The season started with a punch and ended with roses for Chip Kelly and the Oregon DucksEveryone here knows how the Buckeyes turned another disappointing loss to a high ranked team in USC and an upset loss to an inferior Purdue squad into a trip to Pasadena. It's great to know about your own team and how they have grown throughout the year, but as the saying goes, "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer".
While many of you know of the way Oregon's season started out (with a punch or two) and how it finished (with a conference-clinching win in the Civil War), it is important to know what happened in between that brought the Ducks to Pasadena on January 1 to take on Ohio State in the "grandaddy of them all". Oregon, like OSU, has had long journey and seen their team grow both on and off the field as the season has worn on. Chip Kelly has certainly done a great job in his first season as head coach in Eugene and while he has faced both ups and downs in 2009, his team can now say they are in position to be considered amongst the nation's elite at season's end. With that being said, let's take a look at the 2009 season and journey to Pasadena for the Oregon Ducks.
Game 1: #16 Oregon at #14 Boise State
The Chip Kelly era did not get off to a great start as these two teams opened up big time college football in 2009. Oregon was supposed to have an explosive offense, yet was held to just 8 total points as promising quarterback Jermiah Masoli threw for just 121 yards and star half back LeGarrette Blount had -5 yards on 8 carries. Am I forgetting anything? Oh yeah, this cheap-shot jaw breaker by Blount landed the Ducks' star on the bench for what most thought would be the rest of the season. Things were not looking good in Eugene.
Game 2: Purdue at Oregon
It took stopping a two point conversion at the end of the game, but the Ducks were able to squeak by Purdue 38-36 in Eugene, creating more skepticism around their team. Running back LeMichael James was introduced to the nation as he posted 56 yards rushing on just 9 carries, but it was the defense who prevailed, scoring on a returned interception and fumble to give Oregon the edge. Jermiah Masoli continued to struggle going 11/21 for 163 yards and raising questions amongst Ducks Nation if he or Nate Costa should get the starting nod in week 3 against Utah.
Game 3: #18 Utah at Oregon
The Ducks built an early halftime lead over the Utes, but almost gave it up in the third quarter, before hitting a field goal in the final minutes to seal a 31-24 victory. Walter Thurmond III, who had the interception return for a touchdown in week 2, helped the winning cause with a 78-yard punt return to open up the game for Oregon. Jermiah Masoli couldn't say the same, as he struggled throwing the ball yet again, notching just 95 yards and an interception on 4/16 passing. He did score two TDs on the ground, but it was James who stole the show, rushing for 152 yards and a touchdown in the win. The Masoli doubters were never higher in numbers, but one guy who believed in his signal caller was Chip Kelly, who continued to say that Masoli would be his starter.
Statement game for Masoli (Photo/AP)Game 4: #6 California at Oregon
The Ducks were welcomed to the big stage in a game in which they stomped all over the Bears 42-3. In this game Masoli took a step we all expected Pryor to take at some point this season (still waiting....) and went 21/25 for 253 yards with 3 TDs through the air. LeMichael James continued his success scoring a touchdown on 118 yards rushing and the Ducks made a statement to the PAC-10 and the rest of the country that they were "for real".
Game 5: Washington State at #16 Oregon
The Ducks' return to the Top 25 did not disappoint as they did what they should to a bad Wazzu team. Kelly's squad took care of the Cougars 52-6, despite Masoli leaving the game early with a knee injury. Before his departure, the Ducks' lead man threw a score to tight end Ed Dickson, who had a big day catching 7 passes for 103 yards. James came through big again, racking up 81 yards and two scores on the ground. The Ducks were sitting good at 4-1 (2-0), but the future was uncertain as Masoli's status for the next few weeks was up in the air.
Game 6: #13 Oregon at UCLA
Masoli's knee turned out to be worse than initially diagnosed and he was not cleared to start the game against the Bruins. The Oregon offense certainly struggled, but got some help as Kenjon Barner pulled a Josh Cribbs, returning a kick 100 yards for a score and Talmedge Jackson III returned an interception 32 yards for another touchdown en route to a 24-10 Ducks win. James lead the way for the Ducks' offense with 152 rushing yards, but it was Nate Costa who helped put the game away with a 20 yard TD pass to Jeff Maehl to seal the deal in Oregon's first trip to Pasadena this season.
Game 7: #11 Oregon at Washington
In their second straight road game, Oregon rallied around the return of Jermiah Masoli on the way to a 43-19 victory over You-Dubb. In his return, Masoli threw for a score and ran for two more, while LeMichael James added 154 yards and two touchdowns of his own on the ground. Chip Kelly broke out all the stops early in this game as the Ducks successfully converted a fake field goal on a PAT to give the team an 8-3 lead in the first quarter after Tyrell Irvin recovered a blocked punt in the end zone. The defense was solid overall, forcing Jake Locker to throw two interceptions and recovering a fumble as well as they looked to be tuning up for USC the following week.
Masoli evaded USC defenders all dayGame 8: #5 USC at #10 Oregon
In a prime-time ABC match-up the Ducks were able to spoil Pete Carroll's season with a 47-20 victory over the Trojans. Stepping up once again on the big stage, Massoli throws for 222 yards and a touchdown and runs for 164 yards and another score. James ran his shoes off as well, tallying a touchdown behind 183 rushing yards. In total, Oregon was able to gain 391 yards and 4 rushing touchdowns against what was thought to be a stout USC rush defense. People are starting to believe this team is a true force to be reckoned with.
