By Brandon Castel
Brandon's always right on with his articles. If you get a chance head over to theozone.net and read all of his work. Simply fantastic!
1.73 is a lot of points. Rarely has Tressel been accused of running up the score. In fact, his Ohio State teams had only topped the 50-point mark four times in over nine seasons before their 73-point outburst Saturday. They scored 15 more points than any other Tressel-coached OSU team, and became just the third OSU team in the last 60 years to score more than 70 points. The last time it was done was 1996 when the Buckeyes had David Boston, Orlando Pace, Pepe Pearson and a defense that allowed 131 points all season. It takes a lot of scoring to get to 70 points, and the Buckeyes only got three the cheap way. They had one Devin Barclay field goal and 10 offensive touchdowns, including six by Pryor.
2. Tressel wants this team to feel good. There are some years when it seems like Tressel is intentionally trying to hold his team back from busting the flood gates. He doesn’t seem to go for the jugular against lesser opponents because he seemingly doesn’t want his team to think too highly of itself. This is not one of those seasons. This team is good. Very good. Tressel knows it and he wants his players to know it. It reminds me of the 2006 season the way they are rolling over teams with no regard. That ’06 was a confident bunch, and they needed the confidence to beat Michigan 42-39 in the “Game of the Century,” but by the bowl game they were too confident.
3. Terrelle Pryor is going to re-write the record books. Don’t look now, but Pryor is shooting up the record books in just about every conceivable category. With his four touchdown passes Saturday, he moved past Greg Frey (37) for fifth place on the all-time list with 40. He needs 18 more to break Bobby Hoying’s all-time school record. He could break that this season, and by next year he could set the mark so high that no one will touch it for another 50-100 years.
More impressively, he passed Joe Germaine and Pete Johnson (56) for fourth on the all-time touchdowns list with 58. Assuming he stays for his senior season, which he has said he plans to do, Pryor would have 22 more games in a Buckeye uniform, including two assumed bowl games. By the time it’s all said and done, he might be at the top of the list in just about everything. He will likely pass Craig Krenzel for 9th on the all-time passing yards list next week. It won’t be long before he cruises past Troy Smith and he could be as high as fifth on the all-time list by season’s end. It might be a long-shot for him to catch Art Schlichter for the all-time record, but second place is within reach.
But that’s not all. His 3,089 career rushing yards rank seventh in school history, ahead of guys like Carlos Snow, Michael Wiley and Raymont Harris. By the end of the 2010 season, it’s possible that only Archie Griffin and Eddie George will have more career rushing yards than Pryor. If he somehow manages to rush for 1,000 yards this season, Pryor would pass Eddie for second-place on the all time list.
4. The OSU defense is not invincible. Despite the fact they allowed a late touchdown against the Hurricanes, Ohio State’s defense had been nearly perfect in the first three weeks. When they weren’t turning teams over, they were forcing three-and-outs or even scoring points of their own. It looked like this OSU defense might go down as one of the best in school history, but Saturday definitely poked holes in the armor.
Defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said after the game that it was good to have some teaching points because they haven’t had many as of late, but there’s no way anyone on the team can be happy allowing three long touchdown drives to a team that has lost 16 games in a row. Someone close to the team said before the game that the coaching staff felt EMU had a better offense than Ohio, and they proved it. Quarterback Alex Gillett did a great job selling the play-fake and OSU couldn’t rotate their defense fast enough to make him pay for throwing the ball down field.
The Buckeyes still won the game by 53 points, but they had to score 10 touchdowns to get there.
5. Secondary is a major concern. If there’s one area of the defense that draws special attention after this game it has to be the secondary. Starting corner Devon Torrence suffered a hip pointer against Ohio and barely practiced this week. Then Chimdi Chekwa left the game with back spasms and the Buckeyes almost gave up a long touchdown on the very next series. The No. 3 corner, Travis Howard is out with a shoulder injury and Donnie Evege could miss the rest of the season with a dislocate elbow.
