Drew Thurman (12:56 pm)

The rain and snow didn't show up in Champaign as predicted, but the Buckeyes rushing attack sure did. The game was an old fashion Big Ten showdown that included cold weather, a loud crowd, and a lot of running. Here were a few of the things I saw:

Turnovers/ Mistakes: Illinois showed how turnover prone they are in yet another game this season. On the Illini's second drive Juice cough up a fumble that would get the Buckeyes going on offense. Later in the first quarter Malcolm Jenkins would block a punt that would lead to not only a safety, but a Buckeye scoring drive. The Illini then put together an impressive drive that would be stopped short by a Kurt Coleman interception on the 12 yard line. That interception led to another Buckeye touchdown, helping to open up a 23-7 lead. These three plays would be the turning point in the game that allowed the Buckeyes to play more conservative in the second half.

Running Frenzy: The Illini and Buckeyes combined for an amazing 519 rushing yards in the game. Dufrene, Williams, and Ford looked good for the Illini, but they were no match for Beanie and Pryor. Beanie had a solid 24 carries for 143 yards and a touchdown, and gave ESPN the highlight of the game when he leaped over an Illini defender. Pryor was also superb on the ground with 110 yards and a touchdown.

Referees: Somehow the refs keeping adding to the drama in these Big Ten games. There were several questionable spots and calls throughout the game going both ways. First, I was shocked they did not review Beanie's fumble. I am not sure the angles they gave on the television, but the one we got in the stadium made it look as if he was down. They also had a questionable personal foul call on the only pass Ohio State threw in the entire second half. That call kept the Buckeye drive alive, and helped produce the "boo birds" for the next eight or ten plays. The Illini fans were ticked!

Unlikely Heroes: The Buckeyes had a few guys that came up big on Saturday. The first had to be Tyler Moeller who replace the injured Jermale Hines. I was very worried about losing Hines because he is the best player the Buckeyes have against the spread, but Moeller looked very good in his absense. I am guessing he earns so more PT after that performance. The other man was Boom Herron. His statistics were not mind blowing because of some garbage carries late when they knew the Buckeyes were running, but I really like how quick he hit the hole. His touchdown run was a thing of beauty!  

Defense???: It was a very weird game for the Buckeye defense. Giving up 455 yards will give Tressel and Heacock something to chew the team out about, but I really was not to disappointed with the way they looked. First, they forced turnovers in key situations. Our defense in years past has been bad in the turnover department, but this defense has forced a ton of them this season. I also liked our strategy on Juice. Last year the defense sat back on its heels, but on Saturday they kept Juice off balance all day. They blitzed him a ton, and had Marcus Freeman spying him at linebacker. I still get frustrated with how the spread rips up the defense at times, but on Saturday they did enough for the victory.

Trenches: The Bucks beat the Illini in the trenches all day long. Neither of the lines have been spectacular this season, but the last four or five games they really have fought hard. The defensive line got lots of pressure on the quarterback, and the offensive line blocked well even when the Illini knew the run was coming (the whole 2nd half). I got to give these guys some props for fighting hard on Saturday!

MICHIGAN WEEK: As soon as Carmen Ohio was finished in the corner of Memorial Stadium everyone's focus headed to "The Game" this weekend. In fact a guy right in front of me said "It's officially Michigan week," as soon as he finished the O-hi-o. For many around the nation the Michigan-Ohio State game might not mean as much this season, but we as fans know it means just as much. It's time for "Dick Rod" and the boys to get beat down in the Horseshoe this Saturday!

Some Good Links:

Eleven Warriors- Hitting Rewind: Offense vs. Illinois

ESPN - Ohio State finds identity in final act

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!

Drew Thurman (12:43 pm)

The Big Ten conference has been very confusing and hard to predict this season. I am not sure anyone thought Wisconsin and Michigan would find themselves at the bottom of the conference at this point in the season. Here is what the standing look like right now:

1) Penn State:  9-0 (5-0)
2) Michigan State:  8-2 (5-1)
3) Ohio State:  7-2 (4-1)
4) Northwestern:  7-2 (3-2)
5) Minnesota:  7-2 (3-2)
6) Illinois:  5-4 (3-3)
7) Iowa:  5-4 (2-3)
8) Indiana:  3-6 (1-4)
9) Purdue:  3-6 (1-4)
10) Michigan:  2-7 (1-4)
11) Wisconsin:  4-5 (1-5)

Here at The Silver Bullet, we were not much better than anyone else at predicting the standings. I checked out our Big Ten Predictions from July, and this is what they looked like (my predictions for Minnesota and Iowa are pretty hilarious!):

 Dave:
1) Ohio State
2) Wisconsin
3) Illinois
4) Penn State
5) Michigan State
6) Michigan
7) Iowa
8) Purdue
9) Minnesota
10) Northwestern
11) Indiana

Drew:
1) Ohio State
2) Wisconsin
3) Penn State
4) Illinois
5) Michigan State
6) Michigan
7) Purdue
8) Northwestern
9) Indiana
10) Iowa
11) Minnesota

So, what do the next few weeks hold for the Big Ten? No one knows! The Big Ten is down for sure though, and the standing show that the conference has some work to do to get back on top!

