Ohio State and Northern Illinois
Overall
The Buckeyes accomplished what they set out to do. Good, bad, and ugly –
they won the game and were able to play a wide range of backups on offense and
defense. Arguably, they played more players than any contest in the Tressel
era. Their special teams received a workout, and the Ohio State coaches have
more than enough film to make them giddy when it comes to areas of needed
improvement. This wasn’t a complete blowout as it might (and should) have been,
but again – it was a win. Finally, they didn’t have to reveal much of their
offense in order to walk away with the victory; the Longhorns will have film,
but it won’t be such where they have the keys to the kingdom.
Rushing Attack
The best back on the field was none other than Garrett Wolfe, but Ohio State
did manage to gain enough yardage with Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells to put
the game out of reach. Pittman was particularly impressive, averaging nearly 6
yards a carry, much of it between the tackles. While he lacked the brute force
of Wells, he did hang onto the football. Pittman is likely the most underrated
back in the nation. If he averaged 25+ carries a game, he would easily finish
the season with 1,500 yards.
Eddie George Part II?
Wells, who I expect to be the best back at Ohio State since Eddie George, is
emulating his hero in more than one respect. Clearly his running style and body
type are reminiscent of the last Buckeye to win a Heisman Trophy. His eight
yard bulldozing for a score behind fullback Dionte Johnson, dragging Northern
Illinois defenders in his wake, was power football at its finest. However, his
dubious achievement this week is his two fumbles inside the five yard line of
Northern Illinois.
Once upon a time, George saw action as a freshman. It was thought he would
be a no-brainer to carry the ball and provide that extra push inside opponents
20. Then he ended up riding the pine when his fumbling issues inside the
Illinois red zone cost Ohio State the game. Wells was fortunate this was not a
close game, but if he continues to be a part of plays where the ball bounces on
the turf, he will see less of the field in critical situations.
Defensive Line
As predicted and expected, Ohio State used their defensive line to force the
issue all afternoon. Creating negative yardage plays and backing the Huskies
deep into their own territory with four sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and a net
negative of 48 yards on the ground. Jay Richardson had his long awaited coming
out party. The fifth year senior smothered multiple plays when on the field and
led the team with 2.5 tackles for loss (including a sack). Also of note was the
play of Vernon Gholston, who was spoken of all fall as the lineman who had
really come on since the spring. He didn’t disappoint. Solid (and borderline
spectacular) in the middle as always were David Patterson and Quinn Pitcock.
Scrambling Quarterback?
For all the hype and talk of Troy Smith being a dual threat with his arms and
his feet, he rushed the football only once. His first quarter option keeper
ended up a yard short of the line of scrimmage, and he spent the rest of the day
taking his time picking apart the Northern Illinois offense from the pocket.
Kicking Game
The best field goal kicker belonged to Northern Illinois, which has to be a
concern heading into preparation for Texas. While Aaron Pettrey has the leg for
longer field goals, he thus far lacks the accuracy and consistency. His field
goal attempt went wide right; it wasn’t even close. Ryan Pretorius lacks the
long distance leg but has the accuracy. With a reliable range of 45 yards and
under, his 51 yard attempt was on the money but just short. In a best of both
worlds scenario, Pretorius could be used for field goals of 45 yards and under
while Pettrey is best suited for kickoffs and dialing long distance attempts of
46 and beyond.
The Defense Overall
What can be said other than a young secondary is almost always cause for
concern? Couple a young secondary with a completely new set of starting
linebackers, and you have a recipe for disaster. Ohio State will be fortunate
if it does not catch up to them against the Longhorns, Lions, and Hawkeyes.
Allowing a MAC opponent 4.6 yards per rushing attempt and 343 yards of offense
isn’t confidence inspiring. Even if that MAC opponent is Northern Illinois,
that is still a bit too much for a supposedly dominant team ranked in the top
ten.
Postitives:
Ross Homan at outside linebacker. The young man played as advertised and
appeared to pick up where he left off in the spring. He pursued plays and may
not have been credited with a great number of tackles, but he was constantly
around the football. On one tackle right after he was reinserted in the game,
he came all the way across the field to make a stop, weaving through traffic and
not stopping until he reached the football.
1 of 13 on third down attempts. This is probably the untold story of the
football game. While NIU was able to rush the football and even break a few big
plays on the Buckeyes, the defense stepped up on third down situations and
stonewalled the Huskies.
