An Ohio State Sports Blog
Cleveland.com has the details. (via 11 Warriors)
Update: I just watched Sports Center on the ESPN, and Erin Andrews said that coach Tressel told her that if Beanie came up to him tomorrow (Saturday) morning and said he wanted to play, that Coach Tressel would consider it. This was before Tressel said Beanie was out, so take that as you wish. Either way, I think people are over-estimating USC’s prowess and under-estimating OSU’s chances.
That’s why they play the game.
I really dont like to link to video, but it is Friday before the USC game…and Mark May gave me little to no choice whatsoever.
Now, I am the first one to admit that Mr. T. Pryor is probably not going to be the determining factor in this weekend’s game against USC. However, there are some things that I cannot slip by the wayside.
In this craptastic video, Mayday states something that I had to listen to about three times to really make sure that he said it.
Wait for it…wait for it….
“The USC defense will be ready for the running ability of Terrelle Pryor, due to the fact that Mitch “Freakin” Mustain is an experienced quarterback that can RUN with the ball. ”
Oh Mark…there is a difference between running for your life with the football (while playing at Arkansas) and running the football in a manner that Pryor runs with the football (O hai!…with elusiveness and speed).
Let’s break that down..one more time for the SEC and USC fans that may read this…
Mitch Mustain Running Against USC Defense in practice < (that is the symbol for “less than”) Terrelle Pryor Running Against USC Defense in a game situation.
Sweet mother of god…
On a lighter note, since I am already posting videos…this one absolutely makes you wish Mark May was getting ready to “feed his snackhole.”
Amazing how quickly fortunes change. Earlier this afternoon, the monkey and a bunch of fellow co-workers were gathered in my cubicle staring slack jawed at the headline. A post went up shortly thereafter and all of a sudden the wind was sucked out of our sails and we drifted listlessly for the rest of the afternoon. Eventually, the monkey and I were able to see silver linings, find positive ways to look at things and, in the end, remember that IT’S JUST A GAME.
So we’re still being positive. Now it’s time for your mandatory reading list for this week’s open thread.
With this being probably the biggest game of the year, there’s a lot of writing going on, both in the media and the blogosphere. Without over-loading you with links, let’s take a look at what people are saying. Here’s a smattering:
We’d be remiss if we didn’t give the USC side of the ‘sphere its say:
And so on. Now it’s time for your predictions. As always, school us in the comments. (my predictions are the italic words that are going to impress you beyond belief)
If Beanie can’t go, who has the biggest impact on the game? – I’m going with Pryor here. I know it’s a stretch, but I want to see it happen so bad that I’m hoping I can will it so with my mind powers.
Who records more tackles, Little Animal or Maualuga? – I say it’s a tie, but Marcus Freeman beats them both.
How many carries does Beanie actually get? – Is he really fine and just part of an elaborate mind game by Tressel? Since it’s the only thing keeping me sane, I say yes. Beanie carries the pigskin a dozen times with considerable success.
Final Score? – Again, because I am on the verge of insanity and I’m a huge homer:
OSU: 34
USC: 31
Hit us with your best shot.
sportsMonkey’s answers:
Who impacts if Beanie doesn’t?: It’s got to be (shudder) Boeckman.
Tackles – Little Animal or Maualuga?: Maualuga, he’s in for more 2x the snaps than LA typically is.
Beanie’s carries?: I see Beanie playing sparingly, around 10 carries.
Final Score: I have two. If Beanie plays, and he’s healthy: OSU wins 24-13. If Beanie plays sparingly, and he plays hurt: USC wins 27-16.
So it’s our job to make you Bucks fans feel more optimistic, eh? Do you want some reasons to feel less doomed going into this weekend? Let’s give it a shot.
If you haven’t heard, OSU doesn’t have a chance this Saturday. The Buckeyes are slow, plodding, underacheivers who are wasting everyone’s time with this fantasy of being among the nation’s elite. The one shot they had – a power game controlled by the nation’s best running back – has gone from "likely to happen" to "snowball’s chance" status over the past 24 hours with the doubtful status of Beanie Wells.
And the Trojans? Well, as the 52-7 buttwhoopin’ they laid on Virginia will tell you, they should just be given a pass through the rest of their season and sent straight to the NC game. No sense in delaying the inevitable, eh? Besides, it would be better for the self-esteem of everyone else in the Pac 10. Mark May could then die a sated man.
