Ohio State 3, Southern Cal 35 (Sept. 13)

[troy#1]

Originally Posted by bukIpower

I sure and the hell hope we don't return the opening kick off for 7 or have Beanie sprint for a TD of 60 yards... haha Seriously I want to see a methodical approach against their defense. Keep their offense off the field and wear down that defense of theirs. Beanie and the Oline gata come to work on Saturday.

Alittle off topic, but I noticed you joined in 2004, and this was your 2004th post! Some coincidence! Just thought I would mention it! Sorry!

[Shivvy77]

I'd like to see the O-line play with the fire and passion that they had last October at Penn State.

[BuckeyeMac]

Originally Posted by Shivvy77

I'd like to see the O-line play with the fire and passion that they had last October at Penn State.

If we play like we did against Penn State last year, with the more experienced D and O, I think we win this game.

[JXC]

It's not hard to see the similarity in the 2002 Cincinnati game without Clarett, and this Ohio game without Beanie. We still went on to play great against great teams when we had to. This happens every year, to great teams. Look at USC last year. Many were screaming that they should be in the BCS national championship game! They played HORRIBLE against Stanford, (a bad team with a backup QB, much like Ohio) and LOST. The big difference is, we won. And yet people are still writing us off. You'd think this game was already played and USC already won by four TDs the way the national media is talking. Are you serious? Have you seen our defense? Do you know that a lot of that defense came back just to beat USC and win a national championship? The big thing about the OU game is we won. We played at our worst, and we still won. Last year USC played at it's worst...and it lost. Which would you rather have? All this teams goals are still in tact. Win this game, and we quickly rise up to the top of the polls. Although i'm sure people will find a way to bring us back down again. The key to this game, and this season, is TODD BOECKMAN. And it has nothing to do with touchdown passes, or yards, or completion %. It's about attitude and approach to the game. Craig Krenzel played 2002 with a 'REFUSE TO LOSE' mentality. Sometimes it seems as though Boeckman plays with a 'scared to lose' attitude. Well, I know the defense will play with a refuse to lose attitude. But I think Craig Krenzel needs to give TB a call this week, and give him some advice. Todd...you need to refuse to lose. Don't even consider losing the game. Don't let it happen. Do whatever it takes to win. It doesn't matter if it is like the 2007 Michigan game, where it was all Beanie Wells on offense. Just refuse to lose.

I'm sick and tired of this media biased to USC. This is our chance. It's the world against Ohio State. We better go [censored]ing show the world what Ohio State football really is.

[Buckeneye]

After reading the prediction thread, I don't think I've been more depressed about an upcoming game in a long time. The air about is a feeling of loss, doom or pending domination.


This team possess all the talent necessary to win it all, and we all felt that way at the beginning of the season. I doubt many feel that after the showing against OU.


I myself refuse to believe were going to be hammered. I still remember how much flack I heard before going up against Miami - take the BB material for the past 2 years and it still doesn't add up when compared to those 50 days leading to that game.


I still have this feeling the team and coaches still have the magic, the drive and the ability to take us where we want - its been like that for a long time, we just need a little something extra to get us over that hill.


And on 9/14 I expect to hear either apologies from the doubters (on here as well) or the veritable pin drop as the dream for this season comes to a hault.


Obviously, I'd prefer to hear the former.

[kc286496]

Originally Posted by Kurt Sexington

I too see it as a wash. What I meant by that phrase was mainly that on all major points I would have to either give the edge to USC (i.e. play so far, health of team) or declare it a wash (roster caliber, specific strength at key positions such as QB, ect.) As Ive said before, if you just go by looking at both teams rosters, SC and OSU are very evenly matched all over the field.

