Archives for September 2014

We lost a football game.

Here are some other things that happened in the past week:

The NCAA lifted Penn State’s scholarship sanctions and bowl ban. You might remember that these things were part of a massive package of punishments for covering up (or failing to properly investigate) serial child sexual abuser and former PSU defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. Most of the complaints about the harsh sanctions were centered around unfairly punishing people who weren’t Jerry Sandusky (or the people who failed to bring him to justice earlier.) Keep in mind that it is entirely impossible to punish a school without punishing people who had nothing to do with the thing being punished.

Now, former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden thinks Paterno’s vacated wins should be reinstated as well, because after all, it wasn’t JoePa doing unspeakable things to innocent children. This, of course, misses the point of the sanctions altogether, which was to jolt PSU and its community into rethinking the value they place on football over other things (not destroying children, for example.) Oh, and by the way, Bowden wouldn’t mind his wins back too, since you’re already over there.

As if that wasn’t enough, a large amount of Penn State students also would apparently like the Paterno statue back–although its removal was completely an institutional decision. It’s also worth noting that since the sanctions were imposed, PSU has managed to attract two pretty darn good coaches to what was supposed to be a smoldering crater of a football program.

So much for re-evaluating priorities.

Elsewhere, Rutgers decided to remove Ray Rice’s image from its stadium. You might think that this is related to the disgusting video of Rice knocking out his then-girlfriend in an elevator, but Rutgers says it’s just part of a routine weekly update of exhibits that are intended for current NFL players, which Ray Rice currently is not. (One has to wonder if they would add Rice back in should some team be dumb enough to pick him up in the future.)

The most amazing thing about this story is that Rice still had a job to lose after the initial video of the incident surfaced earlier this year–that version only showing the former Ravens RB dragging the unconscious woman out of the elevator. Somehow, that only warranted a two-game suspension. And spare me the defense of Goodell just following the rules, because my problem is with the fact that could ever become “the rules” in the first place.

On a lighter note, Eric Dickerson went ballistic on his alma mater, ranting about the current state of SMU football and longing for the dominant teams of his day, completely ignoring the fact that it was his and his teammates’ actions back then that crippled the program in the first place. Not to mention the fact that if it hadn’t been for the illicit wads of cash, none of those dominant players would have even gone to SMU. Oh, and Dickerson also mentioned that he and other former players decided that if “they” (read: SMU) didn’t want to “do anything” (read: win football games) then they should “kill the program.” Because winning is the only thing that matters, right?

So there’s three examples of the power of football in our society (what, you thought I wasn’t going anywhere with this?) The desire to win can lead people to openly break rules designed to achieve fairness, to set rules that devalue an entire group of human beings that isn’t even represented in the process, and to turn a blind eye to the most subhuman behavior imaginable.

You may think that Mark Emmert is a bumbling fool or that the NCAA is an antiquated, broken institution. You may think that vacating wins is a pointless punishment or that the so-called “Death Penalty” is too harsh of one. But these things are exactly what they were trying to fight with that monumental penalty against PSU. They saw a sports culture that had spiraled out of control and tried to take a stand against it.

But they failed. Lifting Penn State’s sanctions is essentially an admission of defeat. Has anything changed?

We lost a football game.

After a tough and emotionally draining performance against Virginia Tech, the Buckeyes are looking to bounce back against Kent State out of the MAC. Here are a few players to keep an eye on this Saturday as the Golden Flashes visit The Shoe.

Kent State

Colin Reardon, Quarterback

Chris Ash paid respect to Reardon in his presser this week stating the sophomore quarterback could cause the Buckeyes “trouble”. And to some extent he is right especially with the volume of throws Reardon is asked to attempt per game. In the Golden Flashes first two games Reardon has attempted 41 and 40 passes with varying amounts of success. In their first game versus Ohio, Reardon threw the ball very well boasting a 73% completion percentage accompanied by 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. However, Reardon struggled in his second contest only completing 42% of his passes versus a tougher MAC opponent, South Alabama. So somewhere in between lies the real Reardon.