Or… is there reason for OSU to be optimistic?
Before you Buckeye fans open your veins at the probable loss of Wells, let’s try to be logical (read: non-ESPNish) about this. While it’s not perfect, the best indicator of future performance is past trends. Sure, there are exceptions, but if all we have is history, it’ll have to do. So, indulge me.
Big Road Game Trends
Let’s start by considering some trends surrounding this 2008 class of OSU starters. This Saturday’s game is just another in a long line of "huge regular season road games at night with national title implications" for these veterans. Consider the results of the past five:
| Team | Ranked? | Yardage gained/allowed | Score | Margin |
| Texas | * | 348/326 | 24-7 | 17 |
| Iowa | * | 400/336 | 38-17 | 21 |
| Minn | 459/277 | 30-7 | 23 | |
| Purdue | * | 381/272 | 23-7 | 16 |
| Penn St | * | 453/263 | 37-17 | 20 |
| Average | * | 408/295 | 30.4-11.0 | 19.4 |
It’s worth noting that the current group of offensive starters were not instrumental in the first two games in the list – they were there, but primarily led by Smith/Ginn/Gonzalez, et. al. However, the current group of defensive starters have been instrumental in all five matchups.
Four of the teams were ranked. Both Texas and Penn State had nationally-feared defenses. Trend-wise, note the yards allowed – the gradual improvement in the Buckeye defense is apparent. The overall view is obvious: OSU was never challenged in any of these games – even though the power running game was practically nonexistent (2006) or less than spectacular (Beanie’s 2007 injuries) in all of them.
Does this predict a victory for OSU this weekend? Of course not. However, it does clearly indicate that, quite simply, these are the types of games that this group of starters have historically played their best in. Of course the question still remains: "is OSU’s best better than USC’s best?" Only the game will tell. But for those hoping for OSU to lay an egg this weekend, or for USC to win in a blowout, the trends indicate that this is extremely unlikely.
The only thing we don’t have any history on is how the team will respond in a big game to a leader and captain going out to injury. Will the Buckeyes resign themselves to defeat due to disappointment over losing Chris Wells? Or will they rally and work harder? I could give you my honest opinion about that question here – but since this post is entitled "reasons to still be optimistic," I won’t, and we’ll move on.
"B-b-but Florida and LSU bowl game losses!!eleventy1!" Nonsense. This isn’t a bowl game. It isn’t a national championship game, no matter how hard the networks try to convince you. It’s in their interests to hype this game any way they can. This is just another big regular season game for both teams.
At any rate, there is a huge difference in playing in a national championship game against an opponent that you’ve known about for three weeks, having 50 days off beforehand; and a regular season matchup against an opponent that you’ve been preparing for all year.
USC’s Offense
What about this current class of USC starters?
This could be a post in itself – but let’s admit something obvious, here: this group of USC offensive players have never played against even a decent defense. The best defense that the Trojan starters have recently seen is UCLA’s – ranked 29th in total defense last year, and a team that didn’t even finish above .500. If you want to find a tougher defensive opponent than that, you’ve got to go back to the first game of the 2006 season, when the Trojans played Arkansas (ranked 26th in total defense).
Put another way, USC’s offense has not been challenged by a good defense for many years, and this group of starters has yet to be challenged by anything above mediocrity. OSU is coming into Los Angeles with the exact same players that led the league in defense for the past two years. Yes, their weakness for spread offenses and mobile QBs have been exposed and reviewed ad nauseam, but the fact remains that USC does not run an offense like Florida or LSU or even Illinois. The pro-set, sometimes-spread Carroll scheme is very similar to other Big 10 offenses, including the Buckeyes’ own scheme itself. In short, this is the type of offense that OSU has been specifically built to defend against, and they have a perfect record in doing so (with extreme prejudice, no less).
Experience
Finally, let’s compare and contrast experience. This group of Buckeye starters has more experience against the nation’s elite than any other team in recent memory – and not just OSU teams, either. They just might be the most experienced of any other team, period.
This specific group of OSU players has battled national champions and conference champions. They’ve won three conference titles in a row, and have endured the hype, preparation, experience, and ultimately the motivating humiliation for two consecutive national title games.
