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Pryor accounted for 4 of the 5 turnovers Saturday // Photo via espn.com
Drew Thurman (10:07 pm)

Not since the days of Bellisari have the Buckeyes looked as bad as the did Saturday against the Boilermakers. The coaching was bad, the offensive line got outplayed, the special teams sputtered, the defense looked tired, and oh Pryor added four turnovers. There were so many things that I noticed that trying to write a recap isn't exactly an easy task, even though I thought about things my entire drive home. Outside of a few players, the entire team looked bad and there is plenty of blame to go around. With that said, here is my attempt to break a few things down...

No Offensive Identity:

Watching the offense is frustrating for about a thousand different reasons, but I think it starts with identity. From week to week there is no consistency, and no "go to" plays or players. Are the Bucks a team that wants to spread things out, or have a pro-style offense, or run the ball with power? What is the bread and butter? Ray Small mentioned this last week that the playbook is as big as it has very been in his career, and it's pretty obvious the offense hasn't mastered any of it. With a struggling quarterback, average offensive line, and young position players, one has to wonder why things have not been simplified. They looked lost, and simplification seems needed!

Pryor's Problems:

It was very hard to watch Pryor with the ball in his hands, and every possession against Purdue was an adventure. Multiple times there was miscommunication and Pryor threw the ball miles away from anyone. He also took five sacks, had two fumbles, and threw two interceptions. So yes, it was an adventure. Honestly, I am not sure he will be able to pull things together this season. As I mentioned above, an easier playbook would probably help, but right now he has no confidence. He looks scared and nervous, and on top of that, I don't know if we have the offensive staff to help him. His mechanics and decision making are awful, and I don't see that changing this season. The thing he can change this season is his attitude. He is way too animated for a leader, and his very obvious expressions of frustration are having an affect of the entire offense. He needs to start rallying his teammates on the sideline, needs to quit moping, and needs to be a leader for an offense that is hungry for one (Koo's words on this are good).
 
 
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Dave and Drew Thurman (9:40 AM)

Mascot: Boilermakers
Stadium: Ross-Ade Stadium (62,500)
Coach: Danny Hope (first year at Purdue, 1-5)
2008 record: 4-8
Base Offense: Ace (3 wide recivers)
Base Defense: 4-3
Lettermen: Returning - 49; Lost 19
Returning Starters: Offense - 5; Defense - 7; Specialists - 2
Returning Stars: WR Keith Smith; DE Ryan Kerrigan

Notable Alumni:

Neil Armstrong, first man to walk on the moon
Charles Ellis, designer of the Golden Gate Bridge
Drew Brees, Quarterback, New Orleans Saints
John Wooden, Basketball Hall of Famer as player and coach
Bob Griese, Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback; sportscaster
Orville Redenbacher, entrepreneur of popcorn fame
Jim Gaffigan, comedian and actor
 
 
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Drew Thurman (3:32 pm)

Week seven produces some interesting matchups in the Big Ten, and fans will start to see to where the Big Ten stands. There are several teams fighting for tops in the conference, while several others are trying to shake things up. Let's look at all the games...

Minnesota (4-2, 2-1) at No 14. Penn State (5-1, 1-1)

Penn State will be very interesting to watch in the coming weeks. In their only true test of the year against Iowa, they looked very mediocre, and will have to rebuild their image the rest of the season. Last week against Eastern Illinois though, they finally started to look like the Nittany Lions everyone expected in a 52-3 beatdown. All that to say, Saturday's matchup against the Golden Gophers is one to check out. I highly doubt anyone will give Brewster's squad much of a chance on the road, but any given afternoon in the Big Ten could produce an upset. On top of that, Penn State needs to prove once again that they are the conference's elite.

No. 11 Iowa (6-0, 2-0) at Wisconsin (5-1, 2-1):

This very well may be the biggest matchup to watch on Saturday. Iowa is coming off two close encounters to Arkansas State and Michigan, and will try to keep their mojo working against the Badgers. Wisconsin themselves are an interesting story after losing a game they dominated statistically. So the question is, will we see an angry Badger squad coming off the loss to Ohio State or one that throws in the towel? My guess is that the Badgers come to play at home, and we all know they can hang with anyone physically. So, expect Iowa to have their hands full in Camp Randall Stadium. This is their last true test before coming to Columbus on November 14th, and all eyes will be watching to find out if Iowa can yet again prove they are a contender.  
 
