Buckeye Offensive Coordinator Discussion (merged)

[NightmaresDad]

Did PSU stop the option at all last night? Seemed like we could have run that all night. If we're going to be an option team, then I like TS at QB. if we're going to be a spread team that throws it around then give me JZ or TB - either of those 2 guys see the field way better that TS.
There were open guys all over the place last night, but TS was usually locked onto one guy. he does not seem to have that ability to come up to the line, see the defense,and know before the ball is snapped who will most likely be open. I wish he did, becuase he is great running the option.

 

[UGABuck]

Did PSU stop the option at all last night? Seemed like we could have run that all night. If we're going to be an option team, then I like TS at QB. if we're going to be a spread team that throws it around then give me JZ or TB - either of those 2 guys see the field way better that TS.
There were open guys all over the place last night, but TS was usually locked onto one guy. he does not seem to have that ability to come up to the line, see the defense,and know before the ball is snapped who will most likely be open. I wish he did, becuase he is great running the option.

With our defense we should be running the Triple Option or Wing T.

 

[WestEnd]

he does not seem to have that ability to come up to the line, see the defense,and know before the ball is snapped who will most likely be open. I wish he did, becuase he is great running the option.

The playcalls are getting into the huddle WAY too late. Even peyton manning wouldn't have time to read the defense when the playcall gets into the huddle with 15 left on the play clock.

 

[BearBuck27]

The playcalls are getting into the huddle WAY too late. Even peyton manning wouldn't have time to read the defense when the playcall gets into the huddle with 15 left on the play clock.

That's kind of what I've been thinking too. Almost every play they don't get set until five seconds is left on the play clock and sometimes even later than that. Troy Smith has taken quite a few delay of games in the past (seems like he has had 2 a game). Although we didn't have a DOG last night, we did have to take a TO on our last drive when we were backed up on the 5. West makes a great point about PM. PM gets his team up to the line with at least 15 seconds on the play clock, and that gives him plenty of time to adjust to what the defense throws at him. It just seems like if the plays could get in sooner, then TS would have a lot more time to make his pre-snap reads. (Or maybe I'm way offbase with this)

 

[tedginn05]

going along with the talk on the late play calling i think we should do what my high school does, run a "no-huddle" offense, it really tires down the defense and if used right can work

 

[BuckeyeTillIDie]

Need. More. Passes. Across. The. Middle.

 

[Saw31]

I was driving home to the Burg and for some reason was able to listen to 610 and they had the Bill Conley show on with Earle Bruce. Earl Bruce said he just doe snot understand what the offesne is trying to do. He did not bash the coaches at all, but said the speed we have a WR is being wasted and just does not see the whole picture of what we are doing with the Offesne. He then said running some deeper routes with 3 players would help Troy or Justin see who is being covered and who is not, etc.

Just thought I would share.

This is not directed at you specifically craigblitz, but I find it interesting that this was brought up and it gives me an opportunity to make a point.

I would like to point out that there is a reason Coach Earle Bruce is on the radio and not on the sideline. We (I include myself) love Earle Bruce now, but we also ran him out of town once upon a time. We think he has the answers now, but not then? It's just part of the continuing schizophrenia that is Buckeye Nation and is what gets me so frustrated with so many buckeye fans after we lose. We hear that it's the play calling, "we don't call enough deep passes". Well, the two games I've been to, we had plenty of deep routes called, the pass was not made. This is a play calling problem? At the Iowa game, I had an idiot sitting behind me yelling "throw the bomb" when we were up three TD's. He kept reminding everyone what plays he calls on his PS2 (no I'm not making this up). This is the same guy who would have said "why the fuck are we throwing when we're up 3 TD's" after we turn the ball over. We spend all last year bitching that we keep running predictable I-formation runs and were so in love with the spread after we waxed scUM. Now we see people bitching that we need to get the fullback out there and run from the I. At some point we have to come to the conclusion that we will not win every game we play. Sometimes it's because of what we're doing, sometimes it's because of what the opponent does to us...I wonder if maybe Tressel's Nat'l Championship has set the bar so ridiculously high in some people's mind that they would never be satisfied...Wait, I don't wonder that at all, because all we heard that year (2002) was how boring and predictable going undefeated was...Schizophrenia.

 

[buckeyebri]

The playcalls are getting into the huddle WAY too late. Even peyton manning wouldn't have time to read the defense when the playcall gets into the huddle with 15 left on the play clock.

Thanks for seeing this. I have brought this up a few times in the last couple of weeks. It cost us a timeout last night.

