DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Thee Ohio State Thread

J/C ...... It's funny. I remember a few years ago, when people loathed and despised Luke Fickell. Now, he's the best assistant coach on the staff for a lot of people.

I think that the offense will turn things around. It seemed like the coaches put players on offense into uncomfortable situations early on, and I wonder if that was intentional, or not? Maybe certain players were thinking too highly about themselves, and needed a humbling moment? Then the game got too close .... and they couldn't get back to their normal level of production?

I'm not worried about the offense figuring things out.


It's Urban Meyer. One of the greatest coaches of all time. He will figure it out. We've also got too much talent on offense to NOT figure things out. I've been very impressed and happy with how the defense has performed though.

Toledo's coach said something intriguing the other day. He said something to the effect that he'd be scared if his team was clicking on all cylinders at this point in the season. Said it's much better when you have areas that need work, get better each week so it all comes together in the stretch run.

Oh I think they did a fine job and got it right... I also get that it's a business, people want to CONSUME college football and there is nothing you can do to prevent people from coming up with ranking systems, it's going to happen whether you want it to or not...

This needs to be said, Aldophus Washington has been an absolute animal. I think we all knew he'd have success moving inside, but damn. He's been an absolute force.

Also, don't be shocked if we line up 90% of the next game in the pistol and give Zeke 30+ carries and try to beat WMU to the ground.

I'm shocked OSU hasn't already done that to Hawaii and NIU.

Makes two of us...

They're testing things in their offense. Hawaii, NIU and others allow them to be able to try new things. Once we get into B1G play we'll see more of the domination that we're accustomed to seeing.

j/c: Kinda---

--I have noticed A. Washington standing out in all three games. He's been better than Bosa. So has Lee. That is NOT a knock on Joey.

--I hope we work on gaining an identity. I think we might have too much offensive talent and we are trying to get everyone involved. I get that, but man, I think that when you spread yourself out so thin and don't have an identity, you are out-thinking yourself.

--CHS, I would agree w/you, but we could have easily lost the NIU game. Easily. You do not experiment late in close games. Make sense?

Agree with everything you said Vers. Bosa has been phenomenal against the run, but Aldophus has been our best player this season. He's an absolute monster in the middle right now. We do have too much talent. We've got no chemistry in the passing game because of it. We tried to get 9 different people involved in the passing game. That's way too much.


Just go into the pistol and run all game. Then play action bomb to Michael Thomas. Last year we let guys emerge into studs. This year it's like we're trying to manufacture them.

I love reading your posts about college football. You have a really good take and your obviously do a lot of research that helps educate us all.

Keep it up, man. I, for one, appreciate your expertise.

I get the feeling that someone in the next few weeks is getting 70 dropped on them. I think we're all waiting on things to click.

I really wonder if Urban Meyer was truly torn on this QB situation. I mean that is a BRUTAL decision to have to make. One kid stepped in when things looked all but finished, and got you to the post season, while the other put up the best 3 game stretch of any quarterback in the history of that university.

He's going to bench Cardale, I think we all know it's inevitable. It will be best for the team. I just hope Cardale adjusts his attitude towards it, because you never know, as we all found out last year. I know some tried to make the argument that Meyer used 2 QB's at Florida, but anyone who watched that team knows that's not exactly true. The first championship in which Meyer beat OSU, that was Leak's team, and Meyer had a package for Tebow near the goal line. They weren't switching off possessions and he certainly wasn't benching guys after bad throws.

The quicker he makes this decision, the better for the whole team.

I don't know, man. Just speculating. No proof to back this up. Here is what I "maybe" think:

--I think Urban convinced Braxton that changing positions was in his best interests to make it in the NFL. I think he used Harvin as an example.

--I think Urban wanted to go w/Jones as the starter this year and have him drafted high in the first round.

--I think Urban told JT that he would be the qb next year after Cardale left and that he would also get some playing time this year.

Not saying I am right.............it's just my take.

Thank you. There's a LOT of intelligent college football fans on here besides me. I won't name them all because I'll probably fail to mention someone.


Sperg I agree with you. It's only a matter of time before someone has to experience the full potential of this offense. One thing that's a fact about Urban since he's been here: he has a old school mentality, but applies new school techniques and ways to accomplish it. He full heartily realizes the importance of running the ball and stopping the run. He just does it differently. At Florida he used Tebow. At OSU he uses Carlos Hyde and Zeke. His passing attacks evolved because of play action off of the threat of running the ball.

Could be, I can't see a head coach of any football team looking that far ahead, but who knows. College coaches get the freedom to really lock down information. He doesn't have to go Belichick up there and just mumble his way through a presser. The media in college sports is usually controllable.

