Matt Tamanini
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Unreasonable Overreactions: Running QBs and special teams could hurt Ohio State, but Q and Trey will save them
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Also, The Ref Show was painful to watch today.
The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes picked up a decisive 49-14 victory over the Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday inside Ohio Stadium. Despite the five-touchdown victory, the OSU performance in two of the game’s three phases was sloppier than we’ve seen thus far this season.
I suppose it's better to get that stuff out of the way while playing Marshall than have it creep up for the first time against Iowa or Oregon; that is, of course, assuming that it doesn’t also creep up against the Hawkeyes and Ducks in early October.
Being a fan is a fickle proposition. We allow our emotions to rob us of reason; instead, we ride the wave of emotions that percolate with every first down, missed tackle, penalty, or bone-headed play. So, I am here shortly after the game to get my unreasonable overreactions out so that I can instead focus on more productive ways to break down the game.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25633194/usa_today_24290852.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Ohio State’s defense is not built to contend with running quarterbacks. I know that QBs who can run are tough to corral for any defensive, but it seems that Jim Knowles’ #SafetyDrivenDefense is especially susceptible because there are just fewer people in the box.
While you have players — like Sonny Styles or Jordan Hancock — who would normally be ideal for spying the quarterback, when OSU’s in its base defense, those guys all have other responsibilities, meaning that opposing offenses are always at a decided numbers advantage.
Not that I’m looking this far ahead — I’m always looking this far ahead — but if Alex Orji sticks as Michigan’s starting quarterback, we know he is not exactly a proficient passer, so chances are pretty good that Sherrone Moore is going to scheme up as many exotic QB-run plays as possible.
So, I’m not worried about that game yet, but it certainly seems like today’s issues with Earle should serve as a reminder that Knowles needs to come up with a remedy for the ongoing running quarterback conundrum, or it will come back to bite them in the ass at some point.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25633196/usa_today_24290485.jpg "NCAA Football: Marshall at Ohio State")
Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
Despite some issues that need to be figured out on defense, the Ohio State offense was near perfect on Saturday. On the day, the Bucks had 569 yards of total offense, led by Will Howard going 16-for-20 for 275 yards, 2 touchdowns, and his first interception as a Buckeye.
As impressive as the transfer QB’s performance was, the day belonged to the running backs, as Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson combined for 249 yards on the ground with the former Ole Miss Rebel providing the lion’s share at 173, including an 86-yard scamper following what very well might have been the turning point of the game.
Both backs had two touchdowns, Henderson added a 40-yard score of his own, and averaged 12.45 yards per carry. That’s right, Judkins and Henderson averaged well over a first down every time they ran the ball. We are so used to the Buckeye offense being dominated by elite wide receiver play that it has been a while since it has felt like the Bukeye backfield was a legitimate game-changer.
Well, my friends, that’s exactly what it is this year. Obviously, Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith are still exceptional — both had scores of over 50 yards against Marshall — but Trey and Q are the best and most explosive backfield in all of college football.
I have long been a fan of Henderson and have longed for the day when he would be consistently healthy enough to show the country just what he is capable of, but my goodness, is Judkins a breath of fresh air out of the backfield?
While both backs are incredibly dynamic and have the ability to score every time that they touch the ball, the physicality that Judkins runs with is palpable. Did you see how he planted this Herd defender with a stiff arm before walking into the end zone for the second time today? I’ve missed that from running backs in Columbus.
With veteran starter Donovan Jackson back for the first time this season, the offensive line looked pretty good today; a few issues from Josh Fryar on the right side notwithstanding. If the line is able to continue to open up even the slightest of holes, there’s no doubt that Judkins and Henderson are going to find ways to burst through them.
