Drew Thurman (5:45 pm)

If you just looked at the score from the Northwestern game, it would appear as if the offense has found its legs again. 45-10, that validates Tressel's play calling right? Wrong. I don't care if the offense put up 45 points and gained 441 total yards, the play calling is still inept!

The Buckeyes came out with the usual game plan of trying to run up the middle with Beanie. I'm shocked that Northwestern actually thought to game plan for this stellar attack, but they did. So after Beanie had rushed four times for negative four yards, Tressel decided to go to his typical "Plan B" of throwing the bomb.

I know what followed was a 44 yard reception to Brian Hartline, but this would be the start of what was a game of "homeruns" for the Buckeyes. Not counting the last scoring drive (to bail out Northwestern's defense), four out of the five touchdown scoring drives were set up by long yardage plays. Here they are:

- Brian Hartline 44 yard reception (1st scoring drive)

- Chris Wells 55 yard touchdown run (2nd scoring drive)

- Brian Hartline 46 yard reception (4th scoring drive)

- Brian Robiskie 34 yard touchdown reception (5th scoring drive)

This to me shows a real problem in the Buckeye offense. Tressel's play calling requires the big play to happen in order to score. Sometimes watching us is like watching someone play NCAA Football on a game system! The Buckeyes run and throw bombs, there never seems to be an in between. It seems as if Tressel refuses to have an intermediate passing game or a real variety of running plays. This is fine playing teams like Northwestern, but if the Buckeyes are going to get over the hump the offense needs consistency.

On the totally opposite end of the spectrum, watching the Florida Gators the past several weeks just makes me plain jealous. They have such a great variety of quarterback reads, screen passes, slants, draws, and deep passes that I can barely watch them anymore. When the Gators have the ball things seem to be fluid, even with a variety of players getting involved.

I am not saying the Buckeyes have to copy the Gators exactly, but emulating their rhythm is important. Instead of just running to run or throwing to throw, Tressel needs to have a real game plan. Run to set up a certain pass play, or throw a few balls to set up a creative running play. This is real offensive play calling that does not just count on "homeruns" to win the game. Beanie's absense at times this season has shown that we are sporadic at best without a homerun hitter at running back. With the real possibility of his departure at the end of the season, better play calling is even more a must! It will be the difference in a two to three loss season and a National Championship!

Dave and Drew Thurman (3:45 pm)

Big win 45-10 for the Buckeyes, that had a lot of offense for a change. Here are some of the things we saw in this game...

Play Calling: The play calling was terrible early in this game. The team looked asleep, and it is hard to believe that Tressel and company didn't have anything better up their sleeves after two weeks to plan. The game plan has to be better next week against Illinois. We cannot just throw long and run up the middle against a much more athletic Illini team!

I-Formation: For whatever reason Tressel decided to come out in a single back formation. Beanie is an I-formation runner, and looked much better once Smith was brought in at fullback. We can't make Beanie something that he is not!

Protection:  The pass protection was better for most of this game. Given it was Northwestern and Pryor made some big plays scrambling, but he was given the time to throw long most of the day. 

Mr. Third and Long: Speaking of Pryor, it was awesome to see him have a big day. He has special gifts, and a few of those broken plays showed his true athleticism. Have you ever seen anyone so good on third and long? The only third down he didn't convert was on third and three, figure it out! Anyways, the fact that he had a solid game both through the air and on the ground could be huge for the rest of the year.

4 TD's: It was also good to see Beanie and Robiskie get back on track. These men had four touchdowns between them, and had the Buckeyes had that kind of production all year it would have been a different season!

Referees: What was up with the referees in this game? We have never seen such weak penalties in a game. The Boone head butt obviously deserved the flag, but these guys had no clue outside of that call. They called some pansy late hits on the sideline, and then chose to "just talk" to Peterman when he decided to throw a punch at the Buckeyes. The bad refereeing is getting old, and the Big Ten needs to take a serious look! 

