A Few Thoughts on Yesterday's Game

[LordJeffBuck]

1. First point - If a Buckeye loss is going to get you so bent out of shape that it ruins your entire weekend (and maybe the following week), then maybe, just maybe, you need to get your priorities in order. Folks - it's only a game, and a game that we as fans have absolutely no control over. It's Sunday morning, and whatever happened in Champaign yesterday is now over, so it's time to move on with our lives. There's always next week, and we still have the annual grudge match against Michigan to redeem "our" season, plus a bowl game (we are still bowl eligible, despite the fiasco at Illinois)....

And, by the way way, if you didn't notice, the Buckeyes actually won that game yesterday, and are still a perfect 10-0 on the season, and are (presumably) still the #1 team in the nation.

2. After yesterday's game, the Buckeyes' all-time record is 785-300-53. Now, I have only experienced a relatively small percentage of those 785 victories, but I can tell you with absolute certainty that not a single one of them was a "bad" win. Football is all about winning the game, period. If it takes a "Holy Buckeye", a pass interference call in the endzone on fourth down, or triple overtime, who cares? A win is a win is a win. If you want "style points", then go watch figure skating.

3. Now, on to yesterday's game. I believe that JT saw all that he needed to on the first drive of the game. The Buckeyes received the ball after a touchback on the opening kickoff, then marched down the field on a 14-play, 80-yard, 8-minute drive that had a nice mix of 8 rushes and 6 passes. If you didn't notice, JT added a new wrinkle on that drive - the option-pass. Now, we've seen a different variant of this play (I believe that it was introduced in last year's Michigan game) - Troy rolls out, fakes, the option, then steps back, sets, and then looks to pass. Yesterday, on the 10th play of the first drive, Troy rolled left (short side of the field), then tucked the ball and began to run. When the Illini CB bought the run and raced toward the line, Brian Robiskie (the only receiver on that side of the field) broke down the sideline, uncovered, and Troy hit him with a nice "touch" pass. The Illini safety made a nice read and was able to tackle Robo after a 17-yard gain, thus saving a TD on that play. But, the play worked as planned, and it gives the Buckeyes' remaining opponents something else to think about. (FYI, the Buckeyes ran the same play, to the wide side of the field, about three or four other times in the game, with Smith keeping on each occasion).

So, to recap the initial drive - 80 yards, 14 plays, 8 minutes, 7 points, and 1 new look for the offense. What more did the Buckeyes need to do yesterday, other than to end up with more points than Illinois when the final gun sounded?

4. By my count, the Buckeyes gained 195 yards in the first half, and just 29 in the second half. Why the difference? Well, two things to keep in mind. First, JT really closed the playbook after halftime - 20 called runs, 10 called passes (3 screens, all completions; 2 deep balls, both incompletions; 2 other incompletions; 2 sacks; 1 interception). Only two of the called passes (both screens) were on first down, and only 2 others (one screen) were on second down; the remaining 6 pass plays were on third and long (the average being 3rd and 9.33 yards to go for the first down). The second thing to keep in mind was that the Illinois defense blitzed on every sngle play in the second half. And they didn't just bring one guy, but three or four each time, which must have left some Buckeye receivers in single coverage. Yet, Ohio State continued to run straight into the blitz, or tried to throw deep with little time in the pocket and little chance of success. And I don't recall Troy audibling even once.

5. So, the question remains - why were the Buckeyes so inept in the second half? Has JT reverted to his mid-2004 form? Was Illinois' defense just too good? Or, maybe was there some method to the madness? A couple of weeks ago, I wondered whether the Buckeyes would be hurt down the stretch (Michigan and bowl game) by not having played a close game all season. A tight game, especially on the road, helps to prepare a team to deal with adversity. Well, now, by accident or design, the Buckeyes have played a tight game, on the road, just two weeks before the annual showdown with Michigan. Is that method, or just madness? Check back in two weeks.

6. I'll say it again - A win is a win is a win. Enjoy it, and look forward to next week.

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Excellent work LJB.

[coastalbuck]

I agree totally LJB. I guess I would have liked to see the play book not closed quite as much, but, Tress is the coach and he knows best. He won't get any arguments from me about yesterday, I'm sure he'll feel better knowing that.

[BoxCar_Willie]

Towards the middle/end of the third quarter I figured out that from now on no reverses were coming and the offense was buttoned down, I just was praying for no injuries.

[Taosman]

Teaching!
Always teaching!

[gregorylee]

I noticed that things seemd to button up yesterday after half as well. It doesn't make sense to just do this on purpose, but I could understand that if Tress was looking at it from the point of view that tOSU had the lead and it was time to milk the clock. He might have also felt that Scheaf wasn't keeping up his end of the bargain protecting Troys blind side and didn't want to put Smith back there any more than he had to.

