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RB Ezekiel Elliott (All B1G, All-American, National Champion, Pro Bowl, All Pro, Dallas Cowboys)

I think there's ample evidence that supports the theory that Cardale's long ball threat opened things up more for the running game.
It looked like Oregon committed all game to take away the long ball so Zeke got more carries than he had in the previous 2 outstanding rushing games.(Wiscy, Alabama)
Or maybe it was just the offensive strategy to take more clock time from Oregon?

12/6 Wisconsin W 59-0 20- 220

ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL - SEMIFINAL
1/1 Alabama W 42-35 20- 230

CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PRES. BY AT&T
1/12 Oregon W 42-20 36- 246
That may be. I'd have to watch the games again, but I think in all three of the games there was a factor of more designed runs vs. read option that helped him, as well as against Wiscy and Bama the defense loading up to stop the run, giving him lots of space once he cleared the first level.
 
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Sometimes i think about, what would our offense have looked like, If barrett had not been injured in the Michigan game

Did Wisconsin take us for granted when they saw how Jones was playing in the Michigan game? Or maybe they did not know what to expect in our offensive strategy game plan. The irony of it all, was that everything changed so dramatically, both for Ohio State, as well as Wisconsin and Alabama. Fate has a way of turning things around, least when you would expect it.
 
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Meh! He's OK. (sarcasm font MIA)
What was he, like the 3rd best back in the Big Ten?
Honorable Mention?

To Heisman front runner. :)
Neither the coaches nor media even had him as the fourth best back in the B1G (Gordon and Coleman were first team All-B1G, Cobb and Abdullah were second team, on both the coaches and media teams).
 
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And therein lies the problem: People like Paul Hornung win the Heisman when schools like Ohio State have a stable full of better players.

And Meyer must be having nightmares figuring out who on the 2015 team is going to get the most chances to show what they can do. Unless he can convince the NCAA to put two balls into play at one time there's going to be at least one Heisman Trophy hunter who's starving. Oh, and how can you keep Samuel on the bench? The bucks have an embarrassment of riches.
Can we do this? Say add a second center and qb and let the defenses have 13 players too? Then just calvinball the downs?
 
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Meh! He's OK. (sarcasm font MIA)
What was he, like the 3rd best back in the Big Ten?
Honorable Mention?

To Heisman front runner. :)

Not even 4th according to the All-Conference teams. Coaches didn't even give him Honorable Mention (media did)

I think there's ample evidence that supports the theory that Cardale's long ball threat opened things up more for the running game.
It looked like Oregon committed all game to take away the long ball so Zeke got more carries than he had in the previous 2 outstanding rushing games.(Wiscy, Alabama)
Or maybe it was just the offensive strategy to take more clock time from Oregon?

12/6 Wisconsin W 59-0 20- 220

ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL - SEMIFINAL
1/1 Alabama W 42-35 20- 230

CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PRES. BY AT&T
1/12 Oregon W 42-20 36- 246

Oregon was definitely scared of Cardale->Smith for long stretches.
But the second half of the 3rd quarter and through the 4th was all about Eze, the OLine, and our Coaches scheming. Spielman broke it down very well on Film Room - they weren't scared of the deep threat at that point (or rather couldn't afford to be), and later they even stopped respecting the screen threat, and were aligning decently... Spielman basically called the ILBs idiots. I don't remember the exact words, but he didn't hold back criticizing their inability to adjust.
 
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Sometimes i think about, what would our offense have looked like, If barrett had not been injured in the Michigan game

Did Wisconsin take us for granted when they saw how Jones was playing in the Michigan game? Or maybe they did not know what to expect in our offensive strategy game plan. The irony of it all, was that everything changed so dramatically, both for Ohio State, as well as Wisconsin and Alabama. Fate has a way of turning things around, least when you would expect it.
Personally, I think of it like a plateau with working out where CJ coming in sort of helped us get back on track after sort of topping off after the MSU game. Everyone has to remember we did not look ourselves against Minny, look disinterested and bogged down against Indiana, and really struggled with scum for the entirety of JT being in. To me I don't know what changed with JT but for some reason he started running the ball a ton more and with success the coaches started calling more designed runs as well. We all know we are not at our best when we are running QB power but this has been the trend for Urban and Tom Herman late in every year so far which is abandon being balanced, run the QB, and give the RB 17-20 carries. When CJ came in to relieve the injured JT I feel it forced us to attempt to be balanced because we knew teams would try to stop Elliot and so in turn there was a conscious effort to take our shots downfield. What I don't think anyone expected though was to connect on so many of those deep throws and for CJ to be as good with taking care of the ball as well (outside of the Crablegs fumble replica).

I think CJ was perfect for a Alabama defense that was big, fast, and punishing. You needed someone to take a face mask penalty due to standing in the pocket and deliver the ball for 6. With JT I'm not sure that happens he probably gets knocked off his focus enough to being a physically smaller guy and tucks the ball. Could JT beat Bama? Certainly. Do I think He would've? personally no. We didn't need a accurate QB and a short to medium passing attack we needed exactly what we got from CJ and that's a QB who could attack their weaknesses down the field in coverage and who could keep the chains moving with timely runs.

Plus for god sakes they stopped calling the empty set with Heurman in motion for a QB power. It worked a ton but it also got shut down after we worked it to death. Elliot only carried the ball 9 more times in the final 3 games than he did in JT's 3 biggest games (taken from 11W) so it's not like his carries went through the roof. Zeke's average was much much bigger per touch and I attribute it to CJ's arm strength and teams fear of getting hit deep and we have to remember statistically Bama'/Wisconsin is a much stiffer test than MSU/Minnesota.
 
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I don't see the last 3 games in that way. Minnesota was a slugfest largely dictated by the weather - only 200yds passing. It was also the only other game he put up over 150yds rushing.
His 78 and 89yds against Indiana and scUM, respectively, are right in line with the other 9 games he started. As were his 302 passing yards against Indiana and on-track-for 234yds against scUM. Indiana was sloppy because of 4 turnovers (sound familiar or particularly different than the last 3 games of the year?)
The biggest difference for this team was the Defense stepping up, playing full games lights out, and carrying this team. That didn't happen against Minnesota, Indiana, or scUM. Not even against MSU.
Eze became the focal point of the offense for obvious reasons - a major one being that he was less apt to turn the ball over carelessly (the strip by Bama was largely their credit). He got more designed runs because while Cardale is dangerous going North and South, he's not so good at the read option we had been running with Braxton and JT where the QB runs has to read/beat the perimeter defenders outside (I know I've seen versions somewhere that have the QB going in and the RB going out, hope they look into that during Spring)
 
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B8TymrqCcAEPeX8.jpg

https://mobile.twitter.com/markpantoni/status/559839006507409408/photo/1

Started from the bottom, now they here Screen Shot 2015-01-27 at 8.41.19 PM.png

:lol:
 
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CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PRES. BY AT&T
1/12 Oregon W 42-20 36- 246

I'm just hoping the 2nd and 3rd string RBs step up their game so Elliot doesn't have to carry the ball 36 times a game (over a possible 13 - 15 game season) in 2015. I know is a tough player and undoubtedly wants to "carry the rock" on every play, but that with his blocking would just be a lot of hits to his body. We definitely need him to stay healthy and injury free all season.
 
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