Buckeyes 28, Trojans 10

Well, that was...adequate. Who would have ever thought we would be forced to describe a win over Troy as adequate?

The Good
Offense
While Terrelle Pryor didn't exactly put up video game numbers, he did throw 4 TD passes in only 16 attempts. OK, so it was against Troy, but throwing a TD every 4 pass attempts is pretty decent. Add to that his 62 yards rushing, and it makes you wonder how different that game against USC might have been if Pryor had spent more time on the field. Herron had a very good game. Although again I have to say that I'm not sure why the coaching staff went away from him in the 2nd quarter. Since Beanie went down, he has clearly set himself apart from the other running backs. That being the case, why not put the guy to good use? Feed the hot hand. Pryor also completed passes to 6 different receivers, including 2 to the fullback and 1 to the tight end. Yes, really.

Defense
Credit to Jermale Hines and Lawrence Wilson, who I would say have been the most consistent defensive players thus far. Hines seemed like he was everywhere at the beginning of the game and Lawrence Wilson seems like the only member of the defensive line that has made himself noticeable this year. Kurt Coleman also had a good game with a lot of tackles and 2 interceptions. It was real nice to see the defense come up with 2 sacks, if only to remind us that the defensive line still exists.

The Bad
The Buckeyes were actually outgained by Troy. Granted, not by much, but they did allow 315 yards to the Trojans. That's a mildly disturbing statistic.

Someone has to teach AJ Trapasso how to use the sideline. He did pin the Trojans deep on two occasions, but he could have added two more to that total if only he would learn to use the sideline instead of counting on some fortuitous roll.

I wasn't thrilled about the Buckeyes play calls on some 3rd down plays. Specifically, the option keeper for Pryor (in which Herron was so close that one guy could cover both QB and RB) and the end around to Hartline. If you are going to try something like that, maybe don't wait until it's 3rd down and 8.

I also can't say I agree with the play calling on the last drive of the 1st half. The Buckeyes got the ball with a little less than 2 minutes to play, but didn't take a shot at the end zone until only 1 second remained in the half.

The Ugly
Yes, I know it was an 18-point victory, but there was still some ugly stuff in the game. The tackling was atrocious at times. In particular, on Troy's one touchdown, the tackling was pathetic. Freeman could have wrapped the receiver up for a minimal gain, but he missed. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one. forty-five yards (and about 4 missed tackles) later, the guy was in the end zone to make it 14-10.

Penalties were another ugly part of the game. Looking at the stats, it's hard to believe that the Buckeyes only had 6 penalties. Troy did decline some penalties on plays where they made a first down, otherwise that stat would have been worse for the Buckeyes.

What on earth was Robiskie doing on that one long pass where he attempted to catch the ball with only one hand? If he had actually put some effort into that, he would have had a long TD. I wish I knew exactly what happened, but it looked to me like he was Cadillacking it.

Question of the Day
Didn't you used to be Brian Robiskie?

Under the Radar Player of the Game
It was nice to see the Buckeyes actually show some fire after one mediocre game, and one outright stinky game. This has to go to Jermale Hines, because at the beginning of the game when everyone else was moving like molasses, he was making plays. It was nice to see that someone wanted to play.