The Ohio State Buckeyes are traveling away from the shoe for the second straight week and they look to beat rival Penn State at their house heavily influenced by the White Out conditions.  The Buckeyes are fresh off of an ovetime win against the Wisconsin Badgers while Penn State enjoyed a bye week to prepare for a battle with the Buckeyes.
The game started off with the battle of the defenses. Â Another slow start and a scoreless first quarter for the Buckeyes. Â Special Teams has helped the team and tonight is no exception. Â Tyler Durbin has been a godsend for the Buckeyes with Sean Nuernberger being sidelined due to injury. Â Durbin has kicked in a pair of field goals, but he missed an extra point due to fellow Special Teamer, Cameron Johnston’s inability to maintain control of the snap. Â Cameron Johnston is also contributing to the cause, during the first half he punted the ball 4 times and has 199 yards. Â Per punt, Johnston is averaging 49.8 yards per punt. Â Crazy. Â To think that Special Teams is keeping the Buckeyes afloat until they get some momentum, hopefully the Buckeyes wake up in the second half.
J.T. Barrett and the offense has struggled through the first half, but prior to halftime, he picked up the team and threw a touchdown strike to Tight End Marcus Baugh. Â Barrett finished the first half 13 for 24 for 125 yards and a touchdown. Â He has 34 rushing yards on 6 carries and he pulled a Houdini as he used the football to stay upright to scramble for a 19-yard gain. Â Curtis Samuel is trying to help out, but the inconsistencies with the playcalling is evident and it is hurting the production of the offense once again. Â Mike Weber is also running with a purpose as he looks to become a mainstay in the Buckeyes offensive attack. Â Weber has 60-yards total and on 12 carries. Â Barrett is looking to share the load, but the Penn State Defense seems to be ready for the Ohio State Offense.
The Silver Bullets are flying around once again and they will look to assert their will and keep the Penn State Offense from making big plays. Â The Rushmen are looking as lethal as ever, constantly causing pressure in the pocket. Â The Scarlet Curtain has smothered the Penn State Receivers, but prior the halftime, they gave up back to back 20-yard plays that resulted in a touchdown. Â Nick Bosa also notched another sack to his season statistics. Â This is tough sledding for now, but the Buckeyes will weather the storms like they did against Wisconsin and they will do their job until they slow down the Nittany Lions. Â Good news is they struggled early against Saquon Barkley, but they have slowed him down enough to only allow him to gain 56 total yards.
Curtis Samuel scored on a 74-yard scamper on his first carry of the second half.  This is the longest rushing play the Buckeyes have had this year and it comes during a perfect time to kill the vibe of the White Out.  Ever since the play the crowd is noticeably quiet and they were silenced by the Buckeye Silencer Curtis Samuel.  You think he single-handedly silenced the White Out?  Penn State gave up a Safety to the Buckeyes Defense and they are now up by 14 with the ball after the punt.  That is where the momentum stopped.  The Buckeyes coaches got too cute and J.T. Barrett should just change his name to Captain Checkdown.  Someone needs to go and the Receiver flat out stink.  A nice pass get thrown to you and you lose it?  Sour grapes.  Bad taste in my mouth.  Everything.  I never thought that a Special Teams blunder which led to a touchdown would do the Buckeyes in.  Meyers road streak is over and TTUN will probably wreck the Buckeyes at the end of the season.  I am pessimistic, but this hurts.  I am upset.  Goodbye CFB Playoffs.  Whoever calls the offensive plays…  Please quit…
Coach Meyer and his staff will look to extend their road winning streak against the dreadful White Out conditions that will be in full effect upon their arrival to Happy Valley.  Urban Meyer as the Head Coach is currently 20-0 on the road and it has been that way for a couple of years now.  He now has his sights set on besting his record against a scrappy Penn State team that has won its last two games after a loss to TTUN.  This will not be an easy game and a cake walk is not expected in this contest.  The last two games against the Nittany Lions were two different types of games.  Last year was in Columbus and that was a snoozer of a game, the Buckeyes won handily by a 28-point margin 38-10.  Ezekiel Elliot ran wild during that game and racked up the yardage on the ground.  The year before that?  Ohio State escaped a White Out after the extra period on a walk-off sack by now San Diego Charger Joey Bosa 31-24.  This year looks to be the same after Saquon Barkley regained his confidence.  He will look to soften up the Silver Bullets and attempt to wear them out.  This, of course, would not be as easy because Dante Booker will return and he will look to reestablish himself into the lineup.
