FIVE THINGS: BUCKEYES POUND THE BEAVERS IN RYAN DAY'S DEBUT
https://www.elevenwarriors.com/users/chris-lauderback
DESTINY UNBOUND
Dwayne Haskins sure looked the part in his first collegiate start completing 22-of-30 passes for 313 yards with five touchdowns (two jet sweeps, tbf) against just one interception in a performance that left fans salivating for what the future might hold.
His yards and touchdowns set school-bests for a quarterback making a first start in Columbus but honestly it wasn't even the numbers, it was the way he directed the offense that has me bullish on what Ohio State can accomplish this season.
Haskins started the game with eight-straight completions, whipping darts all over the field with an effortless flick of the wrist. Yes, most of his first-reads were open but even when receivers were fairly well-covered, he showed little hesitation in throwing his guys open and/or leading them to improve YAC opportunities.
Hell, his first incompletion could've been caught as he just missed Parris Campbell on a 33-yard strike that bounced off Campbell's right hand after he had to try and spin his body against the grain of his route.
The redshirt sophomore directed the offense to touchdowns on its first seven possessions, making his receiving corps look significantly deeper and more explosive than we've seen in recent past. That said, it was one game – we all realize that – but it's hard not to get the feeling that the ceiling for the offense with Haskins at the controls is higher than that of the last few years.
That said, the potential downside is we could see a few more turnovers/mistakes of the aggressive variety such as Haskins' only interception of the day coming on a play when he should've taken a sack if he didn't have enough time to throw the ball away. Instead, he forced a lofted ball into traffic in the middle of the field.
To be fair, we didn't get to see too much of Haskins under fire and while he did effectively elude light pressure a few times, it will be interesting to see how his decision-making is impacted against a team able to create more angst in the pocket.
On the day, Haskins slightly bettered his yards per completion average from 2017 (14.1) by going for 14.2 yards per completion which if you're curious compares favorably to J.T. Barrett's 12.7 from a year ago.
Oh, and he only rushed the ball TWO TIMES which was glorious to see but will that be the norm against better teams and/or when Urban Meyer returns to the sideline? We'll have to wait and see but it sure looked like Mike Weber and J.K. Dobbins would be happy to log their fair share of the 165 carries Barrett tallied last year.
Dwayne Haskins carved up Oregon State's defense posting 313 yards passing with five touchdowns.
Dwayne Haskins sure looked the part in his first collegiate start completing 22-of-30 passes for 313 yards with five touchdowns (two jet sweeps, tbf) against just one interception in a performance that left fans salivating for what the future might hold.
His yards and touchdowns set school-bests for a quarterback making a first start in Columbus but honestly it wasn't even the numbers, it was the way he directed the offense that has me bullish on what Ohio State can accomplish this season.
Haskins started the game with eight-straight completions, whipping darts all over the field with an effortless flick of the wrist. Yes, most of his first-reads were open but even when receivers were fairly well-covered, he showed little hesitation in throwing his guys open and/or leading them to improve YAC opportunities.
Hell, his first incompletion could've been caught as he just missed Parris Campbell on a 33-yard strike that bounced off Campbell's right hand after he had to try and spin his body against the grain of his route.
The redshirt sophomore directed the offense to touchdowns on its first seven possessions, making his receiving corps look significantly deeper and more explosive than we've seen in recent past. That said, it was one game – we all realize that – but it's hard not to get the feeling that the ceiling for the offense with Haskins at the controls is higher than that of the last few years.
That said, the potential downside is we could see a few more turnovers/mistakes of the aggressive variety such as Haskins' only interception of the day coming on a play when he should've taken a sack if he didn't have enough time to throw the ball away. Instead, he forced a lofted ball into traffic in the middle of the field.
To be fair, we didn't get to see too much of Haskins under fire and while he did effectively elude light pressure a few times, it will be interesting to see how his decision-making is impacted against a team able to create more angst in the pocket.
On the day, Haskins slightly bettered his yards per completion average from 2017 (14.1) by going for 14.2 yards per completion which if you're curious compares favorably to J.T. Barrett's 12.7 from a year ago.
Oh, and he only rushed the ball TWO TIMES which was glorious to see but will that be the norm against better teams and/or when Urban Meyer returns to the sideline? We'll have to wait and see but it sure looked like Mike Weber and J.K. Dobbins would be happy to log their fair share of the 165 carries Barrett tallied last year.
