Football
By the Numbers
By Jeff Amey
In a week where most of the top ten was suffering through fantastic finishes, inspired play from huge underdogs, losses, and general mayhem, there was one team that stayed unbeaten in dominating fashion. The Ohio State Buckeyes travelled to Minnesota to take on the Golden Gophers in the first of what will be several night, away games for the Buckeyes this season and quietly "stumbled" away with a 30-7 win.
Considering the mayhem at the top, it's going to be hard for this team to continue to fly under the national radar, especially if Florida were to upset LSU this upcoming weekend. How good is this team? Dare we emotionally invest ourselves for another possible National Championship run? The Buckeyes travel once again this week to take on Purdue in another night game. That game should go a long way to answering both of those above questions.
Before we get into all of that, let's take a look at this week's game.
Run/Pass Breakdown
76 Plays--457 Yards--6.0 ypp
29 pass (38%)--18/29 for 211 yards 2 TD
47 runs (62%) for 246 yards 2 TD--5.2 ypc
15 Possessions
ave. of 5.1 plays--30.5 yards
ave. start--OSU 25
First Down--34 Plays (45%) for 248 yards
9 pass (26%)--7/9 for 108 yards 1 TD
25 runs (74%) for 140 yards 1 TD--5.6 ypc
ave. gain of 7.3 yards
Second Down--24 Plays (32%) for 101 yards
8 pass (33%)--5/8 for 46 yards
16 runs (67%) for 55 yards 1 TD--3.4 ypc
ave. of 6.7 yards to go
ave. gain of 4.2 yards
Third Down--16 Plays (21%) for 90 yards
11 pass (69%)--6/11 for 58 yards 1 TD
5 runs (31%) for 32 yards--6.4 ypc
ave. of 5.7 yards to go
ave gain of 5.6 yards
conversions--7/16 (44%)
Fourth Down--2 (3%) Plays for 18 yards
1 pass (50%)--0/1 for 0 yards
1 run (50%) for 18 yards--18.0 ypc
ave. of 4.5 yards to go
ave. gain of 9.0 yards
conversions--1/2 (50%)
Playaction Passing
5/7 for 75 yards 1 TD
First Downs--20
6 by pass
12 by run
2 by penalty
FORMATION BREAKDOWN
Two Back Formation--35 plays (46%)
6 pass (17%)--3/6 for 61 yards 1 TD
29 runs (83%) for 140 yards 2 TD--4.8 ypc
Shotgun Formations--16 plays (21%)
14 pass (88%)--8/14 for 95 yards 1 TD
2 runs (12%) for 9 yards--4.5 ypc
One Back Formations--24 plays (32%)
9 pass (38%)--7/9 for 56 yards
15 runs (62%) for 78 yards--5.2 ypc
Punt Formation--1 play (1%)
1 run (100%) for 18 yards--18.0 ypc
RUN TYPE BREAKDOWN--47 attempts
stretch--11 (23%) for 2 yards--0.2 ypc
power--19 (40%) for 121 yards--6.4 ypc
fake punt--1 (2%) for 18 yards--18.0 ypc
base/iso--4 (9%) for 31 yards 1 TD--7.8 ypc
draw--2 (4%) for 6 yards--3.0 ypc
end around--1 (2%) for 37 yards--37.0 ypc
counter/trap--4 (9%) for 13 yards 1 TD--3.3 ypc
QB run/scramble--4 (9%) for 12 yards--3.0 ypc
sweep--1 (2%) for 5 yards--5.0 ypc
Other Stats of Note
* Three offensive penalties for the game
* Ohio State did not start a possession on the Minnesota side of the 50
* 3/3 in the Red Zone--(3 TD)
* No sacks and one turnover (Fumble)
* 28/76 plays were on the Minnesota side of the 50 (37%)
* 21/76 plays went for no gain or loss (28%)
* Minnesota first half offensive production--199 yards and 7 points
* Minnesota second half offensive production--78 yards and 0 points
As I was putting the breakdown together this week I was surprised that the Buckeyes ended up with over 450 yards of offense. It just didn't "feel" like a 457 yards performance. Rewatching it, I came away feeling that this was a pretty solid game for the offense.