Grant’s interception. This was a fine defensive play and were it not for wet
turf, Ohio State’s defense would have recorded an interception return for a 92
yard touchdown. Grant’s problems were twofold. First, he was faster than
anyone else on the defense but for the secondary backs. Second, the quarterback
had the angle.
Brandon Mitchell and Jay Richardson. Ohio State fans (and coaches) have been
waiting for these two players to reach their potential since they stepped on
campus. Both led their respective position groups not just as leaders but in
production. Mitchell played as well as he has in his career while Richardson
played the run effectively. They both will have to take their game to still
another level to keep OSU in the national title hunt, but it was a solid first
game.
Depth. No person in their right mind would deny the depth of Ohio State on
both sides of the field. Defensively they played their entire two deep at
linebacker and seemingly every defensive back on the roster. This won’t do
anything but help them down the road if/when the injury bug infests the locker
room.
Restraint by Malcolm Jenkins. Late in the game with frustration setting in
for the Huskies, Wolfe pushed Jenkins long after the play had been blown dead.
Instead of retaliating Jenkins walked away, but had he chosen to take issue with
the Huskies it could have turned into an ugly scene. Players were already
sprinting toward the possible tussle while the referee, standing right near the
two, had apparently been struck with myopia.
Offensive Turnovers and Miscues
This could have been, should have been, a 55-12 rout or better. Ohio State
missed two field goals and twice put the ball on the ground inside the NIU five
yard line. Ted Ginn, Jr. was streaking across the open field on multiple
occasions but was not seen by Smith or had to slow up and wait for the ball to
arrive. The football needs to arrive on time against teams with better
defensive backs, or touchdowns turn into interceptions. While these problems
did not come back to haunt them today, it will – and soon – if they are not
corrected.
Positives:
Fans were treated to Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline; the two Brians put on
a show as the third and fourth receivers in Ohio State sets. Hartline’s first
(and only) grab of the day nearly turned into a touchdown had he not lost his
balance. Robiskie showed off his route running and hands, grabbing three
receptions on patterns near the sideline.
Ray Small is proving to be every bit as valuable as projected by those who
watched high school football in the Buckeye state. Already playing, he totaled
3 receptions for 19 yards.
Chris Wells. Despite the bricklayer hands on display in the red zone, he
adds a dimension to Ohio State’s offense that has been missing since the
departure of Maurice Clarett. On fourth and 1, the Buckeyes were able to go for
it with an empty backfield, and he ran over the Husky linebacker for a gain of
9. He falls forward and is able to gain short yards in tight situations. This
should allow the Buckeyes a better touchdown percentage in the red zone.
Troy Smith. Three years ago when asked not to scramble in the spring
scrimmage, he, fans, and media complained this took away part of his game.
Against Northern Illinois he finished 18 of 25 with 297 yards, 3 touchdowns, and
not a single turnover. So much for the complaints; Tressel and his staff have
worked with Smith to transform him into a complete quarterback.
The offensive line. Ohio State’s offensive front has progressed from a
patchwork collection of players seemingly held together by duct tape and bailing
wire in 2001 and 2002 to a truly cohesive line with experience and redshirt
seniors. Troy Smith had all day to throw (or run had he chosen), and he was
rarely even knocked to the ground even after he delivered the football to a
receiver.
Around the Nation
Best Calls of the Day
Tommy Tuberville. Just when Washington State looked like they were gearing
for an upset, Tuberville called a fake punt deep in his own territory. The play
went for a large gain and seemed to suck the life from the Cougars.
Charlie Weis. With just 16 seconds remaining in the first half and down
10-0, he called a quarterback run. He had no timeouts and while the play
worked, had it failed they don’t score before half at all, probably lose the
game, and he is a goat. It worked, and he deserves credit for a gutsy call.
Worst Calls of the Day
The University of Alabama at Birmingham was on the cusp of their school’s
greatest win. Down only 7 points at Norman against the Sooners, head coach
Watson Brown elected to punt the football with 2:30 remaining instead of going
for it on fourth down. What were they thinking? Kick the ball to OU so they
can hand it to Adrien Peterson? Thanks to the new clock rule, this essentially
ended the football game.
The referee who called a personal foul against Georgia Tech on third and 10.
The Irish were deep in Yellow Jacket territory and Brady Quinn scrambled. As he
approached the sideline he bunched up for the inevitable hit, and therefore the
Tech defender hit him full body (and helmet) while in bounds. The defender was
trying to stop him from gaining yardage and should have been rewarded with the
Irish having to try and hit a field goal. Instead a flag was thrown, the Irish
received a fresh set of downs, and Notre Dame scored a touchdown. Late in the
game, the referees were not consistent. When Reggie Ball was being dragged
down, a Notre Dame defender buried his shoulder into Ball’s head at full speed.
