Game Thread Game Ten: Ohio State 48, Northwestern 7 (final)

[Steve19]

Cleveland PD

Rivalry reaches Summit



Wednesday, November 09, 2005

The Northwestern-Ohio State game Saturday brings together two of the finest running backs ever to come out of Summit County — Tyrell Sutton and Antonio Pittman.
Each is performing splendidly in his first full season as a collegiate featured back.
Northwestern’s Sutton, a freshman from Archbishop Hoban, has rushed for 1,085 yards and 16 touchdowns. Ohio State’s Pittman, a sophomore from Buchtel, has rushed for 978 yards and four scores. Each has accounted for more than 1,100 total yards.
Sutton ranks as Ohio’s all-time rushing leader with 9,426 yards. As a senior, he gained more than 3,200 yards and scored 38 total touchdowns.
Pittman began his prep career at Barberton before transferring to Buchtel for his final two seasons. As a junior in 2002, Pittman gained more than 2,000 yards and scored 35 total touchdowns. Hampered by a toe injury as a senior, he still managed 1,300-plus yards.
Nov. 16, 2002, Sutton and Pittman were on opposite sides in a Division III regional championship game at Barberton’s Rudy Sharkey Stadium. Those in attendance never will forget the circumstances surrounding Hoban’s 28-26 victory.
Buchtel, the top-ranked team in Ohio, led, 26-14, with 4:38 left after Pittman scored from 2 yards. It was Pittman’s fourth touchdown; he finished with 225 yards on 29 carries.
Sutton’s 5-yard run with 2:45 remaining made it 26-21. He finished with 109 yards on 20 carries. Sutton, however, fumbled deep in Buchtel territory with 1:31 to play, seemingly securing victory for the Griffins.
Instead of taking the safety after three straight kneeldowns, Griffins quarterback Steven Walker was trapped and tackled at his 12 with eight seconds left. Hoban then scored on the next play, a pass from Tom Sitko to Erin McGough, to win it.
— Dennis Manoloff, Tim Rogers

Well, Pittman rules the roost this week!

 

[High Lonesome]

saw this on the game preview, just wanted to take a stab at answering

In 1997 they shut out Oklahoma 24-0. They actually have a 3-1 all-time record against the Sooners, a 1-0 slate against Texas, and a 21-10 overall mark against current Big-12 teams. Now, since the Wildcats only have a winning record against one Big-10 team (Indiana), what does that say about the Big-12 in relation to the Big-10?

My guess would be that they only started playing the Big 12 recently when they had some good teams. OU, by the way, sucked even more than normal in the late 90's. For the record this is just a guess, i have no real knowledge of this situation but I would say that this paragraph is at best biased.


Good luck this weekend. I look forward to watching as always

 

[BB73]

saw this on the game preview, just wanted to take a stab at answering

My guess would be that they only started playing the Big 12 recently when they had some good teams. OU, by the way, sucked even more than normal in the late 90's. For the record this is just a guess, i have no real knowledge of this situation but I would say that this paragraph is at best biased.

Your guess doesn't really explain things. They beat Texas in 1942. The write-up mentions that the shutout against Oklahoma was in 1997 (when they admittedly weren't very good), but the other 2 wins against Oklahoma came in 1959 (Sooners were Big-8 conf champs) and 1960, when Bud Wilkinson was the coach. I'm sure you're familiar with Bud, since DKR himself played for him, and he had the 47-game winning streak that ended in 1957.

But one reason their record looks so good is because 7 wins came against mediocre Iowa State teams between 1937 and 1956.

If you want to look at this more closely, here's a link to the data:

cfb/northwestern/vs.Big12

And here's hoping you shred the nation's current #1 rushing defense Saturday.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

yahoo.com

11/9/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>(25) Northwestern vs. (10) Ohio St.</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER width="1" height="1" type="block"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Preview - Box Score - Recap

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=ysptblclbg3 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2 height=5><SPACER width="1" height="1" type="block"></TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD> Game Info: 12:00 pm EST Sat Nov 12, 2005
</TD><TD noWrap align=right>Add to Calendar
Buy Tickets </TD></TR><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2 colSpan=2 height=1><SPACER width="1" height="1" type="block"></TD></TR><TR class=yspwhitebg><TD colSpan=2 height=15><SPACER width="1" height="1" type="block"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Ohio State and Northwestern are both still in contention for the Big Ten title. That could change after they meet in Columbus on Saturday.


The 10th-ranked Buckeyes (7-2, 5-1) are just a step behind first-place Penn State (9-1, 6-1) coming down the stretch in the conference, while the No. 25 Wildcats (6-3, 4-2) also remain in the hunt.

