Archives for September 2013

So by now I am sure all of you know Ohio State beat Buffalo 40-20. Some of you are probably very happy with how the game went. Some of you are probably pretty upset by how the game went. Some of you are just content with how it went. So goes every sports game ever played and ever fan base ever.

That being said lets take a look at how the game went based on facts and not knee-jerk reactions. Ohio State came into the game with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Early on they showed flashes of what we all had envisioned this team to be over the long off-season.

Offense

OSU showed great speed and power in the run game. The Offensive line was blowing people off the line and opening gaping holes for Jordan Hall to have 2 long Touchdown runs of 49 and 37 yards. He finished the game with an impressive 21 carries for 159 yards and those 2 TDs.

The big question for the passing game was would Braxton Miller show improvement and would the WRs become playmakers. Braxton completed his first 7 passes and had a great early start throwing 2 TD passes in the 1st qtr. He had one really bad pass that ended up being a pick 6 by freak athlete Khalil Mack. Once the team got up big they went away from the passing game only throwing 5 total passes in the 2nd half. Braxton also suffered a lot with cramping like nearly everyone out there.

Kenny Guiton came in to spell Braxton when he had the cramping issues and led the team down the field and threw a TD pass on his first drive. Needless to say he is the best back-up in CFB IMO.

Dontre Wilson showed signs of being a star running the ball well and had a 51 yard KO return. He also had a bad fumble which isn’t surprising for a True Freshman.

Clearly the team was impressive going up big early and decided to not show their entire playbook early in the year and went vanilla for most of the game frustrating fans and media members alike.

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Yes, I understand Ohio State won 40-20 over Buffalo. Yes, I prefer a victory over a defeat, even if this was a victory marred by several issues, which I will address momentarily.

Ohio State cruised out to a 23-0 first quarter lead over visiting Buffalo, but seemed to lose focus over the remainder of the game. Below are some areas that I am believing need to be addressed for Ohio State to maintain its national championship goal for the 2013 season.

• Poor tackling, especially by members of the secondary. Tackling high meant not only broken tackles, but missed tackles in several instances.

• Muffed and juggled punts. Corey “Philly” Brown needs to fix that to avoid any turnovers.

• Lack of defensive pressure. Noah Spence had a sack that was nullified due to the penalty on Curtis Grant. Pressure was better later in the game, but it seemed to be lacking at the onset.

• Both Taylor Decker and Jack Mewhort struggled with pass protection. Yes, Khalil Mack is a tremendous player, but they seemed to struggle against other members of Buffalo’s defense.

• Why weren’t Warren Ball and Ezekiel Elliott used more? Where was Bri’onte Dunn? Ohio State sure could have used a strong physical running attack later in the game to control the clock.

• Why was Braxton Miller in the game at the end of the game? If anything, with Miller’s cramping issues, it would have made sense to give Kenny Guiton even more playing time.

• Why were Ohio State’s players cramping, while Buffalo had no cramping issues? That was very puzzling to watch. Yes, I know how hot and muggy it was – it was hot and muggy for both teams, not just one.

• Lastly, and maybe this is just my pet peeve…enough with the whole “scarlet and gray section” concept. Ohio State has tried to get fans to do this for the last two years, to no success. People are going to wear their scarlet shirts or jerseys, no matter which section they are assigned.

Big props to Jordan Hall for his outstanding performance as the starting tailback. Of the freshmen, I was most impressed with Joey Bosa along the defensive line.

Yes, victory always tastes better than defeat. It is also possible for Ohio State to learn and grow from a victory.

There is an old coaching adage that a team improves the most from its first game to its second game. With a likely poll drop, due to the somewhat lackluster performance, and with San Diego State coming to town, improvement in the second game will certainly be needed as the season progresses.

Welcome to the weekly installment where we look at the game from a statistical perspective. Feel free to add your thoughts. What stats impressed you? Any stats concern you? Here are 5 stats that stood out to me in week 1.

261 – The amount of total rushing yards led by Jordan Hall’s 159. Jordan ran for 2 touchdowns of 49 and 37 yards. Huge game for Jordan.

7 of 12 – Ohio State’s conversion rate on third down, very efficient. Braxton was poised in the pocket. The development of Braxton as a passer is noticeable. He is waiting the extra second and getting through a couple more progressions before he takes off.

12.5 – the average kick-off return yards for Buffalo. The special teams was solid. Buffalo consistently was backed up inside the 20 after Buckeye kickoffs.

1 – the number of sacks by the Ohio State defense. As I wrote in the linebacker preview, one thing that concerned me this year is the ability of the front four to get pressure on the opposing QB. This number will have to improve as the season progresses.

45/23 – the ratio of rushing to passing attempts. I realize this number is dependent on the ebb and flow of the game, but I would have liked to see this ratio less than 2 to 1. The total number of plays is lower than I expected as well. I will be interested to see how this ratio fluctuates as the season continues.

What is on your mind? Any other key stats?