Five Things: Indiana
A Star(ter) is Born? (AP: D. Cummings)The long wait for kickoff was worth it as the Buckeyes unleashed their annual pimp hand to the Hoosiers in a 33-14 romp. Pryor had the mojo most of the night throwing for 159 yards and 3 TD (1 INT) combined with another 101 yards and a score via the ground game while Saine took full advantage of his first career start at RB. The defense also came up large forcing 3 turnovers, 7 punts and a safety in 13 total IU possessions. Word.
Saine Makes His Case
Though the general rule says a player can’t lose his starting job due to injury, Brandon Saine sure did all he could to make Tressel and Co. challenge that school of thought with a stellar 17 carry, 113 yard rushing performance.
Saine was hot from the start rushing for 72 yards on 7 carries during the first two possessions including dashes of 22, 30 and 11 yards helping the Buckeyes to a quick 10-0 lead. The line deserves plenty of credit for creating huge running lanes but Saine showed more wiggle than I’m used to and he continuously finished off runs driving the pile forward. As someone who has openly questioned his toughness and long term potential, I’m more than happy to say he has proven me wrong thus far in ‘09.
The question now is whether or not Saine should supplant Boom as the starter or if it really even matters considering Boom still needs to get his share of carries – to keep Saine healthy if nothing else – as the Buckeyes all of a sudden seem to have some proven depth at RB with Boom, Zoom and the emerging Jordan Hall. Personally, I think momentum is so important in the college game that Tressel has to start Saine and give him a chance keep the machine rolling versus the perennially physical Badgers this Saturday.
The Most Shocking Performance Award Goes To…
So, who was that disguised in Anderson Russel’s uniform? The much maligned senior filled in admirably with Coleman serving detention as he recovered a fumble, held on to an easy INT, and tied for the team high with 6 tackles. One solid game against a jank opponent doesn’t mean he’s absolved from past sins nor does it mean there still aren’t huge concerns with him on the field against elite competition but there’s no denying his efforts should yield a needed jolt of self confidence.
He appeared a little more under control taking on ball carriers in the open field though the lack of size and skill of the IU rushers likely played a part. The Buckeyes may not play as much nickel as we’ve seen in past weeks with Wisky coming in but Russell will still be on the field aplenty. That said, did last night’s game do anything to make you feel better about him taking on John Clay in space? I’m not sure it did for me either but we’re going to have to hope he’s ready to get low and take on that freight train when the opportunity presents itself.
We Heart You, Darrell Hazell
Reports conflict as to just how much influence Hazell now has with regard to the playcalling but we’re saying he’s plenty responsible for the offensive resurgence seen in recent weeks. How much is Hazell and how much is weak competition is certainly debatable but it can’t be argued that the offense has a different swagger since picking itself up off the mat after USC.
As Jason noted, there’s now a crispness to offense that comes with getting the play into TP early in the clock allowing him to scan the defense pre-snap and the installation of an almost exclusive shotgun attack has done wonders for the running game. Maybe it’s both the quick signaling of plays and the actual plays themselves but it’s no accident Pryor found 7 different receivers in the first half alone Saturday night (8 total). The new look offense has everyone involved thus all the players stay in the game mentally as they await their number being called.
Tatum Award hit of the Week Award – Back in Circulation
As if there weren’t enough reasons to have a man crush on Duron Carter. In an evening he’ll always remember, Carter picked up his first career TD on a slick grab of a Pryor slant to put OSU in front 10-0 but it was his spine crackling hit on LB Justin Carrington as Pryor scrambled for 8 yards in the 3rd quarter that brought joy to my heart.
The kid has shown he wants to be a complete player and his willingness to lay the wood is just another illustration of his daddy raising him right. The block was an absolute earhole and a guaranteed winner of this week’s Tatum Award.
Go ahead and put the rest of the country on notice for next year. TP and DC are going to hook up early and often in what should be a stacked offensive lineup.
