Dave Thurman (12:16 pm)

Thursday afternoon TSB asked five questions as we looked ahead to the opening night contest with Marshall.  Now it's time to look back at the game and search for some answers.

1) Terrelle Pryor showed improved mechanics and consistency - Without doubt the number one question on everyone's mind was whether or not Pryor would build on his big Rose Bowl performance and continue to improve as a pocket passer. Only the most cynical fan would fail to admit that Pryor is developing, based on his execution of the gameplan against Marshall.  It was night and day compared to the Navy game of a year ago.  Instead of thinking run first, Pryor calmly stood in the pocket, scanned the field, and patiently waited for receivers to get open.  He spread the ball around, and with the exception of one long pass to Posey, didn't seem to force anything.  Granted, this was against a weak secondary, with lots of time provided by an improved offensive line.  I am sure Terrelle will get flushed out of the pocket more next week and will have to use his legs and throw more on the run.  But for now, we can say that he is showing solid signs of improvement.

2) The secondary looked decent, but with a few chinks in the armor - The combination of losing some experienced players and dealing with injuries caused us to wonder how the last line of defense would look on opening night.  I though the starting corners played well, led by Chimdi Chekwa who showed no ill effects of his hamstring issues. I have yet to be impressed by Travis Howard, though, and wonder if someone will pass him up as the number three corner.  Safety continues to worry me.  We all know that Jermale Hines can play, but C.J. Barnett looked lost at times, and isn't very physical.  Hopefully Orhian Johnson will regain his health and solidify the strong safety spot.  Otherwise look for Jacory Harris to exploit the Buckeye secondary next week.

3) Jim Tressel called an excellent first game - We all know that the Sweater Vest can be conservative, especially in the opening game.  However, he came out throwing, similar to the Rose Bowl, and then mixed it up nicely, using a combination of running plays, play action, and first down passes.  It helps when you win the battle in the trenches, which was the case all night.  Still, I was impressed as there was plenty of diversity, which gives Miami a lot to think about, and yet JT held back enough, not showing his whole hand.  If I was to be picky I would question the second string offensive line coming in as early as they did (I would have liked at least one more score), and I would ask why Pryor was in the game in the fourth quarter.  I didn't like watching him run the ball and take a couple hard hits late in the game with a five touchdown lead.

4) Our new starters didn't stand out - We wondered about the new starters on defense, and they didn't exactly light it up.  Solomon Thomas did not get to the quarterback (except late for a 15-yard penalty) and overall he looked rather tentative.  Let's hope Nathan Williams is ready to go next Saturday.  Andrew Sweat didn't get to play a whole lot because Ohio State was using the "Star" against the Marshall spread, and only employed two linebackers most of the time.  Of course Tyler Moeller excelled at this hybrid "Star" position and had a marvelous night, returning from a career-threatening injury.  When Sweat was in the game he played fine.  And, as mentioned, Barnett didn't have a great night at safety, although he was usually in position to make plays. 

5) A few youngsters did stand out - I was watching all night to see which freshmen played and how they performed.  I was impreseed with the play of big Johnathan Hankins at defensive tackle, and he will earn more minutes as the year progresses.  Redshirt freshmen Jaamal Berry looked ultra quick when he entered the game in the fourth quarter, and it appears the running back depth is as good as advertised.  Another redshirt, Dorian Bell, had a huge hit on the opening kickoff which set the tone for the game. "Philly" Brown looked good on one punt return but dropped an easy pass from Joe Bauserman.   And, Andrew Norwell got quite a bit of time an offensive tackle, which is rare for a true freshman.  He didn't look bad, but was a little anxious and jumped early a couple of times.  Those were the ones that caught my eye. 

One final thought: A big topic of converstation all year will be the use of tight end Jake Stoneburner.  It seems a lot of money is riding on whether or not he catches at least 30 balls.  Drew and I have our own small wager, as I predicted 35 catches for Stoney and Drew says he won't quite reach 30.  It will be a fun topic of conversatation throughout the year, and on the first night Jake caught three balls, which is exactly what the Buckeyes need out of him to keep defenses honest. 

Drew Thurman (10:40 pm)

From the opening kickoff Marshall was playing catch up. Dorian Bell lit up Andre Booker, forcing and fumble that would be recovered by Nate Oliver. Four plays later, Pryor connected with DeVier Posey for a 6 yard touchdown pass, and the Buckeyes never looked back. When the dust settled, the offense had accumulated 529 total yards on the way to a 45-7 route of the Thundering Herd.

