2005 Pre-Season Chatter

[DaytonBuck]

I think the back 7 of the defense will be pretty good. I think Anthony will be much improved next season. Sometimes a year off like had tends to set some people back. I think the safeties will be in good hands and between Ashton and Ginn, Underwoods, etc we should be able to find another solid CB. I think the whole key for the defense is who steps on the D line. This season I really realise what a luxury it was the past two years to have people like Anderson, Smith, and Scott. I think David Patterson, Pitcock, or Kudla have shown flashes at points in time and have to potential to take the Dline play up another notch next season.

On offense I'm not sure who we start at QB, RB, or on the lines but whatever happens there's gotta be some semblance of a running game. I think going into the offense it's a toss up as to who wins the QB job. Running back I think whether it's Haw, Pittman, or recruit they'll be an upgrade over Ross/Hall. I would think with a year in the system Rehring, Person, Mitchum, Skinner would able to give some healthy competition to all the soon to be redshirt juniors. Barton, Datish, Schaffer, etc. will probably be better with a year of starting under their belts. Nuge will be missed badly but hopefully Huston can get a 6th year and ease the loss.

I think the best key to next season is going to be turnover margin. I don't know the numbers off the top of my head but I'm pretty sure we're well into the minus side with that. The defense didn't create T.O.'s this year and the offense was sloppy with the ball. I think an argument can be made that if we take care of the football we might have been able to beat Wisky, Northwestern, and Purdue. We had a lot of stupid offense penalties this year this too. As disapointing as the team has been if we had taken care of the football better we well could only have 1 loss right now.

Another factor next year I think is dumping Purdue and Wisky and picking up Illinois and Minnestoa. I think that this works out in favor, and our late season schedule in the run up to scUM will be much easier. Texas which is gonna be the biggest non conference match up we've had in some time at least now might be in our favor. Cedric Benson, Derrick Johnson, Jason Gylnn (Remington Canidate C), are gone. They lose a lot more to graduation than we do. Maybe Sears knows but I've heard Vince Young may go pro. Regardless in the Shoe we should be able to match up pretty well.

 

[Naplesbuckeye]

Guys This is premature by a week but hell lets talk about it.

We need a physcologist of some sort. When the bowl game is over the guys will take some time off and then they will have to lock themselves in a room. I mean just the players; just the players with elgibility. Guys like Carpenter, Holmes (if he stays) Smith etc. need to look each other in the eye and more importantly, the younger guys and find an identity. They need to do this without the coaching staff involved and they need to do it quickly. They need to take responsibility as a TEAM and not as an offense v. defense of the like. They need to stop making any type of excuses, if they thought of making excuses, and face the fact that they need to get a lot better.

We have so much talent and I think we are close to having the swagger back that we once had. I just think we need to scrap this fricken year and focus on what can be done each day as a team to get better.
One of the biggest areas that I see is attitude and nastiness.We have heard it a lot this year, i.e. that we are too nice or not angry enough..etc. We need to recognize that we have to find some fire and nastiness on the field.
I just don't know how this can be passed on through the coaches. The players have to want it. They have to want to light someone up or knock em out. I can't believe that we help opposing players up after plays. I am not advocating personal fouls but I would love to see guys pushing off opponents once they get up after a tackle it is fun as hell and ads insult to injury once you have nailed someone.

The OL has some bodies and they are young in terms of reps for some guys. I like many think that some new guys, practice guys like Person, Mitchum and others will have a chance to play and hit people. I am convinced that Bollman is the wrong man for the job and am looking forward to Peterson righting the ship. I really believe that the OL will make tremendous strides and that we will see some scraping and hitting when they decide to get nasty. I really believe that this will suit Pittman and Haw and Johnson as we can hit holes fast and at least go at people. If nothing else it will bring some balance to the game and let people know that we aren't there to play paddy cake.

That is it for now as I can speak volumes but attitude and nastiness they train and work as a team in the off season will help a whole bunch!

 

[bukIpower]

2 more days till the season starts so I was just going to get some talk going about the buckeyes this season.

1) Lets say that Smith beats out Zwick this off season, but Zwick has a good first game? then what happens?

2)Who would you guys like to see break through this year?

3)Is there any impaticular game that scares you this year?

Answers

I say if Smith beats out Zwick, but Zwick does good against Miami then Zwick will keep the job till Zwick starts to slip up. IMO Smith would be such a better fit for the offense and especially for the Texas Defense.

