LGHL You’re Nuts: Biggest area of concern for Ohio State against Indiana?
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You’re Nuts: Biggest area of concern for Ohio State against Indiana?
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Buckeyes host a top-five matchup in Columbus on Saturday.
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
Ohio State hosts Indiana this weekend, and folks, I’ve got a surprise for you: This game is a Big Nooner! That’s right, another noon kickoff for OSU, the Buckeyes’ 15th this season.
Ok, maybe I exaggerated a bit. But it sure as hell seems like Ohio State has been playing at noon every Saturday since the beginning of time. Not that it’s my favorite kick time, but I don’t even remember what a 3:30 kick feels like. And I vaguely recall the feeling of getting amped up for that Oregon night game, but when does OSU get to host a marquee matchup at night? On the banks of the Olentangy... Shoutout Keith Jackson, RIP.
What does start time have to do with the upcoming top-5 matchup against Indiana? Allow me to explain — and eventually weave it into today’s edition of You’re Nuts.
The Hoosiers are a legitimately good football team, as well as a viable threat to the Buckeyes’ Big Ten and CFP chances. Scoff at IU’s strength of schedule all you want, but this is a massive game for Ryan Day and Co. As such, Gene and I (and others) are taking it very seriously. Which is to say we have concerns. That’s what happens when your team’s head coach owns a less-than-stellar record against top-5 and top-10 opponents.
So when my partner suggested sharing our biggest concern(s) for the Indiana game, my mind immediately went to the noon kick and, more specifically, Ohio State’s tendency to start slow. Because I believe that if the Buckeyes come out lethargic against the Hoosiers, the former could be or find themselves in real trouble.
The Scarlet and Gray have played 10 games this season, meaning 10 first quarters. In those 10 (first) quarters, Ohio State has scored more than 7 points just once! And that was against Western Michigan, a 5-5 MAC team currently ranked 117 out of 134 in points per game allowed. In all other contests, OSU has averaged roughly 5.8 first quarter points.
Now admittedly, Indiana has not been much better in the first quarter scoring department. At least (not) in conference play. But these are Buckeye concerns, not Hoosier concerns. So I am concerned that if Ohio State doesn’t start well, they might begin to press and/or force the issue(s). Or, even worse, OSU could let IU build momentum on the road. And if that happens, the Hoosiers will gain confidence in their ability to pull off a massive upset.
Indiana is not an opponent that Ohio State can or should take lightly. Because the Buckeyes likely won’t sleepwalk their way to 28-7 halftime lead like they did at Northwestern — err, Wrigley. Against Northwestern. You know what I mean.
Another issue with starting slow is that if OSU does indeed do so on Saturday, the weather could potentially affect or impact the Buckeyes’ ability to bounce back quickly. The high in Columbus is currently projected to be 44 degrees, with 10+ MPH winds possible. Not exactly conducive to playing catch-up. Also not conducive to airing the ball out, which has been Ohio State’s most effective means of moving the ball on offense.
Despite these concerns – which are very real – I am confident in the Buckeye’s ability to go out and win this game on Saturday. They are the superior team, playing at home, against a team in Indiana that has not played an opponent nearly as talented as them (OSU)...
But Ohio State can’t and/or shouldn’t “play with their food”. Coach Cig and the Hoosiers would love nothing more than to shut the entire country up and prove themselves a contender. So it’s up to Day and the Buckeyes to put IU back in its place. One way of doing that is to start hot and stay hot.
The slow starts are a genuine concern for Ohio State against Indiana, as my partner laid out. The Buckeyes have not done well at waking up for these noon starts, however I do think Saturday’s game will play out a bit differently from an approach style for the opposition.
I don't believe Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers are scared enough of Ohio State to be running excessive amounts of clock like all the overmatched teams against the Buckeyes have been doing to severely limit possessions. Indiana is a legitimately good football team, and while it would still be wise to limit the amount of time Chip Kelly’s offense has the ball, I don't think it'll be to the extreme like we saw against Northwestern. Maybe Ohio State will even have two offensive possessions in the first quarter this week instead of one!
