Ohio State got back to its winning ways albeit in less-than-impressive fashion last weekend against Northwestern and with 10th-ranked Nebraska on the docket for Saturday night, fans are hopeful the Buckeyes will make a statement.
Count me down as bullish on the Buckeyes if for no other reason than The Eleven Dubgate – our annual charity fundraising tailgate – is undefeated with a perfect 5-0 mark.
Will Urban Meyer's troops get it done Saturday night? Will the offensive line have another solid outing or was that fool's gold last week? How effective will the Silver Bullets be in slowing down Husker quarterback Tommy Armstrong?
For the skinny on those queries and more, here's Buck-I-Guy's illegitimate mediocre son DJ Byrnes, staff recruitnik Andrew Ellis, and a way better intern than Kevin ever was, Ms. Magee Sprague.
The hope was that Ohio State might somehow figure out a way to blow out Northwestern and right the ship. That didn’t happen of course and from my seat, it seems Urban Meyer is growing increasingly frustrated with the media (and fans) questioning what is wrong with his offense. What’s your take on how Meyer is publicly handling the recent unrest from the unwashed masses?
Andrew: From my view, there certainly were some moments when he seemed especially stressed out on the sidelines last week. That’s bound to happen from time to time for any coach, but I remember thinking to myself that – at one point – his look was second-worst only to the infamous postgame pizza party against Sparty in 2013. He looked like a very confused and sad panda. I love pandas but I don’t love it when Urban Meyer looks like one of the melancholy variety.
Meyer is a perfectionist and I’m sure he is beyond frustrated. I struggle talking about this stuff in group texts with four or five of my close friends, so dealing with everything that goes into being the head coach at Ohio State – especially when the team is struggling a bit – is bound to be a little much at times. That being said, it was nice to read reports of his jovial demeanor during Monday’s presser.
DJ: Meyer is a sore loser, which is fine. I’d rather the coach of my team be sore the few times he loses rather than gracious in defeat like every Browns coach of the last 17 years.
He’s also not going to change at 52-years-old. And honestly, I get it. He has three national titles and has only lost five games in five years. He obviously doesn’t like fielding questions from people who aren’t coaches. It’s not the greatest look, but again, it’s a perk of winning. I doubt many Ohio State fans are losing sleep over reporters’ feelings.
Magee: I’m torn. Meyer has had no trouble throwing his teams under the bus in the past when they have messed up so his unwillingness to open up about the team’s obvious struggles is perplexing. Refusing to take any fan calls on the radio was a sign to me of Meyer’s uneasiness and frustration with the team itself, even if he won’t admit it.
Building on that, what do you think Meyer truly thinks about this team? Does he think it can be a championship caliber group or that maybe expectations are unrealistically high? Do you think he has any specific concerns about the current construct of his coaching staff whether it be in actual personnel or how their responsibilities are divvied up?
Magee: My thinking is that if Meyer thought that this was a championship caliber team, he would say so. Urban has never been one for modesty and in the past when we’ve had teams that he believes are capable of greatness, he has been up front about it. That being said, I think Urban thinks that this team has a lot of potential but probably just isn’t quite there yet.
Andrew: I am of the opinion that Meyer thinks he has a championship-caliber team, but it’s a team that needs to grow a lot over the coming weeks and months. I feel the specific concerns have got to be with the team’s youth and the way the wide receivers are currently playing. It’s an inexperienced group of pass-catchers and it’s probably the unit that needs to improve the most right now. Zach Smith has done a solid job of recruiting the position, but some of the player development has really been lacking.
DJ: Meyer says he loves this team, so I think he sees championship potential, which would explain his frustration to it not coming to fruition every week.
As fans, we spoiled ourselves after the Oklahoma game in thinking Ohio State could lose 12 players to the NFL draft and not miss a step. I still hold championship hopes, but I wouldn’t bet any amount of my rent on it.
Meyer is a control freak so I’m sure he’s always tinkering with things in his mind, and I doubt the only time he’s satisfied is when he’s lifting a trophy. If Ohio State continues to win, everything is fine. If Ohio State loses to Nebraska or Michigan State before losing to Michigan, well, we could see a complete restructuring. (Sports are fun, actually.)
