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A Few Observations from A-Deck

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The offense was playing not to lose, rather than playing to win games.
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That's the biggest thing I noticed and have frustration with. I don't like the notion of playing not to lose and I feel like although we've historically been successful with this model under JT, I'm not sure that we have the pieces in place for that moving forward. What I mean by that is this: We normally have had a "good" to "great" running game that we have been able lean on. That has opened up ways to attack downfield and made it easier to sell play action. Although it's still really early this year, we haven't had the good to great running game and our downfield threats aren't there what-so-ever. Maybe that will change through development, different personel, or gameplan, but so far, the past two games are all we have to go on.
I'd like to see the players in there who give us the best opportunity to win rather than the best chance at not losing. Like I said, I'm bullish on the Bucks but I think our chances at running the table are significantly lower than in the past. I can live with a few losses by playing to win but I can't live with a few losses by playing not to lose, if that makes any sense.
 
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One thing I've notice from the couch for years now that I hate is when they motion the TE (maybe one of OL for unbalanced) and the WR's don't move back off the LOS. Every single time they do this they run the ball. Maybe it is an unbalance look, but I'm pretty sure that the formation they are using has one less eligible receiver than they should have. The goal of the OC should be for the defense not to know what is coming for them. If I can sit there watching it on TV and with 100% certainty say it's a run I'm sure the other team knows it to. [/rant]
 
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I think people are over-simplifying just putting Jamaal Berry and Braxton into the game. If Ohio State has developed a system around Braxton for example, that system would be built on spread priciples and a running back like Jordan Hall.

Jordan Hall was decribed as being all over the field in sets throughtout camp (motioned to the slot, motioned from the slot to the backfield, etc)

If Berry doesn't have a grasp on those plays and assignments you can't just throw him out there. I really think Braxton's lack of PT is directly correlated to Jordan Hall being on the sidelines. Not to mention OSU spent all last week assuming Hall would be cleared to play, thus him getting the practice time. Learning Friday that those players were still ineligible gave OSU no opportunity to prepare a new scheme or maybe get Berry involved in the spread attack.

It's certainly much easier to tell Jamaal to go return a kick vs. teaching him how to play the slot, where to line-up, and assignments a guy like Hall has been learning the last 6 months.
 
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Buckeye86;1989982; said:
Thoughts on a shaky second win: Toledo
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The gushing over Toledo's secondary play in this blog was at odds with my observations. I saw very little from the Rocket DBs that affected Joe's completion percentage (their coverage was OK, at best), and quite a lot from Joe that appeared to affect it. Late and inaccurate throws, to be specific. But this excellent point raises another possibility:

It is easy for a fan to see a QB throw an incomplete pass, but it is next to impossible to see if the WR ran the correct route on a given play.
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Certainly true, and it speaks to the two-way communication needed between passer and catcher. But some of the passes were put in places I can't see the receiver going to. And several of our receivers seemed to be extremely open without awareness by Joe. (Fields and Smith seemed to have no problems with separation so far as I could see.)

Thanks for the link!
 
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The dude from www.alongtheolentangy.com points out what we did wrong and I will take his word for it. Apparently our pulling guards when running the dave never took on the linebacker in the hole and instead proceeded to block the play as drawn up. A lot of miscuses from everyone on offense not adjusting properly to the overloaded front we played all game. We supposidly got better by running the zone stretch in the second half but I didn't see it consistently.
 
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Didn't you also observe that Joe B, when a rush came straight at him, rolled into a ball and went down? That is disturbing when you consider that Miami, Sparty, Nebrasky, etc. are looking at that.

Put me in the category of a fan who is glad TP is a Raider, however, who also misses his ability to make positive plays out of those situations.

But we are 2-0 with the second win being ugly. I'll take 10 more ugly ones, but I'd like to see a little pretty to feel better along the way!
 
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I agree with the playing not to lose sentiments. Toledo got stronger as the game went on because we let them stay in the game. Had we scored again on our second drive, they would've been almost out of it. Instead, we let them block a punt, score and convert a 2-pt to go up one. That's just fcuking absurd. This week against Miami, we have to put them away as quickly as possible. Oddly, we have the talent to strike quickly and win, but probably not the talent to win a grind-it-out Tressel-like game against a team that's better than Toledo. This version of the team must attack and keep attacking on offense and defense.
 
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In watching the game again today, I will say that I am seeing a lot of the same things that we talk about every year and it starts with the Oline. They are just not what they should be year in and year out.

As many have pointed out they did not block well for the run, but I also saw that they didn't give Joe all that much time to throw the ball in many cases. A lot, not all, of his harried passes were due to the defense being in his face.

Joe certainly has a cannon for an arm and he missed some guys that were wide open, but he also made some nice throws. Stoney dropping the ball right in his hands, which is unusual, on the forth down play didn't help him any.

Special teams other than the punt return were again very unspecial. That really needs to change. Another one of those areas that doesn't seem to change from year to year.

Players that are definitely making an impact include Hyde, Stoney, and Reed. Rod Smith looks to be a player who has definite talent, but needs to be held out for now, especially in critical situations. You know teams are going to be at it him with two fumbles in two games.

The other thing about this game that really bothered me was our inability to put the game away in the fourth quarter. We had three chances to do it and two really great ones and the offense couldn't get it done. That is troubling moving forward to bigger games.
 
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buckeyebri;1990196; said:
Joe certainly has a cannon for an arm and he missed some guys that were wide open, but he also made some nice throws. Stoney dropping the ball right in his hands, which is unusual, on the forth down play didn't help him any.
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I think that one Stoney dropped was going about 90 mph - I think Joe had a little too much blood flowing on that 4th down, an accurate throw, but too much heat.
 
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Bleed S & G;1990313; said:
I think that one Stoney dropped was going about 90 mph - I think Joe had a little too much blood flowing on that 4th down, an accurate throw, but too much heat.
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And I think I recall Stoney looking upfield prematurely.
 
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Do we need to remind people that although Joe is 26,000 years old his football game experience is limited and he's actually going through a game learning experience. That being said he's playing at a good level and hopefully will improve at seeing the entire field. The game needs to slow down more for him.
 
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