 
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Drew Thurman (4:35 pm)

Headline #1 -Boom Herron will sit out Saturday as the Buckeyes take on Purdue, along with teammate Dexter Larimore. Neither one is a huge surprise to me, and I even mentioned earlier in the week that I think Herron will be bothered by this ankle for the rest of the season. While it stinks that this thins out the backfield until Herron returns, we all know Saine has way outperformed him in everyway and the stats prove it! On the positive side, Miller and Cordle could be back in action this weekend. Nice to have some depth back on a line that has been very mediocre, but I am interest to see who gets the most reps. With Marcus Hall, J.B. Shugarts, and Mike Adams getting some serious playing time, all eyes will be on the offensive line the next few weeks.

Headline #2 - Star linebacker Jordan Hicks has returned from his trip to Texas, and had some interesting things to say in his Bucknuts interview. While he refuses to shed much light on the way he feels, its pretty obvious that he had a great visit with the Longhorns. There are lots of schools still in the mix for Hicks, but Texas has always seemed to lead for his services. I have tried to stay optimistic throughout the Hicks saga, but I have source close to Hicks' situation that has made it clear that Buckeyes fans should be worried. Has he made up his mind no, but the Buckeyes have quite a fight on their hands if they plan on trying to reel him in.
 
 
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Family Feud is a feature where Dave and Drew throw their opinions in on various Buckeye football subjects, which many times are quite opposite. This edition takes a look at the hottest topic in Buckeye Nation: Who should we blame for the stagnant offense?

Drew: For all of you readers, I would first like to explain that this edition of "Family Feud" has been birthed out an argument we had during the Wisconsin game. I have been a little more critical of the play calling while my dad has been a little more critical of Pryor. So on that note, let's jump right in...

The major complaint that I had in yesterday's game, and one I will continue to have, is that the play calling does not enable success for Pryor. There are lots of average throwers out there who have success in college football because the offense is designed to get them in rhythm and build confidence. For instance yesterday, Tressel was super conservative and wanted to run up the middle on delayed handoffs. Right away we told Pryor we did not trust him to throw the ball. Then when we did throw, it was timing routes that require a high degree of accuracy. We didn't throw screens, we didn't roll him out of the pocket, and we didn't open things up. Rather we put Pryor is predictable third and longs, where the Wisky defense pinned its ears back. Do you feel Pryor should have overcome that? Should we expect more?

Dave:  I can't argue with the fact that the play calling is suspect, but I think it's time for Pryor to take his game to the next level.  Everyone says he is young but he has started for almost 1 1/2 years now and I still see a "deer in the headlights" look too often.  Yes we should come out with some bubble screens and outside runs (how about a reverse) to help him, but at the same time the pick he threw was a terrible pass and a few minutes later he should have been intercepted again.  I think he is indecisive about when to run and when to throw, and I would like to see a little more maturity.  In the second half when the offense finally took the field he couldn't find his helmet and had to wear someone else's.  It could happen to anyone but it's not what you want to see from your field general.  I like TP a lot but I think he is a little scatter-brained and sometimes it shows up in his decisions.  Do you think all the blame should be laid at the feet of Tressel and the play calling?
 
 
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Small finally put his name back on the map // Photo via The Plains Dealer
Drew Thurman (8:37 pm)

The 184 yards the Buckeyes managed to put up against the Badgers wasn't exactly what anyone expected, but I am sure everyone will take the 31-13 victory at the end of the day. In Virginia Tech (and Tressel ball) fashion, the Buckeyes scored twice on defense and once on special teams. Let's be honest, Tressel was probably secretly smiling. Despite the score, it was a very frustrating and baffling game, so let's take a look at what stood out:

Fresh Looking Defense:

The Buckeye defense once again looked very impressive, making huge plays and holding the high potent Badger rushing attack to 2.7 yards per rush. Even more impressive was that Wisconsin had only given up two sacks all year, and gave up six on Saturday. Late in the first half as Wisconsin put some drives together, I started to get worried about how much the defense was on the field. My worries ended up being correct, as the Badgers more than doubled the time of possession (42:47 to 17:13). The defense never looked tired though, even against a huge offensive line and John Clay. I heard a lot of people complaining that the Buckeyes got tired late in games and that Eric Lichter's strength program was not getting it done (after Texas and USC), but that was not the case against Wisconsin. They never showed signs of fatigue which blew me away! Anyways, the Buckeyes proved once again that they are the best defense in the Big Ten, and one of the best in the country. They sure are fun to watch!

Big Returns: 

The whole game could honestly be summed up with three highlights: Coleman's 89 yard pick six, Hines' 32 yard pick six, and Small's 96 yard kick return. I will have to say that the Jermale Hines play was the most impressive of the three in my opinion. His one-handed tip to himself combined with the power to push into the end zone, may have been my highlight of the afternoon (even though Small's return was sweet). I remember just a couple of seasons ago how much the Buckeyes struggled capitalizing on opportunities, and it is encouraging to see the defense and special teams coming up with those plays and taking them to the limit. Now if the offense gets in check, the Buckeyes can have a triple threat!
 
