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How do the Ohio State Buckeyes get their Offense on track against NIU?
tBBC Staff via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Buckeyes will have a tough task than most realize on Saturday when they host the Northern Illinois Huskies.
Head Coach Rod Carey has a winning percentage that nearly matches Urban Meyer’s. NIU has won their last three road games against B1G opponents. They’re talent and physicality matches the level of most lower to mid tier power five schools.
Today, we look ahead to Saturday’s game as the staff at The Buckeye Battle Cry discusses one of the top concerns for Ohio State heading into game day.
Question: How do the Buckeyes get things back on track offensively against Northern Illinois?
Jason Long:
On Twitter @ScriptOhio
I think only one word can work it out: Practice. Or more precisely, reps!
Urban Meyer won’t use the excuse but I will, the short week killed them. They never went in full pads in preparation. Reps were cut, per Meyer on his call-in show. They decided to essentially allow the players to maintenance themselves and do whatever they thought (with obvious approval and input from the staff) individually would be best for each guy. That was a mistake.
While I agree that pads needed to be off, I think my approach might have been to have the starting offense run a ton of reps on air. Just play after play after play to keep continuity and familiarity. I also would have scrapped the “or” on the quarterback depth chart and given Cardale all the reps, again for continuity and familiarity.
Of course, that’s all hindsight and we know hindsight is 20/20. The good news is that we won’t see a short week again. I expect to see a fully functioning, aggressive onslaught from the offense this weekend.
Charles Kuehn
On Twitter @Charles_BBC
The top thing is definitely to get back to their routine. We all have had something mess up our normal routine and can attest to just how hard it is to get back on track. The team had a short week with a strange practice schedule so it is easy to see how they would have a hard time getting into their normal mental state for a game.
I’ll echo a lot of the others and say that the coaching staff needs to cut back on the constant experimenting and changing things up in terms of formations and players. Yes, this team has an embarrassment of riches and sure, the experimenting means that opposing defenses will have a hard time knowing what is coming, but the constant changing means that nobody can get into a rhythm.
Overthinking on offense has been a problem for the past couple seasons, let’s just focus on the basics and doing those well.
Scott Halasz
On Twitter @OhioStateScott
I’m going to be blunt.
All this talk about how ugly the game was is BS. Ohio State was coming off a short week and an emotional win. NFL players despise the Thursday game, so why should college players be expected to get up twice in a week?
The Buckeyes scored 38 points. I don’t think there is any need for anything drastic. The Buckeyes just needed to get some rest.
Their offense will look just fine this weekend.
Patrick Jones
On Twitter @pj844
The easy answer here is, start JT Barrett, but we already know that’s not happening.
I feel when Cardale is in there that Urban falls in love with the pass. That may have worked when you had receivers like Devin Smith and Evan Spencer still here but those guys aren’t walking through the door anytime soon.
This offense needs to get back to running the ball with Zeke and throwing short passes to let the guys with speed do their job. The offensive line should be well rested after a short week and Virginia Tech and I expect a much better showing from them this week.
Ken Kohl
On Twitter @KenKohl1
As a level-set, when I use the word “Urban”, I don’t necessarily mean ‘Urban’. I’m not sure who makes what decisions, but as CEO, it eventually comes back to Urban, plus it’s a good shorthand reference for me.
The OSU coaching staff needs to have had a Roundtable to decide what their offensive identity will be for the year. Each quarterback, Cardale and JT, has a unique, specific skill set. I can understand the “kid at Christmas” mindset (with all these toys, which one do I play with?) and I can understand Urban’s intent to be evenhanded in his decision-making. But, at some point, Urban is going to have to make the call on which QB to use. Right now, both are splitting time and neither one is looking worth a damn. He’s doing no one any favors. Of course, it would help if one of them would have a good game to point Urbs in the right direction.
They need to be more realistic with the play calling. Last post season the “Devin go long” pass play worked pretty well. This year, there is no “Devin”, so the play calling needs to adjust. Ohio State needs to get back to aggressive run play play calling. It worked well last year, and with essentially the same cast of characters, it should work this year, too.
One final thing; I don’t buy the ‘short week’ excuse for the offense’s sleep-walk performance against Hawai’i. The offensive players and coaches simply were not prepared. The defense had the same short week and they looked pretty damn good.