Defensive Stars:  We would like to send a shout out to Nadar Abdallah, Jermale Hines, and Malcolm Jenkins for a solid game. These guys were on it all day, and had some huge hits. There are a few guys on the defense that really don't have a mean streak, but Hines and Jenkins both are out for blood every play. Also it was nice to see Abdallah's motor running all game. The defensive tackle position has been one where the Buckeyes have struggled the most, and Abdallah has been solid several weeks in a row. 

Andre Ware: We would like to say this as nicely as possible, SHUT UP ANDRE WARE! He ran Tressel into the ground, and acted like he was a classless coach because of the fake punt. There are Big 12 and SEC teams running up the score every week, and he chooses to chastise the Buckeyes for still playing offense when they were up 31-10 with lots of time on the clock. What a joke! This is coming from Andre Ware, whose Houston team ran up the score every chance they got with the run and shoot offense. Not only was he a terrible announcer all day, but this whole beat down Tressel thing got really old. Seriously did you see his face on that touchdown run from Boom Herron, Andre?  

The Boom: Speaking of Boom Herron; it was really nice to see him back in this game. He is a great change of pace from Beanie, and the Buckeyes really could use him next week against Illinois. He hits the hole faster than any back we have, and his future looks bright. 

Gibson?: Finally, we really hope Gibson didn't get hurt in this game. He disappeared, and Nathan Williams replaced him for the remainder of the game. The crack squad at ESPN2 obviously didn't give us any news about it, so let's hope Gibson is alright. With that said, Williams played great in Gibson's absense with two sacks. It sure shows how bad the defensive line is when an undersized freshman defensive end looks better than about anyone else the Buckeyes have.

Drew Thurman (12:57 pm)

Ohio State being off this weekend was probably good for my blood pressure, but it did leave me feeling a little empty. There was quite a bit going on in the Big Ten and around the college football world though, and here were a few things I noticed...

- Florida is a very scary team. They are super explosive, and they actually made Georgia look slow. I cannot stand him, but Urban Meyer is an offensive genius. You can mark my words, Florida looks to be the team to beat for the SEC Championship. If Alabama survives Death Valley, I do not see them trumping Florida. Actually, I am not sure anyone wants to play the Gators right now.

- What in the world is up with Northwestern? Last week they lost to Indiana, who is not even a good MAC team this year, and now they beat the one loss Minnesota Gophers with a backup quarterback. I just cannot figure out the Big Ten this year. Who would have thought that Northwestern, Minnesota, and Iowa would be fighting in the middle of the pack while Michigan and Wisconsin sit at the bottom of the conference!

- The Texas vs. Texas Tech game lived up to the hype! That was one of the best games I have seen in a long time, and I give Leach and company credit for having the guts to throw for the endzone with about eight seconds left. Harrell and the Red Raider wideouts made me drool and really realize how bad our offense has been. There were two things that made laugh in this game though. First, Texas tech defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill has to be exchanging pants with Charlie Weis; they only make pants that big on special order. Second, this makes me laugh every Texas Tech game...(Click Link!)

- Speaking of Weis and Notre Dame, they stink. Sorry Lou Holtz, but you were terribly wrong. The next good team the Irish beat will be their first this season. Pittsburgh and the Big East are awful, and Dave Wannstedt cannot coach his way out of a paper bag. NBC got the joy of showing a game that highlights two coaches who cannot turn their talented recruiting classes into real contenders!

- After another terrible loss, Phil Fulmer is stepping down at the end of the season. I have to say I have never been a Fulmer fan, but I am sad to see him go. Not only will the Volunteers get better now, but the SEC fans will not know who to make fun of anymore. He has provided many laughs, and this video shows a few of those. So here you are Fulmer, this video is in your memory!

Drew Thurman (9:35 am)

I hope everyone is enjoying the Halloween and bye game weekend. Even though the news coming out is a little slow this week, there is some pretty attention grabbing stuff I have been reading. Let's take a look...

- Jason from Eleven Warriors has some interesting opinions on Tressel's latest words. Tressel got asked some very tough questions this week from the media, and his words are very telling! Good article to check out.

