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Game Thread FIESTA BOWL: tOSU 21, Texas 24 (01-05-09)

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Dispatch

Facing Longhorns in Fiesta just what OSU, uh, needs

The other day a friend told me how his Buckeyes just can?t seem to catch a break, that it looked like they were going to be paired with a Texas team in the Fiesta Bowl that probably should be playing in the BCS championship game. Yeah, I said. It would probably be better to face the Alabama-Florida SEC title game loser in the Sugar Bowl.
"Noooo," he said. "That wouldn't be good. We sure don't want to play Florida again. And I saw Alabama and they're . . . "
I could see where this was going, so I interrupted him.
"So you don't want to see Ohio State play Texas, Florida or Alabama? What are we talking about here?"
"I think the Orange Bowl would be good. Either that or the Capital One," he said. "We need to get a win and restore our reputation."

Continued.............
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What is everybody's opinion on the big layoff between the scUM game and the bowl game? Will it be good since it gives Pryor more time learn the offense better and maybe even implement some new material or will the layoff just make the team rusty? Other reasons???
 
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matt_thatsme;1350412; said:
What is everybody's opinion on the big layoff between the scUM game and the bowl game? Will it be good since it gives Pryor more time learn the offense better and maybe even implement some new material or will the layoff just make the team rusty? Other reasons???
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Both.
 
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Dispatch

Ohio State football
Inside the Beat: Taking an early look at OSU-Texas

Monday, December 8, 2008 11:35 AM
By Tim May and Ken Gordon


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The Buckeyes are headed back to the Phoenix area for the fifth time in seven years, and this time to take on Texas, a team some think still might be the best in the country, despite its slide to third in the final Bowl Championship Series ratings. The Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 5 thus will be a matchup of a team that almost got to the national title game vs. an Ohio State team that was considered a national title contender in the preseason. Is this a good matchup for the Buckeyes, who the previous two years ended the seasons getting bushwhacked in national-championship games? Or has OSU once again bitten off more than it can chew? Dispatch beat writers Ken Gordon and Tim May weigh in, almost a month before kickoff:


MAY: One thing is for sure, neither team will have the excuse of this game sneaking up on them. These waits between the regular-season finale and the bowl seem interminable at times. It was amazing what the time off did for OSU's opponent last year in the national title game. LSU was a beaten-up team at regular-season's end, but its most important player, defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, had the chance to get well in the month in between, and he played possessed against the Buckeyes. In other words, the Tigers were much better than they'd been in the loss to Arkansas six weeks earlier. Could the Buckeyes make the same transformation? Chris "Beanie" Wells will have had six weeks to rest his sore right forefoot and to let his hamstring heal. A healthy Beanie is key for OSU going against the Longhorns and play-making quarterback Colt McCoy.

Continued................
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matt_thatsme;1350412; said:
What is everybody's opinion on the big layoff between the scUM game and the bowl game? Will it be good since it gives Pryor more time learn the offense better and maybe even implement some new material or will the layoff just make the team rusty? Other reasons???
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....at least it allows Beanie to get healthy. I don't think it's the layoff so much as the competition we face during the season. Right now, I don't feel like the B10 schedule prepares you enough for games like these.
 
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TJnTN;1350377; said:
I haven't watched any of Texas' games this year. How good is their D? In particular, their D-Line? Our O-Line has played pretty poorly at times, a lot of times, this year and honestly I think they are going to have to come together this next month and really play the game of their lives Jan 5th.
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Texas strength on defense is in the front 7 and specifically in the ability to get pressure on the quarterback with a 4 man rush.

question, I keep hearing about the troubles that the buckeye's O-line has had. What happened to the tOSU O-line this year? have they digressed that much from last year or is it a case of the QB play a year ago made them look better than they are(i.e. extending plays with the feet or just a very quick release0
 
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High Lonesome;1350453; said:
Texas strength on defense is in the front 7 and specifically in the ability to get pressure on the quarterback with a 4 man rush.

question, I keep hearing about the troubles that the buckeye's O-line has had. What happened to the tOSU O-line this year? have they digressed that much from last year or is it a case of the QB play a year ago made them look better than they are(i.e. extending plays with the feet or just a very quick release0
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I would say a bunch of things. There were a bunch of injuries during the season, as well as injuries to key reserves, so depth became an issue. But, most troubling, was a definite regression early in the year amongst vets. They got worked against USC, and that memory along with the past two NC games has shaken the confidence level amongst fans for our O-Line.

