This weekend will mark the first time the Buckeyes Head Coach Urban Meyer goes toe to toe with one of his former coaches, Chris Ash who was the Buckeyes Co-Defensive Coordinator/Secondary Coach for the last two seasons. Â Ash took a Head Coaching job within the BIG 10 and he is the newly minted coach at Rutgers. Â This will be one of those games that could get out of hand quickly, but I look for Urban Meyer to show “some” mercy for his first clash or encounter with a former member of the Urban Meyer coaching tree.
Chris Ash spent two years at Ohio State coaching up the Defensive Backs.  During his tenure, he helped develop players such as Doran Grant, Eli Apple, Tyvis Powell and Vonn Bell.  He helped secure the commitments of some notable players like current players, Defensive End Jashon Cornell, Running Back Antonio Williams and Wideout K.J. Hill.  He brought in Safeties Isaiah Pryor and Brendon White for the 2017 Class.  He has proven that he was one of Ohio State’s best recruiters during his tenure and now that he is the head man at Rutgers, it is just a waiting game until he can stop the TTUN’s pipeline in the talent-rich state of New Jersey.  You can expect to see a lot of rugby-style tackles from the Scarlet Knights’ defense.  A lot of man to man defense.  A lot of press coverage.  I am not going to discredit Ash’s ability to turn a team around and I don’t plan on starting.
What if I had told you that sure, we lost Chris Ash to Rutgers, but we gained a former Rutgers Head Coach of 11 years and a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach in Greg Schiano? Â Well, it happened as quickly as Ash left for the Rutgers job. Â Greg Schiano basically built his career up from the dust during his tenure in Piscataway, New Jersey. Â He wasn’t known for flashy offenses, but he had a reputation for coaching high-caliber, highly effective defenses. Â He mirrors the defensive scheme that Coach Ash left behind. Â They both play man coverage and place their corners on islands. Â They both preach hard-nosed defense that covers opposing Wideouts for the duration of the play, so the front seven can put additional pressure on the Quarterback. Â The only difference? Â Coach Ash wanted to minimize big plays by shutting down the opposing offense, forcing punts. Â Coach Schiano craves and wants takeaways. Â Now seeing how Ohio State’s defense is leading the nation in takeaways and scoring defense, I think they responded accordingly without any dropoff in production.
J.T. Barrett will go up against a Rutgers defense that is giving up  362 yards per game, 180 through the air and 181 on the ground.  J.T. Barrett and his offense average about 545 yards in total offense, 239 through the air and 306 on the ground.  That is well over the averages that the Rutgers have been giving up after three weeks into the young College Football Season.  Barrett is completing 67% of his passes, averaging 8.90 yards per attempt. He has 650 passing yards with 10 touchdowns against one  interception.  Barrett, being the Dual-Threat that he is, has 159 rushing yards for three scores.  The Slobs are also gelling together and they have given up two sacks in the season.  The Slobs are young, but minus the penalties, they will grow into their roles as the season advances.  They will be prepared to grind out the meaty, more difficult portion of their schedule during the last half of the season.
Chirs Laviano will be the starting Quarterback, opposite of Barrett
. He has an almost identical numbers compared to Barrett. Â He has 647 passing yards with 5 touchdowns against two interceptions. The only difference is Laviano isn’t a Dual-Threat Quarterback. Laviano comes into the game with a 52% completion rating which isn’t good by any Head Coaches standards. Â Add that to the fact that he has been sacked 8 times, let’s just say that he might not like what the Silver Bullets have in store for him once he visits during Homecoming. Â He will look to take care of the ball and feed Robert Martin the rock to soften up the Buckeye Defense. Â It is easier said than done, but you never know in College Football. Â Things don’t always go according to plan and they MIGHT come in with a massive chip on their shoulders after they opened up as 38 point underdogs to start the new week.