Jokes aside, my biggest area of worry for the Buckeyes against the Hoosiers is their secondary. That is, Ohio State’s secondary.
The Silver Bullets have done a great job all season at limiting opposing teams’ air attacks, ranking No. 6 in the country with just 160.1 passing yards allowed per game. They have allowed more than 200 passing yards in a game only twice, once being the 201 yards they gave up this past weekend against Northwestern — 85 of which came during that aforementioned sleepy first quarter — and the other being against Oregon, the latter of which being my main reason for concern.
Ohio State’s secondary got exposed big time against the Ducks, allowing 341 yards through the air against Dillon Gabriel and company — more than double the Buckeyes’ season average. Oregon is obviously the most explosive offense Jim Knowles’ defense has faced this year, and the results were not exactly great. That being said, Kurtis Rourke and this Indiana passing attack, while maybe lacking in some name recognition, is just as good if not better on paper than the Ducks.
Indiana ranks 23rd nationally in passing offense, just a few spots lower than Oregon at 18th by a difference of less than five yards per game. The Hoosiers are even better than the Ducks on a down to down basis, sitting at No. 9 in passing yards per completion (compared to 85th for UO) and third in passing efficiency — one spot ahead of Ohio State and seven spots ahead of Oregon. Rourke has also not turned the ball over much this season, throwing only four interceptions all year.
Much like Oregon’s duo of Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart, the Hoosiers also have an impressive wide receiver duo in Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr., the former of which has more yards on the season than both Johnson and Stewart. Sarratt followed Cignetti from James Madison to Bloomington, leading the team with 38 catches for 685 yards and six touchdowns, while the sophomore Cooper is their big play guy, catching 24 passes for 527 yards (22 yards per catch good for No. 1 in the Big Ten) and five touchdowns.
Ohio State has had more than its fair share of coverage issues this season, especially from the cornerback position. Denzel Burke has had a poor campaign overall, and Davison Igbinosun has made a bunch of big plays, but has also seemingly been flagged weekly for his overly aggressive style. The Buckeyes will need both of those guys to play their best games of the season if they are going to slow down Rourke and the Hoosiers’ passing offense.
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Buckeyes host a top-five matchup in Columbus on Saturday.
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
This week’s topic: Biggest area of concern for Ohio State against Indiana?
Josh’s Take
Ohio State hosts Indiana this weekend, and folks, I’ve got a surprise for you: This game is a Big Nooner! That’s right, another noon kickoff for OSU, the Buckeyes’ 15th this season.
Ok, maybe I exaggerated a bit. But it sure as hell seems like Ohio State has been playing at noon every Saturday since the beginning of time. Not that it’s my favorite kick time, but I don’t even remember what a 3:30 kick feels like. And I vaguely recall the feeling of getting amped up for that Oregon night game, but when does OSU get to host a marquee matchup at night? On the banks of the Olentangy... Shoutout Keith Jackson, RIP.
What does start time have to do with the upcoming top-5 matchup against Indiana? Allow me to explain — and eventually weave it into today’s edition of You’re Nuts.
The Hoosiers are a legitimately good football team, as well as a viable threat to the Buckeyes’ Big Ten and CFP chances. Scoff at IU’s strength of schedule all you want, but this is a massive game for Ryan Day and Co. As such, Gene and I (and others) are taking it very seriously. Which is to say we have concerns. That’s what happens when your team’s head coach owns a less-than-stellar record against top-5 and top-10 opponents.
So when my partner suggested sharing our biggest concern(s) for the Indiana game, my mind immediately went to the noon kick and, more specifically, Ohio State’s tendency to start slow. Because I believe that if the Buckeyes come out lethargic against the Hoosiers, the former could be or find themselves in real trouble.
The Scarlet and Gray have played 10 games this season, meaning 10 first quarters. In those 10 (first) quarters, Ohio State has scored more than 7 points just once! And that was against Western Michigan, a 5-5 MAC team currently ranked 117 out of 134 in points per game allowed. In all other contests, OSU has averaged roughly 5.8 first quarter points.
