Game Thread Game Two: #1 Ohio State 24, #2 Texas 7 (9/9/06)

[jwinslow]

Show me a team faster. Can't? OK, thanks for playing...

you're asking me to prove something I never claimed... I said neither squad would be outclassed by speed in Austin. OTOH, you have insisted that OSU is the fastest team in america.

a) Show me how your argument is any different than what Miami fans (or the media) said as of December 2002.

b) Prove to me that OSU is faster than EVERYONE. Making a statement like that implies that you know teams like USC, Florida, LSU, Texas, OU, PSU, & FSU extensively, as well as all of their new talent who will take over for departed talent.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

a) Show me how your argument is any different than what Miami fans (or the media) said as of December 2002.

It's different because Miami and the media went purely by hype, whereas we proved them wrong on them field (even Duck Fouts said we looked faster than Miami). And our 2006 is markedly faster--across the board--than the 2002 team. Sorry, but if our 2002 team was faster than the media-proclaimed fastest team in the country, and our 2006 is faster than that, I think I have pretty good grounds for my claim, which proves your question in your b) above...

 

[jwinslow]

It's different because Miami and the media went purely by hype, whereas we proved them wrong on them field (even Duck Fouts said we looked faster than Miami). And our 2006 is markedly faster--across the board--than the 2002 team. Sorry, but if our 2002 team was faster than the media-proclaimed fastest team in the country, and our 2006 is faster than that, I think I have pretty good grounds for my claim, which proves your question in your b) above...

OSU was supposedly outclassed heading into the game, yet OSU proved that gap did not exist. I'm not so sure OSU was "faster" than Miami, at least not on O. Here are the fastest players on offense that day: QB Krenzel, RB McGahee, WR1 Andre Johnson, WR2 Parrish (.02 faster than gamble), TE Winslow.

What happened to question B? Are you claiming to know the depth charts at all of those schools well enough to conclude that no one can match OSU's speed... which consists largely of new faces? With that many new starters, there is a lot of 'hype' built into your claim that OSU will be the fastest team in america this fall.

Will a somewhat inexperienced defense play as fast as the veteran 05 defense? Yes, I realize most defenders have played before... but I bet this team will be more cohesive, disciplined and fast come november.

 

[EngineerHorn]

Xray, we need you to settle this argument. Compile every single track time available for all the top teams in the country, and write an algorithm to give an aggregate team speed rating for each team based on individual speeds and weighting factors corresponding to the relative importance of speed to each position.

Watch, folks. Just watch. By this time tomorrow, Xray will have a spreadsheet of all the raw data, graphs, and a graphical user interface of his team speed algorithm.

THEN, we will have our answer.

 

[High Lonesome]

But How will we know where to find him?



"HE LEFT US A SIGN"

 

[sandgk]

Xray, we need you to settle this argument. Compile every single track time available for all the top teams in the country, and write an algorithm to give an aggregate team speed rating for each team based on individual speeds and weighting factors corresponding to the relative importance of speed to each position.

Watch, folks. Just watch. By this time tomorrow, Xray will have a spreadsheet of all the raw data, graphs, and a graphical user interface of his team speed algorithm.

THEN, we will have our answer.

Have him run it through the DaddyBigBucks r^2 filter first, please

 

[UTMNC]

I distinctly remember someone mentioning in a post last week, that the tell-tell sign that we have almost run the gamut as it relates to objective, factual, reasonable optimisim of each respective teams chances to win this years game would be when we start with the " MY TEAMS FASTER THAN YOUR TEAM POST" Well friends and Neighbors, we have ARRIVED.

 

[ntd]

I distinctly remember someone mentioning in a post last week, that the tell-tell sign that we have almost run the gamut as it relates to objective, factual, reasonable optimisim of each respective teams chances to win this years game would be when we start with the " MY TEAMS FASTER THAN YOUR TEAM POST" Well friends and Neighbors, we have ARRIVED.

Actually I think it was the "My offensive player is faster than your offensive player, so i win..." discussion we had a few weeks back, I think you were still on the sauce then, so you might not remember it

 

[UTMNC]

Life and the season for both teams would go on, but wouldn't a loss in week one by either UT or tOSU really, and I mean really SUCK... Forget what I just said, I don't even want to think about it.

This post will self destruct in 3..2..1..

 

[Pheasant]

Speed does not win football games. It's fun sometimes to talk about who's faster than who, but it's pretty much all conjecture. We could possibly find out who's faster than who by using track times, but not everyone on the field is on the track team, let alone running in the same meets on the same surface at the same time. Comparing high school times can be fun, but has about as much to do with the game as which player got laid by the hotter girl at his senior prom. Also, as we all know, track times do not in any way, shape or form translate directly into on-the-field speed.
We won't even truly know if Teddy Ginn is faster than the Texas db's unless he lines up before the snap and tells them he's going to run as fast as he can straight down the field. Then the Texas db would have to believe him and turn his back on the line of scrimmage...then start in the same position as Teddy, and try to run with him straight down the field. Pretty sure that won't happen.

