We can run the table? I want your thoughts!!!

[brutus2002]

I know we can still lose a couple but IMO we can run the table too!!!

NCSt. was one of the games I thought we could easily lose. I thought if we could get through the non-conference schedule and then have a buy week we could get ready for the gauntlet!!!

Mich State, Indiana, Northwestern, Penn State, Wisconsin look very beatable!!!

I'm feeling better and better about our match-ups with Iowa and Michigan.

The game @ Purdue may determine the Big Ten Champ and the Orange Bowl representative. Loser might have to settle for the Rose Bowl!!!!

I think the defense and special teams look great we need to work on the offense , but hey for how young we are I'm very happy.

What are your thoughts?

 

[BrutusBobcat]

I think we need a running game.

Zwick is going to work out. The Pack threw the kitchen sink at him, and he hung in there, despite not having a stellar day in the pocket. He's got the right mindset.

The defense was aggressive and opportunistic, and I love the secondary. Did you see Underwood take down McLendon solo on that big run? That's a corner wrapping up one monster of a tailback. The tackling is solid, and they're getting pressure to the QB. This is a GREAT defense.

Punting needs to be more consistent. Our return game is better on kickoffs, but Santonio needs better blocking on punt returns. Our punt and kick coverage rocks. Place kicking -- Nuge, 'nuff said.

Then we're back to the running game. Get one in gear, and we're a contender. Fail to find one, and we're gonna lose a few.

Pittman gets some major reps against NW.

 

[Bucklion]

There's no game we can't win, but probably only a game or two we can't lose, either. We will go 1-7 in the Big 10 if we have 137 yards of offense every game, so obviously some things need to be better each week. However, a lot of people have been saying for 3 years that "We can't..." or "We won't..." or "If they play like this every game..." or "When they run into a real team..." And yet, we're what, 28-2 or something? So as long as we keep the "X" factor (whatever the hell that is) we have a huge psychological edge,and I'd say we're in pretty good shape as long as the kids keep working hard. Running the table is tough...but it may have been tougher in 2002.

 

[brutus2002]

Bobcat

SirJo Welch has found himself a place on our team as a true Freshmen. Damn that kid is a great gunner!!!

Nuuugggggggee is awesome

Our pass defense is MMMMMUUUCCCCCCHHHHH better this year!!!!! Our defense will improve all year long. It may rival the 2002 defense by years end.

IMO we needed to run 5 WR sets on these guys today!!!! We had open WR's but Zwick was off. Hey the kid had alot of pressure so i'm not dissing him.

KO nad PR are better this year.

OUR LINEBACKERS SHOWED UP FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON!!!!

I agree 100% that we need a running game!!! IMO Pittman and Haw are the answers!!! I would not be surprised if we saw Pittmanb and Haw in the NW game!!!

We have 2 weeks to heal and get better. I'm optimistic on this season!!!

 

[BuckeyeSoldier]

Joe and Pittman will 100% for the next game, Ross was patheti-sad. and I think that late game fumble may have been the type of thing to make even tressel want to pull him. I would not be surprised if he isnt even starting next game IMO.

The defense is SPECTACULAR!!! LOVE THAT SECONDARY!

We still have NUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE!!!!!!

Our team is young, and improving and we have already won two ROUGH games were many lessons were learned and you might expect a loss from such an inexperienced team but no, they came through..

Iowa scares me WAY less now... I think we kill michigan this year.. wisc isnt looking too scarey either.. I think it will come down to the purdue game.. maybe Orton will sprain his ankle in practice that week and we wont even have to worry about it lol

ORANGE BOWL HERE WE COME!!!

 

[AFB19]

I never thought I'd see the day where Ohio State fans overlooked the Michigan game. No matter how bad Michigan may be, they're still Michigan and if they play us with nothing to lose, it makes them even scarier. Lets not assume a Big Ten championship just yet.

 

[HiFiver25]

I am not optimistic unless...

1. Our OL can create holes; 2. Our TE/FB can block; and 3. Our staring TB can run. And I haven't seen any of that yet. Our OL keeps getting pushed around with amazing consistency. Our playcalling is one-dimensional..i.e. handing the ball over and over to the same TB who has an uncanny ability to go down on every single real or imaginary tackle! We don't have an O that can score unless it STARTS the drive no further than a FG away from the opponents' end zone and even then it scores only a FG. Our OL/FB/TE etc. cannot create running holes even when facing only a 7-man front. Our starting TB cannot get more than a yard per carry even if his life depended on it. And our run defense this year is way behind it was the last couple of years.

