Archives for January 2016

Bidding Best Wishes To Buckeyes As They Leave For Possible NFL Bounty

January 8, 2016 by Leave a Comment

For several members of the 2012 recruiting class, it began with a 56-10 victory over Miami University on September 1, 2012, in Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer’s first game as Ohio State’s head coach in Ohio Stadium. True freshmen such as Joshua Perry, Jacoby Boren, Michael Thomas, Tommy Schutt, Taylor Decker, and Adolphus Washington all participated, albeit as backups in mop-up time, for a team coming off a 6-7 season in 2011. Cam Williams, a highly-touted recruit, contributed later in the season against Alabama-Birmingham, as a special teams coverage player. These were recruited players who signed on for a team that was going to be denied a bowl berth at the end of the 2012 season, despite the fact that these players signed in 2012 had absolutely nothing to do with the transgressions that led to the penalty.

Some of the players who helped to contribute to Coach Meyer’s tremendous 2012 season were players who signed to play for former Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel, battled through the tumultuous 2011 season under interim Ohio State Head Coach Luke Fickell, and were strong enough to stay during the transition to Coach Meyer. The most dynamic of these players was Braxton Miller, but Miller was joined in the 2012 season by classmates such as Bryce Haynes, Nick Vannett, Chase Farris, and Joel Hale.

Even though 2012 was an undefeated season, Coach Meyer knew that reinforcements were desperately needed to effectively transform the Buckeyes into the type of team that would be capable of challenging for B1G Conference championships – national championships were still too far to contemplate. In February 2013, players such as Joey Bosa, Vonn Bell, and Ezekiel Elliott were among those who signed with the Buckeyes and played during the 2013 season; much to Coach Meyer’s chagrin, so many of the talented players were regrettably redshirted in 2013.

During the 2013 season, assistance came in the form of some of the 2012 redshirted players, such as Warren Ball on special teams. Remember that Ball verballed to Coach Tressel, stayed with his commitment during 2011 under Coach Fickell, and was willing to help the team, even in a reduced manner, under Coach Meyer. It could be argued that one of the biggest contributions from the 2012 class came when most needed and most unexpected, as Tyvis Powell, a safety who redshirted in 2012, came up with an interception to preserve a victory in Ann Arbor over That Team Up North in 2013. Powell was the first player to verbal to Ohio State and Coach Fickell after Coach Tressel resigned in May 2011.

In 2014, several of those talented but redshirted freshmen from the 2013 recruiting class were ready and eager to contribute on the field for the Buckeyes. Jalin Marshall, Eli Apple, and Darron Lee seemingly came out of nowhere to play prominently. A former Georgia Tech scholarship player, who chose to walk-on at Ohio State, by the name of Jeff Greene contributed on special teams. Perhaps the biggest contribution came from arguably the most unheralded player from either the 2012 or 2013 classes, a player Urban Meyer seemingly did not want, by the name of Cardale Jones.

In 2015, a player named Jack Willoughby decided to end his collegiate career as a Buckeye, after a successful four year career for Duke. Even though Willoughby had not taken nearly as long of a road as so many others within the program, Willoughby’s contributions were tremendously appreciated by the coaching staff, his new teammates, and the Buckeye faithful.

There are so many memories from this group of Buckeyes, from the 2012 season until the 2015 season. Fifty wins over a four year span, equaling a record held by Boise State. I feel at a loss for words, so I will simply write…

Thank You.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

My Postseason Draft Predictions

January 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment

If you are a regular “MOTSAG” reader, then you would know that several weeks ago I gave my predictions on which underclassmen would declare for the draft, and then a prediction on which seniors would get drafted. Obviously, I underestimated the amount of underclassmen that would declare for the draft. Of the 10 players seriously pondering leaving, only one stayed, and that was Pat Elflein. Also, since the draft obviously hasn’t happened yet, my original predictions haven’t been proven correct or incorrect, so as far as the seniors, my prediction for their draft stock will likely stay similar.

