Last Week

After nearly a consistent recording of a 0% positivity rate since August, chaos entered the Buckeye program as their game against Illinois was canceled when additional positive COVID-19 tests were discovered after a round of testing took place Friday afternoon. Head coach Ryan Day was amongst those positive. Ohio State did not disclose the identities of the others who tested positive for privacy reasons. 

The Big Ten requires all programs to suspend organized football activities including practices and games for a minimum of seven days if both their positivity rate exceeds 5% and their population positivity rate surpasses 7.5%. The Buckeyes positivity rate crossed the 7.5% threshold, but had not gone above the 5% test positivity rate.

With the Buckeyes not going above the 5% threshold, Athletic director Gene Smith and head team physician Dr. Jim Borchers believed the best decision for the program going forward was to cancel, slowing down the spread of the virus.

Going Forward

Good news came as the Buckeyes resumed small group workouts on Monday at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center according to a Ohio State spokesman — Team meetings will maintain being held virtually.

The noon ABC kickoff against Michigan State this weekend is up in the air as we still don’t know the exact number of positive cases the program is dealing with, but this is an enormous step in the right direction going forward.

The Buckeyes and Hoosiers are set to clash in a top-10 battle this Saturday in the ‘Shoe.

Buckeye football is back in action, after last week’s game being canceled due to a coronavirus outbreak within the Maryland program. As of now, the Hoosiers are first in the Big East Division because of the extra game and the Buckeyes are ready to attack the objective this weekend and keep their championship hopes alive.

When the Big Ten reinstated the season, and the shortened schedule was announced, no one had eyes on the Hoosiers coming into Columbus. Frankly, this noon kickoff on FOX against the 9th ranked Hoosiers is the biggest regular-season game for the Buckeyes.

THE HOOSIERS

Tom Allen, and his enthusiastic Hoosiers started their season off with a thrilling 36-35 overtime victory against Penn State and have not looked back since. Winning their next three games against Rutgers, Michigan, and Michigan State convincingly with a combined score of 99-41.

The Hoosiers offense is led by Sophomore quarterback Michael Penix Jr. who has looked like a true leader throwing for 1070 yards to go with 9 touchdowns this season. Penix threw for 25-38, 320 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 INTs last weekend vs the Spartans.

The key matchup to watch is how the Buckeye secondary covers star wide receiver Ty Fryfogle. Fryfogle was last week’s Big Ten offensive Player of the Week after having 11 receptions for 200 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Fryfogle also had a monster game against the Wolverines the week before with 7 receptions, 142 yards and 1 touchdown.

Along with the offense, this Hoosiers defense is no joke as they lead the Big Ten in interceptions (10), and sacks (12). The Hoosiers are tied for second nationally in turnover margin at plus-2 per game.

THE BUCKEYES

Fryfogle, and the Indiana receivers have been a huge threat for opposing defenses all year long. The Buckeye secondary has received criticism for their play in this early season, but look for Shaun Wade, Sevyn Banks, and the rest of the Buckeye secondary to respond in a major way with a big task ahead.

As we know, Justin Fields is off to an astonishing start to the 2020 season, having the same number of touchdowns as he has incompletions (11), with a near perfect 87 percent completion. Heisman hopeful Fields looks to improve his resume against a talented Hoosier defense.

The Buckeyes are waiting for a running game to emerge at a high level with both running backs still splitting carries. Master Teague III and Trey Sermon are both averaging a little 5 yards per carry (Teague 4.5, Sermon 4.8), but neither has established as the main back for the Buckeyes.

With that being said, left guard Harry Miller, and the offensive-line look to improve this week from the multiple penalties they were called for against the Scarlet-Knights two weeks ago. Miller was called for holding on multiple occasions but is learning and teammates look for him to bounce back. Center Josh Myers met with the media this week saying. “It’s not an easy thing to do, to be a young guy starting,” Myers said. “It took our offensive even last year a couple weeks to get rolling and looking like a solid unit together.”

THE GAME

The Buckeyes have won 24 straight games over Indiana. The Hoosiers last victory against the Buckeyes came in the year of 1988. The Buckeyes have averaged 42.2 points per game in the past 10 meetings with the Hoosiers. Although this is IU’s highest rank (9) ever facing the Buckeyes look for Ryan Day and his team not to take this game lightly and come out hungry.