What contributed to the feeling that the offense was a little lethargic in this game?
A couple of things stood out as I broke the game down. For one, the Buckeye started with a long field more times in this game than normal. Seven of Ohio State's fifteen possesions started inside their own twenty, with five of those inside the ten. Second, there was only one really huge play in the passing game this week. For the most part, this was a game of short passing and pounding the ball at the Gophers with the run game. Maybe we've gotten a little spoiled early on this season with the big plays in the passing game. Combine that with what we were used to last season, and maybe it's a little tough to appreciate a more classic Big Ten style beat down.
The Buckeyes simply came out and physically dominated another Big Ten opponent. The more I watch the team this season, the more impressed I am with how physical and aggressive they are on both sides of the ball, especially the defense.
Quarterbacks
Considering Todd Boeckman took the first 72 offensive snaps of the game for the Buckeyes, the talk of quarterback play is going to center around him this week. Todd had yet another solid statistical day for the Buckeyes, and still seems to be on the "improving every week" path, yet there are a lot of Buckeye fans out there still uneasy about the team this year, and for the most part, it centers around his play.
There is no question that Todd has firmly seized the reigns of leadership for the offense, and his command of the passing game is fairly impressive for a man starting the fifth game of his career. On quick reads and passes he always seems to know where to go with the ball, and hasn't thrown the ball into coverage very often in those situations. His pocket presance seems to be good. He steps up away from pressure well, and if there is pressure he has been unable to avoid, he's stood in the face of it and delivered the ball impressively on several occasions.
So what's the problem?
The main criticism has been on his long balls and throws requiring more complex reads than the quick throws. These criticisms are valid. I don't think there's much question that he's holding the ball too long on several of his deep throws. When he has delivered the ball on time, I think Todd has shown a marvelous touch on the ball, but there have been many times when he was lucky to get a defensive pass interference call or incompletion instead of an interception. It has helped that the offensive line has been giving him all day to throw, or some of those extra seconds holding the ball could've also been turned into sacks.
The general feeling seems to be that Todd is going find himself in a situation against a better defense where some of those throws will wind up in the other team's hands instead of incomplete, or that some team will be successful bringing pressure at him. It will be interesting to see how he reacts if this happens. As much as he's seemed to improve, there is still a lot we just don't know about Todd this year, and won't find out until a team is able to get to him a little bit.
As for now.....
Grade--B A little erratic at times, but generally made good reads and didn't throw an interception this week.
Running Backs
This group was expected to be the strength of the Buckeye offense this season, and despite some injuries and a slow start to the season, they are starting to flex their muscle as the Buckeyes start up conference play. Watching Chris Wells stiff-arm someone (he was indiscriminant to jersey color this week) to the ground is really fun to watch. Beanie tore off his fourth-straight 100 yard game despite a nagging ankle injury, running over, around, and through Gophers in the process. He's really starting to come into his own bouncing plays to the outside and forcing smaller defensive backs to try to tackle him in space.
The ankle has got to be a concern as the Buckeyes enter a tougher part of their schedule. It doesn't seem to be anything more than a nuisance right now, but injuries like that can suddenly become worse at any time, and if it bothering him takes away from his concentration to the point where he's coughing up the football (as he alluded to in interviews), it could cause problems in the future. Brandon Saine's return to the lineup will be a big help here.
For the second straight week, Maurice Wells picked up the bulk of the rushing duties when Beanie came out of the game, and for the second straight week acquitted himself well. As indecisive as he sometimes looks on zone stretch plays and the power-o play, he impressed me behind the simple isolation block this week, breaking off two runs of over 10 yards on those plays with no hesitation at all. He's still best in space, in my opinion, but the coaches might have found something else that he does well and can utilize this season.
