Have you peeked at the schedule lately? The young offense of your favorite team that's looking to build some momentum is getting six setup games before the tilt with Penn State. Topping things off is the potential to close with games against three ranked opponents.
The KeymasterUpcoming defenses: Illinois (102nd), Indiana (40th), Wisconsin (55th), Purdue (105th), Minnesota (68th) and New Mexico State (47th). Just two against top 50 defenses and those two being the juggernauts of Indiana and New Mexico State.
The group on the whole is allowing 24.5 points per game and outside of Illinois' opener against Missouri and Minnesota's loss to Cal, there just aren't any high-powered offenses contributing to that average. I don't know about you, but if the Buckeyes can get 24 or so points on these teams, I feel pretty good about the defense taking care of business. It also doesn't hurt that Heacock's boys will be getting the two toughest outs on that stretch at home.
Maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself. There's no question that Illinois, Wisconsin and maybe, maybe Purdue and Minnesota could trip up the Buckeyes, but for all we whine about with Jim Tressel and his big game shortcomings, these next six are what he does best.
For Pryor, this could be huge. He can make the throws. All that's left for him is taking care of what's in his head. This includes reads and firming up when to take off running or take a sack. That should come during this stretch (we'll appropriately recalibrate if that proves not to be the case). He should continue building rapport with his talented wideouts, the line will solidify (bonus if the Brew Crew comes of age) and the defense will continue to do it's thing (which largely consists of the front seven destroying fools).
What will be interesting is to see what direction the running game goes. If I were at the Xbox controls, we'd probably see a lot less power I and better utilization of the backs alongside Pryor as a running threat. Whether this means more running out of shotgun, passes to backs or whatever, Herron and Saine aren't cut from the Beanie mold and should be used in a manner that suits them. Even just doing more of what we saw against Toledo when the passing game was used to setup the rushing attack would be a good direction to go.
The offense will most certainly need to progress because when they head to Happy Valley in early November, they could very well be squaring off with an undefeated team ranked in the top two or three in the country. It's not inconceivable that Ohio State could be 8-1 and ranked within the top six or so themselves.
The following weekend, they welcome an Iowa team that should be ranked and then they close with what's looking to be the most meaningful Michigan game in the last three years.
Before the season, many of us thought a win in the Rose Bowl as a springboard to a big time run in 2010 would be ideal (if not completely perfect). Not only is that still in the cards, but the schedule has taken the form of an aircraft carrier catapult.
Comments
Optimism IS my thing!
Anyone see that ESPN is saying Ryan Mallett is the best NFL prospect at QB in college now? Thank goodness scUM fired Carr!
We need to run the table. We have the most talent in the league no question. The D is good enough to shut down any team in the nation including florida. Lot of Football left and a National championship isn't out of the question either.
he looked good saturday.
but i thought Matt Barkley was the next tom brady+peyton manning?!??
I dunno....Todd McShay says we aren't "elite".....and you know how much his opinion matters!
Stoneburner SHOULD boo Bollman, for not calling his number more in the pass game. LOL
But school does suck
+Brad Pitt
lol... gosh i cracks me up how much people hate us...
tOSU
Man, the rest of the year including the bowl game i hope we just destroy teams...
Tressel said himself, we had a lot of mistakes against toledo...
Can you freaking imagine mistake football, and you still get 500 yds offense.
Yeah, Yeah, it was toledo but when pryor gets things down, and the running
backs start getting used the way they are supposed too...
OUCH... Penn State getting beat 34-9 in Happy Valley!!!
Call it Pryor's Big Game Breakout Party what better place!
+Bodhi from PointBreak
a little shout out to my man P-Swizzle RIP
Sorry if this was posted earlier, but interesting article that attempts to make the argument that Tress is the better coach than Surfer Pete. He has some points, but he underrates local Ohio/Mich/Penn talent and overstates recruits unwillingness to play in northern schools. He shouldn't mention OK-U in this argument, as they get something like 70 to 80% of their recruits from Texas.
http://www.cbssports.com/colum...
And some of the media are beginning to give Tressel some credit... http://www.cbssports.com/colum...
