Game Thread Southern Cal 18, at tOSU 15 (Sept 12th, 8 pm, ESPN)

[bukIpower]

It seems like many people think the Trojans are set for an easy cruise through the Pac10. A few of their conference foes are sure to expose their secondary's apparent weaknesses. If the Bucks can strengthen the passing attack as the season goes, I think we'll see them in the RB against UCLA or Cal. The Bruins might well be strong enough to beat SC, but it's too early to tell of course. Maybe to show up in LA (and win) without SC even being invited would be revenge at least as sweet.

UCLA is no where near the strength to beat the Trojans... not this year, and not in the immidiate future neither. Cal I can see pushing USC this year though. One things for sure about the Trojans this year. They won't face another team that has the defensive depth that we had. They should roll heavily in many of their games. Maybe of all teams ND can give them a run if they play USC tough defensively.

 

[Zem]

UCLA is no where near the strength to beat the Trojans... not this year, and not in the immidiate future neither. Cal I can see pushing USC this year though. One things for sure about the Trojans this year. They won't face another team that has the defensive depth that we had. They should roll heavily in many of their games. Maybe of all teams ND can give them a run if they play USC tough defensively.

Yes, but remember their recent history of losing games they shouldn't. If they can lose to Ore St with the defense they had last year, and Stanford and UCLA before that, the sky is the limit this year. If they buck the trend this season, they would be doing so with far less talent.

I'm not rooting against them, I'm just saying they didn't look to me like a Top 5 team or the Trojans of the last six seasons last night. The only really impressive aspect of their game was McKnight, and the quality of their Oline is a given though they were handled well by the Bucks' Dline.

 

[OHSportsFan]

Haven't read anything. My only thoughts...

No no no no no

:(

 

[DubCoffman62]

I just want to add my two cents.

Last night's game came down to one thing and that was sack. At the end of the game they had it and we didn't. It was ours for the taking we just didn't have what it takes. They were like the big bully in the cafeteria that steals your lunch money. They wanted it and we surrendered.

Number two is this. I've read many of you not give credit to barkley for that last drive. Yes a big part of it was McKnight but it's the QB that has the ball in his hands for every play. He ran the plays, made the passes that he needed to make, he didn't fumble any exchanges and he didn't try to do too much. I have to take my hat off to this kid. He came into an environment that he may never see again in his entire career making his 2nd career college start as a college true freshman and keep his head together enough to manage a do or die scoring drive. That took major sack.

I give major props to out D for hanging in as long as they could but in the end our offense didn't come through for us. If SC had the opportunities in our territory to start drives like we did in theirs it would've been a blow out. I just can't say enough out how our D keep them pinned back for so much of the second half. Unfortunately the dam finally burst.

One silver linning to this game is that we probably won't see an opposing defense like this for the rest of the year. We should be able to cruise through the Big Ten and another BCS Bowl will be waiting for us. Hopefully we'll be able to learn enough from this loss and use it to gain that ever so elusive BCS Bowl victory.

 

[Mike80]

I just want to add my two cents.

Last night's game came down to one thing and that was sack. At the end of the game they had it and we didn't. It was ours for the taking we just didn't have what it takes. They were like the big bully in the cafeteria that steals your lunch money. They wanted it and we surrendered.

Here's a quarter

your .02 isn't any good here. OHio State sacked up all night long. A team without balls folds when that INT and subsequent TD occurred in the first quarter.

GTFO.

Number two is this. I've read many of you not give credit to barkley for that last drive. Yes a big part of it was McKnight but it's the QB that has the ball in his hands for every play. He ran the plays, made the passes that he needed to make, he didn't fumble any exchanges and he didn't try to do too much. I have to take my hat off to this kid. He came into an environment that he may never see again in his entire career making his 2nd career college start as a college true freshman and keep his head together enough to manage a do or die scoring drive. That took major sack.

Great. He can do the basic QB things of getting the exchange correct. Whoop te do. Without JOe McKnight USC scores exactly 7 points all night long. There is no way Aaron Corp wouldn't have been better.

I give major props to out D for hanging in as long as they could but in the end our offense didn't come through for us. If SC had the opportunities in our territory to start drives like we did in theirs it would've been a blow out. I just can't say enough out how our D keep them pinned back for so much of the second half. Unfortunately the dam finally burst.

Wait I thought it was a lack of "sack"???

One silver linning to this game is that we probably won't see an opposing defense like this for the rest of the year. We should be able to cruise through the Big Ten and another BCS Bowl will be waiting for us. Hopefully we'll be able to learn enough from this loss and use it to gain that ever so elusive BCS Bowl victory.

Finally something of substance that I can agree with, except for the fact that @Penn STate is going to be a bitch to win.

 

[OHSportsFan]

Tressel wanted that win so badly. He was fired up on the sideline. He understands.

So close...:(

 

[DubCoffman62]

Here's a quarter

your .02 isn't any good here. OHio State sacked up all night long. A team without balls folds when that INT and subsequent TD occurred in the first quarter.

GTFO.



Great. He can do the basic QB things of getting the exchange correct. Whoop te do. Without JOe McKnight USC scores exactly 7 points all night long. There is no way Aaron Corp wouldn't have been better.



Wait I thought it was a lack of "sack"???