Shuffle
- You enjoy the BTN telecast featuring the ramblings of Glen Mason coupled with no 1st down line for the entire first half? Oh, and don’t forget the fact they missed two plays out of a timeout. Good thing they’ve got Carissa Thompson and Melanie Collins on the staff to make me forgive a little easier.
- Props to the offensive line for the continued resurgence. They did give up 3 sacks but paved the way for a 219-18 advantage in rushing yards.
- The defense finally gave up a TD stopping a 9 quarter streak but they stifled yet another nuanced offense holding Indiana to 3/14 on 3rd down, .7 yards per rush and 11 first downs. After Indiana’s first TD, their next 9 possessions produced 6 punts, 2 INTs and a safety.
- Did you enjoy watching Bill Lynch as much as I did? I think his business card reads, “Bill Lynch, Red Ass”. I’ve seen few coaches reach rage level quite as often as Bill, of course 9 penalties, including at least 4 of the 15 yard variety, will do that to a guy.
- For a coach that practically hangs his hat on special teams, JT has to be a little miffed at the ups and downs of this group. Pettrey obviously had a rough night on FG’s and his kickoffs were also short and low. Fisher is a legit KO return guy but Pettrey and the cover team made him look like an All-American (4/129, long 43) and slippery Tandon Doss also had a 29 yard return. The good news is Thoma was again a beast placing all 3 punts inside the 20 and both Flash and Ray Ray had nice KO returns as the Buckeyes continue to employ some fakes/reverses.
- Tressel is now 7-0 against Indiana with an average victory margin of 26 points. He also improved to 15-10 in night games.
Tressel Haiku of The Week:
Indiana Hoosiers
Still suck with their new weightroom
Traffic is bullshit
Too many syllables.
Speaking of Bill Lynch, nothing says “small time” like calling a timeout with 6 seconds left in a game just so your team can try to lose by 19 instead of 26. Pathetic.
..I disagree– why shouldn’t he try to score???… the same as OSU scoring when up by 20+ with a minute to go the week before… Lynch was working on confidence building and improving his team, it was up to OSU to stop it. He got his ass kicked and he knew it, but he refused to raise the white flag–sends a message to his kids.
On a drive that began with less than 10 minutes remaining in the game and with the Buckeyes leading 33-7, Ohio State passed 10 times in 12 plays. That’s fine. Both teams have 7 games remaining and have things to work on. IU’s red zone struggles were the direct cause of IU’s loss to Michigan, so I don’t blame Lynch a bit for working on such issues against live action (your second string, yes, but OSU’s backups probably are comparable to most teams’ starters).
It seems to me that if you have a problem with what Lynch did, you must have a problem with what Tressel did. I don’t have a problem with either.
I don’t recall Tressel calling a timeout to put up that last TD against Illinois.
what does the timeout have to do with anything…. this is a GAME…. not a nice contest…. OSU won, so who cares… he was practicing for a last minute game winner… what if the score was 13-7…. would you have a problem with the timeout being used then–to try and win????? This is to Lynch’s credit to teach his team to go for the jugular and not roll over.
actually, buckeye. if you watched the illinois game, on 4th down, the buckeyes took a timeout, and decided to go for it on 4th down to “put up that last TD against illinois.”
check your facts my friend.
I know I do not have a problem with what Tressel & Lynch did at the end of the game. Both teams need the work to gain game experience and game experience is a lot different than practice. I know may a player that were practice squad champions that could not perform in a real game. If I was Tress, I would keep doing it. I know there is risk with someone getting injured, but the need to improve is greater.
I thought the last TD against Illinois was a more “DON’T EVER STOMP ON OUR O AGAIN” td than anything else.
Think of it as dual purpose
I like to think of that touchdown as a mischievous badger.
I wouldn’t put it past Tressel if it was his way of payback for stealing Justin Green too.
russell anderson is still garbage, his best game of his career against iu. should;ve been underneath that hitch for the first down and should have recovered the other fumble. i don’t heart russell.
that would be Anderson Russell.
yes palm beach i know, it was a play on words ala his name.
ps he sucks.
