2010 Minnesota Golden Gophers Game Preview
written by: BB73, Buckeyeskickbuttocks, Bucklion, Bucky Katt, DaddyBigBucks, JCOSU86, and jwinslow
Preface
Minnesota is in their second season of playing their home games in the new on-campus TCF Bank Stadium. Due to a Big Ten scheduling quirk, the Buckeyes hosted the Gophers for the second straight year in 2009, so this is tOSU's first visit to the new stadium. The Gophers were 4-3 at home in their first season at 'The Bank', but are winless in 5 home games this year, and 1-7 overall.
The Buckeyes fared well in the Metrodome, winning all 11 contests since the stadium opened in the early 1980s, including an epic comeback from a 31-0 deficit at Minnesota in 1989, which was a 1-A record shared with Maryland's 1984 comeback over Miami, until it was exceeded in 2006 by Sparty turning a 38-3 third quarter deficit into a 41-38 victory that ruined Northwestern's homecoming.
Speaking of 31-point comebacks, that was the size of the lead that the Gophers surrendered to Texas Tech in the 2006 Insight Bowl, when Tech erased a 31-point deficit with 7:47 left to play in the 3rd quarter to mount the greatest comeback in Bowl game history, winning 44-41 in overtime. That broke the bowl game comeback mark of 30, when Byron Leftwich led Marshall back against East Carolina in the 2001 GMAC Bowl.
Blowing that lead in the Insight Bowl was apparently also the deciding factor in Glen Mason losing the head coaching job - he was fired two days later, despite having the best winning percentage of any Minnesota coach since 1950.
Mason was replaced by Tim Brewster, previously the tight ends coach for the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers. Two weeks ago he was fired in the middle of his 4th season at Minnesota, with a 15-30 mark that is the 2nd worst among Minnesota head coaches since 1900. Only Jim Wacker's 16-39 mark from 1992-96 was below Brewster's winning percentage.
The Golden Gophers' last two 10 win seasons occurred in '03 and '05. That would be 2003 and unfortunately for them, 1905. They had a brilliant stretch from '00 through '05; they actually compiled a record of 65-4-5 from 1900 through 1905. In both 1903 and 1904, they gave up less points over the course of the season than the number of games they won. Those years included a 28-game win streak and a 35-game unbeaten streak. Impressive stuff, but obviously ancient history.
In order to balance the historical look at the Gophers, it's only fair to point out their rich football history:
They were the very first team ever voted #1 in the AP football poll, back in November of 1934. In the first full year for the poll, 1936, they went on to claim their third straight national title. The most recent national championship in 1960 was their sixth.
Minnesota is actually tied with tOSU as the Big Ten teams with the most AP national titles in football, with 4. Michigan has 2, Michigan State has 1, and Penn State won two in the 1980s before joining the conference.
Minnesota has a winning record against the current members of the SEC, the Big-12, and the Pac-10.
Their list of coaches included Fritz Crisler (1930-31), who left for Princeton and then brought along their winged helmet when he arrived in Ann Arbor in 1938. Crisler was succeeded by in Minnesota by Bernie Bierman, who had a .716 winning percentage from 1932-1950 (with a break during World War II), winning 5 national championships in his first decade leading the Golden Gophers. He is also known for teaching the game of football to Bud Wilkinson, who coached Oklahoma to its record 47-game winning streak in the 1950s.
Other Minnesota head coaches include Wes Fesler (a 3-time football All-American at tOSU), who succeeded Bierman after losing tOSU's Snow Bowl in 1950; and Lou Holtz, who went 10-12 in 1984-85 despite some scintillating pep talks.
Glen Mason, in 10 years, guided the team to 7 of their 14 all-time bowl appearances (they never went to a bowl during their glory days under Bierman).
Counting all games ever played against current Big Ten opponents, Ohio State's winning percentage against Minnesota (.857) is higher than that against any other team in the conference. It's .827 against Indiana and .804 against Northwestern.
Date and TimeThe Buckeyes fared well in the Metrodome, winning all 11 contests since the stadium opened in the early 1980s, including an epic comeback from a 31-0 deficit at Minnesota in 1989, which was a 1-A record shared with Maryland's 1984 comeback over Miami, until it was exceeded in 2006 by Sparty turning a 38-3 third quarter deficit into a 41-38 victory that ruined Northwestern's homecoming.
Speaking of 31-point comebacks, that was the size of the lead that the Gophers surrendered to Texas Tech in the 2006 Insight Bowl, when Tech erased a 31-point deficit with 7:47 left to play in the 3rd quarter to mount the greatest comeback in Bowl game history, winning 44-41 in overtime. That broke the bowl game comeback mark of 30, when Byron Leftwich led Marshall back against East Carolina in the 2001 GMAC Bowl.
Blowing that lead in the Insight Bowl was apparently also the deciding factor in Glen Mason losing the head coaching job - he was fired two days later, despite having the best winning percentage of any Minnesota coach since 1950.
Mason was replaced by Tim Brewster, previously the tight ends coach for the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers. Two weeks ago he was fired in the middle of his 4th season at Minnesota, with a 15-30 mark that is the 2nd worst among Minnesota head coaches since 1900. Only Jim Wacker's 16-39 mark from 1992-96 was below Brewster's winning percentage.
The Golden Gophers' last two 10 win seasons occurred in '03 and '05. That would be 2003 and unfortunately for them, 1905. They had a brilliant stretch from '00 through '05; they actually compiled a record of 65-4-5 from 1900 through 1905. In both 1903 and 1904, they gave up less points over the course of the season than the number of games they won. Those years included a 28-game win streak and a 35-game unbeaten streak. Impressive stuff, but obviously ancient history.
In order to balance the historical look at the Gophers, it's only fair to point out their rich football history:
They were the very first team ever voted #1 in the AP football poll, back in November of 1934. In the first full year for the poll, 1936, they went on to claim their third straight national title. The most recent national championship in 1960 was their sixth.
Minnesota is actually tied with tOSU as the Big Ten teams with the most AP national titles in football, with 4. Michigan has 2, Michigan State has 1, and Penn State won two in the 1980s before joining the conference.
Minnesota has a winning record against the current members of the SEC, the Big-12, and the Pac-10.
Their list of coaches included Fritz Crisler (1930-31), who left for Princeton and then brought along their winged helmet when he arrived in Ann Arbor in 1938. Crisler was succeeded by in Minnesota by Bernie Bierman, who had a .716 winning percentage from 1932-1950 (with a break during World War II), winning 5 national championships in his first decade leading the Golden Gophers. He is also known for teaching the game of football to Bud Wilkinson, who coached Oklahoma to its record 47-game winning streak in the 1950s.
Other Minnesota head coaches include Wes Fesler (a 3-time football All-American at tOSU), who succeeded Bierman after losing tOSU's Snow Bowl in 1950; and Lou Holtz, who went 10-12 in 1984-85 despite some scintillating pep talks.
Glen Mason, in 10 years, guided the team to 7 of their 14 all-time bowl appearances (they never went to a bowl during their glory days under Bierman).
Counting all games ever played against current Big Ten opponents, Ohio State's winning percentage against Minnesota (.857) is higher than that against any other team in the conference. It's .827 against Indiana and .804 against Northwestern.
Date: Saturday, October 30th, 2010
Time: 8:00 pm ET Kick-off
Location: TCF Bank Stadium (Minneapolis, MN)
Constructed: 2009
Seating Capacity: 50,805 (Expansion Capacity to 80,000)
Playing Surface: FieldTurf
Events:
Time: 8:00 pm ET Kick-off
Location: TCF Bank Stadium (Minneapolis, MN)
Constructed: 2009
Seating Capacity: 50,805 (Expansion Capacity to 80,000)
Playing Surface: FieldTurf
Events:
Broadcast Information:
TV Broacast: ABC (Regional): Mike Patrick (play-by-play) and Craig James (analyst) will have the call in the booth with Ray Bentley on the sidelines.
Radio Broadcast: Ohio State Radio Network (WBNS 97.1 FM The Fan in Columbus): Paul Keels (Play-by-play), Jim Lachey (Analysis), and Marty Bannister (Sideline)
The game can also be heard on Sirius satellite radio 121 and XM 141.
2010 Minnesota Golden Gophers Offensive PreviewRadio Broadcast: Ohio State Radio Network (WBNS 97.1 FM The Fan in Columbus): Paul Keels (Play-by-play), Jim Lachey (Analysis), and Marty Bannister (Sideline)
The game can also be heard on Sirius satellite radio 121 and XM 141.
After annihilating Purdue last week by playing a near perfect first half and jumping out to a huge lead, the Buckeyes hit the road to Minneapolis to face a 1-7 Gopher team in disarray. Gone is the head coach, replaced on an interim basis by offensive coordinator and soon certain-to-be lame duck Jeff Horton. Thomas Hammock, the RB coach, is now listed as co-offensive coordinator. Horton was the head man at UNLV in 1993 and at Nevada from 1994-1998, so he does have some experience. Offensively, the Gophers always seem to put up their share of numbers, but that seems to repeatedly fail to translate into high quality wins or a high volume of wins. They have gone through a reinventing over the previous few years, replacing the traditional power running game of Glen Mason with a more pass-based attack under Brewster. This season, the Gophers are 59th in the country in total offense per game at 386.8. They have been middle of the pack throwing the ball (255.0 YPG, 44th) and running it (140.6 YPG, 76th). Their 24.4 points per game is an anemic 79th nationally, and is one of many reasons for their poor record. The team has picked up a reasonable number of first downs (21.5 per game, 40th nationally) and they are converting a middling 39.3% of their 3rd down opportunities (47th). Weber has been good at avoiding sacks (9) and throwing picks (7) and as a team they have lost just 4 fumbles, so turnovers haven't been a huge problem for the Gophers this year. They simply are not scoring enough points to win and are getting themselves into holes they can't dig out of (no pun intended). All signs point to them having to play a near perfect game to compete with the Buckeyes Saturday night, but if they can stay in it early, they could make it interesting.