- ESPN the magazine broadcasts some very vocal critcisms from Ohio State fan Matt Gottfried. In this video Matt makes it clear that he wonders if Tressel can win the big one anymore. I have a feeling that there are a lot of others out there wondering the same thing!

- Buckeye Commentary has one of the better articles I have read this season on a Buckeye blog. It is called "What ails the offense," and it really trys to look at the statistics to highlight the real problems on offense. It is not long, but is a very good read...

Drew Thurman (9:51 pm)

Losing brings the worst out of people, especially on the boards! Everyone seems to have opinion on why the loss happened, and many are very vocal with their criticisms. The problem is that many of these loud complaints come from frustration and not the statistics of the game. So let's actually get the facts straight, and see what caused the Buckeyes to lose to the Nittany Lions...

1) The Buckeyes lost the game in the trenches...

For whatever reason many have blamed this loss on play calling and the Buckeyes not airing it out enough. Neither one of these criticisms is warrented. The Buckeyes actually had Pryor throw the ball 25 times for 226 yards. That is over a hundred more yards that Penn State threw for! The Buckeyes opened it up more than they had all season, and this was not the reason for the loss. Actually it was the inabilty to run the ball that hurt them. Beanie Wells averaged 2.5 yards a carry in this game, which actually was the highest on the team. Penn State on the other hand, did not have a major rusher under four yards a carry. Penn State had the better offensive and defensive lines, and it showed in the statistics. Had the Buckeyes been able to establish the run, we would have seen touchdowns and not stalled out drives.

2) The Buckeyes lost the turnover battle...

Coming into this game we knew that the Buckeyes had to win the turnover battle. I am shocked that the Buckeyes did not force a turnover in this game, and they were very close on several occasions. In the end though, it was Terrelle Pryor's fumble that would be the difference in this game. Pryor played a very good game outside of this play, and it is unfortunate that this fumble would be the gamebreaker. Had the Buckeyes won or even tied in the turnover department, we would have seen a different outcome.

All in all...

The Buckeyes fought hard against a very tough Penn State team. Ohio State was equal with the Nittany Lions in so many areas, but these two things would end up being the difference. It is that simple, and we don't have to dig for all the extensive reasons why the Buckeyes lost. Even against a very talented Penn State defense, the Buckeyes would have a "W" in the win column had a few small things been different in this game! 

Drew Thurman (8:01 pm)

The Buckeyes take on rival Penn State this weekend, and this is much more than an average game. In fact there are a lots of things surrounding this game. Let's take a look...

* The game is taking place at 8 PM (ET). This is the Buckeyes first night game since Texas in 2005. 

* ESPN's College Game Day will be broadcasting from Columbus. 

* It is Homecoming with all the festivities that surround it.

* Big recruiting weekend including DT Corey Adams. 

* OSU has planned there version of the white out called "Scarlet Fever."

* Ohio State is ranked #10; Penn State #3.

So yet again the excitement and media spotlight has been put on the Buckeyes. It seems like the Buckeyes are always looking for a reason to get hyped with a chip on their shoulder, and they definitely have that this weekend. I am personally sick of having to play the "prove me wrong" role with the media, and I think this game would go a long way in silencing the doubters.

I will say this though, the Buckeyes better show up with attitude Saturday night! They looked scared versus USC, and never acted like they were confident. If we are just trying to prove that we belong on the field with the top teams in the country, we are always going to lose. We need to start believing we are the better team! This is a big weekend!

Dave Thurman (3:06 pm)

Okay…who saw this coming?  A week after an uninspiring performance against a poor Purdue team, the Bucks headed to East Lansing and played with passion and purpose, totaling destroying the 20th ranked Spartans.

On Monday I ate lunch with a group of guys that includes one other Buckeye fan, and as we talked about the rest of the college football season he dejectedly said, “Ohio State will get beat this Saturday,” as everyone nodded their head in agreement.  I took umbrage to his comment confidently promising a Buckeye victory, reminding him that no team in the conference sets up better for us than MSU.  And it’s true.  They like to run the ball between the tackles forty times a game and that plays right into our strength at linebacker.  Still, I never expected 45-7.  More on that in a minute.