Here were storylines from tonight:

1) Terrelle Pryor, was obviously the big news of the night. Pryor picked up where he left off on Jan. 1 in the Rose Bowl, and showcased his ability to be a pocket passer. He looked comfortable, displayed improved mechanics and footwork, and for the most part was very accurate. Early on he lacked some touch on a few dump off passes and would later he have two arm punts that were begging to be intercepted, but besides that he was completely in rhythm. He completed 17 of his 25 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns.

2) Brandon Saine showed that he will be the man at running back this year, despite all the talent behind him. He had 103 yards (11.4 avg) and two touchdowns tonight, despite only getting nine carries. At the end of last year he really started to come into his own, and like Pryor, he picked up right where he left off. Early in his career Saine struggled with dancing in the backfield and lacking the vision to hit the hole, but as he showcased tonight that is no longer the case. He hits the hole fast, and when he gets through he has the top end speed to take it to the house. Tonight he had two runs over 40 yards, one of which went for a touchdown. I expect big things from him this year.  

3) Tyler Moeller made his comeback tonight, and was arguably the best defensive player on the field. The guy just goes after it on every play and doesn't seem to make many mistakes. Tonight he showed how completed his game really is. He displayed great pursuit sideline to sideline, he wraps up guys and doesn't miss tackles, and of course he flat brings it when he blitzes. His hit on Marshall quarterback Brain Anderson was just plain sick, and maybe the highlight of the night. With the Buckeyes thin at DE and the pass rush appearing to be a bit weak, Moeller's comeback could be huge!

4) As expected, Pryor has a ton of weapons to get the ball to. The big three tonight (and maybe for the rest of the season), were Dane Sanzenbacher (3 rec, 113 yards, 1 TD), DeVier Posey (4 rec, 41 yards, 2 TD), and Jake Stoneburner (3 rec, 41 yards). Yes, we can believe the hype, Stoney had three catches. Seriously though, nine different guys had a catch tonight and not one ball was thrown to Boren or Saine. It feels nice to options. 

5) The one real negative tonight was the special teams, especially the blunders in the first quarter. There were three to be exact: 1) a partially block extra point, 2) a big kickoff return, 3) and a block field goal returned for a TD all happened in the first quarter. Obviously, you can't have three special teams blunders in a game, much less a quarter against quality opponents. From Tressel's tone at halftime, it will be a focus over the next week.

6) Finally, Brian Rolle showed off his skills again. His interception and touchdown return was my favorite play of the game, showing the leader he has become on the field. He was playing like it was the super bowl tonight, gotta love his heart!

Well, there is a quick summary of tonight. Check us out tomorrow as my dad posts a much more thorough breakdown of the players and game in the morning. As for tonight, sleep well my friends. Football season is back, and the Buckeyes look sharp.

Drew Thurman (3:03 pm)

Hopefully you already checked out our weekly post, Know the Opposition, that gives you an in-depth look at the Marshall team that will be entering Ohio Stadium tonight. The one problem is that we don't really break down the Buckeyes in those posts, so we decided go a step further and highlight what to look for from the Scarlet and Gray. So here ya go, five things to watch tonight...

1) Will Terrelle Pryor showcase improved mechanics and consistent passing?

It's the question everyone is asking - Was the Pryor we saw in the Rose Bowl a fluke or the future? He will be under the microscope tonight, and rightfully so. For the Buckeyes to have a realistic shot at a championship run, Pryor needs to be a quarterback and not just an athlete. He needs to make the easy throws actually look easy, completing a higher percentage of passes. He doesn't need to be Peyton Manning out there, but he does need to become a quarterback. If fall practice was any indication, this transformation seems to be happening, but we need to see it in action. Tonight Pryor needs to show fans that the Rose Bowl wasn't a one time event. 

2) How does the secondary look?

A big concern heading into the season is the secondary. Those fears became even more of a reality as guys like Chekwa, Torrence, and Johnson have all been banged up in fall practice. Chekwa and Torrence both have hamstring problems, which could linger for the entire season. Not exactly a positive at a position that is all about speed. Tonight watch to see how well Chekwa and Torrence start and stop. The other big thing to take note of in the secondary is the battle at strong safety between C.J. Barnett and Orhian Johnson. Many believed that Johnson would take over the spot as he became healthy, but Tressel insisted this week that Barnett has been impressive. So watch to see who holds their own at SS.

3) How does Tressel call the game?