While the bulk of player criticism has been directed at the offensive line and wide receivers, lately even veteran J.T. Barrett has been the target of some flak. I don’t buy it but in general, what’s your take on Barrett’s season-to-date? Has he failed to meet expectations, met expectations or surpassed your expectations thus far? What do you see as his biggest opportunity right now? What is he doing right that some aren’t giving him enough credit for?
DJ: Barrett’s play hasn’t been perfect, but I’m not buying that criticism either. He put the team on his back in Madison and Penn State and should’ve went 2-0 in those games. It’s also hard to perform at a high level when you’re under siege all night and your receivers are blanketed like they’re facing NFL coverage.
Some people want to see Barrett sling the rock, but he’s never going to be that type of quarterback. He does not do risks.
Magee: I think that J.T.’s performance thus far has been mediocre. He hasn’t done anything extremely amazing or incredibly bad, but done just what it takes to win (or almost win) each game. It is obvious that he has no confidence in his receivers outside of Noah Brown and it is starting to take a toll. I still believe in J.T. and believe he is a great player, but he just doesn’t have the tools he needs to really prove himself.
Andrew: I think J.T. Barrett has performed about as expected this year. Again, the youth at wide receiver (and really everywhere else on the offense) kinda had me tempering my expectations a little bit. I’m all for J.T. limiting the number of hits he takes, but there have been some moments this season where I wish he would have taken off rather than trying to squeeze the ball into tight windows.
One thing I’ve liked is how Noah Brown has been used in the endzone. J.T. is comfortable with throwing the ball up in one-on-one coverage and letting him adjust to the ball. He’s basically our only wide receiver who can do that, so hopefully that continues.
Speaking of the offensive line, the group allowed just one sack and four TFL against Northwestern after getting scorched for six sacks and 11 TFL against Penn State. Were you encouraged by the improvement or is that tempered by the fact Northwestern wasn’t all that aggressive up front? How about the slight schematic change and insertion of Branden Bowen as an extra blocking tight end from time to time – good move or not meaningful long term?
Andrew: I was encouraged by the improvement even if Northwestern isn’t exactly the Bears of 85. I think a player like Isaiah Prince needed a game like that to build his confidence back up a little bit. I am all for little tweaks like the Brandon Bowen move. If nothing else, it’s going to give the Nebraskas and Michigans of the world something else to think about.
Magee: I wouldn’t consider the offensive line’s performance against Northwestern too much of an improvement, but baby steps I guess. I think the entire unit is a work in progress and I hope to see them develop as the season continues. I think that obviously some changes needed to be made so the insertion of Brandon Bowen can’t hurt. It’s hard to tell how much of an impact it will make moving forward but time will tell.
DJ: I’d be alarmed if Northwestern put up the same numbers as Penn State, but still, it was pleasant to see a bounce back game ahead of Nebraska.
I liked the insertion of Bowen, if only to show new wrinkles and give the OL some help. Not feeling it so much longterm, as Urban Meyer said Thursday on his call-in show the offense is designed to send out as many weapons as possible for Barrett. Bowen can apparently catch, but you’re taking out a more explosive player to put him into the game.
Moving on to Nebraska, the Huskers lost a tight one in Madison falling 23-17 in overtime. Quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. completed only 12/31 passes with a pair of picks but still ranks 3rd in the B1G averaging nearly 273 yards of total offense per game. What kind of day can we expect Ohio State’s defense to have against Armstrong?
DJ: How in the Hell is Tommy Armstrong still at Nebraska? I demand a federal investigation into this.
But until that happens, I expect Ohio State to sell out on the run and dare Armstrong to beat them with his arm, much like teams used to do to freshman Braxton Miller. Armstrong still looks like a running back who can make a couple of throws a game. I expect Ohio State to hold him to around 150 total yards.
Magee: Tommy Armstrong Jr. definitely one of the toughest quarterbacks our defense will face this season. Even though his passing completions are not great, I think that he is a threat because he is unpredictable. He may be off one drive, but excellent the next so he will keep our defense on its toes. Stopping Armstrong’s run game will be crucial. I don’t foresee Ohio State putting up huge numbers offensively, so it’s up to the defense to step up and have a big night.