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! 

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 (11:59 am)

The seniors in this class have been through a lot together. The highs of never losing to Michigan, beating Texas at home, and smoking Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. They have also seen the lows of the two losses in the National Championship against Florida and LSU, and the blow out at USC this fall. It has been a roller coaster ride thus far for these seniors, and they have given us a lot of excitement and a lot of frustration. The funny thing is, that is exactly how the class is made up as well. There have been many individuals that have suprised us with their development, but we have also witnessed several guys that have never become what they were hyped to be. So even though the season is not over, let's take a look...

Overachievers:

1) James Laurinaitis: Laurinaitis came in as an average three star linebacker from Plymouth, Minnesota. We quickly found out that he was anything but average. He played in all 12 games as a true freshmen behind Bobby Carpenter, and would end up replacing Carpenter in the Michigan and Notre Dame games due to Carpenter's broken ankle. He won the Nagurski Award as sophomore with 115 tackles for the Buckeyes, and then won Butkus Award as a junior with 121 tackles. He is an All-American, who obviously overacheived from day one.

2) Brian Robiskie: Like Laurinaitis, Robiskie was not a star recruit on paper for the Buckeyes. He in fact was a two star wideout coming out of high school, and many wondered why we were recruiting him. Four years later, we have to wonder where the wide receiving unit would be without him. His sophomore year he started to make a statement with 383 yards and five touchdowns. Then last season he took over the unit with 55 receptions for 935 yards, and 11 touchdowns. This season has started slow for Robiskie, but there is no doubt he has overacheived.

3) Malcolm Jenkins: Jenkins came to the Buckeyes as an unknown three star defensive back from Piscataway, New Jersey. Jenkins put himself on the map early on with appearances in 10 games as a freshman with 37 tackles. Since then, Jenkins has become one of the premiere cornerbacks in college football. Jenkins shuts down almost everyone he lines up against, and has added a lot of attitude to the defense. Not many expected Jenkins to have the career he has at Ohio State.

Others in this category:

Curtis Terry
Steve Rehring
Brandon Smith

Disappointments:

1) Jamario O'Neal: The Glenville Pipeline has been quite generous to the Buckeyes throughout the Tressel Era. When "Super Jamario" came in, many thought he was the next great Tarblooder to play for the Buckeyes. As a five star defensive back, many had high hopes for his future. It has  been a bumpy road for Jamario though. Things looked up for him during his sophomore season when he took over the starting job at safety and recorded 30 tackles for the Buckeyes. The National Championship game against Florida started his downfall though, as Jamario was exposed in coverage multiple times. Since then, he has played a very small role in the Buckeyes defensive backfield. He is huge player that can come up and make the big hit, but he always struggled in passing schemes.

2) Maurice Wells: Wells was a top running back his senior season coming out of the state of Florida with 5,955 career rushing yards and 55 touchdowns. In fact, Wells played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl as a senior. Despite the impressive high school statistics, he has struggled playing for the Buckeyes. Some of it has been play calling, but the Buckeyes have never really been able to use Wells' speed on the outside. He has struggled breaking tackles from day one, and has really never lived up to the hype. He has been a hard worker though, and has never complained!

Did What We Expected:

1) Alex Boone: Boone came in as one of the prize recruits in the 2005 recruiting class. He started in the U.S. Army All-American game as a senior, and many were excited for his future at Ohio State. Now in his senior year, Boone has had great moments and some alright moments. Boone has honestly not been the next Orlando Pace, but he has been a very solid player. The Buckeyes will definitely miss him at left tackle next year! With his size and athleticism, he has a bright NFL career ahead.

2) Marcus Freeman: Freeman was a high ranked (4*) linebacker coming out Huber Heights, Ohio. His career looked to be slowed down in his second year as a Buckeye with a knee injury, but Freeman is now having his third solid year after that injury. As redshirt sophomore he had 71 tackles, and then last season he broke out with 109 tackles. Freeman has always been a great athlete at the outside linebacker spot, and probably does not get as much media attention as he should. Freeman has lived up to everything we had hoped! 

Others in this category:

Rory Nicol
Ben Person
Nadar Abdallah
Todd Boeckman