The 11W Football Mailbag is the only stop you need for answers to your most pressing questions about Ohio State's next matchup. Have a question? Ask it, and if we can, we'll answer it.
After the anemic performance with the passing game against Indiana do you expect to see the Buckeyes turn it around against Wisconsin? If for some reason they are also unable to get the passing game going again this week, realistically what do you think are their odds of being able to leave Madison with a "W"? Piggybacking off of this question, do you think the Buckeye receivers have the ability to get open? — BuckeyeCWRU and MDBuckeye2002
I fully expect Ohio State to come out and throw the ball early against Wisconsin. That might be Urban Meyer trying to "silence" media heads like myself who were critical of the 93 yards J.T. Barrett recorded through the air against Indiana, but I think it'll be because Wisconsin's secondary, though experienced, has holes.
The Badgers give up 201 passing yards per game, which is good for ninth in the Big Ten. Not great. Barrett is the type of guy to usually bounce back from a poor performance by being proficient the next week and putting up a bunch of huge numbers.
IF, however, the Buckeyes are unable to exploit Wisconsin's starting corners Sojourn Shelton and Derrick Tindal, it will be very tough for Ohio State to leave Camp Randall with a victory. Wisconsin stops the run better than anyone in the league (including Ohio State) and mostly put the clamps on LSU's Leonard Fournette (23 carries for 138 yards, no touchdowns) in its 16-14 win over the Tigers in the season opener. The Buckeyes are running the ball brilliantly, so that is certainly going to be the main storyline to watch.
And on Ohio State's wide receivers—they absolutely have the ability to get open. They showed that in the first four games of the season but in my opinion were as much at fault against Indiana as well as Barrett. The quarterback was off and missed some throws and other open targets but Indiana's defense isn't terrible. The wideouts also dropped some passes and hardly created separation. It's not all on Barrett.
What are your key matchups - either individually or unit? While the early returns on Wisconsin's O-line have been underwhelming, I still think Ohio State's D-line has a fight on their hands. — Hovenaut
Wisconsin's defensive front seven against Ohio State's offensive line will determine the outcome of the game. It's what each team does best—the Buckeyes can run the football well, while the Badgers stop it better than anybody they have faced so far this year.
You're right about Ohio State's defensive line and its battle against Wisconsin's massive front. Those guys are huge—average 6-foot-5 and 321 pounds—and even though the Badgers haven't run the ball as well as what we're accustomed to seeing, it is still a big part of their offense.
Individually, I'll go with Noah Brown, Parris Campbell and Terry McLaurin et al against Shelton and Tindal. Both played in the Big Ten Championship Game two years ago so they'll likely have nightmares of Devin Smith catching touchdown passes. The Buckeyes have to be able to throw the ball. Beating man coverage is essential.
We all hear how tough it is going into a hostile environment such as Camp Randall for a night game. Considering how Ohio State responded in Norman, I feel this young team thrives under the spotlight. How does the team react this Saturday night to a rowdy, cheese eating, overly intoxicated crowd? To piggyback off of this, what's your favorite cheese? To me, it depends on what I'm eating it with or on. I don't think you can ever go wrong with pepper jack. Good by itself, great on cold sandwiches, amazing on burgers. Gouda is another good one that is very versatile. And I do love some crumbled bleu cheese. Great when it's cold on salads (or eating it like popcorn when no one is looking). But also get a nice mixture of crab and crumbled bleu cheese and put it on a blackened NY Strip...pop it under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese....your welcome. — BuckeyeIn NY and JohnnyKozmo
Ohio State's trip and subsequent victory in Norman certainly helped prepare it for this trip but it feels like something eerie always happens when the Buckeyes go to Wisconsin. Ramzy did some great, timely research and wrote about that this week. Plus there is something different about a Big Ten road game, especially one at night, and a majority of the key players on Ohio State's roster haven't been a part of one yet.
I think Ohio State's young guys will respond fine, however, but there could be some issues with the noise in terms of line calls and snap counts. Just how it goes with playing on the road.
I also agree that what cheese is best depends on what you eat with it but here's my #fire #hot #take: All cheese is good cheese. Except for cottage cheese. And Brie. Yuck. If I had to pick a favorite, it's hard to go against provolone or colby jack.
I've never heard of your touch of blue cheese mixed with crab and whatnot before putting it on a steak. Maybe I just need to get out more.
How long before Curtis Samuel gets the ball? How many touches? — GratefulBuck
Certainly on the first drive of the game. Meyer won't make the mistake of not getting the ball in the hands of his best playmaker until the second quarter. It should not be forced, however, which I don't think has been a problem this year. He just for whatever reason didn't figure into the plan early against Indiana. Maybe the coaching staff was trying to use him as a decoy. They won't say either way but that's my guess.