Whether you are a crazed Ohio State fan, or just like to watch, or read about them every once in a while, these underclassmen’s names should be very familiar. Some of them were highly recruited players coming out of high school, and others have developed into stars while under Urban Meyer and the Ohio State staff. Let’s start with Michael Thomas.

Mike, or as many of you know him, “CantGuardMike” wasn’t very highly recruited coming out of high school. He went to a prep school, with Cardale, and then came to Columbus. He had a slow freshman season, and then he even redshirted his true sophomore year. It was a tough year for him since he wasn’t used to being “benched”. The next year, his RS Sophomore year, he ended up being the most complete WR Ohio State had on it’s roster. This past year, even though the team didn’t have a great passing year as a whole, Mike showed that he was/is an elite receiver. Mike is as tough, skilled, and competitive guy as you’ll find. It also doesn’t hurt that his uncle is Keyshawn Johnson. I think Mike will be drafted in the late parts of the first round.

Tyvis Powell and Vonn Bell have been the starting safeties for the Buckeyes these past two years. They helped take the defense from bad, to arguably best in the country. While these two were partners in the defensive backfield, they have contrasting styles. Vonn is a shorter, quicker guy with good coverage skills, and isn’t afraid to come down and stop the run. Tyvis is a taller, stronger defender who isn’t quite as solid in coverage as Vonn. I say this, but many NFL scouts say they prefer Tyvis over Vonn. Still, Vonn is the top ranked safety in this draft class, so I think he will be a first round selection. Tyvis, on the other hand, wasn’t expected to leave Ohio State. Many thought he needed another year of development. So, despite what some scouts say, I believe Tyvis Powell will be about a 5th round pick.

Another defensive back from Ohio State that declared for the draft was Eli Apple. Eli is the prototype for the type of corners that Urban wants at Ohio State; long body with speed to run with receivers. That’s exactly what Eli brings to the table. Some people questioned his ability to stay with speedy receivers, but against Notre Dame he showed he can play with anybody. With the unteachable characteristics that Eli has, I believe he will be a first round pick.

Two more defenders from the 2013 class that declared was Joey Bosa and Darron Lee. One was very much expected to leave, and the other one was questionable. I’m sure you can figure out the ones I’m speaking of. Since after his freshman season, everybody knew Joey was going to be a star. After his sophomore season, everybody knew he was going to leave and be a very high draft pick. So, it’s no surprise Joey left. I, along with may others, believe Joey is the best player in college football, so inevitably I think he should be the 1st overall pick in the draft. Ultimately though, I think he will be selected 2nd to the Cleveland Browns (bless his soul). Like I was pointing towards earlier, Darron wasn’t necessarily expected to leave after 3 years. He came in to Ohio State as a skinny 3 star QB, and after his RS freshman season, he was looked at as one of the best linebackers in the nation. So, it’s possible Darron gets picked in the 1st round, but I believe he will be a second round selection.

These next few underclassmen that declared all played on the offensive side of the ball. They came in the form of Ezekiel Elliott, Cardale Jones, and Jalin Marshall. As for Zeke, a few years ago, many people thought that the RB was a dying position in football. This arose from the fact that very few, if any RBs were being selected in the 1st round of the draft, coupled with the evolution of the game, and the shorter “life-span” for the RBs. This year, though, Todd Gurley proved that selecting a RB in the 1st round can pay dividends. Personally, I think Zeke is better than what Todd Gurley was, so I expect Zeke to go mid-1st round. As for Cardale, he could’ve been selected in the top 3 rounds last year had he decided to leave. After a poor season this year, it doesn’t seem as if Dale’s draft stock is nearly as high. I still think he will get drafted, mostly just because of the size and arm strength he has that all NFL teams crave. He will get drafted near the same time as Tyvis, so I think he will be selected around the 5th round as well. Finally, I was honestly surprised when Jalin Marshall announced that he was leaving for the NFL. After all, this is just his 3rd year every playing wide receiver, and his 1st year playing on the outside. I think he could’ve gained the most by coming back for another year, but with his athleticism, once the 4th round comes along, teams won’t be able to pass on him. I think he ends up being a 3rd or 4th round selection.