PREDICTION

47-24

At The Men of the Scarlet and Gray, we were due to get into the Podcast scene and due to technical issues–we will hold off for about a week until we prepare for it. For now, I am doing it old-school and just bear with me.

As you know, our team has a ton of rising stars and I haven’t been writing that much, but I make it up by upping the tweeting to ensure you are all entertained. Today, it is a post game reaction and I am going to do my best to follow in the Stat Masters step (looking at you Jeremiah!). Here we go.

Saturday night, in the Prime Time TV slot #3 ranked Ohio State faced the #18 team in the land Penn State in a COVID styled White Out minus the mass amount of fans in the stands. Due to the state of the nation and how they are combating the global pandemic–the fans have been narrowed down to family members and cardboard cutouts were in the seats. An odd environment indeed in a collision between two teams with a ton of history.

The past three or four contests have been fire and this one went in the Buckeyes’ favor early and then the Nittany Lions offense showed up to make it interesting despite eventually losing by double-digits. This game always was exciting for both sides and they have been so close over the past couple of seasons. In a game that is not considered a real rivalry game–these games always have a lot on the line.

For perspective, Ohio State and Penn State, although deemed a “Rivalry Game” have played a total of 34 times. The inaugural game was played in 1913 and they began the rivalry by winning the first four meet with the Buckeyes with a margin of 81-13. The early years of this rivalry saw Penn State take win after win, but as of late–the Buckeyes overtook them for the overall lead in the series. Ohio State leads the series 20-14 and the Buckeyes just won their fourth straight. Fun fact: The Buckeyes have also tied Notre Dame’s 10 road game win streak against ranked teams. If Michigan State continues their upward trend–they could break that in East Lansing, but this season has been difficult to get a beat on.

Now back to the game itself, the Buckeyes started fast and with urgency as they quickly shot up to a 14-0. They looked calm and poised, but after a Penn State Field Goal–they kind of took their foot off of the pedal and went into the half with what looked like a 14-3 lead. Not so fast my friend (Lee Corso voice) on a fourth and short, Fields took a knee to drain the clock, but left a second that led to another kick for three. The Buckeyes were already in the locker room before being returned to the field and you could hear and see the frustration by a late start of the play clock.

In the second half, the Nittany Lions turned it up and Jahan Dotson had a game against Shaun Wade. He finished with 8 catches, 144 yards and 3 scores in what was a highlight reel type of performance for him against a likely 1st Round talent in Wade. The Buckeyes definitely attacked the secondary in the second half and they rattled off 24 more points in the second half.

Buckeye Stickers

Justin Fields continues to tear it up as he finished 28 for 34, for 318 yards and 4 scores. Although he took a huge hit from his blindside–he quickly popped up but we all took a collective exhale. In the Big 10, Fields is 3rd in passing yards and is tied for 1st with 6 TD’s. He will face a renewed Rutgers team with a familiar face, which would make things interesting to say the least.

Master Teague and Trey Sermon haven’t been playing well, but they are starting to put things together. Together, they combined for 166 total yards and a score, much improved from 89 from last week. They are finding holes and it is only up from here. Things obviously need to improve, but for now give them their sticker!

The Olave and Wilson connection is still going strong and they went off again in week 2. Both receivers went over 100 yards receiving and now they are 4th and 2nd in the Big 10. This connection between both of these studs and Fields is crazy and it is looking like Wilson is having his breakout season while teams focus on Olave. This duo is so valuable and they take the attention off of the other pass catchers so they could make plays. They deserve the recognition so far!

The Slobs also did well cutting their total sacks surrendered in half to two this game. A brutal blindside sack and a coverage sack is better than the four from two weeks ago. The O-Line showed up and contained the Parsons-less defense that usually gives teams fits. They looked strong and mauled the D-Line and pushed them back. They is more room for improvement, but the increase in yardage is a good sign of things to come.

Lastly, the Buckeye front seven showed you why they are one of the best groups of unheralded players in the nation. A bunch of forgotten players that were buried in the depth chart, the Rushmen were disruptive and played well racking up the sacks and spooking Clifford. 5 sacks with 3 going to Tommy Togiai. Cooper and Harrison combined for a sack and Jean-Baptiste gathered the last sack.

