Maybe you dudes need to temper your expectations about OSU winning every game by 30 points? It's like nobody remembers what the OSU-IU game looked like last year when OSU DBs were getting scorched repeatedly by the IU WRs. Or 2015 when OSU was down 10-6 at the half and had to hang on to win 34-27 (game where fucking Zander Diamant ran wild). Or 2014 when it took a Jalin Marshall PRTD just for OSU to be up 21-20 headed to the 4th quarter (and OSU gave up a 90 yard TD run to Tevin Coleman). Or 2012 when they held on to win 52-49 and gave up 481 yards of offense. I said before the game that IU ran exactly the kind of offense that would give the D problems and I was right. Quick passes, a mobile QB, misdirection, and jump balls.
IU won most of the jump balls in the first half, but OSU was much better in the second half. Sheffield had a couple of very nice breakups in solo coverage and even when they did get a couple catches, they were heavily contested.
Isaiah Pryor had his best game (half-game, I suppose) by far. Solid tackling and was in tight coverage on a number of completions where the throw was perfect.
Wint....yeah....I was hard on Webb, Powell, Christian Bryant, and others, but this guy simply cannot be on the field this season. It's really bad. They did have Wade in his place for a while in the 2nd quarter.
Outside of a couple early miscues, I thought the LBs were pretty darn good today -- Harrison, Borland, and Werner in particular. Ramsey really didn't do much of anything with his legs (especially on scrambles) which was a huge concern to me.
The DL did a nice job in run D, but man did they struggle to get any pressure. That is disconcerting.
The OL does concern me. There is a team up north with a pretty good DL that definitely is going to be problematic. Michael Jordan seemed to tweak something in his knee on the int return by IU -- I know he stayed in and hopefully its nothing.
Haskins was just unreal for most of the game..... not perfect, though...of his 4 ints this season, 3 were when he was getting hit -- either he needs to throw it away or just take the sack sometimes. That being said....he's thrown some beautiful passes while getting hit, too....so I guess you just have to take the good with the bad there. Honestly, I don't hate giving him a few running plays just to keep the opponent honest, but they need to do it with the right play calls -- there were a number of gives early where there was nobody outside if he kept it -- but when they actually DID call it for him to keep, they ran him into a mess of defenders.
The WRs are fucking badasses. Every one of them. The catch-and-run from Vic last week was awesome, but that catch today....holy balls. TMac, Johhnie D, and Parris....plus Mack and Victor? Wow. WRs....in my IMO....are the best overall unit on the team (other than maybe DL and QB) It is the only unit where I have zero concerns were there to be an injury. These dudes are just killing it.
Oh, and coming off a tremendously emotional win last week, they still won by 23 against a 4-1 football team. So, my dudes....take a damned chill pill.