Quarterbacks
QB #8 Adam Weber (6-3, 221, SR, Mounds View HS, Shoreview, MN)
Weber was a highly touted recruit that was supposed to take this program to the next level. Instead there were periods where he almost lost his job and the team has not progressed as many had hoped. Still, he became just the 5th QB in Big Ten history to reach 10,000 yards passing last week, albeit in a loss to Penn State, which may summarize his career in a nutshell. As a freshman in 2007, he threw for 2895 yards on 57.5% completions, with 24 TDs, 13 sacks allowed, and a 120.8 rating as the team went 1-11. This year, if he plays as projected from the first 8 games the rest of the way and Minnesota loses their last 4 games, which is quite possible, he will throw for 2942 yards on 55.8% completions, with 26 TDs, 14 sacks allowed, and a 133.9 rating as his team goes 1-11. Though he has cut down on some of his INTs, the rest of the numbers look frighteningly similar, and that lack of progression over the course of his 4 years mirrors the offense. Meanwhile, after gaining 617 yards on the ground and scoring 5 TDs as a freshman, he has been less and less a factor with his feet, gaining just 111 yards thus far this season. There is little doubt that he is a tough kid and a decent football player, and he has stuck it out for 4 years, but many in Minnesota look at his tenure as somewhat of a disappointment, at least from a team standpoint, in terms of results and program development. This season, he has thrown for over 200 yards 6 times, including piling up 373 yards against Northern Illinois. He has thrown for at least 2 TDs in 7 straight games, albeit all losses. He can occasionally still move the ball on the ground (7 carries, 42 yards 2 weeks ago against Purdue) and he can still put up numbers against decent competition (299 yards passing, 3 TDs last week against Penn State). However he is still prone to bad decisions and stretches of inaccuracy, which can be frustrating for a 4 year starter. Expect the ball to go all over the park and particularly downfield on Saturday night ... the results of which will go a long way in determining the fate of the Gophers. He has had no luck against Ohio State in his career, passing for 232 yards as a freshman, 187 the following year, and then just 112 with 2 INTs last season, all losses.
The backup is intriguing and athletic sophomore MarQueis Gray (#5, see below). There was some thought of having Gray take over in 2009, but instead he was switched to receiver, where his athleticism has made him a starter this year. He is a more traditional dual threat type of QB who will probably run a great deal more than Weber if he takes over the reins in 2011. He has attempted just 15 passes in his career thus far and none this season, so he is probably not ready to step in immediately, but he should be fine for next season.
QB Rating: C
Head-to-Head: Minnesota versus Ohio State QBs
Weber: 148/265 (55.8), 1961 yards, 17 TDs, 7 INTs, 133.9 rating; 34/111, 0 TDs
Pryor: 134/203 (66.0%), 1775 yards, 18 TDs, 6 INTs, 162.8 rating; 79/408, 3 TDs
At first glance these profiles appear to be similar statistically, but there is a great deal more to it than that. One tries to be as respectful to all opponents as possible, but there are lies, d$#@ lies, statistics, and Adam Weber's passing numbers. In 4 years he has piled up the yardage, but he has not really developed all that much as a QB and he is still prone to bad decisions and overthrows. His numbers across his 4 years are all similar, and while decent they are not that much different than his predecessor Bryan Cupito. Weber doesn't run as much as he used to, so he doesn't have that threat to fall back on as much as a player like Pryor does. Weber's 15-31 record as a starter certainly has a lot to do with the program and talent around him, but he was never able to elevate the passing game to levels where it could take over for a diminishing rushing attack, and the Gophers have suffered the consequences. Pryor played like a Heisman candidate last week and makes at least a handful of "wow" plays every game, win or lose.
Edge: Ohio State
Running Backs
TB #22 Duane Bennett (5-9, 210, JR, O'Fallon Township HS, St. Louis, MO)
TB #23 DeLeon Eskridge (5-11, 205, JR, Junipero Serra HS, San Francisco, CA)
The RB situation has been mired by injuries and mediocre play in recent seasons, as no back has gone over 700 yards since 2006, the year before Weber arrived. This year the running duties have been split right down the middle ... as in Bennett and Eskridge have 444 yards apiece on the season. Eskridge is listed at the top of the chart this week and may have taken over the job, but they seem to be more like 1 and 1A. Each has also played in 33 career games, with Bennett starting 22 and Eskridge 14, and both have two 100 yard rushing games this season. Bennett earned all-freshman accolades in 2007 after rushing for 442 yards and 3 TDs, but then he seriously injured his knee 2 games into the 2008 season after gaining 140 yards and scoring twice. He returned to lead the team with 376 yards and 6 TDs in 2009. Eskridge started 2 games last season en route to 294 rushing yards and led the team with 43 yards rushing in the bowl game. Neither player is especially explosive, nor do they have blazing speed. Neither appears to have a firm grasp on the starting job either, which seems to prevent either from breaking out. Eskridge has had the majority of work over the past month, tallying at least 20 carries 3 of the last 4 games and gaining over 200 yards against Northwestern and Penn State. Bennett started the season with 187 yards against Middle Tennessee on 30 carries and followed that with 104 yards and 2 TDs against South Dakota. He has played more sparingly recently, however, with just 5 carries in each of the past 2 games. He is much more of a receiving threat than Eskridge, as he has 8 receptions in the previous 2 games and 17 total receptions for 186 yards on the season thus far. He appears to be involved more on passing situations currently.
Fullback Jon Hoese (#35) is the type of kid fans from any team can root for, and he's had a really tough year. First his father passed away, and then he sustained a serious hamstring injury last week and could be done for the season. He was a team leader and a bulldozer of a blocker and the team will miss him tremendously. All the best to him in his recovery. The Gophers will turn to sophomore Ed Cotton (#44) when they need a fullback in the meantime.
RB Rating: C-
Head-to-Head: Minnesota versus Ohio State RBs
Bennett: 104/444 yards, 2 TDs, 4.3 YPC; 17 rec/186 yards, 1 TD, 10.9 YPR
Eskridge: 118/444 yards, 2 TDs, 3.8 YPC; 3 rec/31 yards, 0 TDs, 10.3 YPR
Herron: 112/520 yards, 11 TDs, 4.6 YPC; 11 rec/137 yards, 0 TDs, 12.5 YPR
Saine: 49/224 yards, 2 TDs, 4.6 YPC; 15 rec/183 yards, 4 TDs, 12.2 YPR
Both Minnesota and Ohio State entered the season without a true "feature" back, which can be viewed as detrimental by some. Herron seems to have taken that role over for the Buckeyes, whereas Eskridge seems to be moving in that direction for the Gophers. Both Bennett and Saine are dangerous out of the backfield catching the ball, so both will still see quite a bit of the field in complementary roles. The loss of Hoese will probably significantly affect the Gophers, as Zach Boren is one of the more underappreciated players on the Buckeye roster as well. The Buckeyes have quite a bit of depth, as Hall and Berry are waiting in the wings and have seen action in recent weeks. Neither team's backs will remind anyone of the 1987 Oklahoma State backfield of Thurman Thomas and Barry Sanders, but Herron has been playing better in recent weeks and has 11 TDs on the season, and the Buckeyes also have more depth, so they get the edge.
Edge: Ohio State
Wide Receivers
WR #6 Da'Jon McKnight (6-3, 209, JR, Skyline HS, Dallas, TX)
WR #5 MarQueis Gray (6-4, 230, SO, Ben Davis HS, Indianapolis, IN)
After losing Eric Decker there figured to be some drop-off here, but actually McKnight continued his form from late in 2009 and there hasn't been much of a problem for the Gophers at the position. McKnight assumed a primary offensive role after Decker was injured, and amassed 311 yards in the final 5 games, including 98 against Michigan State and 124 on 7 receptions in the Insight Bowl. This year he is having a fine season as the primary weapon, catching 36 passes for 542 yards and 9 scores with still a month to go. He has good size and good speed, and he runs precise routes and can make a catch in traffic. His last two games have been his best, as he caught 6 passes for 123 yards and a TD against Purdue and torched Penn State all day last week, catching 8 passes for 103 yards and scoring 3 TDs. He has at least one TD in 6 of the 8 games Minnesota has played, so it is imperative for the Buckeyes to focus on him at all times. On the other side, Gray's athleticism has helped him make a rapid transition into a quality receiver while Weber plays QB, and his 33 receptions for 432 yards and 4 TDs support the decision to get him on the field any way possible. He is a big kid with good speed who can create matchup issues with smaller corners or slower safeties. He had a great stretch early in the year, catching 9 passes for 91 yards and a score against South Dakota, 4 for 98 and a TD against USC, and then 8 for 177 yards and a TD against Northern Illinois. His production then tapered off, but he rebounded last week, catching 7 passes for 83 yards against Penn State.
The Gophers, like the Buckeyes, are not especially deep here. The primary backup is sophomore Bryant Allen (#81; 6-0, 180), who also plays basketball at the school. He has 13 receptions for 178 yards, and scored a TD against Purdue. Freshman Victor Keise (#84) is listed as the other backup, but he has just one catch.
WR Rating: B+
Head-to-Head: Minnesota versus Ohio State WRs
McKnight: 36 catches, 542 yards, 9 TDs, 15.1 YPR
Gray: 33 catches, 432 yards, 4 TDs, 13.1 YPR
Allen: 13 catches, 178 yards, 1 TD, 13.7 YPR
Sanzenbacher: 37 catches, 591 yards, 8 TDs, 16.0 YPR
Posey: 34 catches, 486 yards, 4 TDs, 14.3 YPR
Brown: 6 catches, 81 yards, 1 TD, 13.5 YPR
Both teams have 2 quality players at the top of the chart and are not very deep. McKnight is having a great season, though he would probably trade a few receptions for his team not throwing it all over the place trying to come from behind all the time. Gray isn't really a "true" WR, but is a very gifted athlete who has played the position effectively until he can switch back to QB. There isn't much behind them, which can also be said of the Buckeyes, though Brown shows some promise. Sanzenbacher has been a great go-to receiver for Pryor this year, and Posey has also performed admirably, though he has dropped a pass or two along the way. The production here is very similar.