I generally don’t want to get too far out over my skis with stuff like this, but this is an “Unreasonable Overreactions” column, so I will just say that the Buckeye offense appears to have all of the makings of being practically unstoppable. Sure, the competition level will soon dramatically increase and I still have offensive line reservations, but I think we are going to have a lot of fun watching whatever Chip Kelly’s mad-scientist brain can come up with this season.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25633195/usa_today_24139816.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Honestly, what the absolutely fudge-sickles was going on with Jayden Fielding in the first half? I remember the Chuck Knoblauch fiasco in 2000, and while Fielding’s spat of kicking the ball out of bounds did not last as long as Knoblauch’s inability to throw it 50 feet to first base, it was similarly mind-boggling.
In the second quarter, the Ohio State kickoff man put three straight kicks out of bounds before Ryan Day put him out of his metaphorical misery in the second half, turning over the kicking duties to second-year walk-on Austin Snyder.
Through the first two weeks, perhaps we were fooled into thinking that the remnants of the ill-begotten Parker Fleming era had completely been eradicated, but what we saw today was not inspiring either from the kickoff or the punt-fielding departments. That has to change if the Buckeyes are going to compete for the national championship.
I’m not going to recycle the old Jim Tressell talking points, but special teams are incredibly valuable when it comes to aiding your defense by pinning opponents deep, or your offense in picking up hidden yardage. Ohio State’s collective approach to coaching special teams needs to figure out how to make that part of the game more effective, or it too could come back to bite the Buckeyes in the ass.
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Man, that Big Ten officiating crew led by Bryan Banks was strug-gl-ing from the jump. I mentioned the weird formation call that negated the muffed punt, but from inexplicable replays to excruciatingly long reviews to flags being thrown and picked up to flagging Ryan Day for saying “It was 20 seconds,” there wasn’t much that this hapless crew of keystone cop-level refs didn’t have issues with. Hell, Banks even routinely stumbled over words while he was attempting to explain what the hell his crew was thinking.
It was a bad day to be a zebra in The Horseshoe today. When the broadcast crew is routinely making fun of the refs, you know things are not going well for the officials. Come to think of it, I would much prefer Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt on the field as officials than in the booth as announcers, because I do not enjoy them as a broadcasting crew, so might as well give them a try as an officiating crew.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Also, The Ref Show was painful to watch today.
The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes picked up a decisive 49-14 victory over the Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday inside Ohio Stadium. Despite the five-touchdown victory, the OSU performance in two of the game’s three phases was sloppier than we’ve seen thus far this season.
I suppose it's better to get that stuff out of the way while playing Marshall than have it creep up for the first time against Iowa or Oregon; that is, of course, assuming that it doesn’t also creep up against the Hawkeyes and Ducks in early October.
Being a fan is a fickle proposition. We allow our emotions to rob us of reason; instead, we ride the wave of emotions that percolate with every first down, missed tackle, penalty, or bone-headed play. So, I am here shortly after the game to get my unreasonable overreactions out so that I can instead focus on more productive ways to break down the game.
I Hate Running Quarterbacks
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Ohio State’s defense is not built to contend with running quarterbacks. I know that QBs who can run are tough to corral for any defensive, but it seems that Jim Knowles’ #SafetyDrivenDefense is especially susceptible because there are just fewer people in the box.
While you have players — like Sonny Styles or Jordan Hancock — who would normally be ideal for spying the quarterback, when OSU’s in its base defense, those guys all have other responsibilities, meaning that opposing offenses are always at a decided numbers advantage.
Not that I’m looking this far ahead — I’m always looking this far ahead — but if Alex Orji sticks as Michigan’s starting quarterback, we know he is not exactly a proficient passer, so chances are pretty good that Sherrone Moore is going to scheme up as many exotic QB-run plays as possible.
So, I’m not worried about that game yet, but it certainly seems like today’s issues with Earle should serve as a reminder that Knowles needs to come up with a remedy for the ongoing running quarterback conundrum, or it will come back to bite them in the ass at some point.
Ohio State’s Running Game Is Gonna Be Legit
Despite some issues that need to be figured out on defense, the Ohio State offense was near perfect on Saturday. On the day, the Bucks had 569 yards of total offense, led by Will Howard going 16-for-20 for 275 yards, 2 touchdowns, and his first interception as a Buckeye.
