USC Loses To Oregon State

Props to Scott Bruno. Scott and I watched the game together. Prior to the game, Scott predicted that USC would lose at some point this season while I did not see it happening. I do not believe either of us thought that USC would lose to Oregon State.

What does that mean for the BCS? Right now, Oklahoma is ranked #2 and Georgia #3. The Oklahoma/TCU game this weekend will bear watching this weekend; Oklahoma lost at home to TCU in 2005 17-10. And Georgia gets to play Alabama on Sat night on ESPN at 7:45PM EST. It sure seems as though the craziness of college football is just getting started.

Predictions for some of this weekend's games:
Wisconsin should roll Michigan
I like Penn State over Illinois
Michigan State to crush Indiana
Auburn over Tennessee
I like Georgia over Alabama

It should make for a great football weekend. Go Bucks!

Game Five: Ohio State vs Minnesota

Game Five: Minnesota Golden Gophers

Location: Ohio Stadium (Columbus, OH)

Head Coach: Tim Brewster

Minnesota Players Who Were Recruited By Ohio State: OL DJ Burris attended Ohio State's football camps while in high school, but was not offered a scholarship by Ohio State.

Minnesota Rushing Offense vs Ohio State Defense: Minnesota's rushing attack has been limited due to injuries sustained by RB Duane Bennett. Unlike the years under former coach Glen Mason, Minnesota does not have power backs such as Lawrence Maroney, Marion Barber, or Gary Russell on its roster. Minnesota will use a running back by committee approach, similar to what Ohio State has done with Chris Wells' injury status. Minnesota's rushing offense comes into this game ranked 8th in The Big Ten; Ohio State's rushing defense comes in ranked 5th. It will be important for Ohio State's linebackers to shut down Minnesota's rushing attack. Slight Edge: Ohio State.

Minnesota Passing Offense vs Ohio State Defense: QB Adam Weber is arguably one of the most underrated players in The Big Ten. Weber currently ranks 2nd in The Big Ten in passing efficiency and 3rd in total offense. Weber's primary target is WR Eric Decker, who leads The Big Ten in pass receptions (32) and has already scored 4 touchdowns this season. I believe CB Malcolm Jenkins will be tasked with blanketing Decker. Minnesota has only given up 6 sacks this season. If Ohio State cannot get adequate pressure on Adam Weber, who is fairly mobile, it could lead to a frustrating day for the Ohio State defense. Slight Edge: Minnesota.

Ohio State Rushing Offense vs Minnesota Defense: The news that RB Chris Wells will return for Ohio State in this game has been understandably well-received by Ohio State fans. The reality is Wells will play, but I highly doubt that Coach Tressel will give Wells his customary 20+ carries when a big game against Wisconsin is on the horizon. I would look for RB Daniel "Boom" Herron to carry the ball the majority of the game, with QB Terrelle Pryor also involved in the rushing game on planned QB keepers and option plays. Minnesota currently ranks 9th in The Big Ten in rushing defense, so I look for Ohio State to control this game on the ground. Edge: Ohio State.

Ohio State Passing Offense vs Minnesota Defense: QB Terrelle Pryor threw four touchdown passes last week against Troy. With Pryor's mobility, Ohio State has the flexibility to spread teams out in the passing game, forcing teams to play Ohio State's wideouts one on one. Considering Minnesota ranks last in The Big Ten in pass defense, I look for the possibility of big plays from Ohio State's wideouts. I will be curious to see if WR Ray Small gets more playing time in this game, or if he is still myseriously in Coach Tressel's doghouse for some undisclosed reason. Big Edge: Ohio State.

Special Teams: This could be an interesting area to watch between these two teams. Ohio State's kickoff coverage currently ranks as the best in The Big Ten, while Minnesota is ranked 3rd. Ohio State is currently ranked 3rd in punt returns; Minnesota 4th. Ohio State is ranked 2nd in punting; Minnesota 5th. Minnesota is 3rd in kickoff returns; Ohio State is last in The Big Ten in this category. Edge: Even.