Edge: Even
Tight Ends
TE #85 Eric Lair (6-3, 238, JR, Lamar HS, Houston, TX)
Enter yet another team on the Buckeye schedule that utilizes their TE in the passing game. Lair is 3rd on the team in receptions (29), yards (407), and TDs (2), and he has been a steady contributor throughout. He has played in 30 career games so he knows the system well, though he entered the season with one career catch. He had 7 receptions for 94 yards against Northern Illinois and 3 for 75 and 2 TDs against Northwestern, so he is capable of having a big impact. He has good size and is a reasonable blocker, though backup Curtis Hughes (#96; 6-4, 250) is more of a road-grader and has the size to push defensive linemen around when called upon in short yardage situations.
TE Rating: B+
Head-to-Head: Minnesota versus Ohio State TEs
Lair: 29 catches, 407 yards, 2 TDs, 14.0 YPR
Stoneburner: 10 catches, 118 yards, 1 TD, 11.8 YPR
Lair has been a revelation in the passing game, and has given Weber a nice 3rd option. Stoneburner and Fragel also play their roles well for the Buckeyes, but the involvement in the passing game gives the Gophers the edge here.
Edge: Minnesota
Offensive Line
LT #58 Ed Olson (6-7, 305, FR, Mahtomedi HS, Mahtomedi, MN)
LG #68 Chris Bunders (6-3, 322, JR, Osseo HS, Maple Grove, MN)
C #53 D.J. Burris (6-2, 305, SR, Kenton HS, Kenton, OH)
RG #73 Matt Carufel (6-5, 302, SR, Forest Lake HS, Forest Lake, MN)
RT #71 Jeff Wills (6-7, 350, SR, Lackawanna HS, Laurelton, NY)
The Gopher line is extremely deep this season, as several players who have significant starting experience are now reserves. The most experienced player overall is Burris, who has now made 36 career starts. He played quite a bit at right guard before taking over as the center during the 2009 season. He is an agile and versatile lineman and a leader up front, given his experience and academic all-conference standing. At LG, Bunders started all 13 games last season and now has 24 career starts. He is big and physical along the interior and has good experience with strength and leverage. At RG, Carufel is a transfer from Notre Dame, where he started 3 games in 2007. He started 11 games last year at RG and now has 19 career starts for the Gophers. He is agile and is a good pulling guard. At RT, Wills is a behemoth JUCO transfer who started every game last year and now has 21 career starts. He is obviously big and physical and can be dominant in the running game. On the left side, Olson is the somewhat surprising starter, beating out program veteran Dom Alford. He has good size and wingspan and is a good pass blocker and was an all-state player in high school. Collectively this line has been reasonably good, especially in pass blocking, where Weber has taken only 9 sacks in 8 games. The run blocking has been reasonably good at times, but the production of the running game is far behind what is used to be.
The Gophers have players in reserve at every position that have significant game experience. Senior Dom Alford (#76) is the backup at both tackles, and has 19 career starts for the Gophers. He is athletic and versatile and has seen significant action on both sides. Junior Ryan Orton (#78) is the backup at both guard positions, and he has 8 career starts and has played in 27 games, with significant time at both positions. In the middle, junior Ryan Wynn (#60) is back after missing last year with a back injury. He started all 13 games at center as a freshman in 2008.
OL Rating: B-
Head-to-Head: Minnesota versus Ohio State OL
The Gopher line is blessed with tremendous depth. However it is somewhat difficult to interpret the number of players with significant starting experience that are now reserves. Are the new players that good, or were previous lines mediocre? The Gophers seem to have some talent up front, and have been relatively good at pass blocking this season. The run game is still a cause for concern, however, and whether that is blocking or the backs or a combination of both is a debate that is familiar to Buckeye fans as well. The Gophers certainly have the size to be a physical line, so maybe the commitment to the running game just hasn't been there as they have fallen behind in games. Either way, this unit has played pretty well for the most part, but it lacks the "wow" factor of the better lines in the conference, where players are routinely competing for conference honors.
Edge: Ohio State
Overall Offensive Analysis
The numbers for the Gopher offense are relatively pedestrian, and stand to get worse during a brutal back end of the schedule that includes Ohio State, followed by road trips to Michigan State and Illinois and a final game with Iowa. There really aren't a lot of players, or perhaps any players, on the Gopher roster that defensive coordinators have to specifically figure out a way to stop. Weber's numbers are impressive on the surface, but the team is just 15-31 in his 3+ years as a starter and it will be a minor miracle if they win another game this year. What that leaves is a career that is likely bookended by 1-11 seasons and numbers that really didn't improve all that much from season to season. The increased passing means that the once formidable ground game is a shell of its former self. It was just 5 years ago that Laurence Maroney and Gary Russell both gained over 1100 yards rushing, and Amir Pinnix gained 1272 in 2006, the year before Weber arrived ... the TEAM gained 1293 collectively last year. Since then no back has gained 700 yards in a season, and it bottomed out last year as Bennett led the team with just 376 yards. Both he and Eskridge have been better and healthier this year, but it has not translated into increased success for the team. Bryan Cupito may not have been a world-beater on his own, but he won some games for them while putting up comparable numbers to Weber and generally took care of the football. It is hard not to look at this team and see significant regression in almost all areas, and especially in the ground game, and only the improvement in sacks and turnovers keeps this rating from being lower. It has been a long year in Minneapolis, and with Weber departing and a new QB taking over, not to mention a new coaching staff, it could be another long season on the horizon in 2011.
Overall Offensive Rating: C+
2010 Minnesota Golden Gophers Defensive PreviewQB #8 Adam Weber (6-3, 221, SR, Mounds View HS, Shoreview, MN)
Weber was a highly touted recruit that was supposed to take this program to the next level. Instead there were periods where he almost lost his job and the team has not progressed as many had hoped. Still, he became just the 5th QB in Big Ten history to reach 10,000 yards passing last week, albeit in a loss to Penn State, which may summarize his career in a nutshell. As a freshman in 2007, he threw for 2895 yards on 57.5% completions, with 24 TDs, 13 sacks allowed, and a 120.8 rating as the team went 1-11. This year, if he plays as projected from the first 8 games the rest of the way and Minnesota loses their last 4 games, which is quite possible, he will throw for 2942 yards on 55.8% completions, with 26 TDs, 14 sacks allowed, and a 133.9 rating as his team goes 1-11. Though he has cut down on some of his INTs, the rest of the numbers look frighteningly similar, and that lack of progression over the course of his 4 years mirrors the offense. Meanwhile, after gaining 617 yards on the ground and scoring 5 TDs as a freshman, he has been less and less a factor with his feet, gaining just 111 yards thus far this season. There is little doubt that he is a tough kid and a decent football player, and he has stuck it out for 4 years, but many in Minnesota look at his tenure as somewhat of a disappointment, at least from a team standpoint, in terms of results and program development. This season, he has thrown for over 200 yards 6 times, including piling up 373 yards against Northern Illinois. He has thrown for at least 2 TDs in 7 straight games, albeit all losses. He can occasionally still move the ball on the ground (7 carries, 42 yards 2 weeks ago against Purdue) and he can still put up numbers against decent competition (299 yards passing, 3 TDs last week against Penn State). However he is still prone to bad decisions and stretches of inaccuracy, which can be frustrating for a 4 year starter. Expect the ball to go all over the park and particularly downfield on Saturday night ... the results of which will go a long way in determining the fate of the Gophers. He has had no luck against Ohio State in his career, passing for 232 yards as a freshman, 187 the following year, and then just 112 with 2 INTs last season, all losses.
The backup is intriguing and athletic sophomore MarQueis Gray (#5, see below). There was some thought of having Gray take over in 2009, but instead he was switched to receiver, where his athleticism has made him a starter this year. He is a more traditional dual threat type of QB who will probably run a great deal more than Weber if he takes over the reins in 2011. He has attempted just 15 passes in his career thus far and none this season, so he is probably not ready to step in immediately, but he should be fine for next season.
QB Rating: C
Head-to-Head: Minnesota versus Ohio State QBs
Weber: 148/265 (55.8), 1961 yards, 17 TDs, 7 INTs, 133.9 rating; 34/111, 0 TDs
Pryor: 134/203 (66.0%), 1775 yards, 18 TDs, 6 INTs, 162.8 rating; 79/408, 3 TDs
At first glance these profiles appear to be similar statistically, but there is a great deal more to it than that. One tries to be as respectful to all opponents as possible, but there are lies, d$#@ lies, statistics, and Adam Weber's passing numbers. In 4 years he has piled up the yardage, but he has not really developed all that much as a QB and he is still prone to bad decisions and overthrows. His numbers across his 4 years are all similar, and while decent they are not that much different than his predecessor Bryan Cupito. Weber doesn't run as much as he used to, so he doesn't have that threat to fall back on as much as a player like Pryor does. Weber's 15-31 record as a starter certainly has a lot to do with the program and talent around him, but he was never able to elevate the passing game to levels where it could take over for a diminishing rushing attack, and the Gophers have suffered the consequences. Pryor played like a Heisman candidate last week and makes at least a handful of "wow" plays every game, win or lose.