Redshirt freshman Corey Brown looks like he has a bright future, but he and Dominic Clarke got picked on a little bit today while Chekwa was out; enough so that they put Chekwa back in the game in the fourth quarter. Making matters worse, Orhian Johnson seemed lost on a few plays and didn’t rotate to help over the top the way C.J. Barnett had been doing before he went down with a knee injury.
Chekwa’s health has to be a major concern right now. He has had issues with his hips, his hamstrings and now his back. If he can’t stay healthy, the Buckeyes could have major issues in the secondary.
6. Dane Sanzenbacher is underappreciated. There will be some surprised people around the country tonight when they watch highlights of the Ohio State game and hear that a guy named Dane Sanzenbacher caught four touchdown passes. He wasn’t highly thought of coming out of high school, but you can bet he is highly thought of around the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
“I think that guy might be the most impressive guy on the team, in my mind,” center Michael Brewster said.
All of about 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, Sanzenbacher always seems to be where he is supposed to be, and more importantly, where Pryor needs him to be.
7. The word is out on Berry and Hall. There is no way anyone can deny what Jordan Hall and Jaamal Berry can bring to this football team. What used to be rumor and speculation has now been seen with our own two eyes and the product is good. If the Buckeyes want to stick with the horses they rode in on (Saine and Herron), that’s fine because both of them bring something to the table, but they better find a way to get Hall and Berry some action as well. They are both big plays waiting to happen, and they don’t need perfect blocking to get it done. Ultimately the grind of the Big Ten season will probably thrust one of them into the rotation, but these guys are too good to wait on an injury.
8. Stoneburner or no Stoneburner, tight end is part of the offense. Would you believe that three tight ends caught passes Saturday and not one of them was named Jake Stoneburner? Ohio State’s starting tight end left the game in the first half after rolling his ankle, but his backups caught four passes for 36 yards. Although he is 6-foot-8, Red Fragel is not nearly the same kind of weapon that Stoneburner is, but it’s clear that Pryor feels comfortable throwing the ball to the tight ends, something he did very little of before the Rose Bowl.
9. Special teams not fixed. Anyone who thought what they saw out there Saturday meant the special teams worries were a thing of the past should re-watch the game as soon as they finish reading this column. Just because the Buckeyes did not have a kick blocked or allow a big return touchdown doesn’t mean they have things under control. They might be headed in the right direction, but there were a few times where Eastern Michigan had a lane. Corey Welch averaged over 20 yards on seven kick returns and Ryan Downard took his punt back 27 yards. If that’s not enough, Drew Basil had to make two tackles on kick coverage and Ben Buchanan had to make one on his only punt of the game.
10. Basil does have the leg. Yes, Brian Rolle blocked an extra point, but the best thing to happen for OSU on special teams this week was kick offs. Basil still had a few ducks that were caught around the 10 yard line, but he also had three touchbacks. Right now, the freshman is inconsistent, and that is probably how it’s going to be for a bulk of the season. The good news, however, is that we know now that Basil has the leg to boot the ball to the back of the end zone. Once he learns how to do it consistently, it’s going to be a tremendous weapon for the Buckeyes.
Mo Williams puts LeBron James in Past
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Surrounded by cameras and familiar faces Mo Williams hadn't seen in months, Cleveland's guard looked up, stretched his arms out to both sides and announced what the world has known about the Cavaliers since a fateful decision this summer.
"There is no LeBron in this building," Williams said Monday, his voice carrying across the practice floor of Cleveland Clinic Courts. "Whether we believe it or not, he's not coming back. This is who we've got. I don't see the big TNT trailers, the ESPN trailers.
"This is what we've got. This is the hand we're dealt, and we have to play the best we can."
Like it or not, the Cavaliers are moving on without LeBron James.
For the first time in eight seasons, James, who revived the Cavs and carried them closer than they've ever been to an NBA title, was not at media day Monday as the Cavaliers embarked on a new -- and daunting -- era minus their homegrown superstar.