Ohio State continued its strong play on offense last week as it ran its winning streak to four with a 40-2 rout of lowly Illinois.

Troy Smith threw three touchdown passes as the Buckeyes topped 40 points for the third game in a row, the first time that's happened since a four-game stretch in 1995.
``The offensive performance by the team was good,'' said tailback Antonio Pittman, who ran for two scores. ``It was well-rounded with both the pass and the run. It feels good to put up points. The offense is rolling.''

Smith completed 13 of 21 passes for a career-high 298 yards and ran for 55 yards on seven carries. His scoring passes covered 41 and 3 yards to Santonio Holmes and 73 yards to Ted Ginn Jr., who totaled 138 yards on four catches.


Over the past month, Smith has completed 65 percent of his passes for more than 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns.

``It's me being more comfortable within the offense ... (and) the guys starting to be a little more comfortable with me,'' Smith said.

Ohio State needs a win this week, and at No. 21 Michigan next week, to grab at least a share of the conference crown.

``This week will be huge -- our last game in the 'Horseshoe,' and a chance to avenge last year's loss,'' Ohio State senior safety Nate Salley said. ``It will be fun and it'll be emotional.''

Northwestern beat then-No. 7 Ohio State 33-27 last Oct. 2 to end the Buckeyes' 24-game winning streak in the series that dated to 1971.
The Wildcats played another wild game Saturday, coming away with a 28-27 victory over Iowa in Evanston.

Ross Lane caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Brett Basanez with 42 seconds remaining to give Northwestern the comeback win.

``We made plays at the right time and came through,'' Basanez said. ``It just speaks to the character of the offense. The older guys were keeping everybody else (relaxed), saying, 'Calm down.' ... It speaks to the young guys. They played like veterans.''

It was the latest close game in a season of them for Northwestern, which overcame a 24-7 halftime deficit.

The Wildcats won their second game of the season 38-37 when Northern Illinois couldn't convert on a 2-point conversion with 6 seconds left. They survived to beat Wisconsin 51-48 on Oct. 8, then defeated Purdue 34-29 the next week. Northwestern also lost 34-29 to Penn State on Sept. 24 on a last-minute touchdown.

With the win over Iowa, the Wildcats became bowl-eligible. They conclude their regular season next Saturday at Illinois. ``It was a great game for the team, knowing that we were trying to win our sixth game and become bowl eligible.'' defensive back Reggie McPherson said. ``Now we have to continue to win and get a better bowl.''
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[Taosman]

Those that have DirectTV or Dish should look into picking up the east coast feed of ABC. They have carried just about all OSU games this year. I only had to GamePlan the SDSU game. If you can pick up the east coast feed, the cost will be minimal.

 

[LightningRod]

The thinking man's team.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
A thinking man’s offense
Walker, Wildcats use brainpower in spread
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Rob Oller
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The success of Northwestern football starts at the top.

Not at the top of the university, although president Henry Bienen endorses the idea that the Wildcats can excel on the field as well as in the classroom.

Not at the top of the coaching staff, although Randy Walker has brought respect and surprisingly consistent achievement to Evanston, Ill.

Success starts at the top of the student body. The head. Inside that skull lies the secret to Northwestern’s spread offense, which continues to confound defenses with its perfectly executed schemes.

Not just any team could make Walker’s intricate offense work. The Wildcats rely on their smarts and ability to grasp detailed instruction to mold the spread from one opponent to the next. Then it’s up to quarterback Brett Basanez to modify it to the foe on the field, play by play.

"I don’t apologize for having bright kids here," said Walker, whose credentials put him among the Northwestern coaching elite, not quite the oxymoron one might think, considering Gary Barnett and Ara Parseghian once coached there. "A lot of people think (academics) is the reason why you can’t compete here. I happen to believe it’s the reason you can. We think we can handle a great deal of offense and be multiple in our sets."

Or, as Basanez put it, "You have to know stuff."

Without naming names, Walker said the Wildcats’ offense is more complicated than the norm.

"Our playbook is a lot bigger than some other people’s playbooks. I’m sure of that," he said.

Walker, a pretty sharp tack himself, would prefer to simplify things. The former Miami University coach and player is a believer in smash-mouth football. "I’m not a spread guy at all," he said.

But Walker knows that Northwestern’s advantage, at least as long as Basanez is under center, is to confuse opponents by constantly tweaking the spread to force defensive adjustments.

The Wildcats’ situation becomes more difficult on defense. "But you have to be pretty smart on both sides of the ball," Walker said.

