DT Luke Fickell (HC Wisconsin Badgers)

[Buckeyefrankmp]

I can honestly say that we might have the worst Buckeye offense I can ever remember.

You never saw the Bellisari years.

It is obvious that our offense has no identity. When we found something that was working (running between the tackles with Jordan Hall and a tad with Carlos Hyde) we abandoned it quickly. I plan on watching the game tomorrow again so I'm sure I'll have more on that.

I see a problem that while we wait for 3 key players on the offense to come back we might gain an identity only to have to find another when they come back.

 

[ysubuck]

Luke does have some pretty seasoned assistants around him. Let's not forget that. I'm not sure he was in any meetings shooting their ideas down.

The OC is horrible. There. Has been for some time, but has had some pretty damn good talent that has bailed him out more often than not.

Tonight's game was one where there was a plan needed.

I do think that after last week Braxton should have been getting the majority of the snaps with the ones. Ultimately Luke can over ride anything that anyone says and we'll never know what those meetings were like, but we know that Bollman is in charge of the offense. And tonight's performance was one for the ages. Bad wise that is.

 

[buckeyes_rock]

You never saw the Bellisari years.



I see a problem that while we wait for 3 key players on the offense to come back we might gain an identity only to have to find another when they come back.

I saw the Bellasari years...and it was painful. But at least Steve threw a great pass every once in a while. And he could run around. THIS, was way more painful.

 

[Hawk Spielman]

I really hope Coach Fickell figures it out quickly. He's a good man and a former Buckeye. Besides that he's a young coach with alot of upside. The problem I'd "on the job" training can't occur at a program like tOSU.......that's why God created the MAC.

I am afraid if he doesn't find away to get the handle on his team and we will never get to know how good a coach he could have become

 

[matt_thatsme]

I saw the Bellasari years...and it was painful. But at least Steve threw a great pass every once in a while. And he could run around. THIS, was way more painful.

Steve could also throw a hell of a crack back block on a reverse or end around. I seem to remember him de-cleating a player on defense a couple of times.

 

[Bucklion]

I saw the Bellasari years...and it was painful. But at least Steve threw a great pass every once in a while. And he could run around. THIS, was way more painful.

Agreed, now it's too warly to jusge the season as a whole, but as for tonight, I don't remember a Bellisari game being this bad. Yes, they were immortally frustrating, but they didn't include a lot of 20 yard passing days that I recall.

 

[Elephant]

What makes it worse for Fickell...Hazell leaving for Kent.

 

[DiehardBuck]

anyone else find it interesting that Fick said Hyde was the starter and Bollman said Hall?

Both looked great tonight btw... Bollman has always had all the talent to play with, but we've been middle of the road to upper 1/4th in the rankings no matter who we had. Pryor or Troy? didn't matter... We still couldn't get near the top of the NCAA.

Just Imagine a buckeye team with a top 20 offense and a top 10 Defense.... Tired of this 30-40's with a top 5 defense.

 

[holybuckeye33]

Agreed, now it's too warly to jusge the season as a whole, but as for tonight, I don't remember a Bellisari game being this bad. Yes, they were immortally frustrating, but they didn't include a lot of 20 yard passing days that I recall.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/scores101/101265/101265380.htm

PASSING: Ohio St-Bellisari 5-23-2-45. Ucla-Paus 16-25-0-262,
Perry 0-1-0-0.

Not 20 yards, but still a frustrating game almost exactly 10 years ago in another certain coach's first road game...

 

[Mrstickball]

I'm glad to see that few or no one is throwing Fickell under the bus.

Ultimately, it came down to (from my viewership of the game) horrible play by our QBs. We had a grand total of 4 completed passes. FOUR! Of 17 attempts! I do not believe we've ever had such poor QB play ever, or at least in the Tressel era.

Bauserman nor Miller were men of action. They were men of inaction. Hall, Hyde, the O-Line and the defense worked their rear ends off only to have both QBs play like a bunch of lowly MAC quarterbacks. Braxton showed some flashes, but he still turned it over twice which was likely the reason why Fickell didn't roll with him more than three series.

Could playcalling of been better? Sure, but if they can't execute, then we can't win.

The bright spot is that Hall looked like a BEAST. Hopefully our QBs can develop and when the tat-4 return, we can open things up a little. If not, this team may be a 6 or 7 win team.

 

[jlb1705]

I saw the Bellasari years...and it was painful. But at least Steve threw a great pass every once in a while. And he could run around. THIS, was way more painful.

I'm probably going to say a variation of this in several different threads for at least the next week, so get used to it:

Bellisari was bad. Tonight, Braxton Miller was bad. Joe Bauserman was inert, and at the quarterback position, "inert" is much worse than bad.

He makes no big completions, but he also doesn't turn the ball over. He makes few bad decisions because he makes as few decisions as possible.

I hope the coaches see the same thing, and are as prepared to live with Miller's mistakes as I am.

 

[Mike80]

Agreed, now it's too warly to jusge the season as a whole, but as for tonight, I don't remember a Bellisari game being this bad. Yes, they were immortally frustrating, but they didn't include a lot of 20 yard passing days that I recall.

The Minny game in 2000 was close though...I think he only ended up with 100 or so....I could easily be wrong and I'm not looking it up.

Also, wasn't there a Krenzel game (against PSU maybe??) where OSU had about 80 yards total passing??

 

[buckeye4ever21]

He gave Miller 3 possession tonight. He gave Bauserman everything else. He gave Miller nothing last week. To say "he gave both QBs a pretty good chance" is not backed up by the evidence.

Besides, once again, we're acting like Bauserman is a proven commodity. He is not. He is a 26 year old walk on. Miller is a five star recruit freshman. Given tonight's result, which makes more sense? Struggling offensively with the senior, or the freshman? The choice is obvious to me. Play the kid and let him get better. He's our QB next year and beyond. What do we have to lose by playing him now? Not much based on what we saw tonight, and last week for that matter.

Couldn't agree more! Bauserman throws the ball away so much and can't make a throw or a play when we need it. Bauserman throws side arm, can anyone name another QB that they've ever seen that throws side arm. The offense is going no where with a 5th year senior. Throw Miller into action and force feed him as much playbook as possible coming into next week.

 

[MaxBuck]

I'm glad to see that few or no one is throwing Fickell under the bus.

Just waking up, Rip?

From what I can see, Fickell is breathing diesel exhaust right about now. And cleaning tire tracks off that black windshirt.

 

[Buckeyefrankmp]

What makes it worse for Fickell...Hazell leaving for Kent.

No doubt. I think Tressel was grooming him to take over when he retired. Hazell might have had better concept of game management at this point than Fickell has. I think that Hazell was here as Offensive Coordinator, this team would be better off.