CB/WR Chris Gamble (All B1G, All-American, National Champion)

[MililaniBuckeye]

Check his drop of the game-winning INT in overtime. No fricking reason for him to drop that. Now, don't get me wrong...I love the guy as a CB, and as an offensive play maker on bubble screens and reverses where he can make things happen on his athletic ability. However, he just doesn't have sure enough hands to be a starting WR. I'd rather have Childress (who has been playing occasionally) and Hall in the game as receivers. I'd like to see Hall get some more time.

 

[gobucks7]

What do you think the chances of Gamble being back next year are? I think unless he has an awesome game against Michigan or in the bowl game we have a good shot at seeing him next year. I can't see him as an NFL corner yet. If they predict that he will go 1st round then he should take the money but otherwise I think he would be better staying a year.

 

[ohiobuck94]

It may be because he has an injured thumb. Jim Lachey said this on his radio show.

 

[WoodyWorshiper]

I think on the play that Chris was looking to return the pass 100 yards for a game winning TD instead of just catching the ball to end the game. he was running with it before he caught it. May have been more of a mental mistake than a physical one.

 

[ashlandbuck]

I think it's time we admitt that C.G. may be overated. He's lived off the reputation he gained from a couple spectacular games from last year. This year he's lost his return job and has been average at best in coverage. He's either to soft in coverage or when he's been tight in coverage he's ended up with quite a few interference calls. He'll be back next year because as of now he'd be a 4th rounder at best. If he comes back and improves then that could move him up to a second or third rounder. The only problem there is the fact that the Bucks have a lot of fine Db's that are waiting to play and he may not even be the best cover corner on the roster next year. I think we've seen the best of Chris Gamble. It's time for him to stop reading the press clippings and believing he's so good and start prooving it again

 

[Happygobuckeye]

I think Gamble has been outstanding as a corner. Every corner is going to get beat, but Gamble has consistently locked up either the other team's best receiver, or the wide side of the field. I think Holmes is a better receiver and Gamble is not our best PR/KR. He is our best DB.

 

[daddyphatsacs]

I think that Gamble may not have great hands, but he is one hell of a cover corner. Minus the big play to Evans this year, name one other big play on defense that he blew. I think that is remarkable considering the amount of times our defense has been passed on this year. In all honesty you don't have to have great hands to be a corner, you just have to be in their hip pocket all the time. Gamble does his job very nicely.

 

[3yardsandacloud]

daddyphatsacs, CG got beat twice in the NCST game for scores. I'm not sure but I think in the BG game as well. NOW, I can't really say I'd lay all the blame at Gamble's feet for those scores either. They all came on short throws near the goal line where 2 recievers ran "rub" routes, or crossing patters. With a well thrown ball they are almost impossible to defend. Secondly, each time it looked to me like a "coverage" issue. Either CG and the other DB weren't sure if they were going to play "man" and run through the "pick" set by the receivers crossing, or if they were playing "zone" and switching receivers as they crossed. I think both times it happened in the NCST game we ended up with 2 DBs on one receiver and the other ran free for the catch and score.

That is being a little picky on my part. Gamble IS a lockdown cover man. Those earlier mistakes have been corrected in the defensive "scheme". Chris has played the best that every team has had to offer and come out on top 95% of the time. I sure hope he stays for his senior season.

BTW, I'm a little frustrated by the "soft" zone Dantonio has the DBs playing since the Wisky game. I know it's probably for the best, but I'd rather in not be SO soft. I would like to see Gamble and Fox in the 5-7 yard range instead of 10-15 yards off the receiver. I just think they have the athletic ability to play tighter to the receiver and not get burned.

 

[daddyphatsacs]

In defense to Dantonio I think that (well at least the last 2 games) he has overcompensated for the "dink and dunk" style offenses of Mich St. and Purdue, therefore a soft zone. I think that his main objective is to bend but not break, and then light up whoever catches the ball. Against Michigan i think you will see more man coverage and many more blitzes from the LB's due to the style of football that Michigan plays. When rattled, Navarre tends to make terrible mistakes. If given time he can pick apart a zone package.

 

[WoodyWorshiper]

I think Gamble not playing at WR is due to two things. One, we are loaded at the position and, Two, JT sees Chris for what he really is, which is a guy who has NFL Hall Of Fame potential as a CB.

Chris is just really learning to play the position. It's a shame that the Evans play is the one that seems to be defining his season. Granted, it was huge, ala Springs in 1996. But, a pick or two in Ann Arbor this week and all will be forgotten. I think alot of people are too unrealistic with expectations. Springs was to be one of our greatest db's in history and had ZERO Ints his senior season which somehow translated into being a top-5 NFL pick?
Why? because he was a player and so is Chris.

 

[coxew]

I agree with Mili on Gamble at WR and have stated so many times when others were saying he needed to be more involved with the offense. I do believe he was a bit overrated last year offensively. Much of that, IMO, came from the fact that he was playing 100+ plays a game, something that doesn't happen in today's game. For someone with so much hype as being a "playmaker" last year, the only offensive TD he had came off a reverse. He had several opportunites to make big plays last year at WR and either dropped the ball or fell down (Wisconsin). With only losing one receiver from last year (Vance) and several others stepping up (Carter, Childress, Holmes, Hall), Gamble simply isn't one of our five best receivers when you factor in how well the TE's have been playing. We keep hearing about how Tressel needs to get Gamble on the field because defenses fear him. I just don't see it. IMO, Chris should stick to defense where he does a fine job in most instances.

 

[LightningRod]

Should Gamble Sit

The Beacon Journal has identified Gamble as one of the players involved in the fracas early Sunday morning, and an Akron attorney representing the 4 girls tells the paper that the girls' stories have not been heard yet. Irizzary is sitting -should the same apply for Gamble (along with Troy Smith)?

 

[daddyphatsacs]

No. They already said that the players are cleared of all charges.

 

[diehardbuckeye]

If Tressel says so then he should sit. Do you know anything about what happened in this incedent? From what little I have heard the players involved were breaking up the mess more than involved in it. Izzy is a totally different story than what this is.

 

[LightningRod]

Here is a link to the story. What troubles me is if the girls' statements have not yet been taken by police as alleged by the attorney, how can the incident be considered closed? There is physical injury involved. I know Irizzary was formally charged and that is a distinguishing difference in this case. ABJ Story