I think a sweet spot for Samuel to touch the ball is 15-20 times a game. In my opinion, Ohio State can't get the ball in his hands enough but you can't just call for him to touch it 30 or 40 times with a bunch of other talented guys on the offense. I expect Ohio State to use him in both the run and passing game heavily again on Saturday, using motion to put him in situations where he can get the ball in space or against a single defender. As Samuel has shown, he's pretty difficult to bring down.
In his press conference, Urban said Ohio State ran "a bunch of nickel" coverage against Indiana: "This week we will not be." Could you elaborate on why nickel coverage would be inappropriate against Wisconsin's offense? Wisconsin has had a week off, isn't it possible they have a few tricks cooked up to surprise us with? — BadApple
Wisconsin's offense is more of a pro-style attack, predicated on running the ball out of the I-formation and with two tight ends before taking chances on the outside off of play action. Indiana operates from the shotgun, typically with three receivers on the field in spread look. As such, more corners (read speed) is needed. Against Wisconsin, the onus is on the opposing team's defensive line and linebackers.
And yes, Wisconsin is getting set to host Ohio State after not playing a game last weekend. They could have "a few tricks cooked up" but it isn't all that likely. Every team tries to do that to beat the Buckeyes.
How much of a factor do you think 59-0 plays into this? Revenge game? — Gratefulbuck
Ehhhh not really. I mean there are some guys on Wisconsin's team that were on that roster and played in that game but that was two years ago. The Badgers have a new coach too so I don't really think that's the case. Meyer said the same this week.
How many points does tOSU need in order to beat Wisky? Also, how much longer until Bert's feelings get hurt down so much down in big, bad SEC-land that he comes sniveling back to the "easy" B1G schedules? — Smartone29
I think Ohio State needs to score at least 17 points to win, and I say that only because in Wisconsin's two closest games against LSU and Michigan it did not score more than that. A 54-10 win against Akron and 23-17 win against Georgia State don't really give me much, and while a 30-6 victory at Michigan State surprised me at the time the Spartans are really down this year.
Do I think the Buckeyes only score 17 points on Saturday? No. But if they do, I think they will win because I'm not really sold on quarterback Alex Hornibrook as a guy who can put up a ton of points.
Bert probably won't ever leave the SEC. The money is too good and he's been able to go 22-22 in what is now his fourth season and have Arkansas still love him. I do think we need to get #ComeHomeBert trending on Twitter. If only Iowa didn't extend Kirk Ferentz until 2059 with the stupidest contract buyout I've ever seen, then the door could be open for Bert to return to his alma mater.
What are the key matchups in the Wisconsin game that may provide insight into how OSU will fare against TTUN? — Schizo
Barrett and Ohio State's wide receivers against Wisconsin's secondary is a big one, because Wilton Speight threw for 219 yards against the Badgers in a game his team only scored 14 points and won.
Then, the other big one is how well Ohio State runs the ball. Michigan's offense totaled just 130 yards on 44 carries (3.0 yards per carry) and while its style of offense is different than that of the Buckeyes, you can do some transitive property work there to get an idea of how they stack up.
Sometimes after a game like Indiana people speculate that the staff intentionally used a vanilla game plan to avoid showing too much on film. Is this something they do? — Barfolomew
I think it is, but you don't typically see it in a conference game regardless the opponent. Of course, Jim Tressel was notorious for doing literally the bare minimum to win football games against teams he knew his players outmatched physically. Because winning is what is most important.
However, I want people to really try their hardest to give Kevin Wilson and Indiana some credit. Ohio State didn't play that well, especially on offense, but Indiana isn't a bad football team. And for whatever reason, Meyer's teams never seem to dominate the Hoosiers. But hey, guess what? He is 5-0 against them.
Coaches are control freaks and want to keep things in their back pocket until a really 'huge' game so as to not tip their hand in what could be a crucial situation. But with how football has evolved and the technology used to scouting, there isn't that much out there that coaches haven't seen.
Of course, now that I praised Indiana's improved program, watch them finish 5-7 with losses to Rutgers and Purdue. I'm sure when that happens you'll all let me know how wrong I was, too. Sigh.
I feel the struggle against Indiana was a good thing for this young team before we go to Madison. Some of my friends feel it hurt their confidence. I think it gets their heads out of the clouds and now they realized they can be beat if they don't focus on improving. What do you think? — AllinOSU
Sure. Meyer mentioned something on Monday as after the game to the effect of how it isn't the end of the world when you feel like you didn't play that well and still won by 21 points.
