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DB Jamario O'Neal (official thread)

osugrad21;623257; said:
CPD

O'Neal leaps at second chance


"I was tackling in practice, but it's just [that I wasn't] picking up the ball and making plays on the ball," O'Neal said.


I think the most notable example of this was when Texas scored a TD right in front of him. It looked like Jamario (at least I'm pretty sure it wa him) was in great position to break in front of the WR, or at least reach out and knock it down, but he didn't look up.

I hope that he takes this opportunity and becomes the player we all anticipate he can be.
 
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osugrad21;623257; said:
CPD

O'Neal leaps at second chance
good article.... from my vantage the D suffered when he first came in. but it looked like JamO picked it up as time went on, and as he got settled in, he started playing quite a bit better... the next six weeks will be very valuable in his development...
 
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lvbuckeye;623422; said:
good article.... from my vantage the D suffered when he first came in. but it looked like JamO picked it up as time went on, and as he got settled in, he started playing quite a bit better... the next six weeks will be very valuable in his development...
I thought that he played well overall. four players missed on that TD run
 
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Dispatch

OHIO STATE FOOTBALL
O?Neal fills need at free safety smoothly

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




The bell sounded, and Jamario O?Neal answered the call.
Top-ranked Ohio State had just suffered the first major injury of the season Saturday night at Iowa. Free safety Anderson Russell, who had won the job two weeks earlier, was knocked out for the season by a knee injury while covering a kickoff early in the game.
The time to grieve would come later, the players said. More important at the moment was putting someone in there who could do the job. The coaches turned to the sophomore.
"I had to get the jitters out and everything like that," O?Neal said. "But as the game continued, I started getting more confidence and getting more relaxed and just making plays, doing the things I know I can do."
The defensive coaches essentially pulled the handle on a pump they had been priming since the start of the season. Nick Patterson opened against Northern Illinois as the No. 1 free safety, but Russell and O?Neal, the backup to strong safety Brandon Mitchell, played extensively.
The Buckeyes see the personnel for their two safety spots as interchangeable, which explained why O?Neal was called to replace Russell.
"Obviously we have four guys back there who were in a deadheat competition throughout the fall, so everybody can play," Mitchell said. "We?ve been rotating guys through every game, so it?s not a matter of anybody not being ready to play, not being in the game plan and not knowing what?s going on.
"Everybody knows they are going to get their shot, and fortunately Jamario stepped up and played a pretty good game."
Anything less would have been disappointing, cornerback Malcolm Jenkins said.
"When Jamario came in, we all expected him to do just as good a job as Anderson does," Jenkins said. "It?s unfortunate Anderson had to go out like that, but I think Jamario did a pretty decent job filling in in that situation."
Or as O?Neal put it: "I wouldn?t say it?s pressure on me. It?s just my turn to step up and do the things that I am taught every week."
But what now?
"Someone is going to have to step up for us to keep moving on," coach Jim Tressel said.
That?s why O?Neal said he?s not taking his promotion for granted. Nothing is promised.
He gained fame by being offered a scholarship ? and committing to the Buckeyes ? while still a sophomore in high school in Mansfield. By the time he was a senior he had transferred to Cleveland Glenville after getting into some trouble in his hometown. Glenville coach Ted Ginn not only straightened him out but allowed him to live in the family home.
O?Neal arrived in Columbus with the great expectations that come with being a prospect from Glenville. He was expected to smooth his way into the starting lineup this season because of the loss of last year?s safeties, Donte Whitner (also a Glenville grad) and Nate Salley, to the NFL.
But Patterson and Mitchell won the starting spots, and then Russell joined Mitchell. O?Neal was making do as a contributing backup and as a special-teams performer before Russell was injured.
"I?ve never been down," O?Neal said. "This is a team thing, and I feel the coaches are going to play the best guys. If it was my turn to wait, then it was my turn to wait.
"They just said, ?Stay up. You never know when you?re going to get in.? And now is my time."
[email protected]
 
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I have faith that Jamo is going to be great. Watch, game by game he is going to get better and better. By the Meatchicken game he is going to be aggressive and dominant. The timeing on this is perfect. We have a series of games against not so good teams to break him in. He will be just fine.
 
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Folanator;624323; said:
I have faith that Jamo is going to be great. Watch, game by game he is going to get better and better. By the Meatchicken game he is going to be aggressive and dominant. The timeing on this is perfect. We have a series of games against not so good teams to break him in. He will be just fine.