Mike Doty:
On Twitter @MDotySr
I believe the first thing that needs to be done is to put the Hawaii game behind them and regain their focus moving forward.
Of course the defense showed up and played a great game which is what we all expected to see from the offense — which was lethargic and almost robotic at times. Unlike most, I am not down in the dumps over this uncharacteristic performance by the Buckeye offense as I can live with three quarters of frustration given the short week and the strong Virgina Tech team the Buckeyes faced just five days prior. As sports fans in general we all know that not every team, player, or conference is going to be at the peak of their ability week in and week out.
The key is getting back to their routine. Getting the proper rest will be huge but I think the motivation/inspiration from the coaches will be the biggest thing this week.
Coach Urban Meyer will use his his exceptional “get in the players heads” technique to embed in his team how they under performed against a Hawaii team at home. A performance that is not acceptable from a school, coaches, or player standpoint. It is my opinion no coach in the country is better at getting more out of his kinds with his mind play than Urban Meyer.
Lastly, the Bucks have to focus on practice and film this week — then get back on the field and execute against the NIU defense. If they can execute against them, they can execute against anyone in the country! Don’t just say the rights things, DO the right things. Overall I can sum it up with the three “P’s”. Prepare, Practice and Produce.
When it’s all said and done, I would not want to be on the NIU defensive staff come Saturday.
WVaBuckeye:
On Twitter @WVaBuckeye
First and foremost, Ohio State needs to stop playing around with formations and personnel early in the game. Stay in a base package and give Cardale a chance to get in a rhythm with the offensive line and receivers.
I know they have to experiment with all their talent, as loaded as they are, but they seem to be in a hurry to figure it all out. The coaching staff has time to resolve those “perceived” issues and can do well by just handing the ball off to Zeke and motioning Braxton and Samuel to see where the opposing defense is going to monster to.
They have stars that will shine when needed just like last season. Ezekiel Elliott will be the horse that got us there.
Joe Dexter
On Twitter @BuckeyeRadio
Any time you have a team this talented, it’s going to take time to find an offensive identity. Look back to the teams of old that won championships for Ohio State. Especially in this day and age, where big plays factor into success more than ever.
One thing you have to love about this coaching staff is they never give up in what they believe will give their team the best chance to win every single Saturday. Urban Meyer believes in Cardale Jones and a more pro-style offense and the big-play ability he brings to the table.
Everyone knows that the talent level is excellent for all of Ohio State’s offensive units. The only thing that is getting in the way of that talent turning into results is good old father time.
We saw it last year with J.T. Barrett in his first two starts against Navy and Virginia Tech. Braxton Miller looked like a deer in the headlights at times in 2012 after a fall that consisted of trying to comprehend a complicated system under new coach Urban Meyer.
Saturday was Cardale Jones’ first start in Ohio Stadium. Even with three playoff games under his belt, that is an experience you cannot replicate.
No other program in the country can replicate the talent of Ohio State either.
The x-factor is the Ohio State coaching staff, which is better than any in the country at fine tuning what is already a well-oiled machine.
This is the week that Ohio State establishes it’s identity in every single aspect of the game.
JC Collingsworth
On Twitter @Jcollingsworth3
The Buckeyes I feel need to relax. As Joe mentioned overthinking an offense is not a good thing. It guarantees deliveries of unnecessary headaches. I only hope that the offense doesn’t participate in any presumptions of Hare and his abilities when they are not on the field. Hare, an effective quarterback, has very respectable numbers thus far into 2015 – but for the offense to start wondering what the opposition will do and if they need to match it will just add confusion to the plan.
OSU needs to settle and play their game. A relaxed attack with a focus on having fun just may settle them into the dominating team they are. Just like on the school yard the best athletes prevail when they do not get cocky, or feel a need to destroy – but have fun and relax. Talent excels in these arena’s.
OSU has the ability to run away with this game. The MAC is no sneeze and should not be taken that way. Just ask Arkansas. I feel OSU’s best approach is to mix it up as they have been doing – but to use Ezekiel more than they have. The old Woody plan is not a bad idea when great runners exist.
The Buckeyes will get their game in order this week and be ready to hurt WMU.