Game 9: #8 Oregon at Stanford
A week after looking like a MNC contender, Oregon can't handle Toby Gerhart as the running back clinched a trip to New York after a 233 yard, 3 touchdown performance in a 51-42 win. Oregon's defense was unable to stop the Stanford running game (52-254 for a 4.9 avg.), which set up for Cardinal QB Andrew Luck to throw for 251 yards and two touchdowns through the air on just 12 completions (hint, hint for Tressel). Kelly's offense kept up pace, but just couldn't mount enough for a comeback. Masoli had a solid game with 21/37-334-3 through the air and 10 carries for 55 yards on the ground, while James did his part going 18-125-1. Despite solid performances by their offensive stars, the Ducks' defense failed the team and in the process, opened up the PAC-10 conference race.
Game 10: Arizona State at #13 Oregon
The Ducks returned home on a mission to win the conference title and did some damage on their path to Pasadena, beating the Sun Devils 44-21. The biggest story of this week in Eugene was that LeGarrette Blount returned to the team and was dressed for the game, but did not see any action. Whether Kelly just wanted him to get some rust off or decided LeMichael James' 150 yard, 3 touchdown performance was enough, nobody knows, but the fact was that Blount was indeed back with the team. With a win against ASU, the Ducks were able to head into Tuscon in control of their own destiny and knew that with victories against U of A and Oregon State in successive weeks, they would be facing Ohio State (who beat Iowa earlier) in the Rose Bowl.
Game 11: #11 Oregon at Arizona
Just hours after OSU beat Michigan for the sixth straight time, the Ducks and Cats gave America a thriller. Trailing 31-24 in the fourth quarter, Oregon looked all but done against Mike Stoops' Arizona Wildcats. U of A students were getting ready to storm the field, and some prematurely did, but Jermiah Masoli had an answer for them as he tied the game with 6 seconds left on a touchdown pass to Ed Dickson, his second of three scores through the air on the evening. After throwing a touchdown to Jeff Maehl in the first overtime to tie the game at 38-38, Masoli's heroics took over again as he scampered into the end zone for his third rushing touchdown of the game and helped Oregon edge Arizona 44-41 in double overtime. In addition to his 6 total touchdowns, Masoli had 284 yards passing and 61 yards rushing, helping him contribute to all of Oregon's touchdown strikes on the night. The win set up a de-facto conference title game against rival Oregon State in "The Civil War" the following week.
One of James' 3 TDs (Tom Hauck/Getty Images)Game 12: #16 Oregon State at #7 Oregon
In what may have been the greatest edition of "The Civil War" in the history of the rivalry, Oregon overcame a halftime deficit to clinch a spot in the Rose Bowl with a 37-33 win over Oregon State. Throwing against the Ducks' defensive backs with ease, Beavers' quarterback Sean Canfield racked up 306 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air on 24/36 passing, but his efforts were not enough as the tandem of LeMichael James and LeGarrette Blount proved to be too much in the second half. James notched 25 carries for 166 yards (6.6 ypc) and 3 scores, while Blount contributed 51 yards on just 9 carries (5.7 ypc) and a touchdown in his return to the gridiron. Masoli threw for 202 yards and a score, but his 40 yard performance with his legs, coupled with James' and Blount's efforts showed the country just how dangerous the Oregon zone-read attack could be. Morgan Flint (15/17 on the year) kicked a 34 yard field goal to seal the game and conference title up in the fourth quarter, as the Ducks outscored the Beavers 16-10 in the second half to claim the victory.
Summary
Heading into the Rose Bowl, you can see the long journey the Ducks have made to get to Pasadena. Overcoming the Blount sucker punch in game one against Boise State and suffering defeat at the hands of Stanford just a week after demolishing USC were big obstacles the team had to overcome to get to where they are now. Oregon will certainly prove to be a difficult game for the Buckeyes as their zone-read, spread option offense may give the Silver Bullets their toughest test of the season. Many feel Oregon could be the best team in the country when it's all said and done, but we shall find out just how good they are on January 1 as they make their second trip to Pasadena of the season. This time they'll have Masoli, but their competition will be a lot fiercer than that of the Bruins of UCLA.
Comments
Watching Oregon State team that just a couple weeks ago had Oregon beat.
Man, im starting to really believe our offense will score a lot of points on this defense.
Oregon State looked like crap, they can use the excuse it was windy. (but, don't both the teams play in the wind?)
Oregon Defense will lose this game for them. Sadly, i don't see us doing anything out of the tressel playbook. POWER RUN, PUNT, POWER RUN, PUNT.
Tress tried to open up the playbook against Purdue and look where that got us. He realized Pryor wasn't ready to be The Man and scaled back the playbook and won out.
what kind of plays do you guys think we are supposed to be running?? "opening up the playbook" why does everyone keep saying that? what does that mean? when we run the ball for 250 yards and have one of the best defenses in the nation how can you complain????
you want us to pass the ball more?? if you guys would look at the stats you will see our offense between passing and running is more balanced than you think... you guys want to have a gimmick offense ?
