Scott
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Why all the angst?
Scott via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Someone needs to explain to me why I should be ticked off over a 21-point win over the new-and-improved Indiana Hoosiers.
Ohio State gave up nothing on the ground, and was only modestly challenged in the air. On offense the Buckeyes rushed for nearly 300 yards after abandoning the passing game due to an ineffective J.T. Barrett.
I hear criticism galore of the play calling and can’t figure out why. Barrett was 4 of 9 for 41 yards in the first half and only attempted 12 more in the second half.
He missed badly on a pair of wide-open receivers and it wasn’t long after that the coaches tied his arm behind his back and made him focus on the run.
Had the situation been the opposite, if they couldn’t run the ball, I guarantee co-offensive coordinators Tim Beck and Ed Warriner would have put the ball in the air more.
It’s strategy. It’s in-game adjusting. It happens in other sports.
In basketball if a zone defense is getting eaten alive, the coach goes man-to-man. And if a team is getting manhandled in the paint, the coach goes zone.
Play to the strength of the day.
Maybe Barrett shouldn’t have called his own number so much on the read option, and Coach Urban Meyer admitted Curtis Samuel needed more touches.
But I can’t fault them for keeping the ball on the ground as long as it was working, which it was. Indiana knew it was coming and still couldn’t stop it.
There was absolutely no reason to throw the ball more than they did. Too many bad things can happen on the field and between the ears when a passing game sours.
And being able to pound out nearly six yards per carry to me is a tell-tale sign that airing it out was not necessary.
Barrett completed just five passes in the decisive second half. He simply was off his game. It doesn’t happen a lot. But it did.
I credit Beck, Warriner and perhaps Meyer for recognizing it and not forcing the ball in air.
IU is a team the OSU backups could beat, so there was no reason to do anything more than necessary to win.
The post Why all the angst? appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...
Scott via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Someone needs to explain to me why I should be ticked off over a 21-point win over the new-and-improved Indiana Hoosiers.
Ohio State gave up nothing on the ground, and was only modestly challenged in the air. On offense the Buckeyes rushed for nearly 300 yards after abandoning the passing game due to an ineffective J.T. Barrett.
I hear criticism galore of the play calling and can’t figure out why. Barrett was 4 of 9 for 41 yards in the first half and only attempted 12 more in the second half.
He missed badly on a pair of wide-open receivers and it wasn’t long after that the coaches tied his arm behind his back and made him focus on the run.
Had the situation been the opposite, if they couldn’t run the ball, I guarantee co-offensive coordinators Tim Beck and Ed Warriner would have put the ball in the air more.
It’s strategy. It’s in-game adjusting. It happens in other sports.
In basketball if a zone defense is getting eaten alive, the coach goes man-to-man. And if a team is getting manhandled in the paint, the coach goes zone.
Play to the strength of the day.
Maybe Barrett shouldn’t have called his own number so much on the read option, and Coach Urban Meyer admitted Curtis Samuel needed more touches.
But I can’t fault them for keeping the ball on the ground as long as it was working, which it was. Indiana knew it was coming and still couldn’t stop it.
There was absolutely no reason to throw the ball more than they did. Too many bad things can happen on the field and between the ears when a passing game sours.
And being able to pound out nearly six yards per carry to me is a tell-tale sign that airing it out was not necessary.
Barrett completed just five passes in the decisive second half. He simply was off his game. It doesn’t happen a lot. But it did.
I credit Beck, Warriner and perhaps Meyer for recognizing it and not forcing the ball in air.
IU is a team the OSU backups could beat, so there was no reason to do anything more than necessary to win.
The post Why all the angst? appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...