Eleven Warriors

Good post ... and wasn't it nice to see the enthusiasm out of Rod Smith?  I know he wasn't playing lights out or anything but you could tell how psyched he is to be getting PT and he did give quality effort on that TD.  I'm sure he'll lose most if not all of his touches when Hyde comes back but I hope he keeps getting a few carries until then at least.

Hell yes!! You said it perfectly. Go Bucks!!

I agree.  4-0 is much better than the alternatives.  Both sides of the ball will get better as the season progresses with the additional reps that they get.

I think that much of the offense's inconsistencies the last few weeks has been in not having their full package available.  First it was Hall out with his injury.  He is back, but now Hyde has been out.  The first quarter, the defense could cheat towards the edges, because neither Hall or Miller is a consistent bust it up the gut type of runner.  Then Smith came in and exposed the weakness in that.  I think when Hyde comes back, it will open up a lot of opportunities for everyone on that offense.  In both this game and the game against Miami, it wasn't until after the inside running game started producing that the offense started clicking.  I think it will be like that all season.

The defense played decently.  Not giving up a touchdown, allowing only one drive to penetrate the 30.  I would like to see more press coverage at the line.  The fact that they aren't trying it even once in a while seems to indicate a lack of confidence in the safeties.  Will that change in the B1G?  I tend to think it will.  There really aren't a lot of talented passers on our schedule that are capable of burning us deep. 

Special teams was below average today.  Blocked punt.  Roughing the passer, sustaining a drive after a defensive stop.  Maybe the fan base will find a way to blame that on Fickell as well. 

After seeing how bad the B1G is each week I am happy with 4-0 regardless of the path. 

Thank you!

I'm with you!!  We almost have as many wins as we did all of last year already.  I take comfort in the fact that this is not Urbans first coaching job and know what sort of teams he's put together in the past.  We will be fine...even if we don't win every game this season.  Relax.  Take a deep breath...

Anyone remember how many games in 02 title season we looked like absolute crap against teams that weren't very good.  One of Urban's title teams lost to Ole Miss.  Some games are just tough.  90% of the time (or some ridiculous number) a team blocks a punt for a td they win the game so we dodged a serious bullet.  Travis Howard is playing stellar and should have had another pick.  Doran Grant looks like a multifaceted stud who should be playing Star over Corey Brown who seems to have zero ball skills. Rod Smith showed some spark.  Hall didn't look explosive but his numbers were great.  Devin dropped another td.  We aren't a horrible team.  We just aren't elite.  A ranking in the teens is appropriate.

We played a bit flat, but it was easy to look past UAB for the MSU game coming up next week. Throw in the fact that all 15 points UAB scored were on Special Teams, I don't see what some OSU fans out there are so doom and gloom about? Sheesh. Let's be realistic, this was a 6-7 team last year; we've got a few good freshman that Meyer brought in, but they're not seeing much of the field yet.

oh my good lord, this is the EXACT post down to the wording that I want to say to this community... bravo good sir, bravo

I've got your back!!! O-H

WIN BABY WIN!!!!

O-H

@RAMP We were 6-7 last year because we lost our Head Coach, starting heisman candidate QB, and had Luke Fickell running the show! Give us JT and TP last year and we easily win atleast 10 games! Come'on dont act like the off the field issues didnt directly contribute to our lack of success last year. Do you see USC, Bama, LSU etc bragging about beating bottom feeder teams?? No thats not what elite programs do. If you wanna be happy about marginal performance and small success, become a Minnesota fan... Get over that.

Its funny how everybody wants to give Cal, and UCF all this credit because they gave us a good fight but before the games were played everyone was saying we were gonna kill em by 30. Give me a break if these were four hard fought B1G games then I would be ok with it, but we all know these were tune up games lets not kid ourselves...

Im not sayimg im not happy about the wins, im just not happy about the way we have been winning. Im not about to put blinders on and ignore the terrible football that has been played. I guarantee Urban is disgusted with the way we have played thus far...

People are still in here talking about our allegedly narrow win over Central Florida as though it was some kind of embarrassment. Central Florida is better than at least half the teams in the Big Ten. (Look at Akron's respective games against CF and against Tennessee.)

I don't think today's game was anything to write home about--the team still looks out of sync on offense for long stretches--but Ohio State has had games like these before, and during certifiably good seasons too.