Russell Anderson = Gary Berry. His only big plays are against crap competition, he never makes the big play when it matters he just misses when it matters most. None the less he will test well b/c he’s a safety that can run and get drafted on potential.
ahaha i liked the comment on the BTN crew. and Charissa Thompson:DANNNNNNNNNG
BTN is dead to me. Pains in the ass. won’t allow streams of their content.
note to the BTN – no one wants to pay for your shitty content. outside of participants, families, friends, and lonely men, no one wants to watch gymnastics.
IU fans left in the 4th quarter, so i walked down 60 rows to encourage TP…
I love IU field, how it is set up i was 8 feet behind TP…
Also, yelled at jamal berry, he turned and I said “you redshiriting” He didn’t respond…LOL
BTN = Velveeta.
Some things i noticed from the game:
1st: Defense really is so talented… i always knew this, but IU has faced nothing but 80th ranked defenses. So i guess that is what happens when you play a team ranked in the top 25 in defense… You score 7 points!
2nd: Duron Carter…ummm….yeah he is a freshman! Question? he didn’t play a lot after the catch in the endzone??? weird???
3rd: Sanz in the slot, didn’t get a lot of touches… TP loves to throw to him.
4th: TE’s still didn’t see getting used as much as i would like.
5th: 1st half we played okay on offense we are still a long way away. Missed some red zone chances.
6th: 2nd half played like crap on offense, and with every bad pass TP would get mad at himself, and throw his helmet. He needs to releax he gets all worked up when he has a bad series.
7th: I think TP doesn’t remember the good stuff he does on the field, he needs to build on his completions, also his runs… My gosh… when the kid really learns how to pass for the whole game look out.
HE KILLED IU on running the football…
My Takes on the Indiana Game to be used for Next Week
TP:
1) Play Action & Selling the Fake – Chappell did this well and diverted defenders from getting to their assigned positions in a timely fashion. If the pundits are correct and we are working on a read option, then selling the fake has to be the next step in the development.
2) Work with Rcvrs on Busted Play Concepts – A couple of times the Rcvrs and TP was not on the same page.
3) Ask for foregiveness – You almost got one of your Rcvrs killed. Keep practicing reading defenses. After each series, review the formations thrown at you.
4) Practice throwing mechanics correctly before going out in the next series. It is good that you warm up from time to time, but practice it correctly.
Defense:
BE weary of Wiscy’s TE & T blocking down w/ the guard pulling. Penetration and gap assignments will be key. From what I have seen, DL gap assignments are critical since they pull and cross block a lot. LB’s have to follow the pulling blocker to the ball carrier. This is going to be tough battle. If you can stop the run, play action is less of a weapon, thereby forcing an inexperienced QB to make harder decisions faster. One final note, the TE Gannt(?) is good and a relief valve for the QB. If this is schemed correctly and with a little luck, this could lead to a couple of INT’s. I can see one coming from a CB covering the flat and another from Rolle as the TE drags across behind the LB’s.
Offense:
Whatever you do, be aggressive, and score points. Playing catch up with Wiscy is never a good thing. Wiscy’s Defense can be exploited if we call plays with a balanced approach and keep them guessing.
Team:
The last half of the Indiana Game has to be viewed as a loss for the whole team. It demonstrated that playing at peak efficiency is difficult and requires 100% effort on every play from everyone. The way that game ended can be an infectious disease for the team. Execution is the key this week in practice. This simpler said that carried out. If the team plays hard, plays fast, and executes, we will win. Regardless, of the level of execution, it will be a war out there and you will need to play the whole 60 minutes. If there is one thing about Wiscy when they play tOSU, they always play tough & hard fought games. We just got to play tougher and out execute them in a manner that you have played throughout this year.
Im writing in a vote for today’s poll and nominating “See you on Sunday’s” Lydell Ross.
Damn. I swear I almost included Ross and Derek Combs.
As Chris mentioned, the only thing that kept this game from being a really big blowout was the spotty special teams play.