Regardless of which Reardon shows up Saturday, the Buckeye seconary will see lots of balls thrown out to the perimeter and they will be asked to make tackles in space. Kent State does not boast a great rushing attack so Reardon will have the ball in his hands the majority of the game and the offenses success will live or die with Reardon.

Jon Cunningham, Nose Guard

Cunningham has been a welcome sight on the defensive front. Cunningham is only a freshman, but has had a productive first two starts registering 7 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and a forced fumble. He is no phenom on the inside but Cunningham does have a good engine and good size to him at almost 300 pounds. While normally I would not be concerned with a freshman nose guard from a mid-tier MAC program, the struggles of Ohio States interior offensive line last Saturday mixed with Cunningham’s fast start and growing confidence could provide some problems for Ohio State.

Richard Gray, Defensive End

Gray is the best play maker on the Golden Flashes defense. He did not play in 2013 due to ineligibility, but in 2012 he started one game,played in twelve, and recorded 8.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Gray is very talented and athletic at 6’2 250 pounds. He has had a good start to his 2014 campaign registering 10 tackles in his first two games and I imagine him to have an impact on Saturday. Gray will likely be moved around the line to see where he can have the most success, and I’m guessing he will end up spending most of his time versus Darryl Baldwin. Baldwin has proved that he struggles with athletic pass rushers so Gray would be wise to test the right side of the Buckeyes offensive line. Expect to see Gray with his hand in the dirt, standing up, dropping in to coverage, and doing anything else his coaches will need him to do. He is a very talented and versatile player that could be a valuable chess piece on Saturday.

Ohio State

Ezekiel Elliott

Elliott was expected to take over the starting running back spot this year and become Ohio States next great running back. He has flashed and he has impressed, but overall he has been wildly inconsistent. Elliott is very good once he gets out on the edge, but he needs to improve on his between the tackle running. Maybe take a few notes from the freshman pushing him for touches Curtis Samuel. Samuel hits the hole with speed and keeps his legs churning even after contact. I fully believe Elliott has that in him, he may just need a big game versus an inferior opponent to get him going on all cylinders. South Alabama’s running back averaged 4.9 yards per touch against Kent State last week so there should be no reason why Elliott can’t have similar success versus a mid-tier MAC opponent.

Jalin Marshall

Marshall had a solid opening performance versus Navy, but was largely held in check versus the Hokies. I expect Marshall to be heavily involved in this weeks gameplan, along with Dontre Wilson. The H-backs are crucial to this offenses success with the amount of touch passes and jet sweeps they like to run to the edges. The defense will largely be focused on containing Dontre Wilson, which should allow Marshall to get free on a few occasions. Marshall is a very dangerous, under the radar weapon for this offense and I would definitely like to see him more involved in the run and pass game. Look for Marshall to take a jet sweep to the house on Saturday, which could kick off his coming out party versus Kent State.

Noah Spence

The highly touted defensive line unit will become whole again this Saturday with the return of Noah Spence. Spence will not be starting on Saturday, but expect to see him in early and often to shake off any early season rust. Spence’s speed and athleticism on the edge will complete the nightmares opposing offensive lines should be having prior to the game Saturday. Even defensive coordinator Chris Ash stated he is excited to get Spence back on the field. I expect Ash to move Spence around a lot, drop him in to coverage, and incorporate him in to some zone blitzes Ash may have up his sleeve. The return of Spence will be huge for the Buckeyes not only on Saturday, but moving forward in the season as well.

Before going too in-depth about the challenges facing Ohio State football, I believe the proper thing to do is to compliment Virginia Tech and Coach Frank Beamer for its outstanding performance versus the Buckeyes on Saturday night in Ohio Stadium. Virginia Tech outplayed, and outcoached, Ohio State in its 35-21 victory. Congratulations to the Hokies – the 2015 game will be something to look forward to next Labor Day weekend.

