Game Thread Game Two: Texas 25, Ohio State 22 (final)

[Ginn4Heisman20]

I don't mind if you only use that last one as an example

 

[bukIpower]

well I think you're somewhat right engihorn when you said that one of those talented YOUNG recievers have to step up. However, us buckeyes said the same thing last year. We were here saying oh Hall, Gonzo, Ginn, Lyons, and Dukes one has to step up right?? Well the answer is pretty much all did but not until about Mid Season that was the problem.

I have a queston for the horn fans? We know you have VY and the Offensive line but do you see it possible for Texas to win the game being one demensional (running the ball)? Reason I say this is what happens if those recievers are rattled because of the environment and being young and aren't reliable. As a result you're forced to run the ball strictly at us with an occasional pass?

 

[hookemhorns2004]

As a newbie, you obviously haven't been able to read all the posts in this huge thread. Our offensive stats reflect a poor early first half of the season where we had two QBs who had a grand total of about 20 snaps combined in their careers. We had lost 14 players to the NFL draft. While it took awhile for the offense to finally gel, it did big time. When we took the field against Michigan, we were 108th in total offense, with 300.2 ypg. We proceeded to put up 337 yards on them in one half. We then put up 33 points on Oklahoma State, despite not having our starting QB and our backup QB playing on a pulled hamstring. Our offense on Sept 10th will in no way resemble the offense we had early last season, but rather the offense the ran roughshod over Michigan and Oklahoma State.

By the way, we were 71st in scoring (24.17 ppg), not 113th. We also finished 36 places ahead of SMU (71st vice 107th). At least use accurate stats.

Must have gotten the stats mixed up, thats my bad. But still that is nothing to brag about at all. But what you said in defense, a very logical argument. And now you say you are so improved right? Well, UT returns everyone minus RB and LB (you know who they are) so whats to say our lines aren't even better than last year. Our passing game isn't even better than last year. Our defensive line isn't any better than last year.

This is fun.

 

[jwinslow]

Your special teams did not struggle during the spring, they were fine.

Um, that KR TD on the first play of the spring game showed just how effective your kick coverage was.

Our kick coverage was decent in 10 of the 12 games last year, so it is difficult to know how big of an anomaly this game was.

I find it hilarious that you think this is a decent thing... KR tds should not happen unless you are facing Dante Hall and he is such a freak that he can juke like on a PR and still break free.

It is an inescapable truth that past performance is the best predictor of future performance.

First, our past performance by your WR has been inconsistent and unproven from everything I've read. Tons of potential. So if last year is an indicator, that's not good news. Moreso, very young receivers often show their immaturity at the beginning of the season and grow up as it progresses. That doesn't bode well for som eof your first teamers either.

As for all of your precious statistics, you failed to acknowledge this trend:
2001 OSU 7-5 2002 OSU 14-0
2002 LSU 8-5 2003 LSU 12-0
2003 AUB 7-5 2004 AUB 12-0
2004 OSU 8-4 2005 OSU (12-0?)

And that is with Ohio State missing the game tying field goal late in the 4th.

I realize you were just talking smack, but your kicker was the one who struggled this spring whereas ours looks pretty good.

 

[hookemhorns2004]

I've heard nothing of the sort about Frost, am I missing something? Can you give any sort of source on this Hookem?

I read it off of your rivals.com website on one of the boards. It seemed like a legit source, the guy is close to the program. I lost the exact link, but I am sure some of you follow recruiting on there and can track down the link.

 

[jwinslow]

I understand your potential mistake... realize that I'd be rich if I got a quarter everytime someone had a credible source.

Cotton, Arden, Maupi are likely under close watch... and those could be in trouble before the others.

But realize that people make up stuff all of the time on scout and rival sites...

 

[hookemhorns2004]

Night time record at The Shoe (I've found four of the six night games):

Sep 14, 1985 - OSU 10, Pitt 7
Sep 10, 1999 - OSU 42, UCLA 20
Oct 06, 2001 - OSU 38, Northwestern 20
Aug 30, 2003 - OSU 28, Washington 9

None of them top 5 teams.