 

[strohs]

At some point we have to come to the conclusion that we will not win every game we play. Sometimes it's because of what we're doing, sometimes it's because of what the opponent does to us...

Well, whatever our various opponents are doing on defense, they are doing in every single game.
We dont have to win every game, just the ones we should.
With the talent we currently have, we should win them all, or at least look competent on offense.

 

[craigblitz]

Don't feel called out at all my man. And I totally disagree on why Bruce is not the coach, most OSU fans know he got a raw deal and there were some high up boosters who wanted him out, but that is this and there I guess.

Also as a fan I guess no I never think we should lose a game. Do I know that we will not go undefeated of course but as a fan I am going to be optimistic till the cows come home.

I also said I am not sure what the answer is, but the past 5 years do you think we have played to our offensive potential? I am not saying fire Tressel, in fact I think he wonderful and hope he stays around for a long long time. That is not to say that things might not need to change, why is that so bad anymore?

 

[WyoBuck]

i tend to Agree with craigblitz on this. A change needs to be made, but that certainly doesnt mean oust Tressel. What may need to happen though is that we need to hire an offensive coordinator. I mean, what we are all talking about is what they do. I believe that JT is a great coach. That has been evidenced since he has been here, but it may be true that there are just too many offensive weapons on this team for him, by himself, to see all of the possibilities that are there, and maybe he doesnt have the faith in the players that he should, but either way, this team is wasting its potential and last night was the most obvious and glaring example of that.

 

[osugrad21]

Exactly what I have been saying, and I keep being told that I dont know what I am talking about. Guess Earl doesnt know what he's talking about either

No, you have been saying there have been no deep routes...just hitches and outs. Earle is talking about less receivers for less reads...basically variations of the pro set to simplify.

Then again, you said the pass protection was decent last night as well...so I am very confused as to your assessment criteria right now anyway :)

 

[crazybuckfan40]

No, you have been saying there have been no deep routes...just hitches and outs. Earle is talking about less receivers for less reads...basically variations of the pro set to simplify.

Then again, you said the pass protection was decent last night as well...so I am very confused as to your assessment criteria right now anyway :)

I agree with this. We are running all different kinds of routes, we are just not hitting all the different routes.

I saw streaks, slants, outs hitches and all that stuff last nite, but what really matters is us being able to find areas in a zone.

I think after watching the game again that the problem isnt against man coverage. It is against a zone. I would like to see Tress sit down with Smith and the recievers and let him watch some film of Peyton Manning and the colts. They are like the ultimate zone buster offense.

We need to look off our opponents to the right and look back left. I know when the line is breaking down it is hard, but he has to find the open guy in that area.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

...I wonder if maybe Tressel's Nat'l Championship has set the bar so ridiculously high in some people's mind that they would never be satisfied...Wait, I don't wonder that at all, because all we heard that year (2002) was how boring and predictable going undefeated was...Schizophrenia.

You are so right it's flat out ridiculous. When we went 6-6 and 8-4 in Cooper's last year and then 7-5 in Tressel's first, we would've killed to have a 1- or 2-loss season. Well, we've had a perfect season witrh a NC and a 11-2 season with a consensus #4 ranking. Our "bad" year was the same 8-4 record that was the best of the three I listed above. Now if we don't run the table, we're a disappointment, and even when we win it sucks if it's not a blowout.

There have been plenty of times this season where I've been a bit frustrated with the offense, but Saturday night I didn't yell at the TV as often as I have other games, because I knew a lot of the offensive woes were caused by the Barton injury and the subsequent adjustment to that by the PSU defense. Watching on TV, I don't get the chance to see the whole field as the plays develop, and I've been told by a few folks that there were quite a few instances where we had a reciver or two open and Smith simply didn't see them or couldn't get the ball to them. Also, I noticed that even when Smith had the time and the WRs weren't open enough, he hesitated to run. I think once he gets to that happy medium where he'll run through his progression but will run if everyone is covered and not "overwait" like he's doing now, we'll be fine on offense.

 

[cincibuck]

The playcalls are getting into the huddle WAY too late. Even peyton manning wouldn't have time to read the defense when the playcall gets into the huddle with 15 left on the play clock.

I go nuts when the Bucks get the ball with 2 to 3 minutes before half or the end of the game. It takes FOREVER to call a play, line up and snap the damn ball... then the QB runs to the sidelines... gets the next play. People really jumped on that at the end of the first half against Iowa and if PSU had been a home game things would have gotten ugly.

Next, why with three excellent and fast receivers that should be able to force DBs to go deep, can we not throw the ball over the middle to Hamby or Pittman? Is it because we have to keep the TE and the RB in to block?