Now, before you get ready to paint the town red in raucous celebration, may I remind you of some wise advice I that was passed on years ago: “When everything seems to go poorly things are rarely as bad as they appear and when everything goes right, things are probably not as good as they seem.”

Against Purdue the Bucks were better than they showed, because Tressel buttoned things up and relied on defense and special teams.  Once Sabino scored on the blocked punt, Mr. Sweater Vest gambled that Purdue couldn’t catch up if given six quarters unless they were handed free points off of turnovers, so he played classic “Tressel Ball,” which accomplished the goal irritating as it was.  In addition Beanie was battling the flu bug, and so the offense looked terrible.

Fast forward seven short days, and the same offensive unit came out with a spring in their step.  Pryor looked much more confident, and the play calling in the first half was excellent, putting him in situations where he could complete simple passes, and use his wheels on the outside.  My favorite play was the first down play action pass to Hartline.  I was thinking, if ever we throw a bomb off of play action this is the perfect time, and presto, Pryor when back heaved it downfield, and even though the ball was slightly underthrown, Hartline had so badly beaten his man that it resulted in a 56 yard gain.

Of course some fans are disappointed that Tressel resorted to conservative play calling in the second half, but considering the lead, and the way the defense was playing, it made perfect sense.  And, even when MSU had eight in the box, Beanie was still getting tough first downs as the line did their best job of the year, so even if the Spartans hadn’t self destructed there was no way they were coming back in this one.

Now, before we get too excited let’s admit that it was one of those days when everything seemed to go Ohio State’s way.  Yes, the team made positive things happen, but MSU played terribly, and even when the Bucks made mistakes (such as Small’s fumble) the ball bounced their way.

So much for the analysis, let’s take a moment to hand out some well earned accolades for some excellent play:

-Malcolm Jenkins is flat out on his game, and looked like a Thorpe Award Winner, covering, tackling, intimidating, and forcing a huge fumble that led to a Thaddeus Gibson touchdown.

-James Laurinaitis was all over the field, and Hoyer will be seeing him in his dreams, or should I say, his nightmares.  For those of us calling for Baby Animal to be more aggressive and to hit with evil intentions, well this was a pretty good answer.

-Kurt Coleman closes like no safety in recent memory and hits like a ton of bricks.  He also made one of the most athletic interceptions I have ever witnessed. Wow!

-Beanie Wells is not 100% and can’t cut or accelerate the way he would like but I still wouldn’t trade him for any other runner in the nation.

-Ray Small, minus the fumble, was impressive returning punts, and special teams were special for the second week in a row.

-JT had a good game plan, and put Pryor in winning situations, something that had been lacking the week before.

Hats off to each of the above, as well as the entire team and staff!

Now, one negative comment (to make me feel better if nothing else):

Brandon Saine is done in my opinion.  Last year he came in like a lion, but he has become a lamb, literally afraid to hit the hole, and is absolutely useless at this point.  How someone with that much size and speed has digressed to this point amazes me, and I hope I am wrong, but I don’t ever see him being a Big 10 back.

Well, bring on Penn State.  The Nitany Lions are really good and the Bucks will need their “A” game, but at least they move into this showcase contest with confidence, and I have a feeling they may just pull it out!

Drew Thurman (8:40 pm)

Opinion #1: Terrelle Pryor is struggling, and changes need to happen.

My Opinion:

This one to me is fact and fiction. The fiction part of this has to do with Todd Boeckman. The locker room has been highlighted a lot on the boards and in the media, but Pryor is the answer for this team regardless of what complaints there are (AKA Hartline and Ballard). The offensive line is one of the major issues left on this team, and Boeckman behind a bad line would equal chaos.