They’ve played against several of the nation’s top defenses and top offenses over the past couple of years.
They’ve played both with and against multiple Heisman, Thorpe, Doak, Maxwell, and Butkus winners.
They’ve played in big games of every type: home, away, bowl, day, and night. They’ve endured injuries to key, supposedly irreplaceable starters, only to replace them so that folks hardly noticed.
They’ve fought against teams headed by the nation’s elite list of coaches: Urban Meyer, Joe Paterno, Mack Brown, Lloyd Carr and Les Miles.
And if that resume wasn’t impressive enough, as of this Saturday, OSU will add Pete Carroll, Pac10 champs USC, another road night game, and numerous postseason award finalists from the Trojans squad to that list of experience.
Is there another college football team with a class of starters with such a deep resume? Certainly not. And definitely not USC.
In other words…
To sum up, this 2008 OSU squad has a historical trend of playing their best football in these types of situations. They’re infinitely more experienced than USC. They’ve been there, done that. It’s not likely that they’ll be intimidated or surprised by anything USC tries. And no offensive player on the current USC roster has the benefit of ever playing against even a moderately tough defense.
Again, does any of this make a victory more or less likely? Certainly not. But there’s no doubt whatsoever that the media’s propaganda view of OSU’s overall weakness is misguided, at least. The Buckeye defense alone should make this a better game that what most people think. And if USC’s overconfident "we grill steaks in the backfield" hubris keeps them from realizing the uncharted territory they’re going to find themselves in this weekend, they could find themselves surprised and reactionary against a motivated, deep, talented Buckeye team with way more to prove.
Or so Buckeye fans cautiously hope.
More updates to follow, but this is not good.
This is more like it.
Time for a gut check. We talked about all the reasons why the Buckeyes will lose to USC. Not a fun thing to do, but let’s not ignore reality. USC is a great team. They’re favored by ten points. It’s going to be a dog fight. But Ohio State is a great team, too. Here are a few reasons why the Buckeyes will win this Saturday.
PSU Boeckman shows up – There’s no shortage of criticism right now being leveled at 6th year senior Todd Boeckman. Most of it is fairly deserved criticism, some of it maybe not. Either way, Boeckman’s recent performances, going back to last year, have been less then stellar. Against lesser competition, Boeckman has shone. But his best moments were last year in hostile Beaver Stadium where he went 19 for 26 with 253 yards and 3 TDs. Up to that point, there were still a lot of questions about the offense and Boeckman. He was lights out. Now he has let those doubts bubble back up. After lackluster passing the past two games, we’re worried about USC. We need PSU Boeckman to make an appearance. If the game comes down to Boeckman’s arm and it’s PSU Boeckman, we have a very good chance.
Beanie is 100% – This is a no-brainer. If Beanie is wielding the Stiff Arm of Justice to great effect, running over so many Trojans, we all breathe a sigh of over-burdened relief. If he is able to cut and plant on his gimpy toe, the future will be bright. Blue blockers may even be necessary. We’ll know in the first few snaps (I don’t think we go to Beanie on our first offensive play) if Beanie really is up for the “45 carries”. If he is and he’s chewing up yardage, keeping USC capable offense of the field, things will be looking UP. WAY UP.
Jenkins and Chekwa/Washington shut down USC’s WRs – Turner and Hazelton are fast and are improving over last year’s performance. With Sanchez’s accurate arm, these guys are dangerous. We know Jenkins can shut down anyone in the country, but he also is prone to taking chances and occasionally biting on fakes. Whoever starts at the other side is going to be tested early. Both Washington and Chekwa are capable, but they need to be ready. USC is going to try to run the ball early and I think the Buckeyes will need 8-9 guys focused on stopping the run, leaving the CBs on islands. If Jenkins and Chekwa lock down the USC WRs, the rest of the D is more than capable of stopping the running game, putting USC between a rock and a hard place. (That hard place being Cameron Heywards biceps)
The OL actually blocks someone – This is definitely my biggest question mark. Do we have elite linemen or not? Besides Alex Boone, is anyone going to step up and push some people around? The D-line for USC is not small. Head’s and shoulders above the OU cats. If the OL is opening holes (for Beanie or Boom or anyone) then OSU can win. An elite RB like Beanie is able to hide certain defeciencies of an offensive line but the younger backs cannot. That front push is tantamount. We need fire-cracker fights, not pillow fights. Oh, and protect Boeckman. That’d help too.
