Game Thread tOSU @ Penn State, Oct 25th @ 8pm ET, ESPN

[Coqui]

I will love you forever if you put Bosa's face on the front of that truck, Thomas the Tank Engine style.

 

[NJ-Buckeye]

If you watched the Rutgers-PSU game, Rutgers owned them except for 1 drive... well, really, except for one play

 

[kujirakira]

Oh, MSU will absolutely be a problem. If you asked me to pick, I take MSU. I guess my point is, that given everything that is working against tOSU this season...losing a Heisman candidate QB days before the season, replacing 4/5 starters with total newbies from an outstanding OL, inexperienced/green WR corps, new defensive scheme...expecting perfection, which seems to be what folks are getting at is pretty unreasonable.

As for Rutgers/PSU, Cryami/VT...well, transitive property is a fools errand. Everybody should know that. And Rutgers peed on the pedtards at home. If you call 13-10 "peeing on them." Cryami/VT...well, VT sucks. There's no putting any lipstick on that pig. But that was the 2nd game of the year with the previous mentioned new QB and OL issues. You never take too much from early season games, especially when youth is involved.

I'd agree they're king of the hill until somebody knocks them off... but imo their offense is as much a paper tiger as ours. Oregon and Nebraska both demonstrated that. They've got 1 legit WR... I think our back 7 have improved immensely and our rushing defense is solid. I like our chances in that department and expect the defense can match or beat the 27 points given up by Nike and Corn. Unlike last year's heart-attack defense.
The biggest concern at this point is the offense. JT's health. Dealing with noise again. Playcalling. Those are all big question marks right now. Can this offense score 28+ points against an excellent defense in regulation?

If you watched the Rutgers-PSU game, Rutgers owned them except for 1 drive... well, really, except for one play

Tbh I'd say same wrt Ohio State's defense. Offense went into their shells under the noise... but defense dominated except for 1 play, got turnovers, and finished strong with that 4-and-out.

 

[NFBuck]

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

[...] ...well, VT sucks. There's no putting any lipstick on that pig. But that was the 2nd game of the year with the previous mentioned new QB and OL issues. You never take too much from early season games, especially when youth is involved.

Yep. I think it was Sean McDonough during the Rutgers game who said if the VT/OSU game were played now that OSU "would smoke them".

 

[matcar]

Yep. I think it was Sean McDonough during the Rutgers game who said if the VT/OSU game were played now that OSU "would smoke them".

That same dude could just as easily speculate that if we played any of the top 5 teams, they'd smoke us and it would make just as much sense. Which is no sense or plenty of sense depending upon your disposition.

Point is, we had our chance and failed. We are presumably better than we were then, but it's quite possible we still aren't very good.

 

[Mike80]

That same dude could just as easily speculate that if we played any of the top 5 teams, they'd smoke us and it would make just as much sense. Which is no sense or plenty of sense depending upon your disposition.

Point is, we had our chance and failed. We are presumably better than we were then, but it's quite possible we still aren't very good.

You just love splitting every hair as finely as possible don't you?

 

[zincfinger]

this actually alarms me...If we are predictable yet not superior [enough] to enforce our will...that makes us vulnerable...it says our coaches can't figure out the right adjustments

And of course we're "vulnerable." We have a freshman QB and a very young/inexperienced OL.

I'm not saying this is the case, but if, as I think NJ was suggesting, OSU's vulnerability in this regard arises from OSU's offensive coaching staff being too easily out-schemed and flummoxed by opposing defensive coaches who have above-average defensive talent at their disposal, that is a vulnerability that has nothing to do with personnel (in)experience, and that is likely not going away this year, next year, or anytime soon.

 

[NFBuck]

I'm not saying this is the case, but if, as I think NJ was suggesting, OSU's vulnerability in this regard arises from OSU's offensive coaching staff being too easily out-schemed and flummoxed by opposing defensive coaches who have above-average defensive talent at their disposal, that is a vulnerability that has nothing to do with personnel (in)experience, and that is likely not going away this year, next year, or anytime soon.

I think it may very well be a function of the youth on the team. Maybe they don't have enough confidence in JT to open up the playbook in a hostile environment at this point, as they probably should; he had six starts under his belt going in...4 of them against tomato cans. Maybe they don't think the OL is quite where it needs to be yet to utilize the whole playbook; as they should given 4/5 of the line has very little experience. I tend to think that's what it is given the youth we have and how we had to totally readjust our season when Brax went down. Coaches design their game plans around the strengths and weaknesses of their players. Now we also are finding out that JT was hobbled and couldn't even throw effectively for a good portion of the game. Even with all of that, they still gritted out a win against a very good defense in one of the most hostile environments you will see in CFB. I can only see positives in that.

Again, I get that fans expect a lot from this program. I do to. I just think looking for the worst case scenario when you're in the midst of what for all intents and purposes should be a "rebuilding" year saps any enjoyment you get from it. And I know it's not just tOSU fans that expect to win every game, and put up huge numbers in the process.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

That same dude could just as easily speculate that if we played any of the top 5 teams, they'd smoke us and it would make just as much sense. Which is no sense or plenty of sense depending upon your disposition.

Point is, we had our chance and failed. We are presumably better than we were then, but it's quite possible we still aren't very good.

His point was (as is my point now) is that the VT loss should not hurt us nearly as much as it initially did. We've greatly improved while VT's solid performance in that game is now clearly an aberration...

 

[BUCKDUBBS007]

I will love you forever if you put Bosa's face on the front of that truck, Thomas the Tank Engine style.

 

[matcar]

His point was (as is my point now) is that the VT loss should not hurt us nearly as much as it initially did. We've greatly improved while VT's solid performance in that game is now clearly an aberration...

It would seem likely that VT playing anything remotely well was an aberration. I guess we will see whether us playing well against solid competition is a reasonable expectation.

 

[UpNorth_Buckeye]

If you watched the Rutgers-PSU game, Rutgers owned them except for 1 drive... well, really, except for one play

Well if you really think about it, other than half of a drive due to a turnover our defense DOMINATED them. That last drive was not our defense, it was prevent which always pisses me off. I suppose the first overtime wasn't great, but if just looking at regulation they only have up 200 yards. And then in comparison to Rutgers don't forget that PSU was home vs us and in a surprisingly rowdy atmosphere at Rutgers.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Well if you really think about it, other than half of a drive due to a turnover our defense DOMINATED them. That last drive was not our defense, it was prevent which always pisses me off. I suppose the first overtime wasn't great, but if just looking at regulation they only have up 200 yards. And then in comparison to Rutgers don't forget that PSU was home vs us and in a surprisingly rowdy atmosphere at Rutgers.

Yep, our defense pretty much beat the shit out of their offense all game long...

 

[TooTall]

Yep, our defense pretty much beat the [Mark May] out of their offense all game long...

I'd like to see some sort of a press zone, where the two corners cover that quick pass to the sideline. But overall, a HUGE improvement from last year's secondary.