Ya, this is a useless argument, he's only reading what he wants to read, and not what we're actually saying

2 cupcakes..2 ok teams..dont get it twisted..as everyone has said this team has flaws..but we are 1 year removed from the worst year weve had in a long time..so this is great improvent..i guess everyone just expected a complete coaching staff overhaul and new system and everyhting would just click from the get go..get behind your team and support them a little..not many people will be complaining when this team is making the rest of the BIG look like little children for the next 6+ years

IT'S been a long day. ONLY a few points seperated the teams. A difficult thing to watch, for sure. GAME number 4 is luckily in the win column. Congrats to the few fans who are still proud of the student atheletes that put forth the effort to wear the scarlet and gray. To the rest I say, "sour grapes'. Would like to say more, but they'll just delete my post.

Don't get me wrong I'm happy with the wins but our buckeyes have looked bad. You guys are forgetting were 3 missed field goals from Cal kicker to not being 4-0. Just becasue a fan isnt all pumped doesnt mean they dont enjoy the win. We should never lower our standards at Ohio State. We should expect that when UAB comes to town we dominate. Yes this team was 6-7 last year but you look at our recuriting the last three years and they have talent. More talent then the teams we have played so far and we havent looked like it. Im a die hard buckeye fan but im also a realist and we do not look good right now.

The Fact that we are 4-0 is great undefeated going into conference play not many teams have that oppurtunity.. but i agree with spreston 100%.. The four teams we played are chumps they come to the shoe because we pay them big time money for there program to progress and grow.. They accept the large amount of money for big time programs to stomp them on national tv. CAL there decent. lol uab though come on bucks seriosly 400 offensive yards on our silverbullets. im very disapointed in our offense and defense. We have so much talent that is being wasted. But i think we should beat MSU this weekend though i really think we will. But Nebraska thats a diff story. There the best team in the B1G hands down in my oppinion. Bucks practice your asses of this week correct your mistakes and get ready because this weekend will be no picnic your gonna have to fight all 4 Q. Go Bucks!!!!

There are a dozen or so forums that people can post to dump on the team yet a few feel still the need to come on to the one topic where others are trying to see the bright side just to bring them down.  Sure they do so under the flag of "I'm just calling it how I see it," but it doesn't change the fact that they are being downers and I can't see why.

But then I remember those that bitched and moaned throughout all the Tressel years of brilliance.  And it really seemed for a short bit that with the entrance of urban meyer, there was a new era of eternal optimism, but apparently that was a very short reign.  The bottom line is there will always be a contingent of Buckeye fans who sees something wrong.  This group has complained about something or other every day but probably January 4, 2003, and that even might be giving them too much credit.  I don'tknow if this is a quality found in other fan bases or not, my guess is that it is, but with our fans it seems worse.  Maybe its just the size of our base, or perhaps with us, it's just the more vocal ones, I suppose it doesn't really matter.  And I'm not saying they aren't entitled to their opinion ... or even that a few won't cross into their ranks over the season, but for Christ's sakes, you don't have to try to make everyone as miserable about this team as you are.  I'm not the bubbliest person in the world, but even I don't get this level of despondency, sheesh!

You can't win them all unless you go 4-0

Like father, like son. "most talented kid is the whole school".

"He'll no". Really?

I'm happy that OSU is 4-0.  I congratulate their efforts, and I'm proud to be a Buckeye fan.

I am Hopeful for the rest of the upcoming season, but I'll say I don't hold any groundless, blind belief. 

I thought before the season that OSU would be somewhere close to an 8-4 team, so the product on the field isn't too shocking.  I did feel the weakness would be the OL, but they have played well. 

OSU's defense has given me plenty of reasons to believe that they will not win the rest of their games, but I hope they do.

  I'll be cheering for them to do well, right along side the rest of Buckeye Nation.

I don't think anyone is saying that we are fine with where the team is, but we're happy that the team is 4-0.  Not many other teams can say that and many have played similar schedules.  Will this team be 5-0 or 8-0 or 10-0, who knows.  No one denies that the talent level is there to win every game, and there have been glimpses of a very good team here and there, but the consistency is sorely lacking.  Will it ever come this year?  Maybe we are sitting at 6-3 and it clicks, maybe we finish 7-5 and it never clicks.  Maybe it clicks in the offseason and they come out like a beast next year and destroy.  Maybe it isn't til 2015.  Who knows, but I won't dog on a team who finds a way to win

I agree with what most are saying. I will not resort to name calling of the players or coaches. Before season started & after reading all of the comments, articles and such, my impression of this team was very positive & thought the Buckeyes could finish @ 10-2 or 9-3. After watching the first four games, not sure they can finish 8-4 or 7-5. We will see how well this team responds to coaching & their own sense of pride. Talent is a valuable asset to have but desire & the will to win will make or break this team. I know as well as anyone that missed tackles, assignments & lack of focus on Every play is very coachable. The talent is evident in first four games because we won. They will need to step it up in conference play ( believe they will) to have a successful season.