The “Basic” Defense comes into the game after a convincing and satisfying win in Norman against a Sooners team that began the season as the #3 team in the nation. Â The Silver Bullets are back and they are feeding off of the mindset of Greg Schiano. Â They are looking for the takeaways and they sit at +11 and the #1 in the Nation In Takeaways. Â They will be going against a Rutgers offense that has struggled, so the results will vary, but I am feeling like since it is Homecoming at Ohio State, all bets are off. Â The Silver Bullets will look to put the pressure on early and often, forcing Laviano and his offense to struggle mightily. Â With no dependable Offensive Lineman on the roster, the Scarlet Knights might endure another long game. Â For what it’s worth, the Buckeyes are giving up 278 yards per game, 176 through the air and 102 on the ground so we will see if the Rutgers can get something going against a stout and loaded Ohio State Defense.
The Rutgers Defense is the polar opposite of the Ohio State Defense. Â They were lit up at Washington to open up the season and they currently are sitting at 2-2 coming into the game. Â The defense surrendered a total of 42 points combined to Howard University and New Mexico which doesn’t bode well for the Scarlet Knights because Ohio State is averaging 56.7 points per game through 3 games. Â They have a few sacks and interceptions, but they came during garbage time and against sub-par teams. The Rutgers will be tested early and often. Â I expect J.T. Barrett and company to run in down their throats until they find passing lanes, then before you know it the Buckeye reserves will gain some valuable playing after the game gets out of hand.
Prediction:
J.T. Barrett: Â 245 yards with 3 touchdowns, 7 rushes for 1 touchdown
Mike Weber: Â 104 yards with 1 touchdown
Curtis Samuel: Â 120 yards receiving with 1 touchdown, 10 rushes for 70 yards and 1 touchdown
Noah Brown: Â 4 catches for 62 yards and 2Â touchdowns
Buckeyes Defense: Â 4 QB Sacks, 1 Forced Fumble, 2 Interceptions with 1 going for six
Although this will be a game early, the Buckeyes will blow the doors off and at least approach their season average for points per game. Â J.T. Barrett lights up the Rutgers Secondary, Mike Weber grinds out the clock and gets his second score of the season, Curtis Samuel acts as the Swiss Army Knife once again and Noah Brown puts another helpless Defensive Back on a poster. Â The Silver Bullets swarm and engulf Laviano forcing pressure from start to beginning. Â Forcing him to make costly turnovers early and often. Â The Defensive Unit surrendered two offensive touchdowns last week to the Sooners and they will be looking for redemption against the Rutgers. Â The Rutgers line flounders once again and Baby Bosa garners another sack to make big brother proud. Â The knockout blow will be a near deathblow and let’s just say Coach Meyer’s Special Teams Unit makes a play this week. Â I don’t know who it’ll be, but I am calling for a blocked kick or punt or even a kickoff or punt return. Â Maybe I am expecting too much, but it has been a while.
Final: Â Ohio State over Rutgers 55-12
Recruiting Tidbit:
Mr. Ohio State Danny Clark has just decommitted from the Buckeyes after finally accepting the fact that he was no longer the future at Ohio State. Â Clark had been committed for quite some time and it is truly sad to see him go, but I wish him luck with whichever team he chooses to play for. Â Crystal Balls have been in Kentucky’s favor, but we will see. Â I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up in the BIG 10.. Â Maybe playing for Coach Ash in Piscataway. Â That would be crazy, but for now he will re-open it up. Â His spot is now up for grabs and there are still a lot of fish in the recruiting ocean for Ohio State to catch. Â Maybe Ohio State uses it to add another Playmaking Wideout or another Linebacker or Defensive Lineman. Â Who knows and the recruiting world is unpredictable. Â It is another interesting thing to follow as the path to National Signing Day appraoches.
 Zone 6 member Noah Brown torched every Defensive Back that attempted to cover him en route to his stellar performance. Brown, who returned after suffering a severe leg injury, came back with authority.  Brown was always a good player, but tonight he took a step toward greatness as he caught 5 passes for 72 yards and 4 highlight reel touchdowns.  He looked unstoppable.  He caught passes over helpless Defensive Backs and around them too.  Literally!  He was destroying the opposing defenders and although he only caught 5 passes, the damage had been done and you could see the dejection in their eyes. The crowd that was once filled with energy lacked the spark that made their home field one of the most intimidating and nasty road environments.