Finally something of substance that I can agree with, except for the fact that @Penn STate is going to be a bitch to win.

Yes, we showed some sack but at the end theirs was just a bit bigger and hairier. We hit them in the mouth all night and in the end their counter put us down on the canvass.

Yes, Barkley did the basics but he did them without mucking them up in a pressure situation. He did what Pyor couldn't do and that was lead his team to victory. I have a sneaking suspicion that he'll go much higher in the draft than Pryor when he decides to come out. Pryor has all the God Given talent in the world but he still doesn't consistently set his feet when he throws.

I think Penn State will be a breeze this year. They're getting fat on cupcakes and I think we it comes time to play us they'll lack the toughness to get it done. We win by two touchdowns this year.

 

[buckeyeintn]

I just returned home from C-bus and must admit I have not taken the time to read the entire thread. What I saw last night was a team in Scarlet and Gray that played hard for 60 minutes and did not quit. While the Bucks came up short, we can be proud of those young men.

From my perspective, the game turned on 2 plays. Third and goal from the 1 (I would love to have seen TP run a sneak at that point, our line had been moving them) and the 3rd and 19 at the beginning of USC's last drive. I believe either 1 of those goes our way and we see a double digit Bucks victory.

The only thing I might add is GO BUCKS!!!

 

[TJnTN]

would have been nice to get that punt block.....could have been a game ender right there if we recovered the ball in the endzone. oh well....could say the same about several plays.....

 

[THEWOOD]

I have so many feelings about last nights game.

Atmosphere. It was amazing. Words cannot describe how it felt to be in that stadium. I kept saying how USC players, coaches, fans have never witnessed anything they were going to witness on Saturday night. I am glad we the fans, alumni, students did not disappoint.

I truly felt that I was witnessing something special. I truly felt that this was it, my beloved alma mater was finally going to silence all the critics and doubters. It was by far the most amazing game I have ever been too. I went to school 99-04, had season tickets every year. Went to both Texas games. Nothing compared to last night. NOTHING. Then it was all gone. So sad, so hard to deal with.

When OSU loses football games I have a very hard time reading, watching listening to any "recap" or discussion of the game. Well I stayed away for most things, but as the fiance and I were packing up our suitcases in the hotel room, I decided to turn on ESPN. Wrong choice. I was able to see them appoint Matt Barkley as the second coming of Tim Tebow. My goodness this pissed me off. He looked rattled all night and in my mind did nothing special.

No matter what anyone says, Joe McKnight won that game for USC. His 11 yard run on 2nd down was sick. He made 2 excellent cut backs that gave them a managable 3rd down. Next play he got into space and picked up the 1st down. He was the X-factor.

I do not agree with a lot of the play calling for OSU. That is all I will say, I love this site too much to get banned.

I did not encounter any bad USC fans, most of them were nice and just liked to talk football.

I want to say thank you to all who were at the 'Shoe last night. It was a great experience.

Go Bucks!

 

[cincibuck]

I think Penn State will be a breeze this year. They're getting fat on cupcakes and I think we it comes time to play us they'll lack the toughness to get it done. We win by two touchdowns this year.

Cup cakes, babycakes, whatever. Why keep on badmouthing our main rivals, Michigan and Penn State? The truth remains that when PSU finds itself in 3rd or 4th and less than 2 they make it. The truth yesterday was that when 4CA found his team behind and the clock ticking down he came through.

This year's OSU team has twice shown that they lack a) killer instinct b) the ability to come through in critical 3rd/4th down situations.

I have no idea why that is, I just know that it is.

 

[RB07OSU]

My postgame report:

USC vs. OSU Postgame Report

 

[DubCoffman62]

Cup cakes, babycakes, whatever. Why keep on badmouthing our main rivals, Michigan and Penn State? The truth remains that when PSU finds itself in 3rd or 4th and less than 2 they make it. The truth yesterday was that when 4CA found his team behind and the clock ticking down he came through.

This year's OSU team has twice shown that they lack a) killer instinct b) the ability to come through in critical 3rd/4th down situations.

I have no idea why that is, I just know that it is.

To be perfectly honerst I'm more worried about Michigan than I am about Penn State this year. Forcier plays with serious stones, he's just the type of Qb that we don't have at the moment. I think our D is far beyond any other D in the league though and that will keep us in all of our games. Tressel Ball just may be good enough to get us through the Big Ten season unscathed. Penn State hasn't showed me anything yet.

 

[Nicknam4]

I really think the offense is to blame, only 5 points were scored in the second half and that was mostly because of the buckeye defense. Our defense did great but they were kept on the field too long.

 

[Elephant]

To be perfectly honerst I'm more worried about Michigan than I am about Penn State this year. Forcier plays with serious stones, he's just the type of Qb that we don't have at the moment. I think our D is far beyond any other D in the league though and that will keep us in all of our games. Tressel Ball just may be good enough to get us through the Big Ten season unscathed. Penn State hasn't showed me anything yet.

Our defense is good enough to whip this league we are in. If our d-line shows up against forcer like it did against usc....michigan won't stand a chance. Same for PSU! Our goal is to win the big ten this year...go to a good bowl and win...and get ready for damn good title run in 2010. This team is built for 2010!