The Guy that I look to break out the most this year is probably Haw. Also Gonzo will definatly be more thrown to this year as well.

The game that for some reason scares me the most Is SDSU. Jut because Miami is the first game of the year which i hard not to get up for, and Texas is always going to get a teams best. As for SDSU its right after the Texas game and right before Iowa talk about a let dow. I bet we let them hang with us but still pull it out.

 

[strohs]

1) Lets say that Smith beats out Zwick this off season, but Zwick has a good first game? then what happens?

2)Who would you guys like to see break through this year?

3)Is there any impaticular game that scares you this year?

1. I dont know, whatever JT thinks is best.
2. Haw, if he has a big season, we have a big season.
3. Penn state. Away, after a bye week, at night.

 

[bukIpower]

Also if you guys have any other interesting Questins you'd like to share with us just post them here so we can pass a couple more days more easily so the season gets here faster.

Yeah Penn State is definatly a trip up game, but does this gme start at night? or is starting later like around 5? cuz if kick off is around 7:45 like the NW game then I'll definatly be worried about that one. Hopefully we do something productive with our off week this year instead of show up and not be prepared. That was probably the most disappointing game last year just because we had so much time to prepare for NW and still lost. NW played a great game but we should've beat them with the time we had to prepare.

 

[Dryden]

1) Lets say that Smith beats out Zwick this off season, but Zwick has a good first game? then what happens?

2)Who would you guys like to see break through this year?

3)Is there any impaticular game that scares you this year?

1) Zwick must manage the offense and lower the TD/INT ratio from last year. He'll also have to lead the O to TDs, not FGs, unless and until Huston (or any other K) establishes themselves as the heir to Nuge. If Zwick does at least these few things, he's the starter all year long. Tressel has already demonstrated with Krenzel v. McMullen in the past that the better player, on paper, won't necessarily win the starting position. Off field behaviour and team leadership carry a lot of weight with Tressel, and that is, at least thus far, to Zwick's advantage. With Zwick's performance in the Alamo Bowl, the respect he gained, and his apparent realization of the difference between playing hurt and being injured, it's Zwick's job. Forget the UM game for a second -- What's the last on-field memory of Troy Smith? Tucking and running? Getting happy feet and committing turnovers in bunches in the red zone against Purdue?

Frankly, I'm not convinced we've ever seen the real Justin Zwick or the real Troy Smith. The occassional superb game along with a poor game just isn't going to cut it, we need someone more steady, and neither have ever demonstrated that yet -- at least not to me. Add to that, if the offensive line plays like they did the first half of last year, it'll all be moot anyway, the Bucks will be 2 - 2 after Iowa, and everyone will be screaming for Bollman's job (again).

Regardless, after seeing that obscene block Zwick delivered in the Alamo, I think if Smith is the starter than Zwick would be a fine replacement for Branden Joe. :tongue2:

2) Any running back breaking through a hole between the tackles would get me all warm and fuzzy. This is Ohio State, run the ball down their throats.

3) The game that concerns me most is at Penn State. I can't stand hearing that freakin' cat over the PA after every single play, and apparently the players have never liked it much either. We always find a way to let an inferior PSU team hang around at their place, and this PSU team has a lot of impact freshmen that could make the team a surprise. I'm not concerned with SDSU. These Bucks will remember what happened in 2003, and the coaches will make sure they know what the Aztecs did at Michigan last year. I expect the Bucks to come out amped and lay the hammer down from the first drive. I expect we see one of those 50 - 7 blowouts like we should be putting up against the San Joses and Akrons of the nation.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

3)Is there any impaticular game that scares you this year?

in particular maybe? :p

 

[bukIpower]

haha thanks Bn27......


as for the game is concerned... I too am alittle worried about PSU's incoming freshman. They'll have a pretty decent defense, but again I think their offense will show up this game and give us a run for the money. I hope we remember SDSU from a few years ago! we were on the ropes against them.

I would also like to see Maurice Wells come in and be used as more of a recieving and outside threat. I hate when we try to use these speed/recieving backs into between the tackle type of runners. The end results is just not up to par usually. I'd like to see us use MW the same way we used Ginn last yar. Split him out alot and get him in SPACE.

 

[Vikes]

Give them each a half.

Zwick can start but have Smith end the game.