Edge: Ohio State
Running Backs
TB #22 Duane Bennett (5-9, 210, JR, O'Fallon Township HS, St. Louis, MO)
TB #23 DeLeon Eskridge (5-11, 205, JR, Junipero Serra HS, San Francisco, CA)
The RB situation has been mired by injuries and mediocre play in recent seasons, as no back has gone over 700 yards since 2006, the year before Weber arrived. This year the running duties have been split right down the middle ... as in Bennett and Eskridge have 444 yards apiece on the season. Eskridge is listed at the top of the chart this week and may have taken over the job, but they seem to be more like 1 and 1A. Each has also played in 33 career games, with Bennett starting 22 and Eskridge 14, and both have two 100 yard rushing games this season. Bennett earned all-freshman accolades in 2007 after rushing for 442 yards and 3 TDs, but then he seriously injured his knee 2 games into the 2008 season after gaining 140 yards and scoring twice. He returned to lead the team with 376 yards and 6 TDs in 2009. Eskridge started 2 games last season en route to 294 rushing yards and led the team with 43 yards rushing in the bowl game. Neither player is especially explosive, nor do they have blazing speed. Neither appears to have a firm grasp on the starting job either, which seems to prevent either from breaking out. Eskridge has had the majority of work over the past month, tallying at least 20 carries 3 of the last 4 games and gaining over 200 yards against Northwestern and Penn State. Bennett started the season with 187 yards against Middle Tennessee on 30 carries and followed that with 104 yards and 2 TDs against South Dakota. He has played more sparingly recently, however, with just 5 carries in each of the past 2 games. He is much more of a receiving threat than Eskridge, as he has 8 receptions in the previous 2 games and 17 total receptions for 186 yards on the season thus far. He appears to be involved more on passing situations currently.
Fullback Jon Hoese (#35) is the type of kid fans from any team can root for, and he's had a really tough year. First his father passed away, and then he sustained a serious hamstring injury last week and could be done for the season. He was a team leader and a bulldozer of a blocker and the team will miss him tremendously. All the best to him in his recovery. The Gophers will turn to sophomore Ed Cotton (#44) when they need a fullback in the meantime.
RB Rating: C-
Head-to-Head: Minnesota versus Ohio State RBs
Bennett: 104/444 yards, 2 TDs, 4.3 YPC; 17 rec/186 yards, 1 TD, 10.9 YPR
Eskridge: 118/444 yards, 2 TDs, 3.8 YPC; 3 rec/31 yards, 0 TDs, 10.3 YPR
Herron: 112/520 yards, 11 TDs, 4.6 YPC; 11 rec/137 yards, 0 TDs, 12.5 YPR
Saine: 49/224 yards, 2 TDs, 4.6 YPC; 15 rec/183 yards, 4 TDs, 12.2 YPR
Both Minnesota and Ohio State entered the season without a true "feature" back, which can be viewed as detrimental by some. Herron seems to have taken that role over for the Buckeyes, whereas Eskridge seems to be moving in that direction for the Gophers. Both Bennett and Saine are dangerous out of the backfield catching the ball, so both will still see quite a bit of the field in complementary roles. The loss of Hoese will probably significantly affect the Gophers, as Zach Boren is one of the more underappreciated players on the Buckeye roster as well. The Buckeyes have quite a bit of depth, as Hall and Berry are waiting in the wings and have seen action in recent weeks. Neither team's backs will remind anyone of the 1987 Oklahoma State backfield of Thurman Thomas and Barry Sanders, but Herron has been playing better in recent weeks and has 11 TDs on the season, and the Buckeyes also have more depth, so they get the edge.
Edge: Ohio State
Wide Receivers
WR #6 Da'Jon McKnight (6-3, 209, JR, Skyline HS, Dallas, TX)
WR #5 MarQueis Gray (6-4, 230, SO, Ben Davis HS, Indianapolis, IN)
After losing Eric Decker there figured to be some drop-off here, but actually McKnight continued his form from late in 2009 and there hasn't been much of a problem for the Gophers at the position. McKnight assumed a primary offensive role after Decker was injured, and amassed 311 yards in the final 5 games, including 98 against Michigan State and 124 on 7 receptions in the Insight Bowl. This year he is having a fine season as the primary weapon, catching 36 passes for 542 yards and 9 scores with still a month to go. He has good size and good speed, and he runs precise routes and can make a catch in traffic. His last two games have been his best, as he caught 6 passes for 123 yards and a TD against Purdue and torched Penn State all day last week, catching 8 passes for 103 yards and scoring 3 TDs. He has at least one TD in 6 of the 8 games Minnesota has played, so it is imperative for the Buckeyes to focus on him at all times. On the other side, Gray's athleticism has helped him make a rapid transition into a quality receiver while Weber plays QB, and his 33 receptions for 432 yards and 4 TDs support the decision to get him on the field any way possible. He is a big kid with good speed who can create matchup issues with smaller corners or slower safeties. He had a great stretch early in the year, catching 9 passes for 91 yards and a score against South Dakota, 4 for 98 and a TD against USC, and then 8 for 177 yards and a TD against Northern Illinois. His production then tapered off, but he rebounded last week, catching 7 passes for 83 yards against Penn State.
The Gophers, like the Buckeyes, are not especially deep here. The primary backup is sophomore Bryant Allen (#81; 6-0, 180), who also plays basketball at the school. He has 13 receptions for 178 yards, and scored a TD against Purdue. Freshman Victor Keise (#84) is listed as the other backup, but he has just one catch.
WR Rating: B+
Head-to-Head: Minnesota versus Ohio State WRs
McKnight: 36 catches, 542 yards, 9 TDs, 15.1 YPR
Gray: 33 catches, 432 yards, 4 TDs, 13.1 YPR
Allen: 13 catches, 178 yards, 1 TD, 13.7 YPR
Sanzenbacher: 37 catches, 591 yards, 8 TDs, 16.0 YPR
Posey: 34 catches, 486 yards, 4 TDs, 14.3 YPR
Brown: 6 catches, 81 yards, 1 TD, 13.5 YPR
Both teams have 2 quality players at the top of the chart and are not very deep. McKnight is having a great season, though he would probably trade a few receptions for his team not throwing it all over the place trying to come from behind all the time. Gray isn't really a "true" WR, but is a very gifted athlete who has played the position effectively until he can switch back to QB. There isn't much behind them, which can also be said of the Buckeyes, though Brown shows some promise. Sanzenbacher has been a great go-to receiver for Pryor this year, and Posey has also performed admirably, though he has dropped a pass or two along the way. The production here is very similar.
Edge: Even
Tight Ends
TE #85 Eric Lair (6-3, 238, JR, Lamar HS, Houston, TX)
Enter yet another team on the Buckeye schedule that utilizes their TE in the passing game. Lair is 3rd on the team in receptions (29), yards (407), and TDs (2), and he has been a steady contributor throughout. He has played in 30 career games so he knows the system well, though he entered the season with one career catch. He had 7 receptions for 94 yards against Northern Illinois and 3 for 75 and 2 TDs against Northwestern, so he is capable of having a big impact. He has good size and is a reasonable blocker, though backup Curtis Hughes (#96; 6-4, 250) is more of a road-grader and has the size to push defensive linemen around when called upon in short yardage situations.
TE Rating: B+
Head-to-Head: Minnesota versus Ohio State TEs
Lair: 29 catches, 407 yards, 2 TDs, 14.0 YPR
Stoneburner: 10 catches, 118 yards, 1 TD, 11.8 YPR
Lair has been a revelation in the passing game, and has given Weber a nice 3rd option. Stoneburner and Fragel also play their roles well for the Buckeyes, but the involvement in the passing game gives the Gophers the edge here.
Edge: Minnesota
Offensive Line
LT #58 Ed Olson (6-7, 305, FR, Mahtomedi HS, Mahtomedi, MN)
LG #68 Chris Bunders (6-3, 322, JR, Osseo HS, Maple Grove, MN)
C #53 D.J. Burris (6-2, 305, SR, Kenton HS, Kenton, OH)
RG #73 Matt Carufel (6-5, 302, SR, Forest Lake HS, Forest Lake, MN)
RT #71 Jeff Wills (6-7, 350, SR, Lackawanna HS, Laurelton, NY)
The Gopher line is extremely deep this season, as several players who have significant starting experience are now reserves. The most experienced player overall is Burris, who has now made 36 career starts. He played quite a bit at right guard before taking over as the center during the 2009 season. He is an agile and versatile lineman and a leader up front, given his experience and academic all-conference standing. At LG, Bunders started all 13 games last season and now has 24 career starts. He is big and physical along the interior and has good experience with strength and leverage. At RG, Carufel is a transfer from Notre Dame, where he started 3 games in 2007. He started 11 games last year at RG and now has 19 career starts for the Gophers. He is agile and is a good pulling guard. At RT, Wills is a behemoth JUCO transfer who started every game last year and now has 21 career starts. He is obviously big and physical and can be dominant in the running game. On the left side, Olson is the somewhat surprising starter, beating out program veteran Dom Alford. He has good size and wingspan and is a good pass blocker and was an all-state player in high school. Collectively this line has been reasonably good, especially in pass blocking, where Weber has taken only 9 sacks in 8 games. The run blocking has been reasonably good at times, but the production of the running game is far behind what is used to be.
The Gophers have players in reserve at every position that have significant game experience. Senior Dom Alford (#76) is the backup at both tackles, and has 19 career starts for the Gophers. He is athletic and versatile and has seen significant action on both sides. Junior Ryan Orton (#78) is the backup at both guard positions, and he has 8 career starts and has played in 27 games, with significant time at both positions. In the middle, junior Ryan Wynn (#60) is back after missing last year with a back injury. He started all 13 games at center as a freshman in 2008.
OL Rating: B-
Head-to-Head: Minnesota versus Ohio State OL
The Gopher line is blessed with tremendous depth. However it is somewhat difficult to interpret the number of players with significant starting experience that are now reserves. Are the new players that good, or were previous lines mediocre? The Gophers seem to have some talent up front, and have been relatively good at pass blocking this season. The run game is still a cause for concern, however, and whether that is blocking or the backs or a combination of both is a debate that is familiar to Buckeye fans as well. The Gophers certainly have the size to be a physical line, so maybe the commitment to the running game just hasn't been there as they have fallen behind in games. Either way, this unit has played pretty well for the most part, but it lacks the "wow" factor of the better lines in the conference, where players are routinely competing for conference honors.