And for the seniors, I don’t think there are as many of them that will get drafted. The only guys who will get drafted are Braxton Miller, Taylor Decker, Adolphus Washington, Josh Perry, and Nick Vannett. As a first year WR, Braxton will probably get drafted in the 5th or 6th simply because of how great an athlete is. Had he been an unproven athlete doing the same thing, he would not get drafted. Taylor Decker is an elite offensive tackle. He has ideal size at 6’8″, and has anchored the Ohio State line for 2 years (3 if you count when he played RT). Taylor has potential to go first round, but I would say he gets picked very early in the 2nd round. Adolphus Washington had an outstanding year, and his future was looking very bright until he got in trouble with the law. If he and NFL teams can move beyond that situation, I believe Adolphus should be a 1st round pick. Josh Perry has been a rock for the “Silver Bullets.” He has been a silent tackling machine. He’s got great size and strength, with above average speed for his size. Josh has the makings to be a 2nd round pick. Finally, Nick Vannett has been an outstanding TE for Ohio State. He often gets overlooked because in our offense, the TE isn’t utilized much in the passing game. NFL teams will thoroughly watch his film and see that he does great will called upon to run a route, and is fantastic at staying in the backfield to protect the QB. He’s a very unselfish player. I think he is a 5th round talent, which is solid for a tight end.

Overall, we should expect 13 Buckeyes to get drafted in this upcoming draft. It’s going to be an exciting time as the guys we’ve all come to know and love move on to live out their dreams and play at the next level. Don’t be worried about this hurting the team next season, though. Will the team be inexperienced next year? Yes. But will they have talent? Absolutely, and some of, if not the best in the nation at that. The future is bright at Ohio State, and like with getting good assistant coaches, you have to deal with them leaving after a few years. But, you know what that means? A new star coach will come in because he wants that same opportunity. Enjoy this time as an Ohio State fan, because we are lucky. Go Bucks!

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Men of the Scarlet and Gray Podcast Fiesta Champions

January 6, 2016 by Leave a Comment

I reminisce with Chip Minnich about the Desert showdown that was the Fiesta Bowl on New Years day. We give a little recap about the game versus Notre Dame, offensive and defensive players of the game, we even touched on the targeting call made against Joey Bosa.

Chip and I discuss some of the juniors leaving early for the NFL (at the time of the recording Vonn Bell had not declared but has since). Nine underclassmen are putting the Scarlet and Gray down to join the big boys in the NFL. We also talk about defensive coordinator change with Chris Ash going to Rutgers and Greg Schiano now the Buckeyes new co-defensive coordinator.

We also give our prediction of who might be the winner of the national championship game coming up between Alabama and Clemson.

Filed Under: College Football, College Football Playoff, NFL Draft, Ohio State Football, Podcast, Pro Football

Projecting Ohio State’s 2016 Starters

January 5, 2016 by 6 Comments

With the mass exodus of OSU underclassmen to the NFL draft I thought it would be difficult to name all 22 starters this far in advance. Hint: It wasn’t difficult at all. In fact it was so easy that it took me 3 minutes to do so lets take a look at what we have.

OFFENSE

QB- JT Barrett
RB- Mike Weber
HB- Curtis Samuel
WR- Noah Brown
WR- Corey Smith (if he returns)
TE- Marcus Baugh
LT- Brandon Bowen
LG- Billy Price
C- Pat Elfien
RG- Demetrious Knox
RT- Jamarco Jones

DEFENSE

DE- Tyquan Lewis
DT- Tracy Sprinkle
DT- Michael Hill
DE- Sam Hubbard
LB- Raekwon McMillan
LB- Chris Worley
LB- Dante Booker
CB- Damon Webb
FS- Malik Hooker
SS- Erick Smith
CB- Gareon Conley

Sure I may have a few mistakes here but everyone of these guys are capable and talented enough to help OSU win a bunch of games. What do you think?

