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| You could say Brutus was happy |
The Buckeyes bounced back in their fourth game of the season, as they took on the Buffaloes of Colorado. After suffering their first loss to the hands of the Hurricanes (Who got beat the next weekend by undefeated Kansas State), Luke Fickell and the coaching staff finally decided to start true freshman quarterback Braxton Miller. For Buckeye fans across the nation, it was finally Miller's time to shine, and we would get to see how a whole playbook would look like under his reins. A solid 37-17 win showed a couple of things from the offense, as well as the defense. While the win may not have looked so grand on the television, the fact of the matter is that Ohio State scored 20 more points than the Buffaloes, with a freshman quarterback with no real playing experience other than a couple designed runs against Miami, one of which ended in a turnover.
This week might prove to be will be a real Big Ten test for the Buckeyes, who are headed into conference play with a 3-1 (0-0) record. Starting off for Ohio State they meet the Michigan State Spartans in the 'Shoe. After that, they travel to Lincoln to take on the new-comers to the B1G, Nebraska. For now, though, they have to set their sights on MSU, and to do that, they'll have to improve on some things from the Colorado game. With that, let's take a look at what went right and wrong for the Buckeyes on Saturday.
What Went Right
- Change is a good thing: Luke Fickell and the staff not only put in Braxton Miller. They moved Tyler Moeller more into a linebacker-type role instead of a safety look, and took him off the field in long passing situations. The change showed instantly, as Moeller blew up the very first two plays the Buffaloes ran, and it felt good to have the Moeller we all know and love back. Starting Jordan Hall was an obvious change, but Fickell also stuck with Hyde as the back up. Add a little bit of Berry in there, and you've got yourself a stable.
- Defense stays stout: While Tyler Moeller played well, John Simon and the rest of the Silver Bullets didn't make it any easier on the Colorado defense. Think about it: Their best two plays for touchdowns were lofty balls over the middle-top of the defense, and while that's certainly not good, it also showed that nothing else was there, and was more out of desperation. Travis Howard had a little bit of difficulty with coverage, but he stayed consistent on tackles, as did Bradley Roby.
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| Ready to take snaps against the Big Ten? |
- Braxton Miller shows improvement: Over only 1 week of practice (being known as the starter) and 1 whole game, Miller only solidified what I was thinking: This guy has a high ceiling of talent. While only going 5/13 for 83 yards, he did have 2 great passes. Both of which went for touchdowns to Devin Smith, another freshman phenom that is making noise, and quickly becoming a leader and fan favorite. Braxton's running ability and elusiveness is outstanding, plus, add the fact that after fumbling against the Hurricanes just a week ago, Braxton was seen many times having two hands on the ball, as soon as he hit the hole, or defenders were near. Not to mention his running is perhaps better than former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith's. Of course, Smith had the passing numbers to help back it up, but since Miller is a freshman, that's at least another 3 years of time to refine his skill.
What Went Wrong
- Getting Tired/Lazy: I can't really blame the defense, but the two touchdowns that Colorado managed seemed to come more from laziness or just plain being tired. That can't happen anymore, and while it wasn't ok then, it's a definite no-no now, due to the Big Ten schedule coming into play. If we want to see the Buckeyes compete, we need a strong defense the whole way, and that means having the endurance to withstand the pain of big backs, and long arms.
- Pretty Nice Day: Other than that, I can't really get on this Ohio State team. They came out with fresh start, and a new quarterback, and now head into the Big Ten schedule that's so important to this team's chances of success at any level. Colorado is nowhere near the same level as Miami, or Michigan State, so the Buckeyes need to be ready.