 
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Dave and Drew Thurman (11:19 am)

Mascot: Badgers
Stadium: Camp Randall Stadium (80,321)
2008 Record: 7-6 (Lost to Florida State 42-13 in Champs Sports Bowl)
2009 Record: 5-0 (#25 in USA Today coaches poll)
Head Coach: Bret Bielema (4th year at Wisconsin, 33-11)
Letterman Returning: 42 (18 Lost)
Returning Starters: Offense - 6, Defense - 5, Specialists - 2
Base Defense: 4-3
Base Offense: Power I (often with 2 TE's)
Returning Stars: TB John Clay, DE O'Brian Schofield

Notable Alumni:

Elroy Hirsch - Hall of Fame NFL Player
Ron Dayne - Heisman Trophy Winning RB
Curl Lambeau - Hall of fame NFL player and coach, co-founder of Packers
Frank Lloyd Wright - Architect
Tom Wopat - Luke on Dukes of Hazzard
Charles Lindbergh - Aviator
William S. Harley - Founder of Harley-Davidson

Wisconsin Overview:

Bielema was on hot seat coming into 2009, and his Badgers have answered the call with a 5-0 record. They have been challenged though, and outside of the Wofford game every game has been tight. In fact while they are averaging 35 points a game, their opponents are averaging 24.6 points a game. Pretty small window of margin for a undefeated team.
 
 
In his latest AP article appearance, Pryor talks a little bit about everything. He discusses his progression at quarterback, the fun of being a Buckeye, and the ways in which he is growing (and not forcing things). Probably most interesting are Pryor's words on his infamous "Vick" black eye patches. When asked if it was a learning experience he said:

"I wouldn't say learning experience. Not to catch anyone's attention, [but] I'd do it again. ... I was just happy he was out and he had been a big role model to me as I was growing up and I had always looked up to Mike Vick. Maybe it was stupid, just to get involved in that, I shouldn't have put myself in that position."

"Nothing against the dogs, I love dogs and all of that," he continued. "But he's out of jail and I looked up to him. He was a big role model. That's why I did it."

Good to know that the Buckeye star is already reppin' PETA!

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4541054
 
 
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Drew Thurman (10:02 am)

If Saturday's contest in Bloomington was any indication, it appears as if the Buckeyes are just fine without the big names at key positions. Obviously Pryor will always dominate headlines for the Buckeyes this season, but outside of him the majority of the country could not name another player on either side of the ball for the Buckeyes. That's a problem right? Well it could be, but for the Buckeyes it may finally be what the doctor ordered.

The last two years the Buckeye offense has had what I called the "Big Play Syndrome." The offensive play calling became very vanilla and totally depended on Beanie Wells for production. Without his big plays and ESPN highlight runs, the offense rarely got into a rhythm. The only other play calling fans got to see was the occasional bombs to Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline. All three were big names for the Buckeyes, but for some reason they handicapped Tressel and the playcalling. 

On defense, the Buckeyes lost high caliber guys like Malcolm Jenkins, Marcus Freeman, and James Laurinaitis. All three dominated the press clippings over the past two years, yet they already seem like a distant memory just a season later.
 
 
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Dave Thurman (12:00 pm)

Ohio State rode a dominating first half to an easy victory over Indiana that wasn't as close as the final score.  It was fun to watch up until the break, and then got really boring in the second half.  In fact it seemed like the game would never end, as the fourth quarter drug on and on.  Rather than try and give a play by play summation, I want to borrow from one of Clint Eastwood's spaghetti westerns and talk about "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly."

The Good:

The first half offensive attack - Tressel has been criticized for being too conservative, but came out with a good, diversified attack that featured Brandon Saine and Terrelle Pryor running the ball, and lots of short and intermediate passes (yes, you read that right)!  After Indiana scored a touchdown in the second quarter to cut the OSU lead to 10-7, the Buckeyes came out with a reverse on the kickoff, and then scored in three plays.  It looked like they meant business, and was quite impressive.

The offensive line - In the first half the young line did well, and it was great to see second year players Brewster, Shugarts, and Adams playing well, along with true freshman Marcus Hall, who tasted his first action of the year and looked just fine. 

Anderson Russell - Time to give props to the punching bag who I have criticized along with nearly everyone else.  In Coleman's absence he had 6 tackles (tied for team high), a fumble recovery and an interception.  Nice game for Russell and it must have felt really great.  I was also happy for Rob Rose who turned in another excellent performance itnwhat is becoming a fine senior year for him.