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Football
By the Numbers
By Jeff Amey

The 2010 Ohio State Buckeye season got of to a bang...literally, as the Buckeyes forced a fumble on the opening kickoff, then rolled to a 45-7 win over the Marshall Thundering Herd.  The Buckeyes dominated two of the three major phases of the game, but the special teams probably left a lot of Buckeye fans wondering where those special team groups from early in Tressel's tenure went.  A blocked field goal return accounted for Marshall's seven points, and a long kickoff return nearly resulted in a few more.

Aside from that, it was a good way to start the season for the Buckeyes.  Marshall wasn't a good enough team to challenge the Buckeyes, and it allowed the offense to get some extended practice against a live opponent in preparation for the big game next week against the Miami Hurricanes.

There is plenty to take away from this game, but before we get into any of that, let's look at the stats.

Run/Pass Breakdown

68 Total Plays--529 yards--7.8 ypp

            27 pass (40%)--18/27 for 250 yards  3 TD

            41 rush (60%) for 279 yards  2 TD--6.8 ypc

13 Offensive Possessions

            Ave. of 5.2 plays--40.7 yards

            Ave. Start--OSU 37

First Down--33 plays (49%) for 238 yards

            14 pass (42%)--8/14 for 88 yards  1 TD

            19 rush (58%) for 150 yards  2 TD--7.9 ypc

            Ave. gain of 7.2 yards

Second Down--22 plays (32%) for 231 yards

            6 pass (27%)--6/6 for 125 yards  1 TD

            16 rush (73%) for 106 yards  1 TD--6.6 ypc

            Ave. of 8.2 yards to go

            Ave. gain of 10.5 yards

Third Down--12 plays (18%) for 52 yards

            7 pass (58%)--4/7 for 37 yards  1 TD

            5 rush (42%) for 15 yards--3.0 ypc

            Ave. of 6.8 yards to go

            Ave. gain of 4.3 yards

            Conversions--4/12 (33%)

Fourth Down--1 play (1%) for 8 yards

            1 rush (100%) for 8 yards--8.0 ypc

            Ave. of 1.0 yards to go

            Ave. gain of 8,0 yards

            Conversions--1/1 (100%)

Playaction Passing

            1/2 for 65 yards  1 TD

First Downs Earned--20

            8 by pass

            11 by rush

            1 by penalty 

Formation Breakdown

Two Back formations--31 plays (46%)

            6 pass (19%)--5/6 for 108 yards  2 TD

            25 rush (81%) for 175 yards  2 TD--7.0 ypc

Shotgun formations--24 plays (35%)

            15 pass (63%)--9/15 for 110 yards

            9 rush (37%) for 74 yards--8.2 ypc

One back/empty formations--12 plays (18%)

            6 pass (50%)--4/6 for 32 yards  1 TD

            6 rush (50%) for 31 yards--5.2 ypc

Victory formation--1 play (1%)

            1 rush (100%) for -1 yard--(-1.0) ypc 

RUN TYPE BREAKDOWN--41 attempts

Base/Iso--6 plays (15%) for 71 yards--11.8 ypc

Draw--4 (10%) for 16 yards--4.0 ypc

Option--8 (20%) for 76 yards--9.5 ypc

Power--6 (15%) for 66 yards  1 TD--11.0 ypc

QB run/scramble--8 (20%) for 16 yards--2.0 ypc

Stretch--3 (7%) for 3 yards--1.0 ypc

Sweep--5 (12%) for 32 yards  1 TD--6.4 ypc

TEAM--1 (2%) for -1 yard--(-1.0) ypc 

Other Stats of Note

~ 4 offensive penalties for 20 yards

~ Ohio State started on the Marshall side of the 50 three times--17 points (2 TD 1 FG)

~ 4/4 in the Red Zone--(3 TD 1 FG)

~ 3 sacks and no turnovers

~ 30/68 plays took place on the Marshall side of the 50--(44%)

~ 15/68 plays went for no gain or loss--(22%)

~ Number of plays of 10+ yards--19

~ Number of 3 and out drives--1/13 (8%)

~ Marshall offensive production--56 plays for 199 yards (3.6 ypp)

In the section I usually include praise for the other team, there just isn't much for me to say.  Marshall wasn't in the same league as the Buckeyes as far as talent goes, and it reflected in the ease in which the Buckeyes moved the ball on offense and dominated the Herd offense.  At the very least, Marshall came to play, and they were still playing hard well into the fourth quarter when they were way down on the scoreboard.

