Ohio State 45, Michigan State 7 (Oct. 18)

[rocketman]

MSU is one dimensional, but they're really good at that one dimension we can't stop. Dantonio is no slouch. He'll run Ringer a million times up the middle. And seeing as we still have a penchant for missed tackles, I fear we're going to see #23 all over the field on Saturday. Stack the box to stop Ringer, and things get easier for Hoyer. If Jenkins and Co. build off of their incredible game last week, then maybe we can get some stops or, even better, turnovers.

I want to believe we can win. Maybe I'm pessimistic because of the economy, but the Buckeye market bubble could burst in East Lansing.

[Padraig]

I like our chances with Chekwa, Washington, & MJ one-on-one vs. Hoyer & the MSU passing attack.

I pray we stack the box and throw everyone we got and the kitchen sink at Ringer...run blitz all night...tackle him with or without the ball (don't want him slipping out into the flats or catching screens all day either). If we keep Javon under 100 yards, I think the day will be ours.

[st8ofmind]

Originally Posted by JXC

Iowa's defense isn't bad. I still think MSU's is though.

Thanks to Dantonio they've really taken a big step in the right direction this season, the DB play is the best since the 99' team.

They lost a projected starting safety before the first game to "personal reasons" (jenrette), and then lost his replacement (kendall davis clark - shoulder) in that first CAL game forcing the third string guy (Fortner) into the game, combine that with young but very talented corners and CAL ate MSU alive whenever DB's were needed to support in the run game or obviously the passing game.

The bad play in the CAL game makes sense because MSU has 2 years of starting experience total between the 3 LB's and lost 3/4 of it's starting DL and had the previously mentioned Safety problems. But they have jelled since then. Travelling to the west coast is tough, even when you are playing a comparable team, and I would argue CAL is comparable to MSU, and USC is comparable to OSU, so MSU didn't fare all that badly.

MSU's D has pretty much been bad from 2000-2007, for some reason John L Smith refused to recruit High School DT's or virtually any DB's but there are some very good signs this year,

1) the complete annihilation of Nortre Dame by the defense
2) a shutout of a crap team, FAU
3) Overcoming the NU spread which typically decimates MSU and baiting them into a ton of mistakes, and even a couple 3 and outs. NU is extremely hard to defend when you don't have the raw speed OSU can throw out there on D.
4) 2 4th down stands vs Iowa in the second half
5) forcing a ton of fumbles/picks
6) Fortner has been excellent after getting his feet wet in the first 2 games.
7) Ryan Wheat a very good Redshirt Frosh DL transerred out of MSU because he didn't see playing time in his future...
8) The scholarship limit is finally being reached at MSU.
9) Kendall Davis Clark is back healthy and MSU almost has 'legitimate' depth in the secondary, for the first time since the Kennedy Administration.

Bad signs

1) gimmicky crap still works against MSU (IU's 2 QB sets, spreads)
2) Giving up lots of yards
3) 1st string DT's don't have ideal size. 2nd stringers do though.
4) lots of nicked up guys among the DB's.
5) The talent level is very high, but it's vitually all young talent.
6) To be blunt we get the [censored] that runs down OSU's leg, so I don't exactly understand how we are supposed to match up with upper echelon.


thus ends my novela.

[st8ofmind]

Offer to fact check or contribute to the excellent OSU vs MSU "front page" game preview........... umm formally offered.

I found a couple errors in it last season... FWIW.

[Crashcup]

Originally Posted by JXC

We scored enough points in the first few minutes of the game to win it!!!! YOU ARE EXACTLY RIGHT!!!!! Great post. I hate how people just focus on offense. This team is damn good. And this team is growing a lot more than most teams do in a year. And sure there will be growing pains. But the thing with this team is that the growing pains happen during a win, not a loss. Look at Michigan's growing pains. They happen during losses to Utah, and Illinois, and Toledo, and Notre Dame. Our USC loss was a turnaround for this team. Since then we have experienced some growing pains...but they have been during wins. So...if you are having some shakeups on the OL, and a QB that is still growing, and an offense and defense that is still trying to find itself and grow, and you still beat a Big Ten team 16-3...it's a lot [censored]ing better than losing to a MAC team 13-10. And not just a MAC team...but a 1-4 MAC team. It's silly. We are a great team. We really are...and we are SO [censored]ING GOOD that we can fix things, and change things, and go through some growing troubles, and still win games. WE ARE WAY TOO LUCKY. We have so much talent. IT IS GREAT TO BE A BUCKEYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You're not dealing with the Taliban here, just calling it like I see it. We are not a top 10 team. Are we good, yeah but remember we played for an NC last year with the same team. Am I a fan...heck yeah but i sure don't wear my rose colored glasses to bed.

[osugrad21]

BN Free--Game Data: Ohio State at Michigan State

[MililaniBuckeye]

Originally Posted by buckeyesin07

National scoring defense rankings:

5. Iowa
13. OSU

I'm just saying that Iowa's defense isn't bad, and is comparable to OSU's--it's not like OSU's defense is light years ahead of Iowa's, which was the original point of my post.