The crowd noise died as J.T. Barrett hit them with the silencer, the hammer to silence their critics. Â Curtis Samuel had another good showing. Â He racked up 118 offensive yards and a touchdown on a 36-yard scamper on 4th and 1. Â That was a bold move that swung the momentum in the Buckeyes favor. Â The Buckeyes ground game wore the Sooner defense down as they were pushed around for most of the game, but they would occasionally make a play to halt the Buckeyes offensive attack. Â Mike Weber churned out another 100-yard performance rushing for 123 rushing yards. Â The Buckeyes were moving the ball at will, but the Sooner defense stood their ground and forced the punt.
The Sooner got the ball back and attempted to convert on 4th and 3, but the “basic” defense stiffened up and forced another turnover to take the 14-0 lead courtesy of Jerome Baker who filled in for banged-up Dante Booker.  It is getting fun seeing what forgotten recruit steps up and makes an impact whenever their number is called.  The Buckeye defense lost their most experienced player in Gareon Conley, but his replacement Redshirt Freshman Damon Arnette filled in just fine.  Like I had previously stated, the Buckeyes are deep at just about every position, on both sides of the ball.  The talent is definitely in place and the future looks brighter and brighter as the season goes on as the Buckeyes added two additional forced turnovers for the season, which now stands at +9 and they have gathered their 4th pick-6 of the year.  They held Oklahoma to just 226 yards passing and 178 yards on the ground which is below their average after two games.  “Basic” stuff.
Case and point, Dontre Wilson. He sat behind Braxton “B Button” Miller and was in and out with injury and once he was healthy enough to contribute he hasn’t looked back. He even performed the patented Buckeye Spin last week against Tulsa. It shows that the coaches can develop the talent into games and into men. Even if they want it to happen as soon as they arrive on campus, they need the patience to develop and follow the plan laid out in front of them by their position coaches and often times with help from their parents who have bought-in to the program and to the coaches that represent the university. Barrett and his array of weapons have amassed 1759 total yards on offense and Barrett accounts for 498 of those yards through the air for six touchdowns and 85 of those yards for 3 total rushes for six. Samuel isn’t too far behind with 162 yards and a touchdown on the ground and 14 receptions for 239 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air. Weber pitches in with 36 carries for 228 yards and a touchdown and Wilson went for 66 yards on the ground with a touchdown and 75 yards through the air and 2 touchdowns. Needless to say, the Buckeyes have a potent offense that could explode at a moments notice.  Just give them the opportunity and the talent on the depth chart will show no matter who is placed in the game. Like I had mentioned, there is talent at the top and bottom of the offensive two deep and it is just about patience and opportunity. The next man up mentality reigns supreme in the land of wolves. With 21 offensive scores in the books, can the high-octane offensive attack keep up their end of the bargain against a tough Sooners defense?
Ohio State began the season against the Bowling Green Falcons and the Tusla Golden Hurricanes, only returning 3 starters on defense, Middle Linebacker Raekwon McMillan, Defensive End Tyquan Lewis and Cornerback Gareon Conley. Although they aren’t the big name programs, they both pack experienced and potent offenses that can put points on the scoreboard and do it quickly. There had been a lot of speculation on how Coach Meyer and his staff would adapt and overcome the mass NFL Draft exodus that occurred after the 2015 season. With multiple vacated spots on both sides of the ball many discounted Coach Meyers ability to reload stating that the inexperience would cost them greatly. So far through two games against potent offenses, the young Buckeyes defense proved that they have the talent and depth to succeed. Sure, it was against Bowling Green and Tulsa, but last season they racked up the points and yardage and finished the season ranked 6th and 21st in the nation in scoring offense and 4th and 13th in total offense a season ago. The talent between last seasons team and this years is not as dire as most would expect it to be.  The talent that they lost is irreplaceable, but Coach Meyer and company always seem to get the utmost best from their players who are patiently waiting in the wings for their opportunity. Getting younger isn’t always a bad thing because you will watch them develop, but at Ohio State, if you can play and you show the willingness and determination, you will play for the Scarlet and Gray.