Edge: Ohio State
Overall Offensive Analysis
The numbers for the Gopher offense are relatively pedestrian, and stand to get worse during a brutal back end of the schedule that includes Ohio State, followed by road trips to Michigan State and Illinois and a final game with Iowa. There really aren't a lot of players, or perhaps any players, on the Gopher roster that defensive coordinators have to specifically figure out a way to stop. Weber's numbers are impressive on the surface, but the team is just 15-31 in his 3+ years as a starter and it will be a minor miracle if they win another game this year. What that leaves is a career that is likely bookended by 1-11 seasons and numbers that really didn't improve all that much from season to season. The increased passing means that the once formidable ground game is a shell of its former self. It was just 5 years ago that Laurence Maroney and Gary Russell both gained over 1100 yards rushing, and Amir Pinnix gained 1272 in 2006, the year before Weber arrived ... the TEAM gained 1293 collectively last year. Since then no back has gained 700 yards in a season, and it bottomed out last year as Bennett led the team with just 376 yards. Both he and Eskridge have been better and healthier this year, but it has not translated into increased success for the team. Bryan Cupito may not have been a world-beater on his own, but he won some games for them while putting up comparable numbers to Weber and generally took care of the football. It is hard not to look at this team and see significant regression in almost all areas, and especially in the ground game, and only the improvement in sacks and turnovers keeps this rating from being lower. It has been a long year in Minneapolis, and with Weber departing and a new QB taking over, not to mention a new coaching staff, it could be another long season on the horizon in 2011.
Overall Offensive Rating: C+
For the first time in 3 years, Minnesota returns the man, or in this case, men, responsible for coordination of the Gopher defense. For the second season, the Gophers have Co-Coordinators Ronnie Lee and Kevin Cosgrove. Lee was a member of Washington State's 1988 Aloha Bowl team as a player, before taking a position with the 1989 Miami Hurricanes to begin his coaching career. In 1993, Lee became the DB coach for the Colorado State Rams, where he helped win 5 conference titles, while also coaching 1995 Thorpe Award winner Greg Myers. From there, Lee became San Jose State's defensive coordinator for the 2001 and 2002 seasons, and then coaching DBs at Wisconsin from 2003 to 2005. After a 1-year stay in Ann Arbor in 2006 as DBs coach, Lee Joined Minnesota's staff as DBs coach. While a co-defensive coordinator now, he also continues to work with the DBs. Cosgrove has been coaching since 1980 when he was a graduate assistant at Illinois. After working his way through the ranks as a linebackers coach at various school, including Colorado State and Wisconsin, Cosgrove was named Defensive Coordinator in 1995 at Wisconsin. He continued as DC, and with the LBs until 2003, when he left Madison for Nebraska. He was Nebraska's DC until 2007. He joins Minnesota with 13 years of experience as defensive coordinator and will hopefully be able to provide the Gophers with some stability. Of course, even while the DC's have been stable, Minnesota's head man, Tim Brewster was fired prior to last week's game against Penn State. One way or another, it seems, Minnesota remains in upheaval.
Stats.......|Score..|Tot.Yds..|Rush..|Pass..|INT.| Fum.|Sack.|1stD..|3rd D..|PCT...|Red Zone.|PCT.|RZ TDs.|PCT.|TOF..|
Minnesota...|.31.9..|..406.4..|194.1.|212.2.|.8..| ..6..|..3..|.153..|40-86..|47%...|.25-28...|89%.|.21-28.|75%.|27:36|
Ohio State..|.14.0..|..234.5..|.85.8.|148.8.|.14.|..7.. |.10..|.104..|31-102.|30%...|.12-15...|80%.|..9-15.|60%.|27:04|
* TOF = Time on Field (Opponent's T.O.P)
When Ohio State and Minnesota met last season the Gopher's defense was poor, and despite some consistency in coordination, this year's squad is faring worse than the 2009 group. Minnesota yilds more points, more total yards, more rushing yards while seeing only slight improvement with respect to the pass defense. Last week, Minnesota was unable to capitalize on Penn State having to resort to a walk-on taking snaps, and the order is quite a bit taller this week with Terrelle Pryor coming to town. Minnesota has let teams into the redzone 13 more times than have the Buckeyes, and have yielded 12 more TDs. When it comes to points per red zone appearance, Minnesota has given up an average of 5.6 while Ohio State yields almost a point less at 4.8. (Note: this stat is calculated out of a perfect score against of 7, prior weeks have been out of 6). Compounding Minnesota's problems is that behind the starting group is a second team dominated by redshirt freshmen and a handful of sophomores. While Ohio State has struggled with some injuries, most notably in the secondary, Minnesota is thin on experience and, as compared to the Buckeyes, talent. After yielding a season low 17 points in the opener against Middle Tennessee State, the Gophers have given up 41 to South Dakota, 32 to Southern Cal, 34 to Northern Illinois, 29 to Northwestern, 41 to Wisconsin, 28 to Purdue and 33 to Penn State. The Buckeyes, on the other hand, are coming off their first shutout of the season last week against Purdue.
Stats.......|Score..|Tot.Yds..|Rush..|Pass..|INT.| Fum.|Sack.|1stD..|3rd D..|PCT...|Red Zone.|PCT.|RZ TDs.|PCT.|TOF..|
Minnesota...|.31.9..|..406.4..|194.1.|212.2.|.8..| ..6..|..3..|.153..|40-86..|47%...|.25-28...|89%.|.21-28.|75%.|27:36|
Ohio State..|.14.0..|..234.5..|.85.8.|148.8.|.14.|..7.. |.10..|.104..|31-102.|30%...|.12-15...|80%.|..9-15.|60%.|27:04|
* TOF = Time on Field (Opponent's T.O.P)
When Ohio State and Minnesota met last season the Gopher's defense was poor, and despite some consistency in coordination, this year's squad is faring worse than the 2009 group. Minnesota yilds more points, more total yards, more rushing yards while seeing only slight improvement with respect to the pass defense. Last week, Minnesota was unable to capitalize on Penn State having to resort to a walk-on taking snaps, and the order is quite a bit taller this week with Terrelle Pryor coming to town. Minnesota has let teams into the redzone 13 more times than have the Buckeyes, and have yielded 12 more TDs. When it comes to points per red zone appearance, Minnesota has given up an average of 5.6 while Ohio State yields almost a point less at 4.8. (Note: this stat is calculated out of a perfect score against of 7, prior weeks have been out of 6). Compounding Minnesota's problems is that behind the starting group is a second team dominated by redshirt freshmen and a handful of sophomores. While Ohio State has struggled with some injuries, most notably in the secondary, Minnesota is thin on experience and, as compared to the Buckeyes, talent. After yielding a season low 17 points in the opener against Middle Tennessee State, the Gophers have given up 41 to South Dakota, 32 to Southern Cal, 34 to Northern Illinois, 29 to Northwestern, 41 to Wisconsin, 28 to Purdue and 33 to Penn State. The Buckeyes, on the other hand, are coming off their first shutout of the season last week against Purdue.
Defensive Line
DE #95 D.L. Wilhite (6-3, 245, So.)
DT #68 Jewhan Edwards (6-2, 330, Jr.)
DT #96 Brandon Kirksey (6-2, 296, Jr.)
DE #97 Anthony Jacobs (6-2, 300, Jr.)
Jacobs is the leader of the defensive front. Versatile enough to play inside or out, Jacobs was the top rated recruit in Minnesota in 2007. Jacobs might be better suited in a 3-4 set, but is athletic enough to make some plays behind the LOS nonetheless. Thus far he has recorded 22 tackles, 4 of which have come for loss. The other side is manned by a much leaner man, Wihite, the returning sacks leader from a season ago. In fact, the sophomore recorded 3 sacks during his freshman campaign, which accounted for 75% of his total tackles (4). This season he is tied for the lead with sacks (1), has 2.5 stops behind the line to go along with his total of 12 stops overall. Despite being Minnesota's best speed rush option, Wihite has not yet established himself as a force. Inside Edwards provides the Gophers with a ton of beef upon which to anchor the line. For such a big man, Edwards is the Gophers' best option to get behind the LOS and currently leads all Gophers with 8 TFLs and a sack. The massive tackle possess solid potential and he is starting to reach it. He has 18 tackles total. Kirksey is no small man himself at 296 and has the talent to be the best linemen of the bunch should he reach that potential. Primarily a reserve last season, he is also able to collapse a pocket and make stops behind the LOS. He is tied with Edwards with 18 stops and second to him among linemen with 5.5 TFLs.
Reserve ends: #91 K. Gregory-McGhee (6-5, 275, r-Fr.), and #99 Ra'Shede Hageman (6-6, 294, r-Fr.), and tackles: #49 Matt Garin (6-4, 245, r-Fr.), and #90 Austin Hahn (6-4, 287, r-Fr.) provide depth. Gregory-McGhee has the Gopher's remaining sack and has started one contest this season. He has only 4 tackles this season, however, and has plenty of room to grow. The leader among the second team is Garin who is the option to spell the rush end. He has started 3 games and played in all 8, but has only 6 tackles to show for it thus far. Hageman has 4 stops, while Hahn has not yet recorded any statistics.
DL Rating: C
Head-to-Head: Minnesota versus Ohio State DL
As their weights attest, Minnesota fields a bulky front, though one which is not especially quick. As a result, teams have run for nearly 200 yards a game against them. While it may be difficult to run inside the tackles, a speedy back should have relatively less difficulty getting to the edge and exploiting the speed disadvantage. Ohio State, on the other hand, fields a more athletic front which might be exploited up the gut - as Wisconsin demonstrated. Among Ohio State linemen, Nathan Williams has 31 tackles and only .5 sacks less than every Gopher on the roster. Williams, like virtually every one of Ohio State's linemen is also able to drop into coverage, giving Ohio State more options with bitz packages than you should expect to see from Minnesota. The Gophers rely on power, but if they're well blocked, rush yards can come in bunches. Likewise, despite its girth, getting pressure on quarterbacks has not been the Gophers' strong suit; and a mobile QB like Pryor - who can get outside - should have more than enough time to find the open man. While Pryor may not run very often, chances are his speed to the edge will provide him with yards should he choose to take them. While Ohio State's line has not been as productive statistically as fans had hoped, and while they did get out-muscled against the Badgers, shutting down Purdue gives the preview team some indication that they've re-established themselves as a chaos causing front in any event.