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

All Things Buckeyes

January 5, 2016 by Leave a Comment

The Battle of CFB’s Storied Programs:

Well after defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Fiesta Bowl, the Buckeyes season ends on a high note.  Although, it was only a 16 point win, the Buckeye defense showed promise after DE Joey Bosa exited the game mid to late first quarter.  Backup Sam Hubbard took Bosa’s place and did an admiral job during his absence.  Tyquan Lewis was also playing at a high level throughout the game and as the only starter left on the defensive line, he definitely will have momentum in the upcoming season.  It was evident that Bosa was sorely missed after his untimely exit, but the Buckeyes possess talent all over the depth chart and at every position.  But like always the next man up mentality that is instilled into the culture of the Buckeyes thrived and showed out once again.  Bosa being out and Lewis as the only remaining starter left on the defensive line, with Adolphus Washington serving a suspension and Tommy Schutt out with a broken foot, the reserves show that talent is there at every position.  The struggled in the beginning but came up clutch in the end registering back to back sacks and Darron Lee capped it off with a strip sack to seal the game in the end.

The offense was running on all cylinders and J.T. Barrett and Ezekiel Elliot had their way with the injury-riddled Notre Dame defense who also lost a star in the first quarter in Jaylin Smith, who in fact was a huge Buckeye target and the brother of former Buckeye Running Back, Rod Smith.  Michael Thomas also had a good game scoring a touchdown on a hitch route in the redzone.  The game was never in doubt.  The Buckeyes saw Sparty get demolished by Alabama and the questions and thoughts of “what could have been” plagued the Buckeyes.  In the game it showed the angry and motivated team that should use this as a kickstarter to next years season.  As displayed and heard by Ezekiel Elliot, the Irish “did not want to be there anymore”.  The passion and the motivation was there and it could springboard next years team who, if I am not mistaken, travel to Oklahoma for what is a home and home.  The Buckeyes definitely proved that when they are motivated and when they want to, they cannot be stop and they are one of the best teams in the nation, if not the best.  They will most undoubtedly use this as fuel for next year but it is the end and I am looking forward to National Signing Day.

The Exodus Begins:

It is now official, the Buckeyes season is done and now it is just a waiting game to see who will stay and who will go.  As of now, Bosa, Lee, Powell and Elliot have all declared.  Bell and Thomas are also expected to follow suit, but haven’t let their intentions known.  I will continue to update you on this, but for now let us savor that Fiesta Bowl victory.

The Recruiting Wars:

The Buckeyes received a commitment by way of New York in Jahsen Wint.  The Buckeyes get their yearly flip and there could be one or two more coming.  There is definitely a few more precious spots left and with the potential early NFL Draft departures, there could be more scholly’s up for grabs.  The Buckeyes are looking to close out strong with the number one recruiting class and with the recent LSU commitments, we need a huge effort to close out this year.  My wish list would be Victor, Corley, Gary (Longshot), Lawrence (Another one), Fuller, Hamlin and Haskins.  I am definitely dreaming but anything can happen so we shall see if we can get another few surprises on National Signing Day.

Filed Under: B1G Football, College Football, College Football Playoff, College Football Recruiting, NFL, NFL Draft, Ohio State Football

All Things Buckeyes

January 5, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Injury News:

The Fiesta Bowl showdown with the Golden Domers is only a week away and the Buckeyes have let that pesky injury bug into the locker room.  News broke recently that supposed starter, Tommy Schutt has been battling an unspecified foot injury for the past few weeks.  Now the team doctors have finally identified the problem.  Tommy Schutt has been diagnosed with a broken foot and is now officially out of the Fiesta Bowl.  He is ending his Ohio State career with what is essentially a season ending injury, but if it is any consolation, he will be more than fine in the long run.