The defense is young and inexperienced, but they have only allowed 1068 total yards in two games.  Sure those aren’t good numbers, but I feel that they will improve upon as the season goes on as they learn to play with each other.  They have held the previous two opponents to a 21.9% 3rd down conversion rate and have only allowed 2 field goals on offense. They have held opposing signal-callers to a 47.4% completion rating without surrendering a score to the opposing offense.   The run stopping ability shows as the Buckeyes opponents are averaging 2 yards per rushing attempt and a total of 65 yards rushing per game. The lone touchdown was a pick-six on an errant pass from J.T. Barrett.  The Buckeyes boast a stifling defense that has allowed 216 yards per game and has taken the ball away a total of 9 times and is +7 in turnovers this season. They gathered 7 interceptions, 3 for scores, forced and recovered 2 fumbles to go along with their 4 sacks. The Silver Bullets allowed 151 yards through the air and 65 through the ground as they looks ahead to their showdown against the Sooners and their high octane offense. Safety Malik Hooker, who attempted to leave the program due to insufficient playing time is the newly minted playmaker on defense registering 3 interceptions, one of which was for a score. Oft-injured Cornerback Marshon Lattimore made the most of his opportunity against Tulsa when he picked Senior Quarterback Dane Evans off twice, one of which went for a touchdown.  Lattimore was hurt for the majority of his Buckeye career and at full health, he showed the coaches that he can be that playmaker that he once was in high school. Gareon Conley also pitched in with a pick, ripping the ball away from an unsuspecting receiver.  True Freshman Rodjay Burns also made an impact when he took a Bowling Green pass 75 yards back to the house for a score. Playmakers exist on every level and although they have a lot of new starters, Raekwon McMillan is there to ensure that the new Bullets are up to speed and up to standard.
On defense, the Sooners have given up a total of 1651 yards to opposing offenses. They have held opponents to a 59.7% completion rating and a 2.4 average on the ground. The Sooners are -1 in the turnover difference with zero interceptions and 2 recovered fumbles. The Sooners have given up 25 points per game and are looking to right the ship against a dual-threat Quarterback in J.T. Barrett.  Oklahoma has only managed to sack opposing signal-callers four times and that is just as much as the Buckeyes have gotten to the Quarterback, so it evens out in the end. On third down the Sooners are giving up the conversion 47.8% of the time, which isn’t too shabby. They have returned few starters after the loss of Eric Striker and they are just as young and inexperienced as the Buckeyes. Linebacker Jordan Evans, Hybrid Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Defensive Backs William Johnson and Ahmad Thomas will be leading the charge racking up 50 tackles, 2 sacks and a fumble recovery between the four of them. Another recruit that was won over by the Sooners is Ricky DeBerry, one of the few recruits that got away from the Buckeyes. Who will end up making the key stop, the momentum swinging play? Who steps up to stop the Ohio State offensive attack? This is as high stakes as you could get and the game is going to be electric. With the home field advantage, the Sooners defense looks to salvage their season by upsetting the 3rd ranked Buckeyes in from of their home crowd.
Sam Hubbard, Joey Bosa’s replacement came up huge with a sack on 3rd and long. Â He stopped the momentum dead in its tracks when the Buckeyes were reeling. Â With the first half over and the Buckeyes in the lead, the Buckeyes defense looks to carry over the momentum for a second half that will look different after the weather took a turn for the worse. Â Thunderstorms have the Buckeyes in a holding pattern and until they take the now wet and muddy field, we will have to see how the Buckeyes defense will adjust and react. Â I am thinking that they will turn up the heat a little bit to seal the game. Â The Buckeyes seem to be looking too far ahead to the game at Norman so hope they can take care of business and work out the kinks on both sides of the ball because the Sooners will be an early test in a young season.
J.T. Barrett struggled mightily during the first half, only being able to muster up 69 yards through the air and 8 rushes for 16 yards. Â The weather has negatively impacted his ability to air it out and with the weather taking a turn for the worst, I am not sure if the second half will be any different. Â I understand that the weather is bad and that you are trying to be conservative, but you need to play it smart for the rest of the game. Â If that is running the ball down the Tulsa defenses throat, then I hope that the Offensive Coordinator calls more running plays to get Barrett into a rhythm because he needs it prior to Oklahoma. Â He definitely is making the correct plays, but he needs to get better and there is always room for improvement. Â I look for the Buckeyes and Coach Meyer to run the ball in the second half.
