Josh Dooley
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You’re Nuts: Biggest concern/necessary area of improvement for Ohio State
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After wrapping up the non-conference slate, what do the Buckeyes need to focus on moving forward?
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
Ohio State finally, mercifully begins Big Ten play this weekend, when the Buckeyes hit the road to take on the Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing. I say mercifully because due to OSU’s easy non-con schedule, fans have yet to see Ryan Day’s squad tested in a meaningful way.
While that has given Will Howard and the offense a chance to get things rolling and gain confidence, the lack of high-end competition seems to have had the opposite effect on Jim Knowles’ defense. The Silver Bullets came out like the Silver Water Balloons this past weekend, splashing the Marshall Thundering Herd with cold water but inflicting little damage.
Which brings me to the topic at hand. With Ohio State preparing to kick off Big Ten play, Gene and I decided to share our biggest concern and/or area of improvement for the Buckeyes. And while I was tempted to call out the special teams for their kickoff and return follies, I just didn’t think there was enough meat on that bone. So I will stick with the defense, as I sort of alluded to in the opening paragraph. But not the entire defense.
I have no concerns whatsoever about the Buckeyes’ secondary. Denzel Burke, Caleb Downs, and Co. are going to be just fine. That group’s “worst” game of the season thus far resulted in 139 yards through the air and one passing touchdown for the opposing team. At the end of the half, when Lathan Ransom appeared to fall asleep. BIA will likely be tested by Aidan Chiles and MSU, and I expect the former to show up and show out. The front six on the other hand...
Look, I understand that OSU’s defense is surrendering just 180 yards and 6.7 points per game. And that knocking the early rust off likely played a role in the D coming out flat against Marshall. But I still have legitimate concerns about the two position groups coached by Larry Johnson and James Laurinaitis.
Up front, Johnson’s defensive line has produced 6.5 sacks and 10.5 TFL (yes, the TFL total should probably be a whole number, but these are the team stats, people) through three games, which seems decent. However, the DL has yet to perform at anything resembling a dominant level.
Their sack number sort of is what it is, and scheme and playcalling on both sides will dictate a lot of their opportunities... But 10.5 total TFL, against Akron, Western Michigan, and Marshall? There are individuals out there with nearly that many! Granted, most of those individuals may have played four games, but still.
I find it somewhat concerning that Jack Sawyer is consistently in the backfield but rarely getting home. I find it very concerning that a guy like J.T. Tuimoloau has not won many individual matchups against MAC and Sunbelt O-linemen. But what I find most concerning is the deployment/usage of these guys.
What’s the plan, man!? No stunts? No twists? No creativity? Maybe Ohio State’s defensive coaches are holding something back from a scheme standpoint, but Sawyer, Tuimoloau, et al should not need scheme to wreak havoc in Marshall’s backfield.
As for the linebackers, well I’m just not sure what their impact on the game is or is supposed to be. After missing Week 1, Cody Simon has returned to play two games and given OSU seven total tackles. Sonny Styles is second on the team with 17 (tackles) but 13 of those are assisted. And he’s yet to even sniff the backfield or create a turnover. I understand that the latter is still learning his position, but Lorenzo Styles Jr. should not have more solo tackles than his brother. Yet he does.
Having said all this, I am willing to chalk much of the lackluster performance and production up to scheme and playcalling. For whatever reason, it seems like Knowles and Co. have been very (very, very, very, I could keep going) conservative in the early going, presumably as to not waste bullets. But that needs to change ASAP. Because not only is the competition going to get significantly better, but also because these players up front are being wasted.
If nothing else, Tuimoloau, Sawyer, and Styles are all freak athletes. So use them as such. Don’t just have the edge guys stand pat and contain the run. Don’t just have Styles sit in the middle of the field and wait for cleanup duty. C’mon, get aggressive and get nuts!
Full disclosure, it’s Monday, and I’ve had a lot of coffee. But I just want this Buckeye defense to go out and make plays like I know they are capable of doing. I know that both Tuimoloau and Sawyer are capable of double-digit sacks. I know that Styles is capable of being (used as) a versatile chess piece and a matchup nightmare for opposing coaches.
And I’m fairly confident that this Ohio State defense as a whole is capable of being the best in the country. But now they’ve got to go out and prove it against real competition.
I’m not sure there is much to say from a concern standpoint outside what Josh has already laid out about the defensive line. I think the only real problem area Ohio State can look to after dismantling its three non-conference opponents by a combined score of 157-20 is a pretty lackluster performance by its defensive line against Marshall.
