This thread is going to be a blog of sorts where I'll post my thoughts and analysis of the Buckeyes for the 2010 season. Hopefully some other people will get involved as well.
I'll start with my thoughts from the first game.
Week 1 - Thursday, September 2
Ohio State 45, Marshall 7
The Buckeyes have a lot of hype and they're ranked #2 coming into the season, but they've been known to be pretty lackluster in these early season non-conference games, sometimes struggling to put away inferior opponents. Not this game. Other than some special teams mistakes they looked good and made big plays on both offense and defense.
Let's start with the offense. All eyes are on Terrelle Pryor this season, and I thought he looked great in this first game. He completed 17/25 for 247 yards and 3 TD's. He looked comfortable in the pocket and made some nice throws both from the pocket and on the run. He hit Sanzenbacher for a 65 yard touchdown, and just missed Posey on another deep ball. A couple of his shorter throws were poorly thrown, however. He's definitely looking to throw first, run second, which is a good sign. It also looks like the tight end is going to be more involved in the passing game this year.
The offensive line had a good game, giving Pryor good time to throw and opening big holes in the running game. They did allow a couple sacks and had several false starts, but that could be expected in the first game.
Brandon Saine racked up 103 yards and two TD's on just 9 carries, including two long runs of 40+ yards. The other backs looked good as well, with Herron, Hall, and Berry all averaging over 6 yards per carry. This is a very deep backfield.
Defensively they played a strong game, but there is definitely a lot of room for improvement. They held Marshall to just under 200 yards and forced two turnovers. Brian Rolle returned an interception for a touchdown just before halftime, and just when it looked like Marshall was going to score Chimdi Chekwa forced a fumble down in the redzone that was recovered by Ross Homan. The defense pitched a shutout, but did allow some big plays, especially in the passing game. The coverage looked pretty soft and there were several missed tackles. The secondary could be somewhat of a concern this year.
The biggest mistakes were on special teams. They did force a turnover on the opening kickoff, but later gave up a big kickoff return, had an extra point blocked, and a 53 yard field goal blocked and returned for Marshall's only score. I have to question Tressel's decision to even attempt that field goal though. You have a 4th and 3 inside the opponent's 40, you're up 14-0 and your offense has been moving the ball while your defense has been playing well, GO FOR IT! The chances of making a 53 yard field goal with a true freshman kicker are pretty slim, and I think the risk/reward of going for it is better than the long kick.
Overall, I'm really pleased with their performance. There are certainly some areas they need to work on, but I expect them to get better as the season goes along.
Next up: Miami
I'll start with my thoughts from the first game.
Week 1 - Thursday, September 2
Ohio State 45, Marshall 7
The Buckeyes have a lot of hype and they're ranked #2 coming into the season, but they've been known to be pretty lackluster in these early season non-conference games, sometimes struggling to put away inferior opponents. Not this game. Other than some special teams mistakes they looked good and made big plays on both offense and defense.
Let's start with the offense. All eyes are on Terrelle Pryor this season, and I thought he looked great in this first game. He completed 17/25 for 247 yards and 3 TD's. He looked comfortable in the pocket and made some nice throws both from the pocket and on the run. He hit Sanzenbacher for a 65 yard touchdown, and just missed Posey on another deep ball. A couple of his shorter throws were poorly thrown, however. He's definitely looking to throw first, run second, which is a good sign. It also looks like the tight end is going to be more involved in the passing game this year.
The offensive line had a good game, giving Pryor good time to throw and opening big holes in the running game. They did allow a couple sacks and had several false starts, but that could be expected in the first game.
Brandon Saine racked up 103 yards and two TD's on just 9 carries, including two long runs of 40+ yards. The other backs looked good as well, with Herron, Hall, and Berry all averaging over 6 yards per carry. This is a very deep backfield.
Defensively they played a strong game, but there is definitely a lot of room for improvement. They held Marshall to just under 200 yards and forced two turnovers. Brian Rolle returned an interception for a touchdown just before halftime, and just when it looked like Marshall was going to score Chimdi Chekwa forced a fumble down in the redzone that was recovered by Ross Homan. The defense pitched a shutout, but did allow some big plays, especially in the passing game. The coverage looked pretty soft and there were several missed tackles. The secondary could be somewhat of a concern this year.
The biggest mistakes were on special teams. They did force a turnover on the opening kickoff, but later gave up a big kickoff return, had an extra point blocked, and a 53 yard field goal blocked and returned for Marshall's only score. I have to question Tressel's decision to even attempt that field goal though. You have a 4th and 3 inside the opponent's 40, you're up 14-0 and your offense has been moving the ball while your defense has been playing well, GO FOR IT! The chances of making a 53 yard field goal with a true freshman kicker are pretty slim, and I think the risk/reward of going for it is better than the long kick.
Overall, I'm really pleased with their performance. There are certainly some areas they need to work on, but I expect them to get better as the season goes along.
Next up: Miami