Northwestern is, although you wouldn’t know it by the numbers; it ranks last defensively among 119 Division I-A teams.

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, however, hinted that Northwestern plays smart even when it can’t match up physically.

"Their defense, you never see them out of position," Tressel said. "Sometimes you go into the game and say, ‘You know what, if we can catch them in this coverage we can hit a home run.’ That doesn’t happen much against Northwestern."

Until Walker arrived in 1999, losing didn’t happen much against Northwestern, either. Certainly, the 1995 and 1996 seasons under Barnett were huge positives — the ’Cats won the Big Ten title in 1995 and shared it in 1996 — but Northwestern couldn’t sustain the success, going 8-16 the next two seasons. Walker went 3-8 in his first season, then finished 8-4 with a Big Ten co-championship in 2000. The next two seasons were lean, with seven wins total, but Northwestern now has gone three straight seasons with at least six wins for the first time since 1931.

"They made the shift (to the spread) and it’s been dramatic since after the ’99 season," said Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, who watched Northwestern rally with two touchdowns in the final 2:10 to shock the Hawkeyes 28-27 on Saturday.

Still, the Wildcats remain the target of skeptics who wonder when the bottom will fall out.

"This year we’re bowl eligible already, but we still have that stigma," Basanez said. "Our history, there’s such a strong tradition of, er, unsuccessful events. They see us as more of an academic school. They see high SAT and ACT scores and the purple color . . . "

He didn’t finish his thought. Didn’t need to. For many, Northwestern is still Northwestern. Just don’t try telling that to opposing defensive coordinators.

[email protected]

 

[JXC]

The more I look at these two offenses, the more I think they are playing at about the same level right now. But the difference between defenses is night and day. The key will be to protect the ball or force a lot of turnovers. I think if we do one or the other we won't have any problems. If we can't do either, then this game won't be decided until the end.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

11/10/05

Ohio's reigning Mr. Football out to prove a point against Buckeyes



COLUMBUS -- Hiding behind his linemen is easy for 5-foot-9 running back Tyrell Sutton. Getting lost in plain view apparently isn't a problem either.
Although he rushed for a state record 9,426 yards in his career at Akron Hoban, and was Ohio's Mr. Football in 2004, Sutton was barely a blip on the recruiting radar of most major colleges. That includes No. 10 Ohio State, which hosts his Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday.

According to Sutton, who leads all freshmen in rushing (1,085 yards) and touchdowns (17), OSU's sales pitch didn't amount to much more than a form letter. "To have all the accolades for four years and get passed up by your home state college doesn't make sense," Sutton said. "They had a chance for four years to pursue me.


"A lot of schools didn't want me because of my size, or they wanted me as a defensive back. There really wasn't a recruiting process with Ohio State. Northwestern was the first school to offer me (a scholarship) and when I visited in November, I knew it was an atmosphere I wanted to be in."

OSU coach Jim Tressel, whose 2005 recruiting class included similarly built running back Maurice Wells out of Jacksonville, Fla., referred to the Buckeyes' perceived lack of interest in Sutton as more of a timing issue.
"You have to tip your cap to Northwestern," Tressel said. "The accelerated pace of players getting offered scholarships, that's one of the battles in recruiting. (Northwestern) was early; they did a good job."

While the 25th-ranked Wildcats suspected they had a gem on their hands, Sutton wasn't immediately thrown into the starting lineup. He took advantage of an injury to Brandon Roberson by carrying 17 times for 104 yards and two touchdowns in the Wildcats' season-opening 38-14 victory over Ohio University.

As an encore, Sutton carried 30 times for 214 yards and four touchdowns the following week in a 38-37 victory over Northern Iowa. But he saved his best for Wisconsin, rushing 29 times for 244 yards and scoring four TDs -- one on a pass reception -- in a 51-48 victory over the previously-unbeaten Badgers.

"He came in obviously with a huge name ... his stats in high school were unbelievable," said Northwestern quarterback Brett Basanez, who has taken advantage of defensive attention drawn to Sutton to throw for a Big Ten-high 316 yards per game. "When camp opened, we wondered what he was going to be like. He made it known early, 'I'm here for you guys,' and he wasn't even a starter. Now that he's getting a chance to play, he's making the most of it.

"His vision is so good that when we're in the spread he can pick his hole and go with it. When we played Ohio, he had a couple of spin moves on one carry where neither (defender) came within 3 yards of him. He may be a human highlight film."

