Buckeyes 45, Thundering Herd 7

Well, it's definitely good to be writing this again. Football season is always too short and 8 months between games is a long time. That being said, a game like this is never easy to write about. You don't really watch the game because you don't have to. That being said, here we go with the first write-up of the season.
The Good
Offense
Let's see. Terrelle Pryor completed 68% of his passes for 247 yards and 2 TDs. Brandon Saine and Jamaal Berry both averaged more than 11 yards per carry. The offense had two touchdowns of more than 40 yards. Dane Sanzenbacher had more than 100 yards with only 3 receptions. And get this. The offense had 3 touchdown drives of less than 70 seconds. No, I sure didn't think that I would be writing those words. Just mull that over. Teams that run a hurry-up offense rarely have 3 TD drives that brief in a game. Brandon Saine's 45-yard touchdown run was sweet. No one even came near him, which means that the offensive line did its job.
Defense
Anytime the defense yields fewer than 200 yards, it had a pretty good game. Brian Rolle showed once again that he is the best and most exciting player on the Buckeyes defense. Seriously, he is the kind of guy you have to watch on every play. Tyler Moeller had an amazing game with a couple tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a sack. And as you know, I have to give props when props are due. For all the grief I have given Chimdi Chekwa over the years, I have to give him credit for forcing a fumble when Marshall was deep in Buckeye territory
The Bad
Offense
There isn't a lot to put here. We still saw flashes of the old Pryor, but luckily they were only flashes. Devier Posey dropped an easy pass, but that sort of thing can be forgiven in a 38-point blowout.
Defense
I can't think of anything to put here.
Special Teams
I didn't see for myself, but I was told the first 3 PAT attempts were not exactly spectacular.
The Ugly
I think we all know what needs to go here. If not for a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown, this would have been a shutout.
Under the Radar player of the game
How do you choose a UtR player of the game in a game like this? Well, I think it has to go to Tyler Moeller. He was the defensive leader on a night when the defense gave up only 199 yards.

Buckeyes 21, Wolverines 10

Well, that game was:
a) thrilling
b) entertaining
c) adequate
d) as exciting as the average soccer game.

I don't necessarily want to be critical. After all, the Buckeyes just capped a 10-win Big Ten championship season with a win over the hated Wolverines. However, when you look at scUM's schedule only Western Michigan (7), Eastern Michigan (17), and Delaware State (6) scored fewer points against the maize and blue than Ohio State did. How's that for elite company? That was the sort of game that gets erased from memory as you're watching it.

And what are we to think of Tresselball? The whole point of this conservative style of play is to win the turnover battle and therefore win the game. The Buckeyes certainly won the turnover battle, but if your opponent turns the ball over 4 times more than you do, shouldn't you win by more than 11 points? In other words, what's the point of focusing so much energy on this when you only punt after forcing your opponent into a turnover?

The Good
Offense
Again, the running game was spectacular. Brandon Saine and Dan Herron both had a solid effort, as well they should have against such a poor defense. Terrelle Pryor had some excellent runs. And of course the success of the running game can be attributed to the offensive line doing its job.
Defense
Brian Rolle is THE MAN. He has to be the defensive MVP for the team this year, with Kurt Coleman running a close second. Coleman's 2nd interception was a very good and athletic play. I liked Thad Gibson's interception even better. He was just sitting there waiting for Forcier to throw it to him. Pretty sweet for a defensive lineman. Frankly, the defense did everything it was supposed to do. It limited UM's offensive output, forced 5 turnovers, and even scored a TD. It would have been real nice if the offense could have done more with those turnovers.

The Bad
Offense
Can you say the passing game was bad when it was so negligible? Certainly, Terrelle Pryor's interception falls into this category. It's tough to complete a pass when your wide receiver is carrying a DB on his back.
The Buckeyes are really going to have to learn about pass patterns that go beyond the first down marker. On the first 3rd down of the game, on 3rd and 8, the Buckeyes threw a 3-yard pass. Next, on 3rd and 5, they threw a 3-yard pass. And then, when the Buckeyes actually had a 3rd and 3, the play was a QB sweep. Brilliant.
I have to ask again, why is Brandon Saine being so limited? They seem to put a cap of 12 carries on him, even when he averages 7+ yards per carry.
Defense
I don't want to seem like I am singling out Chimdi Chekwa, but that guy just looks lost on the field. I don't even have a valid theory for what he was doing on scUM's one TD of the day.