The Brynamic Duo get separation – Robo and Hartline, WRU? Seeing a wide open Brian (take your pick) frequently will go a long way in making PSU Boeckman’s day a lot easier.
Special Teams or defense scores – Long field goals with time expiring, punt returns, interception returns. Take your pick. If one of more happens, then we will win this game. Almost certainly. Ray Small, show that you not only are a better man, but that you are also learning how to play football. Your time is now.
Imaginitive playcalling (both sides) – I mentioned this previously, but it bares repeating. Imgainative playcalling is so important. Mostly on the offensive side, but the defense could use an attitude adjustment. Heacock has said he’s going to unleash the defense. Let’s see it. Blitz blitz blitz and stop playing so much soft friggen zone. PLS.
USC inexperience at OL – This has been one weakness if the ES(EC)PN wonks have been quick to point out — USC has a relatively inexperienced offensive line. They’ve only played one game together, against a cream-puff defensive line. Our D-linemen should be licking their chops. If the USC O-linemen show their inexperience, we win. And so does Mark Sanchez’s orthopedic surgeon.
The Terrell Pryor X-factor – You knew it was coming. Finally, the Terrell Pryor factor. I’m still a huge proponent of giving him a significant role in the game. Situations where he can only help (early 2nd quarter snaps, first-and-goal). I’m also a firm believer that Tressel has something up his sweatervest. Something
So I’m stopping there. But don’t let me stop you. Fill up the comments with many more reasons why the Buckeyes will be USC.
I don’t want to do this, but I must.
Contrary to
what the rest of the country would have you believe, the Buckeyes have a chance against USC on Saturday. But as delusional as we Buckeye fans can be, we can’t ignore the 295 pound Samoan in the room. There’s a good chance Ohio State will lose to USC. AS much as it pains me to do this, here’s a list of reasons why the Buckeyes will lose on Saturday.
Blech, this is making me sick to my stomach, so let’s get this one over with and move on.
The two headed hydra of Cushing and Maualuga go off – The entire USC defense is good, but Maualuga is a manimal and Cushing is no slouch. If Maualuga is having his way with Beanie & Co., blowing up everything in sight, that most certainly spells certain doom for the Buckeyes. No running game means game-over for the Buckeyes.
Then again, there is this:
So maybe there’s no cause for concern? Right…
LSU Boeckman shows up – The monkey and I are firm believers that there are two Todd Boeckmans — the one who looked every bit the part of an OSU QB against Penn State last year. Crisp passes, great decisions, and leadership. Then there’s the Todd that crapped the bed against LSU. If that Boeckman shows up, we’re done for. If the game is in his hands and his head isn’t where it needs to be, cry in despair. He’ll be winging it downfield with abandon, but this time USC has the type of athletes that will make him pay.
Can’t stop the run – This goes without saying. USC has a stable of running backs that would make most breeders in Kentucky jealous. Carroll can throw out the horses without much drop-off in performance. If OSU can’t stop the run, there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth in the Kaiser household.
Beanie can’t perform – I almost hesitate to even insinuate that Beanie won’t be able to perform at an acceptable level. This is another no-brainer. If he can’t plant on his gimpy toe, no amount of the Stiff Arm of Justice is going to help.
Players are still hungover (shellshocked?) from the OU game – I think it’s foolish to think that the OSU players are unaffected by their performance last week against OU. If they come out flat again and dig themselves an early hole, it will take a miracle to climb out of it. Someone needs to come out early and absolutely annihilate someone. I’m looking right at you, Mr. Wilson.
A vanilla game plan – I-formations and Maurice Wells off-tackle aren’t going to cut it. We’re not asking for double-reverses and Annexations of Puerto Rico. But mix things up. Pass on first down. Stop trying to hit the fly routes 257 yards downfield. Bootleg with a TE dragging across the middle. Screens with Beanie. Use Terrell Pryor. Anything to make the game exciting.
There are plenty more reasons, but let’s not dwell on the negatives. Remember, Buckeye fans, it’s us against the world. We need all the positive energy and karma we can muster. Let’s move on and think about actually winning the game!
As USC Week is now in full swing, here are a few items of interest.