The Buckeyes wasted no time in this game getting into the end zone, surging to a 14 point lead before the game was even five minutes old.  In the past, this would mean the offense would take the rest of the game off, but this time was different.  The Buckeyes were still throwing the ball and running the offense without let-up well into the fourth quarter.  We did, however get to see a lot of players on the field in this season's opener, and we were left with some tantalizing tastes of what the future might hold for the Buckeyes, especially when it came to running backs.

Let's get into the position groups.

Quarterbacks

One of the big questions heading into this season was whether or not Terrelle Pryor would come out looking like the quarterback that played against Oregon in the Rose Bowl last season, or the one that struggled through the middle of last year.  Early last year, Pryor's seeming lack of noticable progress from his freshman year was one of the concerns.  I don't think that's going to be a concern this season.

Pryor looked more comfortable, better mechanically, and more in command of the offense than he ever has, and that includes last year's Rose Bowl.  The biggest improvement I saw was in his footwork.  While it still wasn't perfect, it was night and day better than it was in his first two seasons.  He looked comfortable in his drops, and stepped up into the pocket and into his throws most of the time. His accuracy looks much improved as a result, especially on his long ball.  Before he was using all arm on those throws, but he was really laying them in there in this game, only overthrowing a wide open DeVier Posey when he didn't step into that particular throw.

I was also impressed by his ability to find the open man on the field no matter what defense Marshall threw against him.  You can tell he's spent a lot of time watching film and understands much better where the holes in various defenses are and where his recievers are on the field.  I thought he also did a good job of deciding when to tuck the ball and run most of the time, and also came away impressed with how he keeps his eyes downfield after he breaks the pocket.

Pryor came to Ohio State amid a lot of hype and expectations.  While one game isn't enough to convince me he's going to fulfill all of that promise, I will say that I think he's a lot closer to being that complete quarterback he's wanted to become since his freshman year.  We'll know a lot more about how far he's come next week against Miami's defense.

The second and third string quarterbacks both took snaps in the fourth quarter of this game, and didn't get a chance to do much with the Buckeyes already up by 38 at that point.  Joe Bauserman once again came away somewhat underwhelming.  He only had three pass plays called for him, and finished 1/2 for 2 yards and a sack on those plays.  Though to be fair, the one incompletion was a tough throw on the run that was on the money, but dropped by the reciever.  Ken Guiton took the last seven snaps of the game, but only ran option plays.  I came away thinking that Terrelle Pryor's health is very important to the Ohio State offense again this season.

Grade--A-  Not quite perfect, but a great day for Pryor.  He's come a long way since his freshman year.  Now he needs to just stay healthy.

Running Backs

Opening games usually feature a split of the carries between several different backs, and this year's opener was no different.  Five different backs got at least a carry, but I'm only going to talk about four of them.  Brandon Saine got the start and surprised me a bit with how good he looked.  He's struggled with injuries his entire career, but looked healthy for this game and showed a nice burst when he had a hole to get through.  Over 100 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries and five series worth of work tells me that Saine has the starting spot locked down as long as he can stay healthy.

The other returning backs that saw time last season, Boom Herron and Jordan Hall both had a couple of nice runs each, and both will probably see time on the field this season as well.  Overall, I think this is the deepest backfield the Buckeyes have had since Woody Hayes was the coach. 

Adding to that depth, and one of those tantalizing tastes of the future, was redshirt Freshman Jamaal Berry.  He came in during "garbage time" in the fourth quarter, but ran for 80 yards on just seven carries.  It wasn't just the yards that impressed, though.  It was the way he finished his runs and the decisiveness he showed in hitting the holes.  Yes, it was "just" Marshall, and it came with a 38 point lead, but it's impossible to dismiss it altogether.  Berry looked as if he might do some big things in the future if he stays healthy and eligible.