“I think urgency is always good, absolutely, and especially proactive conversation as opposed to reactive,” Meyer said. “I say that to our staff all the time, and Lou Holtz would—forever branded on my heart is that you don't attack a team when you lose a game. You attack them and you win the game, it'll play well. So we're attacking and there's urgency, and we have very good players and very good people.”
Meyer isn't known for letting his guys rest on their laurels either. There is a ton of football left to be played and the toughest part of the schedule is coming quickly. He'll have them prepared and driving the point home that you mentioned.
I took a peek at Wisconsin's depth chart and noticed none of their starting defensive backs are 6 feet tall. One corner, Sojourn Shelton, is listed at only 5'9". Originally, I was thinking we'd have an advantage at wide receiver in speed. Now I'm thinking it could be size - or possibly both. Could this be another Oklahoma kind of game for Noah Brown? Or perhaps special teams star, Parris Campbell's breakout game at wide receiver? — Buckeye Phi
Certainly. Ohio State's size at wide receiver, particularly with Noah Brown, was used well against Oklahoma. I think Parris Campbell is getting better at playing the position each week and really showed me something on that 91-yard kickoff return in terms of his vision and speed.
Ohio State has more athletes at wide receiver than Wisconsin does in the secondary. But can Barrett get the ball to them when he needs to, provided they create separation? Timing will be key, I think, and both of those guys need to find a way to get open.
Might not be a popular opinion, but I still see Damon Webb struggling in coverage and taking bad angles. Is Erick Smith injured or just not where he needs to be to be getting some snaps? — KBonay
If you remember, Erick Smith missed all that time in the spring with an ACL injury. He is playing special teams and is assumed to be 100 percent. That injury did halt his development, however, and it is tough to break into the lineup mid-season regardless the position.
With how intense Greg Schiano is as a coach, I find it very hard to believe he would do anything other than put the best players at his disposal on the field. So he clearly thinks that Damon Webb is better than Erick Smith.
I agree, I think Webb struggled last week and in some other times this season but it really isn't to the point where a knee-jerk reaction in pulling him out of the lineup is necessary.
Can OSU win the B1G playing Tresselball this year? People are worrying about the passing game, but isn't there a chance that our run game is good enough to win the whole thing if we have our defense playing well and Cam Johnston punting the ball and giving the D great field position (which leads to the O having great field position) — Buckeye06
It could work but I don't think you want it to work. The aspirations for this team include the College Football Playoff and facing off against one of the top-4 teams in the country only with a potent rushing attack isn't going to produce the kind of results you want. Especially if that team is Alabama.
The defense, rushing attack and Cameron Johnston are both great for Ohio State to beat most teams. But the reason the Buckeyes won it all in 2014 is because it had great balance, and Meyer knows that.
Are people overreacting about the Indiana game? Two weeks ago some claimed this was by far the best team in the country and J.T. was the Heisman favorite. — SFlaBuckeye13
Some Ohio State fans overreacting about something? That never happens.
Yes. I think people are overreacting a little bit. No team is going to be perfect, especially not in the middle of October. There is still a good bit of the season left. People are allowed to have one bad game every once in a while. They are human.
And did I mention Ohio State still won by three (should have been four) touchdowns?
Why the drastic increase in penalties this season? I understand we are very young but we have been around five penalties per game every year under Meyer (even our other very young teams) and now we are at nine penalties per game. By product of a new defensive coordinator and offensive line coach? — McBain
My good friend Ryan Ginn (who you should follow on Twitter) actually asked Meyer about this on Monday and Meyer tried to #wellactually him. It was funny.
RG: I think y'all are something like 116th in penalties per game so far. Is there anything you attribute that to, and is there anything other than just continuing to gain experience that can fix that?
UM: I didn't know that. Obviously, I'm going to go check that right when we leave here. I just saw a stat we're only like in the top five in penalties. Check your stats, brother.
RG: You've taken 44 penalties this year, Wisconsin has taken 18.
UM: I don't know why. I'm going to research that when I get out of here. I don't think that's been a huge problem, but that's obviously_that stat is a little alarming. What do I attribute that to? Depends on the penalties; we'll figure that out.
I enjoyed that exchange. But I think you answered your own question—some new coordinators, inexperience still being there, etc. It hasn't cost Ohio State a game yet, so until it does I would not fret too much.
If the forecast for rain during the game holds, how might the weather influence this game? — TMac
I don't think it will influence the game very much. Wisconsin has a turf field and it doesn't look like it will monsoon like it did in the Tulsa game. The last time I checked I only saw a 30 or 40 percent chance of rain too, so it shouldn't be too bad.