The Ugly
Offense/Special Teams
9 punts? 9 punts? Are you kidding me? Against a team that had been giving up 28 points a game (and that includes the games against EMU, WMU, and Delaware State)? Just once, I would like to see the offense play a whole game. Why does the coaching staff feel the need to absolutely call off the dogs after the Buckeyes get a lead? I mean, a 7-point lead is pretty substantial with this defense, but it would be nice to think that the offense actually puts forth effort for the entire game, and I just don't get that feeling at all. Somehow, the Buckeyes manage to drag the rest of the Big Ten into this 1950s style offensive morass, but does anyone think it will be effective against a team like Oregon?

Under the Radar Player of the Game
Well, every one of the wide receivers was under the radar in this game. Rolle, Coleman, Gibson, and Ross Homah all had amazing games. However, since TDs were so rare, I have to give credit to someone on the offense as the UtR player of the game. And I will do just that. On Saine's TD, Jim Cordle sealed off the edge and allowed Saine to get down the sideline and into the end zone. Congrats to Cordle for being the UtR player of the game against scUM.

Buckeyes 27, Hawkeyes 24 (OT)

[photo of Dan Herron by Marvin Fong of the Plain Dealer]

This installment of the weekly Buckeyes wrap-up is brought to you by pigs eating ham.

I'll just say it. If you believed all along that this team was going to a BCS game, your faith in the Buckeyes is much more profound than mine. Of course, they tried everything they could think of to give that game away, but the bottom line is that this is a conference championship team. That seemed like a pipe dream after the loss to Purdue. I'll admit it. To me, it seemed like a pipe dream after Barclay missed the field goal. To me, that had the earmarks of another Ohio State tank job. One thing is for sure: this was an odd game. With that in mind, I am going to break from the traditional format.

HUH?
*Someone answer me this. Why is a QB even necessary on a team that almost never throws the ball further than 5 yards? Everywhere else, the QB is described as a critical position. At OSU, the QB is nothing more than a conduit to get the ball to the tailback. Why don't the Buckeyes just go with the Nebraska-style triple option?
*I will never (and I mean ever) understand why you throw a pass behind the line of scrimmage on 3rd and short, as the Buckeyes did on the first drive.
*Is there no better cornerback on the roster than Chimdi Chekwa? Did you notice the highlights of Vandenberg? In every last one of them, Chekwa appeared on the losing end.
*If Brandon Saine is the running back averaging 9+ yards per carry, why does Dan Herron get three times as many carries?
*How can a defense as good as the Buckeyes intercept the opposing QB thrice and still allow that QB a chance to win the game in overtime?
*Wouldn't it be great if the offense ever put together a solid performance for 4 quarters? Wouldn't it also be great if the offense could stay on the field for more than 2 minutes at a time?
*Why on earth didn't Iowa take a shot downfield against Chekwa when they got the ball with a little less than a minute to play?
*Is it any wonder why the Big Ten is a laughingstock when you have not one, but both coaches playing for overtime.
OK, now that I've got that out of the way, let's move on.

The Good
Offense
For the second consecutive week, the Bucks had a successful day running the ball. Frankly, they'd better considering how negligible the passing game is. Brandon Saine looked great and I can't imagine why he didn't get more carries. Herron had some good runs too, but it's hard to argue with 103 yards on only 11 carries.
Defense
The defense was great in the 1st half and in overtime. It did slip in the 2nd half mostly because Vandenberg seemed (rightly) to target Chekwa on every play. Homan had a great game. Spitler played really well. Heck, Anderson Russell had 2 of the 3 interceptions.
Since this was such an odd game, I am going to skip directly to...

