Game Thread 2015 National Championship Game: (2) Oregon vs. (4) Ohio State, Jan 12th @ 8:30p ET, ESPN

[BayBuck]

Wait...you have a nest?

Why don't you live in a house like the rest of us ordinary ducks?

I assumed it was a humorous metaphor based on you guys/gals having an avian mascot. But i've been wrong before.

 

[Joe Stewart]

Wait...you have a nest?

Why don't you live in a house like the rest of us ordinary ducks?

I, Daisy, am a TRUE fan, thank you. Lol

 

[Jaxbuck]

Does the site you pulled those stats from give a game by game breakdown?

Not trying to nitpick, just wondering if their TO margin was the result of any "clowneying around". Like how Clowney last year had 400 sacks against FCS teams and Tennessee but virtually zero against the meat of their schedule.

Also wondering if ball security was a PAC wide issue, or if Oregon forced a bunch more to's than their opponents avg.

It's pretty easy to just look at the box score from each game to get that info and no, I didn't see any of that.

They played MSU, Stanford, Utah UCLA and Arizona twice as far as teams go that I would consider solid or better and were +12 in those games.

It's not some kind of fluke, they consistently force a lot of TO's and consistently avoid giving up TO's.

They are also excellent at making teams pay for them. No stats to back it(like points off TO's) but their games always seem to be close until something happens like the RB and then all of a sudden it's not close.

They are the best team from what could easily be argued was the best conference this year. It's not smoke and mirrors as in years past.

 

[Telekinesis]

I, Daisy, am a TRUE fan, thank you. Lol

I don't think you'll find many folks here claiming that we're going to destroy the Ducks. We're all pretty reasonable in regard to this season, but we do have a lot of faith in our guys. They have faced more adversity than I've ever witnessed another team face while achieving the near impossible thus far. It's hard to judge how it will play out. I think it all depends on who settles in first and strikes fast. We all know the Ducks can score in a hurry, so containing them will count on playing disciplined, assignment football. Fundamentals must be taken care of first and foremost. If we get behind to Oregon the way we got behind to Bama, I wouldn't like our chances of a comeback. Keeping that offense off balance will be key.

Honestly, I wouldn't even know how to tell Oregon to plan for this game even if I wanted to. We are still watching Cardale develop and grow since he was just handed the starting position. Will he try to run more? Throw it deep? Dump it off to Jalin Marshall/Ezekiel Elliott? It's hard to say. He's not amazing at one thing, but he's really good at a lot of things. I believe Urban said the same. Can't recall if he was referring to Cardale or JT at the time, but it applies to both. It's tough to get in his head and shake him up because he does so many things well. So it's difficult for us to even gauge how the game will unfold with Cardale under center.

I expect a good game and know that Oregon will be ready to go. They're hungry, they've been denied year after year, falling just short. That can be trouble for opposing squads.

 

[Jaxbuck]

My entire point was towards the anomaly that was 4 fumbles in that game. So they averaged 1 per game before that and then had 4. That's not typical output.

I get you.

I was just trying to keep the numbers straight for everyone.

The RB was obviously an outlier but an earned outlier. I think we are saying the same thing, there is a very good chance OSU holds their own in the TO battle and I'd say zero chance of quitting if they do have one or two.

 

[MaxBuck]

Championships are won in the trenches.

Orygun's lines (both OL and DL) are markedly inferior to the Buckeyes'.

Bucks by two touchdowns minimum.

 

[BUCKYLE]

It's pretty easy to just look at the box score from each game to get that info and no, I didn't see any of that.

They played MSU, Stanford, Utah UCLA and Arizona twice as far as teams go that I would consider solid or better and were +12 in those games.

It's not some kind of fluke, they consistently force a lot of TO's and consistently avoid giving up TO's.

They are also excellent at making teams pay for them. No stats to back it(like points off TO's) but their games always seem to be close until something happens like the RB and then all of a sudden it's not close.

They are the best team from what could easily be argued was the best conference this year. It's not smoke and mirrors as in years past.

I wasn't saying or even implying any of that. I was curious.

I don't think the B1G, east division, takes a back seat to any other division in CFB this year.

On top of that, we played @Sparty, @Happy Valley *in THEIR rivalry game, smoked Wisky at a neutral site, and beat Bama despite spotting them a 21-6 lead six hours from their campus. Noy even going to get into the absurd amount of adversity this team has faced. The games tOSU has won this season would have been an awesome season WITH Braxton.

Maybe Oregon's speed will dumbfound our D. Maybe they have future NFL All-Pro/HOF'ers at every position along both trenches. Maybe they win by 21 points.

I don't think so. I think this team is going to win. I think there's a reason Urban Meyer took tOSU to the woodshed in '07, and it wasn't the banquet circuit or Roy Hall Jr.

They're out for blood. They know what's at stake, and they know what it takes because their coach has laid it out for them, plain and clear.

 

[buckeyeintn]

I wasn't saying or even implying any of that. I was curious.

I don't think the B1G, east division, takes a back seat to any other division in CFB this year.

On top of that, we played @Sparty, @Happy Valley *in THEIR rivalry game, smoked Wisky at a neutral site, and beat Bama despite spotting them a 21-6 lead six hours from their campus. Noy even going to get into the absurd amount of adversity this team has faced. The games tOSU has won this season would have been an awesome season WITH Braxton.

Maybe Oregon's speed will dumbfound our D. Maybe they have future NFL All-Pro/HOF'ers at every position along both trenches. Maybe they win by 21 points.

I don't think so. I think this team is going to win. I think there's a reason Urban Meyer took tOSU to the woodshed in '07, and it wasn't the banquet circuit or Roy Hall Jr.

