59 replies to this topic

[Coach Rhoades]

Its the coaching staff's responsability to make sure the team is ready to play and also some of the play calling was horrible. Personal fouls go back to being discipline and this team was not.

To me it looked as if they had them ready and well prepared when they took the field for the first quarter. You need to play 4 quarters. The coach's can't play the game for them. I recall two or three questionable play calls at most when the game was in reach.

[ibleedbluengold]

If only Robiske could've caught that TD pass....

PK08, If,dog,rabbit

[PG OSU Alum]

They always say football is a game of inches. Robiske was inches away from making the catch in the endzone. He makes that catch and we don't even have a field goal try. If the field goal was a couple of inches higher it doesn't get blocked and LSU doesn't end up with great field position and we go up 3. If spitler was a few inches to the left, he completely blocks the punt and there is no roughing the kicker and possibly a return or at least great field position.

Who know if these plays would have changed the outcome of the game, but it certainly would have changed the complexity of the game. LSU beat us with our own game. They won the mistakes, turnovers, and special teams categories. Everyone wants to say how we were blown out again, but a few plays here and there and this was a pretty evenly played football game. LSU just got the plays needed to win the game.

Bucks played there hearts out and never quit which I respect very much. This team has nothing to be ashamed of and no need to hang their heads. Now its time to get ready for USC.

[pgwingman]

I think everyone would also agree that OSU was a bit overrated this year, even though they were 11-1

They played about 5 legitimate games all year
1. Purdue
2. Wisconsin
3. Penn State
4. Illinois
5. Michigan

off these five games, the bucks lost the toughest one

they backed into the title game by way of other teams losing and they paid the price for it.

Hopefully this does play against them too much next year, because in my opinion the voters are looking differently at the Big Ten this year after seeing Illinois get blown out in the Rose Bowl and seeing the Bucks get blown out for the second straight year.

[Tim Dweeb]

They always say football is a game of inches. Robiske was inches away from making the catch in the endzone. He makes that catch and we don't even have a field goal try. If the field goal was a couple of inches higher it doesn't get blocked and LSU doesn't end up with great field position and we go up 3. If spitler was a few inches to the left, he completely blocks the punt and there is no roughing the kicker and possibly a return or at least great field position.

Who know if these plays would have changed the outcome of the game, but it certainly would have changed the complexity of the game. LSU beat us with our own game. They won the mistakes, turnovers, and special teams categories. Everyone wants to say how we were blown out again, but a few plays here and there and this was a pretty evenly played football game. LSU just got the plays needed to win the game.

Bucks played there hearts out and never quit which I respect very much. This team has nothing to be ashamed of and no need to hang their heads. Now its time to get ready for USC.

I must compliment you PG OSU Alum. You get it.

A big reason why LSU won was because they avoided mistakes and took advantage of many of OSU's mistakes and near misses. Having followed the Buckeyes for a very long time, it has been a great run over the last several years to see the Buckeyes perform as one of the top teams in the nation. It is always disappointing to lose, but how many schools would love to have the opportunity to play in a National Championship game, let alone two years in a row.

It is all too easy to point fingers as to why things don't turn out the way we would like them to, but sometimes, you have to give credit to the other team. OSU had a wonderful season based and most would have never have imagined that they would have made it back to the NC game this year. I remember hearing that they would probably lose 3 regular season games. Three night road games seemed to be formidable and the Buckeyes dominated each one of those in an almost boring fashion.

This also comes on the heals of losing three underclassmen to the NFL (Ginn, Gonzalez, and Pittman). So for those that want to criticize that we need to recruit better, faster, stronger players, keep in mind that we do get those players, but they tend to leave early for the NFL. And it will probably continue this year as I expect several to leave once again. Ironic how National Championship teams tend to be stacked with seniors that have stuck around to win a championship i.e. Michael Doss and Glenn Dorsey.

The Buckeyes can be and will be very good next year, but their season will depend greatly on who comes back. They have a very strong recruiting class already and the potential for 19 starters to return. If Laurinitus, Gholstin, and Jenkins come back, they could find themselves right back in a similar situation next year. Keep in mind that an early trip to USC in September will provide a good measuring stick to how good the team will be. It will be a very difficult game for OSU to win, but win or lose, it will make them better in the long haul. Keep up the great work Buckeyes.

[Wildcat19]

I must compliment you PG OSU Alum. You get it.

A big reason why LSU won was because they avoided mistakes and took advantage of many of OSU's mistakes and near misses. Having followed the Buckeyes for a very long time, it has been a great run over the last several years to see the Buckeyes perform as one of the top teams in the nation. It is always disappointing to lose, but how many schools would love to have the opportunity to play in a National Championship game, let alone two years in a row.

It is all too easy to point fingers as to why things don't turn out the way we would like them to, but sometimes, you have to give credit to the other team. OSU had a wonderful season based and most would have never have imagined that they would have made it back to the NC game this year. I remember hearing that they would probably lose 3 regular season games. Three night road games seemed to be formidable and the Buckeyes dominated each one of those in an almost boring fashion.