Intangibles: Minnesota truly has an opportunistic defense, with a +11 turnover margin. While Minnesota ranks 3rd in The Big Ten in scoring offense, one needs to keep in mind that Minnesota has played Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, Montana State, and Florida Atlantic. While I am a frequent critic of Ohio State's non-conference schedule, Ohio State's schedule looks much more demanding by comparison to whom Minnesota has played. Edge: Ohio State.

Prediction: Ohio State has looked lethargic in its games this season so far, but Coach Tressel has supposedly been in his players' faces this week to play faster and with more intensity. I believe this is a good barometer game for Ohio State. Considering Ohio State has defeated Minnesota 44-0 in 2006 and 30-7 last year, one has to wonder if Minnesota's players truly believe they can play with Ohio State. I look for Ohio State to control the clock by running the ball as much as possible, and win this one by the beginning of the 4th quarter. I will predict Ohio State 35, Minnesota 14.

Even With A 28-10 Victory Over Troy, Questions Remain About Buckeyes

While I am happy that Ohio State defeated Troy 28-10, I would be remiss if I did not make some critical as well as positive observations about the current status of Ohio State football. Perhaps some of you will agree with me on the below points, perhaps some will disagree. Feel free to post back your comments as you deem appropriate:

1. Brian Robiskie is not 100% ~ I realize Robiskie sustained an injury during fall camp, but it seems to me as though he has not fully recovered. The one pass down the middle of the field early in the game from Terrelle Pryor when Brian Robiskie seemed to give up on the play (highly uncharacteristic of Brian Robiskie) that could have been a touchdown makes me think his shoulder is still bothering him, and that Robiskie cannot fully extend himself as he normally would. Yes, I realize that Robiskie caught a touchdown pass late in the game, but again, Robiskie does not seem 100%. Why not rest Brian Robiskie and play Taurian Washington, DeVier Posey, and Lamaar Thomas more? Even better from an Ohio State offensive perspective, both Posey and Thomas have much better speed than Robiskie and would certainly open up the deeper passing routes for Terrelle Pryor better than Brian Robiskie can even if he is healthy.
2. Brandon Saine is also not 100% ~ For a player who holds the Ohio high school record for the 100 meters, Saine certainly does not appear to have tremendous acceleration. I do not know if the hamstring injury is still bothering Saine, but again, it makes me wonder if he is 100% healthy.
3. Why is Ray Small not playing? ~ Small is the only Ohio State wide receiver with both experience and speed. Small is a major reason why Ohio State did not suffer a loss to Ohio University two weeks ago, and yet Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie were back fielding punts against Troy. Small only played one play, on a meaningless reverse play late in the game. Is he in Coach Tressel's doghouse again?
4. The defensive line needs to get better in a hurry ~ If Ohio State's defensive line cannot apply pressure on Troy, what do you think will happen when they play other spread offenses such as Purdue, Penn State, Northwestern, Illinois, and Michigan?
5. The offense still lacks a sense of urgency ~ Yes, I am happy that Terrelle Pryor threw four touchdown passes today. Yes, Pryor's mobility is an added dimension that opposing defensive coordinators will need to prepare for when they play Ohio State. But am I the only Ohio State fan who felt that Ohio State's offensive units had kind of a "ho-hum" attitude when the game was 14-10 going into the 4th quarter? The collective attitude of Ohio State's offense this season seems to be content when the running game struggles, passes are dropped, and the offensive drives stall out.
6. Jermale Hines should be singled out for his intensity ~ Yes, Hines will make some mistakes from time to time, but even when he is making mistakes, Hines is making them at 100% speed and intensity. Hines is the player the coaches should be singling out for how all of the players should be playing.
7. Todd Boeckman is a class act ~ For anyone in Ohio Stadium that booed Boeckman when he threw incomplete to Brian Hartline, I am embarassed for you. Boeckman has taken his demotion with complete class and was the first person to greet Terrelle Pryor off the field after Pryor threw his first touchdown pass. Remember this - at some point this season, Ohio State will NEED Todd Boeckman to come in for Terrelle Pryor. Won't you be happy that the backup quarterback led the Big Ten in passing efficiency a season ago and was 13-3 as a starter?