Here in NC, I had to listen to the game on the radio. But I’m guessing that Tressel/Hazell showed nothing new in the second half. This week against Wisc, they introduce some new packages and wrinkles – basically bringing everything they’ve got so far. I expect (or hope for) an offensive explosion against Wisc’s suspect defense, which will keep the damn Badgers from trying to turn the game into a boat race.
Then, the 3 games after that, Tress/Hazell will not show another new thing, they’ll just have the team work on/refine what’s already been installed. They’ll bring out some new guns again in HV.
We can only hope my friend
So, are we worried about Wisky or not?
Undefeated, but against sub-par competition. The win at Minny was a tad impressive.
I just keep thinking they will get us into a dogfight as usual, and with no Beanie to rely on, it could get sticky.
I guarantee Tress closes up half the playbook.
NORTHERN ILL Total Defense 76
FRESNO ST Total Defense 77
WOFFORD Total Defense 66
MICHIGAN ST Total Defense 71
These were all HOME
Only away game so far
Minnesota Total Defense 69
Honestly, i think if we stop there run game.
Which we have not had a big problem yet, i think we roll them.
Only reason stoping the run, is because of clock managment.
Clay has not seen the likes of GIBSON, HEYWARD, HINES, HOMAN,
ROLLE, WILLIAMS, etc.. you get the point!!!
Re: Jack Tatum Hit of the Week
I was 90 rows up in Section 102 and witnessed Duron Carter pull the Santonio Holmes/Hines Ward “Jacked-UP!” block.
Then I realized that I was the only crazed fan in my section standing and jeering loudly.
While we’re crushing on DC-9…. How about his sticky-fingers TD catch?!?
I need the truth. Has our game against Wiscy been changed from 3:30 to 8:00?
No, it’s still at 3:30. Michigan/Iowa kicks off at 8:00pm.
Thanks – our game should be in prime time.
the people at ABC/ESPN are gonna be pissed when Calista is shut down by the Iowa defense and UM’s offense is reduced to Denard running around trying to save his life from the mean dudes wearing supremely ugly jerseys.
I like the 330 games better myself, but I don’t know how Wisconsin is 5-0 and looked pretty good overall and rankded 25 in one pole and not ranked at all in the other. Other teams with similar schedules, UC, can be ranked in the top 10.
If I have to hear one more sideline report that Denard doesn’t tie his cleats im gonna break something! So the kid is too dumb to learn to tie his shoes! Big deal, he still sucks ass
I like Saine and Boom and I really don’t think we need to label either the “starter” at this point. I think Saine really proved that he deserves the label as much as Boom at this point, but Boom has not by any means failed to meet expectations. -The best part about this is that whoever comes off the bench last seems to start off with a few good runs making them a good tandem.
As for the next generation, Jordan Hall looks good as well. I hope Berry is red shirting because it will allow him to mature as a runner and potentially start later in his career. I don’t want him to end up being the next Mo Wells.
“Mo Wells up the middle! Loss of 2………” says the color-commentator of your choice
I think any RB at Ohio State should be averaging 4 yards a carry at least. Boom hasn’t been doing that this season, and personally I think the only reason for his production last year was that defenses keyed on the pass when Beanie wasn’t in the game. If Saine wants to go out there and rack up over 100 yards when he was on his own, 6.5 yard average, then how can the coaches ignore that? I still think he’s the more physical back, and more ferocious option.
That said, the offense is getting worked in half-time adjustments by their opposition. The offense is managing 56 points in the 2nd half of games this year vs. 91 points in the 1st half. If it’s a close half-time score like it was against USC, this team will have problems if they can’t turn that around. I wouldn’t be worried about this since it seems they’re calling plays to keep scoring points in the 2nd halves, but they’re not executing well at all.
He will now be known to me as “Brandon inSaine”
very nice
Why not “Brand-inSaine?”
Why is Pryor so awful.
Because you touch yourself at night.
I heard that…….
I love this section of your blog. Read it every week. Keep up the good work!
Thank you, sir.