Nothing was called and instead of a new set of downs, Georgia Tech’s drive
ended. This should have been a 10-10 tie (at best) at the end of regulation.
Instead, Notre Dame escaped with a win, thanks in part due to not one but two
poor calls. Either call it or don’t but be consistent.
Teams About to Lose
The following teams must play better next week or go down in a blaze of
glory:
Ohio State – Playing at Texas is no joke. I’ll comment more on the
Ohio State defense and their chances to be the national champions later in the
week, but for now the odds look long. Garrett Wolfe rushed for 171 yards and
hauled in 114 yards catching the football. NIU had one player. One.
Yet he was able to absolutely torch the Buckeye defense all afternoon and
totaled nearly 300 yards from scrimmage virtually on his own. Texas is bigger,
faster, and stronger. They have multiple weapons, and they are playing on their
own home turf. I don’t care if Ohio State was freely substituting or not,
nearly 300 yards for Wolfe is outrageous.
Oklahoma – Oregon rarely falls short on their home field with only
nine losses since 1998. Eugene is a nasty place to visit, and right now Okahoma
isn’t ready. They have one weapon, and his name is Adrian Peterson. While
there is skill at the wideout slots, they lack the quarterback to get them the
football; Rhett Bomar had been named starter for a reason. Considering Oklahoma
has essentially a two game schedule (Texas and Oregon), this game is incredibly
important to their national title hopes. If they win, take it with a grain of
salt and consider the Sooners would likely lose as many as 4-5 games with Ohio
State or Notre Dame’s schedule.
Notre Dame OR Penn State – Neither team impressed this weekend.
Granted, they faced two teams which are tougher than commonly thought, but even
so – if they are all that and a bag of chips, then they should have made a
laugher out of the contests. No way is Notre Dame the second best team in the
nation; Auburn, Texas, Ohio State, LSU, Florida, and Georgia would all lay waste
to the Golden Dome if they played tomorrow. Anthony Morelli looks very good at
quarterback, but Penn State must shore up their defensive line before they talk
about titles.
Alabama – Yes, I know it is ludicrous to think the Tide could lose to
Vanderbilt. However, when you have to squeak by with a 25-17 victory over
Hawaii in Alabama it doesn’t say much about the quality of a team. Perhaps it
was simply an off week for Bama or Hawaii played over their heads for four
quarters. Even so, that’s not pretty.
Conference with the Most Embarrassing Week
Normally this award will likely go to the Big East or ACC, but with a week
like they had, the Big 12 embarrassed itself. The North division in particular
should hang its collective head in shame. Oklahoma barely escaped in their own
back yard against UAB. Kansas State trailed 17-13 with less than 10 minutes
remaining and only just pulled out the win over the hapless Illinois State
Redbirds (24-23) when a 2 point conversion failed. Colorado lost to Montana
State 19-10. Yes, Montana State – that is not a mistake. Finally, Iowa State
needed triple overtime to take out the Toledo Rockets 45-43.
Close Second – The Atlantic Coast Conference suffered losses to Notre
Dame, Rutgers, Richmond, and Pitt. Frighteningly, the Pitt and Rugters losses
weren’t even close and Boston College won, but truth be told – they barely edged
Central Michigan. The loss to Notre Dame is excusable, especially considering
inconsistency by referees.
Best Game of the Weekend
Arizona vs. BYU – Both of these once proud programs have fallen on
hard times in recent years. Arizona hasn’t had a winning season since 1998 when
they went 12-1 while BYU lost most of its mojo after Gary Crowton’s much
ballyhooed inaugural season where he finished 12-2. The Cougars and Wildcats
have actually combined for just 23 wins in the last three years, but their tilt
on Saturday evening was a classic. A seesaw battle with BYU leading the bulk of
the time turned the Wildcats’ way in the fourth quarter. Tied 13 all with only
seconds remaining, Mike Stoops’ boys marched down the field to attempt a game
winning 48 yard field goal. Nick Folk calmly nailed it while his head coach and
teammates celebrated wildly.
Close second – Houston at Rice. The game ended with Houston topping
the Owls 31-30, but they had to come from 13 points down at the start of the
fourth quarter to pull out the victory.