With that said, changes need to happen for Terrelle and by the coaches. Pryor is holding onto the ball a lot, and seems to be very worried about making mistakes. Like I have said numerous times, I feel it starts with play calling. Any offensive playcaller would tell you that it is important to call plays that help a young quaterback's confidence. Ohio State has been terrible at this so far! We come out and run the ball a lot on first and second down, and then leave Pryor and the offensive line in predictable passing downs. There needs to be a lot more screens and slants called on first and second down to help Pryor get in a rhythm. A vertical passing game is not going to work with a young quarterback and a bad line. We need to see a lot more two and three step drops for Pryor!

Opinion #2: The wideouts have hurt the offense more than any other unit this year.

My Opinion:

I say fiction here. The offensive line has by far been the most under performing unit, but the wideouts are in a close second. Let's be honest, if the offensive line was doing there job the wideouts would be looking much better at this point. Against a very average Purdue defensive line, the Buckeyes gave up three sacks. If this doesn't change, our offense will continue to struggle.

I would like to see the attitudes of the wideouts improve a little bit. Robiskie and Hartline to me have looked as if they checked out on numerous occasions, and some of their dropped balls have been an indication of this. Add that to the fact that Hartline is rumored to be a cancer in the locker room, and you have a unit in an attitude funk.

Opinion #3: Tressel has lost this team.

My Opinion:

Whether you want to believe it or not, I feel there is some fact here. The statements made by Ballard and Beanie really have to make you wonder what is going on behind the scenes. People are saying we are losing the seniors, but neither of these young men are seniors. I think we have to realize that a lot of players are frustrated with the vanilla play calling, and have really started to grumble. It was one thing for the 02 team to play the way they did, but this offense is way too talented for this kind of offensive production. I don't agree with the bad attitudes or the statements to the press, but you have to feel for these guys. Some major changes need to be made, and unless Tressel makes those this could become a trend.  

Opinion #4: Penn State is the premiere team in the Big Ten.

My Opinion:

Fact. Let's face it, Daryll Clark and gang are the real deal. Anthony Morelli held this team back at quarterback, and the Nittany Lions look like they did under Michael Robinson again. There honestly is not a wide receiving unit that can compare to Butler, Williams, and Norwood in the Big Ten. Just when you figure out how to stop them you have to worry about Evan Royster on the ground. This team is scary, and they have weapons at many positions. I refuse to count the Buckeyes out on October 25th, but they have a mighty challenge ahead. Yes the game is at home, but we are in trouble unless the offense drastically improves.

This one to me is pretty easy to see at this point. If we don't beat them at our place, the Nittany Lions are running the table. I always hold out hope, but they have beaten down everyone they have played thus far!

Drew Thurman (7:15 pm)

The incredible 221 yards the offense put up against Purdue helped lead to one of the ugliest offensive performances I have ever seen. The defense and special teams led by Malcolm Jenkins had its swagger back, and played phenomenal unlike the stagnant offense. In a normal game we would be celebrating the 298 yards we held the Boilermakers to, but instead there is a feeling of frustration thanks to the offense.

This game was a simple issue of play calling. Yes, Pryor played a very poor game, but the playing calling has not helped the freshman gain confidence. It is easy to see that confidence is lacking right now while he holds on to the ball, is scared to make mistakes, and ends up taking terrible sacks. What have we done to help him build his confidence though? We never throw screens, slants, or have him bootleg. These are simple things that lots of play callers do to help their young quarterbacks gain confidence. The combination of terrible blocking and vanilla play calling has left the freshman phenom without the self-belief he needs to lead the offense.  

Tressel can call this "Big Ten Football" all he wants, but this style will not help us win against the stronger opponents. Our offense has to get better, and it starts with better play calling for Terelle Pryor. It's an easy equation: less predictability + creativity in the passing game = success for the offense and Pryor!