I completely agree but I thought he played very poorly in the Iowa game. He does need more game experience and coaching; and contrary to the Dispatch article his game wasn't where it needs to be. One read in particular he was in the right spot, then missed the tackle completely (didn't even lay a finger on the ballcarrier [BC]). On another touchdown, instead of being the hammer he was the nail and the BC slammed the ball in for a TD. However, as he settles he'll not be so jittery on some of those tackles and will be a solid player for us. Russell was playing well and it sucks to lose him, but JamO has an opportunity of Wally Pipp now. He must seize it or the D will suffer against much better teams. There was a reason JamO was one of the highly rated prospects in his class. He'll end up showing that with time.
 
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Good observation by cbf40 in another thread, it should be listed here as well.
crazybuckfan40;623190; said:
JamO - reminds me so much of Donte Whitner when he got his first pt were he would look lost and then he would make a play. JamO struggled at times, but the light is flickering and about right to stay on full time. I think he has first round potential, but it is just a matter of how fast the light clicks on and stays on.
 
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Mr. Incredible;624560; said:
I completely agree but I thought he played very poorly in the Iowa game. He does need more game experience and coaching; and contrary to the Dispatch article his game wasn't where it needs to be. One read in particular he was in the right spot, then missed the tackle completely (didn't even lay a finger on the ballcarrier [BC]). On another touchdown, instead of being the hammer he was the nail and the BC slammed the ball in for a TD. However, as he settles he'll not be so jittery on some of those tackles and will be a solid player for us. Russell was playing well and it sucks to lose him, but JamO has an opportunity of Wally Pipp now. He must seize it or the D will suffer against much better teams. There was a reason JamO was one of the highly rated prospects in his class. He'll end up showing that with time.
I would not say poorly, but certainly he was inconsistent. He was in on more tackles that Freeman has been all year. He might have whiffed a few times and he also made a horrible read on the D Tate scramble pass.
However there was one run where he caught Russel from behind when Jenkins and Smith couldn't. He also did make a nice pass break up.
I agree with everything else you say.
 
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Folanator;624578; said:
I would not say poorly, but certainly he was inconsistent.
I guess very poorly was an overstatement of expectation. Poorly would be more accurate for my assessment. He was in the right spots, which is half the play. In response to your play you mentioned, he is a track star afterall... :osu:
 
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Mr. Incredible;624641; said:
I guess very poorly was an overstatement of expectation. Poorly would be more accurate for my assessment. He was in the right spots, which is half the play. In response to your play you mentioned, he is a track star afterall... :osu:

The mistakes I see come from JMO not being used to the speed of real live game conditions. He lets his weight get out from under his feet, and that causes him to whiff. I firmly believe that when he starts being more "centered" he will be great. As you alluded he is moving to the right spot in run defense, he just needs to be under control.

I could be wrong but I think he is going to do very well. Just look at how fast Jenkins and Russel came along AFTER they became starters. Being THE man effects your attitude and play.
 
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Folanator;624667; said:
The mistakes I see come from JMO not being used to the speed of real live game conditions. He lets his weight get out from under his feet, and that causes him to whiff. I firmly believe that when he starts being more "centered" he will be great. As you alluded he is moving to the right spot in run defense, he just needs to be under control.

I could be wrong but I think he is going to do very well. Just look at how fast Jenkins and Russel came along AFTER they became starters. Being THE man effects your attitude and play.

Exactly, when things slow down for him and he gets used to the adrenaline, he'll be a good player. Most of the time, missing a tackle is due to a) lack of ability, or, b) anxiety. Lack of ability is not my concern here. The anxiety will disappear soon enough or he won't be on the field. In addition, not to break down anything you've said, in the particular play I mentioned when he filled brilliantly to only miss the tackle- his feet were fine when he got to the ball. He broke down almost perfectly. The problem was that when the back made a cut he didn't bring his feet with him. That is part coaching, which will be addressed in films.
 
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to me, he looked a little lost at first, and got caught looking in one time and gave up a long 3rd down conversion; but he seemed to really settle in during the second half...

in the presser today, Tressel said he didn't grade out to a winning performance, but that his grade wasn't bad at all either... Tressel said that only 3 or 4 guys graded out to a winning performance on D, but that it was more a result of only having 40-some plays, which makes the curve that much greater... conversely, a BUNCH of guys graded out winning on offense, which was certainly influenced by the fact that they ran 70-some plays on O...
 
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