Dwayne Haskins carved up Oregon State's defense posting 313 yards passing with five touchdowns.
FAST ENOUGH FOR YOU
After injury slowed him a bit last season, coupled obviously with J.K. Dobbins exploding onto the scene, Mike Weber finally busted out last November with a solid three-game stretch against Michigan State, Illinois and Michigan in which he unleashed an extra gear of breakaway speed we hadn't seen to that point.
Weber had touchdown runs of 47 and 82 yards against the Spartans, a 43-yarder against the Illini and finally a 25-yarder against the Wolverines due almost exclusively to a return of burst and speed that had been missing since a nagging hamstring injury limited occurred in fall camp and kept cropping up throughout the first half of last season.
That same Mike Weber we saw last November was on full display yesterday as he sliced and diced the Beavers posting career-highs in rushing yards (186) and rushing touchdowns (3) including another breakaway score, this time of the 49-yard variety.
Make no mistake, the Beaver defense isn't making the '85 Bears jealous but Weber's quickness through the hole, acceleration into the second level and his desire to bowl over defensive backs if he couldn't go around them was something to behold.
A seasoned veteran, he also executed a key block on Parris Campbell's jet sweep touchdown making it 56-21 good guys.
I think we're all happy for Weber who has been nothing short of a pro ever since Dobbins came in as, at minimum, a co-starter on the heels of Weber rushing for over 1,000 yards as a redshirt freshman back in 2016.
Hat tip to Mike Weber. Ohio State needs both of these guys to rain fire if it wants to make a playoff run and Weber certainly looks like he's ready to do his part.
After injury slowed him a bit last season, coupled obviously with J.K. Dobbins exploding onto the scene, Mike Weber finally busted out last November with a solid three-game stretch against Michigan State, Illinois and Michigan in which he unleashed an extra gear of breakaway speed we hadn't seen to that point.
Weber had touchdown runs of 47 and 82 yards against the Spartans, a 43-yarder against the Illini and finally a 25-yarder against the Wolverines due almost exclusively to a return of burst and speed that had been missing since a nagging hamstring injury limited occurred in fall camp and kept cropping up throughout the first half of last season.
That same Mike Weber we saw last November was on full display yesterday as he sliced and diced the Beavers posting career-highs in rushing yards (186) and rushing touchdowns (3) including another breakaway score, this time of the 49-yard variety.
Make no mistake, the Beaver defense isn't making the '85 Bears jealous but Weber's quickness through the hole, acceleration into the second level and his desire to bowl over defensive backs if he couldn't go around them was something to behold.
A seasoned veteran, he also executed a key block on Parris Campbell's jet sweep touchdown making it 56-21 good guys.
I think we're all happy for Weber who has been nothing short of a pro ever since Dobbins came in as, at minimum, a co-starter on the heels of Weber rushing for over 1,000 yards as a redshirt freshman back in 2016.
Hat tip to Mike Weber. Ohio State needs both of these guys to rain fire if it wants to make a playoff run and Weber certainly looks like he's ready to do his part.
MEAN MR. MUSTARD
It's no secret penalties have been a problem for Ohio State statistically since Meyer arrived in Columbus as the Buckeyes have ranked no better than 45th nationally in penalties per game (5.6 in 2014) and have seen their penalties per game increase each of the last three seasons, spiking to 6.9 in 2017, good for 114th nationally which is the worst of Meyer's OSU tenure.
Yesterday was unfortunately more of the same as Ohio State was whistled for six flags for 50 yards with a few others being declined and therefore not counting against the tally.
As is typical, false starts led the way as Malcolm Pridgeon, Josh Myers and Thayer Munford all got off early.
On the other side of the ball, cornerback Jeffrey Okudah was whistled for two pass interference infractions on the same drive, moving the Beavers from their own 32 yard line to the Buckeye 38.
Chase Young jumped offside on both of the plays resulting in Okudah PI calls but of course Oregon State declined them. Robert Landers also notched an offsides flag but it became irrelevant as Nick Bosa jumped on a fumble to kill the Beavers' opening possession.
Overall, no critical flags but something the staff must continue to address.
Nick Bosa and Dre'Mont Jones dominated Oregon State's offensive line combining for seven tackles and four sacks.