The Buckeyes were without Tyleik Williams against the Thundering Herd, who is pretty clearly their best defensive lineman across the board. Williams has been integral up the middle both at stopping the run and at rushing the passer, both of which took a hit without his presence on Saturday. Still, with a pair of former five-star defensive ends attacking from each side, it is pretty concerning that you can’t generate pressure against a Marshall offensive line with four new starters from a year ago.
With my counterpart already taking care of business on that front, however, I will switch things over to the special teams. I really don't think there is a single thing to complain about from Ohio State’s offense, unless you are obsessed with that notion that Will Howard’s deep ball isn’t the best, which I'm not sure matters all that much when the Buckeyes’ receivers have routinely turned 10-yard gains into 60-yard touchdowns. So, that leaves me with Parker Fleming’s former unit, which looked very much like Fleming’s old units this past weekend.
Special teams was an abject disaster against the Herd. Jayden Fielding kicked the ball out of bounds on kickoffs three separate times, leading to his subsequent benching. Brandon Inniss muffed a punt deep inside Ohio State’s own territory, which could have spelled disaster had it not been called back for an illegal formation on Marshall. Joe McGuire punted into the end zone from Marshall’s 45-yard line, a net punt of 25 yards. Other than allowing a long kick return, the Buckeyes ran the gamut of bad special teams play.
I’m not quite sure what happened on Saturday, as Ohio State’s special teams play in its first two games was actually very good. I don't know if the team simply neglected to practice its special teams as part of its “improvement week,” but it is a concerning development given what we saw from the unit the last few years. It obviously did not hurt the Buckeyes in this one, but once they start playing better teams where the margins are much slimmer, you cannot afford even the smallest gaffes from your special teams.
There is no full-time special teams coordinator on this staff — which, for the record, there should not be — but all of the coaches, Ryan Day included, who have their hands on the various aspects of the group need to clean things up.
I like Inniss as a returner and hope it was just a one-time mistake for the talented receiver, but I am interested to see who handles kicking and punting for Ohio State moving forward. Fielding did not exactly cover himself in glory against Marshall, and the punting battle between Joe McGuire and Nick McLarty doesn’t seem to have yet sorted itself out.
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After wrapping up the non-conference slate, what do the Buckeyes need to focus on moving forward?
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
This week’s topic: Biggest concern/necessary area of improvement for Ohio State
Josh’s Take
Ohio State finally, mercifully begins Big Ten play this weekend, when the Buckeyes hit the road to take on the Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing. I say mercifully because due to OSU’s easy non-con schedule, fans have yet to see Ryan Day’s squad tested in a meaningful way.
While that has given Will Howard and the offense a chance to get things rolling and gain confidence, the lack of high-end competition seems to have had the opposite effect on Jim Knowles’ defense. The Silver Bullets came out like the Silver Water Balloons this past weekend, splashing the Marshall Thundering Herd with cold water but inflicting little damage.
Which brings me to the topic at hand. With Ohio State preparing to kick off Big Ten play, Gene and I decided to share our biggest concern and/or area of improvement for the Buckeyes. And while I was tempted to call out the special teams for their kickoff and return follies, I just didn’t think there was enough meat on that bone. So I will stick with the defense, as I sort of alluded to in the opening paragraph. But not the entire defense.
I have no concerns whatsoever about the Buckeyes’ secondary. Denzel Burke, Caleb Downs, and Co. are going to be just fine. That group’s “worst” game of the season thus far resulted in 139 yards through the air and one passing touchdown for the opposing team. At the end of the half, when Lathan Ransom appeared to fall asleep. BIA will likely be tested by Aidan Chiles and MSU, and I expect the former to show up and show out. The front six on the other hand...
Look, I understand that OSU’s defense is surrendering just 180 yards and 6.7 points per game. And that knocking the early rust off likely played a role in the D coming out flat against Marshall. But I still have legitimate concerns about the two position groups coached by Larry Johnson and James Laurinaitis.
Up front, Johnson’s defensive line has produced 6.5 sacks and 10.5 TFL (yes, the TFL total should probably be a whole number, but these are the team stats, people) through three games, which seems decent. However, the DL has yet to perform at anything resembling a dominant level.
Their sack number sort of is what it is, and scheme and playcalling on both sides will dictate a lot of their opportunities... But 10.5 total TFL, against Akron, Western Michigan, and Marshall? There are individuals out there with nearly that many! Granted, most of those individuals may have played four games, but still.
