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Game Thread Game One: #1 Ohio State 35, Northern Illinois 12 (9/2/06)

Just my honest opinion, but just how big is Garret Wolfe? 5' 5'', 5' 6''? 170-180 lbs.? Go ahead and put him through a Big 10 schedule. I would be willing to bet he wouldn't last a whole season and if he somehow happened to survive a Big 10 schedule, his rushing totals would be significantly down especially in the last few games. Is he a good RB? Absolutely, but he isn't going to star for an NFL team someday like you seem to think.

5'7, 177 lbs.

First of all, Wolfe only played 9 games last year and still had 242 carries for 1630 yards, averaging 6.5 ypc. (Before you say, yeah it was against MAC teams must I remind you that he's not playing with OSUs talent around him, he's playing with NIU's talent. And many of those yards were against Big 10 teams which OSU also gets to play, padding OSUs stats as well) I can deal with those stats for 9 games, then put somebody else in for the remaining 3 after he's injured. Somebody like Pittman or Wells. If Wolfe was on USC he could have a measly 15 carries a game like Reggie Bush and then let somebody else carry the ball the rest of the time. Ooh, that's tough. On Ohio State they could do that too. There's nothing that says one guy has to get 27 carries a game to be a starting RB. Finally, I don't remember G-Force ever saying that Wolfe was going to be a star in the NFL. I think he could be a Darren Sproles type or even a Warrick Dunn type, but not an every down back.
 
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5'7, 177 lbs.

First of all, Wolfe only played 9 games last year and still had 242 carries for 1630 yards, averaging 6.5 ypc. (Before you say, yeah it was against MAC teams must I remind you that he's not playing with OSUs talent around him, he's playing with NIU's talent. And many of those yards were against Big 10 teams which OSU also gets to play, padding OSUs stats as well) I can deal with those stats for 9 games, then put somebody else in for the remaining 3 after he's injured. Somebody like Pittman or Wells. If Wolfe was on USC he could have a measly 15 carries a game like Reggie Bush and then let somebody else carry the ball the rest of the time. Ooh, that's tough. On Ohio State they could do that too. There's nothing that says one guy has to get 27 carries a game to be a starting RB. Finally, I don't remember G-Force ever saying that Wolfe was going to be a star in the NFL. I think he could be a Darren Sproles type or even a Warrick Dunn type, but not an every down back.

Once again, Ohio State is in the Big 10. Big 10 football is different from any other conference football. We're northern teams who grind it out and pound the football for the most part. Opposing teams almost always have very good linemen and linebackers who bring the wodd with every hit. Your point about Reggie Bush... PAC 10 football. The defenses simply aren't comparable. Pull out all the stats you want, the physicality is simply on a different level in the Big 10. As for your comment about the Big 10 competition you played against, you played against 2 Big 10 teams, and one of them had arguably the worst defense in the conference. And finally, I understand that G-Force never claimed Wolfe would star in the NFL, but he's not far from proclaiming it...
 
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You had better hope that Wolfe does better than Sproles did against us (13-38, 2.9 ypc).

I was thinking the same thing.

If the NIU guys are looking for respect, then here it is: R-E-S-P-E-C-T. I wouldn't be surprised if Wolfe did rush for more than a hundred yards and got a few more from pass receptions against the Buckeyes. Running backs have played well against OSU in the past so it is not out of the realm of possibility that it will happen again in the future.

On the other hand, don't be surprised if Wolfe gets shut down. This is not at all a shot. It's just something OSU does. There are many reasons why OSU is 4-0 in BCS games in eight years. Crushing the run is one of them.
 
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Ok and he was 4th in pass efficency. Does that mean squat also?

I believe what we can take from Mili's post is that if one gets beat 50-7, ANY stat means squat.

Look, a lot of us know your pedigree...you lost at home to Ball State last year, at home to...GODDAMN Western Illinois in 2002 for Chrissakes...

OK, OK :biggrin: What I mean is we know you beat Wake Forest and lost a squeaker to Wisconsin in 2002, beat Maryland, Alabama, AND Iowa State in 2003 (that was cool, by the way), lost a couple of heartbreakers to Maryland and Iowa State in 2004, and barely missed out on NW last year. However, beating us at the Shoe is not the same as beating any of those teams...not even close, in fact. You have a nice team, with a fine RB and a QB who seems to be able to complete the 4-yard curl with the best of them :biggrin:

OK OK (again)....I'm sure the effort will be there. However, we are loaded on offense, and we can take out ANY one dimensional O with our defense. We've made mockeries of one-dimensional "big-producing" offenses in recent years at the Shoe (Texas Tech and Washington State come to mind) so you will really need to play a diverse AND near-perfect game to be in it down the stretch. I'm sure you will be proud of your team at the end, and you should be...just don't expect a W :wink2:
 
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Our O isn't one dimensional. Last year we were 16th in rush offense and 39th in pass offense. You guys were 24th in rush offense and 52nd in pass offense. Now yes yes I know different levels of competition, but my point is we are not one dimensional by any means. We definately are a running team, but this isn't a freaking Navy offense.
 