As impressive as the transfer QB’s performance was, the day belonged to the running backs, as Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson combined for 249 yards on the ground with the former Ole Miss Rebel providing the lion’s share at 173, including an 86-yard scamper following what very well might have been the turning point of the game.
Both backs had two touchdowns, Henderson added a 40-yard score of his own, and averaged 12.45 yards per carry. That’s right, Judkins and Henderson averaged well over a first down every time they ran the ball. We are so used to the Buckeye offense being dominated by elite wide receiver play that it has been a while since it has felt like the Bukeye backfield was a legitimate game-changer.
Well, my friends, that’s exactly what it is this year. Obviously, Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith are still exceptional — both had scores of over 50 yards against Marshall — but Trey and Q are the best and most explosive backfield in all of college football.
I have long been a fan of Henderson and have longed for the day when he would be consistently healthy enough to show the country just what he is capable of, but my goodness, is Judkins a breath of fresh air out of the backfield?
While both backs are incredibly dynamic and have the ability to score every time that they touch the ball, the physicality that Judkins runs with is palpable. Did you see how he planted this Herd defender with a stiff arm before walking into the end zone for the second time today? I’ve missed that from running backs in Columbus.
With veteran starter Donovan Jackson back for the first time this season, the offensive line looked pretty good today; a few issues from Josh Fryar on the right side notwithstanding. If the line is able to continue to open up even the slightest of holes, there’s no doubt that Judkins and Henderson are going to find ways to burst through them.
I generally don’t want to get too far out over my skis with stuff like this, but this is an “Unreasonable Overreactions” column, so I will just say that the Buckeye offense appears to have all of the makings of being practically unstoppable. Sure, the competition level will soon dramatically increase and I still have offensive line reservations, but I think we are going to have a lot of fun watching whatever Chip Kelly’s mad-scientist brain can come up with this season.
Who Let Parker Fleming Back in The Shoe?
Honestly, what the absolutely fudge-sickles was going on with Jayden Fielding in the first half? I remember the Chuck Knoblauch fiasco in 2000, and while Fielding’s spat of kicking the ball out of bounds did not last as long as Knoblauch’s inability to throw it 50 feet to first base, it was similarly mind-boggling.
In the second quarter, the Ohio State kickoff man put three straight kicks out of bounds before Ryan Day put him out of his metaphorical misery in the second half, turning over the kicking duties to second-year walk-on Austin Snyder.
Through the first two weeks, perhaps we were fooled into thinking that the remnants of the ill-begotten Parker Fleming era had completely been eradicated, but what we saw today was not inspiring either from the kickoff or the punt-fielding departments. That has to change if the Buckeyes are going to compete for the national championship.
I’m not going to recycle the old Jim Tressell talking points, but special teams are incredibly valuable when it comes to aiding your defense by pinning opponents deep, or your offense in picking up hidden yardage. Ohio State’s collective approach to coaching special teams needs to figure out how to make that part of the game more effective, or it too could come back to bite the Buckeyes in the ass.
The Ref Show Was Painful
Man, that Big Ten officiating crew led by Bryan Banks was strug-gl-ing from the jump. I mentioned the weird formation call that negated the muffed punt, but from inexplicable replays to excruciatingly long reviews to flags being thrown and picked up to flagging Ryan Day for saying “It was 20 seconds,” there wasn’t much that this hapless crew of keystone cop-level refs didn’t have issues with. Hell, Banks even routinely stumbled over words while he was attempting to explain what the hell his crew was thinking.
It was a bad day to be a zebra in The Horseshoe today. When the broadcast crew is routinely making fun of the refs, you know things are not going well for the officials. Come to think of it, I would much prefer Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt on the field as officials than in the booth as announcers, because I do not enjoy them as a broadcasting crew, so might as well give them a try as an officiating crew.
Continue reading...