As hard as I was on the fullbacks early this season, I have to step back and give them some well deserved praise for what they've done over the past few weeks in the run game. After running for just 103 yards on 41 carries (2.5 yards per carry) from I formations through the first two games of the season, the offense has since put up 345 yards on 68 carries (5.1 yards per carry) and six touchdowns from the I. The fullbacks as a group have done better, but Tyler Whaley has stood out and is probably the biggest reason behind the improvement.
Last and not least...A.J. Trepasso came to Ohio State as a punter, but had a bit of halfback in his background. His 18 yard run on a fake punt sparked the offense to life and was instrumental in the Buckeye's first touchdown drive. He also had a pretty good game getting punts downed inside the 20 yard line several times.
Grade--B+ Hard to downdrade 246 yards of rushing, but Beanie's fumble in the fourth quarter and missed blitz pickups cost them a little.
Recievers
Outside of Brian Robiskie, this is probably the quietest group on the field for the offense this season. Part of that has to do with the Buckeyes not passing the ball around quite as much as they have the past two seasons, but the main reason is that the Buckeyes are spreading the ball to a lot of different weapons in the pass game, and Robiskie has been the intended reciever on most of the longer passes. His highlight-reel touchdown catch in the second quarter only enhances his reputation for being a big play reciever this year.
Now that Ray Small has returned to the lineup, it seems clear that the coaching staff is going to utilize him in much the same way they did Ted Ginn early in his career at Ohio State. He got three offensive touches in the game (one more throw his way went incomplete), and showed flashes of the same kind of explosiveness Ginn did in his time at Ohio State. It will be interesting to see if the coaches expand his role as they did Ginn's as he progresses in the offense.
The tight ends continue to be an integral part in the running game, absolutely crushing the edge of formations on several different occasions allowing the backs to bounce to the outside, but this week played a bit of a role in the passing game as well. Jake Ballard and Rory Nicol caught four passes between them and had two more thrown their way, though most of them were early in the first half.
Grade--B A few dropped balls this week lowers the grade a bit.
Offensive Line
Another game, another dominating performance by this group, especially pass blocking. Todd Boeckman had only been sacked three times this season going into the game, and has still only been sacked three times this season. Todd spent another game able to stand in the pocket seemingly forever and was only seriously pressured a couple of times in the pass game. A new starting quarterback could ask for nothing better from his line than what he's getting this year.
The run blocking this week...well, it was tough to figure. For one, the Buckeyes averaged over five yards per carry and put up well over 200 yards rushing. That's the good part. They also tore off several gains in the 8-15 yard range during the game. However, on stretch type run plays, the Buckeyes only managed to gain two yards on eleven carries and had just as many negative plays as positive plays on those types of runs. Part of that had to do with Minnesota's defense. They seemed to read the stretch play and react very quickly at the second level (linebackers) to stuff those plays, but it wasn't just the Gophers. The Buckeyes weren't sustaining their blocks very well on those types of plays either.
One thing to note: The Buckeye's ability to run the ball has made their playaction passing game very successful so far this season. Seven of the Buckeye's twelve touchdown passes have come off of playaction so far this season, including at least one every game.
Grade--B+ The pass blocking has been amazing, and the run game has become like a sledgehammer this season. They need to keep up the effort every play, however.
Total Offense
Like I already said once up there, before I started breaking this game down, I got the impression this was a bit of a down game for the offense, but once I started re-watching it, I started appreciating it for what it was. It was more of a "Ford Bronco in four wheel drive" performance from a team that has more resembled a Porche over portions of the past two seasons. It is clear that the coaching staff has put a premium on physical play this season, and that has bled over from the defense to the offense.
With the defense playing so well, it's hard to imagine this "battering ram" approach changing too much against teams that have not shown defenses capable of shutting down this Ohio State running game. I expect to see more of the 60/40 run/pass playcalling and the Buckeyes try to physically dominate teams throughout the Big Ten Season. The question will be whether or not the Buckeye offense will be able to pick it up against a team that sells out to stop the run.
