The Lesson: Lose Early
The conventional wisdom is that if a team is to lose, losing early in the season is best for any type of MNC aspirations. Though most fans (including the authors of this blog) don’t believe this team is worthy of being considered for another title game berth, the early loss to USC was refreshing on two fronts. First, the loss, and more importantly, the magnitude of the loss, prompted Tressel to make some changes that he otherwise would have probably avoided making. Second, losing early spared us all from the eight month fallout and second-guessing that has followed the program in each of the previous two big game losses.
The USC beat-down hurt on so many levels, but it’s refreshing to watch this team take flight with some younger and inspiring personnel, most notably Pryor, contributing so much. The Buckeyes now find themselves with arguably the two best players in the conference lining up in the same backfield and winning a fourth-straight conference title will mean that much more with other teams in the Big Ten smelling a little blood in the water. While the play of those two have been off the charts, there remains some areas of improvement if Ohio State wants to complete the job this year:
- The O-Line: We’re starting to see some improvements, with the Minnesota game being perhaps their best outing of the year. Boone absolutely dominated that game and is showing signs that he is serious about being a first-day draft choice in the NFL. The interior of the line still has its work cut out and Rehring’s return will present a problem of sorts for the staff in terms of deciding who stays and who sits, but if they can keep improving game-by-game, the offense should start to really put some points up.
- Receivers: Robo had a really nice game against the Gophers, but there’s still an APB out on Hartline. What’s really frustrating is that he talked so much trash over the course of the summer. Time to step up. Also, I know Vico is really high on the guy, but I’m not sold on Dane Sanzenbacher. On the option play that Boom bobbled at first Saturday, I watched a defensive back hit him and knock him four yards backwards before making the tackle. Is there really any doubt that he’d be the 7th receiver on a team like USC? It’s especially disheartening when you have a freak like Posey standing on the sidelines.
- The D-Line: Another group that’s slowly coming along and I think the insertion of Gibson will pay huge dividends, but Heyward and the interior of the line will get a true test this weekend. It’s absolutely crazy to think that the Buckeyes have lost the sack battle in every game they’ve played this season.
- Special Teams: The inconsistency of Pretorius is frustrating, but what really gets me is the sad state of affairs on kick returns. To date, the Buckeyes have only played one team that can put similarly skilled athletes on the field against them, but everyone has been eating up the OSU kick return game. If it’s not missed blocks (which happen way too often), it’s guys like Saine cutting into tacklers instead of finding seams. There will be a game this year where the team needs a big special teams play and at this pace it looks like thye may not be able to deliver.
In only five weeks this season, Buckeye fans’ feelings have run the gamut from hope and excitement to crushing frustration and recriminiations before finally circling back to hope and excitement. The visit to Madison this weekend is the first big road game of the Pryor era and if the team can take care of what they need to do to continue growing, they have a great chance to win out, get a great BCS bowl win (rematch against USC in the Rose, perhaps) and set some crazy momentum for a big-time run in 2009.
I know it has been said that Heacock likes to play a defense akin to the NYG where they typically only rush four and drop everybody else into read coverage. That works really well in New York because they have freaks on the line who can get pressure and sacks. Doesn’t work so well for us because we don’t have that kind of personnel (at least not as demonstrated to this point). If you give any quarterback enough time, they’ll find an open receiver.
I do think the defensive line played better against Minny (a testament to personnel changes?), but the roads gets a lot tougher this week in Madison.
Was our O-Line “improvement” because of a weak Minny D-Line? I still need to see the fire out of them.
I forgot to add that if we don’t put better returners back on kick offs I am going to lose my mind. Saine is scared to get hurt and playing slow because of it. I would redshirt him right now, and give him a year to think about whether he wants to play or not.
This offensive line is built for Beanie Wells. It’s beyond my understanding as to why one back with such and such speed can run better behind the same guys as the next running back on the depth chart. Theoretically, they should be able to do the same job. But Beanie Wells is the guy who must take the football. Without him, we’re good for 3 yards per carry. With him, we’re good for 7 yards per carry. He’s a big play threat, and he opens up the big play for all the running backs behind him, too. Boom had that one tear, which he didn’t have in any other game.
