Game Thread 2010 Rose Bowl: Ohio State 26 Oregon 17 (Final, 1/01/2010)

[cincibuck]

I remember the wide receivers doing so. I don't remember Pryor finding them very consistently. I'm not sure why you're bringing up the buckeye offense to prove how good they are on offense.

I bring it up because the two teams had two common opponents. Oregon beat USC and Purdue. Ohio State lost to both. I bring it up because few games at this level are that uneven. I like the Buckeye defense, but that same defense gave up a ton of yards to Purdue and Michigan, two seven loss teams that just happened to play spread. The same defense played lights out against Wisconsin and Penn State, two teams that played a more conventional offense. I bring it up because it's hard to put together a scout team that can run the spread for your defense to practice against -- your defensive ones and twos against your offensive threes and fours.

I also remember almost everyone, including New Mexico St, getting to Pryor better than USC did.I think they're a very good offense. I just don't find USC to be their usual brand of measuring stick.

Not sure why you'd say this. If NMS put pressure on Pryor (as did Purdue) it doesn't bode well for the Bucks' offense either.

I like the Buckeyes in this game, but I am not expecting anything short of a tough as nails game on both sides of the ball.

 

[jwinslow]

Not sure why you'd say this. If NMS put pressure on Pryor (as did Purdue) it doesn't bode well for the Bucks' offense either.

The OL is playing better than they did when the youngsters were cutting their teeth. The point remains the same that blitzing USC this year is not an accomplishment, as surprising as that is to say.

I bring it up because it's hard to put together a scout team that can run the spread for your defense to practice against -- your defensive ones and twos against your offensive threes and fours.

This isn't 1980. There are plenty of spread teams that OSU prepares for each week. They are used to practicing against it. Whether they can stop it is another matter.

I bring it up because the two teams had two common opponents. Oregon beat USC and Purdue. Ohio State lost to both. I bring it up because few games at this level are that uneven.

Except that the transitive property does not work in football.

I like the Buckeye defense, but that same defense gave up a ton of yards to Purdue and Michigan,

Since when is 309 yards a ton of yards? I'd hate to hear the description you'd give for Oregon's defense.

two seven loss teams that just happened to play spread.

Purdue did not lose seven games because of it's offense. Some losses had too many turnovers, but 2 other losses saw their O eclipse 36 pts. They were inconsistent but very dangerous on offense.

I don't care if they 'play spread', OSU has hardly been exposed this year. Oregon may do so, but it's not because of lesser but not bad outings by the OSU D.

Purdue scored 26 pts.
- First drive stuffed cold. 6 yards gained. Pryor's fumble made that a FG.
- Two other drives held to FGs, one made, one missed.
- Prevent D before halftime yields an incredibly long FG make.
- TD drive, length of field.
- TD drive, half field thanks to Pryor's INT.

Was that the bucks finest showing? No, but they were hardly blitzed.

The spread word is thrown around way too much. Oregon has the talent, execution & coach to score on OSU, but it's not because of the big scary spread overwhelming OSU. The spread has been shut down just as often against top offenses as it has been overwhelming.

 

[cjmik_75]

IMHO the ducks offense and tOSU defense are going to beat each other up to a near stale mate. What I mean by this, the ducks will score some points but tOSU defense is going to get some key stops and turnovers that directly puts points on the board to nearly off set them.

Now when tOSU has the ball on offense the ducks defense is going to focus on stopping the run, probably something like 8 or 9 in the box but not all up on the line. I see them lining up with 4 or 5 LB/DB's 3-5 yards from the line of scrimmage to disguise their delay blitzing and run blitzing. I expect this to be happening alot not just third down and this is where the game will be won or lost.

The special teams is vitally important to tOSU if they don't control the clock they better control field position. Putting the ducks, or any offense, on a short field is a recipe for disaster. I don't think either team needs to play "flawless" but I expect ball security to be the biggest factor. Two teams that want to run and the defenses are gonna be ripping at ball carriers when they get stood up.

Should be a great game as these two squads both seem hungry and determined to prove something.

Oregon-26
Ohio State-27


:osu:

 

[scarletngray]

I'm really hoping that Thoma will have the best game of his life. IMO, we need to win the field position battle. Special teams are going to be key to winning this game.

