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Game Thread UAB Blazers at tOSU - Sep 22, Noon ET, BTN

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After being away for six years, it was a blast to be back in the Shoe today. It really hits home how great the support for this university and team is. I think quick cals is kind of patronizing, but it doesn't help when the south stands are half-empty at 1145. Analysis-wise, there's so much that you just don't see on TV.

Vrabel got his way with limited subs, and it looks like it got to withers/fickell as well. Until miller's run with 5 minutes left to go, I counted just 16 guys who got reps on defense, and 3/5 subs were due to injury.

DB: Corey Brown at nickel. I get running the same 5 DBs all game with Barnett in sweats and Roby suiting up but not playing.

LB: Crowell in when Shazier got banged up. No Curtis grant the first 55 minutes.

DL: Hale was in a fair amount as a rotation guy and Goebel's replacement. Schutt rotated with Hale but got less snaps. Spence in for Nate when Williams screwed up his knee brace (or whatever that injury was). No Washington, miller or Moore until the end.

Just a very interesting sub pattern from the first three games, especially in the front seven.

I was happy to see Mike Thomas to get in on the first drive and receive some meaningful snaps. Also good to see were Reeves (in 26), Perkins, Marcus, Murray, Bogard and Cam Williams on kick coverage and Josh Perry on the wedge team.

Both sides of the ball are frustrating but I think the offense is being stifled by the play calling (or the kids aren't picking it up). Defense is a mess with way too many guys going for the KO rather than wrapping up. Doran Grant has a great future, and I'm shocked to see Nate Williams play so well. Simon was getting frustrated with the cut blocks and almost earned himself a PF, so I can only imagine the others.

Credit to UAB for running their packages to perfection. The onsides kick was flawless and receivers were very strong blockers. The offensive line holding their water on the offside (nullifying Howard's INT) is rarely seen now. Two plays in particular we're great calls by UAB:
A. Delayed screen on 3-16 for 20, leading to their third FG
B. blitzing the backside CB on OSUs first snap after that field goal. Miller followed the design play to the right, but it was strung out and he turned right back into the CB for a 6-yard loss and 3-and-out.

Drum majors who graduated in 1944 returning? Ain't nothin better.
 
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scott91575;2219804; said:
I guess we have different memories. I remember the 2002 team kicking the crap out of Texas Tech and also solidly beating a ranked WSU team. They had one rough game vs. UC, and that was on the road. The current team has struggled 2 weeks in a row at home, and both those teams were nothing special. In fact, one of them is downright atrocious.
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*cough* ahem...

:biggrin:
 
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Watching MSU game and...wow.

The Big 10 is truly awful.

OSU, UM, UW, MSU all are supposed to be the top, tough teams in the conference and all look Charmin soft as hell.

Looking at the schedule and how the teams are playing, I'm scared to death of Purdue and Nebraska. Every other team is at least at OSU's level as far as inconsistency and poor play.
 
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I'll give UAB a ton of credit for coming up with:

blocked punt for a TD
onside kick recovery
better 3rd down% (7-17) v (3-10)
out gained tOSU 403 v 347
nearly 8 min TOP advantage...but still came up short.

Lots of work to be done.

Obviously, outside of the final score, UAB dominated the stat line. Winning penalty yards and the turnover margin is of small consolation to what was supposed to be such an inferior opponent.(although I'd consider both the blocked punt and onside recovery turnovers-so even that's a wash)...

This staff should have these guys more motivated in the 1st and 3rd quarters than what we saw today. Very very puzzling. Sorry if that's bashing.

B1G schedule lies ahead and it's time to get back to silver bullet football. Period.
 
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ysubuck;2219828; said:
Watching MSU game and...wow.

The Big 10 is truly awful.

OSU, UM, UW, MSU all are supposed to be the top, tough teams in the conference and all look Charmin soft as hell.

Looking at the schedule and how the teams are playing, I'm scared to death of Purdue and Nebraska. Every other team is at least at OSU's level as far as inconsistency and poor play.
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Dude at this point Penn State will be a challenge if the bucks continue to play like this. Given the fact that this is a transitional year, I didn't expect them to be great or anything, but this is still a little worse than I anticipated. Still, the season is young and there's plenty of talent in this team. But they just aren't inspiring confidence the way I'd like to see.
 
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Not worried about Nebraska only because it's a night game and last year we beat a better team than nebraska (wisconsin) with a worse team than this year.

Couple more things. On offense it sure looks like if Braxton were to have kept a few of those options he would've had a huge alley to run through but chose to give instead of keep. Particularly one early where there was a huge hole right up the middle. Hopefully getting Hyde back next week can give us a better up the middle running threat because we will need the tough yards next week.

The very little subbing issue is very confusing. Whats the point of stock piling talent (especially on the Dline) if we aren't going to take advantage of it? This isn't the NFL where you play your top paid guys and sub very little. If you have capable guys on the 2nd team line you rotate and have a constant attack all game. IMO, just another big lapse in judgement. You have Washington/Spence/Schutt all who have done well so reward them.
 
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I've only watched the 2nd half, but the pass rush was non existent as well. We are regressing from the Cal game in which we had 6 (?) sacks.