I'll add something else.. its not like Oregon has that many plays... its not like they are running through a 200 play list from top to bottom.. they do a couple of different looks most of the time... want to know what the secret is?
THEY EXECUTE!!!
something a team full of young guys has had some bumps along the way this year doing.. what happens when we do execute ?? we torch teams on the ground... you think Bama has a prolific offense??? not at all.. but they are undefeated and playing in the national championship... its college football guys, we can't win every game all the time
and may I add my rant was based essentially off of darth's post.. i'm just tired of hearing people everywhere talk about our "offense" when they don't really know what they are talking about.. we hardly "scaled back the playbook" versus PSU
Oregon's defense is typical Pac-10 garbage, even if you add in the time of possession math due to their more plays per game. Dudes over at Addicted to Quack are trying so hard to justify their defense, and the smell of inferiority is stomach turning......
I still stand by the fact that we scaled back the offense after the Purdue game. Threw a lot less passes. (I know we were trying to come back against Purdue but they went away from the run well before they had to against Purdue.) Pounded with the ground game against PSU and Iowa and did what they had to do to win. I am not criticizing this at all. If you can run the ball and physically dominate the other team, then do it. People want a lot of flash and dash in CFB right now but I love watching a team with good defense and a punishing ground game.
Exactly, the Iowa game Pryor was hurt and the receivers really weren't open all that often but he hit the medium and short stuff when it was called. Penn State they ran sucessfully and hit some shots downfield. Michigan, he just missed some of the deep stuff. That's the big thing right now, they connect on the deep stuff and score 2 more TD's a game, no one will be bitching then.
Don't you think the fact that they had a healthy O-line and a very good running game after the Purdue game had something to do with that? You couldn't very well run against Purdue when as soon as the ball was snapped Pryor was running for his life or getting hit. After that game the O-line was coming back from flu and injury and played very well. If you are running for 250+ a game, why throw it that often?
I think it's simply frustrating because if you look around to what other teams with far less talent are able to do, some of us just can't figure out why Ohio State can't put together an explosive attack. We saw some glimpses of it, like against Toledo and Indiana. But, it's spotty at best. A lot of it has to do with youth, but as games pass, that becomes less and less of an excuse. Pryor hit wide-open receivers for long TDs against NMSU, Minny and PSU, but misfired in the last two games.
Don't get me wrong, I'm leveraging my kidney for my trip to Pasadena next week. It'd be nice to get on the plane knowing I'm going to watch the 4th winningest team of the decade without all of these question marks about their abilities in my head. If they neglect to pass the ball, but rack up 300 yards on the ground en route to a 28-10 win, I'll be as giddy as a school girl. Seeing as how that simply hasn't happened in a big out-of-conference game since 2006, I'm not holding my breath.
Name the teams that are doing it? ??
Sorry to tell you but Florida, Bama and Texas aren't that special on offense.. Bama's style is very very similar to our style except they don't have a Terrelle Pryor.. but also we don't have a Mark Ingram..
The point I'm trying to make is teams with prolific offensive attacks like Cincy or Texas Tech, Navy, Georgia Tech all run systems to counter the weakness of their players.... but you can't run a system like that at a school like Ohio State.. Systems are designed to counter lower talent level.. and when you run a system you aren't going to recruit the Terrelle Pryors, the Percy Harvin's and the Julio Jones of the college football world.. these are guys that want to play at the next level.. A system can be nice but how many system teams are competing for National Championships? not many.. and they usually always suffer on the other side of the ball.. I.E. Cincy...
This team is young and they need time to Gel and execute... we should be nothing more than completely stoked about what we should expect to see from this group over the next few years on offense... its just going to get better...
The last two games? I dont' recall Pryor even having a play where they threw downfield against Iowa. I can't think of one play where they went 30 or 40 yards down field that he had a miscue. Sure they missed a couple against Michigan, but even still he avoided making the stupid mistakes that he made earlier in the year. At the time of the Purdue game, everyone was saying they wished Pryor would just be a good game manager. Well now he's become a very good game manager and no one is happy. Go figure. Anyway, this team will blast Oregon. If they were able to rack up 250+ yards on Penn State and Iowa's O-Line, they will destroy Oregon's. I also, am a firm believer Pryor will hit those down field passes. we know the defense will be tough. Betting this game, and I throw out any allegiance wihen I bet, my money is going on Ohio State, there's no way I take Oregon.
I meant Penn State and Iowa's D-Line
That's because handing the ball off and relaying the play from the coaches to the players is not an extraordinarily impressive skill set out of a 5-star talent. In fact, what's irritating about that is that there was a mismanaged playcall during the Michigan game, where the wrong play was written on the dry board. It turned into a misdirection run, and Saine went 30 yards for the score. So, the best play in that game was a mismanagement.
I'm a little lost with your assertion that there's no pleasing Buckeye fans. I know people were irritated at Pryor for not reading through his progressions correctly, staring down receivers, having a bad tick in his throwing motion, and running out of bounds before getting to the first down marker. Hey may have improved a little, but those things were still happening against Michigan, so it's not like he's evolved to be a Colt McCoy out there. At times, he's looked Heisman-brilliant, and at times it looks like he shouldn't even be playing college ball.