It's no secret penalties have been a problem for Ohio State statistically since Meyer arrived in Columbus as the Buckeyes have ranked no better than 45th nationally in penalties per game (5.6 in 2014) and have seen their penalties per game increase each of the last three seasons, spiking to 6.9 in 2017, good for 114th nationally which is the worst of Meyer's OSU tenure.
Yesterday was unfortunately more of the same as Ohio State was whistled for six flags for 50 yards with a few others being declined and therefore not counting against the tally.
As is typical, false starts led the way as Malcolm Pridgeon, Josh Myers and Thayer Munford all got off early.
On the other side of the ball, cornerback Jeffrey Okudah was whistled for two pass interference infractions on the same drive, moving the Beavers from their own 32 yard line to the Buckeye 38.
Chase Young jumped offside on both of the plays resulting in Okudah PI calls but of course Oregon State declined them. Robert Landers also notched an offsides flag but it became irrelevant as Nick Bosa jumped on a fumble to kill the Beavers' opening possession.
Overall, no critical flags but something the staff must continue to address.
Nick Bosa and Dre'Mont Jones dominated Oregon State's offensive line combining for seven tackles and four sacks.
SAW IT AGAIN
Once again, it looks like Larry Johnson is going to field a monster defensive line.
Expected to be elite, Johnson's unit did not disappoint especially in the first half as the starters treated their guests quite rudely.
Nick Bosa was unblockable in the opening half tallying four tackles, two sacks and two fumble recoveries, one of which came in the end zone giving Ohio State a 42-7 lead late in the second quarter.
Dre'Mont Jones also proved a handful for the Beaver front as he posted three stops including a pair of sacks with one of those stalling an Oregon State possession previously extended by Okudah's PI calls.
Robert Landers also shot a gap and recorded a TFL while Bosa's counterpart, Chase Young, overcame some early jitters to log a pair of quarterback hurries. He also just missed a sack when Bosa got the the quarterback a fraction of a second earlier.
We'll see how the depth develops but there's no question the starting front four is one of the top two or three groups in the land battling for position behind Clemson's wrecking crew.
Once again, it looks like Larry Johnson is going to field a monster defensive line.
Expected to be elite, Johnson's unit did not disappoint especially in the first half as the starters treated their guests quite rudely.
Nick Bosa was unblockable in the opening half tallying four tackles, two sacks and two fumble recoveries, one of which came in the end zone giving Ohio State a 42-7 lead late in the second quarter.
Dre'Mont Jones also proved a handful for the Beaver front as he posted three stops including a pair of sacks with one of those stalling an Oregon State possession previously extended by Okudah's PI calls.
Robert Landers also shot a gap and recorded a TFL while Bosa's counterpart, Chase Young, overcame some early jitters to log a pair of quarterback hurries. He also just missed a sack when Bosa got the the quarterback a fraction of a second earlier.
We'll see how the depth develops but there's no question the starting front four is one of the top two or three groups in the land battling for position behind Clemson's wrecking crew.
ARMY OF ONE?
Though he was on the field as Ohio State went through pregame warmups, it became apparent pretty quickly that captain, starting safety and the team's leading returning tackler would not play against the Beavers.
Soon after he was seen on the field in pads but not repping with his teammates, Ohio State announced Fuller is dealing with a hamstring issue.
Ohio State was already looking for someone to step up at the safety spot opposite Fuller and that didn't happen yesterday as Isaiah Pryor and Jahsen Wint took their lumps as Oregon State exposed their collective inexperience on numerous occasions.
Wint finished second on the team with five tackles but wasn't stellar in run support, assisting some long runs by Artavis Pierce with either bad angles or not enough speed though by no means would I assert he was primarily or solely to blame for the handful of rushing gashes.
Similarly, Wint offered little help over the top after Pryor appeared to get caught looking into the backfield as his hot route receiver, Trevon Bradford, got behind him for a 49-yard catch and run touchdown tying the game at 7-7 in the early going.
Bradford would beat Pryor by a few yards in the closing seconds of the first half for another touchdown catch, this one a 7-yard connection in the left corner of the end zone.
Pryor did record a PBU in the second half but wow was it a rough day for the duo, one of which needs to step up as a serviceable option alongside the elite play of Fuller once he returns to health.