I still think this team can be a great one. We do have talent. Not the greatest talent but with proper coaching I think we will see quite a transformation.
 
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The front 4 will be fine, they get pretty good pressure and have for the most part all year long. However, when there is recievers open immidiately once they snap the ball because of how far off we play the ball more often or not will be gone by the time the DL gets to the QB.

There has not been one coverage sack this year, not one. It's either been because we blitz like hell or the DL flushes the QB out of the pocket. We can't blitz all the time, but even if we did we're playing so far off the WR's that there's good odds the QB will have already thrown the ball before we get to him anyways.
 
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Just an incredibly frustrating team to watch. I expect mistakes and problems to occur on both sides of the ball, but they just seem to be playing uninspired football right now. Between the 3-and-outs and the number of 3rd and longs they gave up, I eventually turned off the TV and listened on radio so I wouldn't break something.

OFFENSE

On offense, there's just no reason not to always include Miller in the rushing game cause right now that's in his head and it's clearly effecting his play. I remember one read option play in the 1st quarter when, if he would've kept it, he would've had a 60 yard TD because there was a blocker in front and open space after him. Yet he handed it off because he knows he can't carry the ball too much. He's one of the most dynamic players in the country and maybe one of the most talented runners that OSU has ever had, and he's getting two rushes in a half?

I'm all for working on the passing game and preparing for big games against better defenses, but there needs to be balance. You can't go from rushing him 27 times a game to rushing him barely at all. I have no problem with him getting 15 carries a game because with his abilities that means around 100 rushing yards and 2-3 TDs and still plenty of snaps to work on passing. I'll take that every Saturday. Also I think it will allow him to get into a better rhythm and improve his passing game. That's by far the biggest complaint right now.

Jordan Hall looks like a reliable RB. I'm hoping they can get him the ball in the passing game more often but it's good to see an OSU RB who can get 100+ yards and be a good compliment to Miller

DEFENSE

More of the same problems. I don't really know what to say here, but letting UAB have the ball for 34:00 is absurd. This unit just isn't very good right now. They can't get teams off the field whether it's 3rd & 2 or 3rd & 16 and if they don't blitz they can't get pressure. I'm really hoping they start to gel and the LBs start to learn and improve, especially Shazier. OSU needs him to be a leader and consistent player.

Overall, I'm obviously glad that OSU won but the team just looked unmotivated and unsure what was going on. I'm really hoping they can just start to move the ball consistently against teams or they are going to have a hard time winning more than 8 games. Young team, and I'm willing to dismiss some mistakes as the result of young players and new coaching, but that only goes so far. Whether you like it or not though, right now the team goes as far as Miller goes. I really hope something starts to click with him or OSU will be in trouble the next two weeks.
 
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1926Buckeyes;2219911; said:
Just an incredibly frustrating team to watch. I expect mistakes and problems to occur on both sides of the ball, but they just seem to be playing uninspired football right now. Between the 3-and-outs and the number of 3rd and longs they gave up, I eventually turned off the TV and listened on radio so I wouldn't break something.

OFFENSE

On offense, there's just no reason not to always include Miller in the rushing game cause right now that's in his head and it's clearly effecting his play. I remember one read option play in the 1st quarter when, if he would've kept it, he would've had a 60 yard TD because there was a blocker in front and open space after him. Yet he handed it off because he knows he can't carry the ball too much. He's one of the most dynamic players in the country and maybe one of the most talented runners that OSU has ever had, and he's getting two rushes in a half?

I'm all for working on the passing game and preparing for big games against better defenses, but there needs to be balance. You can't go from rushing him 27 times a game to rushing him barely at all. I have no problem with him getting 15 carries a game because with his abilities that means around 100 rushing yards and 2-3 TDs and still plenty of snaps to work on passing. I'll take that every Saturday. Also I think it will allow him to get into a better rhythm and improve his passing game. That's by far the biggest complaint right now.

Jordan Hall looks like a reliable RB. I'm hoping they can get him the ball in the passing game more often but it's good to see an OSU RB who can get 100+ yards and be a good compliment to Miller

DEFENSE

More of the same problems. I don't really know what to say here, but letting UAB have the ball for 34:00 is absurd. This unit just isn't very good right now. They can't get teams off the field whether it's 3rd & 2 or 3rd & 16 and if they don't blitz they can't get pressure. I'm really hoping they start to gel and the LBs start to learn and improve, especially Shazier. OSU needs him to be a leader and consistent player.

Overall, I'm obviously glad that OSU won but the team just looked unmotivated and unsure what was going on. I'm really hoping they can just start to move the ball consistently against teams or they are going to have a hard time winning more than 8 games. Young team, and I'm willing to dismiss some mistakes as the result of young players and new coaching, but that only goes so far. Whether you like it or not though, right now the team goes as far as Miller goes. I really hope something starts to click with him or OSU will be in trouble the next two weeks.
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agreed. Just because 27 times rushing is too much doesn't mean you go away from what makes you most dangerous, and thats Braxton rushing the ball. I saw that exact play you speak of there was so much field with no one around and yet we have Braxton hand the ball off to Hall who bounces it outside for 5 yards, that was 6 and I hope the coaches see that and just start calling plays we do well rather than plays that'll preserve our QB.
 
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