You're right about not taking long shots against Iowa, but he did miss wide-open guys on the first drive, and he did miss a wide open Posey during Michigan for certain TDs. I really hope you're right about those types of plays against Oregon. The game only gets to be played once, there is no do-over. If they're going to beat a team that ran and threw their way against the high-flying Pac-10, they will need to push them hard and execute like they want it. Kicking butt is fun, and they need to act like it's what gets them up in the morning.
Backing the Ducks out of the box is a must, and even Tressel has said so. That will take 20-30 yard completions and the playcalling to make it happen.
I'm not saying he's playing great all the time. I'm just saying he's plying much better than he was. Maybe people put too high of expectations on the guy for this point in his career. I mean even Colt Mc Coy wasn't the big deal guy until last year when he was a juior. Everyone was high on Jacori Harris early in the year, but he came back down to earth throughout the year. The guy has progressed well, and yeah maybe he does miss passes here and there, but hell to say he missed a pass on that one drive, is quite a difference than at the beginning of the year where we said, he HIT that one pass on that one drive.
Also, he hasn't had a lot of help this year. Posey and Carter dropped a lot of balls this year that would've been first downs and TD's. This whole offense has had to grow up, and the line has improved, Pryor has improved and the RB's are totally healthy for once.
I also really don't think there is much pleasing Buckeye fans, and I'm not saying it's a bad thing. But when Tressel loses to USC and large percentage of fans are calling for the guy to get fired, it's ridiculous. Same with a lot of the criticism of Pryor. Just because the guy was the number 1 overall high school player doesn't mean he's going to step on the stage and be the best player in college football, and people need to realize that.
If the PAC 10 has such garbage defenses, how come tOSU could only score 15 against USC. They finished 5th in the PAC and we dropped 47 points and 600 yards on them. Maybe the offenses in the Big 11 are just terrible.
I think you're missing a question mark of two.
I would have read all of that stuff above, but my attention span isn't even close to being long enough for that.
I'm going to guess it was something like "TP sucks, Tressel sucks, something about play calling and how great other team's offenses are".
Is that accurate?
Not my part of the conversation, I was defending Pryor and Tressel.
Yes look at game 2 of the year to talk about only scoring 15 on USC. How many points and yards did Stanford and Oregon State put up on your defense? Then look at the output Oregon State had against BYU's defense.
Don't feed the trolls.....
Acutally, since that game, USC has never been at full strength on defense. There were 4 starters that were lost in the 1st half of the Oregon game, and Mays has been injured since their trip to Columbus. It's not a coincidence that Oregon slashed USC in the 2nd half. The Pac-10 does have decent defenses, but from what I saw from the top 2 or 3 teams from the west coast, there are a lot of slipped tackles. Ohio State will move the ball on the ground.
It's likely dark and gloomy there in Oregon this time of year, with the short days and overcast and wet weather. They must be bored and seasonally depressed...
I think that's called S.A.D. if I remember correctly.
How about # 6 strength of schedule (Oregon), and Number 61 strength of schedule (Ohio State). Daunting defense against weak ass programs. BuckEyeski, your crap makes us just as sick!
yes, the buckeyes are terrible. you should have no problem in this game. congrats on the win. move along.
that or. state team looked TOUGH last night.
I hope this doesn't kill Bucksfan, but I agree 100 percent with him. It's very frustrating to see a team that has only recruited on Ohio State's level for a brief period of time - like Oregon - cobble together a potent, dynamic offense using JUCOs and recruiting also-rans like LaMichael James, while our bevy of four-and-five stars can't put up 20 points on Purdue.
The talent is there. I'm just not sure why the production isn't. It's not because we play a boatload of top-ten defenses - in any given year, it's Penn State, maybe Iowa and no one else - and Oregon doesn't. It's because, for whatever reason, the players aren't executing and the coaches can't get them to execute.
Perhaps these recent 200-yard rushing games should tell us the ground game is perfectly healthy, but until we do it against an elite team in a game that matters, I'm not buying in. And it's obvious the passing attack is anemic, but I'm not sure that has as much to do with Pryor's limitations as people are letting on.
mighta missed it, but did you guys come across any decent oregon blogs that you linked to that were previewing the game and all that jazz? i like looking at the game from the other side sometimes to see what they think of us... other than we're garbage b/c we're the big ten clearly
Agree 100 percent with him on this, I mean:
I think it’s simply frustrating because if you look around to what other teams with far less talent are able to do, some of us just can’t figure out why Ohio State can’t put together an explosive attack.
As far as the Oregon game plan, I'm fine with the coaches testing out their front seven. Perhaps they will stack the box. If our tackles and tight ends can escort their 200-pound linebacker, 270-pound tackle and 230-pound end into the secondary, I have no problem with 50 carries and 300 yards on the ground. But it's Ohio State in a BCS bowl game; is an offensive line collapse really out of the question (and yes, it would take a collapse for Ohio State to rush for any fewer than 150 yards on Oregon given its production against a top-10 defense like Penn State)?