Beanie + Terrell = an unstoppable force. I know it’s just one game, but the score was pretty much 34-13 - against a far more impressive Minnesota team than a year ago.
There’s no way Wisconsin will be able to hang with a running back that has the best cut-back and best stiff-arm in the game, the best running QB in the game, the best receivers in the Big Ten, and a defense that’s built to stop PJ Hill-style running backs. It’s going to be a blood-bath for the Badgers. It’s a coming-out party for TP and Beanie and the rest of the rebuilt Buckeyes, with Minnesota having been a tune-up. I don’t care how many times they play House of Pain’s Jump Around - that’s going to be the only noise coming from the stands.
Ohio State 42 - Wisconsin 17 in a breathtaking display of domination. The Leinenkugel’s better be flowin’, they’re gonna need it to ease the pain.
Steve,
I love your homerism, hope you’re right.
I still think Heacock needs to be replaced with someone not afraid to use a man-blitz. or with the depth at linebacker we have, go to a 3-4.
Saine has whiffed on so many blitz pick ups you might as well send him out in the pass pattern.
Saine is very unimpressive to date. Jessie Owens was a world class track athlete as well, but you didn’t see him in football pads. Maybe he’ll turn it around, but there is WAAAAAY more to being a good ‘ball player then just speed. He appears to have no vision. In any event, very impressed with how the offense played this weekend. Kudos
Good analysis.
Here are a few points about each position on Offense:
Offensive Line:
I like Cordle at Guard and Brewster at Center. I think Rehring is not in the same category athletically as either of those guys AND Rehring’s strong suit (opening up holes for the running game) has not been so strong this year. When he gets back from injury, I would use him as the 6th man. I think next year’s line will be Adams-Cordle-Brewster-Browning-Shugarts with Justin Boren, Connor Smith, Andrew Miller, Jack Mewhort and Evan Blankenship as the primary backups.
Running Back:
Either Saine is A) hurt B) unmotivated or C) being horrifically mishandled by the coaching staff. The kid has way too much talent to look so bad. I think he should lose about 10 pounds in the offseason and be used next year in a Shot-Ginn type formation, or in the slot.
Wide Receivers:
I could care less if Hartline comes back next year. The future clearly belongs to Posey, Thomas and Washington.. with a healthy dose of Small and Sanzenbacher. I think Tressel almost always chooses the guy he trusts the most rather than the guy who can make the most plays. He’s changing direction with Pryor, Brewster, Hines, etc. .. but I wonder when the same will happen with Posey/Thomas/Washington.
(continued with Defense)
Defensive Line:
Will Heyward be enough to change things inside? The question I’ve been asking for awhile is this: Who’s next? Where are the big, quick, fast, strong defensive tackles we have been missing? Johnny Simon? He’s still undersized. Shaq Rowell & Dawan Whitner? They’re having trouble getting into OSU? Adam Bellamy? He doesn’t even project to be as good as Denlinger. I guess what I’m saying is this: We REALLY need Corey Adams.
Linebackers:
We can have the greatest linebackers in the world, but if our defensive line is sub-par, it won’t matter. I think that is part of the problem this year. Also, Marcus Freeman can’t tackle and Ross Homan just isn’t fast enough. I look forward to next year when we can see Sabino, Rolle, Dorian Bell and even Tyler Moeller try and add some speed and quickness to the middle of the field. Let’s hope Heacock lets these young kids attack instead of react.
Defensive Backs:
Anderson Russell is overrated. Chimdi Chekwa is underrated. I think Jermale Hines will start next year even if Russell and Coleman both come back to school. That kid is a wrecking ball and he can run too. I think the competition in our defensive backfield will be extremely entertaining next year - We have a bunch of freshman and some departing talent. It’s hard to believe that the promising careers of Jamario O’Neal and Nick Patterson will end this year with almost no PT except for special teams.
ben person actually had a semi decent game this time
I don’t know about that, Bup bup bup. I’ve watched Minny game twice and while better than he was against USC and Troy, he’s still a poor blocker with terrible footwork and even worse vision. He seems confused on who he’s supposed to be blocking, often times, going for a double team to leave a man unblocked.
