I just got back from Columbus, having attended the game. First of all I want to say that I feel fortunate to have witnessed that game in person. I've been to many Buckeye games since I attended my first as a teenager in 1997. It was by far the most hyped game I've been to, my first night game, and it was by far the best crowd I've been a part of. I was at the very top of the closed end. I don't know just how loud it really was at field level or how it compared to some of the bigger games of the recent past in that regard, but I know that us folks in 1C & 2C did not waste a single opportunity to make that place rock as much as possible.
I'm intentionally posting without reading anything here because I want what I say to be informed by what I saw rather than other people's insights or media commentary.
I think what we saw was a valiant performance by the Buckeyes. I think that defensively they contested the Trojans in ways that I don't think we'll see again this season, and I don't think we've really seen any team do since they rose back to prominence under Pete Carroll. I think they mustered a performance that many of us would not have expected after the way the first game went. The Buckeye defense held USC to one TD drive longer than two yards. That's damn impressive and I'm proud of them.
I think that Terrelle Pryor had a good game as a passer. Some were off the mark, and the early INT was a horrible play on his part. I also saw him drop some passes into the hands of his teammates over the top of outstretched defenders to that looked very impressive to my distant untrained eye. I think this game showed just how much the team is asking of one player right now. Guys like Vince Young have set the bar impossibly high for Pryor, and realistically to beat a team like USC you need solid, good or great performances by more than just one player.
I'm gonna name a few things that disappointed me in this game. It's probably gonna sound like I see more negative than positive in this game, but that's really not the case:
I think clock management needs improvement. That drive near the end of the first half where the offense had 3rd and 3, threw an incomplete pass and gave USC enough time to drive for a FG to close the half was obviously a huge sequence in a game where that score provided the margin of victory. It looked to me like a run-pass option for Pryor where he made the wrong decision (maybe that playcall/decision has already been dissected here). If that really was the play that was called I think it was a good one, Pryor just needs to make the right decision. Going back to a few points last season, and also in the desperate struggle to move the ball and score after the Trojans took the lead at the end, Pryor just seems to look uncomfortable and not ready in situations where clock management is crucial. I'm confident that he'll develop in that area as he continues to gain experience.
I think all of us were probably frustrated with short yardage situations on both sides of the ball. This is an issue that really carried over from last week. They failed to convert on offense when it really mattered most, and failed to stop the Trojans when they were faced with similar situations. I imagine a lot of that discussion is going to focus on the quality of the Buckeye O-line, as well as the relative superiority of their USC counterparts. I have spent more of my time since the game thinking about the playcalling though. When USC was faced with a 3rd or 4th & 1 they didn't hesitate to put the ball in the hands of their freshman QB (who's smaller than Pryor) and let him ride the center or guard to the first down. Ohio State on the other hand would hand the ball off 5-7 yards deep in the backfield and get stuffed. Why not let your big strong QB plow ahead for a first down or touchdown? I don't remember one way or the other to confirm, but has Tressel been hesitant to dial up that kind of play since Pryor improvised and made a mistake to lose the game against Penn State last year?
Finally maybe my memory's a little hazy on this, but I think the Buckeyes' possession right before USC's game-winning drive ended with the Buckeyes at the distance for a 53-yard FG attempt. Pettrey has a big leg and had done well on long FGs in the past - why not give him a crack at extending the lead? I understand the argument against that - the defense had been lights out, and the punter was doing very well - pin 'em deep and let your defense come up with another stop. Maybe it's just a difference in philosophy - what do I know? I'm just a fan second-guessing a man who has made a career of making solid decisions and winning championships. I think though that against a team like USC you can't miss a chance to collect points because eventually they are gonna get theirs, even when you play awesome defense.
I've said something similar before after big losses and I still think it's true. Even if you feel disappointed or exhausted by it, now more than ever it's important to show your pride, wear the colors, go to the game, and be as loud and supportive as ever. We're the best fans in the land, and the team needs to hear our support when things are tough. For me part of being a Buckeye is being more proud of the team and the university in defeat than others would bother to be for their school in the same situation. I hope that's the way people are carrying themselves on here. I know that's what happened at the stadium on Saturday night. While USC fans were jubilant, most Buckeye fans who attended it seems stayed to sing Carmen Ohio - it was solemn but sincere, and I think we all did our best to sing as strongly as our raspy, tired voices would let us at that point. In fifty years, that's the moment that I'll remember most from the game.
