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OSU-Northwestern 2004

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Keep ur heads up Buckeye Fans!

I know Saturday's game was a dissapointment, but we have to look at the bright side. We have seen glimses of some good things to build on. Such as A.Pittman coming in late in the game when we were on the ropes and actually contributing to getting us back into the game. We saw alot more 2nd and short yardages then we've seen all year. We saw Zwick throw the ball OB instead of into coverage alot more. Don't get me wrong I know he has 4 INT in as many games but I'm trying to look at the positives here and it seemed to me that he made some noticeabe good decisions. He contributed for more rushing yards then either of the RB's. IMO those things are all positives and things to build on.

And you cant tell me that you thought this defensive line was going to replace what we had the last two years without some growing pains. IMO, the defense will get stronger as the year progresses. The offense they saw Saturday isnt an everyweek thing, I agree that maybe they should play a little more bump-n-run to stop the screen passes, but I also think that the Defensive Coordinator should be in the booth and not on the field. I think they will only see an offense like that one more time this year. Yes, that would be Purdue, but that gives this talented defense some time to gain some experience and we will also have Fox back.

I maybe a little optimistic but that's the way this team has to look at things if they want to reach their goals. I believe they have more talent then any other team in the B10. It's just going to take time for the experience level to catch up with talent level. IMHO, you gain more experience from a loss than you do from a win. I think this loss will get the Bucks refocused on their goals and that we will see a different team come Saturday.

:oh: :io: :gobucks3: :gobucks4:
 
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StoRM - cheating is the right word. The defenses we have played have cheated towards the line, or even stacked it at times. Usually they simply give the illusion of stacking the line, then drop back. It doesn't really matter, though, for my point. Tressel has proven ( a million times over ) that he is going to run up the middle, whether there are 11 defenders there or none. Just because the D appears to be packing into the box doesn't mean there are actually 9 defenders still there when the RB hits the line of scrimmage. I agree with you in your assessment of why defenses attempt to force a young QB to throw, but this season, the Bucks are not seeing the 9 men in the box defenses that they did in 02 or last year. Even if the LBs and safeties cheat up toward the line, it's usually just to threaten the blitz or a stacked box, and they immediately back off once the ball is snapped (or just before), leaving each O linemen his normal assignment. Which they are failing to complete, and Ross isn't good enough to do anything on his own.
 
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This loss could be a blessing in disguise

Prior to the season, I felt we'd lose one regular season ball game (conference road game), but no way in hell did I think it would be at Northwestern. But, this may have been the best conference loss we could've had. Here's why:

1. You don't ever want to lose a conference game at home...road losses are more acceptable.

2. Northwestern won't be a conference title contender, so it's not like we lost serious ground to a team fighting us for the title.

3. It's more of a wake-up call when we lose to some we have no business losing to than if we lost to someone favored to win the conference.

I think it's also good that we rallied to send it to overtime before losing it there, because it showed that the team still doesn't panic when behind (rallying from 10 down in the fourth), but it also let us know that we're not invincible in OT (you knew we could never continue to win every single OT game). We finally got that OT loss out of the way. We were 4-0 in OT games prior to Saturday (Illinois, Miami, NC State, and Purdue), with all four happening under Tressel during the last two seasons. Now, hopefully we won't settle for playing for OT but rather play for the regulation win.
 
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I've been looking around for a thread to add my thoughts on Saturday's losing effort, and this thread appears to be the right place.

Talk about coming out flat. The observations of the team 'goofing around' and not appearing focused during the pre-game warm-ups don't surprise me in the least. I'm afraid the team went into this one thinking '33 years since they've beat us, all we need to do is show up'. Too bad we didn't show up :(

However, as the 'Cats were piling up in the endzone after their victory, I had a strange sense of calm. Nothing like the devestating losses of years past (scUM '96, MSU '98). I really didn't/don't feel nearly as bad losing this one. The Wildcats just out-played us in all phases. Now, that's not to say I'm not disappointed, but it doesn't sting as much as before.

Now, having said that, we've got to improve. I really really hope this is the wake-up call we needed. There's still a helluva lot a football to be played, and we're definately not out of the Rose Bowl picture.

Go Bucks!!!
 
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A lot of valid points. But still, a loss to the Mildcats is unacceptable. I've seen a lot of spin in the last two days, but when it boils down, that game was indigestion incarnate.

If it takes a loss to a inferior team to get the team motivated, something is wrong. This is a team that should not require a "wake up call". Its a team where half of them are wearing NC rings and laid the smack down on the Big 12 champs last year.

I agree with a lot comments that the playcalling is stagnant. My wife was predicting the plays Saturday night. That's fucking awful.

The Bucks were getting chunks of yardage against Marshall in the Bunch formation. We haven't seen it since. Apparently success scared someone on the staff into shelving that formation.

Something needs to be done to provide a spark. Anything. Pittman, Joe, Smith. Hamby maybe. Where is that player that is going to put this team on his shoulders and be the man?

Way too many tools and talented players on this team to not be getting 450 yards of offense per game.
 
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The onlay thing I have to add... is well a different spin... is kind of a accumulation of what everyone else has said.

One thing to keep in mind: We have a lot of young kids... and a bunch of them who are palying were freshman in '02.... (Zwick, Carp, Hawk, D'Andrea, Sims, Mangold, and on and on... ) Anyway... those guys, and the guys younger than them sort of have a sliver spoon in their mouths... The only games that they've lost were at Wisconsin (Which I think is sort of regarded as a fluke) and at Michigan... which is going to happen from time to time.

I have a tendency to believe that they feel like they can win by just showing up... they don't know any better. We saw that in the way they didn't really play until the 3rd Quarter... it looked like a John COoper team out there to me.

So... if you want a sliver lining in this... I think its because it is unacceptable to lose to Northwestern this might be what it takes to wake them up... and refocus on the fact that they're here to win ball games and not where they are in the polls or who's starting and who's backing up and all that extraneous crap....

I imagine it will be a little bit of a wake-up call for the coaches too... I mean they've been getting away with doing the same things over and over too... Imagine it will open up some vs Wisconsin both because I think Tress will awnat to play with the lead and also because we just won't be able to run very well on them.

Losing to Northwestern is a Damned embarrasment, and once they see teh tape... they'll know that they lost... at least in part... because they didn't come ready to play... I imagine you won't see that problem the rest of the year.
 
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Northwestern won't be a conference title contender, so it's not like we lost serious ground to a team fighting us for the title.
Click to expand...

I have thought of this as well. And after putting a little thought (very little) into the scenarios that make this happen, *the one glaring problem I see is we'll have to rely on someone else taking out Minnesota twice if my understanding of the tie breakers is correct. Minnesota has to go to scUM and Wisconsin. I suppose those would be the best chances for us to get a little help. All the other "contenders" have to play us which means we can still have a chance at the Big Ten +1 championship, once again if my understanding of the tie breakers is correct. All big time "ifs" at this point, but certainly not out of the question.

Edit: *I'm assuming that we want to go to the Rose Bowl (which I do). If Minnesota only dropped one game and we shared a title we could also, I suppose, get an at-large to another BCS game. An awful lot of assuming, I know. :biggrin:
 
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