Last year, we probably were only marginally better than this year (if only for depth) but just didn't play a really good defense until getting steamrolled by LSU.

However, Beanie is his own offensive line. He will figure out a way to run through any defense, with or without blocking.
 
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matt_thatsme;1350412; said:
What is everybody's opinion on the big layoff between the scUM game and the bowl game? Will it be good since it gives Pryor more time learn the offense better and maybe even implement some new material or will the layoff just make the team rusty? Other reasons???
Click to expand...

It helps us definately. Beanie should be at his best health since game #1. But hopefully they spend a lot of time throwing the football in practice. Beanie will be a huge piece to this offense of course. But I think our ability to hang in this will depend on TPs ability to throw the football. Pass protection and great timing and chemistry on routes with the WRs and TP.

I think our defense will be ready to play. But Texas knows how to score and they will score points. Our offense needs to keep this close. We can't afford to get down and be in a situation where we have to throw it every time. Got keep the TX D off balance and guessing.

I've been very impressed by Texas this year. They should come into this game with a chip on their shoulders knowing that they were one play away from playing in the championship game. That could be tough for us to overcome. We aren't notoriously fast starters so the first few series may prove to be huge.

All that said, I'm very excited to see us play an excellent team in Texas to see how far we've come since that aweful day at USC.

:oh::io:
 
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cincibuck;1350237; said:
I appreciate your optimism. That said, this offense has been more about big plays, short field due to defense and punting game, than grinding it out. In fact, I don't think this 0-line CAN grind it out.
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I think a lot of that lack of grinding it out has to do with the type of D that the opponents have put on us in the last few games. What I've seen is kind of a "break don't bend" defense. NW, Illinois, and TSUN all did just that. They all loaded up the box and run-blitzed on most plays to stop any running yardage at all costs. That looks good with all the three an outs, but it also means that if one guy misses and asignment, it's a big gain. That's why when we play good teams, they drive on us. You aren't going to shut out good teams. The goal is to make them take as many plays as possible to get to the red zone, then make them settle for more field goals than TD's. Down the stretch, our opposing teams did not play that way, and in the end, it cost them.

I'm not saying that our line has not had problems (I would be laughed off the fourms if I did), but if TP does what I think he is going to do, early, that should take some pressure off of the run defense and some good sustained drives.

-z
 
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buckeyes_rock;1350467; said:
It helps us definately. Beanie should be at his best health since game #1. But hopefully they spend a lot of time throwing the football in practice. Beanie will be a huge piece to this offense of course. But I think our ability to hang in this will depend on TPs ability to throw the football. Pass protection and great timing and chemistry on routes with the WRs and TP.

I think our defense will be ready to play. But Texas knows how to score and they will score points. Our offense needs to keep this close. We can't afford to get down and be in a situation where we have to throw it every time. Got keep the TX D off balance and guessing.
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I think that is the key. When we get down in the big game early (USC, LSU, UF) we are in for a route. Hopefully we wouldn't pack it in if they jump out to a big lead but it's seemed to happen before. We need to get the lead and we can't afford to let McCoy have time. I say spy him with Moeller or Hines, while we try to get some pressure. That way if McCoy gets outside of the pocket, you already have a big athletic guy designated to follow him. I really like this matchup to be honest and I was hoping for this. Even though Texas might have got screwed since they beat Oklahoma, I still think the best two teams are playing for the title. In any event, I can't wait to see the matchup, as the last 2 games were dandies.
 
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RB07OSU;1350504; said:
I think that is the key. When we get down in the big game early (USC, LSU, UF) we are in for a route. Hopefully we wouldn't pack it in if they jump out to a big lead but it's seemed to happen before. We need to get the lead and we can't afford to let McCoy have time. I say spy him with Moeller or Hines, while we try to get some pressure. That way if McCoy gets outside of the pocket, you already have a big athletic guy designated to follow him. I really like this matchup to be honest and I was hoping for this. Even though Texas might have got screwed since they beat Oklahoma, I still think the best two teams are playing for the title. In any event, I can't wait to see the matchup, as the last 2 games were dandies.
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Agree with the bold, and our DEs cannot lose containment.. that's been a problem this year.
 
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