The Ugly
Offense
It's the same old story. Ohio State gets a lead, then the offense becomes predictable and stagnant. Hey, at least the Buckeyes didn't break from precedent.
I just have to ask: What was the deal with that 2-minute offense at the end of the 4th quarter? 2:42 left in the game, all three time-outs and the Buckeyes showed no urgency. Not only that, they refused to run a play of greater than 2 yards. Who plays for overtime with nearly 3 minutes to play and all 3 timeouts? Ridiculous!
Defense
Nathan Williams jumping offside and negating a pick-6 by Thad Gibson was really disappointing. Although I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. AFter all, that touchdown would have sealed the game for the Buckeyes.
Special Teams
You might have thought that the game was sealed once the Buckeyes took a 24-10 lead. Did you honestly believe that the Buckeyes would salt the game away? HAHAHA! Not so fast, my friend! The scarlet and gray couldn't wait to give some of that lead back. Pretty terrible when only one defender gets a hand on the kick returner on a 99-yard return.

Under the Radar player of the game
As mentioned, a lot of guys had good games. Still, it isn't a real easy choice this week. Perhaps if somebody had done something spectacular in overtime, this would be an easier selection. But, the Buckeyes might as well have kicked the field goal on 1st down in overtime. So, who is worthy of the award? Well, Zach Boren and Dane Sanzenbacher both had good blocks to spring Herron for the TD that made it 17-10. And let's face it, would anyone have been surprised if the Buckeyes wound up with a FG attempt there? So, those two guys seem like as good an option as anyone else.

Buckeyes 33, Hoosiers 14

This edition of the weekly Buckeyes wrap up is brought to you by beef jerky, the perfect snack for those warm days when you're out in the sun.

Well, that was an interesting game...in a way. What was interesting is that the Buckeyes looked at once dominating and fairly pedestrian.
The Good
Offense
Another game, another 30-point performance by the offense. Be honest. After the USC game, did you think this team was even capable of scoring 30 points a game, let alone scoring 30 points in 3 consecutive games? The Buckeyes ran the ball really well. It was nice to see Brandon Saine get loose like he did. He averaged more than 6.5 yards per carry. I'll take some more of that. Terrelle Pryor had a solid but certainly not spectacular game. He did a really good job of distributing the ball. When was the last time 7 different Buckeyes caught a pass in one game? Duron Carter's TD catch was awesome. Looks like he picked up some things from his old man.
Defense
The Hoosiers had only 11 first downs and 228 yards in the entire game. That means the defense is doing its job. Ross Homan had a good game. Robert Rose was pretty solid. Todd Denlinger's interception was very well done. It's pretty awesome for a defensive lineman to read the quarterback like that and then jump the route and get the interception. It was good to see Anderson Russell have a good game.
Here is another note that belongs to both the offense and defense: the Buckeyes were flagged for only 2 penalties in this game.
The Bad
Offense
The offense still settles for too many field goal attempts, made even worse in this game by the fact that Pettrey missed 2 field goal attempts. Even though Pryor had a pretty solid game passing the ball, it's not like he was racking up the yards.
Defense
The defense really only had one bad series when it allowed Tandon Doss to do more or less whatever he wanted. Still 9 quarters without surrendering a point is tremendous.
The Ugly
Offense
Some of Pryor's throws were just not very good. Luckily, he had his receivers bail him out on several occasions. Also, the kid needs to learn when to give up on a play and heave the ball out of bounds. Someone needs to teach him that 2nd and 10 is much more favorable than 2nd and 19.
Defense
None.
Special Teams
Missing 2 field goals is not a good thing, but Pettrey's second miss was awful. It wasn't anywhere near the uprights.
Under the Radar player of the game
It's always harder to pick this when a game is never in doubt. Robert Rose deserves some consideration for registering a safety and a sack. However, part of this award is praising those who have been the object of harsh criticism in the. With that in mind, I have to give it to Anderson Russell in this contest. Against Navy, he looked lost, but in this game he had both a fumble recovery and an interception. And for that, he is worthy of the UtR player of the game.

Buckeyes 30, Fighting Illini 0

Photo of Dan Herron running (courtesy of the offensive line) by Jeff Mills.

