Wanted: Forward Pass

OSU went 1/4 passing

It’s amazing what one win can do for your psyche in this kind of a season. Food has tasted better this week, it has seemed brighter outside (which is hard to do considering the amount of rain that has fallen over northern Ohio) and I have generally been nicer to those around me. All of this because of a football game. It’s hard to explain to those outside of our OSU fanatic niche how much a football team can mean but it really is one of the most important things in my life. As long as family, friends and my job are all humming along as expected, football is pretty much the next item on the list. I guess what I am trying to say is.. THANK GOD WE F’N WON A GAME! I was beginning to think I might never feel this way again in 2011.

The Buckeyes had been playing uninspired and sloppy football for the last couple of weeks which added two more losses to the one already collected in South Beach a month ago. If you’re counting at home, that is 3 freakin’ losses only half way through the year. Under normal circumstances that is like two years worth of losses. Unfortunately this season is anything but normal and OSU desperately needed a win in Champaign to get that Herpes B infected monkey off their back (too soon?). I think we all expected some growing pains this year but nobody predicted the horror show err... offensive production witnessed thus far.

Ohio State Planning "Scarlet Out" Against Wisconsin

Wouldn't this look nice?

The Horseshoe is hosting one of the best teams in the country on the 29th, and they want Buckeye Nation to come well prepared for Ohio State to knock off the Badgers. It appears Ohio State is trying to form another "Scarlet Out" for the homecoming game, and honoring Eddie George at halftime. Of course, don't forget that this is the game that Ohio State is wearing their Nike Pro Combat Uniforms, which honors the 1961 football team. From the story:

"While things may turn black and blue on the field when these two heavyweights collide in a key Big Ten Conference Leaders Division matchup, the color of choice in the stands will be the prominent school color scarlet. The Ohio State Department of Athletics is encouraging all fans to dress warm, but to dress scarlet to show your pride for the team and to display a unity that only 100,000-plus fans clad in scarlet can accomplish. 

The Ohio State vs. Wisconsin game is the 2011 Ohio State Homecoming Game. This year’s game will mark the 90th Homecoming in school history." 

Recap: Ohio State 17, Illinois 7

The return of Boom was huge

The Ohio State Buckeyes (4-3, 1-2) upset the Illinois Fighting Illini (6-1, 2-1) 17-7 on Saturday after an impressive showing of defense and pounding the Illini front line for big runs. The return of Dan "Boom" Herron was key in this game as he rushed for 114 yards on 23 carries. The Buckeyes also relied heavily on the defense, which turned out to be a not so bad idea. The defensive stance of this game was great, and although the offense was ridiculous, the defense was on it's game after the debacle in Lincoln.

The Silver Bullets forced 3 turnovers, two of which set up the Buckeyes' touchdowns, while Braxton Miller threw only 4 passes. Only one of those were complete, but the completion was a big deal, as it resulted in a 14 yard touchdown pass to Jake Stoneburner, to just about seal the deal on the upset and give the Buckeyes a 17 point lead. The passing game was very quiet in this game, as the first pass wasn't even thrown until the 7:22 mark of the second quarter. The touchdown pass was completed at the 13:06 mark of the 4th. Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase was 20/34 for 169 yards, with two interceptions, and 1 touchdown that was thrown to Evan Wilson late in the game to stop the shut out.

Another reason the Buckeye defense did so well? Bradley Roby and the rest of the Buckeye secondary played well, and stopped Scheelhaase's #1 target: A.J. Jenkins. Roby said during the week that Jenkins was "nothing special". At the time, Jenkins was averaging 135.8 yards a game, and in this game, often covered by Roby himself, only had 80 yards and 8 catches. That may not sound too bad, but they were catches that didn't really affect the drives all that much. Illinois senior tailback Jason Ford left the game in the 3rd quarter with an injured left shoulder after a big hit on a first down carry. He finished with 30 yards on six carries.

Bye Week: Good or Bad

With no BYE, these players get more reps in game

Bye weeks or “open dates” in college football are an interesting topic of conversation. Interestingly, it is not uncommon for OSU to play 12-13 consecutive without a bye. There are both pros and cons to a team having a bye week in their schedule. First I will take a look at the positives of having an open date. 

With having 1 or 2 bye weeks per season, along with the new Big Ten Championship Game, OSU and other teams in the Big Ten will likely be playing into December. Extending the season this far puts the Big Ten on par with the other conferences who also play late into the fall, a clear benefit to bye weeks. Another positive to the bye week, especially when they are scheduled later in the season, allows injured players to have a chance at becoming healthy and strong enough to play before the season is complete. Obviously during a 12-week season, many players get dinged up; having extra weeks during which these players can get healthy and strong enough to re-join the team for a championship push is beneficial.

Make Your Picks: Week 10

Our winners last week were Brady, Danny, and I. SBB participated, earning his first victories. That still leaves a three way tie for the overall records.

Last Week's Records:
Ian: 4-1
SBB: 3-2
Brady: 4-1
Danny: 4-1

Overall Records:
Danny: 8-2
Ian: 8-2
Brady: 8-2
SBB: 3-2

#4 TCU vs. #8 Utah
Ian: TCU
SBB: TCU
Brady: TCU
Danny: Utah

#5 Alabama vs. #12 LSU
Ian: Bama
SBB: Bama
Brady: Bama
Danny: Bama

#10 Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M
Ian: Oklahoma
SBB: Oklahoma
Brady: Oklahoma
Danny: Oklahoma

#15 Arizona vs. #13 Stanford
Ian: Stanford
SBB: Stanford
Brady: Stanford
Danny: Arizona

#3 Boise State vs. Hawaii 
Ian: Boise State
SBB: Boise State
Brady: Boise State
Danny: Boise State

Silver Bullet Points: Bye week edition

- Rest those weary bones- The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for the Buckeyes. OSU is battered and bruised and really could use the time to rest. Many people, Jim Tressel included, aren’t thrilled about taking a week off in the middle of the season. I suppose the fear of ruining chemistry or throwing off timing are the major concerns JT has. Usually I would agree with that assessment but this team needs to get some of their playmakers back on the field.

Andrew Sweat has done a fine job filling in for Ross Homan but we will need the talented middle linebacker back on the field for the late season push. The run defense will have to be at its’ best with Evan Royster (assuming the talented Royster shows up) coming to town next weekend. Iowa also boasts a dangerous backfield that the Buckeyes will have to deal with in the near future. From all the reports I have read recently, Homan is questionable for the Penn St. game. If he isn’t 100% for PSU, I say keep him on the sideline. The nittany lions haven’t been world beaters this year and the Buckeyes should be able to get by without him. I can’t say the same thing with a straight face for the trip to Iowa City the following week. OSU will need a healthy Homan for that one.

- Michigan stuff- Living in Northwest Ohio can be perplexing at times. I am pretty sure that we are still within Ohio state lines but you wouldn’t know it by walking around. Sure there are plenty of OSU supporters but Michigan and Notre Dame gear are quite prevalent around here which angers me to no end. Unfortunately, two of my best friends are supporters of TTUN which leads to many spirited debates. Lately we have been discussing the train wreck that is the Michigan defense. I can’t believe it has gotten that bad this fast. As little as five years ago, I remember being terrified for Ohio St. to play against a Michigan defense… definitely ten years ago.