So that said, if the offensive line doesn't block Oregon as well as it should, I agree, the passing game will have to come alive. And if Jim Tressel ever coordinates a competent passing attack without a Heisman winner at the helm, I'll... I'll do something ridiculous.
So is Oregon an Elite team? To me, putting up 250 yards on Penn State and Iowa's defense was pretty damn good. I'd say Iowa's D was as stout anyone elses. I don't see how beating Oregon is going to garner all this national respect all of the sudden. I'd even contend that if we beat Oregon, and do it in a similar fashion that we did against Iowa and Michigan, we'll still have a ton of people on here bitching about how the offense sucks, and Tressel is an idiot and we need a coordinator and blah blah blah.
So is Oregon an Elite team?
Well, what other sort of team beats USC - even this year's USC - by four touchdowns? And it's not as though only elite teams have beaten us this year.
I’d say Iowa’s D was as stout anyone elses.
The dirty little secret about the Iowa Hawkeyes is that, despite having a very talented front four, the rushing defense was lackluster at 34th in the country. That actually puts them statistically below Oregon, who's 32nd.
I don’t see how beating Oregon is going to garner all this national respect all of the sudden. I’d even contend that if we beat Oregon, and do it in a similar fashion that we did against Iowa and Michigan, we’ll still have a ton of people on here bitching about how the offense sucks, and Tressel is an idiot and we need a coordinator and blah blah blah.
Perhaps the attitude of the fanbase is different outside of 270, but right now, I think just about everyone would be satisfied with a bowl win, no matter how it happens. Remember: we didn't mind crappy offense when we won a national title with one.
I'm a little shocked that someone thinks we don't need an offensive coordinator. It's another thing to acknowledge that Tressel will never, ever hire a coordinator and cede playcalling duties to him - which is why no good coordinator will come here, but it's an entirely different creature to deny that this offense is in a total state of disrepair.
And I got my numbers mixed up. I think they were pre-weeks 12 and beyond, but Iowa is actually 32nd in rush D, Oregon is 38th. It's a difference of four yard per game.
Execution, execution, execution. This offense may not give you an erection, but I see little reasons why it can't be perfectly capable (lest Terrelle Pryor qualifies for a brain transplant).
I think boiling it all down to execution completely absolves the staff of preventable disasters like Florida, Purdue, and USC. The players have a hand in it, undoubtedly, but a three year trend - with a few instances of sizable turnover on the offense - tells me it has at least quite a bit to do with coaching.
I never said they don't need a coordinator, I'm just saying it's always the same tired complaints. I will bet any amount of money, if Ohio State beats Oregon, and it's in a game where they could've won by 3 touchdowns but only win by one, there will be people on here bitching up a storm. It happens no matter what this team does.
I'm sorry but winning 10+ games a year, and only losing 2 games in that time period to teams you are supposed to beat is a result of coaching too. Let's not kid ourselves guys, the last 7 years has been awesome for Ohio State football. You'd think this team goes .500 every year the way people complain. Is it frustrating to not win a "big" game the last 3 years? Well yeah, but at the same time I'd contend that beating Penn State and Iowa were Big games no matter what the national media says.
Each of the examples you cited are hardly the result of the same failures. Not saying the staff hasn't been at fault in many ways (failure of imagination, failure of preparedness from a mental standpoint, failure of recruiting tangible offensive line talent from 03-07), but each of those outcomes were the results of different shortcomings. Should someone ultimately be held responsible? Absolutely. Will that happen? I'm not optimistic.
The issue isn't that we're unimpressed with the results; it's just that we see the talent on this offense - players like Posey, Pryor, Saine - and we wonder why we struggle to put up touchdowns on the Naval Academy. There's a disconnect between the level of talent and experience on this offense and the level of production, and it has been this way every year under Jim Tressel outside of 2006. We see what Oregon does with less talent (according to iffy recruiting services and the NFL draft) and we wonder why we can't even approach that level of production here.
I make sure to restrict my criticisms to the offense; the defense has been a masterpiece more often than not, but it too has had its frustrating lapses at the worst of times.
I really don't see much of a difference in the losses to USC, Florida and Purdue. Pass protection breakdowns played a big role in each, as did panicky, inefficient quarterback play (which is on the coach as much as it is on the player, and considering we're talking about three different starting quarterbacks...) and multiple breakdowns in the secondary. I'm not sure these symptoms are as varied as you think.
I mean, are we really to believe that the coaching staff just happens to accidentally recruit boneheaded offensive linemen and quarterbacks? And isn't that also on the staff anyway?
I don't know, sometimes you lose it just happens. The team has had 3 years without a signature win, of course if they beat USC this year they still have to contend with the fact the USC isn't that good this year. The lost to a Florida team that surpised them. The team was fat, slow, and believed the only had to show up. LSU was just a better team and Ohio State backed into the championship game that year. USC had an NFL defense last year, and we had Boeckman and a True Freshman and no Beanie. The Texas game was one hell of a game and a tough loss, but it was a great team, they were heavily favored, and we almost pull that game out. If you break it down, it hasn't been that bad.
Ok, Pryor isn't Heisman yet, he's a true sophomore. I can cite a lot of QB's who were the number 1 recruit or a top recruit in America that didn't start playing well til their Junior year. Hasn't Tressel won more Big games than Cooper in half the time Cooper coached at Ohio State? I'm not saying the losses haven't been frustrating, and certainly offense can be hard to watch. But things aren't that bad!