Another game, another shutout. But since the Buckeyes only won by 30, that should be good for a 3-spot drop in the polls. The Buckeyes keep up this pace and they are liable to drop out of the top 25 completely.
The Good
Offense
The Buckeyes scored 30 points and only had 13 passes in the game. First of all, you don't see stats like that very often. Secondly, if you can score 30 points when everyone on the other side knows what you are going to do, you must be doing something right. The Buckeyes had 3 players (Herron, Saine, Pryor) average at least 5.4 yards per carry. That tells you that the offensive line did its job. OK, so maybe it was the kind of offense that set football back 30 years, but it worked. If the Buckeyes can roll up 30 points using Army's playbook, I'm all for it.
Defense
Are you kidding me? Two consecutive shutouts. That in itself is incredible. But take an even longer view and you'll see that OSU's opponents have scored 18 points. In other words, in that span, the defense has surrendered nearly half as many points as that team up north allowed to Indiana today. Oh, and Brian Rolle is a freak. Ditto Doug Worthington who got a sack by jumping over an offensive lineman. That was the best play of the game. And no, I won't be jumping off the Thad Gibson bandwagon anytime soon. And how about that interception by Lawrence Wilson. He was held, tipped the ball and intercepted it. Very impressive.
The Bad
Offense
Well, it didn't take long to see the bad on offense. One yard on the first series? Way to keep Juice Williams off the field. Pryor is, well, how to say this delicately? He is still very raw. I'm not sure he has a grasp on when to run and when to make plays with his arm. His throws often have very little on them, and he makes far too many poor decisions. Like that play late in the game when the Buckeyes were driving and TP nearly threw an interception at the goal line.
Defense
There is not a lot to put here after another shutout. That being said, Chimdi Chekwa is shaky at best. He actually did the right thing by committing pass interference late in the 1st half (after Ray Small's fumbled punt return), but I'm not sure it was what he really meant to do.
The Ugly
This game is proof that a 30-point shutout does not equal perfection. The Buckeyes lost 2 of 3 fumbles. Ray Small's fumble was more than a little nerve-wracking. That was the sort of play that can turn a game. Luckily it didn't, but not for a lack of trying. On the next play Juice went deep and got a pass interference call against Chekwa.
Under the Radar Player of the Game
There are a lot of good candidates here. Todd Denlinger had some really solid stops in the first half. Any of the defenders mentioned in The Good would be a decent selection. However, when an offense rolls up more than 200 rushing yards, you have to give credit to the offensive line, and that is exactly what I am doing with the UtR players of the game.

Buckeyes 38, Rockets 0

This was a game of surprises. No, I haven't grown so jaded that I thought the Buckeyes would lose to Toledo. However, I did think that in the spirit of the Buckeyes, the game would be much closer. (I predicted 23-13 before kickoff.) Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is the fact that all of the surprises in the game were pleasant.
The Good
Offense
OK, now I know that the defenses of Toledo and USC are leagues apart, but there was a much different approach to this game than there was to the game against the Trojans. Last week, the Buckeyes looked like a team that was truly afraid to get a first down, or even advance the ball at all. There certainly was nothing like that in this game. I had no idea the Buckeyes were capable of 500+ yards in a game. Did you honestly expect you would see the following from Ohio State: rollouts, QB draws, deep passes over the defense, passing on 1st down, passing in the red zone? Neither did I. And yet, that's exactly what we the fans were treated to. We were treated to an offense that wasn't afraid to actually try things to move the ball down the field. Amazing what can happen when the offense looks beyond page 1 of the playbook. Terrelle Pryor looked (more) like the player who has been advertised since he committed to Ohio State. It was nice to see what the kid can do if he is allowed to use his abilities. Brandon Saine looked pretty good. So did Jordan Hall. In fact, I am looking forward to seeing a lot more of Hall. The offensive line was good, and Dane Sanzenbacher had an awesome game. I can't remember the last time the Buckeyes had a 70+ yard TD pass.
Defense
Well, the Buckeyes pitched a shutout. What more can you say about that? Brian Rolle is clearly the linchpin of this defense. Heyward had a really solid game. So did Chimdi Chekwa. (I know. I don't say that very often.) I wouldn't mind seeing more of Nathan Williams. That dude plays hard and seems to find the ball.
The Bad
TP's second interception was pretty silly. Not only did he throw it off of his back foot, but he also threw into double coverage. TP, there is no shame in lobbing the ball 10 yards out of bounds in a situation like that.
Defense
None.
The Ugly
Offense
You would think that in a 38-0 game, I wouldn't have anything to put in the ugly. You'd be wrong. The Buckeyes had 4 false start penalties. Really. And they spread them around. If I remember correctly, each penalty was committed by a different offensive lineman. I don't know that I've ever seen anything quite like that.
Defense
None.
Under the Radar Player of the Game
In a game like this, it is often hard to pinpoint a player who fits the criteria of this distinction. After all, the game was never in doubt, so how can you say who did something unnoticed to help the Buckeyes win? Which makes this the perfect opportunity to recognize a player I haven't always praised. Chimdi Chekwa broke up 2 downfield passes that could have been big plays, and for that, he is the UtR player of the game.
Afterword
Good news and bad news. The good news is that USC lost, and that's always good. Let's face it, the Buckeyes are not making the BCS championship game, so it doesn't really matter if Buckeyes opponents are good or not. The bad news is that Washington (yes, the W on the helmet also stood for Winless last season) finished what the Buckeyes could not. Ruminate on that for a moment. But keep your chin up, Trojan fan. USC probably will only drop 1 or 2 spots. You know, like when the Trojans lost to Stanford. At home.

