Eastern Michigan Recap

The last time Ron English was inside Ohio Stadium the results were very similar. In 2006 he was the defensive coordinator for the Michigan Wolverines. It was a matchup of 1 versus 2 and the winner would go to the National Championship. Back then English’s defense gave up over 500 hundred yards and 42 points and propelled Troy Smith to a Heisman trophy.

On September 26th, 2010 Ron English was spotted giving that famous old fashioned Michigan Try.

Ohio State in their game against Eastern Michigan amassed 645 yards of total offense and 73 points and quarterback Terrelle Pryor accounted for 6 touchdowns, 4 threw the air, 1 on the ground and 1 receiving touchdown thrown by his old high school team mate Jordan Hall.

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Ohio State’s offense is not what it used to be. At the end of last year, they were a run first power football team that averaged over 200 yards per game and threw the ball under twenty times per game. Terrelle Pryor then had a huge pre bowl practice and the “light” went on. We all saw what he did in the Rose Bowl.

Since then, Ohio State has turned into a pass first offense. The offensive priority is as follows:

  1. Pryor pass/run option
  2. His #1 priority is to throw the football
  3. His #2 priority is to run the football if no one is open
  4. Running game with tailbacks

This may or may not be popular with Buckeye fans, but the results are stunning:

Year Total Offense Passing Rushing Points Scored
2009 60th 102nd 18th 51st
2010 7th 29th 14th 3rd

Ohio State has also implemented a hurry-up offense, which puts even more pressure on a defense. It also allows Terrelle Pryor’s instinct to take over. The results have been impressive. Personally this is what I’ve been waiting for ever since Pryor came to town. I thought he would be most effective given the pass/run option and because Ohio State has taken off the Pryor cuffs this offense has been nearly unstoppable.

Okay, that is the good from the Ohio State offense, let’s take a look at the bad, the running back situation.

Boom Herron isn’t “bad,” he’s just REALLY average. Brandon Saine is a weapon out of the backfield, but he is an inconsistent runner at best. Let’s take a look at the production of each back yesterday and see what sticks out:

Player Rushing Yards Rushing Average
Dan Herron 55 4.6
Brandon Saine 11 3.7
Jordan Hall 26 6.5
Jamaal Berry 74 18.5

We have established the change in Ohio State’s offensive philosophy, but with the Big Ten schedule a week away Ohio State needs to find someone other than Superman to run the ball.

Draw your own conclussions from the above data. I come away thinking that Hall and Berry need far more touches every game and Saine needs less. Discuss…

The defense was gashed by playaction… badly. On the first drive for Eastern Michigan they had a dropped bomb off playaction and as the game went on, all three of their touchdown drives came off devastating playaction passes. Something I’m sure offensive coordinators around the Big Ten will be looking at. And something Ohio State better get corrected before Wisconsin. They live off Playaction and they can actually run the ball, unlike Eastern Michigan.

It wasn’t all bad for the defense:

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Big Johnathan Hankins recorded his first sack of his career, hopefully the first of many.

Comments

  1. Wow–that pic gives new meaning to “Heyward was a handfull”. Did I miss the memo that they are no longer calling holding penalties???

  2. I agree Dan…this pic is a good illustration of how teams are handling the Ohio State defensive line, and for some reason they are getting away with it.

  3. It’s actually in the rule book – if a team is losing by more than four touchdowns, they are allowed one holding penalty per three downs.

    Look it up.

  4. BigRedBuckeye says

    “Ohio has also implemented a hurry-up offense, which puts even more presser on a defense.” – That’s great, but I come here to read about tOSU, not the Bobcats! Also, as long as the presser has plenty of Sen. Tressel dropping “and so forths” all over the place, I don’t care who we that presser on, offense, defense, the media, everyone!

    “Draw your own concussions from the above data.” It did hit me pretty hard that the young guys were running the ball better than the vets (and, often times, behind back-up O-Line members), but I can’t say I was concussed by it.

    All jesting aside, you are spot on in your analysis of the backs. The young guys need more totes.

  5. BigRedBuckeye says

    “who we put that presser on” – should say.

    Grammar-nazi-fail.

  6. 1. I can’t spell for shit, get used to it.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4vf8N6GpdM

    I absolutely love when Grammar Nazi’s actually take time out of their day to reply to and make fun of an internet post that has a few misspelled words and/or typos and do so by committing grammatical errors of their own.

    I shall call you BigRedDouche from now on.

    It’s out of love…

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