Kurt,
I, for one, have appreciated your attempts to step outside of your USC loyalties and remain rational about this matchup. You have made quality points throughout this thread. We Ohio State fans are all too emotional about our Buckeyes and it is very easy to ruffle our feathers. You have taken the high road and that is a rarity on boards like this one (see the scUM fan who is spewing garbage on here, for instance). When we lost to LSU last year, you could hear the collective groan from the entire state of Ohio. All we could think was, "Great, now we have to hear about this from the rest of the country FOREVER!" This is our chance to prove what most of us already know...that Ohio State is still one of the heavyweights in college football. The reality is that by losing on a National Championship stage two years in a row (and losing pretty convincingly), we have made our own beds. We do feel we have been treated unfairly as teams like USC have gotten passes despite an embarrassing home loss to a Stanford team that is no better than the Ohio team we struggled against on Saturday. That is not a shot at USC; just pointing out that every team has been victimized by lackluster performances. Nobody is invincible. Buckeye Nation is strong and proud. Our boys in the Scarlet & Grey will earn back the nation's respect. I just hope we earn it back THIS weekend because I can't take much more of this abuse!!!!

Game analysis: These games are won in the trenches and our trench play has not looked good so far this year. I do think Sanchez' immobility is a plus in our corner. Our over-pursuit in the backfield on Saturday made me sick. So often our guys found themselves in the pocket and the QB was gone. I'm not sure Sanchez can escape. I will say the key to the game will be our performance on third and medium. That is where Florida and LSU ate us alive on both sides of the ball. The defenses of Will Smith, Mike Doss, and Kenny Peterson would never allow a team to convert those. We have to be STOUT and play the field position game--TRESSEL BALL, where have you gone?!?! Offensively, I'm more concerned about the line play than I am the WR's and Boeckman. I think a lot of the lack of separation and indecisiveness has been a result of truly vanilla playcalling. Tress isn't tipping his hat. There are plenty of big playmakers in this offense though. The O-Line, however, needs to find some cohesiveness ASAP or it is going to be a long day for Boeckman running for his life in the backfield.

I will be in LA on Friday night and look forward to a great heavyweight bout between two of the nation's premier programs. Let's enjoy it and Woody-willing, the Bucks will come out on top! GO BUCKS!

[FWBuckeye]

Originally Posted by HailToMichigan

Yeah, Lloyd Carr was quite the wacky innovator. He liked to run off left tackle, but you always had to be prepared for something crazy like running off right tackle instead.

Running off right tackle totally threw Cooper off.

[kc286496]

Originally Posted by JonathanXC

It's not hard to see the similarity in the 2002 Cincinnati game without Clarett, and this Ohio game without Beanie. We still went on to play great against great teams when we had to. This happens every year, to great teams. Look at USC last year. Many were screaming that they should be in the BCS national championship game! They played HORRIBLE against Stanford, (a bad team with a backup QB, much like Ohio) and LOST. The big difference is, we won. And yet people are still writing us off. You'd think this game was already played and USC already won by four TDs the way the national media is talking. Are you serious? Have you seen our defense? Do you know that a lot of that defense came back just to beat USC and win a national championship? The big thing about the OU game is we won. We played at our worst, and we still won. Last year USC played at it's worst...and it lost. Which would you rather have? All this teams goals are still in tact. Win this game, and we quickly rise up to the top of the polls. Although i'm sure people will find a way to bring us back down again. The key to this game, and this season, is TODD BOECKMAN. And it has nothing to do with touchdown passes, or yards, or completion %. It's about attitude and approach to the game. Craig Krenzel played 2002 with a 'REFUSE TO LOSE' mentality. Sometimes it seems as though Boeckman plays with a 'scared to lose' attitude. Well, I know the defense will play with a refuse to lose attitude. But I think Craig Krenzel needs to give TB a call this week, and give him some advice. Todd...you need to refuse to lose. Don't even consider losing the game. Don't let it happen. Do whatever it takes to win. It doesn't matter if it is like the 2007 Michigan game, where it was all Beanie Wells on offense. Just refuse to lose.

I'm sick and tired of this media biased to USC. This is our chance. It's the world against Ohio State. We better go [censored]ing show the world what Ohio State football really is.

Is this one of Lou Holtz' peptalks?!?! (I mean that in the best possible way.) Say what you want about Lou, but I will miss his peptalks this year.

