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TBBC Game Preview: Ohio State at Rutgers
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ohio State and Rutgers had good weekends this past Saturday (Oct., 17th). Here is our game preview of this Saturday’s match up.
The Buckeyes
The Nation’s # 1 team desperately needed a statement game before marching on to what will prove to be a thrilling end-of-November. The game against the Nittany Lions was the statement game they needed. The wheels initially didn’t seem as oiled as we had all hoped – but we were getting used to such starts. Then appears JT! His appearance sparked the Buckeyes offense and delivered thoughts among us that justified the preseason undisputed #1 ranking bestowed upon them. The victory against Penn State should not be equated as “no surprise”. Keep in mind how the Buckeyes have been playing. And don’t “disrespect” Penn State – they happen to have one of the best front defensive lines in the nation.
This was a sweet victory and huge for the turning of the page for this team.
The Scarlet Knights
Rutgers came into Bloomington as an underdog. They owned a 2-3 record. The Hoosiers were being highlighted as a new-and-improved team. Let’s be real – such a title is what’s bestowed upon a School with no football winning tradition. And now they do? IN will be bowl eligible but let’s stop the “turned the corner” scenario until it is consistent. Sudfeld & Howard are nice players – but they are in the same conversation as Rutgers and Laviano and Martin.
Kyle Flood and his Scarlet Knights were out to prove this too. The week before they gave the Spartans of Michigan State all they could handle – MSU finally prevailing in a 31-24 victory. This shot their pride to the moon and back (as Ralph Kramden would say) and off to Bloomington they went ready for some football. The Hoosiers found this out too. In a wild one Rutgers wins 55-52.
Offense
The Buckeyes started slow as they have all year. Then – here comes JT. His appearance ignited a storm that would produce a score for each of their last three possessions in the first half. His prowess in the second half continues with both a 6-yard strike square in the hands of a well-covered Mike Thomas in the end zone and then the perfected Tebow jump pass to Braxton. JT added a nice 102 yards on the ground. Ezekiel would be his normal self – lighting up the field with 153 yards and 1 TD.
About time the offense overshadowed the D.
The Scarlet Knights are coming off a sweet victory as well. First they played a top-10 team in MSU the week before in a close thriller. And now vs. the Hoosiers they were odds favored to lose. It would hardly end up as predicted. Coach Flood had other plans. QB Chris Laviano put on a passing exhibition with 386 yards & 3 TD’s. Leonte Carroo is – well – Leonte Carroo. He’s NFL bound. He had 3 TD’s. Robert Martin would pound out 124 yards with 3 TD’s. Rutgers would miss 2 PAT’s and fail twice on 2-point attempts. Meaning? Well – meaning they could have won potentially by 9.
Defense
These Buckeyes have been the bright spot of this team all year. Even in the close ones that should have been runaways such as NIU or IN, they stepped up when it was the most important time to do so. Thus far this season such a testament is not belonging of the offense – minus Ezekiel and Mike Thomas.
Joey Bosa looked to come into his own in this game showing why he was a unanimous First Team All-American in 2014. And Vonn Bell delivered another fantastic performance. This defense undoubtedly is good. We’ve known this all along. There were a few rough spots here and there as the season has progressed – but they have stood tall and delivered each and every week. It was nice to see them jell into a superb performance simultaneously with the offense – presenting that of a complete team.
The Scarlet Knights realistically are not in the same conversation with the Buckeyes when it comes to Defense. Their victories against Norfolk State 63-13, Kansas 27-14, and IN 55-52, were hardly any defensive gems. But this isn’t to exclude that the Scarlet Knights in fact have some good and solid players defensively. There’s Darius Hamilton DL who has proven he could stand up against bigger linemen and be effective (and he’s 6’4”). Kemoko Turay DE is strong, fast, and more than eager to play. He’s certainly a future NFL player. And finally Anthony Cioffi DB who has a supernatural nose for the ball.
The Conclusion
This section could end rapidly – I could say the Buckeyes by 40. But that would be insane.
This will be the Buckeyes first visit to Piscataway in history for a football game. It’s not a visit that should shake the confidence in Buckeye Nation. If all pans out as it did vs. Penn State, and that “course” becomes the plan for this game then the statement game in which we witnessed against Penn State should actually present the blow out we have been waiting for. Arguably JT has earned his leaves and deserves the start. This decision is not mine, yours, or ours. My whole evaluation of last year’s wondrous close to the Championship run was that Cardale “came off” the bench to perform the miracles that he did. So far this year that fire has not been re-lit. On the other hand JT, less reps, produces more effectively.
Final assumption?
Cardale is better off the bench.
JT ignites & rolls. But, reiterating, this evaluation is mine. However Coach Meyers and his staff summarizes this victory (vs. Penn State) and all that was entailed within it (JT) I am certain they will improvise in the game against Rutgers – tweaking it until they get it right – as they did against the Nittany Lions.
I do not see anything here convincing enough to alter what we all clearly see. The Buckeyes will win and will do so big. The question becomes how well Laviano, Carroo, and Martin will perform for the Scarlet Knights? And if Bosa, Washington, and Bell will be the serious “lights out” we know they are.