If we have learned anything the last few years, it's that Tressel doesn't really care about the final score if he wins. My fear is that Tressel won't want to reveal too much the week before Miami (FL) comes to town and calls a very vanilla game. I understand the strategy, but it would be nice if he opened up the offense tonight. Pryor needs confidence early this season, and on top of that, the passing game needs to be rhythm for the schedule ahead. Let's see what Tressel chooses to do...

4) What do Andrew Sweat and Solomon Thomas look like as a starters?

I won't lie, I was ready to see the Etienne Sabino show this fall. His total lack of respect for himself or any other player on the field during special teams made him one of my favorite players. Those inside the program all said that Sweat was the guy for the job though, and if he was healthy would be the starter at SLB. Well, this fall that became a reality. So, tonight we get our first look at Sweat as he starts alongside Homan and Rolle. He has great size and instincts, and in all reality could really round out the linebacking core well. So watch to see how Sweat performs under the lights tonight.

On the other hand, Solomon Thomas is only getting to start because of the injury to Nathan Williams. Thomas has yet to put things together in his career, despite having all the physical tools to be a big time player. If he is going to contribute, this is going to be his year. Defensive end is super thin and the Buckeyes need Thomas to play with intelligence and not just instincts. He very well could be one of the most important players to watch tonight.

5) What youngsters stand out?

The Buckeyes have a lot of young talent that finds itself in the two-deep. Many are unproven commodities, and tonight will be our first look at them in action. On the offensive line we have to watch Andrew Norwell. Tressel has guaranteed the second string line will get some reps together, which will give us a chance to see him. One of the big losses of the fall was Marcus Hall, and the Buckeyes will need to get some quality playing time out of Norwell down the stretch. On the defensive line we need to pay attention to the play of freshman Jonathan Hankins and redshirt freshman Adam Bellamy. The defensive line graduated some serious depth, and to make a run both these guys need to contribute.

Some other youngsters on the depth chart to watch include S Christian Bryant, CB Corey Brown, WR "Philly" Brown, and WR Chris Fields. This doesn't even include the young players who could see the field late in the game if the Buckeyes play the way they should. We then could get to see a player who could become a contributor down the stretch. A guy like Jaamal Berry or T.Y. Williams could go a long way to help their cause by making in big play tonight.

We got some new digs!

Here at The Silver Bullet we are coming up on three full years of doing this, and we were ready for a fresh look. The old design platform not only limited us, but just wasn't very visually appealing. So we wanted to go with something simpler and cleaner. We hope you like the complete site makeover, including our new logo. We have some more smaller tweaks coming to the site in the coming months. Also, please realize many of the older posts may have a few formatting issues since they were not designed for this platform.

Obviously, we chose to launch the new site for the start of the 2010 season. The Buckeyes finally take the field tonight at 7:30 PM ET on the Big Ten Network against Marshall. All the talk about the Nike Pro Combat jerseys and Big Ten divisional alignment seems to have distracted us all from what could be the most talented team in the Tressel era. But it's now the most exciting season of the year, as the Buckeyes hit the gridiron tonight! O-H-I-O!

Marshall Overview:

The one and only time the Buckeyes have ever faced the Thundering Herd was back in 2004, and the results were not pretty. After having four costly turnovers in the game, Nugent kicked a 55 yard field goal as time expired to lift the Buckeyes to a 24-21 victory.

The 2010 edition of the Buckeyes enter the season with much higher aspirations than the one who played Marshall in 2004. Not only that, but Marshall is in a much different place as it takes the field under first time head coach Doc Holliday. He brings lots of experience from being on staff at schools like West Virginia and Florida, but has his work cut out for him in year one. 

On offense, there was lots of optimism from Marshall fans as many expected Clemson transfer, Willy Korn, to lead them at quarterback. Korn was a huge recruit coming out of high school, but has had a rocky road since heading to college. That continued at Marshall as Holliday attempted to move Korn to safety, forcing Korn to again transfer to North Greenville University, a Division II program. That means senior and returning starter Brian Anderson will be taking the snaps under center. He hopes to improve on what was a very mediocre year in 2009, as he completed just 58 percent of his passes for 2,646 yards with 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

On the positive side for Anderson, Marshall does return three of their top four receivers from last year, including their leading receiver Antavious Wilson. He missed the last three games of the season with a torn ACL ('09), but still managed 724 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman. Obviously, those in Huntington have high hopes for the 6'0" 196 pound sophomore.

