All we need to do for the National Championship is beat the team we play on the upcoming Saturday. That is all we need to do.
Did Ohio State look like the best team in the country against Ohio? No, but that has absolutely nothing to do with winning a national championship. Absolutely nothing! Media and national coaching perceptions have nothing to do with a BCS berth. Our W-L column has everything to do with a BCS berth.
I’ve covered high school football for years now, and I study the statistics, common opponents, style of offense, win margins, and on and on and on. As the championship weekend finishes up, it has nothing to with who I think/thought the best team is/was. The trophy team is always the team that simply won THEIR game that upcoming weekend once playoff football starts. OSU shouldn’t worry about how they looked compared to USC, Georgia, Florida, etc. It doesn’t matter one bit. They just need to win the next game on our schedule. That is long way of saying I am bummed out that we didn’t look better against OU, but I’m not that bummed out. Getting a win is 100 times more important than style points, if not a 1,000 times more important.
The defense was once again lights out. Two games and only one score given up. James Laurinatis and Malcolm Jenkins looked like Sunday players performing on Saturday. Takeaways breed takeaways. It is a strange phenomenon, but it is true. Four picks wets the pallet. These guys will watch that film, talk about picks in the locker room, and play like absolute ball hawks when Mark Sanchez throws it because they have tasted those interceptions as a unit. There is no such thing as “we’re due.” You are actually more likely to create a turnover when you just got one recently.
You always hate to see that long first half scoring drive for OU. All the good that our defense did (even on that drive) was negated by a few missed tackles and opportunities. Life is not fair when it comes to a successful and unsuccessful series.
Think about it…all our penetration, confusion that we created, coverage, hard hitting, out-running, and execution that created the 3rd and 14 was negated by a missed tackle that allowed a first down completion (even on that play…we beat our blocks and covered receivers well only to have a missed tackle give the play new life). That next set of downs saw our 2nd and 6 jamming of the run play lead to 3rd and 7. Life is good right? Nope, a missed tackle negated block beating and route covering.
Then a slant completion on 3rd and 6. Then a 2nd and 10 TD run. We can see why coaches use the “execution” word. It is this way every game in football, and for both teams, and coaches and players know life is not fair. Your dominance on 1st and 2nd down as well as dominance with 90% of the action on 3rd down can mean nothing in stopping a drive. It helps explain why football teams practice so much.
Offensively, I can only comment on a lack of favorable second down situations in that first half. 2nd and 5, 2nd and 8, 2nd and 8, 2nd and 8, 2nd and 10, 2nd and 10, 2nd and 8, 2nd and 10, 2nd and 7, 2nd and 10, and lastly 2nd and 10 (my unofficial second down scenarios in the first half). While those are convertible, life is easier playing downhill with significant first down chunks gained Now keep in mind, that can be reality as this diversified offense attempts more first down passing plays, but I’m sure Boeckman and company would like some re-do’s on first half first downs. Was it good defense, missed blocks, lack of fight, bad reads, dropped balls, missed throws, etc? I don’t know….that is what the Sunday film study is for at the Woody Hayes. Those coaches are awfully good at figuring that out and correcting the mistakes. With our coaches and veteran players, the offense will get back on track.
2-0 baby! Our play against OU means nothing to the USC game. Our play against USC means everything to the USC game.
Buckeye Leaves…
Shaun Lane - Oh my goodness. Physically quick to get down field, but mentally quicker to cover that ball up.
James Laurinatis - An absolutely inspiring performance. I can’t remember him ever playing better. Yeah, I thought he was that good.
Ray Small - It wasn’t only his punt return. He really appeared in a rhythm with his five catches.