The post TBBC Game Preview: Ohio State at Rutgers appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ohio State and Rutgers had good weekends this past Saturday (Oct., 17th). Here is our game preview of this Saturday’s match up.
The Buckeyes
The Nation’s # 1 team desperately needed a statement game before marching on to what will prove to be a thrilling end-of-November. The game against the Nittany Lions was the statement game they needed. The wheels initially didn’t seem as oiled as we had all hoped – but we were getting used to such starts. Then appears JT! His appearance sparked the Buckeyes offense and delivered thoughts among us that justified the preseason undisputed #1 ranking bestowed upon them. The victory against Penn State should not be equated as “no surprise”. Keep in mind how the Buckeyes have been playing. And don’t “disrespect” Penn State – they happen to have one of the best front defensive lines in the nation.
This was a sweet victory and huge for the turning of the page for this team.
The Scarlet Knights
Rutgers came into Bloomington as an underdog. They owned a 2-3 record. The Hoosiers were being highlighted as a new-and-improved team. Let’s be real – such a title is what’s bestowed upon a School with no football winning tradition. And now they do? IN will be bowl eligible but let’s stop the “turned the corner” scenario until it is consistent. Sudfeld & Howard are nice players – but they are in the same conversation as Rutgers and Laviano and Martin.
Kyle Flood and his Scarlet Knights were out to prove this too. The week before they gave the Spartans of Michigan State all they could handle – MSU finally prevailing in a 31-24 victory. This shot their pride to the moon and back (as Ralph Kramden would say) and off to Bloomington they went ready for some football. The Hoosiers found this out too. In a wild one Rutgers wins 55-52.
Offense
The Buckeyes started slow as they have all year. Then – here comes JT. His appearance ignited a storm that would produce a score for each of their last three possessions in the first half. His prowess in the second half continues with both a 6-yard strike square in the hands of a well-covered Mike Thomas in the end zone and then the perfected Tebow jump pass to Braxton. JT added a nice 102 yards on the ground. Ezekiel would be his normal self – lighting up the field with 153 yards and 1 TD.
About time the offense overshadowed the D.
The Scarlet Knights are coming off a sweet victory as well. First they played a top-10 team in MSU the week before in a close thriller. And now vs. the Hoosiers they were odds favored to lose. It would hardly end up as predicted. Coach Flood had other plans. QB Chris Laviano put on a passing exhibition with 386 yards & 3 TD’s. Leonte Carroo is – well – Leonte Carroo. He’s NFL bound. He had 3 TD’s. Robert Martin would pound out 124 yards with 3 TD’s. Rutgers would miss 2 PAT’s and fail twice on 2-point attempts. Meaning? Well – meaning they could have won potentially by 9.
Defense
These Buckeyes have been the bright spot of this team all year. Even in the close ones that should have been runaways such as NIU or IN, they stepped up when it was the most important time to do so. Thus far this season such a testament is not belonging of the offense – minus Ezekiel and Mike Thomas.
Joey Bosa looked to come into his own in this game showing why he was a unanimous First Team All-American in 2014. And Vonn Bell delivered another fantastic performance. This defense undoubtedly is good. We’ve known this all along. There were a few rough spots here and there as the season has progressed – but they have stood tall and delivered each and every week. It was nice to see them jell into a superb performance simultaneously with the offense – presenting that of a complete team.
The Scarlet Knights realistically are not in the same conversation with the Buckeyes when it comes to Defense. Their victories against Norfolk State 63-13, Kansas 27-14, and IN 55-52, were hardly any defensive gems. But this isn’t to exclude that the Scarlet Knights in fact have some good and solid players defensively. There’s Darius Hamilton DL who has proven he could stand up against bigger linemen and be effective (and he’s 6’4”). Kemoko Turay DE is strong, fast, and more than eager to play. He’s certainly a future NFL player. And finally Anthony Cioffi DB who has a supernatural nose for the ball.
The Conclusion
This section could end rapidly – I could say the Buckeyes by 40. But that would be insane.
This will be the Buckeyes first visit to Piscataway in history for a football game. It’s not a visit that should shake the confidence in Buckeye Nation. If all pans out as it did vs. Penn State, and that “course” becomes the plan for this game then the statement game in which we witnessed against Penn State should actually present the blow out we have been waiting for. Arguably JT has earned his leaves and deserves the start. This decision is not mine, yours, or ours. My whole evaluation of last year’s wondrous close to the Championship run was that Cardale “came off” the bench to perform the miracles that he did. So far this year that fire has not been re-lit. On the other hand JT, less reps, produces more effectively.
Final assumption?
Cardale is better off the bench.
JT ignites & rolls. But, reiterating, this evaluation is mine. However Coach Meyers and his staff summarizes this victory (vs. Penn State) and all that was entailed within it (JT) I am certain they will improvise in the game against Rutgers – tweaking it until they get it right – as they did against the Nittany Lions.
I do not see anything here convincing enough to alter what we all clearly see. The Buckeyes will win and will do so big. The question becomes how well Laviano, Carroo, and Martin will perform for the Scarlet Knights? And if Bosa, Washington, and Bell will be the serious “lights out” we know they are.
The post TBBC Game Preview: Ohio State at Rutgers appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...