I find it somewhat concerning that Jack Sawyer is consistently in the backfield but rarely getting home. I find it very concerning that a guy like J.T. Tuimoloau has not won many individual matchups against MAC and Sunbelt O-linemen. But what I find most concerning is the deployment/usage of these guys.
What’s the plan, man!? No stunts? No twists? No creativity? Maybe Ohio State’s defensive coaches are holding something back from a scheme standpoint, but Sawyer, Tuimoloau, et al should not need scheme to wreak havoc in Marshall’s backfield.
As for the linebackers, well I’m just not sure what their impact on the game is or is supposed to be. After missing Week 1, Cody Simon has returned to play two games and given OSU seven total tackles. Sonny Styles is second on the team with 17 (tackles) but 13 of those are assisted. And he’s yet to even sniff the backfield or create a turnover. I understand that the latter is still learning his position, but Lorenzo Styles Jr. should not have more solo tackles than his brother. Yet he does.
Having said all this, I am willing to chalk much of the lackluster performance and production up to scheme and playcalling. For whatever reason, it seems like Knowles and Co. have been very (very, very, very, I could keep going) conservative in the early going, presumably as to not waste bullets. But that needs to change ASAP. Because not only is the competition going to get significantly better, but also because these players up front are being wasted.
If nothing else, Tuimoloau, Sawyer, and Styles are all freak athletes. So use them as such. Don’t just have the edge guys stand pat and contain the run. Don’t just have Styles sit in the middle of the field and wait for cleanup duty. C’mon, get aggressive and get nuts!
Full disclosure, it’s Monday, and I’ve had a lot of coffee. But I just want this Buckeye defense to go out and make plays like I know they are capable of doing. I know that both Tuimoloau and Sawyer are capable of double-digit sacks. I know that Styles is capable of being (used as) a versatile chess piece and a matchup nightmare for opposing coaches.
And I’m fairly confident that this Ohio State defense as a whole is capable of being the best in the country. But now they’ve got to go out and prove it against real competition.
Gene’s Take
I’m not sure there is much to say from a concern standpoint outside what Josh has already laid out about the defensive line. I think the only real problem area Ohio State can look to after dismantling its three non-conference opponents by a combined score of 157-20 is a pretty lackluster performance by its defensive line against Marshall.
The Buckeyes were without Tyleik Williams against the Thundering Herd, who is pretty clearly their best defensive lineman across the board. Williams has been integral up the middle both at stopping the run and at rushing the passer, both of which took a hit without his presence on Saturday. Still, with a pair of former five-star defensive ends attacking from each side, it is pretty concerning that you can’t generate pressure against a Marshall offensive line with four new starters from a year ago.
With my counterpart already taking care of business on that front, however, I will switch things over to the special teams. I really don't think there is a single thing to complain about from Ohio State’s offense, unless you are obsessed with that notion that Will Howard’s deep ball isn’t the best, which I'm not sure matters all that much when the Buckeyes’ receivers have routinely turned 10-yard gains into 60-yard touchdowns. So, that leaves me with Parker Fleming’s former unit, which looked very much like Fleming’s old units this past weekend.
Special teams was an abject disaster against the Herd. Jayden Fielding kicked the ball out of bounds on kickoffs three separate times, leading to his subsequent benching. Brandon Inniss muffed a punt deep inside Ohio State’s own territory, which could have spelled disaster had it not been called back for an illegal formation on Marshall. Joe McGuire punted into the end zone from Marshall’s 45-yard line, a net punt of 25 yards. Other than allowing a long kick return, the Buckeyes ran the gamut of bad special teams play.
I’m not quite sure what happened on Saturday, as Ohio State’s special teams play in its first two games was actually very good. I don't know if the team simply neglected to practice its special teams as part of its “improvement week,” but it is a concerning development given what we saw from the unit the last few years. It obviously did not hurt the Buckeyes in this one, but once they start playing better teams where the margins are much slimmer, you cannot afford even the smallest gaffes from your special teams.
There is no full-time special teams coordinator on this staff — which, for the record, there should not be — but all of the coaches, Ryan Day included, who have their hands on the various aspects of the group need to clean things up.
I like Inniss as a returner and hope it was just a one-time mistake for the talented receiver, but I am interested to see who handles kicking and punting for Ohio State moving forward. Fielding did not exactly cover himself in glory against Marshall, and the punting battle between Joe McGuire and Nick McLarty doesn’t seem to have yet sorted itself out.
Continue reading...