Andrew: Armstrong is doing a much better job of taking care of the ball this season. He threw 16 interceptions last season but has only thrown 7 thus far in 2016. I think Ohio State will try to blanket Jordan Westerkamp and of course look to put pressure on Armstrong. Two or three turnovers from the senior sounds about right to me. I do expect him to throw for about 200 yards while rushing for another 50 and scoring twice, however.
On the other side of the ball Nebraska’s pass defense is led by the top two interception makers in the league with Keiron Williams and Nathan Gerry sitting on four picks apiece. Considering Ohio State’s passing game woes, how will the matchup of OSU’s pass offense against the Husker secondary pan out?
Andrew: I do worry about Ohio State’s pass offense against a Nebraska team that has only allowed seven passing touchdowns on the season. Our receivers aren’t running great routes, routine catches aren’t being made, and Barrett hasn’t been playing his best. The short and intermediate passing game should be key and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Brown haul in another redzone touchdown or two. My expectation is for J.T. to go for about 220 yards and two scores.
DJ: This is a make-or-break game for the passing game. If it’s not happening against Nebraska, it sure won’t be happening against Michigan in three weeks. Will somebody in Zone-6 not named Noah Brown make a key play against top conference talent? I’ve been waiting all year, and all I have is a bunch of Zach Smith tweets featuring the “100” emoji to show for it.
Sadly, I’m not expecting much. At some point, a team is what it is. Ohio State can still win without an explosive passing attack (see last year’s final two games), but not if its offensive line doesn’t come together with alacrity.
Magee: Considering the pattern of the season and Nebraska’s tough pass defense, I don’t see the Buckeyes taking many risks this week which is upsetting. I think they’ll definitely play it safe, stick with the run game as much as they can, and only short passes. That being said, this would be a great opportunity for the receiving core to step up and show us anything they’ve been hiding. I think I can speak for all of us when I say I would love to see long pass completion to Noah Brown in the end zone Saturday night.
The Buckeye rushing attack was held to 64 yards below its per game average by the Wildcats tallying 208 yards against a season average of 272. Meanwhile, Nebraska’s rush defense currently sits 5th in the conference allowing 137 yards per contest. How effectively will Ohio State move the ball on the ground come Saturday night? Any chance Mike Weber will break the century mark for the first time going for 144 against Rutgers way back on October 1st? What about Curtis Samuel – Urban Meyer keeps getting grumpy when asked about touches for his best player – might the H-back see a few more carries this week?
Andrew: I think the ground game will get it going again this week, but I expect the utilization of Samuel may hold Weber under the century mark. I’m hoping to see a few more Curtis carries like the ones against Oklahoma and Penn State. Obviously the two I am referencing both went for long scores which was great, but I just really liked the play design on both of them. Samuel’s only got nine carries in the last two games combined; he had 32 through the first three. I expect to see him closer to double digits on Saturday. Ohio State should approach their season average against Nebraska.
Magee: I don’t know if Mike Weber will break the century mark but I think that the Buckeyes need him to now more than ever. If he gets enough touches or has nice break out run of 30 plus yards, I don’t think he should have any problem breaking 100. As for Curtis, I’ve been waiting every week for him to get more touches to no avail. I would like to think it will be this week but the only people who really know are grumpy Urban and his staff (maybe).
DJ: No, I don’t see it. Nebraska is going to load the box and force J.T. Barrett to nickel and dime them all the way down the field. Barrett threw 43 passes at Penn State. He’ll probably throw more Saturday night.
Ohio State enters Saturday’s matchup as a 14.5 point favorite over the Huskers. So how does it play out? Do the Buckeyes, 4-4 against the spread this year, find a way to cover? Give us a final score and game MVP prediction.
DJ: 28-17, local team. J.T. Barrett wins MVP but Malik Hooker has a pivotal interception, too.
Magee: This is definitely going to be a close contest, but I trust in Urban and in our fans. I think it will be a close, 24-17 game, with the home team coming out on top. Game MVP: J.T., cause who else?
Andrew: When I initially saw the line, I thought it was a little bit out there. The more I think about it, though, the more I do think Ohio State will cover. Night game + throwback unis + the biggest recruiting night of the season so far X the 11W Dubgate? Give me Ohio State by a score of 37-17 with Curtis Samuel taking home MVP honors.
