The big story coming out of Monday night's game was the quality and depth of talent the Buckeyes employ at the skill positions. Seemingly capable of big plays at will, Ohio State was praised a historic juggernaut and the nation's most enjoyable team to watch. However, that was certainly not true today.
Because of the recognized talent the Buckeyes have, when things aren't going smoothly, some fans struggle to identify the reasons or possible solutions. Not moving the ball? It must be the playcalling because a team this talented can only be held back by the guys who tell them what to do on every snap. Not moving the ball through the air? Feed Zeke. Or maybe they should switch quarterbacks. Maybe it's none of those things. Perhaps it's the short turnaround between the Virginia Tech game and this one. Maybe it's those stupid refs.
What often goes unnoticed is the performance of the offensive line. Good play in the trenches makes everybody else look good. You can run behind a dominant O-line. You can pass. You can take more chances. You can get the ball into the damn end zone after taking over 1st and goal at the 5-yard line.
I think everybody took for granted that this unit would be great. Last year's line was dominant at the end of the season, returned four out of five starters, and would continue to be led by the nation's premier coach in Ed Warinner. Through two games, though, that has not been the case. You can't say it's entirely down to the lone new starter Chase Farris, either. They allowed too much pressure against Virginia Tech. Against Hawai'i they committed numerous penalties that put the offense behind the chains and failed to get enough push in the run game.
Take a look at the picture in that tweet. That's the meanest the offensive line looked all day, and they were in suits instead of pads. That has to change if the Buckeyes are going to get where they want to go. The comforting thing for now though is that we've seen the line get better with every week every year that Meyer and Warinner have been in charge. Hopefully we can expect the same as this season progresses.
Top Plays:
3.) This is more of a clusterfudge than a top play, but I'm reaching for something here:
2.) It's a shame this only led to a field goal:
1.) The most memorable thing that happened today:
Quick Takes:
Because of the recognized talent the Buckeyes have, when things aren't going smoothly, some fans struggle to identify the reasons or possible solutions. Not moving the ball? It must be the playcalling because a team this talented can only be held back by the guys who tell them what to do on every snap. Not moving the ball through the air? Feed Zeke. Or maybe they should switch quarterbacks. Maybe it's none of those things. Perhaps it's the short turnaround between the Virginia Tech game and this one. Maybe it's those stupid refs.
What often goes unnoticed is the performance of the offensive line. Good play in the trenches makes everybody else look good. You can run behind a dominant O-line. You can pass. You can take more chances. You can get the ball into the damn end zone after taking over 1st and goal at the 5-yard line.
I think everybody took for granted that this unit would be great. Last year's line was dominant at the end of the season, returned four out of five starters, and would continue to be led by the nation's premier coach in Ed Warinner. Through two games, though, that has not been the case. You can't say it's entirely down to the lone new starter Chase Farris, either. They allowed too much pressure against Virginia Tech. Against Hawai'i they committed numerous penalties that put the offense behind the chains and failed to get enough push in the run game.
Take a look at the picture in that tweet. That's the meanest the offensive line looked all day, and they were in suits instead of pads. That has to change if the Buckeyes are going to get where they want to go. The comforting thing for now though is that we've seen the line get better with every week every year that Meyer and Warinner have been in charge. Hopefully we can expect the same as this season progresses.
Top Plays:
3.) This is more of a clusterfudge than a top play, but I'm reaching for something here:
2.) It's a shame this only led to a field goal:
1.) The most memorable thing that happened today:
Quick Takes:
- You really have to appreciate what Braxton Miller is doing so far this season. Every time he takes a direct snap everybody knows exactly what he's going to try to do. The fact that he is making it work is a testament to his skill. Just imagine what he might be able to do if the Buckeyes ever counter off it or allow him to make even a short throw...
- Are the Silver Bullets back? A shutout is always nice, but on today's evidence I wouldn't make that declaration just yet. They stopped Hawai'i, but it didn't feel like they dominated them. Instead it seemed more like the Rainbow Warriors lacked creative ideas and execution. If the Buckeyes had faced a team that was more willing to take some chances or try some off-beat plays, they might have been rewarded for it and put the Buckeyes in a real dog fight.
- People complain incessantly about the kickoffs out-of-bounds, but it's clearly something that Urban Meyer has decided he can live with. They load the kick coverage to one side and angle the kick to reduce the amount of space that has to be covered. It works. Last season Ohio State led the nation in starting field position, and it is due in large part to this tactic. Angled kicks of course are aimed toward an area near the sideline, so there is an increased risk that some kicks will go out of bounds. In spite of that, they still created an overall field position advantage for themselves versus that created by teams that don't use that tactic. Some of that has to be due to the superior athleticism Ohio State brings to bear in those situations, but it's also the reward that's enjoyed by taking a moderate risk with the direction of the kick. It's here to stay as long as Urban Meyer is in charge, and people need to learn to accept it.
- That said, every part of the kicking game stinks right now. It will cost the Buckeyes a game at some point if it is not fixed.
- It was good to see Bri'onte Dunn get some burn in this game. It was easy to imagine him not playing again for a long time after his fumble for Virginia Tech. He got another chance, and rewarded the coaches' faith in him by scoring.