Edge: Ohio State
Linebackers
SLB #26 Mike Rallis (6-2, 235, So.)
MLB #51 Gary Tinsley (6-1, 225, Jr.)
WLB #4 Keanon Cooper (6-0, 225, So.)
In seasons past, Minnesota has typically fielded a linebacker who gets the bulk of the tackles and this season is no exception with Tinsley leading the way. With great range and solid speed, Tinsley's most serious problems come off the field, though he appears to have put those issues behind him for now. He enters the game as the leading tackler on the field with 63, to go along with 6.5 for loss and a 52 yard INT. A pair of sophomores join Tinsley, the more productive of whom has been Cooper. Cooper brings very good speed to the corps and at times looks like he is a safety instead of an LB. A sure tackler, Cooper also has a good head for the game and won't be found out of position too many times. He is currently third on the team with 41 tackles with 1 for loss and an INT. Rounding out the starting 3 is Rallis, who returns to action after suffering a broken leg last season. Very active and able to bring the wood when he hits, he has the ability to be the top playmaker on the field even if he has not consistently been so thus far. He has 27 stops with 5 behind the LOS while being tied for the team lead in interceptions with 2.
Depth is provided by #57 Aaron Hill (6-2, 220, r-Fr.), #43 Ryan Grant (6-2, 225, So.), and #8 Spencer Reeves (6-2, 225, So.). Each of the reserves has earned a spot start or two this season, mostly in the place of Rallis. Despite that, none of the young second team corps have been terribly productive. Reeves leads the group with 17 stops, starting two games and playing in all 8. Grant has 3 starts and 15 stops and has also played in each of the 8 contests. Hill meanwhile has 10 stops, 2 starts and a fumble recovery.
LB Rating: C+/B-
Head-to-Head: Minnesota versus Ohio State LBs
Unlike their linemen counterparts, the Minnesota LBs are built more on speed than power. As noted when discussing the line, this has not translated in to good rushing against numbers, however, and it may be that too much of the LB responsibility appears to fall on one man - Tinsley. The Buckeyes will be without Ross Homan again this week, which doesn't help Ohio State any, but Rolle, Sweat and Newsome proved up to the task last week and should do so again this week. While both units are athletic and sound in coverage, the Buckeyes have been a part of a rushing defense that is 110 yards better per game while being just as productive in the INT department as has been Minnesota. Somewhat surprisingly, Minnesota's LBs have been more productive behind the LOS in terms of TFLs, though the Buckeyes have more sacks - as the Gopher corps has not yet recorded one.
Edge: Ohio State
Secondary
CB #6 Michael Carter (5-11, 185, So.)
FS #2 Ryan Collado (5-9, 182, Sr.)
SS #27 Kyle Theret (5-10, 193, Sr.)
CB #21 Brock Vereen (6-0, 180, Fr.)
The Gophers have expirience in the middle of the secondary lead by Theret, one of the Big Ten's better safeties - statistically. Quick and physical, Theret makes sound open field tackles and is the team's returning INT leader from a season ago (3). He has missed two games this season, but in 6 games has recorded 47 tackles, 1 for loss to go along with a 9 yard INT return. Collado can play any of the secondary positions and is a bit of a utlity man in that respect. Not particularly big, but with good toughness nonetheless, Collado relies more on his head than his athleticism to stay in position and make plays. He is less likely to make a game changing play, but can be relied on to quietly go about his business consistently. He has 39 tackles, 2 for loss and one pick this season. Minnesota is young on the outside, however. Carter has started 4 of the seven games he's played and is tied with Rallis for the team lead in INTs with 2. He is the cousin of 1999 Thorpe Award winner, Tyrone Carter, and despite a smallish size has plenty of talent and potential to become a lock-down corner before his time in college is finished. He won't light someone up, but isn't a liability when it comes to tackling. He has 24 tackles with 1 for loss. Vereen is a true freshman who has started 3 games this season, including last week against the Nittany Lions. The Gophers are fairly excited about what Vereen brings to the table, slating him not only to be the starter on one side, but also to be the backup for the other side. Still, as a true freshman there is much to learn about the college game and some mistakes are in his future. He has 8 tackles this season.
Backups include safeties: #24 James Manuel (6-2, 210, Fr.) and #28 Kenny Watkins (6-0, 205, r-Fr.) and corners: #9 Christyn Lewis (6-2, 184, Jr.) and #14 Kyle Henderson (5-11, 185, So.). Behind the senior safeties are a pair of freshmen. Watkins has 5 tackles in 3 games to go along with half a sack while Manual has performed quite well in this his freshman season recording 25 tackles and a pick. Next season, it'll be up to him as both Collado and Theret move on. Interestingly, the second team corners represent an upgrade in terms of experience, which perhaps is also a bit of a comment on their relative skill. In any event, the older of the two, Lewis, has 5 starts under his belt this season to go along with 23 tackles and a fumble recovery, while the younger, Henderson also has a start to go along with his 20 tackles. Both have seen the field in each of Minnesota's 8 games thus far and should expect action again this Saturday.
DB Rating: B-
Head-to-Head: Minnesota versus Ohio State DBs
With as easily as teams have moved the ball on the ground against the Gophers, it's hard to know if the slight improvement over last year's pass defense numbers represents an actual improvement or if the secondary really hasn't been tested all that much. The more teams run on the Gophers, the more likely it is that receivers find openings as the secondary moves up in run support. However, it appears teams just haven't had to take advantage of those opportunities. The Buckeyes secondary has been a MASH unit this season and will be without Christian Bryant again this week as he recovers from foot surgery. Still, despite the injury problems, the Buckeyes secondary has been holding teams to less than 150 yards a game through the air, even where teams aren't able to pound away with the running game. As a result, even depleted, the Buckeyes' secondary gets the edge here.
Edge: Ohio State
Overall Defensive Analysis
The Gopher defense has struggled over the years and those struggles continue in 2010. There are individuals on the Gopher defense which have legitimate NFL potential, but for whatever reason they have not been able to come together as a cohesive group. The defense has a good mix of size and speed, but teams have been able to cut through them with relative ease throughout the 2010 campaign. As the two-deep suggests, better times may be ahead for the Gophers once the young second team earns experience. Ohio State looked to establish its running game against a Purdue line that is better than what Ohio State will see this weekend. The Buckeyes were able to run inside the tackles before cutting outside once getting to the second level. This week, if they seek to also demonstrate an ability to run, the Buckeyes may look to exploit the corner as the Gophers look to be strong on the interior. As mentioned above, Pryor should find plenty of time to throw the football, and if he wants to take the ball around the edge should be able to do so - though it remains to be seen if he will have any interest in running this week. The numbers suggest that Ohio State's defense is vastly superior to Minnesota's and the play on the field this Saturday evening should do nothing to dispel that.
Overall Defensive Rating: C+
2010 Minnesota Golden Gophers Special Teams PreviewDE #95 D.L. Wilhite (6-3, 245, So.)
DT #68 Jewhan Edwards (6-2, 330, Jr.)
DT #96 Brandon Kirksey (6-2, 296, Jr.)
DE #97 Anthony Jacobs (6-2, 300, Jr.)
Jacobs is the leader of the defensive front. Versatile enough to play inside or out, Jacobs was the top rated recruit in Minnesota in 2007. Jacobs might be better suited in a 3-4 set, but is athletic enough to make some plays behind the LOS nonetheless. Thus far he has recorded 22 tackles, 4 of which have come for loss. The other side is manned by a much leaner man, Wihite, the returning sacks leader from a season ago. In fact, the sophomore recorded 3 sacks during his freshman campaign, which accounted for 75% of his total tackles (4). This season he is tied for the lead with sacks (1), has 2.5 stops behind the line to go along with his total of 12 stops overall. Despite being Minnesota's best speed rush option, Wihite has not yet established himself as a force. Inside Edwards provides the Gophers with a ton of beef upon which to anchor the line. For such a big man, Edwards is the Gophers' best option to get behind the LOS and currently leads all Gophers with 8 TFLs and a sack. The massive tackle possess solid potential and he is starting to reach it. He has 18 tackles total. Kirksey is no small man himself at 296 and has the talent to be the best linemen of the bunch should he reach that potential. Primarily a reserve last season, he is also able to collapse a pocket and make stops behind the LOS. He is tied with Edwards with 18 stops and second to him among linemen with 5.5 TFLs.
Reserve ends: #91 K. Gregory-McGhee (6-5, 275, r-Fr.), and #99 Ra'Shede Hageman (6-6, 294, r-Fr.), and tackles: #49 Matt Garin (6-4, 245, r-Fr.), and #90 Austin Hahn (6-4, 287, r-Fr.) provide depth. Gregory-McGhee has the Gopher's remaining sack and has started one contest this season. He has only 4 tackles this season, however, and has plenty of room to grow. The leader among the second team is Garin who is the option to spell the rush end. He has started 3 games and played in all 8, but has only 6 tackles to show for it thus far. Hageman has 4 stops, while Hahn has not yet recorded any statistics.
DL Rating: C
Head-to-Head: Minnesota versus Ohio State DL
As their weights attest, Minnesota fields a bulky front, though one which is not especially quick. As a result, teams have run for nearly 200 yards a game against them. While it may be difficult to run inside the tackles, a speedy back should have relatively less difficulty getting to the edge and exploiting the speed disadvantage. Ohio State, on the other hand, fields a more athletic front which might be exploited up the gut - as Wisconsin demonstrated. Among Ohio State linemen, Nathan Williams has 31 tackles and only .5 sacks less than every Gopher on the roster. Williams, like virtually every one of Ohio State's linemen is also able to drop into coverage, giving Ohio State more options with bitz packages than you should expect to see from Minnesota. The Gophers rely on power, but if they're well blocked, rush yards can come in bunches. Likewise, despite its girth, getting pressure on quarterbacks has not been the Gophers' strong suit; and a mobile QB like Pryor - who can get outside - should have more than enough time to find the open man. While Pryor may not run very often, chances are his speed to the edge will provide him with yards should he choose to take them. While Ohio State's line has not been as productive statistically as fans had hoped, and while they did get out-muscled against the Badgers, shutting down Purdue gives the preview team some indication that they've re-established themselves as a chaos causing front in any event.