Minnesota comes into Ohio Stadium next Saturday at 12pm EST with an undefeated record. While I believe Ohio State will defeat Minnesota, I can only hope Ohio State will address some, if not all, of the critical areas I listed above.

Ohio State/Troy analysis from The Columbus Dispatch

I found this preview from today's Columbus Dispatch and thought it gave a good analysis of what to look for in today's Ohio State/Troy match-up. Enjoy.

A Look Back At Ohio State QBs: 1978-2008

I found this article by Dave Biddle of Bucknuts and it takes a good and fair look at Ohio State quarterbacks, going back to the last time Ohio State started a true freshman at quarterback by the name of Art Schlichter. I enjoyed it and hope you will too.

Game Four: Ohio State vs Troy

Game Four: Troy Trojans

Location: Ohio Stadium (Columbus, OH)

Head Coach: Larry Blakeney

Troy Players Who Were Recruited By Ohio State: N/A. Troy does not have anyone on their roster that was actively recruited by Ohio State.

Scouting Report: This report is going to be a little different from some of the others that I have previously written for this season, as I have not seen any footage of Troy's two previous opponents (Middle Tennessee, Alcorn State). One of the scouting commandments I learned from the late great Tony Razzano years ago before I landed my internship with the Redskins is that a scout never comments on a player or team unless they have seen it themselves. Put it another way - I can only go by what I see.

Troy has developed a reputation for not only playing big-time opponents tough, but also for productive offenses that can score lots of points. While Troy can score points, Troy also gives up lots of points. If this game turns into a shoot-out, as Troy would like it to, that could make for an anxious day for Ohio State.

I will remind people that months ago I wrote that this game could be a trap for Ohio State. Considering how Troy beat Oklahoma State last year, and played Arkansas and Georgia tough until losing, leads me to emphasize that Troy will NOT be intimidated coming into Ohio Stadium to play the Buckeyes.

The wild card in this whole equation that cannot be determined until game time is what is the mental state of Ohio State after the beating they sustained at the hands of USC last weekend? Will Ohio State rebound after this loss, or will their season possibly go into the tank?

Coach Tressel is adding intrigue to the whole situation with the announcement that QB Terrelle Pryor will have equal playing time with senior QB and team captain Todd Boeckman. Considering Pryor's mobility adds another dimension to Ohio State's offense that seemed to spark Ohio State last week against USC, it would not surprise me if Pryor gets the start to not only energize the restless fan base who will be in the stadium, but also energize the team and send a message to Todd Boeckman that he needs to elevate his play.

Chris Wells will not play against Troy, which is only adding to the speculation that his injury is much worse than originally diagnosed. Rumors of a possible medical redshirt are becoming more and more common when Chris Wells' name is mentioned.

Prediction: I believe Ohio State is going to come out with something to prove to its fans. Knowing the national championship is beyond their reach, the seniors will devote the remainder of their final season to winning the Big Ten and earning a trip to the Rose Bowl.

Behind closed doors, I can only suspect that the coaches have been stinging their players' pride, announcing that all jobs are open, and challenging them to get Ohio State back to a position of respect amongst the college football community. This is going to be the beginning of the Terrelle Pryor era at Ohio State.I'm going to say Ohio State 35, Troy 14.

Ohio State's Focus Now? The Rose Bowl

As painful as the USC 35-3 loss is, I remember a few quick things as it relates to relatively recent Ohio State history:
1. The last time Ohio State scored as few points was in 1993 when they blew a chance at the Big Ten title and the Rose Bowl and lost to Michigan 28-0.
2. This was the worst defeat for Ohio State since Penn State absolutely crushed them in Happy Valley in 1994 63-14. (Yes, SEC fans - Ohio State was defeated even worse by a Big Ten opponent, and it was not for the BCS Championship.)