The post How do the Ohio State Buckeyes get their Offense on track against NIU? appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...
tBBC Staff via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Buckeyes will have a tough task than most realize on Saturday when they host the Northern Illinois Huskies.
Head Coach Rod Carey has a winning percentage that nearly matches Urban Meyer’s. NIU has won their last three road games against B1G opponents. They’re talent and physicality matches the level of most lower to mid tier power five schools.
Today, we look ahead to Saturday’s game as the staff at The Buckeye Battle Cry discusses one of the top concerns for Ohio State heading into game day.
Question: How do the Buckeyes get things back on track offensively against Northern Illinois?
Jason Long:
On Twitter @ScriptOhio
I think only one word can work it out: Practice. Or more precisely, reps!
Urban Meyer won’t use the excuse but I will, the short week killed them. They never went in full pads in preparation. Reps were cut, per Meyer on his call-in show. They decided to essentially allow the players to maintenance themselves and do whatever they thought (with obvious approval and input from the staff) individually would be best for each guy. That was a mistake.
While I agree that pads needed to be off, I think my approach might have been to have the starting offense run a ton of reps on air. Just play after play after play to keep continuity and familiarity. I also would have scrapped the “or” on the quarterback depth chart and given Cardale all the reps, again for continuity and familiarity.
Of course, that’s all hindsight and we know hindsight is 20/20. The good news is that we won’t see a short week again. I expect to see a fully functioning, aggressive onslaught from the offense this weekend.
Charles Kuehn
On Twitter @Charles_BBC
The top thing is definitely to get back to their routine. We all have had something mess up our normal routine and can attest to just how hard it is to get back on track. The team had a short week with a strange practice schedule so it is easy to see how they would have a hard time getting into their normal mental state for a game.
I’ll echo a lot of the others and say that the coaching staff needs to cut back on the constant experimenting and changing things up in terms of formations and players. Yes, this team has an embarrassment of riches and sure, the experimenting means that opposing defenses will have a hard time knowing what is coming, but the constant changing means that nobody can get into a rhythm.
Overthinking on offense has been a problem for the past couple seasons, let’s just focus on the basics and doing those well.
Scott Halasz
On Twitter @OhioStateScott
I’m going to be blunt.
All this talk about how ugly the game was is BS. Ohio State was coming off a short week and an emotional win. NFL players despise the Thursday game, so why should college players be expected to get up twice in a week?
The Buckeyes scored 38 points. I don’t think there is any need for anything drastic. The Buckeyes just needed to get some rest.
Their offense will look just fine this weekend.
Patrick Jones
On Twitter @pj844
The easy answer here is, start JT Barrett, but we already know that’s not happening.
I feel when Cardale is in there that Urban falls in love with the pass. That may have worked when you had receivers like Devin Smith and Evan Spencer still here but those guys aren’t walking through the door anytime soon.
This offense needs to get back to running the ball with Zeke and throwing short passes to let the guys with speed do their job. The offensive line should be well rested after a short week and Virginia Tech and I expect a much better showing from them this week.
Ken Kohl
On Twitter @KenKohl1
As a level-set, when I use the word “Urban”, I don’t necessarily mean ‘Urban’. I’m not sure who makes what decisions, but as CEO, it eventually comes back to Urban, plus it’s a good shorthand reference for me.
The OSU coaching staff needs to have had a Roundtable to decide what their offensive identity will be for the year. Each quarterback, Cardale and JT, has a unique, specific skill set. I can understand the “kid at Christmas” mindset (with all these toys, which one do I play with?) and I can understand Urban’s intent to be evenhanded in his decision-making. But, at some point, Urban is going to have to make the call on which QB to use. Right now, both are splitting time and neither one is looking worth a damn. He’s doing no one any favors. Of course, it would help if one of them would have a good game to point Urbs in the right direction.
They need to be more realistic with the play calling. Last post season the “Devin go long” pass play worked pretty well. This year, there is no “Devin”, so the play calling needs to adjust. Ohio State needs to get back to aggressive run play play calling. It worked well last year, and with essentially the same cast of characters, it should work this year, too.
One final thing; I don’t buy the ‘short week’ excuse for the offense’s sleep-walk performance against Hawai’i. The offensive players and coaches simply were not prepared. The defense had the same short week and they looked pretty damn good.