Um, that KR TD on the first play of the spring game showed just how effective your kick coverage was.
I find it hilarious that you think this is a decent thing... KR tds should not happen unless you are facing Dante Hall and he is such a freak that he can juke like on a PR and still break free.
First, our past performance by your WR has been inconsistent and unproven from everything I've read. Tons of potential. So if last year is an indicator, that's not good news. Moreso, very young receivers often show their immaturity at the beginning of the season and grow up as it progresses. That doesn't bode well for som eof your first teamers either.

As for all of your precious statistics, you failed to acknowledge this trend:
2001 OSU 7-5 2002 OSU 14-0
2002 LSU 8-5 2003 LSU 12-0
2003 AUB 7-5 2004 AUB 12-0
2004 OSU 8-4 2005 OSU (12-0?)
I realize you were just talking smack, but your kicker was the one who struggled this spring whereas ours looks pretty good.

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="98%" bgColor=#999999 border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#ffffff><TD class=mbt>WISC 42 at OHIST 17 </TD><TD class=mbt>Saturday 10/02/1999 </TD><TD class=mbt align=middle>Week 1 </TD><TD class=mbt align=middle>L -7 </TD><TD class=mbt align=middle>O 42 </TD><TD class=mbt align=middle>Boxscore </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

LOL. Yall were 7 point home favs..

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Must have gotten the stats mixed up, thats my bad. But still that is nothing to brag about at all. But to your defense, I say exactly. And now you say you are so improved right? Well, UT returns everyone minus RB and LB (you know who they are) so whats to say our lines aren't even better than last year. Our passing game isn't even better than last year. Our defensive line isn't any better than last year.

Our overall offensive stats aren't anything to brag about, but the way our offense finished the season is. So, for us to say that we are "so improved" is not an overstatement by any stretch. As for Texas returning "everyone minus RB and LB", those two players were consensus All-Americans and top-15 draft picks. We didn't loose anyone of that caliber and who were as vital to our team as Benson and Johnson were to yours. Benson was clearly your dominant running back and Johnson the catalyst of your defense. Those losses have to hurt.

No one is claiming that your lines or passing game aren't better this year, but I would think your passing indeed will not be as good at least early in the year due to all the new WRs. No matter how good they are, they will need to grow into the position, much like our All-American WR Holmes did in 2003 and Ginn did last season. I think our team is closer to what we were at the nd of last season than Texas is to what they were...not by a whole lot, but closer none the less.

Wisconsin 42, Ohio State 17

LOL. Yall were 7 point home favs..

Uh, first that wasn't a night game against an OOC opponent, and that was during our 6-6 year and was before Tressel arrived. But if you want to play that game:

2000: Oklahoma 63, Texas 14
2003: Oklahoma 65, Texas 13

You were 9-3 and 10-3, respectively, those years and still managed to get ape-raped.

 

[hookemhorns2004]

I understand your potential mistake... realize that I'd be rich if I got a quarter everytime someone had a credible source.

Cotton, Arden, Maupi are likely under close watch... and those could be in trouble before the others.

But realize that people make up stuff all of the time on scout and rival sites...

Time will tell.

 

[jwinslow]

Someone earlier was questioning our speed at DE. We have a physical freak that is a great story b/c he nearly died last year from health complications...

Mike Kudla runs a 4.56 40, and recently benched 585 (previously did 555) and did 225 x 52 reps (previously did 46)


-------------------
Preseason rankings are just that, preseason. In 03 Kansas St was #7 (went on to lose 4 games), Auburn was #6 (lost 5), etc.

Here are the top teams we've played lately OOC
2002 - #7 WSU
2003 - #17 Wash, #24 NCst

They aren't top-5, but when ou add in the Miami and KState teams we've beaten, as well as the top-10 Michigan teams we've upset, you can see why we have a lot of confidence

 

[thackattack]

Someone earlier was questioning our speed at DE. We have a physical freak that is a great story b/c he nearly died last year from health complications...

Mike Kudla runs a 4.56 40
http://img148.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img148&image=chart40yard8aw.jpg

And recently benched 585 (previously did 555) and did 225 x 52 reps (previously did 46)
http://img40.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img40&image=chartbench3oc.jpg

He should have been in that Physical Freak Top 10 list that they ran (I can't remember which site/publication), the one with Terna Nande and Carp...