During the last White Out game in Happy Valley, Ohio State barely escaped with a win. Â It took an extra period in Overtime on a walk-off sack to beat Penn State. Â If I remember correctly, Saquon Barkley was a huge factor in that very game and he is back again for another contest against the Buckeyes. Â He recently reestablished his presence in the run game and he is as confident as ever. Â He will look to gain huge chunks of yardage against the just as Corey Clement did when Wisconsin nearly upset the Buckeyes on their home field. Â I fully expect Trace McSorley to utilize his receivers on jet sweeps to confuse the Silver Bullets to open up the runs down the middle. Â McSorley is a scrambler and a passer and that could also be a factor in their strategy to defeat the Buckeyes. Â McSorley has 1436 passing yards and 8 touchdowns with 3 interceptions. Â Barkley has 582 rushing yards on 117 carries and 8 touchdowns. Â The leading receiver is DeAndre Thompkins and he has 328 receiving yards and a touchdown. Â The three will try to take down the Buckeyes and there is also a ton of intrigue behind the scenes as well. Â Receiver Chris Godwin, Quarterback Tommy Stevens and Tight End Mike Gesicki were all huge Buckeye targets that went elsewhere. Â Gesicki was the more outspoken out of the bunch and he will look to make an impact during the game.
Ohio State is coming off of a 21-point win against a Hoosier team that has exposed them a bit.  They played to their strengths, which is the run to make up for their lack of an effective passing attack.  The Buckeyes used a lot of eye candy to try to fool the Indiana Defense, but the were prepared.  They weren’t fooled by the constant movement by the Buckeye offensive playmakers and the constant shifts along the offensive side of things and it essentially shut off Ohio States ability to pass the football downfield.  Their inability to throw the ball is one of the biggest concerns for the Buckeyes and Coach Meyer and we will have to see if they can succeed against an experienced Badgers Secondary that is looking to further entrench themselves into the College Football Playoffs conversation.  The Buckeyes have a tall task on their hands because this Badger Defense has a ton of talent left over from the 59-0 shellacking that started the run to becoming the Inaugural College Football Playoff Champions.  Most Buckeye sites are claiming that a few still have that bad taste in their mouths and that they believe that it is their turn to embarrass the unbeaten Buckeyes squad that is young in just about every position on offense and on defense.  My biggest concern is that the Buckeyes aren’t an elite passing offense and that they will be one-dimensional.  The  Badgers will do their best to ensure this happens to increase their chances to secure a win, but we will see what Urban Meyer will do because he is a tactician during big games like this.  The Silver Bullets will be ready and luckily, they weren’t called out like the backup Oklahoma Quarterback did.  The bulletin board material was provided by former Badger Defensive Back Jim Leonhard.  He stated that the Buckeyes Receivers, namely Noah Brown “will not run away from you” and that no corner this season has “utlitlized the proper press technique” against him.  Basically saying that they run a “simple offense”.  I don’t know about you, but I see Coach Meyer mentioning this every chance he gets to J.T. Barrett and company.  I would like to see some offensive fireworks just like that BIG 10 Championship Game, but it is easier said than done and we will just have to see it live this Saturday.
Wisconsin is coming off a bye week and they had two weeks to prepare for the visiting Buckeyes. Â They suffered their first loss of the season to TTUN in what was a hard-hitting affair with TTUN outlasting the Badgers 14-7. Â The revamped Badgers Defense looks like a stiff test for the Buckeyes and the crowd will look to get their team into the swing of things. Â Their offense looked bleh against TTUN, but that might not be the case against the Buckeyes. Â The Buckeyes play similar to TTUN’s Defense and they could go player for player, at just about every position because both teams recruit well enough to stay dominant. Â The Quarterback position is the key part and we will have to see if he can withstand the pressure from the Buckeyes Defense, the Silver Bullets. Â The pressure will surely be turned up because the starter looked uncomfortable for the majority of the game against our Arch Rival. Â The strength of this Badger team is with their Defense. Â They match up similarly with the Silver Bullets, but with one major difference, Wisconsin is tied for 22nd in total sacks with 15 total and they average 3 per game. Â The Buckeyes Defense leads in Defensive Scores, Interceptions and Turnovers Forced. The Art of Defenses. Â This will be a test for both teams and the chip on the remaining BIG 10 Championship Game players shoulders will play an integral role during this game because it is the first time in two years since that beat down and they will look to return the favor.