Uh-oh, looks like I ruffled a few of Donald Ducks feathers.....
When was Oregon's last Rose Bowl win? When was the last time they beat Ohio State? These are relevant questions when it comes to shit talk because Oregon is about as 2nd-tier as you can get historically, and Ohio State should be favored to kick your asses back to mediocrity.
#6 SOS? Are we supposed to cower because the toughest opponent you faced was a WAC team that clocked you? I don't know of any other fanbase that brags more about getting beaten by a WAC team on national TV than the Napolean Ducks. Oklahoma is still embarrassed about losing to them, and you guys wear it like a badge of honor. Oregon State, who took you to the wire in the final game of the year just got rocked last night in a game against a flippin' MWC team - who was crushed at home by Florida State.
So, let's see if I got this right. Poor blocking leads to quarterbacks fearing for their lives/making poor decisions and throwing balls to the wrong colored jerseys, who then consequently start with a very short field putting an unreasonable amount of pressure on a secondary causing the elite offenses (Purdue the obvious exception, though they were certainly elite level that afternoon) scoring easily? And this is an offensive coordinator/play calling issue how? You're damn right about the o-line recruiting, but the last 2 classes seem like a rather dramatic improvement. Bollman's continued employment is a slap in the face to every Ohio State fan, but I wish I could say I'd be optimistic that some lackey from a sub-FBS level wouldn't be brought in to make no noticeable improvement.
Just saying, the offense wasn't the issue in 2002, 2003, 2006, or 2007. The routinely low national rankings is troubling, but I'll take wins over style points everyday of the week. I will give it to you that I suppose the 09 USC game is pretty damning of offensive ineptitude from all facets completely negating a brilliant defensive performance and costing this team a game to an average team. Not sure the same was the case in the Purdue since the defense bit ass there too. But I mean, let's say a month of practice does the kids right, Ohio State puts up 30+ on Oregon, TP accumulates 350-450 total yards, protects the ball, and they win comfortably? Are we going to still be beating the hire an OC drum then?
What?
I think the biggest change from the Purdue game is how much is being put on Pryor's shoulders. Something like 90% of the plays were either a pass or a pryor run. Since then that number has been below 50%.
I'd argue that most of our struggles revolve around depth at certain positions, which is a result of recruiting choices more than rankings.
Our defense is so good because we have massive depth at defensive line and linebacker.
Similarly, on offense we are stacked at running back and wide receiver, and generally getting good contributions from those positions.
We have no one pushing Pryor for playing time and precious little depth at O-line. we recruit few players, so when some washes out we do not have bodies to replace them. When you have depth you can afford to make mistakes, or let players mature. We have that on defense but not offense - therefore we have a top 10 defense year in and year out and a mediocre offense.
Most teams you see with the top 10 offenses have the same problem in reverse. In the rare cases where a team manages to put both together you have a national champion contender - we have had at times, but very few teams have managed to do both consistently.
whoop, there it is.
southbay, I wasn't talking to you. So, if you're genuinely interested in critique, by all means join in. If you're going to sit there and bitch me out for being critical, 11W has already commented about fan-on-fan attacks, and you might want to mind your own business.
Sam, can't believe we agree.
Brian, I think we see the same problems, they just don't seem to worry you as much as they worry me. And I'm not even THAT worried, but all I'm saying is that I wish there wasn't a huge ? above #2's head in a game against the toughest opponent this year. Like I said, this is a major sporting event that sort of transcends the teams that are there. It should be an enjoyable experience regardless.
who's bitching/attacking? not me, that's for sure.
I am merely saying that this is all very predictable banter.
Some will still come on here and say but Pryor missed that one pass. And why did they make this call on this down? This year I've noticed that people just aren't going t obe happy with Pryor as QB, Tressel as head coach, and Bollman as OC.
That common opponent stuff is all made up.....go buckeyes!
Also I wasnt aware LaMichael James as a 4* recruit was an "also-ran."
Finally the weather being gloomy? Really, a Columbus kid making a comment about weather...I never knew 31* and cloudy was beautiful!
Im glad you guys are coming out here to educate us. Sounds like our team has a lot to learn from the genius that is Columbus.
For whatever reason, certain people will give Pryor no credit. I don't know what the deal is but some on here just do not like Pryor and never will. Same with Tressel.
Also, great job on the multiple spellings! I never knew someone's name could change mid paragraph!
See...I am learning from you guys after all!!
your argument is irrelevant. you're the guy coming on to another team's blog/message board to run your mouth. go back under your rock.
merry christmas.
haha...you cant even back up the irrelevance of the writings above?
If you could that would be great.
Also your team's blog is linked on both tOSU and Oregon sports links as they share content.
Weird how that whole internet works.....
aaaflack!
I can agree with you Bucksfan that we see the same problems. I buess I just dont' think it's that bad, and the last year on this site some of the comments have been rough. I will never say the offense has been great, and with Pryor, I actually think he has improved a lot this year where others say no. I don't think he has to run for 100 and throw for 300 a game to be good though, and I guess that's the expectation that some have.