:osu:

GO BUCKS!!
Beat the Ducks!

 

[BrutusBobcat]

I don't recall the Buckeye's offense running wild against USC's defense, even when the had good field position, but the Duck's sure did. This is a much better team than many on here think.

That is because we don't run this play:

Oregon Inside Zone Read of 3 Technique DT | Trojan Football Analysis

It isn't about "better" or "worse", which is why we're always screaming about transitivity around here. Football isn't math class or logic class. Football is about matchups. As I explain it to girls who don't understand X's and O's, it's like rock, paper, scissors. If your defense is paper (ie. schemed to defend against rock) and the opponent shows up with scissors, you get shredded.

Trojans brought paper, Oregon brought scissors. That link explains Oregon's scissors.

Now, the question is -- can our DL and LBs learn new keys and assignments in the next three weeks and play them with discipline? Can our DEs fight through or occupy double-team blocks when the DT is left unblocked, or "read"? Will our LBs get through second level blocks and be able to make tackles on Masoli and James before they get into open space?

If/when you saw Oregon-Oregon State, one of the things that led to so many big plays for the Ducks was the fact that both Masoli and James could get 5 yards past the LOS before even needing to break a tackle. Their scheme works to create large gaps and move defensive players out of position, giving the ballcarrier easy reads as to where to go. It is up to our staff to prepare the defense to know what to do and where to be. We have a more experienced defense than USC, more time and more film with which to prepare. We also have very different personnel, including faster, stronger and more athletic players on the DL and at LB.

This is entirely on Heacock, Fickell and the rest of the defensive coaching staff to prepare the defense for everything Oregon can throw at you. OSU has the talent level on defense to slow the Ducks down, but whether we do or not comes down to preparation and discipline, two things USC apparently lacked when they played UO.

 

[Ttown]

I think this game could be decided on the quickness of the ducks offensive players and our ability to stay disciplined and stay at home on D.

 

[Mike80]

if Ohio State's talent plays at the level they are capable and if Oregon's talent plays to the level they are capable of, then Ohio State wins.

As it has been said, I think Ohio State's defense and Oregon's offense cancel each other out.

It'll come down to Ohio State's offense vs. Oregon's defense.

Give me the OSU O 90 times out of 100 in that scenario.

 

[Buckeye86]

if Ohio State's talent plays at the level they are capable and if Oregon's talent plays to the level they are capable of, then Ohio State wins.

As it has been said, I think Ohio State's defense and Oregon's offense cancel each other out.

It'll come down to Ohio State's offense vs. Oregon's defense.

Give me the OSU O 90 times out of 100 in that scenario.

I agree

I think this game comes down to Ohio State establishing the run (Tresselball and everything) and I am pretty damn confident that if we established the run against Penn State, we can do the same against Oregon

establish the run, win the field position battle, and don't turn the ball over

if Ohio State plays as well as we did against Penn State in all facets of the game, I don't think Oregon has a chance

 

[Zander42]

The same defense played lights out against Wisconsin and Penn State, two teams that played a more conventional offense.

Sorry, but I'm calling this a strawman. I think your bringing up PSU as a "conventional" offense because we won that game and dominated on D, and your saying that as a way to prove your point. PSU, however, doesn't run a conventional offense. They run a form of the spread but they are more pass oriented than Oregon will be. When they do run, they typically run spread option plays, and we shut them down with basic assignment football and good tackling.

OTOH, Wisconson absolutely runs a conventional attack, and they actually moved the ball well on us. We won that game on turnovers and we got a lead which lead to them having to throw the ball more, leading to more turnovers. But when they needed to pound the ball, they could do it.

I would say that this years tOSU defense is more geared to defending the spread than the a conventional offense.

I'll finish with this, I've said it before. The two teams that beat us this year, USC and Purdue, neither one of them runs a spread option at all. Iowa came the next closest and they don't run spread option either. No bowl game is a gimmie, but we've taken care of our spread opponents just fine. We have just cause to be confident.

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

I don't recall the Buckeye's offense running wild against USC's defense, even when the had good field position, but the Duck's sure did. This is a much better team than many on here think.