Scenerio #1 (martyr complex)
If Zwick does okay, and because of OVERALL team play they squeek by games. Smith never plays or plays only garbage time.
It will be one of the greatest crimes in the history of OSU football and this will have an effect on recruiting. No mobile QB will ever look at OSU. Remember that guy who scorched Michigan but then they benched him and never gave him chance.

Scenerio #2 (martyr complex)
Smith starts and Zwick rides the pine like McMullen. The most recruited QB coming out of HS rides the pine his last days at OSU. The Zwick-supporters would have a MI. OHIO high schools... "WE GAVE YOU JZ (jesus)" -OSU savior and look what you did... put him on the bench. It would effect recuriting as well.

Scenerio #3
Share the pigskin. Give them each the ability to show NFL scouts what they can do. Everybodys happy. RECRUITS CAN'T WAIT TO PLAY for OSU.

 

[rocketman]

1) If Alamo-Bowl-Zwick is what we're going to get for the rest of the year, then that'll be great. I very much hope that Smith still gets some PT (not just QB). He has athletic ability that can't be wasted.

2) Any running game would be nice. With Haw's speed (and assuming he has good hands) I'm actually curious to see if we can muster a screen pass...a part of our running game that was particularly elusive (read: I think we did it twice all year).

3) I'm very worried about Texas, Iowa, Penn State and Michigan. I dunno...guess I worry a lot. Honestly, I think I'm more worried about Michigan than anything, especially if we win out up to that point. The pressure will be ridiculous, and regardless of how well Michigan does in their season, they'll be just as ready to take us down as we were this year. An Iowa-Revenge Game would be awesome. Seeing Drew Tate eating grass for the better part of 4 quarters would be just spectacular, but its not going to be easy.

 

[biobuck]

1) Zwick must manage the offense and lower the TD/INT ratio from last year. He'll also have to lead the O to TDs, not FGs, unless and until Huston (or any other K) establishes themselves as the heir to Nuge.

You mean increase the TD/Int ratio..not LOWER

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

3)Is there any impaticular game that scares you this year?

Just what does "impaticular" mean? You mean a "game in particular"?

Give them each a half.

Zwick can start but have Smith end the game.

Scenerio #1 (martyr complex)
If Zwick does okay, and because of OVERALL team play they squeek by games. Smith never plays or plays only garbage time.
It will be one of the greatest crimes in the history of OSU football and this will have an effect on recruiting. No mobile QB will ever look at OSU. Remember that guy who scorched Michigan but then they benched him and never gave him chance.

Scenerio #2 (martyr complex)
Smith starts and Zwick rides the pine like McMullen. The most recruited QB coming out of HS rides the pine his last days at OSU. The Zwick-supporters would have a MI. OHIO high schools... "WE GAVE YOU JZ (jesus)" -OSU savior and look what you did... put him on the bench. It would effect recuriting as well.

Scenerio #3
Share the pigskin. Give them each the ability to show NFL scouts what they can do. Everybodys happy. RECRUITS CAN'T WAIT TO PLAY for OSU.

You never "share time" just to appease players and fans. You play the best, most-deserving QB period. Fuck the "martyr complex".

 

[Dryden]

You never "share time" just to appease players and fans. You play the best, most-deserving QB period. Fuck the "martyr complex".

Amen Mili!

As John Madden would say, "When you say you've got two quarterbacks, what you really mean is you don't have any."

If Tressel pulls Cooper's Germaine/Jackson shit, I'll track him down in a Shreveport bar and strangle him myself. I'm sure theres a few Longhorns around here that have great words for Mack Brown after Applewhite/Simms too.

 

[jwinslow]

JT will not juggle QBs. He clearly could have done so with CK/SM but did not.

As for the martyr comments about Zwick, he had half of a season and he did very little with it. There were reasons he had less going for him, but he did not perform anywhere near his hype as a recruit. Even if he never saw the field again he would not be a recruit that got snubbed.

 

[DOG 44]

1) Pick one guy and stay with him unless he gets hurt or plays terribly. No shufling of Qb's.

2) Running the ball like OSU should run the ball would get me excited. I am already juiced about the potential the defense has.

3) The PSU game scares me a lot after the way the Bucks played at Northwestern last year under the lights. But all in all the schedule is pretty tough with Texas, Iowa, Minnesota, and scUM. They can't look past Miami either or they will find themselves in a real dogfight.

GO BUCKS!!!