Brax Sighting ?:

Will we have the privilege of seeing a Braxton Miller filled game plan?  I sure hope so.  I would love to see Miller light up Nortre Dame’s defense and cap off his Buckeye career with a resounding and convincing win.  With the Fiesta Bowl being the venue of his last career game, I feel like the coaches will try to highlight their outbound players in some manner to reward them for their loyalty and their commitment to the program.  With the draft coming within the next few months, I feel like they are just foaming at the mouth at the opportunity to finish their season.  I feel like there will be a few newer wrinkles to both the offense and the defense.  I am hopeful that they will find a way to get everyone, including Braxton Miller to get involved.

Recruiting News:

Well the Buckeyes lost out on a couple of prominently known defensive lineman over the last two weeks.  Dexter Lawrence from North Carolina committed to the Clemson Tigers and Antwuan Jackson from Georgia committed to Auburn.  These are huge losses in the recruiting trail, but the Buckeyes still are in the running for a few highly sought after defensive lineman.  Louisiana’s Rashard Lawrence, New Jersey’s Rashan Gary and Georgia’s Tyler Clark.  If none of these names end up a Buckeye commitment, then it is certainly not the end of the world.  The Buckeyes have more than enough talent and playmakers to occupy those positions or potentially man them at a high level to keep the Buckeyes afloat.  There aren’t that many spots left in this years class.  There is approximately 5-8 spots left and there can be as many as 10 depending on which underclassmen choose to do in regards to leaving early for this years draft.  It is nothing official and mostly guess work, but you can say that the end of this recruiting year will and should end in spectacular fashion.  Expect fireworks.

 

Filed Under: B1G Football, College Football Recruiting, NFL Draft, Ohio State Football

The 2016 Fiesta Bowl: A Desert Showdown

January 1, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of Battlefrog Fiesta Bowl

Image courtesy of Battlefrog Fiesta Bowl


Ten years ago Jim Tressel and the Ohio State Buckeyes traveled to Arizona to play in the Fiesta Bowl against the Charlie Weiss Notre Dame Fighting Irish. During that time Weiss was suppose to be the hottest coach in America bringing the Golden Domers back into national prominance.

Little did we know that the next ten years Notre Dame would play in one national championship game and Weiss wasn’t their coach. The Buckeyes played in three national championships games, they went 1-3 in those games. Ironically losing one to the Urban Meyer Florida Gators, who is now Head Coach for the Buckeyes. You might have heard he won a national title last year.

Before we go and bust out the split Hawk/Quinn jersey reminiscing, just wanted to really say who would have thought how much things have changed for both teams.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish had a few good seasons under Weiss but faltered which brought in Brian Kelly. Kelly has done what Weiss (who is finally done milking the Golden Domer cow) wasn’t able to do. Kelly had the Irish going undefeated in 2012 and played Alabama in National Championship. It is this contributors contention the Buckeyes should have self-imposed a 2011 bowl ban. Thus allowing two undefeated teams having played each other, my bias has me believing Ohio State would have won another major trophy.

Now here we are after the ball dropped last night, officially making it 2016.

The Ohio State Buckeyes facing off against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Urban Meyer versus Brian Kelly.

Naturally there are some story lines like Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Mike Sanford having Urban Meyer connections and the alleged story he might have turned down the Buckeyes position allowing Tim Beck to be the man. There is also former running backs coach from Brian Kelly’s Notre Dame team leaving after national signing day to join the Buckeyes.

This game will have repercussions on the recruiting circuit. Both coaches are flipping and flopping each other commits, with them looking for a lot of the same players in order to be at that elite level. The other repercussion would be the fan bases. The winner gets to brag about which team truly elite. Both universities are a couple of the top teams in the nation with gigantic following’s and naturally lots of hate too.

Fun Fact All-time Fiesta Bowl Record

The Ohio State Buckeyes are 4-2 (the Florida title game wasn’t a Fiesta Bowl)

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are 1-3

Today at 1 PM EST is the kickoff from the desert of Arizona

TELEVISION

ESPN national telecast with Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Chris Spielman (analysis), Todd
McShay (sideline).