I'm worried the Indians ALCS game 2 and Buckeye game will overlap. If they do I will obviously have multiple screens going but what game takes precedent? On one hand, an ALCS comes around infrequently but a loss to Bucky Badger could doom the season. Too much pressure in both games — VegasBuckeye04
First pitch for Game 2 of the ALCS is at 4 p.m. If that game is still going on when Ohio State and Wisconsin kickoff after 8 p.m., I'd be shocked.
Baseball is weird like that though so if that does happen I recommend recording the Ohio State game then fast forwarding after the Indians are finished.
Any reason the offense doesn't run quick screens at all? It seems like Urban's offensive motto is to get athletes into space yet we rarely see a quick pass when a cornerback is playing 10 yards off the line of scrimmage. — D1145Fresh and Kid Buckeye
I agree, it does seem like Meyer wants to get his skill guys in space and the Buckeyes did that well in the first few games this season. I do not know if Barrett has the freedom to check to quick passes out in the flat if a corner is playing off, if he does and just doesn't seem them, or what.
Screens haven't really been shown much this year and Curtis Samuel appears to be a guy made for those type of play calls. But we'll see if that changes. Meyer loves pounding the rock to set up the deep passing attack. If those "shots" as he calls them work, the offense looks pretty terrific.
If a screen pass doesn't work, I don't really see a reason to keep trying. And Meyer knows way more about his personnel and his offense than I do. So if he is or is not doing something, then I am sure there is a reason.
Being that Wisconsin is a historically run-driven program, is this the week the Buckeyes finally allow a rushing touchdown? — Buckeye_Ryan
I think so. The Badgers aren't running the ball as well as they did in years past, but that is engrained in their culture. It would be extremely tough for Ohio State to leave Camp Randall without giving up a rushing touchdown and that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Just really difficult to slow a power rushing attack for that long, though the Buckeyes did that in the Big Ten Championship Game.
What if Ohio State loses this week? What is the playoff outlook like? If you had to pick one game on this year's schedule to lose, would Wisconsin be it? — Buckeye-In-Pitt
It would not be the end of Ohio State's College Football Playoff chances if it were to lose on Saturday. In the very small sample size that we have for this system (two years), the precedent that losses don't matter all that much as long as the team has a conference title game and finishes 11-1 or 12-1. Oklahoma got in last year because it was a conference champion and one of the four best teams.
If I had to pick on game to lose for Ohio State, it would be Wisconsin because it is not a Big Ten East Division game, it's on the road against a top-10 team under the lights and it is not Halloween yet.
However, Ohio State's schedule still has hurdles with trips to Penn State (never easy to play there) and Michigan State. Michigan is also a very good team. So pretty much every team from a Power 5 team gets a mulligan, as long as it isn't near the end of November and you still get to your conference title game.
Since we'll see Jump Around this week, rank the top 5 college football traditions. — SightlyGrain6
I obviously haven't been to every single college football stadium to see all the traditions this beautiful sport has to offer but here is my top-5:
1. Script Ohio at Ohio State
2. Jump Around at Wisconsin
3. Enter Sandman at Virginia Tech
4. Howard Rock at Clemson
5a. Ralphie's Run at Colorado
5b. Marching Of The Guard for Army-Navy
As an Ohio State alumnus, I know I look biased putting Script Ohio at the top of the list but don't care. It's the coolest thing I've ever seen in college football and the band literally never screws it up. I'm super pumped to witness Jump Around for the first time on Saturday for the first time but everything I've heard from fans that have been there in addition to media members tell me it is incredible.
Clemson always seems lit when the team hits that rock and runs down the hill, especially now that the Tigers are really good. After witnessing Enter Sandman at Virginia Tech last season, I was ready to go hit somebody and had to sit in the press box instead.
Ralphie's Run is self-explanatory—it's a real live dang buffalo for God's sake. I tied that one with the Marching Of The Guard for Army-Navy because it is members of our unmatched armed forces playing a football game. Plus, I saw the Naval Cadets walk into M&T Bank Stadium when Ohio State played Navy in Baltimore in 2014. That was really, really awesome.
How many points does Wisky score at home against our young aggressive defense? — Seattle Linga
My game prediction is Ohio State 31, Wisconsin 14. Expecting a J.T. Barrett bounce back performance.
Do you wash your apples? — Bucknut1994
I don't, unless I am an idiot and drop one on the ground. Just seems like a waste of time to me. My fianceé gets on me all the time about not washing them (she washes hers) but I hardly ever get sick. So ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Thanks again for your questions this week.