A big thanks to my cousin John who hosted me, my sister Sue, and my brother-in-law Kevin. As always, it was great hanging out with Todd, Stef, Roger, Denny, and all of the traditional Ohio State fanatics at Todd’s tailgate.

How bad was it? Well…

A quote from ohiostatebuckeyes.com may help to put it into perspective…

“The loss to Virginia Tech was the first by Ohio State in an Ohio Stadium home opener in 36 years, or since Penn State defeated Woody Hayes’ 1978 Ohio State team with freshman quarterback Art Schlichter starting, 19-0. The loss was also the first to an unranked non-conference team in 33 years, or since Florida State defeated Ohio State, 36-27, in 1981.”

Here are some other numbers to contemplate…

– Worst home loss by point differential since 1999: Illinois 46, Ohio State 20, under Coach Cooper. While Coach Tressel had home losses, the worst home loss of his tenure by point differential took place in 2001, with the Steve Bellisari suspension resulting in another loss to Illinois, 34-22.

– Virginia Tech was 7/10 on third down conversions against Ohio State in the first half.

– Quarterback J.T. Barrett was sacked seven times by Virginia Tech.

– And in its last four games played, Ohio State is 1-3. As NFL Hall of Fame Coach Bill Parcells stated, “You are what your record says you are.”.

I could keep going, but I think you get the point. This was one of those games that my Dad used to say, “They really stunk up the joint.”.

I realize Ohio State fans are circling the wagons, as well they should. Now is the time for Ohio State’s coaches, players, and fans to rally behind Coach Meyer, and focus upon getting this team straightened out. This was a total team loss across the board, in every aspect. All of the coaches and players are pulling together to get this fixed.

Another thing my Dad used to tell me when I was growing up – “Anybody can cheer for a team when they are winning. The true test of a fan is to cheer when things are not going so well.”.

A loss like this hurts, and stings, but here is where the team can truly come together and grow for the remainder of the season. Kent State is coming into Ohio Stadium, with former Buckeye Najee Murray and former Ohio State assistant coach/current Kent State head coach Paul Haynes. Now is the time for Ohio State to rise from this defeat, and move forward as a team.

Or, as Coach Hayes used to say…

“There’s nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you…”

“Average” was the word Coach Meyer used to describe the performance of Ohio State’s defense on Saturday night. Chris Ash thought the performance showed some bright spots and largely the mistakes were due to mental, yet fixable errors. Coach Meyer also felt as though the defense was moving in the right direction and had a nice foundation to improve on. One could easily see why the coaches would be optimistic about their young defense as they forced three turnovers, and did fairly decent yardage wise versus a spread attack, at least compared to last years unit. However, one could easily question the coaches sanity and wonder if they ignored the countless mistakes in the red zone and on third down. I’ll break down each positions performance Saturday and allow you to be the judge of which is a more reasonable view to move forward with for the defense.

Defensive Line

This unit was touted as one of the best in the country prior to the 2014 season. I think that statement is accurate if, and only if, all four starters are on the field at the same time. I questioned the depth of this unit prior to the season and it still remains in question. Todd Blackledge made a great point Saturday night that, up until Joey Bosa’s strip sack, the Buckeyes pass rush was getting to Hokie QB, just not in enough time. The reason for that was because it was being made by 4 defensive tackles. And in large part he was right. The quickness and athleticism of Noah Spence was greatly missed Saturday night. Steve Miller and Rashaad Frazier both did a solid job together filling in, but I think Buckeye fans took Noah Spence for granted last year with the emergence of Joey Bosa. Bosa has proved that without Spence he can have moments of greatness on his talent alone, but this unit is completed with a true edge rusher like Spence.