Check us out tomorrow for a full recap on the game

Drew Thurman (11:44 am)

Mascot: Boilermakers

Stadium: Ross-Ade Stadium (62,500)

Coach: Joe Tiller (124-87-1, 12th year at Purdue, 85-57)

2007 Record: 8-5 (Won Motor City Bowl over Central Michigan 51-48)

2008 Record: 2-3

Base Offense: Ace (3 Wideouts)

Base Defense: 4-3

Lettermen: Returning - 41, Lost - 23

Returning Starters: Offense - 6, Defense - 6, Specialists - 1

Stars: RB Cory Sheets, QB Curtis Painter, LB Anthony Heygood

Cheerleaders:

Notable Alumni:

Neil Armstrong - First man on the moon
Bob Griese - Hall of Fame quarterback and ABC announcer
Orville Redenbacher - Popcorn mogul
John Wooden - Legendary basketball coach
Drew Brees - NFL quarterback

Purdue Overview:

The Boilermakers come into Ohio Stadium on Saturday a very disappointed team. They have a 2-3 overall record, and have lost their last two games to Notre Dame (4-1) and Penn State (6-0). The schedule has been pretty tough so far for Purdue, but the only quality win they have is over Central Michigan (3-2).

The offense has been a frustrating part of the losses thus far, especially in the loss to Penn State when they had only 241 yards in the game. This left Tiller and company so frustrated that they actually benched senior quarterback Curtis Painter to play Joey Elliott. Painter is the leader of this offense though, and has already been named the starter against the Buckeyes. So far Painter has 1225 yards passing with five touchdowns and five interceptions. Painter is only completing 57.6 percent of his passes though, which is the lowest since his freshman year with the Boilermakers.

Painter has two main targets he will hit a lot at wideout in Desmond Tardy (393 yards, 2 TD) and Greg Orton (330 yards, 1 TD). Tardy is the man to watch with his average of 15.7 a reception. Painter will also hit a whole host of other targets including Keith Smith (198 yards, 1 TD) and running back Kory Sheets (139 yards, 0 TD). Look for Sheets to play a big role in this game running the ball as well. He is averaging just under 100 yards a game, and has 508 total rushing yards with eight touchdowns. If Sheets gets outside he can bust the long one at anytime.

More disappointing than their offense has to be the play of their defense. So far, the Boilermakers are letting opposing offenses average 435 yards a game against them. The worst part is their running defense which has given up 196 yards a game. It is also important to note that the Boilermaker defense has only forced six turnovers so far in five games.

With all that said, expect to hear the name of linebacker Anthony Heygood a lot in this game. He has 44 tackles on the season, a forced fumble, and a interception. The other two men to watch on the defense is safety Tori Williams (33 tackles) and linebacker Joe Holland (33 tackles).

Prediction:

On Saturday you are going to see a very upset and angry Boilermaker team. How much of the outcome this actually alters no one knows, but I think very little outside of a personal foul penalty or two. On offense the game plan will be very simple; run, run, and run it some more. If Beanie stays healthy watch him bust several long runs against a poor tackling Boilermaker unit. His health is important though with Boom Herron's absence this week! I also expect to see Terrelle Pryor exploit this defense on numerous levels. Look for him to run early, and then look for the open man down field while extending plays. Also watch for Robiskie and Hartline to get involved in a big way like they did against Minnesota. Pryor seems very comfotable in Ohio Stadium, and I think he has another big day in the Shoe on Saturday.

On defense I think the Buckeyes have to target Kory Sheets above everything else. He is the heartbest of the Boilermaker offense, and can bust a long play if the defense does not tackle well in space. Look for the Buckeyes to shut him down up the middle, but I expect some success for Sheets on pitches and screens. It will also be important not to give Curtis Painter any early success. He along with the Boilermaker offense are rattled thanks to the poor start to the season, and I think the Buckeyes will capitalize on that early. Look for the Buckeye defense to force several turnovers in this game.

Overall, I think the Buckeyes will come out strong at home in this game. Purdue will have some decent success with short slants and bubble screens in the first half, but then the Buckeye defense will make the adjustments and shut them down. This will also be a big day for Pryor and Wells. I expect the Buckeye offense to be around the 200 yard rushing mark against the Boilermakers, but don't count out the passing game. Either Robiskie or Hartline will have a day over a hundred yards and help balance the offense for Ohio State. This to me is a momentum game for the Buckeye before heading to East Lansing. I see it...

Final Score: Ohio State 35 Purdue 13