I guess my frustration lies more with all the doom and gloom and negativity more so that the actual play on the field. I get frustrated with it, but the ignorance thate gets trhown around afterward bothers me more.
The funny thing is that I was paying your team and your staff a compliment when I labeled James an "also-ran". Nevertheless, James came from Texas, was completely overlooked by the premier Texas programs, and his best listed offer outside of Oregon was... Nebraska? All I'm saying is that he wasn't getting recruited by USC, Florida, et al. and, as a Texas kid, that's a little shocking.
"haha…you cant even back up the irrelevance of the writings above?"
Why would i want to back up irrelevance?
Good point and I think that is being addressed in the last couple of recruiting classes. The last 2 years they have landed huge offensive line recruits and this year the number 1 player in America may very well end up a buckeye Olineman. Last year's addition of Hall was huge. They have a couple good OLine recruits already and getting Henderson would be huge.
But I mean, let’s say a month of practice does the kids right, Ohio State puts up 30+ on Oregon, TP accumulates 350-450 total yards, protects the ball, and they win comfortably? Are we going to still be beating the hire an OC drum then?
You know, in your heart of hearts, that this will not happen. Pryor has all the talent in the world, but he will not be asked to throw for more than 200 yards, and they aren't going to get him injured by making him tote the rock more than 15 times. If that happens, I'll shut up about the OC situation because clearly, Jim Tressel has unleashed his most dangerous - and admittedly most inconsistent - weapon loose, and the offense as a whole will be playing at a level that roughly matches their overall talent.
Just saying, the offense wasn’t the issue in 2002, 2003, 2006, or 2007.
So what was? The defense? You're talking about a national championship defense laden with NFL talent, a defense that returned much of that talent the next year, a 2006 outfit that lead the nation in scoring defense, and a 2007 one that lead the nation in total D. If the offense isn't the issue, then what is?
Good one dude.
The best part is where he clearly checked Weather.com to see what it's like in Columbus right now.
this troll does research!
Another good one socalduck2001. Thank you.
Just so I don't have to read more impossibly thinbox'd responses, I get what you're saying Luke, and you're right: the offense on the whole has not been as big of an issue as consistently as many Buckeye fans have alleged. That being said, when you look at the talent being recruited, and then look at the product on the field, there's a disconnect. That disconnect is noticeable enough to be frustrating to a majority of Buckeye fans, even vaguely sane ones like myself who believe those that expect to win every game 45-0 are yokels. Much of the offense's inconsistency lately can be laid at Terrelle Pryor's feet, but it was also laid at Todd Boeckman's feed and "Heisman Hefty" Troy Smith's... I'm thinking there's a pattern, and that it simply can't be explained entirely away by a "lack of execution."
That's why they saying "the backup quarterback is the most popular guy in town" exists. The QB is the most visible player for any team and when they fail he fails, when they win he wins, etc.
I don't think it's a TP issue, it's clearly a position coaching issue when you think about it. At least to me it is.
I agree. While I hesitate to criticize Joe Daniels in any capacity because of his condition, giving the job to a video coordinator - especially one who'll be coaching a quarterback that clearly needs work on the fundamentals - is definitely an iffy hiring decision.
..a little louder now....
Which Bash Brother do you suppose he is? My guess is Fulton
Emelio always taught them to fly together, but he seems to be solo....
The people that like to bitch about our offense are like a dog on a bone.. you can't get them off of it no matter what kind of logic you present to them..
I see what you did there.
Was Fulton the kid with the glasses? If so, I 2nd that vote.
Back what up? The fact that you can count the # of Pac-10 championships the Ducks have won on two hands? The fact that Oregon has only been to 5 Rose Bowls and won 1? The fact that Oregon is 0-7 against the Buckeyes all-time? The fact that Oregon's all-time win% is just over 0.500?
Is that relevant enough for you?
Do yourself a favor, and do not engage us in trash talk, you will fail. To be honest with you, the only time I see trash talk from Buckeye fans here with regards to the Ducks is only after an Oregon fan starts it up. I'm excited to play you guys. Your team is exciting to watch. It's the frickin' Rose Bowl, and we are entering exciting times with USC's program falling off the bridge. Be excited just to be there! It's rare enough, and the BCS has fucked Oregon over in getting to the Rose Bowl just like it has to Ohio State.
...or Happy Holidays for all you Humanist out there
he wasnt the fat kid with the knuckle puck thats for sure
"Do yourself a favor, and do not engage us in trash talk, you will fail. "
Ha ha..that was great. Right after you talk shit!
I agree that the game will be a good one. Go Ducks.
All I hear from Ohio State fans is tradition this and tradition that, funny because that hasn't helped ND out one bit. Sorry, but no one really cares what Ohio Sate did against Oregon before most people on this blog were even born. Fact is they haven't played in a really long time. I am confident we are going to win, but I do know there is a chance we will lose. You all talk like you should be handed the Rose Bowl trophy because of your traditional winning ways.
This game could go either way. You guys lost to a mediocre USC team and a pretty bad Purdue team. We lost to Boise State and Stanford. Due to the fact that I think both BSU and Stanford could bead OSU, I like our chances. I do like the confidence you guys have though. I really do want to know where it came from though, in the days leading up to the Civil War all the Ohio State blogs were buzzing with prayers that Oregon State would win. Hmmmmmm, maybe the loud kid in the park talking about how tough he is really can't fight.
