Week 5: OSU vs MSU 10/01

[mab43bac]

I agree with dazed ,this is a very young team .I knew this would happen, people ready to give up on this team because they have some bad games. I kinda feel sorry for the unrealistic buckeye fans on here who think they should win the national title every year.Give this team time and they will turn it around ,may not be this year but it wont take as long as it has up north

[Omega]

if pryor doesnt screw the pooch the bucks would be top 3 in the nation.

If Tat-Gate had not occurred with the ensuing fallout, OSU would probably be 5-0 at
this point but would still not be thought as a serious player on the national scene
and in the Conference. The same talent and skill deficiencies on defense
and the O-Line would still be present. With Tressel on board, the difference would
be seen in confidence and continuity due to the absense of the traumatic change
that the program has endured. With Pryor on board, there would have been a playmaker.

The overall talent and skill sets would still be what it is and OSU would still be
looking at a three or four loss season when all was said and done.
The bottom line is that 2011 was going to be more of a rebuilding year than we
who view the world through scarlet anfd gray glasses could have imagined.

Watching Wisky and N, Bama and Florida, and even TSUN, it is obvious current OSU talent
is not on par. All, including myself, need to accept this season for what it is going to be
and hope for and celebrate any signs of improvement from game to game and hope
the NCAA is lenient so that a brighter future can be achieved.

[ManitouDan]

take your anger out on the people that caused the house to collaspe. If osu can's fickell after one year what sort of message does that send ? Yes we appreciate your many years of service to osu but since you didnt go the rose bowl we are going to fire you. If that happens I pray he goes somwhere in the big ten and comes back to haunt the bucks.

[Peake]

I can't believe I am doing this but here I go.

OSU fans, chill out.

You wanted Braxton Miller, and even when someone who knows how things are going in practice told you he wasn't ready, well you got him. He is a true freshmen, he is going to be ineffective at times. I don't care how good he is or how great his upside is, he was playing high school ball a year ago. He is not TP, his physical size, speed, arm strength, the total package he is not even close. I tried telling you that in the beginning, but all I kept getting is he is Troy Smith reincarnate. One of my good friends lives in the metro Cincy/Dayton area, saw majority of Millers games, told me from the start if people thought this kid was going to be TP they were nuts. He said that majority of the games he watched Miller had a single read passing and if it wasn't there he took off. Said he was going to be a work in progress. With that being said, the biggest thing imo that OSU missed the boat on was recruiting a good backup. T. Boyd was a huge miss now seeing how well he is playing, but for those who say it is not about recruiting, I saw once more recruiting is the life blood of your program. Now, Miller will imo be a very solid QB, lets not forget Troy Smith was nothing special until his senior year, will it take Miller 4 years to reach that point, only time will tell. Thing is, you wanted him, now you got him and all of his shortfalls too.

Offensive line will get better. That is one area OSU is always strong in recruiting, but the guys who are difference makers are young. Tell me there isn't a difference on Mike Adams year 1 verse year 4.

Anyways, step back from the ledge, you'll be ok, every program goes through a transition period. Let's see how much better you are with your big three returning. Don't forget the Big Ten outside of Wisconsin is not very good. Michigan State is meh, Iowa is meh, North Western is meh, Illinois is meh, Nebraska is above average but still meh, and until Michigan proves to me they can beat someone not named Notre Dame they are still meh. There is a possibility you win 6 of your next 7.

[Peake]

BTW, wasn't Tressel 6-4 heading into his first matchup with Michigan? He didn't set the world on fire either his first season.

[mab43bac]

Dang peake for once i agree with you ,Those OSU fans gives the rest of us the bad name .

[seofan_via_dublin]

Peake hit the nail on the head.