James was in Miami, where the two-time MVP's talents will be on display this season with Heat teammates Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
His departure rocked Cleveland, the Cavaliers' franchise and their fans, who are still struggling with the separation.
Williams was particularly troubled by James' decision to leave. Teammates for two seasons, Williams was so hurt that he reportedly considered retirement.
In an interview with Yahoo! Williams said he lost some of his love for the game and thought about walking away from it.
"That's how bad it got," Williams said in the story. "I contemplated it. I really sat down and envisioned life after basketball. I really saw myself not playing."
In his first comments since the article was published, the 27-year-old Williams, who has three years and $26 million left on his contract, backtracked on talk of quitting anytime soon.
"At some point, you have to think about what you're going to do after you play," he said. "It makes no sense for me with three years left on my deal to give money I've felt I've earned back. It don't make sense, and the article wasn't even about me retiring. It kind of got blown out of proportion."
Williams explained that he had posted a comment on his Twitter account that may have been taken out of context, complicating matters. What is perfectly clear is that Williams was deeply affected by James' decision and experienced the same sense of loss and betrayal as any fan.
"I felt the same exact pain," said Williams, who will be limited in training camp by a groin injury. "I feel the same love for this organization and this team as they do. So yes, it was a time where I felt their same pain. But at the same time, when you get here and get around this organization and the new team and the new coaches, you feel excited. You get to turn things around and start something new."
New was in abundance as the Cavaliers convened for the first time since losing to Boston in last season's Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Summer of LeBron changed everything.
Coach Mike Brown was fired and replaced by Byron Scott, who has turned teams far less talented than the one he inherited in Cleveland into winners and is excited about the Cavs' upside. General manager Danny Ferry decided not to renew his contract, and assistant GM Lance Blanks left for Phoenix's front office.
Center Shaquille O'Neal left after one season for Boston and guard Delonte West, whose off-the-court problems hindered the Cavaliers more than they will acknowledge publicly, is also wearing Celtics green.
These Cavs are not the same Cavs, and GM Chris Grant said any perceived post-LeBron hangover is unfounded.
"We're looking forward to moving forward," he said.
Maybe, but there's no escaping a look back in the rearview mirror.
Shortly after James announced his decision during a now infamous hourlong TV special, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert accused the 25-year-old of quitting on his teammates.
Williams was asked if James quit.
"No," he said. "This game is too competitive to quit. We ain't playing checkers. This is basketball. You play this game long enough and anybody who's competitive understands no matter what's going on with you, people don't just quit. I don't care who you are."
Although their national profile has lessened in the aftermath of James's exit, the Cavs believe they still can compete at a playoff level. For months, they've read the unflattering predictions they're about to slide back among the league's also-rans.
Scott finds the negative talk inspiring.
"I kind of love that," he said. "I've been an underdog my whole life. In my conversations with guys this summer, they felt the same way and that's a good thing. So hopefully we can bring that into training camp and it's going to carry over into the season.
"We're going forward. We're moving on. It's a new era."
OSU's Terrelle Pryor Named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week
From Big Ten Press Release
Pryor accounted for six touchdowns to help lead Ohio State to 73 points against Eastern Michigan, the most points for the Buckeyes since 1950.
The junior quarterback completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) for 224 yards and four touchdowns, rushed seven times for 104 yards (14.9 yards per carry) and another touchdown and also hauled in a 20-yard scoring toss. He matched a career high with four scoring strikes and all four went to wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher, just the second time in school history two Buckeyes have hooked up on four scoring tosses in a single game.
Ohio State’s 73 points rank ninth in school annals and are the most for the Buckeyes since tallying 83 points against Iowa in 1950. Pryor earns his first weekly offensive accolade.
LAST OSU OFFENSIVE POW: RB Chris “Beanie” Wells on Nov. 10, 2008.
No comments:
Post a Comment