Room For Improvement

The Special Teams unit could improve. With two missed Field Goals inside of the 20, they need to be better. Haubeil and DiMaccio combined for 1 of 3 with Haubeil leaving with a groin injury on his only attempt. Punting was also an issue. Two punts with two touchbacks with one that should have been downed in the 5. Robinson bounced it off of his knee with Olave around and they gave up valuable field position. These things need to be cleaned up if they truly want to control every phase of the game.

The secondary looked bad and they were exposed by Jahan Dotson. He made them look some type of way with the cushion they gave them. Slants and streaks worked for a bit and they need to improve because that will be on film for other teams to try to do the same. They didn’t do terrible, but they didn’t do well either. The upside is Hooker (Malik’s little brother) had a key takeaway that swung the door closed on Penn State’s comeback hopes. That is encouraging to say the least.

1-0! Yes, there are still games going on, but the Buckeyes are done for the day and we here at The Men of the Scarlet and Gray need something to accompany Mike’s post game review. His analysis was spot on and I have a few tidbits to add to it! Here we go!

1. STUD: Justin Fields was efficient and poised for the entirety of the game amid getting off to a slow start and being sacked four times. Fields finished the game with 2 passing touchdowns after slinging it 21 times, with a single incomplete pass. He rushed 15 times for 54 yards and a score as well. Coach Day would need to prevent that many rushing attempts, but the line collapsed and his receivers were covered tightly during those plays–so lets see if they will improve against Penn State. For now lets enjoy the win!
2. STUDS: Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba were balling out today! The duo of Wilson and Olave were a given, but toe-tapping action Jaxon stole the show! We all heard the hype about the inbound group of elite receivers, but wow is all we can say. For contrast, this catch and debut reminds me of Olave’s explosive debut against TTUN, but with less usage and just a splendid catch that made an impact. The future of Zone 6 is definitely bright, but the dangerous duo of Wilson and Olave grabbing 13 catches for 233 yards and a score will a staple of this years offensive attack.
3. DUDS: A combination of the Slobs, Sermon and Teague started off too slow, landing them on the dud-side of things. Not by a lack of effort or talent, but they did not fare too well and it limited the offense as a whole during the first half. Let me explain before I get blown up–the offensive line got beat up early and often before turning it around in the second half. While it is true that their line is elite, they are still bringing along two new starters at Left Guard and Right Tackle and they look like they need additional time to gel. The thunder and lightning combination of Sermon and Teague need to be better too as they looked hesitant to hit the holes aggressively when they had them. Sermon looked good late while Teague had little to no wiggle and looks to hulk-smash defenders with his style of play. I have faith that they’ll get better, but this is just a minor setback for a major comeback.
4. DUDS: Linebacker tackling, D-Line pass rushers, and tackling. Linebacker has always been a problem for the Buckeyes, but this week featured the trio of Borland, Browning, and Werner leaving tight ends open in the seams and the flats–and it is infuriating as always. The tackling could be better, but they did enough to stop the bleeding during the second half. The D-Line needs to provide consistent pressure and they need to do better with containing and stopping the quarterback runs. For the defense as a whole–they need tackle better, but again–they shut them down late. Overall great showing and promise. They need to fine tune things a bit, but the promised return of the vaunted Silver Bullets is achievable this early in the season and we are just a game into this short season.
5. STUD: Haskell Garrett’s return. Garrett attempt to stop a fight this offseason resulted in him getting shot in the face and it seems like he has recovered. Garrett finished game one with a sack and a forced fumble that led to a Banks touchdown–which ultimately shifted the momentum toward Ohio State and halted the Nebraska offensive attack. Hopefully his stellar performance in week one will pave it forward because the confidence is there, but they need more people to step up in the absence of a dominant pass rusher like Joey and Nick Bosa and Chase Young. They have the pieces but they need to step up against Penn State.

#GoBucks

No. 5 Ohio State officially started their quest in its pursuit of another second-straight College Football playoff run, pulling away with a 52-17 win against Nebraska. Although the Buckeyes led after every quarter, they only led 24-14 at halftime, but ended taking control of the game, dominating the second half out scoring Nebraska 28-3.

