After taking Rutgers behind the woodshed to improve to 4-0 on the young season Ohio State continues league action tomorrow afternoon, hosting a 3-1 Indiana squad fresh off an overtime upset of Michigan State.
According to Urban Meyer this will be the best defense the Buckeyes have faced this season and the Hoosiers also boast the top-ranked passing attack in the B1G.
So how will things play out? Will Indiana be able to move the ball on the Silver Bullets? Will first-year starter Mike Weber continue to shred opponents on the ground?
For answers to these questions and more we welcome skullmaster D.J. Byrnes, intern-extraordinaire Magee Sprague and recruitnik-savant Andrew Ellis to the latest installment of the 11W roundtable.
Indiana enters Saturday as the league’s top-ranked passing attack averaging 320.8 yards per game on the strength of quarterback Richard Lagow’s strong start. Meanwhile, Ohio State’ secondary ranks 2nd in the B1G surrendering just 140.3 passing yards per contest. What concerns do you have about the Hoosier passing attack? What kind of numbers should we expect Lagow to put up against the Buckeye secondary?
DJ: The ol’ unstoppable force vs. the unmovable object! A thread as old as sports themselves! I always favor the unmovable object, and I’m not breaking that with Indiana’s passing attack. Given the athletic discrepancy between the two units, I tab Lagow for less than 150 yards on the day.
Magee: Lagow put up good numbers in Indiana’s upset over Michigan State, so I fully expect him to put up a good fight this Saturday in the Shoe. I think he will have some early success but ultimately will be shut down by the Ohio State secondary. This will be the toughest test so far for Marshon Lattimore, Gareon Conley, and Malik Hooker, but I believe they will rise to the challenge and keep Lagow to 200 passing yards or less. Lagow doesn’t have much of a presence on the ground, so the defense will be able to primarily focus on the passing game.
Andrew: I don’t have any real concerns about Indiana’s passing attack. Lagow is an okay quarterback, but his stats are a tad bit inflated thanks to the Wake Forest game where he threw for almost 500 yards. The Hoosiers were down by a couple touchdowns in the second half and they were throwing the ball to get back into it. He also threw five interceptions that game. Ricky Jones is one of the hotter wideouts in the country. He’s got over 300 yards receiving in the past two games, but he obviously hasn’t faced Gareon Conley and Co.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see another inflated stat sheet for Lagow — at least from a yardage standpoint. The Buckeyes should be up and Indiana will throw a lot. I’ll go with 275 passing, a touchdown or two, and four interceptions.
Conversely, Ohio State enters the game as the league’s most lethal rushing attack tallying 332 yards per game thus far. The Hoosiers sit in the middle of the conference pack yielding 139.5 rush yards per contest. How will this battle play out? Do you foresee another big day from Mike Weber?
Magee: I think Ohio State is going to come out and dominate the rush game. The offense has consistently put up better numbers on the ground each week and I don’t see anything from the Indiana defense that is going to stop them. I see another 100-yard day from Mike Weber, with a few breakout runs but also some help from Curtis Samuel. Between the two of them I don’t think the Buckeyes should have much of a problem with the run game.
Andrew: I think Weber will go for 150 or so and will find the endzone a couple times. J.T. Barrett and Curtis Samuel will get theirs as well. I can see Ohio State getting up by three or four touchdowns and then pounding the rest of the game away on the ground. I’m not expecting them to hit their season average, but getting to 300 definitely seems feasible.
DJ: Indiana probably won’t suspend its top DT amid a cloud of sexual assault allegations like it did in the week preceding the 2015 matchup, but I foresee a big day from Mike Weber regardless. Some people said Weber wouldn’t log 1000 rushing yards this year. They’re looking even more ridiculous than they did back then, which is hard to believe.
Keeping the talk on the ground, Indiana’s Devine Redding sits 2nd in the league at 103.3 rushing yards per game while Ohio State’s rush defense is 2nd in the B1G yielding just 97.8 yards through four games. Will Ohio State’s front seven shut down the IU rushing attack? Why or why not?
Andrew: I like Devine Redding. He’s an Ohioan and he once graced the halls of Cleveland Glenville. I don’t think the Hoosiers will rely much on the running game. They will try to establish it at first but will be forced to pass once the Buckeye lead gets beyond a couple touchdowns. Redding hit the century mark against Michigan State last week. I think he will have about 60-70 yards on Saturday.