Edge: Ohio State
Linebackers
SLB #26 Mike Rallis (6-2, 235, So.)
MLB #51 Gary Tinsley (6-1, 225, Jr.)
WLB #4 Keanon Cooper (6-0, 225, So.)
In seasons past, Minnesota has typically fielded a linebacker who gets the bulk of the tackles and this season is no exception with Tinsley leading the way. With great range and solid speed, Tinsley's most serious problems come off the field, though he appears to have put those issues behind him for now. He enters the game as the leading tackler on the field with 63, to go along with 6.5 for loss and a 52 yard INT. A pair of sophomores join Tinsley, the more productive of whom has been Cooper. Cooper brings very good speed to the corps and at times looks like he is a safety instead of an LB. A sure tackler, Cooper also has a good head for the game and won't be found out of position too many times. He is currently third on the team with 41 tackles with 1 for loss and an INT. Rounding out the starting 3 is Rallis, who returns to action after suffering a broken leg last season. Very active and able to bring the wood when he hits, he has the ability to be the top playmaker on the field even if he has not consistently been so thus far. He has 27 stops with 5 behind the LOS while being tied for the team lead in interceptions with 2.
Depth is provided by #57 Aaron Hill (6-2, 220, r-Fr.), #43 Ryan Grant (6-2, 225, So.), and #8 Spencer Reeves (6-2, 225, So.). Each of the reserves has earned a spot start or two this season, mostly in the place of Rallis. Despite that, none of the young second team corps have been terribly productive. Reeves leads the group with 17 stops, starting two games and playing in all 8. Grant has 3 starts and 15 stops and has also played in each of the 8 contests. Hill meanwhile has 10 stops, 2 starts and a fumble recovery.
LB Rating: C+/B-
Head-to-Head: Minnesota versus Ohio State LBs
Unlike their linemen counterparts, the Minnesota LBs are built more on speed than power. As noted when discussing the line, this has not translated in to good rushing against numbers, however, and it may be that too much of the LB responsibility appears to fall on one man - Tinsley. The Buckeyes will be without Ross Homan again this week, which doesn't help Ohio State any, but Rolle, Sweat and Newsome proved up to the task last week and should do so again this week. While both units are athletic and sound in coverage, the Buckeyes have been a part of a rushing defense that is 110 yards better per game while being just as productive in the INT department as has been Minnesota. Somewhat surprisingly, Minnesota's LBs have been more productive behind the LOS in terms of TFLs, though the Buckeyes have more sacks - as the Gopher corps has not yet recorded one.
Edge: Ohio State
Secondary
CB #6 Michael Carter (5-11, 185, So.)
FS #2 Ryan Collado (5-9, 182, Sr.)
SS #27 Kyle Theret (5-10, 193, Sr.)
CB #21 Brock Vereen (6-0, 180, Fr.)
The Gophers have expirience in the middle of the secondary lead by Theret, one of the Big Ten's better safeties - statistically. Quick and physical, Theret makes sound open field tackles and is the team's returning INT leader from a season ago (3). He has missed two games this season, but in 6 games has recorded 47 tackles, 1 for loss to go along with a 9 yard INT return. Collado can play any of the secondary positions and is a bit of a utlity man in that respect. Not particularly big, but with good toughness nonetheless, Collado relies more on his head than his athleticism to stay in position and make plays. He is less likely to make a game changing play, but can be relied on to quietly go about his business consistently. He has 39 tackles, 2 for loss and one pick this season. Minnesota is young on the outside, however. Carter has started 4 of the seven games he's played and is tied with Rallis for the team lead in INTs with 2. He is the cousin of 1999 Thorpe Award winner, Tyrone Carter, and despite a smallish size has plenty of talent and potential to become a lock-down corner before his time in college is finished. He won't light someone up, but isn't a liability when it comes to tackling. He has 24 tackles with 1 for loss. Vereen is a true freshman who has started 3 games this season, including last week against the Nittany Lions. The Gophers are fairly excited about what Vereen brings to the table, slating him not only to be the starter on one side, but also to be the backup for the other side. Still, as a true freshman there is much to learn about the college game and some mistakes are in his future. He has 8 tackles this season.
Backups include safeties: #24 James Manuel (6-2, 210, Fr.) and #28 Kenny Watkins (6-0, 205, r-Fr.) and corners: #9 Christyn Lewis (6-2, 184, Jr.) and #14 Kyle Henderson (5-11, 185, So.). Behind the senior safeties are a pair of freshmen. Watkins has 5 tackles in 3 games to go along with half a sack while Manual has performed quite well in this his freshman season recording 25 tackles and a pick. Next season, it'll be up to him as both Collado and Theret move on. Interestingly, the second team corners represent an upgrade in terms of experience, which perhaps is also a bit of a comment on their relative skill. In any event, the older of the two, Lewis, has 5 starts under his belt this season to go along with 23 tackles and a fumble recovery, while the younger, Henderson also has a start to go along with his 20 tackles. Both have seen the field in each of Minnesota's 8 games thus far and should expect action again this Saturday.
DB Rating: B-
Head-to-Head: Minnesota versus Ohio State DBs
With as easily as teams have moved the ball on the ground against the Gophers, it's hard to know if the slight improvement over last year's pass defense numbers represents an actual improvement or if the secondary really hasn't been tested all that much. The more teams run on the Gophers, the more likely it is that receivers find openings as the secondary moves up in run support. However, it appears teams just haven't had to take advantage of those opportunities. The Buckeyes secondary has been a MASH unit this season and will be without Christian Bryant again this week as he recovers from foot surgery. Still, despite the injury problems, the Buckeyes secondary has been holding teams to less than 150 yards a game through the air, even where teams aren't able to pound away with the running game. As a result, even depleted, the Buckeyes' secondary gets the edge here.
Edge: Ohio State
Overall Defensive Analysis
The Gopher defense has struggled over the years and those struggles continue in 2010. There are individuals on the Gopher defense which have legitimate NFL potential, but for whatever reason they have not been able to come together as a cohesive group. The defense has a good mix of size and speed, but teams have been able to cut through them with relative ease throughout the 2010 campaign. As the two-deep suggests, better times may be ahead for the Gophers once the young second team earns experience. Ohio State looked to establish its running game against a Purdue line that is better than what Ohio State will see this weekend. The Buckeyes were able to run inside the tackles before cutting outside once getting to the second level. This week, if they seek to also demonstrate an ability to run, the Buckeyes may look to exploit the corner as the Gophers look to be strong on the interior. As mentioned above, Pryor should find plenty of time to throw the football, and if he wants to take the ball around the edge should be able to do so - though it remains to be seen if he will have any interest in running this week. The numbers suggest that Ohio State's defense is vastly superior to Minnesota's and the play on the field this Saturday evening should do nothing to dispel that.
Overall Defensive Rating: C+
Ohio State's Special Teams played a decent game on Saturday. But it's sad when it's said that they played decent only because they didn't allow a score. Anyway, the Special Teams made a few good plays, first and foremost being Jordan Hall's decision to let the opening kickoff go out of bounds so the Buckeyes could start on the 40. No scores and no big plays - Progress!!
Special Teams
Minnesota
P #41 Dan Orseske (6-3, 200, Fr., Brother Rice HS, Chicago, IL)
PK #37 Eric Ellestad (6-3, 204, Sr., Armstrong HS, Brooklyn Park, MN)
PR #2 Ryan Collado (5-9, 182, Sr., Hills Christian HS, Cincinnati, OH)
PR #1 Brandon Green (6-0, 190, Jr., Robeson HS, Chicago, IL)
PR #11 Troy Stoudermire (5-10, 190, Jr., Skyline HS, Dallas TX)
KR #2 Ryan Collado (5-9, 182, Sr., Hills Christian HS, Cincinnati, OH)
KR #11 Troy Stoudermire (5-10, 190, Jr., Skyline HS, Dallas TX)
LS #48 Jake Filkins (6-2, 197, Fr., Prescott HS, Prescott WI)
Hldr #19 Adam Lueck (6-0, 187, So., Eden Prarie HS, Eden Prarie, MN)
The Minnesota Golden Gopher Special Teams don't intimidate anyone with their play. Statistically speaking, they rank in the bottom half of all teams in most Special Team categories. In punting, Minnesota ranks 108th out of 120 teams with a net average of only 35.59 yards. In punt return defense, the Gophers allow 8 yards per return, good for 53rd in the nation. Stoudermire and Collado shoulder the bulk of the punt and kickoff returns for Minnesota. In returning punts they average 10.0 yards per return on 8 kicks, good for 38th in the nation. On kickoffs, they are 73rd in the nation, having returned 37 kicks for 782 yards, a 21.14 avg. The kickoff return defense has allowed 32 returns for 703 yards (21.97 avg), 1 TD and 2 touchbacks, ranking them 75th in the nation.