[Kurt Sexington]

Originally Posted by kc286496

When we lost to LSU last year, you could hear the collective groan from the entire state of Ohio. All we could think was, "Great, now we have to hear about this from the rest of the country FOREVER!" This is our chance to prove what most of us already know...that Ohio State is still one of the heavyweights in college football. The reality is that by losing on a National Championship stage two years in a row (and losing pretty convincingly), we have made our own beds. We do feel we have been treated unfairly as teams like USC have gotten passes despite an embarrassing home loss to a Stanford team that is no better than the Ohio team we struggled against on Saturday. That is not a shot at USC; just pointing out that every team has been victimized by lackluster performances. Nobody is invincible. Buckeye Nation is strong and proud. Our boys in the Scarlet & Grey will earn back the nation's respect. I just hope we earn it back THIS weekend because I can't take much more of this abuse!!!!

Thanks for the kind words. CFB is the passion that unites us all and I don't find it too difficult to take off the Crimson and Gold glasses and talk about it as objectively as possible.

The paragraph of yours that I hilighted was interesting because it reflects the feeling of many OSU fans which is mainly that the Bucks MUST win the USC game to reaffirm their place as a top team in CFB after two straight blowout losses in BCS title games. As an outsider, I see it differently.

Is this game important for the Bucks? Yes, absolutely. If they win, they will prove alot of doubters wrong simply because a win against USC at the Colliseum is about as much of a statement win as anyone in CFB can get. It can't be explained away, rationalized, or downplayed--it's a huge win. However, if OSU loses the game, what are we to take from it?
If they lose in a blowout, I think it really will be a crushing blow for OSU's season. No matter how we look at it, if the Bucks come into LA and get blown out, there will be good reason to say that the Buckeyes, althougha good team, just lack that extra gear to beat the best teams in CFB when it counts. However, if the Bucks lose in a close one, which has been my prediciton all along, what happens then?
According to a lot of Bucks fans, a close loss would still be a major blow to OSU but I see it as proving nothing, beyond the fact that OSU can be beat by great, well coached teams that they have to face on the road. A close OSU loss at the Colliseum proves nothing about OSU's competence or standing as an elite team aside from the fact that they can hang with a really good team in their house. There seems to be an attitude amongst Buckeye fans that this game is a MUST win or OSU's season and entire legacy they have built over the past decade are gone out the window. I think this is a mistake in many ways, simply because a loss to USC on the road is not a bad loss for any team in the country, period. If Georgia lost to SC on the road, would that discredit Gerogia? If Florida lost a close one to SC on the road (as if Urban Meyer would ever make that trip in the first place...) would that send the Gators season into a tailspin?

Buckeye fans and the media need a little perspective on this game. A win would be huge for the Bucks, but a close loss, although I dont want to call it a moral victory, would certainly not derail the season.

[kc286496]

Originally Posted by FWBuckeye

Running off right tackle totally threw Cooper off.

Can we please refrain from talking about any Cooper on here unless it is Joe Cooper, Cooper Manning, or Winnie Cooper? Thank you. I work for a manufacturer of gold pants and almost lost my job in the 90's.

[3074326]

Originally Posted by Buckeneye

After reading the prediction thread, I don't think I've been more depressed about an upcoming game in a long time. The air about is a feeling of loss, doom or pending domination.

The air is a feeling of nervousness because we don't have much of a reason to be confident.. look at our last two big games, and look at the problems we've had this season with YSU and OU. This is USC. We haven't shown the ability to fix these weaknesses, and we haven't shown the ability to beat the elite teams. Our previous three losses have been to two elite teams and a team that exploited one of our biggest weaknesses.

As I said before, I know that the coaches and players don't have this attitude. I still believe we have just as good of a shot in this game as USC has, but I just don't have the confidence like I had before the Florida game, and some have right now.

But, .