I can't finish this section without mentioning the crushing lead blocking of Zach Boren at the fullback spot.  After last season's opener, I thought the fullback position was a liability in the offense, but after watching Boren crushing linebackers all game long on isolation plays and lead draws, I have to say the fullback is no longer a liability.  In fact, the running game was somewhat centered around his crushing blocks.  He's going to be fun to watch this season.

Grade--A   It will probably be "tailback by committee" again this season to some degree, but the committee looks ike it will be tough to stop.

Recievers

Heading into this season, I wondered if Jake Stoneburner might add a different element to this offense considering his different skill set than the usual tight end recruit at Ohio State during Jim Tressel's tenure.  We didn't have to wait very long for an answer.  Pryor hit Stoneburner with a short drag route on the opening play of the game, and two more times later in the game to signal that tight ends might finally be a bigger part of the passing game this season.  Where tight ends in the past several seasons have stayed in to block more often than not on pass plays, Stoneburner was in the pattern on almost every play.

Why is this important?  I think he has the potential to open up the offense for everyone else on the field.  A viable tight end threat in the passing game means teams will have to pay him some attention, which will help get the other recievers open.  It will make play-action more effective, which in turn will give safeties something to think about when it comes to flying up on run support when the Buckeyes are in their base formations.  I'm excited about the prospect of an athletic tight end in this offense, and I think Jim Tressel could change the way he recruits them in the future as a result.

As for the rest of the recieving corps, I think we already know what the Buckeyes have in DeVier Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher.  The two combined for seven catches and all three recieving touchdowns in the game, Sanzenbacher making a great play for the Buckeye's third touchdown of the day.  The search seemed to be on for a third reciever the whole game, and I'm not sure if that search is over.

Taurian Washington was nominally the third reciever going into the game, but had only one pass thrown his way, which he dropped.  Senior Grant Schwartz came down with three catches, but I don't think he's going to be the answer either, though he'll at least see some field time.  Both heralded freshmen Chris Fields and "Philly" Brown came down with a ball in the game, but neither stood out as "I need to be on the field" players yet.  The third reciever spot looks like it might be a "committee" thing too.

Grade--A-   A couple of drops keep this from being a straight A, but the recieving corps looks good to start the season.  I'm really excited about Stoneburner's potential.

Offensive Line

For several seasons, the offensive line at Ohio State has been somewhat of a disappointment.  Year after year we hear how they're going to be improved, and every year they seem to fall short of expectations.  This might be the year where the line finally lives up to them.  The Buckeyes gained 529 yards of offense, the most in an opener in the Jim Tressel era.  The run game averaged nearly 7 yards per carry.  Most pass plays, Pryor had all kinds of time to step up into his throws.

It's hard to tell how good the Marshall defense was, and the game next week will definitely be a test, but there's no way to deny that for at least one game, this offensive line completely dominated the defense and controlled the line of scrimmage.  As much as I want to go on gushing about them, we still need to see them do it against a better team, though.

Grade--A-   Whipping boys no longer?  Only a couple of sacks and pressures keep this from being a straight A as well.

Offensive Gameplan/Coaching

There's never a whole lot to take away from these opening games, but there are a few things I think we can take away from this game about the 2010 version of the Ohio State offense.  One...I think the Buckeyes have a much better grasp on who they are this season as compared with most.  A veteran team means much less time spent on building an identity.  This game was spent figuring out which personnel would fit best with what they wanted to do, not trying to figure out what they wanted to do in the first place.

Having said that, I also like the additions to the offense this season that take advantage of personnel strengths.  Zach Boren blocks like a mack truck, and more isolation and lead draw plays were called as a result.  Jake Stoneburner adds another dimension to the offense, and we saw tight and the backs into the patterns more often than we have in past seasons with a concentration on a short passing game as a result.

Perhaps biggest of all, we saw a huge difference in 2010 Terrelle Pryor from the 2008 and 2009 versions.  Developing quarterbacks has been a knock on this coaching staff since Tressel started.  Troy Smith's development into a Heisman winning quarterback seemed as an abberation on an otherwise bland resume.  This season, there is clear progression.  We only need to see him keep it up in the face of a better defense and under pressure.