I'm not trying to bang on these guys because it's tough to get through a first start especially without the security blanket Fuller would've have provided but the reality is the cliche about players making big leaps from game one to game two needs to hold true for fans not to starting sweating a bit about who can effectively help Fuller hold down the back line of Ohio State's defense.
Though he was on the field as Ohio State went through pregame warmups, it became apparent pretty quickly that captain, starting safety and the team's leading returning tackler would not play against the Beavers.
Soon after he was seen on the field in pads but not repping with his teammates, Ohio State announced Fuller is dealing with a hamstring issue.
Ohio State was already looking for someone to step up at the safety spot opposite Fuller and that didn't happen yesterday as Isaiah Pryor and Jahsen Wint took their lumps as Oregon State exposed their collective inexperience on numerous occasions.
Wint finished second on the team with five tackles but wasn't stellar in run support, assisting some long runs by Artavis Pierce with either bad angles or not enough speed though by no means would I assert he was primarily or solely to blame for the handful of rushing gashes.
Similarly, Wint offered little help over the top after Pryor appeared to get caught looking into the backfield as his hot route receiver, Trevon Bradford, got behind him for a 49-yard catch and run touchdown tying the game at 7-7 in the early going.
Bradford would beat Pryor by a few yards in the closing seconds of the first half for another touchdown catch, this one a 7-yard connection in the left corner of the end zone.
Pryor did record a PBU in the second half but wow was it a rough day for the duo, one of which needs to step up as a serviceable option alongside the elite play of Fuller once he returns to health.
I'm not trying to bang on these guys because it's tough to get through a first start especially without the security blanket Fuller would've have provided but the reality is the cliche about players making big leaps from game one to game two needs to hold true for fans not to starting sweating a bit about who can effectively help Fuller hold down the back line of Ohio State's defense.
Ten Things We Learned from Ohio State’s 77-31 Win Over Oregon State
https://theozone.net/author/tony-gerdeman/
1. The wide receivers looked very good.
There were three or four catches by K.J. Hill, Terry McLaurin, and Austin Mack that were very difficult to make. And I’m only talking about the velocity with which Dwayne Haskins was throwing the ball. They caught the back half of the ball, and had they not caught those passes, they could have been tipped and picked off by defensive backs 10 or 15 yards down the field. Mack also had some tough catches in coverage, while Hill rarely lets coverage stick with him while he’s running a route. McLaurin turned and ran for 75 yards after a short catch and looked like another 83 who used to do similar things back in 1995. Half of the starting six were utilized pretty heavily, and perhaps next week it will be Binjimen Victor, Johnnie Dixon, and Parris Campbell. Victor’s lack of touches was odd — and I think the only time he had a pass thrown his way he was actually blocking. Still, there was plenty of good here, and we’re still going to assume the deep game is coming.
2. Dwayne Haskins is more comfortable than a 2-year old couch.
Dwayne Haskins made his first career start and looked in total control throughout. He completed 22-of-30 passes and never really had any stretches of inaccuracy. He was just very, very consistent and looked like he belonged. While J.T. Barrett was a fiery leader, it remains to be seen what kind of leader Haskins will become. He is a very calm presence, but as he begins to take more and more ownership of this offense, his voice will likely be heard quite a bit more. He did have a slight hiccup on the drive where threw his interception. Haskins was pressured consistently at the end of that drive and didn’t respond well throwing the ball.
3. Picking your poison with the running backs.
This week it was Mike Weber. Next week it will be J.K. Dobbins. The week after that it will be both of them. Rinse and repeat. As long as both guys get at least 12 or 13 carries, Tony Alford will know who needs to have his carries bumped up to 20 like Weber did on Saturday. And then when it’s time for Dobbins and Weber to take the rest of the day off, the Buckeyes can throw a pair of talented freshmen like Brian Snead and Master Teague out there and let them eat a bit.
4. Quarterbacks can’t afford to hold onto the ball for long against the OSU defensive line.
You know the last thing to go through a quarterback’s mind when Dre’Mont Jones and Nick Bosa are rushing the passer? “I should have never given up basketball.” And while it was Bosa and Jones who each notched a pair of sacks, don’t forget about the role that Chase Young had and the pressure he put on the quarterbacks as well. Oregon State used the Buckeyes’ pressure against them well with screens, but because the defensive line is so fast, Larry Johnson just has them continue their path to the quarterback. Everybody else behind them needs to be ready for the blockers, but Johnson has no interest in slowing his pass rushers down. It will be interesting to see what happens if teams have success when they’re able to throw deep against this defense. How do they balance those successes with the knowledge that the longer the quarterback holds the ball, the more likely he is to be dropped with it in his hands?