[BUCKYLE]

Originally Posted by JonathanXC

It's not hard to see the similarity in the 2002 Cincinnati game without Clarett, and this Ohio game without Beanie. We still went on to play great against great teams when we had to. This happens every year, to great teams. Look at USC last year. Many were screaming that they should be in the BCS national championship game! They played HORRIBLE against Stanford, (a bad team with a backup QB, much like Ohio) and LOST. The big difference is, we won. And yet people are still writing us off. You'd think this game was already played and USC already won by four TDs the way the national media is talking. Are you serious? Have you seen our defense? Do you know that a lot of that defense came back just to beat USC and win a national championship? The big thing about the OU game is we won. We played at our worst, and we still won. Last year USC played at it's worst...and it lost. Which would you rather have? All this teams goals are still in tact. Win this game, and we quickly rise up to the top of the polls. Although i'm sure people will find a way to bring us back down again. The key to this game, and this season, is TODD BOECKMAN. And it has nothing to do with touchdown passes, or yards, or completion %. It's about attitude and approach to the game. Craig Krenzel played 2002 with a 'REFUSE TO LOSE' mentality. Sometimes it seems as though Boeckman plays with a 'scared to lose' attitude. Well, I know the defense will play with a refuse to lose attitude. But I think Craig Krenzel needs to give TB a call this week, and give him some advice. Todd...you need to refuse to lose. Don't even consider losing the game. Don't let it happen. Do whatever it takes to win. It doesn't matter if it is like the 2007 Michigan game, where it was all Beanie Wells on offense. Just refuse to lose.

I'm sick and tired of this media biased to USC. This is our chance. It's the world against Ohio State. We better go [censored]ing show the world what Ohio State football really is.

I've really missed these posts.

I'm getting so fired up, I'm going to punch Nutty's neighbor in the face!

[kc286496]

Originally Posted by Kurt Sexington

However, if the Bucks lose in a close one, which has been my prediciton all along, what happens then?
According to a lot of Bucks fans, a close loss would still be a major blow to OSU but I see it as proving nothing, beyond the fact that OSU can be beat by great, well coached teams that they have to face on the road. A close OSU loss at the Colliseum proves nothing about OSU's competence or standing as an elite team aside from the fact that they can hang with a really good team in their house. There seems to be an attitude amongst Buckeye fans that this game is a MUST win or OSU's season and entire legacy they have built over the past decade are gone out the window. I think this is a mistake in many ways, simply because a loss to USC on the road is not a bad loss for any team in the country, period.

Buckeye fans and the media need a little perspective on this game. A win would be huge for the Bucks, but a close loss, although I dont want to call it a moral victory, would certainly not derail the season.

Well, you are definitely giving yourself away as an outsider with statements like that! Don't feel bad, we don't expect you to understand. Ohio State football is our livelihood. The entire Columbus community lives and dies with every snap. We can't help it. I moved here from the East Coast in 1990 and had no college football allegiances. It took a long time for it to happen, but eventually I became enamored with the sense of pride that only Ohio State football can instill. To say that a close loss in the LA Colliseum is nothing to be ashamed of is probably a true statement to a reasonable, normal human being. But Buckeye fans are anything but reasonable and normal. A loss of any proportion will be completely demoralizing. I cried like a little girl after the Texas loss. I was crushed. These players are our heros and when they lose, we lose with them.

Again, I don't mean this as a knock on USC...but I spent a year living out in SoCal back in 2001-02. I remember flipping on the radio one Saturday morning and the USC/UCLA game was on. I remember thinking to myself, "Wow, I've been here the whole week and I didn't even know the USC/UCLA game was today." Shoot, you can't even dodge a Scarlet & Grey spring game discussion around here. The soccer mom in the cubicle next to you is going and she's tailgating. 315 is backed up to the hospital curve. The guy at the gas station wants to know if you got a glimpse of that new QB everyone's been talking about. It's a different world around here, man, and we're friggin' lunatics! Go anywhere in America and yell out, "O-H". I'll bet you your next beer at least one person responds with a resounding, "I-O!".

[BuckeyeNation27]

Originally Posted by ysubuck

Herbstriet just described Ohio State's O line play as "extremely soft" on the Tirico Show this afternoon.

I would think that would [censored] at least 5 guys off.

I know one way to stop being called soft...

[AKAKBUCK]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNation27

I know one way to stop being called soft...

Get hard?