In past seasons (especially 2004), I've questioned the coaching staff's ability to put an effective offense together at the Division 1A level. There were questions about the Jim Bollman's ability to coach the offensive line. There were questions about the coaching staff's ability to develop players. At some point while I was watching this game again, I realized that most of the criticism was wrong. As I watched Ohio State run counters, traps, a sweep, and end around, isolation plays and 19 power-o plays for 6.4 yards per carry, I realized that we just needed to be patient until Jim Tressel and company was able to get the type of players they wanted into the program and develop those players into an exciting and effective offensive unit.
There have been ugly moments (the National Championship game comes to mind immediately), but for the most part since halftime of the Michigan State game in 2005, the Ohio State offense has been keeping up their side of the bargain. The job this coaching staff has done with so many players from last season's offense gone is amazing, especially in the face of so many other teams being hit with surprising upsets from teams they were supposed to beat easily. The true tests for this offense are coming up, but it's safe to say that most of the fears about the offense going into the season haven't materialized and have actually been much better than feared.
Grade--B+ Four drives of 8 plays or more and three long touchdown drives strangled the life out of Minnesota, and I still think the offense can be better.
Total Defense
Minnesota actually had a little bit of success moving the ball against the Silver Bullets this week, but were unable to dent the end zone more than one time. Once again, the defense came out hitting, and once again, the opposing team eventually wilted to the onslaught. The Buckeyes have been one of the better teams defending spread offenses over the past few seasons , and this was also the case against the Gophers. Affecting the quarterback was a major part of the gameplan, and while the Buckeyes only managed to sack Minnesota's quarterback once, they kept hitting him, and those hits eventually lowered his effectiveness in the second half.
The linebacking corps continues to be very strong, with James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman both having very good games. As hesitant as Freeman looked at the beginning of last season, he is exactly the opposite now. He had several big hits in the game and played sideline to sideline. Malcolm Jenkins had perhaps the biggest defensive play of the game, gathering an interception in the defensive red zone as the Gophers were driving to tie the score at fourteen in the second quarter.
The Buckeyes are currently second in overall defense in the national rankings (fourth in run defense, sixth in pass defense) and are only giving up 7.2 points per game. LSU might have the best defense in the nation this season, but the Buckeyes aren't far behind.
Grade--A- A bit of a rough first half, but the effort was there the whole game and they gave up only 7 points.
So...back to those two questions.
How good are the Buckeyes?
On offense, we can't really say yet. Ohio State has yet to take on a team with a defense ranked in the top half of the total defense category, with Northwestern's 61st ranking actually being the best. It's clear this Buckeye offense has some talent, but how will they do against a team that stops the run? How does Boeckman do against a team that rushes the passer well? Can Boeckman lead the team back from a deficit? How will the team do in the pressure situation of a close game in the fourth quarter away from home?
There are just too many questions still unanswered. If Purdue is everything some people say they are, then the game this week should be a good measuring stick for where the Buckeyes stand this season, but I'm not convinced this game will tell us much more than the five before it. Purdue's defense is ranked 68th this season and they were just outgained by Notre Dame at home.
The defense, on the other hand, seems to be on a much higher level than they were even last year when they ranked near the top of most defensive categories for the first 11 games of the season. The effort and aggressiveness is at a very high level this season. The offenses Ohio State has faced, statistically, haven't really been better, however, so it will be interesting to see how the defense does against more powerful offenses as well.
Do you allow yourselves to become emotionally invested in another possible title run?
Ohio State fans have been prone to irrational exhuberance, but I see no reason why this team simply CANNOT win all of their games this season. Will they? They did survive one of the harshest weeks to ranked teams in recent history. Based on what we've seen on the field, there aren't a whole lot of teams that seem to be as complete as the Buckeyes. If the Buckeyes can get to 8-0, get ready for one of the toughest stretches of four games in recent memory.
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