Other wideouts who might have their names called Thursday night include Aaron Dobson (362 yards, 4 TD), Chuck Walker (350 yards, 3 TD), and Wayne Bonner (89 yards, 0 TD). The biggest target outside of Wilson though, is tight end Lee Smith. He had 335 receiving yards a season ago, and many expect him to be the best TE in Conference USA in his senior season.  

At running back, the Herd have to replace Darius Marshall who rushed for 1,131 yards and 11 touchdowns last year. The starter named for Thursday is Andre Booker, a 5-10 178 pound sophomore. Booker saw limited touches in '09 and had just 73 yards. Behind him on the depth chart is Martin Ward (5-9 201 pounds). Ward was the second leading rusher last season with 393 yards and three touchdowns. Both guys will run behind an experienced line as the Herd return six guys with starting experience this season.

On defense, Marshall is looking to improve on what was a frustrating campaign a season ago. They gave up 372 yards and 24.3 points a game, but do bring back a lot of experienced players. The guy to watch is WLB Mario Harvey, a 1st Team C-USA player a year ago when he totaled 117 tackles and seven sacks. He is joined in the linebacking core by MLB Kellen Harris, who had a solid season last year as a sophomore.

The secondary could really struggle Thursday night, even more than it did at times last season. Their best player, cornerback DeQuan Bembry (2nd Team C-USA in '09) was kicked off the team by Holliday earlier this year after his third arrest in two years.

Game Outlook:

It's hard to know what to expect from Holliday in his first game with Marshall or even how the Buckeyes will come out on a Thursday night as a heavy favorite. Our guess is that it is a slow first quarter. The offense will put together some exciting plays, but won't get into a rhythm until the mid-2nd quarter. We all know Tressel won't fully unveil the offense in week one, especially with a showdown with the Hurricanes looming. He will give Pryor the chance to make some confidence throws to help with his comfort, but outside of that we expect a lot of carries from the stable of backs the Buckeyes have this season. So overall, just don't expect to wowed by the offense tomorrow night due to play calling. 

On defense, the Buckeyes are banged up. With Nathan Williams sidelined and Chimdi Chekwa limited, it will be interesting to see how cohesive this unit is in week one. We do know that Marshall probably won't be running the ball with any consistency. The Buckeyes have strong DT's in Larimore and Simon, and behind them sits the strength of the defense in linebackers Homan, Rolle, and Sweat. So Marshall's best bet is to air it out and test the very banged up and unproven Buckeye secondary. Our prediction is that Marshall will put up a surprise score early on, but won't score again until the second team defense is on the field. 

Let's hope we get to see some of the youngsters in the 4th quarter...

Father vs. Son Prediction Battle:

Dave: OSU 34-13
Drew: OSU 31-9

11W revealed the first look at the uniforms last night, but this is the first chance to the see them on a real person. The only part of the uniform that is not visible is the bronze star that is on the back of every helmet. This is definitely a nice way to honor the 1942 championship team, as these jerseys actually look similar to the originals (unlike the 1954 unis last year).  

Update - The Buckeye Blog has a great posted with more pictures of the uniform, and video of the press release announcement today.

Dave and Drew Thurman (8:03 am)

Thursday night around 7:30 PM, the pigskin will fly off the tee and the much anticipated 2010 season will finally begin.  Nobody knows for sure what all will take place, but here are a few predictions to sink your teeth into and ponder, and disagree with in the remaining hours before kickoff.

1. Terrelle Pryor will throw for over 2500 yards and 25 touchdowns, but finish second to John Clay in voting for Big Ten POY.

Pryor's mechanics and throwing ability is always going to receive some scrutiny, but his consistency will improve in 2010. Tressel has already given Pryor the green light to air it out more this season, and with the weapons around him these seem like very attainable numbers. As good as this year could be for Pryor though, we feel he falls short of the Big Ten POY. He simply has too many weapons around him, and we all know these honors go to guys who have to put the team on his shoulders all year long.   

2.  Either Jamaal Berry or Jordan Hall will take a kickoff to the house.

We just learned that Berry and Hall will be returning kickoffs, so expect some fireworks. The last few years have been pretty mediocre in terms on special teams, especially in the return game, and these two youngsters should provide a much needed spark.

3.  Despite all the good tailbacks in the backfield, Brandon Saine will separate himself from the pack and total over 1,200 yards of total offense.