My thing is that I expected there to be growing pains with the offense. I expected them to be a work in progress and get better as the season goes.

What I did not expect was how poor our defense would play. And I know its been said, but its not like we've been playing the best competition. I just cannot for the life of me understand why this defense is so bad. Watching theses games now that I've seen them play and give up huge chunks of yards to each team, I don't even have confidence that they will stop a team on 3rd and long. Perfect example, yesterday UAB had a 3rd and 17 and they got a completion for 32 yards. Sure the defense wasn't great last year, but I thought it would and should be MUCH better than what it is right now. It's painful to watch.

+1 for this original post. It's only 4th game people. With the youth we have at so many positions all over the field, it's crazy to get so worked up about how we look posting a W.

For perspective, think back to Tressel's 4th season in 2004. Total rebuilding project that year. Lots of young talent in skill positions but they had to learn how to compete for an entire game.

Personally, I'm excited we are getting a bunch of young players experience. We're going to reap the rewards next year.

What a spoiled, entitled fanbase - at least some it.  No wonder why so many other fanbases hate Ohio State fans.  Not that I care, but I finally am beginning to understand it. 

I'll take 4-0 any day.  Even if the wins are all against weaker opponents.  Truth is - OSU is not the only school that plays weak competition in out of conference play.  Truth is - many B1G brethren, as well as other schools, are losing to these same kind of chumps, or struggling with them more than we have.  Believe it or not, our opponents do have decent athletes who can make plays.  Not every defensive possession is going to be a 3 and out or turnover.  Opponents will make plays, and yards will be gained.  Teams will score points.  UAB didn't score any TDs on offense - just one on a freaky special teams play.  OSU defense has proven that they can make stops when they need to, and OSU offense has proven they can get scores when they need to. 

Anybody remember 2002 OSU?  Are we a bad team if we beat MSU 29-15 with their offense only scoring 9 points and getting 400 yards of offense?  The team looked bored yesterday, but the team is talented, and come B1G time, they will rise to the occasion. 

Maceyko, I have to 100% agree with you.  Brilliant post.

^^ this

I was bummed yesterday about the defense.  But thinking about it some more ...

Fickell / Withers may have stuck to base defenses to force our players to execute within the scheme (being in the right place, tackling 1 on 1, etc.)

We certainly could have blitzed more, but that might have given us the result we wanted, but not the practice on fundamentals prior to Sparty.

In any case we're 4-0, TSUN is 2-2.     We played down to lesser opponents, but found a way to win.

I don't think there will be a similar problem with Big 10 play.  The emotion/energy should be there from the get go.

Grammar police

I am not exactly happy about the play on the field but 4-0 is nothing to hate.

I tell people this, you tell me about a team that averages 33 points a game, wins by 14 or more in each game save one and is 4-0, I would say that is a good team. Then if you tell me they do that and are not playing their best? What would it be if they were playing their best?

I just think it is funny that this is the ugliest football I have seen played in recent years outside of last year, and yet the results are pretty strong. I also believe this team is playing very vanilla and really trying to work the basics. They even said Urban is trying different punt formations in that game. They are obviously trying to still work on stuff! This isn't polishing a turd, this is a varnished piece of gold! We all knew going in Urban's teams struggle in the first year. But the progress is there. Braxton threw 85 completions all of last year. This year he has 60 completions, 62% completion percentage and almost equaled his pasing yards. The receivers are about to double their completions! and a 100 yard RB! Defensively, they only gave up 3 field goals! With 2 starters out in the secondary, in and out by a couple of linebackers, what we really know is a weakness at MLB and poor tackling! 

You all know this team is struggling! Yet they still are the best team on the field and winning games. If they beat MSU but look ugly doing it, are you all going to scream and moan like you are now?

Maceyko - Thanks for starting this thread.  I don't know what it is with some fans who seem to delight in focusing on the negative.  One of the biggest reasons I frequent 11W so much is because most of the other online Buckeye sites always have the negative nellies posting about everything that is wrong with the team.  Now it seems more and more negative bloggers are finding their way on here.  At least for the most part they are still Buckeye fans. 