Could the world be turning upside-down?
Thanks for the optimism, Jason.
You beat me to it!
Man, I hope Penn State stays undefeated untill we play them...
They are going to be the only team to give us any respect in the polls.
Michigan could but they also play penn state so one of them is losing which means one of them will either drop in the polls... Rather Michigan lose because Penn State is already highly ranked...
We need the big ten as a whole to step it up...
Each year i look at the recruits it is always OSU, Penn, Mich or something like that in order...
We need Wisc, Iowa, Mich St, to start recruitting better get up there with the rest of us...
Freaking GA, FL, ALA, LSU, Always have top ranked recruits no freaking wonder.
CMON big ten
Yeah, but Gregg Doyel is not very good at the whole "thinking" thing. Generally, if you're agreeing with him, you're doing something wrong. Though it is an interesting theory, like you said.
Not sure how that argument gets reconciled with the number of players drafted from tOSU and USC since 2001, but why let facts get in the way of a good story?
Always? Really just in the last five years. GA has a good team once every 10 years. LSU wasn't special before 2005. Bama' was good in the early 90's but fell off for several years. Florida really is the only school you listed that does as well or better then Ohio State recruiting.
He looks like he's never seen the weight room.
Johnny Utah?
Todd McShay is on the same level as Mel Kiper. Only saving grace for Todd is that his hair doesn't look like Bram Stoker's Dracula....
I remember when Mallet got into the game or played once in a while his Freshman year, all i could think was uh oh. I'm really glad they forced Carr out because they would be a pretty damn good team at this point in time with him under center.
And even they have only been good for the last 15 years or so
well thats what i mean in the last decade which matters...
We have been getting crushed no the recruiting front...
All i really wanted to say is we need one more team...
tOSU, Mich, Penn St, ????
Wisc, Mich St, Ill, Iowa...
Also, Lsu, georgia, always recruit well... Bama you are right on them because
they are just now getting things back with saban... But, shoot look at there
recruits now...!
Also, what about cincy do i think they are better than Penn State or tOSU no...
But hey i would rather them be in the big ten than Indiana!
What about them as the 12 team???
Great Piece...This article should be the mantra of every Buckeye fan !! Yes we play one game at a time....but after the USC loss, who hasn't looked at the schedule, not only of the Buckeyes but every team ahead of us. It sets up perfectly if we keep winning. It gives us the opportunity to improve and fine tune those areas where we can excel. Hopefully the "powers that be" read this as well as Palm Beach Buckeye. WE DID CALL A QB SNEAK !!!!!
2012 Schedule looks tough
If Cincy stays the way they are could be playing a top 25 team there.
Also California could be a top 25 team.
Sat, Sep 01 Miami (Ohio) Columbus, Ohio TBA
Sat, Sep 08 Cincinnati Columbus, Ohio TBA
Sat, Sep 15 California Columbus, Ohio TBA
Sat, Sep 22 UAB Columbus, Ohio TBA
Sat, Sep 29 Michigan State * at East Lansing, Mich. TBA
Sat, Oct 06 Penn State * Columbus, Ohio TBA
Sat, Oct 20 Minnesota * at Minneapolis, Minn. TBA
Sat, Oct 27 Indiana * Columbus, Ohio TBA
Sat, Nov 03 Northwestern * at Evanston, Ill. TBA
Sat, Nov 10 Purdue * Columbus, Ohio TBA
Sat, Nov 17 Iowa * at Iowa City, Iowa TBA
Sat, Nov 24 Michigan * Columbus, Ohio TBA
Duran...You're joking !!!!! 2012....Only Freshman & Redshirt Frosh (those who don't leave early) will be playing for any of the teams above.
Cincy will be nothing again after Kelly moves on
Wait, how many chickens is that? I lost count.