Now admittedly, Indiana has not been much better in the first quarter scoring department. At least (not) in conference play. But these are Buckeye concerns, not Hoosier concerns. So I am concerned that if Ohio State doesn’t start well, they might begin to press and/or force the issue(s). Or, even worse, OSU could let IU build momentum on the road. And if that happens, the Hoosiers will gain confidence in their ability to pull off a massive upset.
Indiana is not an opponent that Ohio State can or should take lightly. Because the Buckeyes likely won’t sleepwalk their way to 28-7 halftime lead like they did at Northwestern — err, Wrigley. Against Northwestern. You know what I mean.
Another issue with starting slow is that if OSU does indeed do so on Saturday, the weather could potentially affect or impact the Buckeyes’ ability to bounce back quickly. The high in Columbus is currently projected to be 44 degrees, with 10+ MPH winds possible. Not exactly conducive to playing catch-up. Also not conducive to airing the ball out, which has been Ohio State’s most effective means of moving the ball on offense.
Despite these concerns – which are very real – I am confident in the Buckeye’s ability to go out and win this game on Saturday. They are the superior team, playing at home, against a team in Indiana that has not played an opponent nearly as talented as them (OSU)...
But Ohio State can’t and/or shouldn’t “play with their food”. Coach Cig and the Hoosiers would love nothing more than to shut the entire country up and prove themselves a contender. So it’s up to Day and the Buckeyes to put IU back in its place. One way of doing that is to start hot and stay hot.
Gene’s Take
The slow starts are a genuine concern for Ohio State against Indiana, as my partner laid out. The Buckeyes have not done well at waking up for these noon starts, however I do think Saturday’s game will play out a bit differently from an approach style for the opposition.
I don't believe Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers are scared enough of Ohio State to be running excessive amounts of clock like all the overmatched teams against the Buckeyes have been doing to severely limit possessions. Indiana is a legitimately good football team, and while it would still be wise to limit the amount of time Chip Kelly’s offense has the ball, I don't think it'll be to the extreme like we saw against Northwestern. Maybe Ohio State will even have two offensive possessions in the first quarter this week instead of one!
Jokes aside, my biggest area of worry for the Buckeyes against the Hoosiers is their secondary. That is, Ohio State’s secondary.
The Silver Bullets have done a great job all season at limiting opposing teams’ air attacks, ranking No. 6 in the country with just 160.1 passing yards allowed per game. They have allowed more than 200 passing yards in a game only twice, once being the 201 yards they gave up this past weekend against Northwestern — 85 of which came during that aforementioned sleepy first quarter — and the other being against Oregon, the latter of which being my main reason for concern.
Ohio State’s secondary got exposed big time against the Ducks, allowing 341 yards through the air against Dillon Gabriel and company — more than double the Buckeyes’ season average. Oregon is obviously the most explosive offense Jim Knowles’ defense has faced this year, and the results were not exactly great. That being said, Kurtis Rourke and this Indiana passing attack, while maybe lacking in some name recognition, is just as good if not better on paper than the Ducks.
Indiana ranks 23rd nationally in passing offense, just a few spots lower than Oregon at 18th by a difference of less than five yards per game. The Hoosiers are even better than the Ducks on a down to down basis, sitting at No. 9 in passing yards per completion (compared to 85th for UO) and third in passing efficiency — one spot ahead of Ohio State and seven spots ahead of Oregon. Rourke has also not turned the ball over much this season, throwing only four interceptions all year.
Much like Oregon’s duo of Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart, the Hoosiers also have an impressive wide receiver duo in Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr., the former of which has more yards on the season than both Johnson and Stewart. Sarratt followed Cignetti from James Madison to Bloomington, leading the team with 38 catches for 685 yards and six touchdowns, while the sophomore Cooper is their big play guy, catching 24 passes for 527 yards (22 yards per catch good for No. 1 in the Big Ten) and five touchdowns.
Ohio State has had more than its fair share of coverage issues this season, especially from the cornerback position. Denzel Burke has had a poor campaign overall, and Davison Igbinosun has made a bunch of big plays, but has also seemingly been flagged weekly for his overly aggressive style. The Buckeyes will need both of those guys to play their best games of the season if they are going to slow down Rourke and the Hoosiers’ passing offense.
Continue reading...
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