My problem with the negative comments is that I hate accentuating the negative.  One of the best things I ever taught kids while I coached for the last 35 years was the power of positive thinking.  I know, some are going to read this and think it's just a bunch of baloney, but hey, it did work for me.  Every football season I would talk to the team about remaining positive through any situation.  And, I made it a point for them to share that with their school mates and parents.  It was amazing how the players on the sideline would follow my lead and start chanting "fumble" or "pick it off" whenever we desperately needed a turnover to swing the momentum in a game.  More often than not, a turnover would occur, particularly if the fans in the stands were thinking the same thing.  And, it worked when we were on offense too - with everyone believing that we could do it - from the players in the game to the players and staff on the sidelines to the fans in the stadium.  The power of positive thought is something that I will always believe in. 

Conversely, it was equally amazing how often something bad would happen when everyone was negative.  So, the negative thoughts can have equally dramatic consequences. 

Now, I'm not naive enough to think that positive and negative thought will trump a well conditioned and prepared athlete.  But, when you have a high level of preparedness, positive thought can have a dramatic impact. 

Most negative posters will say "Yeah, but I'm just expressing my honest opinion on a harmless blog.  No harm in that."   To that I say, you have no idea who is reading these posts.  As a coach I tried to steer the players away from negative press/comments/people as much as I could.  I know that many former players have admitted to reading these blogs.  I can only imagine that trend continues today. 

I also tried not to sugar coat anything.  Pick what ever real positives you can and build on them.  I know there are many coaches who employ intimidation techniques to inspire players (the head coaches I worked with were like this).  But, when properly employed these techniques, although breaking the player/team down through criticism, will always finish with a building up of the individuals by accentuating the positive. 

Now, I know all the 11W readers (or at least most of them) are indeed Buckeye fans.  We all want to see the Buckeyes kick butt and win.  It may be frustrating when they don't meet your expectations for how they should win.  But, hey, we are 4-0.  You don't get there without having some positives.  It's really easy to ID the negatives, but at least allow some of us to follow that up with some positive strokes without jumping down our throats!  And, you may be surprised what might happen if all the fans (I'm talking about all those hand sitters in the stadium, too) got enthused about every play and used positive thought to back our Buckeyes!!!  

UA, stop with the asinine negative talk. You must be new to being a fan of this team! As someone who watched this team last year, I am quite pleased with the team and where it is going overall. There are things I wish were better but hey, I'm watching winning football. Maybe they are overrated from what YOU thought they were supposed to be, i think they are right about where I expected them to be. A work in progress!

Stop being a fanatical edge walker! You say this team is VASTLY overrated, yet who rated them to be better than the 14th ranked team, 4-0 and scoring an average of 33 points per game? I don't recall anyone saying they are a top 10 team! If someone said they would go undefeated, well despite how it looks, they are currently undefeated! i am not sure how that is overrated when you are undefeated. I know you specifically pointed out the VASTLY overrated Dline. This Dline has 10 sacks. The even more higher rated MSU Dline, 3! 3 SACKS! I don't care who the opponent is, if OSU had 3 sacks, then that would be bad! We have seen game plans designed to avoid the Dline! WOW, they must suck!!!!

I, like you, don't understand the "real fan" talk either! Either you are a fan that accepts the team they root for better or worst, or you are a fan that if they don't look like the team you personally expected them to then they failed you personally!

sounds to me like you are the latter! We'll see you later when you figure out watching a team that can score 33 points and look ugly doing it is actually pretty exciting for those of us that watched this team struggle to score 7 ppg for whole seasons!

Oh yeah, next year is what we are really excited about. What do you think will really happen if this years team actually loses a game? You will be proven right? Save you the trouble, you are right! They suck! Have a great night!

"...why the heck is everyone..."

Everyone is not, has not & never will. This is a message board. You cannot get 5 people to agree on anything. Usually after 5 posts the topic has changed completely.

I like cereal.

Read the original post D. Anthony, UAB, and SPRESTON. MACEYKO asks that people like yourselves, don't bring your negetive B.S. into the conversation. Simple request. I like to pick on people like you. Your the ones that take 20 items to the 15 or less line at the store. You go all the way down the ramp before you cut someone off on the interstate. You ignore peoples request because of your inflated ego and the sense that your opinion is valued and correct. In fact, I hope to meet people like you everyday. It's been my gym motivation for the last 35 years

I just poked my head outside and the sky is still up there...

I'm pretty sure Urban Meyer knows he has some things to address and he has a pretty good track record of turning out some quality teams.  This Sunday, Monday...Tuesday morning coaching by the fans is tiring...

I'm not ready to pass judgement on the entire program after 4 games.

I agree with the topic, I'm happy to be 4-0.  The team will improve as the year goes on.  I never thought for a minute this was going to be a 12-0 team and I still don't believe it will, but they are winning games they should.  We couldn't say that last year.  Also, last year's team would of layed down and died in that Cal game.  This team shows fight and last year they seemed to fold at the first sign of adversity.