This also comes on the heals of losing three underclassmen to the NFL (Ginn, Gonzalez, and Pittman). So for those that want to criticize that we need to recruit better, faster, stronger players, keep in mind that we do get those players, but they tend to leave early for the NFL. And it will probably continue this year as I expect several to leave once again. Ironic how National Championship teams tend to be stacked with seniors that have stuck around to win a championship i.e. Michael Doss and Glenn Dorsey.

The Buckeyes can be and will be very good next year, but their season will depend greatly on who comes back. They have a very strong recruiting class already and the potential for 19 starters to return. If Laurinitus, Gholstin, and Jenkins come back, they could find themselves right back in a similar situation next year. Keep in mind that an early trip to USC in September will provide a good measuring stick to how good the team will be. It will be a very difficult game for OSU to win, but win or lose, it will make them better in the long haul. Keep up the great work Buckeyes.

[TheBCSMess]

I must compliment you PG OSU Alum. You get it.

A big reason why LSU won was because they avoided mistakes and took advantage of many of OSU's mistakes and near misses. Having followed the Buckeyes for a very long time, it has been a great run over the last several years to see the Buckeyes perform as one of the top teams in the nation. It is always disappointing to lose, but how many schools would love to have the opportunity to play in a National Championship game, let alone two years in a row.

It is all too easy to point fingers as to why things don't turn out the way we would like them to, but sometimes, you have to give credit to the other team. OSU had a wonderful season based and most would have never have imagined that they would have made it back to the NC game this year. I remember hearing that they would probably lose 3 regular season games. Three night road games seemed to be formidable and the Buckeyes dominated each one of those in an almost boring fashion.

This also comes on the heals of losing three underclassmen to the NFL (Ginn, Gonzalez, and Pittman). So for those that want to criticize that we need to recruit better, faster, stronger players, keep in mind that we do get those players, but they tend to leave early for the NFL. And it will probably continue this year as I expect several to leave once again. Ironic how National Championship teams tend to be stacked with seniors that have stuck around to win a championship i.e. Michael Doss and Glenn Dorsey.

The Buckeyes can be and will be very good next year, but their season will depend greatly on who comes back. They have a very strong recruiting class already and the potential for 19 starters to return. If Laurinitus, Gholstin, and Jenkins come back, they could find themselves right back in a similar situation next year. Keep in mind that an early trip to USC in September will provide a good measuring stick to how good the team will be. It will be a very difficult game for OSU to win, but win or lose, it will make them better in the long haul. Keep up the great work Buckeyes.

You left out that they returned 38 letterman.

[osu fan]

I'm not sure what game you guys were watching. LSU dominated that ball game. Wells popped one early, but there was not a sustained drive by the Buckeyes until the last garbage touchdown when LSU regulars were taking their pads off on the sidelines.

The Buckeyes are a good team in a weak conference and played no strong non-conference opponents. If the Bucks were in the SEC, they would have been at least 9-4, 10-3 tops.

Ohio State coaches did not make any adjustments with our blitz package for one. Our zone behind the blitz was exposed to say the very least. We did not try to match up man to man. If our DB's are that inadequate that they can not cover for 3 seconds then it is amazing we won as much as we did. I also did not see any changes in the blocking scheme to blow things up more on offense nor the patience to stick with the power running game. (Which was working!) Needed more play action passes to underneath guys (i.e. TE's and RB's)

i would love to see them play michigan now that michigan's healthy

We would still beat you.

[TheBCSMess]

Thats coming from someone who's team statistically had the #1 defense. Now the DB's are inadequate.

They ran the same defense they have been running game in and game out. They made no changes because they didn't know what changes to make. They have consistantly kept the same defensive gameplan all year long.. when your not tested throughout the year and all of a sudden your forced to make adjustments... they didn't look that far into the gameplan.

[osu fan]

Thats coming from someone who's team statistically had the #1 defense. Now the DB's are inadequate.

They ran the same defense they have been running game in and game out. They made no changes because they didn't know what changes to make. They have consistantly kept the same defensive gameplan all year long.. when your not tested throughout the year and all of a sudden your forced to make adjustments... they didn't look that far into the gameplan.

If the DB's are able to lock up on receivers then why not let them try it? If you feel that they can't then that means that they are not adequate.

Look what Heacock and Fickle did last year in the National Title game or the Michigan game for that matter. I wonder why they did not even try to go to a man to man coverage behind the blitz or even a delayed blitz by a backer.

Not knowing what adjustments to make is no excuse for a National Power year in and year out. Remember, the DC has been the one position on the staff that has changed frequently.

Next 2 years we have USC. Then in 2010 & 2011, Miami, FL, 2012 & 2013 Oklahoma, 2013 & 2014 California, 2014 & 2015 Virginia Tech. Right now, those sound decent.

[TheBCSMess]

I missed what heacock and fickle did last year in the title game..?

