Wow, looky here, a performance evaluation on Monday! The Buckeyes looked great in just about all aspects of this game. Let’s get right to some evaluations:
The White-Out: 1.5 Sweatervests
I hate to say this, because I think the white-out is an impressive sight, but I think it has lost its mystique. In 2005, it was an awesome thing to behold. It’s effect on the game can’t be understated. That being said, it’s lost some of its bite since then. Maybe they’re doing it too often, maybe they got deflated quickly in this game, but it just didn’t seem to really have any effect on the outcome of the game. Which is too bad, because it was pretty cool while it lasted.
The Defense: 4.5 Sweatervests
The only thing holding the defense from getting the mythical 5 stars was the first Penn State drive of the game. I didn’t like how Kinlaw was pounding the defense and Morelli getting off to a good start. It didn’t look like a good start giving up 78 yards right off the bat. Funny thing is, they only gained 185 yards after that. The defense would give up a few more big plays to Penn State, but it was never in doubt who was controlling the flow of this game.
The run defense wasn’t perfect. Penn State’s O line was getting into our linebackers and pushing them around. Little Animal didn’t seem to be as aggressive as he normally is and seemed to be reacting to plays, not attacking. Freeman got pushed around a bit, too, especially on Penn State’s TD. The appropriate adjustments were made and the situations dictated that Penn State had to throw the ball, taking some pressure off of OSU’s run defense. Now the run defense needs to be shored up as we face three good running backs over the next three weeks.
I though Kurt Coleman played a great game in the defensive backfield. Jenkins and Washington have been solid all season and now Russell and Coleman are really rounding out that back four. Throw Chekwa in there and you’ve got a nasty secondary.
Offensive Line: 4.5 Sweatervests
Penn State came in to this game leading the nation with 35 sacks. The pressure didn’t get to Todd Boeckman until the fourth quarter. That is serious pass protection. It should be noted that Boeckman did a great job of getting his passes of quickly, but still. One sack is dominating a defensive line. The O-line also opened up huge holes for the running backs. Maurice Wells was racking up yards between the tackles, which doesn’t happen very often. They punished everyone in a white helmet. I mentioned Boone out of the Hartline screen, pushing little DBs around like the bully he is. Then he goes and plays leap frog with Hartline. As SYR mentioned, these guys are playing well and are playing loose. That’s good to see as we hit the tough portion of the schedule.
Special Teams: 3.5 Sweatervests
The kicking game is doing just fine and Pretorius is looking great — 50 yarder, 30 yarder, it doesn’t matter. Trapasso kicks the stuffing out of the ball on kick offs, but he never had to punt! That’s my favorite kind of punting!
I still can’t abide with giving up another kick-off return for a touchdown. I hope the kick-cover team has to do extra gassers all week long. They earned it.
Vernon Gholston: mol of Sweatervests 6.02×1023
VG was everywhere. He came up with a nice sack and pressured Morelli a number of times. He was also in Morelli’s face when he heaved that duck that landed in Jenkins hands. The man is a beast and was disruptive as usual.
Overall Performance: 5 Sweatervests
I’m giving Ohio State the full five Sweatervests for this weeks game. They looked great, they dominated and just smacked Penn State around all night long.
Baseline: 3 Sweatervests. +1.5 for making a statement in front of a prime time National TV audience and shutting up the critics. -0.5 for giving up a meaningless touchdown on a kick-off. +0.5 for the emergence of other contributors (Mo Wells on offense, Coleman on defense). +0.5 for Tressel opening up the playbook and shaking things up.
So is it offical. Are we a good team, a legitimate number 1, or the critics now going to tell us that playing Penn st at night really isn’t that big of a deal.
Oh hell no. I’m still taking crap down here. “Penn State? Ohio State wouldn’t even get into the championship game in the SEC.”
Gawd I hate the SEC. Somebody please put LSU away (but not Alabama).
Forget the SEC when is someone gonna knock M*ch*g*n back down to reality. I hate them so much my goodness how is it possible that they are even considered being ranked. They are such scum and there is zero, none, nadda, justification for them to even be ranked. those b*st*rds
@Zach – Unfortunately I’m not sure how good Penn State really is. Their wins have come against nobodies and their only quality wins were against Indiana and Wisconsin. Playing at Happy Valley, at night, during a white-out should count for something, though.
@AK – I am conflicted about playing LSU in the championship game. On one hand, I think we could beat them and shut-up the critics, on the other hand, I don’t think I could lose to an SEC team two years in a row.
Good call on the White-out, although I think you gave them 1 more sweater vest than they deserved. In 2005 the white out seemed to cover the whole stadium, Saturday it was only in the student section. I thought their white out from the Notre Dame was more impressive. Perhaps it has run its course.
The White out faded to a Blood bath as soon Hartline scored that TD…. Even though I love the OL Leap…..I must say I was more impressed with the play call…. What a BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED and EXECUTED PLAY. It is one that I was like OMG that was an awesome call.
The SEC is irrellevant this year as it is most years…. they beat up on each other and lose to awful SEC teams…. they are overrated and no one will have less than 2 losses by the end of the year.
No ones offense worries me except possibly a very mobile QB like Oregons. I pray we go undefeated and get to play a BC or a KANSAS or even better somehow we play Hawaii lol.
Can anyone imagine what it must be like to be a Gator fan this year and watch the team you beat in the NC last year methodically make its way once again towards the Championship game? And your team is totally out of it? I’m hoping that we make it … not sure that we will but the suspense has to be murder if you’re a gator fan.