Notre Dame has played a pretty tough schedule, being an independent school allows this. Even though they are somehow connected with the ACC but aren’t (that’s a rant for another time). They lost to Clemson (who will be playing Alabama in the championship game) and Stanford (who will face Iowa in the Rose Bowl). Those two losses were by a total of four points combined. The Fighting Irish suffered a lot of major injuries during the beginning of the season but have shown the next man up mantra. They were a team a lot of folks picked to be in the playoffs this season but unfortunately for them it didn’t happen.

Ohio State hasn’t played as difficult schedule because well some of the Big Ten weren’t that strong but hopefully the tide will be turning on that. The had one lone loss in the second to last week against Sparty (who got embarrassed by Alabama last night). The season for Ohio State, which many national media picked to win back to back championships, was a disappointment for many a fan like myself not because of not making the playoffs but as the offensive struggles went. The Buckeyes had to endure major injuries to the wide receiver position losing Noah Brown before the season then Corey Smith. There were lots of suspensions to players on the team then, besides the offensive play calling, there seemed like the offensive players didn’t execute as well as last season.

Let’s get into the meat of this preview and start breaking it all down shall we.

Notre Dame Offense vs Ohio State Defense

The Fighting Irish run a spread type offense like Ohio State does but its more of balanced attack. The Golden Domers can run the ball well averaging 215.17 yards per game. having an offensive line that averages 6 feet 5.5 inches and weighing 313 pounds allows C.J Prosise to average a little ove a hundred yards a game (103.2) and quarterback Deshone Kizer who has some wheels average almost 42 a game (41.6).

Speaking of Kizer he does a good job throwing the pigskin with a completion rate of 62.6 percent and averaging 256.3 yards per game in the air. His main target is 6 ft 1 inch Will Fuller (he announced hes coming back for 2016 season). Fuller who weighs 185 pounds has 50 receptions for over a thousand yards (1009) this season. He has averaged 20.2 yards per reception, he also has 9 drops on the season with 21 first downs and 12 touchdowns.

The keys for Buckeyes on defense will be to obviously stop the run especially keeping Kizer contained which running quarterbacks have shown to be an issue for them. Being down two defensive lineman (Washington and Schutt) this can create some problems. Ohio States secondary has shown they can match up and lock players down. The combo of Eli Apple and Gareon Conley has only allowed 32 receptions on 85 targets on the season (37.65%). The linebacker corp of Raekwon McMillen, Joshua Perry and Darron Lee is one of the best and they will be creating havoc. Safeties Vonn Bell and Tyvis Powell will also be all over the field. Hopefully the Silver Bullet defense shows up for many of these awesome defensive players who will probably be playing their last game wearing Scarlet and Gray.

Ohio State Offense vs Notre Dame Defense

All season the Buckeye offense seemed dazed and confused. Many Ohio State fans were blaming Cardale Jones for the ineffectiveness, it all wasn’t his fault as proven by Barrett struggling also during key points of the season. The Buckeyes have a major weapon with running back Ezekiel Elliott who will be playing in his final game. The Scarlet and Gray have been having issues throwing the ball but they kind of opened up the offense more against the Wolverines in the regular season finale. Barrett and company showed in that final regular season game tempo is the key and a major advantage for them. I am looking to see some special plays for Braxton Miller who will be also playing his final game. I have a feeling we will finally see the alleged double pass in this game and maybe more than once if used early and successfull.

Notre Dame defense is pretty good having a national ranking of 38. They surrender 166.75 yards on the ground, that is one of the major kinks in their armour. Their secondary has allowed just under 200 (195.7) a game in the air but took some hits with starting cornerback Devin Butler suffering a broken foot during Monday’s practice. Starting safety Max Redfield has been sent home for violating team rules. Their secondary had some hits already this season so this isn’t a good thing for the Fighting Irish. The Buckeye offensive line, who had their best game against TUN, will be having their hands full with defensive tackle Sheldon Day and defensive end Romeo Okwara. The Irish also are getting defensive tackle Jarron Jones back from a torn MCL.