DJ: This is where the intrigue lies. If Indiana can run the ball consistently and get a handful of explosive plays, it might be able to make a contest of it. I think Redding will get 75-99 yards on 20ish carries.
Magee: Yes. The silver bullets are currently one of the best defenses in the country. They proved in the battle with the Sooners that they are far from “basic” and I don’t think they are going to let the Hoosiers trip them up. I think Chris Worley and Raekwon McMillan will continue their so far excellent seasons and lead the Buckeyes in tackles. I’d also love to see Sam Hubbard and Nick Bosa step up and dominate this week.
I wrote about Robert Landers and Dre’Mont Jones after the Rutgers blowout after both had what I felt were solid performances. Landers in particular has caught my eye more than starter Michael Hill. What’s your take on the progression of the interior defensive line as a whole? Do you see this group as a position of strength or still a work in progress?
DJ: Urban Meyer called Landers a “littler guy” during his Monday presser, which is hilarious considering Landers is 6-1, 290. Both he and Jones have impressed me, the dipshit on the couch. If Ohio State is to keep the Hoosiers’ running game in check, the onus of the operation will fall on Landers. He looks up to the task.
Jones has been great too, and DaVon Hamilton looks more than capable as well should one of them suffer an injury. Overall, I am pleasantly surprised with this unit—especially so considering it’s without Tracy Sprinkle, its top player.
Andrew: I was a little worried about the interior line before the season and of course after Tracy Sprinkle went down, but the emergence of Jones and Landers has helped to mostly ease any concerns. I still think depth is a bit of a concern, but I do view this unit as a position of strength. And I totally agree on Landers standing out more so than Hill. I don’t think Michael Hill has been bad by any means, but Landers has just made a few “wow” plays that have caught my eye.
Magee: Ohio State’s interior defense is definitely a force to be contended with, however even the strongest units can still be a work in progress. I don’t think that we have seen this groups’ peak yet, and I don’t think that we will see it this week against Indiana. This group will continue to get better and better throughout the season, but for now they are definitely getting the job done.
In last Sunday’s Five Things, I also talked about J.T. Barrett comparing him to Derek Jeter with respect to his demeanor, leadership and ability to generate wins. What other athlete might you see as a favorable comparison to Barrett? If you could pick one Buckeye quarterback in history to win you one game who are you taking and why?
Magee: Another athlete that I would compare to J.T. Barrett would be Tim Duncan. Duncan played for the same NBA team all 19 years of his career, something that we all know to be very unique in today’s world of professional sports. He may not have been the greatest basketball player of all time, but he was consistently great, carried his team and his city to several championships, and was pretty quiet about it the whole time, kind of like an Ohio State quarterback we all know and love. J.T. doesn’t put up huge numbers every week but he does do whatever it takes to get a win for his team. He is one of the best players in college football, a great leader, and has a competitive edge, but also has one of the quietest demeanors in his field.
I personally watched Cardale Jones lead us to a 59-0 victory over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship, and take down Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, and then win us National Championship all in his first three career starts. So, if I had to pick any Ohio State quarterback in history to win me just one game it would be Cardale Jones, not because I think he is the best quarterback to ever grace The Ohio State University, but due to his proven excellence in high pressure situations.
DJ: The Derek Jeter comparison is the most offensive thing I’ve seen on the internet in the last 72, yet I sat here for another 20 minutes trying to figure out a better one and died.
What amuses me about Barrett is he’s laid back in interviews, but you catch him in the trailers Ohio State produces, and his eyes are popping out of his skull and he looks like he’s a primal chieftain getting ready to lead his tribe over the hills to do damage to another tribe. I love it.
The correct answer to the “one QB” question is probably Barrett, but I’m rolling with Cardale Jones because that scenario played out three times with him and he went 3-0.
Andrew: I would compare J.T. Barrett to Becky “Icebox” O’Shea from the film Little Giants. Having grown up during the Vince Young Era, J.T. dreamt of playing for the Longhorns. Things may not have gone exactly as planned, but he found a home in Columbus and has taken on a leadership role dating back to the 2014 season. Becky was also faced with some adversity. Her father – played by Rick Moranis – didn’t know a thing about football, so she was forced to basically take on a dual role as coach and player. She also was told she wasn’t good enough to play on the “cool” team in town – the Cowboys – so Becky did what any cheerleader-turned-player would do; she led the Giants over the Cowboys as the entire town looked on. Who’s laughing now?