The second half started almost like the end of the first, except that this interception wasn’t returned for a touchdown.  To open up the second, Gareon Conley was credited with the takeaway, ripping it away from an opposing Wide Receiver.  What a way to open up the second half after a lengthy break due to the thunderstorm delay.  The Silver Bullets, namely the secondary have been all over the place and unless Tulsa flat out gives up throwing the rock, they could be waiting to make the next big play.  Although the loss of Eli Apple hurts the team in regards to experience, they retained Gareon Conley who has the leadership capabilities to lead a young, inexperienced secondary.  And if we were to gauge what he has provided, I think he has succeeded with showing them the ropes and nuances of playing defense in the secondary at Ohio State.
D’Angelo Brewer is a shifty runner who can break it for huge yardage at any given moment during games. He is deceptively fast and is capable of catching passes out of the backfield. He will be going up against a young defensive line that is in sore need of a replacement at DT as Tracy Sprinkle suffered a season ending leg injury that will keep him out for the remainder of the season. Ohio State has the talent waiting in the wings and as long as they buy in to what Coach Fickell and Coach Johnson are preaching, I see them playing lights out for each other and for the aforementioned Sprinkle. We will see if he is up to the task and if he can break past the vaunted Ohio State defense.
Well the rust and cobwebs showed during this play. J.T. Barrett rifled a pass to a well covered receiver and Brandon Harris took the interception and ran it in from 63 yards out for the pick 6. This really angered the sleeping giant in Ohio State and this was the beginning of the end for the Falcons. The interception will be the only touchdown that the Buckeyes will allow for the remainder of the contest. This is the only turnover of the game.
Dontre Wilson, the forgotten H-Back had himself a game. He finished with 5 rushes for 36 yards and 3 receptions for 37 yards and 2 touchdowns. Wilson overcame injury to finally see some reps. He will grasp at this as long as he can stay healthy and it isn’t a bad way to start the 2016 season. Hauling in a 25 yard and an 11 yard pass from J.T. Barrett.
After the injury from last season, Noah Brown wanted to start off on the right foot. He, like most of the young playmakers on the team showed out and in a huge way. He went to have a good game and looks to be back in form prior to the severe injury. He finished with 3 catches for 46 yards and a touchdown. I know that it is against Bowling Green, but confidence is huge and with the Buckeyes gaining more prior to week 3, the showdown at Norman will be manageable and they will not be rattled.
Well he came back for a reason and with the Buckeyes having a ton to prove, he showed the nation what he and the Buckeyes are capable of. With no more Quarterback controversy in the wings, he set out and after the initial turnover, he recovered quite nicely. He finished the game 21/31 for 349 yards through the air with 6 touchdowns and 30 yards on 6 rushes and another touchdown. Not a bad start for a Quarterback who was left out of the Heisman candidates list prior to the season even starting. Also, Mike Weber, the new Cadillac Back at Ohio State, yeah he is good. Weber finished without a touchdown, but he racked up the yardage, running with power and speed. He ran for 136 yards and I feel that he will only get better and be depended on when time needs to be ran off the clock.
We found another playmaker that will add to the tradition at Ohio State. Malik Hooker was another diamond in the rough and he proved he was worthy of a starting spot on defense. He had a circus catch interception in the first half and during the second half, he stole took the ball away from the receiver for his second of the game. He will be needed to breathe new life into this young defense and it is sure looking good for the time being. Rodjay Burns also had a pick, but he took it 75 yards for the touchdown to all but seal the deal. The young secondary is looking lethal and is gaining steam and it is truly exciting. Baby Bosa, Nick also got into the action and sacked the Bowling Green Quarterback for his first of the season. In other news, the cheap shot dealt to Defensive Tackle Tracy Sprinkle was a costly one. Sprinkle suffered a severe leg injury and his season is now done and he will be out the rest of the year. I hope that he recovers quickly.