Plus, people who talked to or are close with the coaching staff said to temper your expectations.  The concept of the offense and the playbook may be grasped by Braxton and the offense, but it hasn't been mastered yet.  There are going to be hiccups, miscues, and some games where the offense is just stagnant.  By the end of the season, this team will be a lot of fun to watch. I have a feeling there will be one game where it just clicks, like an "Aha moment" . Until then, there are going to be some ugly moments. 

I'm just a total homer but I am happy with it all.  I'm not crazy about how it has unfolded but I love our coach and the program.

As much as I respect what was done during the JT era, I like UM that much better.  Urban actually has things to say and opinions to share.

We will crush Sparty this coming Saturday - you heard it here first.....

4 home games during presaeson and 3 of them could have been a loss.  I expected growing pains from the offense, see the RR years at UM and the transition he had to deal with going from a Pro Set type athlete and what Coach meyer is dealing with.  Overall grade C+.  Miller needs to stop trying to carry the team on his shoulders.

Defense?  Who would have thought with Vrabel as the line coach that they would have so much trouble?  I'm baffled at the turnaround in just 1 year, it makes no sense.  Do you think we can bring back Heacock as a consultant?

^^^ Great Analysis. 2002 was the only NC season I was alive for but its good to know that those vaunted teams from the 50s and 60s weren't invincible. I swear the 2002 season shaved a couple of year off of my life.

I would say overeacting.  Great teams lay eggs.  So above average teams obviously will too.  There are things I'm not happy about also.  Tackling being the big one.  But seriously, did you watch last year?  Because tackling was one of our big issues last year.  I'm not happy with much of anything that the defense is doing.  I am especially not happy with Christian Bryant.  I was livid with that penalty and even more livid that he wasn't benched.  I wasn't at the game, as I gave my son my tickets.  I was happy to hear that John Simon virtually head butted Bryant and was screaming at him.  THAT's the kind of leadership that was lacking last year.  

But this team was a sub 500 team last year.  How many sub 500 teams can claim to be undefeated this year?  Just keep workin and good things can happen.  I just wish John Simon would head butt Gene Smith over costing him a bowl game in his senior year instead pf punishing last year's leaderless class.

I expect to see Smith quietly 'retire' soon.  If he had done it earlier, it would be obvious, but if he announces that at the end of the year he is gone, it doesn't look as obvious.  Not sure what Bryant did to the player, but the replay shows the UAB guy pushing Bryant, but those things never get called, it's the reaction that gets caught.  I tell my son that every Friday before the game, 'Don't push back, raise your arms and walk away.'

^ haha tell us what you really think. Owned!

What do you want to do, Jason, hang my picture in your locker at the fire house? Creepy

Too bad we can't vote negatively more than once...

Jason, what happened to your boy SCHOOEY? (the "little old man")

haha --- he was about to challenge you to a duel

Thank you ^^^^^

What do you want to do, Jason, hang my picture in your locker at the fire house? Creepy

Sure why not? It will give me motivation to look as good as you.

I'm happy as heck we're 4-0, but we didn't exactly play a murder's row of teams and we didn't exactly handle them with ease.  The point about building character is valid, and I believe the experience of trailing both Miami (OH) and UAB has been humbling and will be valuable, but I have a hard time saying I'd rather have that than just flat out steam-rolling two marginal teams.  I think it's equally foolish to hit the panic button and to say eveything is all right.  We are where I thought we'd be, but I didn't think we'd get there this way and I'm concerned about where we're going.  We'll see how Saturday goes...

That's the spirit. I seriously think some are overreacting way too much. Let's look at some good things that happened.

Jordan Hall is back and looked awesome and it was his first game.

Braxton Miller is still Braxton Miller. Every time he ran the ball we got a first down essentially.

This week, we will finally have everyone healthy and playing together. Michael Bennett will really help the defensive line out imo.

Our receivers looked really good. The only issue is holding onto easy catches. I'm looking at you Devin Smith. 

We're undefeated.

Oh, and Michigan lost.

/rant

Whatever Cajun...I have a great family, great job and a beautiful wife and you have your pretend  life on here. Good luck with finding others to entertain you. I'm finished with you, which seems to be a reoccurring way people here are dealing with you. It's gotta hurt because you are so invested in this on-line world. Again, good luck.

Someone on the Ohio State sideline has a pretty lucky 4 leaf clover or rabbits foot in their pocket.  I hope they don't leave it at home this weekend.