Well my argument against Todd Boeckman is that he isn't exactly on a hot streak. He hasn't scored a touchdown since the Wisconsin game, on Nov. 3rd. Against Illinois he threw for 156 yards with 0 TD's and 3 INT's. Against Michigan he threw for 50 yards with 0 TD's and 1 INT. Granted, against UM, they didn't throw much but they were not good numbers. Boeckman has proved he can manage a game and win but I don't know how he will do if his team is in a shootout or needs to come back. Lets just hope we can pressure him into a bad game.
I don't know how to use the forum like that so forgive me... 1. Agree but if you let him get past the line it is a minimum of one DB's face in the dirt. If you have seen his stiff arm you know what I'm talking about. I have to say I'm a little worried about how our O-line will handle Dorsey (what an amazing player) but we probably also have one of if not the best O-line you have seen all year so it may be a push and depend on your LB's vs. Beanie. You guys are deeper at RB than us but we have a few that are pretty decent. 2. IMO that is kind of open to debate. It depends what the NFL team is looking for. Robo is polished and a great possession receiver but has little upside and will never be a great player like TO, Moss, ect. 3. See Beanie...again depends how our line handles your D-line. I have little doubt that this is the best D-line OSU will face all season but I also don't think that your back 7 is is near as good as PSU's and we tore them apart. IMO the Illinios game was kind of an aberration much like the Ken. and Ark game was for LSU and the TT and Col were for OU. They beat us fine...but who do you really believe the best team is if we played them 10 times. take it FWIW. 4. To say this you can't of seen much of OSU. Freeman is by far our best coverage LB and Grant is a converted Safety. JL is a great LB but I think its more because he always has the defense in a position to make the play. He is very disciplined and opportunistic with turnovers. Again take it FWIW 5. Yeah
We know that Ohio State has some receivers and backs with excellent speed. But is the overall team speed as good? LSU, at least before the late season injuries started to mount, had remarkable speed on the line and the linebackers as well. Speed in depth, too. Even the kicker is fast and has rushed for a TD this season. The Big 10 does not have a reputation for speed, but I think Ohio State is plenty fast enough to compete for the title. They just don't play in a league as fast as the SEC and yes we probably underestimate them..
I know he is powerful when he gets past the line. And he can break off huge runs. But I think to have success your line is gonna "have" to block their asses off against our strong front 4. It can be done, but not many have succeeded in the past. I'll give you that... but I think Hartline will be better. Penn State has great linebackers... LSU has one (Ali Highsmith). Derry Beckwith has shown flashes of brilliance but has been injured much of the season. But I believe our DBs are much better then PSU. Chevis Jackson and Jonathan Zenon have made their share of mistakes like every secondary, but when the game is on the line, they come up huge. Chevis has cement hands, but will make excellent plays on the ball. Zenon is quck, but has been picked on in the past. Our Safeties are great for the most part and we rotate 4 in (when healthy). Craig Steltz is a hard hitting, but slow safety. He has trouble in man, but is solid in zone. He is a finalist for one of the national awards for secondary. Chad Jones, a freshman, is going to be a huge consensus all-american... he hits hard and is super fast, but is still rough around the edges. Danny McCray, is hot and cold this season, and can either be spectacular, or a flop depending on who shows up. And finally Curtis Taylor is a special player also. This is a ball-hawking, hard hitting secondary. I have seen many games, and have seen Freeman makes some great plays, don't get me wrong. OSU is known for their Linebackers, I just wasn't impressed with their entire body of work this season, and feel like Laurinitis has been their saving grace, but maybe I'm wrong. I don't pretend to be an expert at OSU, so if you say he is your best coverage LB, then I believe you.
hope we don't fall into this trap. osu is plenty good and will bring its "A" game, especially after last year.
The offense is really about power and controlling the tempo. They run patterns find open spots and usually get tackled. Ray Small is fast but we don't have a true burner like Ginn this year. Saine is fast for a RB but is a backup to the 2 Wells. Defensively, I would put OSU's team speed with anyone in the nation. The DT aren't as good as LSU's but our DE's are better than LSU's. The team really flys around the field and you won't get many YAC. But I'm biased and honestly I hope LSU doesn't think we are fast on defense either. Also we get back a guy that was injured all year basically at DE. He was our best DE before he went down and keep in mind that Gholston, our second best DE, is #4 in the nation with 13 sacks. The defense is very fast and disciplined.
I would really love to sit here and talk all day but I have a paper I must write so I will take my leave. Thanks for being gracious and welcoming us buckeyes to your board. I'm sure we will have plenty to talk about over the next 5 weeks.
What do you guys think your strenghts are on offense. Power running game? A standout O-Line? Speed receivers?
Diversity. We are a good running team with a stable of different backs. A sure handed TE who is getting more into the mix. And some nice, big receivers that are holding on to the ball. Oh, and we have two QB's who can scramble. But we have had some problems with execution over the last half of the year.