Iowa didn't have to play at USC either. Throw out the game Iowa surrendered the most points (Northwestern, 22 points) and their scoring defense is exactly 9 ppg. Throw out our game at USC, and our scoring defense is 10.8 ppg...less than a FG difference.

Since the defenses are some "comparable", it only supports what I originally said, which was that if Iowa could hold MSU to 16 points, so should we. Plus Tressel knows Dantonio better than Iowa HC Ferentz does, so I think we have an advantage over Iowa there.

[daveeb]

Originally Posted by st8ofmind

6) To be blunt we get the [censored] that runs down OSU's leg, so I don't exactly understand how we are supposed to match up with upper echelon.

As long as DickRod stays at TSUN, you will get free control over all of Michigan. DickRod is destroying relationships in Michigan. Dantonio is creating relationships in Michigan. And, knowing him, he is going to bring in players with high football IQ.

[JXC]

Originally Posted by bucknutt76

I believe we can win this game, everyone keeps telling me oh you havent scored a offensive touchdown in 7 quarters and what not. But you know what we are still winning. My buddy brought up a good point to me the other day, he said I remember a team in 2002 that went 14 and 0 and just barely won every single game they played, granted they had some very talented players but they still barely scraped by. We still have alot of great players they arent gone this is 95% of the team that we had last year that was running up crazy number scores if they wanted. I just think maybe we need to wake up a little and we will be back in the zone.

7 quarters? Didn't we drive the field and score in the 4th quarter at Wisconsin?

[JXC]

Originally Posted by MililaniBuckeye

Iowa didn't have to play at USC either. Throw out the game Iowa surrendered the most points (Northwestern, 22 points) and their scoring defense is exactly 9 ppg. Throw out our game at USC, and our scoring defense is 10.8 ppg...less than a FG difference.

Since the defenses are some "comparable", it only supports what I originally said, which was that if Iowa could hold MSU to 16 points, so should we. Plus Tressel knows Dantonio better than Iowa HC Ferentz does, so I think we have an advantage over Iowa there.

Yeah...it is funny how people talk like playing against MSU and Dantonio will be more difficult because he was here a few years ago and knows our trends...but wouldn't the same thing work for knowing him. I just think overall it all washes it self out, and in the end it comes down to if our O-line wants to play smart and hard or not.

[kinch]

I think I tend towards unhealthy pessimism with regard to our team and our chances against other good teams. However, I am confident about this game. I think the game plays into Tressel's style and our players will be comfortable and perform well in such an environment. Due to my optimism, in this case, I am really hoping to see some growth from the lines and Pryor, but we shall see.

Also, if nothing else, I like great games, like against Wisky. This may be another. . .

[JXC]

Originally Posted by kinch

I think I tend towards unhealthy pessimism with regard to our team and our chances against other good teams. However, I am confident about this game. I think the game plays into Tressel's style and our players will be comfortable and perform well in such an environment. Due to my optimism, in this case, I am really hoping to see some growth from the lines and Pryor, but we shall see.

Also, if nothing else, I like great games, like against Wisky. This may be another. . .

Exactly. These are fun games to watch. And I am sure they are fun games to play in. Besides wanting to run the table in the Big Ten, another reason why I really want to win this game, is because I think it would make the game on the 25th that much more exciting.

[dnewmire]

we can stop this run, to me it seems the defense has evolved since the beginning of the season. I admittently was waiting for the #1 defense in the country to shut people out every game and stuff the run... well it hasnt happened consistently. One play great, nex play off, I dont understand. I will say they are more in sync then the offense. Iowa has an excellent defense spec run def. And we saw what happened when u r 1 dimensional against a great run defense. If we can stop Ringer and the Bigguns up front open up some holes and Terrell lets go of that ball a little faster we do have a chance at opening this game up. MSU is a good team with an great coach and they will be great in the near future. If we can get by this we have a BIG one nex weekend. And I mean big one.

D

[osugrad21]

DDN

Ringer, Hoyer pose challenges for Buckeyes

By Rusty Miller
Associated Press

Thursday, October 16, 2008
What's brewing today with the Ohio State Buckeyes:
Buckeyes buzz
No matter how you cut it, Ohio State has to put the brakes on Michigan State tailback and Chaminade-Julienne High School graduate Javon Ringer and quarterback Brian Hoyer.
Here's what linebacker and Wayne grad Marcus Freeman said about stopping the Spartans: "It all starts with Hoyer."
And here's what cornerback Malcolm Jenkins said: "Everything starts with Javon Ringer."
But they both agree that the Buckeyes cannot ignore either one.
"(Hoyer) is the general of that offense," Freeman said. "But Ringer is so tough, man. He's a guy who can carry it 40-plus times and he does a great job at it. He comes back every week and he says, 'I'm going to bring it again.' You look at him and you're amazed at his heart and his toughness."
Jenkins didn't disagree.
Cont...

[osugrad21]

Scout Free--Ohio Ties Bind Buckeyes, Spartans