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Our O isn't one dimensional. Last year we were 16th in rush offense and 39th in pass offense. You guys were 24th in rush offense and 52nd in pass offense. Now yes yes I know different levels of competition, but my point is we are not one dimensional by any means. We definately are a running team, but this isn't a freaking Navy offense.

Actually the Navy offense is pretty potent, don't you think?

All kidding aside, one dimensional, per se? OK, maybe not, but...my point is that you have a legit back that can go against whoever is out there...but, if he gets shut down because 8 or 9 are in the box, do you have the passing attack to beat the Buckeye defense on the road? I don't think so...and you won't find too may people who will.
 
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Actually the Navy offense is pretty potent, don't you think?

All kidding aside, one dimensional, per se? OK, maybe not, but...my point is that you have a legit back that can go against whoever is out there...but, if he gets shut down because 8 or 9 are in the box, do you have the passing attack to beat the Buckeye defense on the road? I don't think so...and you won't find too may people who will.
It depends. When teams stacked the box against us last year, we had no problems throwing (see the 1st Akron game). However they are NOWHERE near the talent of you guys. We have alot of talent and speed at reciever, and if you guys do stack the box they are going to have to beat man to man coverage.

Honestly if you guys have 8 or 9 guys int he box I could see where Novak would use the alternating QB thing. Nicholson is a much bigger deep threat then Horvath is.

Without a doubt the task won't be easy, but if you guys are packing the box and we get a couple of big plays through the air early, it could force you to get the 8th and 9th man out of the box, open up holes for Wolfe, and make the game very interesting.

If we are getting 1 on 1 coverage and our WRs can't be your DBs we are in for a LONG, LONG afternoon.
 
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Our O isn't one dimensional. Last year we were 16th in rush offense and 39th in pass offense. You guys were 24th in rush offense and 52nd in pass offense. Now yes yes I know different levels of competition, but my point is we are not one dimensional by any means. We definately are a running team, but this isn't a freaking Navy offense.

You are indeed somewhat one-dimensional...to the point that if we shut down, or at least contain, Wolfe, it's all over but the shouting. As for our offensive stats, over the second half of the season--when Smith got into his groove--we averaged 228 ypg rushing and 257 ypg passing, for 485 ypg total offense...very balanced and effective. In other words, over the last half of the season, we had the #12 rushing attack, #29 passing attack, and #9 total offense, along with the #6 scoring offense (39 ppg)...and that was against significantly higher caliber opposition.
 
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Once again, Ohio State is in the Big 10. Big 10 football is different from any other conference football. We're northern teams who grind it out and pound the football for the most part. Opposing teams almost always have very good linemen and linebackers who bring the wodd with every hit. Your point about Reggie Bush... PAC 10 football. The defenses simply aren't comparable. Pull out all the stats you want, the physicality is simply on a different level in the Big 10. As for your comment about the Big 10 competition you played against, you played against 2 Big 10 teams, and one of them had arguably the worst defense in the conference. And finally, I understand that G-Force never claimed Wolfe would star in the NFL, but he's not far from proclaiming it...
Could you possibly use a worse stereotype? Stop parroting other peoples' wrong "facts."

There is absolutely nothing "Big-10" about the league anymore when three-quarters of the teams run either the spread or the read-option offenses. "3 yards and a cloud of dust" is long gone. It's now "7 yards and a missed tackle."

Do you realize, that in Big-10 conference play, 8 of the 11 teams gave up over 400 yards and a group average of over 30 points per conference game?

The NCAA Total Defenses for Big-10 teams for 2005 were:

5. Ohio State
12. Penn State
36. Michigan
67. Iowa
87. Michigan State
90. Minnesota
92. Wisconsin
93. Indiana
100. Purdue
115. Illinois
117. Northwestern

Again, 8 of the 11 teams had defenses like a sieve. Also, of the teams on this list, 8 of them return their QBs. Troy Smith, Drew Tate, Drew Stanton, Bryan Cupito, and John Stocco all return as fourth or fifth year seniors, and all are coming off great seasons.

There will be A TON of TDs scored in the Big-10 this year, and many of the teams could routinely score well into the 40s.
 
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Our O isn't one dimensional. Last year we were 16th in rush offense and 39th in pass offense. You guys were 24th in rush offense and 52nd in pass offense. Now yes yes I know different levels of competition, but my point is we are not one dimensional by any means. We definately are a running team, but this isn't a freaking Navy offense.
If you guys played Navy in Annapolis, the Middies would favored by 5. And would run all over you for four quarters.
 
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