ST Rating: D
Ohio State
P #17 Ben Buchanan (6-0, 195, Fr., Westerville Central HS, Westerville, OH)
PK #24 Devin Barclay (5-10, 204, Sr., McDonough HS, Annapolis, MD)
KO #24 Drew Basil (6-1, 206, Fr., Chillicothe HS, Chillicothe, OH)
PR #8 DeVier Posey (6-2, 200, Jr., LaSalle HS, Cincinnati, OH)
PR #10 Corey Brown (5-10, 170, Fr., Cardinal O'Hara HS, Upper Darby, PA)
PR #7 Jordan Hall (5-9, 195, So., Jeanette HS, Jeanette, PA)
KR #1 Dan Herron (5-10, 202, Jr., Harding HS, Warren, OH)
KR #3 Brandon Saine (6-1, 219, Sr., Piqua HS, Piqua, OH)
KR #7 Jordan Hall (5-9, 195, So., Jeanette HS, Jeanette, PA)
KR #4 Jaamal Berry (5-10, 200, Fr., Palmetto HS, Pinecrest, FL)
LS #96 Jake McQuaide (6-3, 234, Sr., Elder HS, Cincinnati, OH)
Hldr #14 Joe Bauserman (6-1, 233, Jr., Lincoln HS, Stasburg, VA)
Well, the Buckeyes' Special Teams didn't give up a game-changing TD this last week. In fact, they didn't give up any big plays at all. They themselves didn't produce any big plays either, save for the great move by Jordan Hall to let the opening kickoff roll out of bounds and start the drive at the 40. As it was said in the game thread, 9 out 10 returners pick that ball up and get tackled inside the 20. Smart football, good play by Hall. So, to paraphrase former President George W. Bush, the question we have to ask ourselves is are our Special Teams getting better? The answer is by small increments. Take the punt team for instance. 3 weeks ago, after the Illinois game, the Ohio State punt team was last in the nation. That's 120th of 120 for those keeping score at home. After Indiana, the Bucks had improved to 117th. Following the Wisconsin loss, they had risen to 115th. This week they rank 105th. Now that isn't causing the Talking Heads at ESPN to proclaim the Buckeyes a shoe-in for the National Championship Game, but at least it is moving in the right direction. In returning punts, Ohio State has 23 for 165 yards, a 7.17 avg, good for 70th place in the nation. In returning kickoffs, the Buckeyes continue to shine, coming in at 9th in the Nation with on the strength of 25 returns for 656 yards, a 26.24 avg. On punt return defense, Ohio State is 101st in the nation, having allowed 11 punts to be returned for 144 yards a 13.09 avg. The kickoff return team has risen to an almost-respectable 82nd in the nation, giving up 1147 yards on 51 kicks (22.49 avg) but still have an ugly "2" in the TDs allowed column.
ST Rating: D
Overall Special Teams Analysis
So will the Buckeyes continue their improvement on Special Teams? Is the Wisconsin kickoff return TD just a blip on the radar screen? These are questions that need to be answered and will be answered Saturday night. It is hard to imagine that the game will be decided on Special Teams, but stranger things have happened (41 pt underdog Stanford vs. USC, anyone?). Here's hoping the Buckeyes continue to improve.
Edge: Ohio State
PredictionsMinnesota
P #41 Dan Orseske (6-3, 200, Fr., Brother Rice HS, Chicago, IL)
PK #37 Eric Ellestad (6-3, 204, Sr., Armstrong HS, Brooklyn Park, MN)
PR #2 Ryan Collado (5-9, 182, Sr., Hills Christian HS, Cincinnati, OH)
PR #1 Brandon Green (6-0, 190, Jr., Robeson HS, Chicago, IL)
PR #11 Troy Stoudermire (5-10, 190, Jr., Skyline HS, Dallas TX)
KR #2 Ryan Collado (5-9, 182, Sr., Hills Christian HS, Cincinnati, OH)
KR #11 Troy Stoudermire (5-10, 190, Jr., Skyline HS, Dallas TX)
LS #48 Jake Filkins (6-2, 197, Fr., Prescott HS, Prescott WI)
Hldr #19 Adam Lueck (6-0, 187, So., Eden Prarie HS, Eden Prarie, MN)
The Minnesota Golden Gopher Special Teams don't intimidate anyone with their play. Statistically speaking, they rank in the bottom half of all teams in most Special Team categories. In punting, Minnesota ranks 108th out of 120 teams with a net average of only 35.59 yards. In punt return defense, the Gophers allow 8 yards per return, good for 53rd in the nation. Stoudermire and Collado shoulder the bulk of the punt and kickoff returns for Minnesota. In returning punts they average 10.0 yards per return on 8 kicks, good for 38th in the nation. On kickoffs, they are 73rd in the nation, having returned 37 kicks for 782 yards, a 21.14 avg. The kickoff return defense has allowed 32 returns for 703 yards (21.97 avg), 1 TD and 2 touchbacks, ranking them 75th in the nation.
ST Rating: D
Ohio State
P #17 Ben Buchanan (6-0, 195, Fr., Westerville Central HS, Westerville, OH)
PK #24 Devin Barclay (5-10, 204, Sr., McDonough HS, Annapolis, MD)
KO #24 Drew Basil (6-1, 206, Fr., Chillicothe HS, Chillicothe, OH)
PR #8 DeVier Posey (6-2, 200, Jr., LaSalle HS, Cincinnati, OH)
PR #10 Corey Brown (5-10, 170, Fr., Cardinal O'Hara HS, Upper Darby, PA)
PR #7 Jordan Hall (5-9, 195, So., Jeanette HS, Jeanette, PA)
KR #1 Dan Herron (5-10, 202, Jr., Harding HS, Warren, OH)
KR #3 Brandon Saine (6-1, 219, Sr., Piqua HS, Piqua, OH)
KR #7 Jordan Hall (5-9, 195, So., Jeanette HS, Jeanette, PA)
KR #4 Jaamal Berry (5-10, 200, Fr., Palmetto HS, Pinecrest, FL)
LS #96 Jake McQuaide (6-3, 234, Sr., Elder HS, Cincinnati, OH)
Hldr #14 Joe Bauserman (6-1, 233, Jr., Lincoln HS, Stasburg, VA)
Well, the Buckeyes' Special Teams didn't give up a game-changing TD this last week. In fact, they didn't give up any big plays at all. They themselves didn't produce any big plays either, save for the great move by Jordan Hall to let the opening kickoff roll out of bounds and start the drive at the 40. As it was said in the game thread, 9 out 10 returners pick that ball up and get tackled inside the 20. Smart football, good play by Hall. So, to paraphrase former President George W. Bush, the question we have to ask ourselves is are our Special Teams getting better? The answer is by small increments. Take the punt team for instance. 3 weeks ago, after the Illinois game, the Ohio State punt team was last in the nation. That's 120th of 120 for those keeping score at home. After Indiana, the Bucks had improved to 117th. Following the Wisconsin loss, they had risen to 115th. This week they rank 105th. Now that isn't causing the Talking Heads at ESPN to proclaim the Buckeyes a shoe-in for the National Championship Game, but at least it is moving in the right direction. In returning punts, Ohio State has 23 for 165 yards, a 7.17 avg, good for 70th place in the nation. In returning kickoffs, the Buckeyes continue to shine, coming in at 9th in the Nation with on the strength of 25 returns for 656 yards, a 26.24 avg. On punt return defense, Ohio State is 101st in the nation, having allowed 11 punts to be returned for 144 yards a 13.09 avg. The kickoff return team has risen to an almost-respectable 82nd in the nation, giving up 1147 yards on 51 kicks (22.49 avg) but still have an ugly "2" in the TDs allowed column.
ST Rating: D
Overall Special Teams Analysis
So will the Buckeyes continue their improvement on Special Teams? Is the Wisconsin kickoff return TD just a blip on the radar screen? These are questions that need to be answered and will be answered Saturday night. It is hard to imagine that the game will be decided on Special Teams, but stranger things have happened (41 pt underdog Stanford vs. USC, anyone?). Here's hoping the Buckeyes continue to improve.
Edge: Ohio State
BB73's prediction: 38-10, Ohio State
Buckeyeskickbuttocks' prediction: 45-3, Ohio State
Bucklion's prediction: 45-17, Ohio State
Bucky Katt's prediction: 45-10, Ohio State
DaddyBigBucks's prediction: 55-5, Ohio State
JCOSU86's Prediction: 48-7, Ohio State
jwinslow's prediction: 42-10, Ohio State
Previous Game's Results (tOSU 49 - Purdue 0)
Low score wins the year long battle of prediction supremacy! (Difference of actual score versus predicted score. 10 point penalty for picking the losing team.)
(161) DaddyBigBucks's prediction: 30-5, Ohio State (24 + 137 last week = 161)
(170) Bucklion's prediction: 27-13, Ohio State (35 + 135 last week = 170)
(172) Bucky Katt's prediction: 27-6, Ohio State (28 + 144 last week = 172)
(174) jwinslow's prediction: 34-17, Ohio State (32 + 142 last week = 174)
(180) BB73's prediction: 34-13 Ohio State (28 + 152 last week = 180)
(181) Buckeyeskickbuttocks' prediction: 35-10, Ohio State (24 + 157 last week = 181)
(186) JCOSU86's prediction: 28-10, Ohio State (31 + 155 last week= 186)
Buckeyeskickbuttocks' prediction: 45-3, Ohio State
Bucklion's prediction: 45-17, Ohio State
Bucky Katt's prediction: 45-10, Ohio State
DaddyBigBucks's prediction: 55-5, Ohio State
JCOSU86's Prediction: 48-7, Ohio State
jwinslow's prediction: 42-10, Ohio State
Previous Game's Results (tOSU 49 - Purdue 0)
Low score wins the year long battle of prediction supremacy! (Difference of actual score versus predicted score. 10 point penalty for picking the losing team.)
(161) DaddyBigBucks's prediction: 30-5, Ohio State (24 + 137 last week = 161)
(170) Bucklion's prediction: 27-13, Ohio State (35 + 135 last week = 170)
(172) Bucky Katt's prediction: 27-6, Ohio State (28 + 144 last week = 172)
(174) jwinslow's prediction: 34-17, Ohio State (32 + 142 last week = 174)
(180) BB73's prediction: 34-13 Ohio State (28 + 152 last week = 180)
(181) Buckeyeskickbuttocks' prediction: 35-10, Ohio State (24 + 157 last week = 181)
(186) JCOSU86's prediction: 28-10, Ohio State (31 + 155 last week= 186)