Tressel just has to learn that pounding the ball and controlling clock can't work outside of the big 10. Wells looked good, but LSU quickly shut the run down, which is why Todd got made to look like the bad guy - he was doing something he hasn't done all year - throw the ball and NOT have the lead. Wells, after the TD run early, his next 11 touches were for 45 yards.

And I'm not questioning the upcoming schedule for them, we'll see how up to par they really are with the rest of the nation.

[WONBulldog]

The pure irony of those upcoming out of conference games is that there are none from the Big East or SEC. HOWEVER, it is my understand that Ohio State wanted to have a home and home series with a quality opponent from each of the major conferences, but the SEC schools turned them down. Wanted Florida (before Florida beat OSU, mind you), but Florida instead wanted to schedule the out of conference cupcakes. Who can blame them with that SEC schedule? Alabama turned them down. Tennessee said no. Wanted traditional powers, so never quite got down to the like of Miss. St., Kentuckey, Vanderbilt, and so on. In the Big East, they've scheduled Cincinnati last year and several years prior (some while they were in C-USA), but it really didn't amount to a "big game" as UC just wasn't the competition that West Virginia might have been over the past couple seasons. And everyone else in the Big East really has been streaky as far as being a quality opponent that will get you the ABC game of the week status or whatever.

I think OSU realizes the Big Ten isn't what it used to be and they are trying to maintain their powerhouse status by being a team that will go out and schedule the best. Unfortunately they can't predict the future to know what team will be good when, but they will certainly try as hard as possible.

[osu fan]

I missed what heacock and fickle did last year in the title game..?

Tressel just has to learn that pounding the ball and controlling clock can't work outside of the big 10. Wells looked good, but LSU quickly shut the run down, which is why Todd got made to look like the bad guy - he was doing something he hasn't done all year - throw the ball and NOT have the lead. Wells, after the TD run early, his next 11 touches were for 45 yards.

And I'm not questioning the upcoming schedule for them, we'll see how up to par they really are with the rest of the nation.

11 for 45 yards actually comes out to over 4 yards a carry which is good! Ohio State needed to go to a shortened passing game with quick passes to the TE off of play-action or to the RB or "H" back. And still pound the ball. Be patient. The passes needed to be a down the field short pass and knife the defense. Not a swing pass or a 1 yard out pattern pass. They needed to stay true to themselves and what they can do offensively. Todd threw 6 picks and 1 TD in the last 3 games. Which is quite apparent that the game can not be turned over to him and expect to win.

[osu fan]

I missed what heacock and fickle did last year in the title game..?

Our LB's were dropping way to deep in last year's game and Leak kept hitting an angle route out of the backfield and a delayed crossing route from the slot that allowed the LB's to drop out of the way. Our LB's were a little inexperienced for big games (having 3 new starters) and would have been better served being used on a blitz where no thinking was involved and playing a nickle or even a dime package for more cover guys on the field. Our DT's are too light on their feet and get pushed around to easily. It just killed me watching our LB's drop so deep play in and play out that a crossing route at 8 yards met no resistance from the LB's.

...the SEC schools turned them down. Wanted Florida (before Florida beat OSU, mind you), but Florida instead wanted to schedule the out of conference cupcakes. Who can blame them with that SEC schedule? Alabama turned them down. Tennessee said no...

The two SEC schools that I heard about was Tennessee and Georgia.

[WONBulldog]

The two SEC schools that I heard about was Tennessee and Georgia.

I was pretty sure I heard the other schools in there, as well. Either way, the SEC elite wanted nothing to do with scheduling Ohio State for a home and home, preferring to take their lumps in-conference instead of risking one out of conference.

[osu fan]

I was pretty sure I heard the other schools in there, as well. Either way, the SEC elite wanted nothing to do with scheduling Ohio State for a home and home, preferring to take their lumps in-conference instead of risking one out of conference.

Got to do what you got to do to protect your image!

[kaizen]

just sitting here thinking about tressel ball. that system is what many southern schools did some many years ago. mostly a bruising running attack. walker, rodgers, campbell to name a few with a QB that threw the ball 15-20 times a game. some of these running backs would rush 30+ times a game. then teams started defensing this with "8 in the box" and the spread slowly evolved over time. some 10 years from now, the pros will be running this style of offense and the drop back passer will become extinct like the dinosaurs.
back to the topic, overachieve against who? picked third in the big 10 at beginning of season by who, the media??? dont make me laugh. if your going to use the media at the beginning of the season to justify your "overachievement" then you must use the media now as a resource to explain why osu looked so bad.
if you dont like what the real media says, go back to the biased buckeye websites or publications to get what you truly want, a story that will make you feel better.

[knightmare07]

Cant forget Tennessee on the upcoming schedule....not sure what seson but I know its in the very near future

And mich fans can go ahead and laugh....and keep on doing it....how many national title games have you played in since 1997?

Edited by knightmare07, 09 January 2008 - 10:55 PM.

[TheBCSMess]

If all else fails, which it has of late, dog Michigan..