Grade--A+   The Buckeyes could do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, and no matter whoever it was on the field.  It doesn't get much better than that.

Defensive Gameplan/Coaching

The Ohio State defense came into this season with a lot of experience, high expectations, but also a few question marks that needed some answers.  Depth on the defensive line is an issue, and Nathan Williams sat out the game due to injury.  The safeties from last season were gone, and the spring game was an adventure in safety play.  Is the defense going to be championship quality, or will the offense have to be the one to bail the defense out for a change?

Solomon Thomas got the start for Nathan Williams at defensive end, but I didn't come away thinking he was going to be pushing him for play time when he comes back.  Cam Heyward finished the game with no tackles, no assists, and missed the only sack he had a real chance for on the day.  The defensive tackles, on the other hand, clogged up the middle the whole game and kept the linebackers free to roam.  Jonathan Hankins impressed in pre-season practice and continued that in this game.  He's going to be a beast. The line didn't play poorly, but it wasn't as dominant as I thought it could be, and Heyward's struggles were a little surprising.

The safety play question wasn't really answered either.  I don't think Marshall was a good enough team to really challenge the safeties, and their gameplan seemed to be centered around getting the ball out of the quarterback's hands quickly.  Jermale Hines still looked like a physical player at free safety, but I'm still a little concered about strong safety C. J. Barnett.  He didn't look as sure of himself tackling, and took bad angles on a couple of plays that ended in bigger Marshall gains than they should've had.  Nothing can kill a defense faster than poor safety play, so I hope the little problems can be corrected before the Buckeyes play a team that will test the safeties more...like Miami.

This all seems like nit-picking considering the defense pitched a shutout of the Marshall offense, and the Herd only sustained one drive the whole game.  Marshall did manage at least one first down on all but four of their 13 possesions of the game, however (3 three and outs and one turnover).  I came away thinking the Ohio State defense wasn't going to be a weakness this season, but I don't think they're going to be as dominant as they have been in the past.

Grade--A-   Marshall's offense was shutout and they finished with less than 200 yards of offense.  I just don't think they were very good.

Special Teams

There have been an awful lot of A's given out in this breakdown so far.  But if there was one phase of this game that concerned fans (and the coaching staff too I'm sure), it was special teams.  What was once a strength early on in Jim Tressel's tenure at Ohio State has become an adventure that leaves Buckeye fans holding their breath until the play is over.

The field goal team gave up two blocks, including a field goal block returned for Marshall's only touchdown of the day.  There is absolutely no excuse for getting field goals blocked and it needs to be something corrected immediately.  Blocks are one of the biggest momentum shifters in football and it can't be something the team has to worry about moving forward.

The kickoff coverage team looked pretty shaky most of the day, giving up one huge return that allowed the Herd to attempt a field goal in the first quarter and several others that looked close to breaking for big gains.  No matter how bad the other things have been the past few seasons, the coverage teams have been stellar. 

There were a couple of bright spots, however.  The return game showed signs of life with Jordan Hall and the two freshmen recievers showing some elusiveness.  I can see the possibility of a couple of those getting to the end zone this season.

After the "Jon Thoma" adventure last season punting the ball, Ben Buchanan at least looked steady punting the ball Thursday night and didn't leave any painfully short.  It's hard to say exactly what the Buckeyes have in him yet, but it at least looks like it will be a stronger leg.

Grade--C-   It couldn't all be wine a roses.  The problems need correcting though.  Special teams mistakes can be back-breakers

Now the Miami Hurricanes come calling to the Horseshoe.  This will be their first meeting since the 2003 Fiesta Bowl and Ohio State's last National Championship.  Living in Florida, and having Hurricane fans as in-laws, I have a different perspective on the opponent's fan base than most Buckeye fans (and an extra reason for wanting the Buckeyes to dominate the game).  They are looking at this game as revenge for that loss in the Fiesta Bowl.  This is a game the Buckeyes need to win not just for National Championship aspirations, but also to keep this writer from having a miserable week next week.  

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