Missed opportunities do Buckeyes in again
Didn't think it would bug me that much this time around b/c it's what I expected. I hate to rehash the same thoughts I'm sure everyone else has had and posted. But the fact is, they had numerous chances to put that game away (especially early 3rd quarter) and couldn't. I watched the game for a 2nd time Sunday just to watch it and again a 3rd time to pick out a few things I saw.
First off, the DL played great. Anyone who has watched the game over saw that they dominated up front eliminating any running lanes for their backs. Any time you can prevent those speedy backs from hitting top speed as they are running through those holes it helps. It's a lot easier to bring them down when they are going east and west. And even though they didn't get to Barkley a lot, they still forced him to get rid of the ball sooner than he wanted to on many occasions.
Wasn't a lot of running room for our backs. They made the most of their opportunities.
LB's ran well from sideline to sideline. Rolle continues to impress me in the middle tracking down outside runs and stuffing RB's on goaline stands. He packs a punch for a so-called little guy.
The WR's came through with some big catches.
DB's had a great game in coverage and helping out in run support.
A few plays/series that really stood out on film:
I don't know if anyone saw the headline story earlier on yahoo sports. It read something to the effect of "good morning Buckeyes. You got jobbed" (but you probably would have found a way to blow it anyway". It was a replay of the 4th and 1 play USC had in the 1st Q after TP's INT first possession.
HE WAS SHORT. Knees hit the ground and the ball was @ Stephon Johnson's hip. They replayed the 2nd down play when the USC receiver in the flat fell on the pylon and was a few feet short, why wouldn't you replay/challenge a crucial 4th and 1 play as well?
Another series we have the ball 1st and goal @ the 5 and settled for 3. Pryor has Ballard wide open in the corner and throws a bullet when he needed some air, then Tress decides to run right into the teeth of the defense 2 more times only to get stuffed. Where's the naked bootleg w/ your QB on the goalline???? Or more designed runs throughout the game for that matter.
Obviously the end of the half. When most feel Tress should be aggressive i.e. 1st half 4th and goal @ the 1, (you pin them deep and put them in conservative offensive play call mode and you flipped the field on them even if you don't make it) he goes conservative and kicks the FG. When most felt he should have went conservative (i.e. w/ 1 minute on the clock @ the end of the half in your own territory w/ a 10-7 lead and your opponent has no TO's, he elects to throw 2 of the 3 downs and leaves 53 seconds on the clock for USC.
If you run the ball on 3rd and 3, pick it up, then you manage the clock w/ your TO's and possibly get a FG, not leaving time for USC to do anything. If you don't make it on 3rd and 3 with the run, you run down the clock on 4th down, take one of your unused TO's w/ 1 second left on the playclock, punt, and you force USC to go 50+ yards in 30 seconds just to get in FG range. Most likely they down it w/ no TO's left.
Opening possession of the 2nd half they force USC into a 3 and out, we get the ball @ midfield and can't put together 2 first downs to get at least a shot @ a FG. Could have been a huge momentum swing.
We spent the entire 3rd quarter w/ great field position and didn't do anything w/ it. Defense played about as well as you can against that speed. They missed a few tackles but nothing that cost them the game. There wasn't a point in the game where a USC player was just running loose in our secondary.
Later in the 3rd (I think) we had the ball again in the red-zone, TP rolled out, came back the other way, had Sanzenbacher open in the endzone and threw it into the ground @ his feet. (settled for 3 again)
How that ball got by G. Swartz on the punt block I'll never know.
I don't have a complaint with the play calling as much as I do the execution this time around. TP had his chances to make big-time plays. For people to say coach Tress needs to take the cuffs off TP, I think he has. If this team is going to win 10 games this year, his decision making skills need to improve a lot and quickly. He has enough weapons around him to make this machine click.
He needs to be done with this "I need to prove to everyone I can be a great passer" crap, have a better recognition of down and distance, pick up crucial 3rd downs w/ his legs if he needs to to keep drives going, the offense will possess the ball longer, and then he'll be able to show people he can throw b/c the offense will be moving the chains and actually scoring points instead of punting.
There's my take. Doesn't make the "L" go away, but maybe I'll sleep better now that that's off my chest. Let me know if anyone else saw the 4th and 1 TD replay. I'm surprised nobody has really said anything about it being that it was such a big play.
Better bring their "A-Game" vs. the Rockets this weekend. That would really put a damper on this early season. Go Bucks.