Mike Doty:
On Twitter @MDotySr
I believe the first thing that needs to be done is to put the Hawaii game behind them and regain their focus moving forward.
Of course the defense showed up and played a great game which is what we all expected to see from the offense — which was lethargic and almost robotic at times. Unlike most, I am not down in the dumps over this uncharacteristic performance by the Buckeye offense as I can live with three quarters of frustration given the short week and the strong Virgina Tech team the Buckeyes faced just five days prior. As sports fans in general we all know that not every team, player, or conference is going to be at the peak of their ability week in and week out.
The key is getting back to their routine. Getting the proper rest will be huge but I think the motivation/inspiration from the coaches will be the biggest thing this week.
Coach Urban Meyer will use his his exceptional “get in the players heads” technique to embed in his team how they under performed against a Hawaii team at home. A performance that is not acceptable from a school, coaches, or player standpoint. It is my opinion no coach in the country is better at getting more out of his kinds with his mind play than Urban Meyer.
Lastly, the Bucks have to focus on practice and film this week — then get back on the field and execute against the NIU defense. If they can execute against them, they can execute against anyone in the country! Don’t just say the rights things, DO the right things. Overall I can sum it up with the three “P’s”. Prepare, Practice and Produce.
When it’s all said and done, I would not want to be on the NIU defensive staff come Saturday.
WVaBuckeye:
On Twitter @WVaBuckeye
First and foremost, Ohio State needs to stop playing around with formations and personnel early in the game. Stay in a base package and give Cardale a chance to get in a rhythm with the offensive line and receivers.
I know they have to experiment with all their talent, as loaded as they are, but they seem to be in a hurry to figure it all out. The coaching staff has time to resolve those “perceived” issues and can do well by just handing the ball off to Zeke and motioning Braxton and Samuel to see where the opposing defense is going to monster to.
They have stars that will shine when needed just like last season. Ezekiel Elliott will be the horse that got us there.
Joe Dexter
On Twitter @BuckeyeRadio
Any time you have a team this talented, it’s going to take time to find an offensive identity. Look back to the teams of old that won championships for Ohio State. Especially in this day and age, where big plays factor into success more than ever.
One thing you have to love about this coaching staff is they never give up in what they believe will give their team the best chance to win every single Saturday. Urban Meyer believes in Cardale Jones and a more pro-style offense and the big-play ability he brings to the table.
Everyone knows that the talent level is excellent for all of Ohio State’s offensive units. The only thing that is getting in the way of that talent turning into results is good old father time.
We saw it last year with J.T. Barrett in his first two starts against Navy and Virginia Tech. Braxton Miller looked like a deer in the headlights at times in 2012 after a fall that consisted of trying to comprehend a complicated system under new coach Urban Meyer.
Saturday was Cardale Jones’ first start in Ohio Stadium. Even with three playoff games under his belt, that is an experience you cannot replicate.
No other program in the country can replicate the talent of Ohio State either.
The x-factor is the Ohio State coaching staff, which is better than any in the country at fine tuning what is already a well-oiled machine.
This is the week that Ohio State establishes it’s identity in every single aspect of the game.
JC Collingsworth
On Twitter @Jcollingsworth3
The Buckeyes I feel need to relax. As Joe mentioned overthinking an offense is not a good thing. It guarantees deliveries of unnecessary headaches. I only hope that the offense doesn’t participate in any presumptions of Hare and his abilities when they are not on the field. Hare, an effective quarterback, has very respectable numbers thus far into 2015 – but for the offense to start wondering what the opposition will do and if they need to match it will just add confusion to the plan.
OSU needs to settle and play their game. A relaxed attack with a focus on having fun just may settle them into the dominating team they are. Just like on the school yard the best athletes prevail when they do not get cocky, or feel a need to destroy – but have fun and relax. Talent excels in these arena’s.
OSU has the ability to run away with this game. The MAC is no sneeze and should not be taken that way. Just ask Arkansas. I feel OSU’s best approach is to mix it up as they have been doing – but to use Ezekiel more than they have. The old Woody plan is not a bad idea when great runners exist.
The Buckeyes will get their game in order this week and be ready to hurt WMU.
The post How do the Ohio State Buckeyes get their Offense on track against NIU? appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...