The fact that we somehow squeaked by against Marshall & NC St gives me absolutely no confidence against a halfway decent Big-10 team. You cannot always count on your opponent to shoot themselves on the foot. See last year's Wisky game!

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

As for the "We can't do it with an offense like this" posts; that is exactly what Bucknuts was full of during the 2002 season. Tressel went out and proved them wrong.

As for the question you asked; I seriously doubt this team will go undefeated. Iowa is still dangerous. The Wiscy team that beat us last year lost to UNLV last year. Purdue looks dangerous too, but I AM NOT on their bandwagon. Blowing out creampuffs makes a team a media darling, but does NOT make them a champion. Just ask Texas Tech.

 

[chuck_jax]

Gameplan vs. OSU

Chunk Tomato had the right gameplan. His guys just didn't execute.

On Defense: Run blitz every play, throw the kitchen sink at Zwick every chance you get. Make sure the lanes are filled so you can bury Ross for his 1 yard gain. This plan held OSU to 135 net yards for the game!

Plain and simple: 5 turnovers killed this team today. Take that away and it would have been a different game. I'm not saying they would have won, I'm just saying it would have been a different game.

Other teams are gonna look at these tapes - you gotta figure NU is gonna give it a try. It is too easy to make OSU look 1-dimensional. Put the game in Zwick's hands. Make him beat you. The kid is in his first year and is making his share of mistakes.

On offense, run lots of gadget plays, traps, etc. If you can hold onto the ball for a while, you might wear them down (ala Marshall.)

 

[Jaxbuck]

As for the "We can't do it with an offense like this" posts; that is exactly what Bucknuts was full of during the 2002 season. Tressel went out and proved them wrong.

Here, here.

Some will sit here and say "if we don't start doing x we're going to lose y number of games" all year untill you look up and see we don't have that many left.

Please, please, please don't let this place sink anywhere near BN level. Quit focusing so much on what we did poorly(the other team has players on scholarship too) and focus on what we have done to them.

28-2. Have faith and enjoy the ride.

BTW to answer the original question, yes.

This game was the fork in the road for our season and we won it. There are no games left versus a team with superior talent or coaching. Wisky, PSU and scUM are at home, Purdue looms large.

 

[SanClementeBuck]

Biggest hindrance to outstanding season is player health, TEAM health. If we can avoid limiting injuries (ala Fox), we're gonna be a very fine TEAM.

 

[brutus2002]

Everyone brings up offensive numbers but Tressel even said in the press conference he ran a vanilla offense because of our D and Special teams. That tells me our offense was handcuffed by the coach. Tressel didn't want Zwick to turn the ball over!! We were up and thats exactly where Tressel wanted it to stay!!

IMO our chances look alot better!!! I agree with this game being the fork in the road. I would not want to play this defense 3-4 games down the road!!

 

[EPBucks]

I think that this team has a really good chance to get to 9-0. They will have to play better at Iowa and I think that they will. I thought we would lose to either NCST or Iowa before the year but now I am going to change that other possible lose to Purdue. I am not taking the Scum game for granted but I think we will win at home against them.

 

[osugrad21]

The running game will pick up steam with the return of B Joe...I'd bet this off week will have a nasty competition between Pitt and Ross too. I look for vast improvement as defenses start focusing on Holmes and co.

 

[BuckNutty]

1. Our OL can create holes; 2. Our TE/FB can block; and 3. Our staring TB can run. And I haven't seen any of that yet. Our OL keeps getting pushed around with amazing consistency. Our playcalling is one-dimensional..i.e. handing the ball over and over to the same TB who has an uncanny ability to go down on every single real or imaginary tackle!

It's pretty difficult for our O-line to open holes when NC State is sending more people than we have blockers. At some point our running backs have to break a tackle or do something on their own. Considering what they were up against yesterday I wouldn't blame the guys up front. I can't imagine how big the holes would have to be for Lydell Ross to be successful on a regular basis.

I agree with 2. We are getting zero help at fullback. I saw Schnittker get blown up more times than I care to remember yesterday. Hopefully after the bye week Joe will be healthy and will stay healthy. We need him.

Yesterday was Tressel Ball at it's finest. It's not always going to be pretty but it wins games. Justin Zwick did what was asked of him and if Hawk was credited for that second INT, which was clearly a pick, the score would have indicated how handily we beat them despite the poor offensive output. Defense, special teams and 'almost' mistake free offense.

Edit: About running the table, I'd be pretty surprised if we weren't tripped up somewhere along the road. I felt the same way at this point in 2002