Post by WANG on Nov 30, 2015 8:08:43 GMT -5
Overall - A: What a difference a week makes! Although the first half wasn't perfect with the D giving up "response" scoring drives to everything the offense did, that was about the worst thing you can say about The Game. The D was dominant against the run, a tad shaky against the pass, but played true "bend but don't break" against a solid opponent. The offense...wow. Where was THIS offense all season??? ScUM is a legitimate defense, and Zeke and co made them look silly. Zeke responded with a HUGE day, JTB looked more like last years version (which is a GOOD thing), and the passing game did just enough to keep scUM honest. I was praying their wouldn't be a let down after last weeks disappointment, and there wasn't. Hat tip to the Bucks for bouncing back, and special shout out to all the Seniors who stayed when OSU was at it's lowest. 4-0 against scUM, way to go boys!
Offense - A: The story of the game was how OSU absolutely dominated the line of scrimmage, which was a stark contrast to last week. Zeke ran like a mad man to the tune of 214 yards on 30 carries, or just a hair over 7 YPC. JTB matched that YPC putting up 139 yards on just 19 carries, also good for over 7 YPC. With the run game clicking, OSU didn't need to put in the air much, but when they did it was good. 9/15 for 113 and a TD (no int) won't blow anyone away, but it was enough to keep scUM honest. The throw and catch to Marshall was a thing of beauty. With a close game coming out of half, OSU needed a good start to the 3rd quarter. Two scores and 15 minutes (10 TOP for OSU) later and the game was effectively over. I don't know what was different this week, if it was the weather, a sense of urgency, moving Warriner to the box, but the offense was spot on, and that is always good to see.
Defense - A-: Giving up 13 points to your rival at home is always going to get a passing grade. Only allowing 3 in the second half, and absolutely crushing any hopes of a comeback with their dominant play was fantastic. They did "struggle" a little bit in the first half, giving up scoring drives twice, immediately following offensive scores, which was a bit deflating. Ruddock, while never completing a big play, still had a pretty good game, throwing 263 yards and a TD before getting knocked out of the game by a HUGE hit from Bosa. The DL didn't get much pressure in the first half on passing plays, and as a result the pass D was not very good, as scUM dinked and dunked their way down the field, converting a seemingly never ending stream of 3rd and long situations. They stiffened in the redzone, however, and kept the damage to a minimum. Conversely, the run D was spectacular. They gave up 57 yards on 25 carries for a paltry 2.28. Their longest run of the day was 8 yards. Bosa's pick was also one of the more beautiful things we saw on the field from the team this year. Also, Kyle "blood on the field" Kalis finished his scUM career 0-4 vs OSU, and was embarrassed play after play by seemingly whichever OSU DL he was matched up against. Those who leave will be a disappointment.
STs - A: I guess? Nothing really to report here. Great job by the Aussie drawing a CRUCIAL roughing the kicker penalty.
Coaching - A: With the loss last week and all the controversy surrounding the team, Urbs and co really had to earn their paychecks this past week, getting the team back on track, focused, and in a position to beat a good team on the road. They did more than just have them in a position to win, they had this team fired up and ready to dominate. I am not sold on Beck still, and wouldn't be 100% surprised to see him take a "another opportunity" with a different team after the season. But overall, this team really showed what it's made of, and that is a testament to the coaching staff not letting the team have a pity party. Kudos.
Now we sit and wait, praying for chaos. If Bama (not gonna happen) or Clemson (possible but not likely) lose, then I think the Bucks make it in. If not, then they will be relegated to a New Years Bowl game, which as disappointing as that may be can't be looked at too negatively, it's still a damn good season.
GO BUCKS!
Offense - A: The story of the game was how OSU absolutely dominated the line of scrimmage, which was a stark contrast to last week. Zeke ran like a mad man to the tune of 214 yards on 30 carries, or just a hair over 7 YPC. JTB matched that YPC putting up 139 yards on just 19 carries, also good for over 7 YPC. With the run game clicking, OSU didn't need to put in the air much, but when they did it was good. 9/15 for 113 and a TD (no int) won't blow anyone away, but it was enough to keep scUM honest. The throw and catch to Marshall was a thing of beauty. With a close game coming out of half, OSU needed a good start to the 3rd quarter. Two scores and 15 minutes (10 TOP for OSU) later and the game was effectively over. I don't know what was different this week, if it was the weather, a sense of urgency, moving Warriner to the box, but the offense was spot on, and that is always good to see.
Defense - A-: Giving up 13 points to your rival at home is always going to get a passing grade. Only allowing 3 in the second half, and absolutely crushing any hopes of a comeback with their dominant play was fantastic. They did "struggle" a little bit in the first half, giving up scoring drives twice, immediately following offensive scores, which was a bit deflating. Ruddock, while never completing a big play, still had a pretty good game, throwing 263 yards and a TD before getting knocked out of the game by a HUGE hit from Bosa. The DL didn't get much pressure in the first half on passing plays, and as a result the pass D was not very good, as scUM dinked and dunked their way down the field, converting a seemingly never ending stream of 3rd and long situations. They stiffened in the redzone, however, and kept the damage to a minimum. Conversely, the run D was spectacular. They gave up 57 yards on 25 carries for a paltry 2.28. Their longest run of the day was 8 yards. Bosa's pick was also one of the more beautiful things we saw on the field from the team this year. Also, Kyle "blood on the field" Kalis finished his scUM career 0-4 vs OSU, and was embarrassed play after play by seemingly whichever OSU DL he was matched up against. Those who leave will be a disappointment.
STs - A: I guess? Nothing really to report here. Great job by the Aussie drawing a CRUCIAL roughing the kicker penalty.
Coaching - A: With the loss last week and all the controversy surrounding the team, Urbs and co really had to earn their paychecks this past week, getting the team back on track, focused, and in a position to beat a good team on the road. They did more than just have them in a position to win, they had this team fired up and ready to dominate. I am not sold on Beck still, and wouldn't be 100% surprised to see him take a "another opportunity" with a different team after the season. But overall, this team really showed what it's made of, and that is a testament to the coaching staff not letting the team have a pity party. Kudos.
Now we sit and wait, praying for chaos. If Bama (not gonna happen) or Clemson (possible but not likely) lose, then I think the Bucks make it in. If not, then they will be relegated to a New Years Bowl game, which as disappointing as that may be can't be looked at too negatively, it's still a damn good season.
GO BUCKS!