They're out for blood. They know what's at stake, and they know what it takes because their coach has laid it out for them, plain and clear.

Actually only 4 hours from Tuscaloosa, but who's counting?

 

[Jaxbuck]

I wasn't saying or even implying any of that. I was curious.

I don't think the B1G, east division, takes a back seat to any other division in CFB this year.

On top of that, we played @Sparty, @Happy Valley *in THEIR rivalry game, smoked Wisky at a neutral site, and beat Bama despite spotting them a 21-6 lead six hours from their campus. Noy even going to get into the absurd amount of adversity this team has faced. The games tOSU has won this season would have been an awesome season WITH Braxton.

Maybe Oregon's speed will dumbfound our D. Maybe they have future NFL All-Pro/HOF'ers at every position along both trenches. Maybe they win by 21 points.

I don't think so. I think this team is going to win. I think there's a reason Urban Meyer took tOSU to the woodshed in '07, and it wasn't the banquet circuit or Roy Hall Jr.

They're out for blood. They know what's at stake, and they know what it takes because their coach has laid it out for them, plain and clear.

I agree 100%.......Urban has this team finally looking like the pissed off bunch that laid waste to OSU in '07

I do, however, think Oregon will show better than OSU did that fateful night.

I also think OSU just played the tougher team with the more physical lines and fared just fine.

Run, run, run and run some, protect the ball and OSU should be just fine.

 

[UpNorth_Buckeye]

Championships are won in the trenches.

Orygun's lines (both OL and DL) are markedly inferior to the Buckeyes'.

Bucks by two touchdowns minimum.

They've got a pretty good oline, but yes we've got an advantage on the dline. I'm so unsure about this game. Early I thought I could see Oregon by 10. Now I could see osu by 10. The only thing that would surprise me would be a blowout by either team.

 

[jwinslow]

14 Bell: 86 tackles, 6 int (including 15 tackles and 2 INTs in the last two games)
09 Coleman: 68 tackles, 5 int (including 8 tackles and 2 INTs in the two games leading up to the Rose Bowl)

14 C. Grant: 63 tackles, 5 tfl, 1 sack
09 Spitler: 38 tackles, 5 tfl, 1 sack

So, once again, I think you're underselling the current team and the level they are playing at.

I also think it's a mistake comparing position to position rather than the units as a whole.

C. Grant obviously is no Rolle but Darron Lee is comparable in terms of impact and skill set.

Except this team isn't great at getting off the field, meaning a lot more tackles for everyone.

Do you feel bell is effective and consistent against the run ? Grant?

Ok, let's do units. The saving Grace of this defense is the dl. It does not outpace the 09 unit.

The lbs get obliterated.

The corners are comparable

The safeties are worse.


Thankfully this offense crushes that one.

 

[buckeyeintn]

I wasn't saying or even implying any of that. I was curious.

I don't think the B1G, east division, takes a back seat to any other division in CFB this year.

On top of that, we played @Sparty, @Happy Valley *in THEIR rivalry game, smoked Wisky at a neutral site, and beat Bama despite spotting them a 21-6 lead six hours from their campus. Noy even going to get into the absurd amount of adversity this team has faced. The games tOSU has won this season would have been an awesome season WITH Braxton.

Maybe Oregon's speed will dumbfound our D. Maybe they have future NFL All-Pro/HOF'ers at every position along both trenches. Maybe they win by 21 points.

I don't think so. I think this team is going to win. I think there's a reason Urban Meyer took tOSU to the woodshed in '07, and it wasn't the banquet circuit or Roy Hall Jr.

They're out for blood. They know what's at stake, and they know what it takes because their coach has laid it out for them, plain and clear.

I hadn't thought about it until I read your post, but the B1G East just went 5-1 in bowl games, including 2-0 against the S-E-C, and 2-0 against top 10.

 

[Buckeneye]

Except this team isn't great at getting off the field, meaning a lot more tackles for everyone.

Do you feel bell is effective and consistent against the run ? Grant?

Ok, let's do units. The saving Grace of this defense is the dl. It does not outpace the 09 unit.

The lbs get obliterated.

The corners are comparable

The safeties are worse.


Thankfully this offense crushes that one.

Anderson's stone hands from time to time make the safeties a wash, IMHO. Bell is more rangy and reliable in coverage, captain Kurt was better at run support.

Across the board, we have more individual talent on the current Dline. However that 2009 team played just that, as a team. You rarely saw runners to the linebackers let alone the secondary.
They were gap sound, could stop the run and rush the passer. If we had the 2009 defense with our current offense, we beat Oregon by 4 TD's.

 

[BayBuck]

No harm meant, it's just a great Urban quote we like to use around here. But I do think having a #80+ D in yards allowed is a product of more than just getting up early and playing prevent the rest of the way.

To expand on this, FSU had 235 yards at the half, when they were only down 18-13 and not in desperation play-from-behind mode yet. Double that and you are reasonably close to Oregon's per-game average allowed.

 

[LordJeffBuck]

Except this team isn't great at getting off the field, meaning a lot more tackles for everyone.

Do you feel bell is effective and consistent against the run ? Grant?

Ok, let's do units. The saving Grace of this defense is the dl. It does not outpace the 09 unit.

The lbs get obliterated.

The corners are comparable

The safeties are worse.


Thankfully this offense crushes that one.

It's pretty pointless comparing this defense to that one. Oregon is going to score a lot more than 17 points. Ohio State needs to outscore them. I wouldn't be surprised if both teams crack 40 points. In fact, I'd be surprised if they did not do so.