End Mike Kudla, one of the leaders on an Ohio State defense that ranks first in the Big Ten and third in the nation against the run (76.6 ypg), agrees.
"He's an elusive back who likes to get in the open field and find the cutback (lanes)," Kudla said. "He's a spin runner, able to break tackles and get big yardage. He's a little different back than what we've seen. He's shifty, not so much a pounder."

With 31 catches, Sutton is one of four Wildcats with over 30 receptions in an attack that averages 34 points and 508 yards, seventh-best in the nation. Good thing, because Northwestern is dead last in Division 1-A defense, yielding 494 yards per game.

"He fits well into their scheme," Kudla said. "With their zone blocking, he finds the seams and is able to create stuff for them. He just adds another threat to their great passing game. (Their offense) is like a two-headed snake. You've got to be careful."

Sutton is coming off two of his least productive outings. Two weeks ago in a 33-17 loss at home to Michigan, he was held to 50 yards on 10 carries, but did have six catches for 56 yards. The Wildcats had to abandon the run early, partly because of a Sutton fumble that Michigan returned for a TD and 14-0 lead. He scored twice in last week's 28-27 miracle comeback win over Iowa, but was limited to 65 yards on 17 carries.

Now, in a game that carries Big Ten title implications for both teams, Sutton gets a chance to outshine OSU tailback and friend Antonio Pittman in a match of two of the nation's top 20 rushers.

"I hope he doesn't get too carried away with it," Northwestern coach Randy Walker said. "I don't think anything outside the normal framework of emotions is usually good. It doesn't matter who shows up on the other sideline; it matters who shows up on our sideline.

"We have a number of Ohio guys (11). To say it does not mean something to them, well c'mon, it does. By the same token, you have to go out there and execute. I am impressed by (Sutton's) maturity. There are many good football players with no poise. He has those things in abundance and it has given him a chance to excel at his age.

"It's hard to be in the Big Ten and be the guy, bust out for 1,000 yards your first year. There are a lot of things on that kid and he has handled it pretty well. I think going to the 'Shoe will be another challenge, but I expect him to handle it well."

Sutton isn't waiting until Saturday to deliver a message to the Buckeyes. "Come look at me now," he said. "That's always been my attitude. If you didn't want me, I'm going to make you wish you did want me."

 

[Zurp]

Depth Chart per the Ozone....

For how long has Jenkins been in front of Everett on the depth chard? I know Everett was hurt, but he played last game, so I thought he was back. Are they just playing Everett sparingly, or has Jenkins taken his spot?

 

[Zurp]

I'll never understand how you can grow up in Ohio (particularly NE Ohio) and be a scUM fan.

I see it all the time. I often think there are as many scUM fans around here than there are Buckeye fans.

 

[Captain Hindsight]

I believe that OSU will win this game, but I also believe that the Wildcats will keep in the game. Basanez is a very capable Quarterback, and Tyrell Sutton is a very productive Running Back. The X-Factor will be the fact that NW's D isn't that great.

Bucks win 41-23

 

[sandgk]

The more I look at these two offenses, the more I think they are playing at about the same level right now. But the difference between defenses is night and day. The key will be to protect the ball or force a lot of turnovers. I think if we do one or the other we won't have any problems. If we can't do either, then this game won't be decided until the end.

Jonathan - absolutely agree on ball security on O and ball hawking on D. Turnover margin ideally must fall in favor of the Buckeyes NW actually has a good set of stats in this regard - so not to be taken lightly).

Where I find some cause for comfort as far as their Offense is concerned is the diminished productivity Sutton has shown in the last 2 games. Could it be that he is showing signs of weathering the Big10 season? If that is so those storms will not abate when he tries running into or on the edges of the Buckeye Defense. Basanez remains a viable weapon regardless, but, if their running game gets shut down then their offense becomes near 1-dimensional.

 

[nicknc33]

last home game. lets be loud!
OH

 

[Pheasant]

I believe that OSU will win this game, but I also believe that the Wildcats will keep in the game. Basanez is a very capable Quarterback, and Tyrell Sutton is a very productive Running Back. The X-Factor will be the fact that NW's D isn't that great.

Bucks win 41-23

That's putting it mildly.
Northwestern's defense is #117, or dead last, in the country in total defense, giving up over 494 ypg. Just about 215 ypg more than tOSU.
Scoring defense is much better at #99
They give up 32 ppg.

This game is going to be ugly.

 

[JXC]

Let's be realistic here...Northwestern has a good offense...and they will score some points against the Buckeyes...but not many. Expect this game to be much like the Minnesota game, except it is at home, so I look for our defense to play good the whole game, and not just most of it.

Ohio State 45
Northwestern 13