Buckeyes 31, Midshipmen 27

[Photo of Brian Rolle by Jeff Mills]
Ah yes, there is nothing quite like the first Buckeyes game of the season to inspire hysteria. It is truly one of the things the Buckeyes do best. That's where I come in...to at least attempt to be the voice of reason. So, back away from that ledge, put away that ladder and industrial-strength extension cord. And for crying out loud, do not take that toaster into the bathtub with you. Oh, and Mark May? Put away that barbecue fork because the Buckeyes are not done yet. Doctor Gary is here to help.

Let's look at some facts. First, Ohio State did not schedule a patsy. This is not Charleston Southern, Louisiana-Monroe, or San Jose State. Navy is a team that wins 8 games a year. Granted, some of those wins are against lesser opponents like Army, Air Force, and Notre Dame, but there are a lot of teams that would love to win 8 games. (Yes, I am looking in your direction, Ann Arbor.)

Second, Ohio State will be better equipped to deal with other offenses this season. How can I say that after such a lackluster performance? The Buckeyes do not face many teams that run the triple-option. And let's face it, it is tough to stop a good option game. I dare say that Navy probably has the best option game in college football. Now, teams like USC and Penn State have way better players than Navy, but I think the Buckeyes are in a better position against more common offenses. Whether they execute is another question altogether.

The Good
Offense
Terrelle Pryor had a really solid game. He completed 2/3 of his passes and really only had one mistake. And let me just throw this out there. Am I the only one surprised by the fact that TP had more than 12 pass attempts? And don't even try to tell me that I'm the only one surprised by the fact that the Buckeyes threw so many times on first down. I didn't even realize that was allowed at The Ohio State University. Brandon Saine had a good game, making the most of when he got the ball. Dan Herron had a good, but not great game.
Defense
Erm, well, Kurt Coleman forcing two turnovers was pretty good. Aside from that, Brian Rolle was pretty much the lone defensive bright spot.

The Bad
Offense
There was one drive where the offense just imploded. I mean, false start, delay of game, and then holding? Consecutively? Well done indeed.
Defense
The 1st drive, the 4th quarter, 3rd downs, no pressure on the QB, allowing an 85-yard pass to Navy, allowing a 99-yard drive by Navy. I think you get the idea.

The Ugly
Offense
I think we all know what goes here. That 4th down play in the 4th quarter. And the thing is, it was so unlike Tressel to not go for the points. It was an uninspired play, poorly executed and I'm willing to bet the Buckeyes don't attempt another 4th down conversion all year.
Defense
I'm not quite sure what Anderson Russell was doing on that 85-yard TD play. Then again, I'm not sure he knew either. What I do know is that Navy's offense is not designed for quick-strike capability.

The Under the Radar Player of the Game
OK, so he wasn't really under the radar after intercepting the 2-point conversion and returning it for 2 points (and thereby preventing overtime). However, as I mentioned before, Brian Rolle was the lone bright spot on the defense and for that he is the UtR player of the game.