5. The offensive line looked cohesive.
We came into this game not knowing if it would be sophomore Thayer Munford or fourth-year junior Josh Alabi at left tackle. Munford had been battling an injury in camp, but he played and played very well. He was certainly not a weak spot. In fact, there were no weak spots on an offensive line that rushed for 375 yards, never giving up a sack and only allowing one tackle for loss. Granted, Oregon State’s defense is an open-book test, but kudos to the offensive line for passing the test with ease.
6. The sophomores need to grow up.
You can chalk almost all of Ohio State’s defensive problems up to the sophomores. Linebacker Pete Werner seemingly had a rough first half losing leverage, but he answered well in the second half and stayed outside and set a good edge when called upon to do so. Linebacker Baron Browning wasn’t as visible as your middle linebacker should be and appeared to hesitate at times and also fill the wrong gap. Of course, that’s without knowing his actual assignment. Safeties Isaiah Pryor and Jahsen Wint had their struggles in their first start. Defensive tackle Antwuan Jackson let a running back get away for an 80-yard run after he hit him in the backfield. Expectations are high for each of these players, and as Alex Grinch said on Saturday, they will learn from this and move on.
7. This defense missed Tuf Borland and Jordan Fuller.
Tuf Borland and Jordan Fuller are the two best players in the Buckeyes’ back seven, so a couple of mistakes should be expected in their absence. Those mistakes need to be fixed quickly because Borland is still working his way back and while Alex Grinch expects Fuller back this week from his hamstring injury, those things can be cumbersome all season long. What kind of impact will they have when they return? Well, Browning left the gap that Artavis Pierce went through for 78 yards and Pryor got caught watching a play-action fake as his man went by him for a 49-yard touchdown. Pryor also gave up another touchdown later in the game in coverage against a slot receiver. This isn’t meant to be overly critical of players making their first start, because their results are typical. There’s just always going to be a difference between a veteran making his 10th or 15th start compared to somebody making their first. And for Browning and Pryor, they aren’t likely to even be playing these positions later in the season because their futures are elsewhere. They have stepped in and done what has been asked of them in circumstances that are far from ideal. They deserve credit for that, and now they will move on and grow.
8. The offense did this with average days from Parris Campbell and J.K. Dobbins.
This was a point brought up by Tom Orr during our postgame show, but it bears repeating. The Ohio State offense put up 70 points and 721 yards, but only got a total of 96 total yards from Parris Campbell and J.K. Dobbins. Campbell led the Buckeyes in receiving yards last year and Dobbins led in rushing yardage, yet on Saturday they were almost background players. If that’s not indicative of a deep offense, then no such indicator exists.
9. The defensive line is deep.By my count, Ohio State played 16 defensive linemen on Saturday. Two were walk-ons. While they won’t be playing 16 every week, or even 14, it does give you an idea of the kind of depth that has been building. As expected, four freshmen played — Tyreke Smith was at defensive end and also on the interior on passing downs, Tyler Friday got a good number of snaps at end, and defensive tackles Taron Vincent and Tommy Togiai played quite a bit as well. They will continue to get more snaps, but expect Larry Johnson to keep them relatively safe as he did with Chase Young last year. The bulk of the snaps will still go to Nick Bosa, Jonathon Cooper, Chase Young, Robert Landers, Dre’Mont Jones, and Davon Hamilton, but the depth behind them with the freshmen — as well as second-year defensive tackles Haskell Garrett and Jerron Cage — gives Johnson plenty of options.
10. The linebackers are still a question mark.
I wondered on Sunday’s podcast if there might be some confirmation bias when it comes to thinking poorly of the linebackers, but after watching a few plays on the DVR, I think it’s just confirmation. This was the first start for Pete Werner and Baron Browning, so they will learn and grow, but there is still a sense of “here we go again.” The good news for the Ohio State defense is that they don’t have to push Tuf Borland back just yet. They’ll get through Rutgers and be fine, but if he isn’t fully ready to go for TCU, the Buckeyes might find themselves in a shootout.
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