Saine's versatility provides matchup nightmares for opposing defenses, as we learned last year. The Buckeyes have too many tailbacks for an 1,000 yard rusher in 2010, but Saine's hands out of the backfield will help him accumulate around 1,200 yards of total offense. It should be a great senior campaign for Saine.  

4.  Jake Stoneburner will NOT catch more than 30 balls this year.

Stoney is definitely going to make the tight end position relevant again in Columbus, but there are simply too many talented playmakers on offense. Our guess is that he is a two catch a game guy, which would leave him just shy of the 30 reception mark.

5.  Ohio State will receive the first half kickoff in every game but one.

Yes, we all know Tressel's strategy - he likes to get the ball first. Most opposing coaches have no problem with this, most probably think he is partially insane. There always seems to be one coach who wants to outsmart Tressel and take the ball first, like it's the key to the Buckeye game plan. Typically it's a desperate coach like Ron Zook. Mark it down, it will happen! 

6.  The linebacking corp will be talked about in November as possibly the best in the NCAA.

Rolle and Homan may be two of the most underrated linebackers in the country, especially Homan. That's going to change this season. While the d-line was the strength on the defense a year ago, the linebacking core will be carrying the Buckeye defense in '10. Get ready for lots of accolades for Homan, Rolle, and Sweat come November. 

7. Scott McVey will cause a concussion - either to himself or an opponent - while covering a kickoff.

The Buckeyes always seem to have one special teams gem every season who has bad intentions. Our man this year is Scott McVey. He isn't the biggest or fastest out there, but all the reports is that he flat knows how to hit. We are look forward to some big collisions!

8.  DeVier Posey will be the first Buckeye receiver to surpass 1,000 yards since Michael Jenkins in 2002.

This isn't going to be an easy task because Pryor has so many different weapons, but Pryor obviously favors Posey. On top of that, Pryor will be throwing the ball a lot more this season. No. 8 should be on the receiving end of a lot of those balls, and why not, he is arguably the most complete Buckeye receiver in Tressel's tenure.

9.  The Buckeyes will lose one game on the road, and tie for the Big Ten title, again finishing 12-1.

The Buckeyes play at Wisconsin and Iowa, and we don't think they escape both of those. We aren't trying to be pessimistic, we just respect the Big Ten that much this year. Losing at Kinnick Stadium would be a tough blow though because it could be the difference in a Rose Bowl/National Championship appearance or not. 

10. Jim Tressel will once again NOT be selected as Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Tressel has been victim of high preseason expectations. The Buckeyes have been conference favorites almost every year during his tenure, allowing many to minimize his coaching efforts. We would like to think that this will finally be the year he gets the credit he deserves, but we aren't holding our breath. There seems to be a conspiracy!

Drew Thurman (9:02 pm)

It's game week! Of course that means we finally start getting some of our questions answered. Tressel had his first press conference of the season earlier this afternoon and it gave us a lot to chew on.

1) The big news that Tressel revealed was that Nathan Williams will be out for the Marshall game, with Solomon Thomas starting in his place. While there is no reason for panic (and this was expected), the depth on the defensive line is a big question mark heading into the season. The latest depth chart revealed that Adam Bellamy will be backing up Cameron Heyward at the other DE spot. I like Bellamy and his potential at DT, but we all know the guy will never be a defensive end. You also have a true freshman in Jonathan Hankins in the two-deep at defensive tackle. Now with the news about Williams, you have to wonder if the defensive line really has the depth to duplicate last season.

2) We also got some answers about the secondary today. Chimdi Chekwa (hamstring) is questionable for the Marshall game, further adding to the list of injuries on defense. At the other corner spot, Devon Torrence (hamstring) should be good to go this Thursday night. Also, Tressel made it clear that C.J. Barnett didn't just jump Orhian Johnson on the depth chart at safety because of Johnson's injury. He says Barnett has been very impressive this fall and there will be good competition there in the future.

3) There are tons of fans out there wondering how Jordan Hall and Jaamal Berry are going to get involved this fall. Saine and Herron are going to get the bulk of the carries, at least initially, and the youngsters have too much talent not to see the field. Well, Tressel revealed that both Hall and Berry will be handling kickoff returns Thursday night. We all know the return woes in recent years, so this is very pleasant news.

4) We also learned that Tressel will continue to be "The Senator." He refused to speak much on the UM/OSU game being moved, and wanted to talk solely about the game against Marshall. He did said that it has not been a distraction to the team thus far, but it's obvious he is doing his best to keep it that way. Some would like to see Tressel make more of a stand though.

For full notes from Tressel's press conference, click here.