If there is a silver lining, this is two weeks in a row where the defense knew the offense was struggling, and has stepped up their game. Obviously they aren't playing a top tier offense, but there were plenty of times last year where this defense gave up points when they shouldn't have. That is a really good sign. I don't think it's in Urban's nature to try and take this team and make them some new version of Tressel's '02 Buckeyes, so going forward when Ohio State starts scoring more, and we're playing better competition, the defense will be tested because obviously the opponents are going to have to be more agressive.

There is nothing pretty about the offense though. It's unbelievable that they did as well as they did on Labor Day.

Ahhh................No, I meant that is what he "sold" to each of the three prospective qbs.

Yeah, I mean if he did that, I think that's dumb. I really hope that wasn't the case. I think maybe laying it out as a plan and not so much a deal or a promise would sound a lot better. Like if he had pulled Barrett into his office and layed out the idea of Cardale this year and Barret next.

But if you think about it, that may not be the case since both guys played in the Hawaii game. It seemed planned and not reactionary like it was on Saturday.

Virginia Tech Cardale plays until late when game is out of hand. Hawaii it seemed like the plan was to get both in. Northern Illinois it seemed like it was going to be all Cardale until he made two awful throws.

That really makes me feel like he didn't know where to go with the decision. Maybe he figured it would have worked itself out and someone would have emerged as a clear starter. They're really lucky that Michigan State is pretty late in the season this year. They aren't ready to play them.

But we weren't. The stadium knew we were just going to win. It didn't really feel like a losing game. In a game that highlights individual performances, hubris tends to run high. It's very evident that they're still trying to be cute than smart. And let them. They're a much better team than NIU. Teams would eventually run these 3 man fronts against us and blitz the outside. Let's look at it and adjust on teams who are not in the upper echelon of talent like us.

At the end of the day they could have pummeled NIU. NIU ran a 3-3-5 and blitz heavily from the outside, but still changing the blitzers. We could have ran it right under the center and through that middle, but we didn't. We focused on being cute and trying to run to the outside. It's the smart thing to do.

We were so far ahead of the polls that we could still win a close one and be a safe #1. We're going to watch this tape and begin adapting to these 3-3-5 fronts. Better to do it now and get ready to see how teams start attacking us before Michigan State is breathing down our throat.

The fact of the matter is our OC hasn't even moved to the press box. We're still play calling from the sideline. We're not in any danger yet.

I get what CHS is saying. I feel like we're just experimenting right now. It's gonna take a monumental effort to beat Ohio State. We've seen OSU play ugly football and still win comfortably. Even if we're losing late, I will always feel like we've got the players to win at the end. Having elite level talent + elite level coaching can calm your nerves to say the least.

Feeling like you can pull off an upset and actually doing it are 2 different things.

Cardale starts Saturday.

Kinda surprised.

Me too.

I'm hoping it means we're going to actually run the ball with some power.

One thing that helped Cardale last year... he was plugged into an Offense that was already rolling...

With more of the Pro style offense they run.. I'm wondering if they want Cardale to gain the experience to move to the next level.

Now that there's a named starter... I feel Cardale will get the Offense rolling.... Got to get the coaches to step up

Every report I have read this week seems to indicate that Cardale is going to remain the starter and that the offense is going to be transitioning more towards back to what we did in the playoffs last season when Cardale had so much success with.

http://youtu.be/ueLiJOJBxi8

I watched the runs on this clip and hope we look like THAT team. They physically assaulted Oregon and Alabama. No more of this cute gimmicky crap we've been running. If we look like THAT team, Western Michigan will be done before the 1st quarter is over.

One thing missing in the last two games that was in the previous 4 was Jones running on first down. Designed runs for 3-5 yards. Really helps set up the rest of the posssession.

Hope you guys are right. I would have went w/JT.

I probably would have to. Just have to trust Urban Meyer here.

I would have also. I think that his skills are more well rounded as QB.

I support the Cardale decision for the sole fact that JT just hasn't been much better.

I don't support the fact that they seem okay benching one for the other and repeating the process game in and game out. Urban, IMO, needs to handle that better.

biggest problem is Tom Herman left as OC !

+1

I think that is a huge problem, too.

Sperg said he trusts Urban. I don't like the decision, but I gotta trust Urban, too. He has won multiple championships. The coaching job he has done at Ohio State has been magnificent.

I don't trust all of the guys that lead the Browns, but I gotta give it up for Urban. He is a proven winner.

Still wish he would have went w/JT.....LOL........but, Urban is the man!

Same, Urban has earned our trust to say the least.

Prediction for the game: We look like the physical bully ball OSU team that won the national championship last year. I don't think we score more than 50, but that's because we'll be more focused on running the ball all game come hell or high water.

I hope you are right.

GO BUCS!

WMU is about to get an azz beating

so far not so much ... our defense looks to be getting beat up front thus far ... and our offense seems to be too confined ... luckily it'a just WMich