GAME OF THE CENTURY II: Ohio State: 30 Michigan: 27

In a game for the ages Ohio State beats Michigan in 2OT.

OFFENSE

     The offense came out driving. They drove 50+ yards and set up Tyler Durbin for a short FG. Durbin ended up missing it along with another game tying FG later on. After this the Buckeye offense sputtered. They couldn't score an offensive touchdown till late in the 3rd quarter. This made the game 14-17 Michigan. The Buckeyes offense then seemed to wake up. They mounted 2 drives deep into Michigan territory. The first one led to the second missed FG. The second drive gave Durbin another shot. Durbin didn't have a choice but to make it. At 17-17 the game went to OT. The offense really kicked it into gear scoring in only 2 plays. The game however did not end there. In the second OT Michigan kicked a FG making it 27-24. The Buckeyes had no desire to put the game on the foot of Durbin. On 4th and 1 the Buckeyes went for it. Barrett kept it on the read option and headed up the middle. He was met at the 15 1/2 yard line... he needed the 15. What transpired next will live on forever. The official placed the ball at the 15 and signaled first down. He had gave Barrett forward progress. Was this the right call? We'll never know. The next play Curtis Samuel scampered into the end zone causing complete pandemonium in the shoe.

Grade - C-

Defense

    The Defense won us this game. That's it plain and simple. The defense basically scored 14 points alone from 2 interceptions. They also recovered a fumbled snap at their own 2. Without this epic performance from the defense we're looking at a Michigan win by 14+. All credit goes to Coaches Schiano and Fickell for their great game plan. By the way Malik Hooker should win the Thorpe let alone by a finalist. 

Grade - A+

Thoughts on 11/28/16 Events

Being a proud OSU alum I was deeply saddened by what I saw today. Being awoken by a message from BuckeyeAlert claiming that there was an active shooter on campus crushed me. As more information came out I realize that if I hadn't transferred schools I would have been in that direct area. I got in touch with my former colleagues and made sure that they were okay. All were okay, but one was just a couple doors down locked into a lab room. I am incredibly thankful for the quick actions of the OSU police. The suspect was only up for one minute before being shot to death by an officer. That officer is an absolute hero and deserves all praise. 

Ohio State will not be intimidated by these acts. Buckeye Nation will only grow closer and stronger as we all pray for the victims.

GO BUCKS

Buckeyes Bounce Back: Ohio State: 24 Northwestern: 20

The Buckeyes start out strong, but revert back to old tendencies against Northwestern.

OFFENSE

    The Offense came out firing. This is something that we haven't seen in quite some time. The Buckeyes actually scored on their opening drive. When it seemed that all was going well the offense relapsed. It went back into its usual shell and only did enough to win the game. This is extremely disturbing to me. I can't understand why this team plays not to lose instead of playing to win. The Buckeyes badly need to reverse this trend in order to survive the next few weeks

Grade - C

Defense

     The defense played well, but not great. We know what this defense is capable of. I think that the defense can take over a game if they want. Giving up over 400 yards to Northwestern just isn't going to cut it. The scary part is Michigan can score the football seemingly at will. This defense will need to be absolutely locked in for that game.

Grade - B-

Reflection:

Surely this is a forgettable game. The Buckeyes only beat a mediocre team by 4. Still the weirdest part was Urban acting like this was a big win.

Buckeyes Fall in Happy Valley: Ohio State: 21 Penn State: 24

What an absolute disaster. The Buckeyes go to Happy Valley and control 3 quarters only to meltdown.

OFFENSE

     This was a mesmerizing performance. Just like MSU last year I;m sure we'll always have more questions than answers. For unknown reasons Curtis Samuel only ran the ball twice. One of these two runs went 74 yards for a touchdown. It's really hard to say what the offensive staff was doing. Isaiah Prince had a really bad day. He gave up double digit pressures that led to the multiple sacks of JT Barrett. It would appear that he completely forgot all technique. To make matters worse it was blatantly obvious and the staff did nothing to help. No tight End to help. No Running Back to give extra protection. In the end it was a terrible performance that may very well keep Ohio State from the playoff. 

Grade - F-

Defense

     I feel like I need to make a special teams grade, so I will. F---------------------------------------------------

The special teams were a complete joke. A blocked punt and field goal led to 10 PSU points. The Special teams did not lose this game themselves however. The defense allowed a 5 play 90 yard drive that reinvigorated the Nittany Lions.This game was really flukey in nature. The Bucks would stand strong then out of nowhere they'd give up a massive play. The Buckeyes need yo clear this up moving forward  
Grade - C-

Reflection:

Penn State will play for the B1G title. They are #7 in the country. This loss isn't as bad as it felt at first, but it still burns and could keep OSU out of the playoff

     

Buckeyes Win OT Thriller 30-23

The Buckeyes went to Madison Saturday night. It took overtime but the Buckeyes came out victorious. 