 

[jwinslow]

<table bgcolor="#999999" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" width="98%"><tbody><tr bgcolor="#ffffff"><td class="mbt">WISC 42 at OHIST 17 </td><td class="mbt">Saturday 10/02/1999 </td><td class="mbt" align="center">Week 1 </td><td class="mbt" align="center">L -7 </td><td class="mbt" align="center">O 42 </td><td class="mbt" align="center">Boxscore </td></tr></tbody></table>LOL. Yall were 7 point home favs..

Does this have ANY relevance to the quoted snippet you were responding to?

2005 CFN Preseason Second-Team All-American
Vince Young, Jr., Texas
He's not that bad a passer. Even after a transcendent Rose Bowl performance all anyone could discuss was Young's passing ability. "If he could just be an above-average passer he'd be a number one draft pick." At 6-5 and 230 pounds, he's way big, way fast, and one of the best open field runners in college football rushing for 1,079 yards and 14 touchdowns. He completed almost 60% of his passes last season, but he failed to throw more than one touchdown pass in a game after the win over Baylor in early October and did next to nothing in the showdown against Oklahoma. However, he got better with a sharper command of the passing game becoming more and more consistent as the year went on. Expect even bigger things now that he has some experienced targets to work with.

2005 CFN Preseason First-Team All-Americans
Santonio Holmes, Jr. Ohio State
Holmes was the team's one and only true wide receiver last year leading the way with 55 catches for 769 yards and seven touchdowns. If OSU starts chucking the ball more, he'll get the numbers, but if nothing else, he should be the Big Ten's most talented receiver with his tremendous speed and good hands. There are few better route runners.

2005 CFN Preseason Honorable Mention All-Americans (WR)
in alphabetical order
- Ted Ginn Jr., Soph., Ohio State
He was second on the team with 25 catches for 359 yards and two touchdowns, ran 13 times for 113 yards and two scores, and returned four punts for touchdowns. Expect him to once again be a jack of all trades and the coaching staff to find a way to get the ball in his hands at least 10-15 times per game.

2005 CFN All-America Watch List - David Thomas, Sr., Texas


... please post their later selections, as I'm sure we will have many from OL, DL, LB, DB.

 

[lvbuckeye]

Please, what you did 15 years ago has no bearing on what happens in 2 months. Different players, times, coaches, etc. Maybe if you have had the same coach over the last 15 years, you have grounds for an argument, but there is nothing a decade ago that is the same now.

i'm sorry, but the fact that there have been 38 games against OOC opponents since the last time Ohio State gave up 30 points is ABSOLUTELY RELEVANT in this discussion; as it demonstrates HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE, both in the immediate past, and also over the long haul... Thirty-eight games against OOC opponents demonstrates Ohio Stadium's TRADITION of being a VERY difficult place for opponents who are unfamiliar with The Shoe to win... rest assured that the Horns WILL NOT see another game with the levels of crowd noise and atmosphere IN THEIR CAREERS than they will on Sept 10... 105,000+ crazed Buckeye fans is truely something to behold, and i wouldn't be surprised if it took at least the entire first quarter before VY gets confortable with the crowd noise, if at all...

edit: here's what Iowa Hawkeye Chad Greenway has to say about Ohio Stadium:

proxy.espn.go.com/chat/ch...nt_id=8740

Brett (Peoria, Illinois): Chad--I know that the visiting locker room at Kinnick is pink. Do any other Big Ten stadiums have anything similiar to this? Also, what is the toughest place you've played at. Thanks and GO HAWKS!!!

Chad Greenway: No other lockerroom is pink or anything like that. Kinnick is unique in that. The Horseshoe at OSU is probably the most intimidating place I've been in. So loud.

thanks for playing, though... you can collect your consolation prize from the Paint Chip Party on your way back to Hornfans.com...

 

[2002UNC]

For all those Texas fans talking smack about our kickers I have a tidbit for you guys. CFN has a R.S. Freshmen preseason AA list. Our punter A.J. Trappaso is on the list. The kid has a serious leg...

Josh Huston was learning from Nugent the last 4 seasons. Nugent himself has said that Josh would have started for about any team in the country. BTW Huston made 8-9 kicks in the spring kicking scrimmage. His only miss was from a 50+ yarder that hit the crossbar...the middle of the crossbar.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Josh Huston was learning from Nugent the last 4 seasons. Nugent himself has said that Josh would have started for about any team in the country...

IIRC, Nugent said that Huston would be the All American kicker had Nuge not been the staring kicker...Josh is that good.