Troy Smith. Because he’s Troy Smith and I honestly don’t remember ever feeling any sense of doubt or concern when our offense had the ball – including the first ten minutes or so of the Florida game :(.
The offensive line despite replacing three starters has done the job so far. Last weekend the backups got to play for an extended period which was huge considering the lack of proven depth. Did any particular reserve grab your attention? Who is the least replaceable offensive lineman not named Pat Elflein when you consider the starter’s skillset and the depth behind him?
DJ: I liked watching Brady Taylor work and also seeing that Kyle Trout is actually alive. As for the least replaceable offensive lineman, that goes to Jamarco Jones. If he goes down, it messes the totem pole all up and OSU is think at tackle. PLEASE STAY HEALTHY JAMARCO.
Andrew: Matthew Burrell definitely caught my eye against Rutgers. Admittedly, it may have been because of the one block where he drove a linebacker about eight yards back before forcefully inserting him into the ground. Jamarco Jones would be really tough to replace. Malcolm Pridgeon is out with an injury and I just don’t know how someone like Evan Lisle would fill in.
Magee: I have to go with the true freshman Michael Jordan. He is young, talented, and pretty huge. He’s a great player, but if the Buckeyes are starting a true freshman, they must not have a lot of other experience on the depth chart at that position. For that reason, I believe he is the most irreplaceable.
Turning our eyes up north, Michigan edged Wisconsin by just a touchdown last Saturday in Ann Arbor despite holding the Badgers to 159 total yards and eight 1st downs. What have you seen so far from Michigan that causes you concern over Ohio State’s late November showdown with the maize and blue?
Andrew: The concern with Michigan is that their defense is legit and their special teams has been pretty solid as well. They had some injuries early on but many of those players are on the mend. Their secondary is really good and Jabrill Peppers – while still overrated – is all over the place. Then I remember that their quarterback is Wilton Speight and any inkling of a concern vanishes.
DJ: Some commenters lose their minds when I say positive things about Michigan, but that defense is legit. However, their run game is all messed up and I refuse to believe somebody is riding Wilton Speight’s arm to a national title, no matter what sort of dark QB arts in which Jim Harbaugh may be involved.
The only thing that would concern me is Ohio State putting together an offensive outing like Michigan State 2015. That’s the only scenario where the Wolverines win. OSU may drop 60, but it still maintains a sizable talent gap over Michigan, which still has a lot of dead weight at the top of the roster.
Should be a banger.
Magee: Although it pains me to admit, Michigan definitely has the best defense in the B1G aside from ours. In four out of their first five matchups, Michigan held its opponents to 14 points or less. The Wolverine defense held a tough Wisconsin squad to just seven points in a classic B1G contest last weekend. It will be the toughest defense the Ohio State offense will go against in the regular season, but by that time our young team will be more than ready for the challenge.
Another concerning component about this Michigan team is that for the first time in a long time that team up north seems confident, hungry, and determined to win. I’m excited to see this historic rivalry being kindled once again.
Finally, Ohio State enters Saturday as a 29 point favorite over the Hoosiers. How will things play out? Give us a final score and game MVP.
DJ: I hate predicting Indiana games. You predict a close game and the local team smashes them. You pick a local team blowout and Indiana has a chance to win in the fourth quarter. That said, give me the local team 55-3. Defense leads the day once again, but J.T. Barrett takes the honors for his distribution.
Magee: I think that the Hoosiers will come out and score early, keeping the game fairly close throughout the first quarter. After that, I think the Buckeyes will take it away and win the game 38-10. I’m hoping for another SportsCenter Top 10 catch from Noah Brown, but ultimately MVP of the game will be our fearless leader J.T. Barrett.
Andrew: I got the Buckeyes coming out on top by a score of 47-13. I can see this one being a big Mike Weber game and I got him as the MVP. My guy Bob Landers gets two sacks. Defense/special teams scores twice and Malik Thorpe notches another interception.