The Buckeyes Defense was pretty good when they sorely needed a key stop. Â Although the Buckeye Offense put up numbers well below their season average, 383 total yards rushing and passing, they did their best and kept Indiana below their season averages, 281 combined. Â The offense gave up two turnovers, but the defense took it away twice and one was a pick-six, but it was negated due to a chop block during the return. Â This was a game where the defense looked like they were just going through the motions, expecting to show up and win, but for some reason, Indiana came out swinging for the fences and every time they hit the Buckeyes, the Buckeyes responded accordingly. Â This game baffles me. Â Indiana shouldn’t be in this, but like Jeremiah stated, Indiana IS the trap game, every year. Â They always play Ohio State close and although they eventually lost by 21 points, the game was much closer than the final score looked to be. Â There will be a lot of talk between the coaches and both units and I want them to be angry for the rest of the year. Â Like angry after the Virginia Tech and Michigan State losses angry and I think that they will get lit up by Urban Meyer because he looked furious. Let’s hope the Silver Bullets reload because again, it is only going to get harder as the season progresses on. It always seems like, during a couple of games, our offensive play callers seem to forget our strengths, our bread, and butter. Â This was close to last years Michigan State. Quarterback runs galore. Â Cute, ineffective trickeration, mass movement, you name it. Â Tim Beck and Ed Warriner tried it all. Â Hope they fix it prior to our date against TTUN. Â I am still a tad salty, but I still love my Buckeyes. Â Now, on to Wisconsin. Â O-H!!!
On the other side of the equation, you have Richard Lagow and Devine Redding. Â Lagow, a Junior from Plano, Texas has put up some eye-popping numbers so far this season. Â He is 79 of 127 for 1278 yards, with 9 touchdown passes against 6 interceptions. Â He completes 62% of his passes and has been sacked a total of 8 times so far. Â He threw 5 of his 6 picks against a scrappy Wake Forrest Defense that forced him to make errant throws en route to a 33-28 win on Indiana’s own home turf. Â If the Silver Bullets can force turnovers for the entirety of the game, they will be in good shape. The Buckeyes possess a stout defense that can turn offenses away and get to the Quarterback. Â It might take a little bit, but they will get what they want. Â At Running Backs Devine Redding returns and last season, he ground out 45 tough yards on 30 attempts for two scores and he will look for better results against a Buckeye Defense that made him earn every single yard from last year’s scrimmage. Â With just as many defensive weapons donning the Scarlet and Gray, we will see if the depth at every position prevents Redding from having a great game. Â The Buckeyes are a force to be reckoned with and they will impose their will against Indiana.
The Buckeyes rushing game was also highly effective, racking up 410 rushing yards on 53 carries for 4 scores.  Mike Weber led the way dicing up the Rutgers defense with 144 yards and a touchdown.  He scored on a 46-yard run and outran a host of defenders.  True Freshmen Demario McCall and Antonio Williams made the most of their opportunities when their numbers were called.  McCall showed his speed and he had 10 carries for 85 yards and a 39-yard scamper for a score.  Williams failed to score and he didn’t produce as much, but he toted the rock for 28 yards and the future sure looks bright for Ohio State at Running Back.  Receivers Parris Campbell and Johnnie Dixon both had one rush for 5-yards a piece, both for scores to put the game out of reach.  They will look to rebuild against Indiana prior to heading to Camp Randall Stadium and to Beaver Stadium.  With the lone road game being at Norman, Oklahoma, it is always interesting in the BIG 10.
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.
. 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.
 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.