I'll put 50 bucks on Teddy Ginn never being caught from behind by anyone on a football field (barring injury or old age) when he's running at full speed, but to claim the fastest player or fastest team outright is laughable. I'll give you that tOSU is faster than Kent State, but when you get to the top 5 or 6 teams there is very little, if any difference.
There are so many great match ups and other things to talk about in this game, we really don't need to be making shit up.

P.S. Fuck Michigan.

 

[t_BuckeyeScott]

P.S. Fuck Michigan.

The Rally Cry. YES!!!

 

[bukIpower]

When you get into the top 5 it shouldn't be that much of a difference I suppose. However, watching us play against Notre Dame it was clear who was the faster team. We exposed them deep, and we kept them from coming up with the big play. You could argue that maybe we were just more talented (which is also true), but across the board I don't know if ND had a player faster at any position than our bucks?

 

[campies]

I agree its stupid to talk about who's the "fastest of the Fast" at this level of competition, for as many reasons as have already been named. Like it has been mentioned, you just can't quantify it in any way that is even remotely relavent for assigning an advantage. The best teams come to their status at much more than physical attributes alone, so thats really what this debate is about.

The speed in this game, in a sense, works against itself and cancels out its direct influence into the game, since both teams have it, and instead merely reduces the margin of reaction time alloted for player X to get from piont A to point B. And thats what this game comes down to as it relates to speed: Reaction time. This is coaching, practice, repetition, recognization, all the things that go into a making a team go from "talented and good" to "polished, well-organized, great."

.3 seconds is an eternity in the 40 yard dash, however, it pales in comparison to the time gap that is placed between a defender and his assignment when he hesitates to get in position or misreads a play call and is forced to catch up. Often times, even the fastest guys, can't do it, and that shows you the significance of the Nature/Nurture aspect of this game. Who can blend their natural talent best with their well-nurtured coaching to the an optimal level in a game such as this one. The one that does it best will probably be the winner. It should be an interesting battle. Luckily, we have a lot of experience coming back in the right places to help balance out the lack thereof in others, and thats encouraging for any Horns fan in a game as such as this where experience and reactions will play as big a role as talent itself.

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

I agree its stupid to talk about who's the "fastest of the Fast" at this level of competition, for as many reasons as have already been named. Like it has been mentioned, you just can't quantify it in any way that is even remotely relavent for assigning an advantage. The best teams come to their status at much more than physical attributes alone, so thats really what this debate is about.

The speed in this game, in a sense, works against itself and cancels out its direct influence into the game, since both teams have it, and instead merely reduces the margin of reaction time alloted for player X to get from piont A to point B. And thats what this game comes down to as it relates to speed: Reaction time. This is coaching, practice, repetition, recognization, all the things that go into a making a team go from "talented and good" to "polished, well-organized, great."

.3 seconds is an eternity in the 40 yard dash, however, it pales in comparison to the time gap that is placed between a defender and his assignment when he hesitates to get in position or misreads a play call and is forced to catch up. Often times, even the fastest guys, can't do it, and that shows you the significance of the Nature/Nurture aspect of this game. Who can blend their natural talent best with their well-nurtured coaching to the an optimal level in a game such as this one. The one that does it best will probably be the winner. It should be an interesting battle. Luckily, we have a lot of experience coming back in the right places to help balance out the lack thereof in others, and thats encouraging for any Horns fan in a game as such as this where experience and reactions will play as big a role as talent itself.

Also encouraging for Buckeye fans who know that experience means more at the QB position than anywhere else on the field.

 

[UTMNC]

UT has enough talent on offense surrounding either of the QB's, that they will NOT have to have a Vince Young type performance. Last years unsettled early QB situation for tOSU cannot even be compared to the Texas QB this season for the simple fact that the supporting cast of our offense this year is MUCH better than the offense both tOSU QB's had to work with last year(not this year, last year). The only threat posed to the Texas defense was T.Ginn and S. Holmes, and that was proven on the field, NO, A. Pittmans 17 carries for 75 yards was not a threat(last year). If Zwick (or Smith) LAST YEAR, I repeat, LAST YEAR, would have had the talent that Texas has THIS year at OL, RB's, and WR's, tOSU would have won the MNC and with that defense would have been one of the greatest college football teams ever. Trying to argue this fact will fall on deaf ears.