Closing Thoughts

The keys for each team is going to be the offensive lines. The team that can control the line the most will come out of this game with the win. Buckeyes will need their offense to move the ball, allowing the defense to get some rest (unlike the MSU game). A lot of these players for Ohio State be playing for the Buckeyes for the final time. Will they give Buckye Nation their all for their final game? There is going to be a lot of talent on both sides of the field with a bunch of NFL scouts keeping their eye on this game.

Prediction

I stated on the Men of the Scarlet and Gray podcast I am going with Ohio State 42-34. The Buckeyes have experienced some good fortune in the desert, hopefully that continues allowing these Buckeyes to be remebered as some of the best ever.

Filed Under: B1G Football, College Football, College Football Playoff, Ohio State Football Tagged With:

The 2016 Fiesta Bowl May Be A Festive & Fitting End For The 2015 Buckeyes

January 1, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Happy New Year! Hopefully this article comes to you in good spirits, with no lingering after effects from your previous night’s exploits and adventures…

Many thanks to Shannon Sommers for a terrific year of managing our Men of the Scarlet and Gray Podcast. Our latest podcast featured Tony Gerdeman of theozone.net, discussing Tony’s latest book “The Thrillogy“, which details Ohio State’s three game victory march to the 2015 national championship over Wisconsin, Alabama, and Oregon. If you are not following Tony Gerdeman already on Twitter, do yourselves a favor and start following him @GerdOZone. In addition to discussing Tony’s book, Shannon, Tony, and I all gave our thoughts as they relate to The 2016 Battlefrog Fiesta Bowl. By the way, in case any of you were wondering what or who Battlefrog is, here is a link to help educate you before kickoff. You are all welcome.

Tony predicted an Ohio State victory, as did Shannon, and myself. Below are three critical areas I will be watching as The 2016 Battlefrog Fiesta Bowl unfolds at 1pm EST on ESPN…

1. What Will The Ohio State Offense Look Like Against Notre Dame? ~ As I have stated repeatedly heading into this bowl game, Ohio State has only truly looked dynamic on offense at Virginia Tech, portions of the Penn State game, at Rutgers, and most recently, at That Team Up North. Will J.T. Barrett get the keys to the car, entrusted to involve everyone within the offense, but not force the ball to certain people?

2. How Will Ohio State’s Secondary Handle Notre Dame’s Will Fuller? ~ Will Fuller comes into this bowl game with 56 receptions for 1145 yards, averaging 20.4 yards per reception, and 13 touchdowns. How will Ohio State’s secondary handle a gifted deep threat like Fuller? Keep an eye on if Eli Apple or Gareon Conley are matched up with Fuller, as well as how the safeties play.

3. Savor The Last Game Of Braxton Miller In An Ohio State Uniform ~ This kind of ties into the point I made up above in point 1 about the Ohio State offense “not force the ball to certain people“. Many times this season, the Ohio State coaching staff repeatedly tried to involve Braxton Miller, and sometimes it resulted in a detriment to the team. Will the coaching staff, led by Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer, make some of the same mistakes? From a selfish perspective, I am hoping to see one last moment of Braxton Miller’s magic in an Ohio State uniform, no matter if it is forced or not.

Notre Dame has a sneaky good type of offense, and Brian Kelly is certainly one of the better coaches in college football. Ohio State’s offensive line, featuring seniors Taylor Decker, Jacoby Boren, and Chase Farris, should be able to control the line of scrimmage against a decent, but not overwhelming, Notre Dame defensive line. If Ohio State can establish a strong running game with Ezekiel Elliott and Barrett, the play-action passing game should be able to thrive against a weakened Notre Dame secondary. I have it Ohio State 42, Notre Dame 31, with Ohio State running out the clock late in the second half, to send off the 2015 squad on a victorious note.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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