There is no evidence that bringing in Miller before he is ready will make any bit of beneficial difference in his development.
On top of that, bringing him in with a group of skill players that should be on the bench, and have zero experience as well is not going to help.
3rd in the Miller fiasco, the O line is BAD at pass pro, they can get of the snap on run blocking, but they are not good at all at giving Miller time to throw.
Which may make some people think that with no pocket, Miller needs to be the guy because of his speed and elusiveness, but he doesn't know the receiver routes or the check down progressions yet, so he is not going to find a receiver on a scramble, he's going to get hit. There is nothing he can learn to make himself better when the MSU defense knows the snap count and is sending 9 guys to kill the QB.

Now, combine that with an offensive coordinator that knows he's in lame duck status, and will not be back next year regardless of the head coach hire, and you get an offense that is going to look like it has against fast blitzing teams like Miami and MSU.

Here's the thing with Bollman. He was the game planner and play creator, to Tressel's timing and play calling. Bollman has no timing, creativity, or play calling ability. He doesn't have the ability to call counter runs, screens, or quick hit passes against an over running blitzing defense. It's not that he doesn't know or practice those plays, but he doesn't have the skill or confidence to call those plays. When Tress didn't have Clarett, Beanie, Troy, or TP, his philosophy was not to turn the ball over and let the defense get him a play or good field position. Now that Bollman doesn't have that talent, AND Tress to call his plays, he is lost, and is proven to be an inept piece of garbage. (getting angry as I type and listen to sunday buckeye brunch radio show).

Fickle is not coaching the offense. If he should or not is another topic, but he is not. SO STOP BLAMING HIM FOR OUR OFFENSE! When the defense has the ball, he is engaged and looks like a proven defensive coach and a winner. When the offense has the ball, he looks confused and lost, mainly because he is dumbfounded at the idiocy that is Jim Bollman! He would give his left BuckNut to be a defensive coach against a Bollman offense!!!

Now, on to the bright side. Bollman has been exposed, Fickle is throwing him under the bus in the pressers, and the players are starting to talk about his lack of play calling being the issue. We get 4 NFL calibre players back this week from suspension, and several future NFL guys back from injury. Our defense is still good. Travis Howard had a bad game against MSU, if not for that we would have won that game despite how bad our offense was!

Nebraska is what I thought they were (not as good as advertised)!!! 8-4 is still a very likely finish, and 9-3 is not out of the question. Now if the returning players don't help, and Bollman doesn't discover a spine, then 6-6 is a possibility!

I kept telling people Braxton is not ready, he's still not, and he isn't going to benefit from MSU's game tape! Joe isn't talented enough to play D1 football, but he does know the system. Is either the answer, NO, but both will have to be!

[farmer]

The complaints about the offense are real but they are also a lot like the Colts in the NFL. The Colts lost Manning who basically called their plays. OSU lost Tressell as the play caller and Pryor as the QB. As neither team had a backup ready to play. No way am I trying to say Pryor is even close to the QB of Manning just using it as what was lost from the teams from the year before. But the Colts have veteran receivers back where OSU does not. OSU also has players hurt and others suspended. So the way the Colts are playing and the way the Buckeyes offense is playing are quite a bit a like.

Good that Bollman is hearing it just now what changes will be made? When offensive plays are not working need to do something different to provide a spark. Like trick play here or there or just a short pass the the TE.

As for the offensive line having talent well yes they do. But they come in with talent but many do not make much progress until they leave. They have had some alright players but not a dominate line/linemen in years. So maybe a change in offensive line coach is a need also.

Fickle is not going to a BCS Bowl this year but he can make changes and improvements to the team during the year. Also it is up to some of the players to come out and play a lot better. Right now in my opinion Simon is the teams MVP right now. To bad he can not play offensive line also. Next is Nebraska and they didn't play the best against Wisconsin. So both teams are looking to improve.

[Charge]

I don't think Miller will every be a passing QB. His passes look horrible.

[blue53]

Mich State has a great defense....ranked 2nd in points allowed.

[C-Bolt]

Very true blue,,I felt pretty good after hearing that myself, then got sick again after remembering the Miami game, because it looked very similar to me....

[dazed&confused]

How about OSU running the Wing T?