LMAO! Good call
This year in college football is going to be a wild one. A lot of teams are going to lose 1 or 2 games, once again A LOT OF TEAMS ARE GOING TO LOSE ONE OR 2 GAMES. I think LSU and Ole Miss are teams that will not make it through the SEC schedule with fewer than 2 losses. Did look like the team to beat but I wasn't impressed w/their game against Tennessee at all. I'm not so certain they are invincible. Cal is pretty good but they'll lose at least 1, USC may lose more than 1 more, Penn State will hopefully lose one in November. Va Tech and Miami will be a good game to show just how good both of those teams are. Texas and Oklahoma look very vulnerable as well. This year is not a Slam Dunk for Florida and then whoever else. I think this season will be 2 teams people weren't expecting coming in. Possibly the OSU/Penn State winner makes it in this year guys.
UTAH............gimme 2.
*takes off scarlet colored glasses*
We dont need to be playing in the MNC game this year. Pryor isnt ready...
Man, I forgot what the world looks like without those on...
*puts glasses back on*
Better......
Yeah but I thought the whole point of the article people are talking about was that this schedule is setting up very nicely for the offense and Pryor progress BY NOVEMBER. If he's good enough to be an undefeated Penn State team by then, he'll be plenty ready for BCS game. I'd much rather get there and put up a strong showing than win the Rose Bowl. Let the haters hate, it would just prove you can't keep the Buckeyes out of the game!
Totally off topic but the picture of the Keymaster up there reminded me of my buddy's reaction upon seeing the commercial for the Big 10 network where Jo Pa looks like he's crapping himself while implore people to "Come to Penn State!!!!". Poor guy damn near pissed himself he was laughing so hard at the commercial.
Look at next year, we have Miami (FL) coming to town. Shannon is putting together a team there, and the progress of sophomore Jacory Harris is what I think we'd like from sophomore Terrelle Pryor...
Fair enough. Well said
Interesting:
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten...
is rittenberg reading this blog and thieving ideas?!
I saw a dude in a custom-made johnny utah jersey at what used to be 4 kegs when i was home for the sc game, laughed so hard.
I was pissed at Tress after the SC game ( and probably still am a little).
You can say what you want about his playcalling, but his whole approach to coaching is making sure you play sound football through stretches like these Bucks are about to embark on.
Everyone can get up to play the SC's of the world, but it's keeping focus vs. the Minny's, Purd's, and Hoosiers that make it possible to play for a championship in the late fall.
I have my doubts about the big games, but it is extremely likely that with JT's coaching, we will be playing for another B10 title and BCS berth this November.
You know he's taking quick peaks over here. Hell, our regulars probably have info before he even does!!
is anyone else sick of this UC better than OSU stuff? the cincinnati media is getting off on the bearcats right now and its killin me.
UC is going to get hammered if they make the BCS again
I hear ya. I live in Cincy as well, and there's just a different attitude towards OSU here than anywhere else in the state of Ohio (obviously because they have their own major state school here). They'll never have the facilities or players that we have. I've said this here and on the CNati page about the Isaiah Pead story: we have no reason to legitimize UC. The Scarlet and Gray will always be the standard for football in Ohio. If you want a cute, heartwarming football story, then follow UC. If you want big time college football, follow OSU. And in terms of academics, you don't go to UC if you can get into OSU. That'll never change (unless you want to go to DAAP or CCM).
Child please... Once and for all, Bollman does not call the plays! JT runs the show.
Best team in Ohio my ass.
We haven't lost to another team from Ohio in 80 fucking years!!!
+1
Actually, if you read Paul Daugherty's article today in the Cincinnati Enquirer, it's pretty tongue-in-cheek about that team. I have family who are season ticket holders at Nippert, and they've had them since the mid-1990s when the school decided the only way to get basketball tickets was to get football tickets first. They can't even talk about their BCS chances with a straight face. They're excited, yes, but c'mon, they know how long a road that is.
http://news.cincinnati.com/art...
Kelly is the real deal though, and they'd probably shred any Big Ten secondary except ours. So, just chill and let them have their fun.
Normally, I would have no problem with just relaxing and letting UC enjoy the ride. However, I highly doubt SC fans would tolerate this kind of talk from UCLA fans. Nor should we.