.. or if you're nondenominational
"Weird how that whole internet works….."
No, actually, it's weird how your, uh, thought process works.
Another stream-of-consciousness post from the Left Coast, folks.
Go ahead and call me a troll too, don't care. Your arguments are really bad and only show that deep down you guys are pretty scared to play us. It is alright though, you are not the best football team in Ohio anyways.
Don't worry socal, they have the fear.
What the hell is a Buckeye. is it a Animal, Plant or rock ?
+1
a buckeye is a nut. a killer nut. if your duck eats us *pause for dramtic effect*..it will die.
You would think as hot as your cheerleaders are, you would be on their website instead of ours. Just a couple of quick questions for you:
How many conference championships do you have?
All Americans?
Heismans?
BCS Appearances?
Rose Bowls?
Looking forward to playing you guys...might be the best match-up of all the games. In the meantime, you must be an idiot to question our program's tradition...if you happen to win, keep your mouth shut and act like you've been there before.
It is time to pay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
BTW, What is with this "scared to play us" sh1t? Scared? Seriously? These jokers are like Bearcats fans, a couple of minutes in the spotlight and suddenly their feces lack odor. Act like you you've been here before eh?
The name “Buckeye” came from the Native Americans who noticed that the glossy, chestnut-brown seeds with the lighter circular “eye” looked very similar to the eye of a buck (male) deer.
Here's another one: "Duck" is the common name for a number of species in the Anatidae family of birds. They quack and have young that fall into sewer grates, and are rumored to have the ability of flight.
Next week we'll discuss the absurdity of WR's converted to LB's and also delve into such enigmas as the times tables, the alphabet, and how girls pee. Hint: it's alllll magic!
Dude, You're arguing with Ducks fans!
What are we talking about? Ducks fans?
Nobody cares about the Ducks or their lame fans!
Wasn't Howard the Duck wearing an Ohio State Sweatshirt in the Movie?
Just saying:).....................................
Yes this is very scary!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
I am not questioning your tradition, just wondering what it is going to do to help you win the game. And no I will not shut my mouth and act like I have been there before. If we win I won't be on here talking smack though because Masoli might just do it for me. Funny how it is cool for you guys to talk smack, but you can't take it. Sure you make it to the BCS, but you have Oklahoma Syndrome.
Yes, you are scared of the Bearcats. I know it, you know it, they know it.
You almost lost to an overrated Iowa team that had their backup QB in, at your place. You lost to a pretty pathetic USC team and lost by more than one score to Purdue. Yeah that is something to brag about too.
and they keep on trollin´
Yes he was...excellent call. Someone needs to post a screenshot of that!
You almost lost to an overrated Oregon State team with the Rose Bowl on the line who not only was at full strength, but got blown out last night at full strength by BYU!!! And the funny thing was that your "defense" couldn't tackle the Rogers brothers, while BYU blew them up any time they got one hand on them. USC wasn't missing 4 defensive starters and their goal-line back when we played them in September.
Sigh...
Anything else "scary" we should know about? Zombies, scabies, La Chupacabra, perhaps your closet door at night? Dude, you are bad at internets.
I fed the trolls and all I got was this stupid Ducks Unlimited tee-Shirt...
https://www.ducks.org/media/Su...
I don't recall people praying Oregon State would win. In fact, I was hoping it'd be Oregon. Boise State would not beat Ohio State. Boise State would be about 4th in the Big 10 this year. Just as you are confident Oregon will win this game, I'm confident Ohio State will win. Simply for the fact that I think Wisconsin, Penn State, and Iowa would beat Oregon.
Well ask Texas A&M, Miami, K-State, and Notre Dame how well Ohio State plays in the BCS.
We have this lyric in one of our fight songs that goes, "Our honor defend, we'll fight to the end for O-Hi-O." I can't sit back and let a Duck fan talk trash without doing it back. It's just part of our culture.
I go to grad school with a few people that went to Oregon, so it's been fun all month going back and forth. The Ducks-Bucks rhyme lends itself to all sorts of chants and play on words. I even went to a bar to watch the Civil War with them dressed head-to-toe in Buckeye gear. I literally can't wait to see the spectacle in all its glory.
Uh oh. Another pac 10 team looking scary. Mwc>pac 10
+1
Hey Ducks fans, talk all you want, but don't forget we have a common enemy: Tajh Boyd...
Good luck in the game.
See you on January 1st...Biatches.
i'll be the bid dude wearing the eddie george jersey tailgating with the brand new alpine white bmw x5d.
holla atcha boyeee
Dude, read all the comments above you. They are all about justifying tOSU's offense compared to UO's. tOSU has an amazing defense and we all know it, however Oregon has an amazing offense as well. Just a bit hypocritical to be upset when your fans are trying to "measure up" just as much on the other side of the ball. It will be an interesting game and unfold just the way its supposed to. Enjoy it, watching that is, not the outcome ;)
True, cant refute the lack of production by the barkrats in vegas. Be weary in using that game as a basis for measure of the ducks D, everyone has down games. i mean look at this video from the night before. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...