OFFENSE

     As I've said before when the Buckeyes get into a hole they look to the QB. Saturday was no different. JT started off slow, but when Buckeye Nation needed him the most he came through. The quarterback led the Buckeyes down the field 4 times in the second half. Making crucial 4th down conversions along the way. Early in the 4th the Buckeyes took their first lead of the night 20-16. Wisconsin quickly answered however. The Badgers drove the length of the field and scored a touchdown on a FB run. At 23-20 the Buckeyes again had their back against the wall. The Buckeyes mounted a big drive capped off by a 31 yard field goal by Tyler Durbin. The Badgers had one last opportunity to steal the game. They drove into Buckeye territory before a holding penalty pushed them back. The Badgers were eventually forced to punt and the game went to OT. The Buckeyes got the ball first in OT and JT connected with Noah Brown on a beautiful back shoulder throw to take the lead. If the Buckeyes can get 4th quarter JT more often this passing game would be a force.

Grade - B-

Defense

     I was initially disappointed in the defensive effort. Coming into this game I wasn't sure to how Wisconsin would score. The passing game wasn't impressive and the Buckeyes are traditionally stout against the run. Wisconsin jumped out to an early 10-0 lead and looked the better team. The Buckeyes made the necessary adjustments at half and limited the Wisconsin offense. The Buckeye defense shined the most in OT. The Buckeyes stood strong against the Badgers who had 1st and goal from the Buckeye 5. On 4th down it seemed the whole D-line had arrived at the QB at the same time. This was the Buckeyes second walk-off sack in 3 years.

Grade - B-

Reflection:

Wisconsin is currently 6th in the CFP Poll and is playing in the B10 championship game. They are even a contender to be in the 4 team playoff.

     

Ohio State: 38 Indiana: 17

Indiana faced off with the Buckeyes Saturday and for the 3rd straight year they gave the Buckeyes issues. 

OFFENSE

     The Buckeyes offense was slowed down this week. The Bucks came in averaging over 56 points per game, but today only got to 38. This isn't terrible, but we know what this team is capable of. The most disturbing part of the game was the fact that JT Barrett finished 9-21 with only 93 yards. Whenever the Buckeye offense is challenged they go into a shell and revert to Q runs. Saturday was no different. JT was the leading rusher with 137 yards on 26 carries. This could present major problems for the Buckeyes down the road. The Indiana defense elected to give up the intermediate passing game in order to cover deep. Ohio State's passing game was almost non-existent due to this. Expect teams in the future to follow suit.

Grade - C-

Defense

     Ohio State's defense has shown all year that they're ball hawks. They forced another 2 turnovers today that helped the offense out. Indiana's offense isn't terrible, but also not great. This team can do better and will need to do better next week in Madison. 

Grade - B

Reflection:

Michigan struggled with Indiana as well. This however was with backup John O'Korn. Something about this pesky Indiana team just always seems to throw off the Bucks.

Ohio State: 58 Rutgers: 0

Rutgers is really bad. We knew that. The Buckeyes did what they needed to do and beat the Scarlet Knights 58-0. The offense put up over 600 yards again and the defense didn't allow a score. Our sights now turn to the Hoosiers, a team that has given us fits the past few years. 

Reflection:

Rutgers is still bad.

     

Ohio State: 45 Oklahoma: 24

   The Buckeyes went to Norman Saturday night. They emerged victorious. The game was a little watered down figuratively and literally. The kickoff was delayed due to heavy thunderstorms in the area, and the Tom Herman led Cougars had already knocked off the Sooners week one. 

OFFENSE

     The Bucks scored 45 points against the Sooners. 7 of the 45 came from the defense, but today the offense wasn't going to be outdone. JT Barrett threw for 4 touchdowns. All four were to Noah Brown including possibly the catch of the year. Brown went behind the back of the defender and snatched the ball pinning it against the db's back. Mike Weber ran for 123 yards on 18 carries. The Buckeyes "Percy Harvin" player Curtis Samuel didn't disappoint as he scampered into the end zone on a critical 4th and 1. The offense continues to look deadly as this team gels. 

Grade - A

Defense

     The Buckeyes defense started out by giving up a long drive to the Sooners. The Sooners however could not capitalize. After the Buckeyes scored their first touchdown the Sooners were driving again; they faced a 4th and short around midfield when Jermome Baker struck. The Buckeye linebacker filling in for the injured Dante Booker took a deflected pass all the way back for a pick six. The Buckeye defense would give up their first touchdown of the year, but for the most part played well and opportunistic. Marshon Lattimore would collect another interception and the Buckeyes would repeatedly smother the Sooners on fourth down in the fourth quarter.  

Grade - B+

Reflection:

This win looks better every week. Oklahoma sits at 9-2 and is in prime position to win the Big 12. The Sooners are currently 7th in the AP and Coaches Poll.