Either way LJB you are right and a win is a win, but tOSU should have dominated that team. I will reserve judgement until after next week.

[BuckBackHome]

I think Tressel was out to steal my vmoney!

[Bleed S & G]

Originally Posted by LordJeffBuck

So, to recap the initial drive - 80 yards, 14 plays, 8 minutes, 7 points, and 1 new look for the offense.

Great post by the way, the only thing i noticed was a 2nd new look for the offense. The 1st and 2nd plays of the game we're zone reads with Pitt and Troy. The first time it was a loss, the second time it was a big run for a first down as troy gave it away. They ran it again later in the game where Troy kept it and tricked the camera man.

[I Gather Speed]

Logic tells me to think otherwise, but I think that Coach T went in to the game yesterday NOT wanting a blowout. I was at the game, and to me something just didn't feel right. The offense was not aggressive at all. The comments I heard and made during the game were "this looks like a practice" "the play calling is way too conservative" "let's throw the ball" etc.

The Bucks have had so much success this season, a part of me honestly believes that Coach T wanted to keep this game close. The gameplan seems to have been "Grab a lead, run out the clock, see how the D responds, and how the O handles frustration".

I can understand the thought of learning how to handle adversity, especially considering how much success they have had. I just hope that the team learns from it and is not troubled by it.

[BrianO]

I am a big fan of pounding the rock on both 1st and 2nd down when you have a lead in the second half or generally late in the game. There is no better way in my mind to eat clock and really stick a knife in the heart of a defense.

We got the W and that is really the point. With that said, the OSU running game did not deliver on what I would have liked to have seen in the second half of the game. I know people will say that Zook and his boys knew what was coming. True enough, but that is the point of smash mouth football. Everybody on the planet knows what?s coming and you still jam it down their throats. OSU got the job done but I know most of us would have liked to have seen the running game more productive in the second half especially against a run defense that has not been especially great this year.

[msj2487]

OSU got the job done but I know most of us would have liked to have seen the running game more productive in the second half especially against a run defense that has not been especially great this year.

I agree, I wonder how we'll manage to run against scUM when we have trouble with teams like Michigan State, Indiana, and Illinois... Obviously not having Boone yesterday hurt a bit on the left side, as noted that we hardly ran that way yesterday, but still something to ponder until 11/18.

[smith288]

Nobody is going to convince me that Tressel "planned" a close game. I think Ill played as tough as Ill could have played and OSU didnt show up after the half for whatever reason. Sure, Tressel likely buttoned up the offense a little but I wont think for a minute Tressel was teaching lessons here. The lesson here was this: "Play all 4 quarters else look like crap against a 2-8 team"

I saw the offense looking like a 2nd or third string. You can button up your offense but still push Illinois off the line. I know our line is capable yet didnt. That was discouraging.

[Best Buckeye]

Originally Posted by smith288

Nobody is going to convince me that Tressel "planned" a close game. I think Ill played as tough as Ill could have played and OSU didnt show up after the half for whatever reason. Sure, Tressel likely buttoned up the offense a little but I wont think for a minute Tressel was teaching lessons here. The lesson here was this: "Play all 4 quarters else look like crap against a 2-8 team"

I saw the offense looking like a 2nd or third string. You can button up your offense but still push Illinois off the line. I know our line is capable yet didnt. That was discouraging.

No he didn't plan a close game but he could have planned to play tressel ball to get the starters used to playing a long hard game, which they haven't had in a while now. Thus the lack of passing on 1st and second down. Illinois gained confidence in the second half and played well defensively. Look for more of the sae this week.

[TexasBuck]

Originally Posted by msj2487

I agree, I wonder how we'll manage to run against scUM when we have trouble with teams like Michigan State, Indiana, and Illinois... Obviously not having Boone yesterday hurt a bit on the left side, as noted that we hardly ran that way yesterday, but still something to ponder until 11/18.

I didn't think we ran the ball well against Bowling Green either. You take out Smith's big scramble and we were around 100 yards rushing for that game.

I can't see running the ball well against scUM in a traditional sense. scUM's defensive line is just more physical than our offensive line. Getting Boone back will help but we are going to have to be more creative to get anything on the ground.

[cincibuck]

Well said LJB. My own thoughts, based on watching how Tressel coaches is that he had confidence in his defense, his kicking game and that his offense would not turn the ball over, giving the Illini a short field to work with. It drives me nuts, but I can't argue with the results... just ask Michigan State fans.

My greater concern rests with the halfback situation. Me thinks Tressel has seen enough of Beanie for this year. He (Wells) has not failed where I thought he would fail, i.e. blocking assignments, but he's simply put the ball on the ground far too often, the last one being impossible to understand except from the "trying too hard" angle. That leaves us with Pittman and Mo. Can Pittman "carry" the full responsibility for two more weeks? Michigan now seems to have two very capable backs to spell Hart. That could be important in a close game.