OK, we have those cathartic statements out of the way. Let's get down to what Ohio State can do in the immediate future, and long-term, to prevent these types of further embarassments on the national stage. As an Ohio State fan, I would rank this loss to USC the MOST embarassing in terms of the national focus or stage, considering Ohio State was never in this game. The Florida loss in the 2007 BCS Championship Game ranks second, then last year's loss to LSU would rank third. But again, I am only one Ohio State fan, and I am sure there are differing opinions.

Short Term: Involve Terrelle Pryor more and more with the starting offense. While Todd Boeckman may have the best knowledge and understanding of the offense, the reality of the situation is that Ohio State coaches, players, and fans have now seen what Todd Boeckman can and cannot do talent-wise. While Terrelle Pryor needs a lot of work with his passing motion and check-offs in the passing game, Pryor's athletic skills are obvious and can truly help to spark the team. It would be in the team's best interests to see how well Pryor can do against upcoming opponents Troy and Minnesota before the next big game on the schedule, at Wisconsin at night on October 4th. Focus on preparing for the future now, rather than later.

Short Term: Focus On Winning The Outright Big Ten Championship. While many members of the media focused on how many of the Ohio State seniors returned to contend for the national championship this year, the reality even prior to this shellacking by USC was that the BCS Championship Game was an event largely outside of the Ohio State senior players' control; in a championship environment that is determined by a vote, who can say who will play for the title, even if someone winds up undefeated? But I digress. What is still within the control of this team is to win The Big Ten as the outright champion for the third consecutive year. NO team in Big Ten history has ever won The Big Ten as an outright champion for three years in a row. This challenge falls exclusively on the senior leadership of this team. Ohio State cannot play for the BCS Championship this year, but there is no reason why Ohio State cannot do everything from here on out to win the Big Ten's berth to The Rose Bowl.

Intermediate To Long Term: Adjust The Scheduling Philosophy. I have addressed this issue extensively before, and I can only hope that others are slowly but surely coming to my side of this argument. No more cupcakes like Youngstown State, Ohio University, Kent State, etc, on the schedule. While I understand why Ohio State wants/needs to have as many home games as possible, Ohio State needs to play tough opponents prior to The Big Ten schedule for reasons that the entire nation witnessed tonight. Ohio State should be scheduling teams such as West Virginia, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame (for geographic purposes), 1 MAC team (AND ONLY 1 MAC team), 1 "tough" non-conference team (such as USC, or in future years, Miami (FL), California, Oklahoma, etc), and another Big Ten team.

Intermediate To Long Term: Bring In An Offensive Coordinator. Offensive line coach Jim Bollman also serves as the offensive coordinator, with Coach Tressel serving as the unofficial play caller on game days. It would be in the program's best long-term interests to bring back Walt Harris as the offensive coordinator, as Ohio State's offensive formations, attack, and general approach are just completely devoid of any creativity or aggressive tendencies. At worst, Harris could develop the passing game philosophies, with Bollman and Tressel focused on the running game philosophies.

Intermediate To Long Term: I would contend a major piece of the puzzle that has been missing to Ohio State's success is Coach Mark Dantonio, who was the defensive coordinator for the first three years in Coach Tressel's tenure and is now leading Michigan State. Coach Dantonio's defenses did not consistently apply pressure, but could pressure and force turnovers much more frequently since he left for the Cincinnati job back after the 2003 season. While he just arrived at Notre Dame, a welcome return would be for Coach Jon Tenuta as the defensive coordinator. Tenuta's aggressive, blitzing styles that have served him well at Georgia Tech and now at Notre Dame would be comparable to what Ohio State offenses have seen by blitzing defenses such as Florida, LSU, and now USC.

While it would be understandable for Ohio State fans to wallow in self-pity after being demolished by USC, this game only serves as one loss. Troy will be in Columbus next weekend with little to no concern about the mental state of Ohio State coaches, players, or fans. It will be interesting to see how Coach Tressel, his assistants, and the senior captains regroup after this big loss as Ohio State prepares for The Big Ten starting with Minnesota on September 27th.