Re: Saine - he has been playing through a major hamstring injury this year. They apparently kept it a bit quiet, didn’t want to advertise after Beanie got hurt that they only had two healthy RBs. One of them was a redshirt freshman, and the other, Mo Wells, didn’t see the field at all this week against Minny.
Pryor is a man-child and Beanie (if healthy) is a beast. Keep running the ball and moving it on the ground…. when teams overload to stop the run, over the top for easy scores!
If Saine is still hurt then he shouldn’t be on the field. Hell, from what I’ve seen, if he’s healthy he shouldn’t be on the field. He is the lamest Kickoff Return man I’ve ever seen. Might as well put Rory Nicol back there. Kills me because we have plenty of burners that don’t get much PT - that’s the perfect spot for those fast guys who may not play a ton if you’re trying to keep your stars off kickoff returns for fear of injury. Put Flash back there if you want but Saine is a liability so far this season regardless of reason.
Principal Skinner-
I agree 100% with you. Don’t look for Ben Person to be a starter next year. I am a big fan of rotating in fresh legs on the O-Line, but they need a better system. I almost had a heart-attack after those 12 men on the field penalties. Jesus there were 2 or 3 of those alone. That is just a lack of focus that will come back to haunt us in a big game (USC)
I vote Flash for return kicker with Ray Small when he isn’t the Vest’s dog house.
That comment about Small just reminded me; I know everyone has these stories of hearsay about the team, but I watched the game this weekend with a close friend of Dane Sanzenbacher (who is from my hometown of Toledo), and apparently The Ghost isn’t very well liked on the team. Dane tells his friend that Ray doesn’t know any of the plays in the playbook, even though Small is a junior and should know them by now, and that Small regularly misses team meetings and the like. Of course, my friend of Dane’s is a huge fan of #12, so maybe there’s some jealousy there. In any event, I think Ray Small is going to leave OSU as a what-might-have-been type player, and I wouldn’t be surprised to watch him get his act together in the NFL and make an impact with his talent.
Never too early to think about Michigan.
How sweet will it be to beat RichRod in The Game for the first time using the offense he made famous with the QB he so desperately wanted?
Josh-
To run the 3-4, we’d need some huge block-gobbling, line-holding, run-stuffing DTs and DEs……akin to Cody at Alabama. Since we have guys built more for one gap responsibilities and getting up the field(at least in theory), the 3-4 would be a disaster. There would be linemen in the second level all day long, and RBs would get 3 yards before getting touched on every carry.
4-3 is what we have the personnel to run, we just need to execute better.
Yeah I agree with Mike about the 3-4, he’s right on there.
This was posted on Buckeye Commentary, probably repeat posting what people already know, but TP is a fiery player. Is it just me, or is this true freshman with just two measly starts under his belt the true leader of this team, at least on offense:
“People like Mark May, he said ‘let’s see how he plays on the big stage,’ ” Pryor said, clearly unhappy with any suggestion of doubt about his big-stage ability. “And we’re going to see next week.”
“The media, ESPN people, sit there and talk stuff on our team and say we’re dead,” Pryor said after a separate question. “We’ll find out this week coming up who’s dead. We’re out to show the world something, and we’re going to.”
@ Matt
WOW!! I love hearing that!!
Terrelle and Beanie will make any oline look great. I loved how we got up early and kept with what worked run,run,run. Burn the bubble screen page out the play book. Boone looks very weak in space blocking.
josh - we ran a 3-man line once last year, when the coaches decided to experiment with the defense against Illinois. Didn’t work out too well.
That’s why this year, against spread offenses, Heacock and the Vest have stuck with the 4-3 but used four DEs on the line. They rotate the DTs in and out, but the DEs have gotten the start and most of the playing time (against OU, Troy, and Minnesota). I wouldn’t expect to see that this weekend, though. For Wisky and pajamas hill, they’ll bring in the big DTs to start.
did’n work to well against USC either, or Florida, or LSU for that matter
Not to continue to bash the coaching staff and I know JT said he “doesn’t like to coach during games”, but I think Saturday was a good opportunity to let Pryor sling the rock.
