Our Honor Defend

Ohio Stadium is so majestic in primetime, though the past few games under the rented lights have left Buckeye fans with sour tastes in their mouths.  Buckeye fans experienced no such aftertaste in the 121st season opener againt Marshall, thrashing the Thundering Herd since the opening kick en route to a comfortable 45-7 victory.  This recap post will not be entirely fresh and the game was over almost the moment it began.  Instead, I will discuss something pertinent to the showdown next Saturday against the Miami Hurricanes.

Around this time last year, Ohio State fans, including myself, were excited about the positive reports emerging from summer camp regarding Terrelle Pryor.  He had professed to “getting it”, to being light years ahead of where he was in the previous season and was ready to lead the team.  He did, but it was touch and go for important stretches last season (including horrific showings against Purdue and USC) and Pryor still did not look the part at quarterback.  This year, we heard the same things but saw the 2010 Rose Bowl as some kind of sign that things might be a little different.  They were.

You have to be mindful of the competition.  Marshall is just not that good.  They ran very basic 4-3 base/over and blitzed rarely.  They did not trust their secondary to play the Buckeye receiver corp tight, giving Pryor lots of space to find his receivers and his offensive line only a four man rush to pick up.  Theirs was a “not in the face!”¹ defense.  Regardless, even with the huge disparity in talent, Pryor just looked the part.  He looked much more natural and composed in the pocket.  His offensive line gave him all the time to make reads, check down to second and third options when necessary and stand tall in the pocket.  The result was something decidedly un-Pryoresque (sic).  He finished the game 17/25, 247 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 8 carries for only 17 yards and only one tiny little arm punt.  This was the botched snap from the second team OL and desperate heave to Grant Schwartz.  One game does not a season make and Ohio State will almost assuredly face teams with, well, a competent secondary.  Nevertheless, Buckeye fans should really like the improved mechanics (no “double-pats”), the tight spaces he was fitting passes for Sanzy and Posey and the improved ability to identify where pressure was coming from, when it did come.

The interior of this offensive line was dominant.  Yes, Marshall, but still.  The 3 Bs (Boren, Brewster, Browning) were, in my humble opinion, the strength of the offense by the end of last season.  They looked the part tonight.  Huge runs for Brandon Saine (9 carries, 103 yards, 2 TDs) were set up with expertly executed Dave plays.  The 45 yard TD run in particular was so well done and had Boren screaming through the line on his pull that it almost looked like a Dave play for him to run with the ball.  It is hyperbole, yes, but they looked good.  The offensive tackles (Adams, Shugarts) held serve.  There were a few plays where Adams was beat and I think Marshall had just instructed their outside rushes to go wide and avoid being pulled inside (what OTs like to do on passing situations).  Here, they held serve, but nothing on par with the 3 Bs.  We have come a long way from Person and Rehring in the interior.

Jake Stoneburner tripled his career production at TE this game with 3 catches for 41 yards.  I think Buckeye fans everywhere want to see him have an 8 reception, 100 yard and 2 TD game somewhere down the line.  However, with Sanzy’s Ten Speed Bike gears torching Marshall’s secondary, there was not too much incentive to find Stoneburner on a seam to pick up yards piecemeal.  He should be a friend for Pryor down the road.  Sanzenbacher had the rare 100 yard game for an Ohio State receiver.  He had 3 catches for 113 yards and a TD.  I feel vindicated when I was one of the few people holding to the assertion in 2008 that Sanzy should absolutely be a featured receiver because he gets open, if he tends to get killed by the likes of Jay Valai.

With the 3 Bs road grading Marshall, the Buckeyes racked up an impressive 280 yards on the ground.  I won’t sugarcoat this: Saine, not Herron, should be the featured back if the decision is down to either one of them.  At least, I felt he was the best option late in the season and he impressed much more this game.  Saine still lacks the vision you would want (something Hall has) and may start making his moves in the backfield before he should (something Herron struggles with as well).  However, he is just much quicker and has greater burst than Herron, a good change of pace back, provides.  Elsewhere, Jaamal Berry played like a guy who absolutely wants to play more.  Granted it was garbage time, but it was garbage time with a garbage time offensive line when everyone knew that he was getting the ball.

There was a lot to like on defense, but also some reason to be curious about the oncoming Hurricanes.  Solomon Thomas did not impress this game, accentuating what we all thought to be the case about Nathan Williams.  Williams is much better, gets much more consistent pressure and, unfortunately, we may be lacking at quality depth at the position.  The good news is that Williams will be back for Miami next Saturday.  We hope he is match fit.

Also, I had noticed last night that the second team defensive line included John Simon, Garrett Goebel, and Johnathan Hankins.  Yes, three defensive tackles.  I thought my eyes were deceiving me.  They were not.  Simon moved over two second team weakside defensive end/LEO (i.e, Nathan William’s position).

Brian Rolle followed last year’s season opener against Navy, where his pick-two secured the victory against the Middies, with a straight up pick six.  Yes, like Navy, Marshall got Brianrolled.  I applaud the awareness from Rolle.  Pick sixes are worth three times as many pick twos.  Really, though, it is obvious that Rolle’s presence at middle linebacker gives the Buckeyes an important weapon on defense.  The boy is fast for a linebacker and can complicate any attempt to horizontally stretch our defense.  He is proving to be a threat in pass protection as well.

It was great to see Tyler Moeller back last night.  The message sent by Moeller to future opponents on Ohio State’s schedule.  Admitting that it is difficult to forgive the guy who assaulted him, nearly killed him and took a year from his life, that anger (and general 100mph enthusiasm with which he plays) was unloaded on Marshall’s offense.  He had a killshot on Marshall’s quarterback that he is probably feeling this morning.  Moeller knows how to blitz.  And he does it damn well.

I did not see too many great things from the secondary, but I don’t think I had to see them.  Travis Howard was targeted for the plays he was on the field.  CJ Barnett played well, but nothing wowed me.  Chimdi Chekwa held his own in spite of playing gimpy and Devon Torrence likes to be aggressive in coverage.  Nothing was out of the ordinary, but we know: this is the weak link on the team.  Quality depth up front can hide this, but it is something we’re looking to find through the course of the 2010 season.

Miscellany

• This was my first exposure to watching a Buckeye game on Big Ten Network.  The network should absolutely feel ridiculous for the way RO*TEL has them promote their product in the starting lineups.
• I try not to be “that guy” who takes everything as a sign of disrespect, but the sideline reporter during the game misled casual viewers into thinking the Moeller incident was anything other than what it was: a sucker punch by a guy who has since assumed full legal responsibility for the incident and is responsible for anger management classes and restitution to boot.  The characterization on the network made it seem like an incident at a bar for which Moeller was partly guilty himself.
• At this point, I just feel really bad for Taurian Washington.  After one drop this game, he was recalled to the sideline and scarcely seen again.  He had no catches this game.
• Grant Schwartz had 3 catches for 20 yards.  SoCal Buckeyes gotta stick together.
• Full game stats: here.
• True freshmen who played: Christian Bryant, Philly Brown, Johnathan Hankins, Andrew Norwell, Drew Basil.
• On the Basil note, that is absolutely the worst result possible for your first field goal try at Ohio State.  Ouch.  I hope he will look back on that later and laugh.  All told, special teams left a lot to be desired and should become a focal point going forward.  A point after was blocked (still good), a 63 yard return was conceded and, of course, the blocked FG.
• Etienne Sabino did not play, which is supporting evidence for the rumor that the loser of the battle between him and Andrew Sweat would redshirt to gain an additional year.

1. …and piss on you, I work for Mel Brooks. [↩]