"quailroberts wrote:
UC would finish 2nd in the Big 10 this year, after Penn State. They would probably be 4th or 5th in the SEC and 3rd in the Big 12. But it's not implausible that their easy schedule might get them in the championship game. It would be the same thing that happened two years ago for OSU: win out for the privelage of getting stomped by an SEC team.
Tressel might be a class act and a great recruiter, but he's a horrible game manager. As long as he's at the helm, the Buckeyes would get rolled by UC.
Anyways, I hate these OSU vs. UC comparisons. They don't compete against each other. Their fan bases don't even overlap that much, at least no more than UC's does with IU, UK, or Notre Dame. Sure, a lot of OSU fans would like to think that UC is their little brother just because they're in the same state, but the reality is that UC was founded 51 years before OSU and it is as much almost as much a part of Kentucky or Indiana as it is Ohio."
wow three wins vs. rutgers, SE Mizzou St. and Oregon St. must definitely make you a big time college football program.. these people are way ahead of them selves lmfao
I think it's entirely possible Cincinnati loses to both South Florida and West Virginia... and maybe Illinois.
The university may be but their football program isn't much older than the Buckeyes. The Bearcats started their football program in 1885 (wiki) and the Buckeyes' first season was in 1890. Not sure what the point was though.
Yeah, I don't understand why Cincy has a chip on their shoulder towards Ohio State and its fans. We don't play them and Ohio State fans aren't hating on them. I hope Cinci does run the table and wins whatever bowl they land in. Only looks good for Ohio and will help dispel the ridiculous notion that "kids just don't want to freeze their ass off." C'mon Doyel, really?
If any team does join the Big 10 it should be Cinci. But would we keep the name with 12 teams?
Probably not USF now that QB Matt Grothe is gone for the year with a torn ACL.
Correction 'pops'....Bollman picks three and Tressel makes the final call. A technicality yes, but to say Bollman doesn't have control is foolish.......
Aside from LeBron, Ben Wallace, and Dwight Howard, very few people 6'7 and taller look like they've seen a weight room.
You are contradicting yourself vis-a-vis the above statement. If Tressel makes the final call, then he has control.
Bollman is offensive coordinator in name only... Tressel has said this (in Tresselese) many times, and most recently in his testy press conference post USC loss.
I'm just sayin...
Only if Bollman really is indifferent. He could pick three VERY similar plays. Surely we have "Boom runs up the middle," "Boom runs up the middle v. 2.0)," and "Boom runs into a defensive tackle" as three separate plays in our playbook.
That is, more or less indifferent between the three plays. If he REALLY wanted one play, or one type of play, it wouldn't be hard for him to get it.
Honestly, I live in the Cincinnati area and it seems to me like Ohio State is pretty popular in this area. I live in the Kentucky side and going to NKU I knew of more Ohio State and Michigan fans in this area than I did UC football fans. People have jumped on the bandwagon, but I listen to local radio sports shows and I don't get the impression that many hosts think UC would just stomp Ohio State. Truthfully, UK football fans are much worse. I like seeing UC do well and hell before the year is over I may even attend a game, but I honestly think UC football isn't even as popular as OSU in this city. It's kind of like UK and UofL in basketball. U of L has a devout fan base, but they may be the 2nd most popular team in their own city.
I think Illinois and UC will be a very interesting matchup. Illinois and Ohio State is going to be a good one too. I just really think Illinois has a lot of great talent and is very similar to UC.
Everyone hating on UC must not remember that they were seconds away from killing our MNC hopes in 2002, and that was under a different coach who isn't half the coach that Kelly is.
Do I think that UC would kill OSU? No, but I think they would give a heck of a game to them.
Didn't we play them twice and they played us tough both times?
Watching Harris and watching Pryor was like night and day. Maybe it was the type of defense they faced or the type of offenses they are working out of that make the difference. Harris looks like the real deal. Doesn't "The U" have the Steelers old QB coach as the offensive coordinator?
"We" as in Ohio State isn't getting crushed in recruiting. It is the MSU's and Wiscy's that aren't getting the big time players.
the second time we played them was 06 and they stayed with us for a quarter and a half before we dumped 30 unanswered on them.