Spence collapses the pocket much quicker than any other rusher for the Buckeyes, and often forces the quarterback towards Bosa or Bennett. Spence also provides the flexibility to drop in to coverage and I think Chris Ash is very excited to get him back for that reason. Ash can use Spence in multiple ways and move him around the line. With Spence in as well I think it allows Ash to have faith in only having to rush four if he needs to, which is a major advantage for the Buckeyes young secondary. This unit played well later in the game and their rotation is almost complete, but they will need to get Spence back before this unit can really take over games.

Linebackers

Ohio State does not have the experience at this position to play the way Chris Ash wants his linebackers to play. In my opinion if he could put Raekwon McMillan and Dante Booker on the field with Darron Lee that would be the preferred starting line-up for the defensive coordinator, but putting that much youth at such a key position could be dangerous for an already green back seven. For now Ash has Perry and Grant playing well in rush defense, but both showed their weaknesses in pass coverage on Saturday versus Virginia Tech’s tight ends and slot players.

Ash prefers to have his linebackers get a soft re-route on any player that cross in to their zone. Grant and Perry failed to do that multiple times as slot receiver Willie Byrnes and tight end Bucky Hodges had free releases and often went untouched in their routes. Grant and Perry were largely chasing shadows and were seen time and time again on the wrong end of highlights. Ash attributed these struggles to mental hurdles, but I’m not sure asking Grant and Perry to cover athletic tight ends and small quick slot receivers fits in to either’s downhill style of play.

Defensive Backs

This group had it’s forgettable moments Saturday night, but also had several bright spots. Lets begin with the obvious issues: 3rd down. I’m going to pick on Eli Apple for this instance because I think there was one play that stuck out to all fans on Saturday night. 3rd and 17 from the Hokies endzone and Hokie QB Brewer connected with freshman Isiah Ford for an 18 yard gain. It was one of the biggest mental blunders of the night and left Buckeye fans stunned. Apple did not know where the marker was, but his issues began long before the catch. Apple did not get his hands on Ford off the line of scrimmage and was set on preventing Ford from getting deep rather than worrying about the first down. Apple’s mental error could have been due to lack of faith in whether or not he had safety help over the top. Either way, the Hokies took advantage of this mistake and several other “mental errors” made by the Buckeyes Saturday night.

On the positive note, since I picked on Apple earlier I will praise him for his early interception. And he should be praised for the play. Apple gave the quarterback a very small window on the sideline which forced Brewer to throw the ball inside, Apple had his head turned, high pointed the ball and made the play. It was as textbook as you would like. Vonn Bell also made several nice plays Saturday night including a nice diving interception that came at a crucial part of the game. I’m sure Ash will show the secondary a mixture of both their solid plays, and mental errors to help the players understand not all was bad on Saturday night. Ash and his DB’s have began to lay a solid foundation moving forward and I think this group will only get better through the season.

Coaches

As soon as I posted my initial post game reaction there was one comment on the post that read “Fire Fickell”. I did not respond, because frankly that phrase has been used at nausea from Buckeye fans. Fickell may not be the most technically sound coach, and could be stuck in the old school with his love of hard nosed rush defending linebackers , but he brings a valuable aspect to coaching the defense which is the mentality it takes in game to adapt. I agree, he should not be in charge of the scheme or calling defensive plays, but having him on the field during the game to remind his guys to keep fighting and to provide them with the correct emotional feedback they need is vital during a game. No, I do not believe that firing Fickell will fix every defensive problem, I think getting the players more experience at game speed in a new scheme will help them get better.

That being said I think Ash did a solid job Saturday night. His players made young mental errors which was the most frustrating part of the performance on defense. The defensive line did not create much pressure rushing just four so Ash did blitz frequently. He never let up on being aggressive and going after Brewer and you have to credit him for sticking to his guns.

So what’s your judgement?

What do you guys think? Is this defense on the right track after Saturday’s performance or are you as concerned as you were last year? Let me know in the comments below!