I remember the wide receivers doing so. I don't remember Pryor finding them very consistently. I'm not sure why you're bringing up the buckeye offense to prove how good they are on offense.

I also remember almost everyone, including New Mexico St, getting to Pryor better than USC did.
I think they're a very good offense. I just don't find USC to be their usual brand of measuring stick.

I bring it up because the two teams had two common opponents. Oregon beat USC and Purdue. Ohio State lost to both. I bring it up because few games at this level are that uneven. I like the Buckeye defense, but that same defense gave up a ton of yards to Purdue and Michigan, two seven loss teams that just happened to play spread. The same defense played lights out against Wisconsin and Penn State, two teams that played a more conventional offense. I bring it up because it's hard to put together a scout team that can run the spread for your defense to practice against -- your defensive ones and twos against your offensive threes and fours.

Not sure why you'd say this. If NMS put pressure on Pryor (as did Purdue) it doesn't bode well for the Bucks' offense either.

I like the Buckeyes in this game, but I am not expecting anything short of a tough as nails game on both sides of the ball.

As has been said MANY times before, any suggestion that Ohio State and Oregon played the same USC team is laughable at best. The wheels came off of the USC wagon after they played Ohio State and before they played Oregon. That is one of the reasons why the transitive property doesn't work, and IMHO it has even more to do with this particular case than the rock-paper-scissors metaphor used by BrutusBobcat. Not that the metaphor doesn't fit in this case... It does and it's a good point and is a big factor. But compared to the difference in quality of USC between the two games.


EDIT: And by the way, the Buckeyes gave up more yards against Wiscy than against anyone; and as you say, that wasn't a spread team.

Ohio State does just fine against the spread when they own the LOS.

Or...

...
if Ohio State plays as well as we did against Penn State in all facets of the game, I don't think Oregon has a chance

What he said

 

[Buckeneye]

Masoli is more dangerous, IMO. Colt is a more steady player but if Masoli is on his game, he will provide a bigger challenge.

I don't mean to be disrespectful, but that's insane. Colts passing ability alone puts him far above Massoli. Keep Colt in the pocket and he can still survey the field and make a strike. Keep Jeramiah (was a bullfrog) in the pocket and you frustrate him.

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

The problem is with what people mean by "spread"

Purdue's "basketball on grass" was a kind of spread... but... it's not the read option, which is also run out of a spread.

I can't think of any spread read option teams Ohio State has played this season. Navy is read option, but not spread... Michigan is spread, but they didn't really do much read option. That's what concerns me about Oregon the most. Masoli makes his reads quickly and makes them well. That puts Oregon at an advantage. That doesn't mean the read plays are unstoppable, though. But, the line will be tested, for sure.

 

[jwinslow]

Michigan is spread, but they didn't really do much read option.

Yes they did, they just weren't that good at it thanks to the Tater.

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Yes they did, they just weren't that good at it thanks to the Tater.

You're probably right, I just don't seem to recall many specific plays... maybe it's because they all were blowed up. lol.

 

[generaladm]

Regarding the spread/read option convo, I think the offenses we faced that most resemble Oregon's were ILL and PSU, in terms of rushing schemes and personnel. OSU's success against both of those teams stemmed from the dominance of the D-line. When you have a man in position to make the tackle on both the QB and RB before the hand-off is made, the read option isn't very effective. I think UO's offense is more polished than either of those teams, but I also think those teams had more physical O-lines than the ducks. UO's linemen will have to play the best game of their lives to keep Cam from throwing them around. He could take over the game for long stretches.

Ironically, facing Navy this year may be the best preparation the Buckeyes could have asked for. Dobbs and Masoli are about equal in terms of selling the fake hand-off. It's a different look overall, but the fundamentals of defending it are similar. If UO is smart, they will take a page from Navy's book and take some shots in the passing game. I can't recall any team having success against the Silver Bullets without doing some damage thru the air. Purdue's Elliott and his WRs, in particular, played at a level that they may never duplicate. If the quack attack can be effective early with the option, it could put our secondary in a tough spot. If the OSU D-line can affect the read option without much help from LBs and DBs, UO would be forced to throw into a defense that is looking to make big plays.