1st, just because I may be critical does not mean I don't love the Buckeyes, I just try to maintain as unbiased an opinion as possible. I believe I am actually harder on them as I expect more from an elite team. That being said;
I do not think I am watching the same qb as you are. I will say Miller is an awesome runner, but he needs quite a bit of work as a qb. Personally I have been surprised at his passing. Meyer had talked him up so much I thought I was going to see a much improved passer, personally I have been underwhelmed.
Yes it works great against UCF etc, but what happens when we play Michigan State and their whole game plan is to make the Buckeyes beat them passing ?
I readily admit that I try to compare us with the likes of Alabama because I feel that is where we need to be, but at the moment I do not believe we are even close to where they are. Obviously it is Meyer's 1st year and I do honestly believe we will get there - but definitely not there yet.
I can understand why Meyer was not too thrilled with this win. Against a stout defense that stops or even really slows Miller's running game, we are going to have a hard time moving the ball. Yes we are down to our 3rd string running back, but we are The Buckeyes....we have a stable of running backs. I want to see our offensive line literally blowing people off the line. They are competent, but not excelling overall.
They are The Ohio State Buckeyes - our measuring stick is not UCF or for now even most of the teams in the B1G, but our measuring stick for now is Alabama. For that, yes it is still early, but we have quite a ways to go. Ask TDTUN how it feels being measured by Alabama.
While I would obviously enjoy as many wins as possible, what I am watching for is the progression of the players, getting better and better in every phase of the game.
Our defense. They did an okay job - but did you feel like you were watching the silver bullets of old ? Our linebackers are young, but they are not yet of the elite status they are capable of producing.
Basically my point - this was a good win, but it was only a small step towards where we need to be. I was not actually that sold on Meyer when he was 1st announced, but watching him from afar, I do believe he is the coach who will get us back to being not just one of the elite teams in the country, but THE elite team in the country.
Yes, I am spoiled due to past success, but winning the B1G , while nice, is not enough and we should have the talent to be fighting for the national Championship every year.
I personally feel the Buckeyes have not received fair criticism from their critics due to the 2 NC games as they tend to forget about our other BCS wins, BUT, being the Buckeyes, NC should be expected.
I live in the heart of SEC country and I also believe most of the SEC teams are overrated and basically just ride the coattails of Alabama and LSU. But Alabama and LSU are the teams I want to be measured against.
I do believe Meyer is the man for the job, but from what I have seen so far this year, he still has a lot of work to do.
I am a fan win or lose, but I try not to only wear my scarlet colored glasses when evaluating what I have seen. It is best to take them off and try to ascertain where we are in relation to the nations elite teams - and we are still 2nd tier at the moment.
Braxton must become a must better passer, hitting the right shoulder, the receivers in stride etc, not just completing the occasional pass. His running is fantastic, but will be stopped against a stout defense. If we are to see the promised land, his feet will only get us there because the defenses are worried about him beating them with his arm - and then he takes off for those amazing runs.
Go back and watch the Alabama- TDTUN game. Pay particular attention to the offensive line. It was every bit as good as could be drawn up on the chalk board. I am not a 'bama fan nor am I a 'bama lover, but I sure do admire and respect them when I watch a game like they played.
And that is where I do believe Meyer will lead us, but let's not put the cart before the horse because we are just pulling in the stadium parking lot - it is going to take another year or 2 and a whole bunch better play then we have seen so far to get on the field with them.
Our defense is good, not great. Yes we had some picks, but we also gave up too many big plays. They really need to do a better job of getting to the qb with a 4 man rush.
I seriously doubt Meyer is sitting in his office right now getting a place ready for the crystal - tho I would bet he is really working hard on getting the personnel in place and getting them to be where they need to be.
I would guess not next year,tho it is very possible, but starting in year 3, we won't really see an angry Buckeye team, but instead will see a Buckeye team confident that it is once again ready to dominate the B1G and put fear into those who dare set foot on the turf......
Go Buckeyes. It's hard and we really do appreciate the work you put into your game, but enjoy it for no more than a day and get back to work as you are wearing the uniform of the most popular team in America (NY Times) and with that privilege we want to once again be the most dominant team in CFB.
Not easy but the payback will be wonderful and last forever.