First, let’s get this out of the way. Bill Plaschke from the LA Times and west coast wank aimed the fecal cannon that is his keyboard and barfed out “To a man, Trojans should be motivated for this one” in response to Ray Small’s comment that USC teaches its players how to play football while OSU teaches its players how to be better men. (Thanks to MotSaG reader Steve A. for the tip). You can read it if you want to, it’s just going to make you angry.
Anyway, here’s a little tip for ol’ Billy-boy. We know you don’t right a lot about OSU, so we’ll give you a head’s up. Want to know the fastest way to lose credibility with anyone outside of Dade County? Say things like this:
And, yeah, at the end of that 2002 national championship game against Miami? Bad call. That was not pass interference. Period.
Scoreboard and scoreboard.
Things have been getting testy between USC’s finest and Buckeye Nation. This happened a couple weeks ago, but after the Carson Palmer gaffe, a lesser-known, lesser-respected, lesser-not-skinny LenDale White thought he’d join the fray and throw his two-sense in to the OSU Hatefest by saying, “Hey, listen, Ohio State sucks!” on the Jim Rome show. Romeo called it a “non-sequitur but I’m not buying it. If you’ll step in the way-back machine with me, we’ll head back to the fall of 2006 when one (probably skinnier) LenDale White got his pretty little SoCal mouth smacked by one Donny Nickey after he spat on him. Wittle WenDale’s feewings got huwrt and now he wants to stick it to OSU. This is coming from a guy who didn’t even start on his own team.
On a little more pleasant note, on the sidebar of this Ivan Maisel article is Pete Carroll’s Rose To Remember. One thing that Plashcke and his ilk can’t stand is that Ohio is the fountain that feeds the college football coaching landscape. They just can’t stand it.
Worried about the way USC dismantled Virginia a couple weeks ago? Don’t be. The young Virginia D-line couldn’t get any pressure on Sanchez. Heck, he was grilling steaks back there, he had so much time. I’ll take mine medium rare, Mark. If there was any bright spots in last weeks OU sleep-walk, it was that the Buckeye D-line was getting penetration play after play. Now they just need to work on keeping containment, something that shouldn’t be a problem against Sanchez. Constant penetration and pressure on Sanchez = happy Buckeye fans.
Hopefully you’re following Dr. Saturday’s Trobuckalypse. Hinton has been the most even-handed voice in this whole thing. You can check out Day One, Day Two, Day Three and Day Four. (Check back for link updates).
I could go on, but you’ve probably already given up reading by now. We’ll save some links for the open thread. Will just finish up with this: Buckeye Commentary summing up everything going on in the college football fanosphere to great effect with a simple graphic.
Finally, as a reward for making it this far, a little Michigan bloggery is in order. There’s an interesting story about how Michigan is handling a touchy situation with an ineligible recruit. And by handling, I mean not touching it with a thirty-nine and a half foot pole. I haven’t seen any blogs pick up yet. (h/t Bill @ The Nut and the Feisty Weasel). I read that article and simply go “Huh? That’s just not right.”
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Cal |  1 |
| 2 | Oklahoma |  1 |
| 3 | Georgia | 1 |
| 4 | Ohio State | 1 |
| 5 | Florida | — |
| 6 | LSU | 1 |
| 7 | Missouri | 1 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 2 |
| 9 | Auburn | — |
| 10 | Penn State | 2 |
| 11 | Texas | — |
| 12 | East Carolina | 14 |
| 13 | Oregon | 2 |
| 14 | Arizona State | 4 |
| 15 | UCLA | 1 |
| 16 | Brigham Young | 2 |
| 17 | Texas Tech | — |
| 18 | Alabama | 5 |
| 19 | South Florida | 3 |
| 20 | Wake Forest | 1 |
| 21 | Utah | 2 |
| 22 | California | 4 |
| 23 | Kansas | 4 |
| 24 | Fresno State | 4 |
| 25 | Purdue | 1 |
After looking at some other bloggers polls, it’s obvious we’re a little more bullish on the Buckeyes than just about everyone else. So many answers will be provided this weekend. And lots of apologies to Buckeye fans, AMIRIGHT? This week has been one long agonizing wait, and it’s only Tuesday night. This is going to kill me.
The rest of the poll is there for your perusal and derision, as always. I’m tired and going to bed.
