Listen, I know the score indicates we got thumped. However, going back and watching the game, I sincerely think the game was not as bad as the score indicated. Keep in mind this is just the first half, in which the final first half score was 21-3. At the least, the play calling may not have been as bad as I initially assumed. We made costly mistakes at the perfect time, but a few tweaks here and there and it really could have been a different game. I actually hand it to our guys, but this just shows how crazy things can get if you don't play as a team. Look at these non- Buckeye-typical type plays... (unedited/proof-read)
Case in point-
In hindsight, some very small tweaks take us to the level of competing with this "great" USC team.... let's not give up on this team. This is not Todd's fault, completely. Still a very good team. We've had worse (1999, 6-6; 2000, 8-4; 2001, 7-5; 2004, 8-4), are we spoiled? Lack of discipline? Nonetheless, Terrell is electric and this will be a fun season to watch. In all seriousness, watch the game again if you can before you call me crazy. But, in reality, if my aunt had a ___ she'd be my uncle.
Case in point-
- Boom looked scared to hit early. Watch the opening kick-off. If he gets a little more experience and plays in the first quarter like he did the rest of the game, he makes some of those 4-yarders into 10 or 15.
- Beanie's absence hurt us much more than anyone knows. Beanie in the game is the X-factor, and although I don't feel Beanie makes the difference in the 32 point final score, he makes a HUGE impact if he played. I was ignorant pre-game thinking it wouldn't make as much of a difference as it did.
- A bit of a reach, but... Chekwa, first punt, thought McKnight was fair catching. If Chekwa blasts McKnight what does that do for our confidence?
- Alex Boone... two early false start that cost us huge. The first was legit. This is mental! How does a mental mistake happen in a game like this? Third game of the season! The second one was crap and killed our drive. Alex was making line calls, then turned his head to get set and the refs called him for the violation. Instead of a 3rd and 6 on 3rd, we'd have a 3rd and 1. A "gimme" with 6'5" TB or 6'6" TP behind center.
- You know about the penalties, in fact I heard from my source that OSU sent a tape of 12 very questionable calls to the NCAA from the PAC-10 officials. Granted, a holding call can be enforced at any point during the game, but seriously, it was weighted poorly. Homerism at its best.
- USC on offense dumped a lot. A perfect play for an attacking defense. Why did we not adjust to defend this considering the threat of their talented RBs? A lack of man under?
- Homan stutter-steps on a play in which he knocks Sanchez on his tail and throws incomplete. Come hard or don't come at all. Lawrence Wilson jumps on a 3rd and 4 on the next play. What happens if Homan blasts Sanchez if he didn't pause? The next play, USC scores on the Freeman isolation play to the RB out of the backfield on a great catch by the USC RB.
- Should we punch it in on the five, what does that do for our confidence? Until Boone jumped offsides, we were ready to score.
- USC's first TD was a perfect call by USC's staff and read by Sanchez. He had happy feet most of the first half, then started trusting his line as the game progressed.
- Missed tackles comes down to desire... many of the big plays by USC could have been avoided.
- First quarter we had possesion 11:32 to USC's 3:28. How are we losing 7-3?
- Lawrence Wilson, called for Roughing the QB at about 12:00 in the 2nd. He barely toughed Sanchez, very poor call. Gave them the ball on the 7 instead of the 15. Poor tackling gives them the chance at the TD.
- USC's second touchdown was a bite by Anderson Russell which would have been different if he stayed home and covered the TE.
- Ray Small, wide open drop for a first down.
- Sanzenbacher grabbed the guy's arm on a long play which was rather obvious, however. We were down to the two on the pass play that was called back. Person is called for the holding which was bull on a Robiskie TD catch. Left us in a 2nd and 22. Todd and Robiskie miscommunicated on a route and Todd threw it out of bounds. Missed the FG which could have made the game 14-6. One score ballgame.
- Todd doesn't make a read on the first play, looks right then throws three rows deep to the USC sideline. Next play, TP takes it 12 for a first, then TB stares down his receiver and it is picked off by Rey. TD counts, probably irrelevant with 2:49 left in the half (on a bad call, Rey steps out of bounds).
- What happens if TP hits Hartline who slipped past the coverage (including the safety)?
- Todd misses a blitz coming and fails to dump it to Boom. Hit hard, fumble. Todd's fumble was in Cordle's hands and he lost it (still not sure he didn't have it, down). 0:25 left in the half, a low pass by Sanchez is marked as a first down by the refs which appeared 2 yards short to Turner according to where his knee hit. The next play, under the pressure of the clock, we stop them for a loss. Chekwa picks off the pass a couple of plays later, but how much nicer would it have been with a chance to drive for a FG or even a TD to make it 21-10?
In hindsight, some very small tweaks take us to the level of competing with this "great" USC team.... let's not give up on this team. This is not Todd's fault, completely. Still a very good team. We've had worse (1999, 6-6; 2000, 8-4; 2001, 7-5; 2004, 8-4), are we spoiled? Lack of discipline? Nonetheless, Terrell is electric and this will be a fun season to watch. In all seriousness, watch the game again if you can before you call me crazy. But, in reality, if my aunt had a ___ she'd be my uncle.
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