would we beat them? Almost certainly not – but I’d bet good money that our guys would fight like crazy until the buzzer sounds. I’ve seen them do it.  Two years ago we were down to 10 players (from our normal 14 that year) due to injury and some academic issues.  We had a game against a team that we had never played who was one division up.  We got there and they had 40+ players on the sideline.  They did beat us - but our boys fought like crazy and that game is something that was a turning point in that season.  I saw some more of it recently at a camp – four of our guys went.  We had one 8th grader (incoming freshman) a freshman and two sophomores.  This camp was attended by players from some of the biggest / best HS programs in the state.  I watched my sophomore LB get worked in an O on D passing challenge by a kid that I understand is a nationally recruited back. I watched him ASK his coach to give him the next rep against that same player, and then come up on the next play and jam the kid disrupting rhythm and causing a drop. 1:1 this back will beat my LB 9:10 times - but I know that 10:10 times my kid will get after him - and I've seen this win us games against teams that were physically superior to us both in terms of age/skill/strength as well as numbers.

Attitude is everything – especially when locking up with a bigger, faster, stronger team.

Just my 2 cents...

Give the kids cigarettes and blind folds as you are getting off the bus.

Shock, one thing that might make sense is to think about the 'big game speech' type stuff, and start making it your daily mantra.

If you feel like in order to beat Big Rival HS, you need to have a faster tempo, then you make that the focus of everything you do in the offseason and leading up to the first day of practice. Stress it in the weight room, getting from station to station, during warm ups, getting dressed to work out, getting dressed to go home, tying your cleats.... everything is about tempo.

If it is being mentally tough, then focus of what being 'mentally tough' is in everything you do. If you're in the floor doing core work, don't let them whine and moan; tell them to shut up and focus because that is being mentally tough and bitching and moaning is only adding negativity to those around you. Getting one more rep when you don't think you can is being mentally tough, going outside to do speed work in the cold is being mentally tough, expecting your teammates to be on time to class is etc.....

If it's the simple act of competition, then make everything a competition and get as many eyes on them as often as possible. Whether you are just doing a 1 on 1 sumo competition to finish up a work out, gather everyone around and get them whooping and hollering. Find some 7-7 that winner take all competitions.

I don't think that having an idea of their thoughts and attitudes hurts, but unless they have any experience then more than likely they are looking to you for direction. Find out the pulse of the team, but DCOhio says, sometimes they old saying 'you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drinks' means you might have to drown a few trying. You've got set the pace and set the goal.

I have upset 2 state powers twice in my 2 year career, both from the same town as a matter of fact.

Don't know that we did anything different. I didn't down play the game, I let them know it was a big game. One was in the playoffs, this year my "butt hole did tighten" late 3rd qtr and we were up 27-7, didn't throw the ball again, just wanted to win.

But I tell my kids, they don't expect it, but we do. Confidence.

I mean in the weight room, we have 4 pictures of teams hanging up. My players asked about the other 6, I told them WE EXPECT TO BEAT THEM. We are going to prepare the same way for eveyone, but it's 4 teams on our schedule that we are chasing.

Some of ya'll with agree, most will disagree. But that's how we approach the games and the teams and what works for me.

Kind of our motto this year. Our address, 1 Ram Way. I tell my kids don't know how others do it, but we do it 1 Ram Way, what works here may not work everywhere!