As the fifth-ranked Buckeyes opened their season against Nebraska things were looking interesting early. As noted, the ability to run the ball with dual-threat quarterbacks Adrian Martinez and Luke McCaffrey was going to be a key factor heading into the game and the duo showed up poised and confident. Nebraka took advantage of an Ohio State defense that lost seven starters to the NFL draft and marched 75 yards in four plays for a game-opening touchdown drive, a drive that took less than 2 minutes. As Nebraka stuck with the ground game, the Buckeyes defense tightened up over the course of the game, allowing one touchdown and causing a couple of second-half fumbles.

The Justin Fields Heisman campaign is officially underway and it didn’t disappoint. The Junior quarterback had a flawless 2020 debut. Fields completed 20-of-21 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns along with 54 yards on the ground and one touchdown. Along with Fields his wide receiver core did not let down. Garrett Wilson (seven catches, 129 yards, and one touchdown), Chris Olave (six catches, 104 yards), and notably an incredible highlight toe-tapping touchdown catch by freshman Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the back of the endzone in the fourth quarter. 

Going forward, the Buckeye coaches have stressed enough not relying on Fields in the running game. Fields was two yards shy of being the team’s leader in today’s game with 54 yards on 15 attempts. Though Nebraska defense came to play and looked very much improved from a year ago. The effort to replace JK Dobbins’ was on full display as three running backs saw quality time on different drives. The trio of Master Teague, Oklahoma transfer Trey Sermon and redshirt freshman Steele Chambers combined for 128 yards on 27 carries.

Next weekend is possibly the Buckeyes biggest test of the season as they travel to Happy Valley. The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions will clash in a 7:30 primetime game on ABC.

After the Big Ten cancelled the 2020 football season in August, and then reversed that decision last month, Ohio State’s pursuit for another CFB Playoff trip starts this week as Nebraska comes into Columbus to take on the Buckeyes. 

The Buckeyes and Cornhuskers are meeting for the seventh time since Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011. The Buckeyes have won seven of eight matchups including five straight. This Buckeye team is starting their season in October for the first time since 1939.

The Big Ten was the first power 5 conference to cancel its fall schedule, only for the decision to be backpedaled due to constant strategies within the conference along with an eight week schedule that features eight games with no off dates. The Buckeyes and Cornhuskers both voiced their opinions strongly on the desire to play so it’s only right these two face off in Ohio stadium this weekend.

Ohio State fell just short of a visit to the national championship game last season losing to Clemson 29-23 in the CFB semifinal, but this Buckeye squad led by Head Coach Ryan Day reloaded for another run at it this season. Day returns a Heisman Trophy Finalist at quarterback in Justin Fields, one of the best offensive lines in the country, along one of the most talented wide receiver groups in recent years, and a stout defense.

The Buckeyes will also have some new faces displaying their ability this weekend with Oklahoma transfer running back Trey Sermon and a talented freshman recruiting class led by the receiving core of Julian Fleming, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Gee Scott.

Like Day, Nebraska coach Scott Frost also re-establishes some key members for his squad. Notably starting quarterback Adrian Martinez along with a returning offensive line. Martinez was in a fight for the starting job as redshirt freshman Luke McCaffrey, who offers a unique, similar skill set as a dual-threat quarterback for the Cornhuskers. So the Buckeyes defense needs to have their focus on both quarterbacks come game time as both could see snaps. The offensive front for the Cornhuskers is experienced as they get returning all five starters from last year including three seniors in tackle Brenden Jaimes, and guards Boe Wilson, Matt Farnoik. 

There’s no denying the notable talent gap between the two programs as the Buckeyes have won its last five games against the Cornhuskers in dominating fashion and is 7-1 all-time including a 48-7 matchup in Lincoln last year. Many are expecting Ohio State’s high-powered offense to blow the doors off Nebraska. Although it shouldn’t be eye opening if Nebraska makes some plays on the offensive side of the ball as Ohio State’s defense is playing its first game without seven starters who were all drafted into the NFL including two of the top three picks in Chase Young, and Jeff Okudah.

SCORE PREDICTION: 52-20