He had 13 attempts ( Part of his 8 carries weren’t designed carries, I know ), but why not let him get more comfortable passing the ball? For the most part, the kid has played mistake free… Let him make mistakes… Let him learn from those mistakes. I’d rather him throw a pick when the game is well in hand, then throw a pick when we are down 7 late in the game.
At some point in time Pryor will need to carry this team to a victory and he won’t be able to do it with his legs ( i.e. 2 minute drill ). I’m not saying the coaching staff shouldn’t play to Pryor’s strengths and as a young QB his strength in beating teams with his feet, but they could call more pass plays knowing that he will tuck it and run himself.
To add to that, why let TB come in for two drives in the second half? Every snap Pryor doesn’t get is a learning opportunity missed…
“To add to that, why let TB come in for two drives in the second half? Every snap Pryor doesn’t get is a learning opportunity missed…”
Couldn’t agree more with you on that one, J.B. We already know what TB can do. Let’s see more of what Pryor can do instead!
I’d have to disagree, I know Boeckman bashing is all in vogue, but if we learned anything from Beanie’s injury we learned that your best players can go down with freak injuries when you least expect it. Pryor is amazing, but he does take some shots. I’d rather keep Boeckman in for a series or two, here and there, when the games are no longer in doubt, in order to keep him fresh in case Pryor suffers an injury. The road to the Big 10 championship is grueling and violent.. Yes, I know TB started all of last year, but that was last year, and I think the Brians have shown that even starters with a lot of experience can get rusty real quick.
I agree with some of that Matt, but you can’t play with fear of injury.
I really think it’s important for Pryor to get as many snaps as he can though. Yes, he’s a starting QB, but he’s still a Freshman. Normally, you let a back up play mop up duty because you want him to get comfortable. We are in a unique circumstance due to us having a starting QB that needs to get comfortable.
JT showed Pryor he trusted him when he gave him the starting spot, but you have to continue to show that you trust him by letting him throw the football. If I was Pryor and saw that TB had almost as many pass plays as I did in 2 series as I did the entire game, I would have mixed emotions.
As I said before, Pryor eventually will have to win a game with his arm and I think they need to make sure he’s comfortable with that when that time comes.
Not to mention… What does Joe Daniels do during the week? There is no film study during game time situations.
very disappointed in TB on Saturday. still forcing throws into what looks like a Minnesota defensive team meeting. there has to be someone else open when he chunks it to the WR being triple covered! if he was trying to impress with his “gun for an arm” he sure didn’t. sit down, Mr. Boekman and watch how it should be done!
J.B. said: “At some point in time Pryor will need to carry this team to a victory and he won’t be able to do it with his legs ( i.e. 2 minute drill ).”
You don’t think Terrelle can run the entire length of the field in under 2 minutes!? Who is he, Mike Hart?
Urgh Poe!! You just made me throw up a little in my mouth… I hope thats the last time I hear Pryors name mentioned in the same breath as Mike Harts…
Suggestion for the site to Jason et al.:
Is there any way you can incorporate a comment component to the polls you guys set up, maybe listed right below the number of votes? I like that you change the polls often, most sites don’t do that, and it provides one more interactive feature and more topics to discuss. But I’m computer illiterate so I have no idea if that’s feasible to do.
Matt,
That’s a great idea — and technically feasible, though it would require some hacking and may have to wait until the offseason. I’d also like to do something similar to the “Good Shizzy” links section.
In the interim, feel free to comment in any post about the polls or anything you guys see anywhere else on the site.
You guys have made some outstanding points. Why does our defense play not to lose? We have great talent on D but our staff will not put them in positions to be successful. We continue to see the powerhouses get beat and usually it leads to one thing, they are relentless on the rush. They tell QB’s to beat us with your arm. I continue to see smart teams send 6-7-8 men at the QB and it works. Why can’t we do that?
I would love to see Pryor in the shotgun with Beanie and Boom in the back with 3 receivers. I think that could shake things up.