Game 3: #5 Ohio State 3 vs. #1 USC 35 (Final) - ScarletBuckeye

Arapahoe · 09-07-2008, 12:15 AM

2008 Ohio State Buckeye Football
Game 3: #5 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. #1 USC Trojans
at Los Angeles Coliseum (Los Angeles, CA)

Date: September 13th, 2008
TV: ABC
Kick Off: 8:00 PM ET

Time to get this one rolling. We need to get better as a team and improve each day in practice. Let's face it, last week vs. Ohio we did not play well, at all. Ohio State needs to be ready for this game and we must tackle and block much better.

- Biggest question marks... obviously the status of RB Chris Wells. Will he be ready (I'm sure), but how effective will he be against a very good USC team? Any concerns about this one?

- We need to block better... I was very disapointed in the way the o-line played vs. Ohio. This is an area where we have to improve because it all starts up front.

- Wide receivers... catch the ball. Too many dropped passes, easy ones I'll add.

- Defense... I thought they played well against Ohio but they need to sustain and most importantly get pressure on Sanchez. Virginia did not get any pressure on him in week 1 allowing him easy passes. Can we get pressure all night? That's a concern I think.

- Quarterback shuffle... Todd Boeckman needs to step his game up. Plain and simple. If the Buckeyes are to win on Saturday it's because Todd led us and made smart football decisions. We need him out there at his best because as he goes so do the Buckeyes. Terrelle Pryor is just icing on the cake... How will Tressel use him (and when) is the biggest strategy move.

Thoughts on this game and overall concerns and expectations. Let's all get ready for this one.

GO BUCKS!

Arkhayne · 09-07-2008, 01:25 AM

Since I am a Buckeye fan living in Trojan country, I wanted to share my view of how things are perceived here leading up to the big game. I listen to ESPN radio for several hours a day (Cowherd, Scott Van Pelt, and Mason/Ireland usually). 710 ESPN is the official Trojan station, so obviously I hear a lot of pro-Trojan stuff. They even have this annoying song sung on commercial breaks that is in the style of the Miss America song. Talks about how the Buckeyes lose bowl games (not exactly true, but whatever).

Other than the trash talk, there is one thing I can tell you for sure: Even though they don't come right out and say it, they are afraid of Beanie Wells. This whole week, they have been paying CLOSE attention to whatever the news is with Wells. They even went so far as to call it "Beanie Watch". He gets a lot of credit from knowledgable people, most notably Mel Kiper Jr.

A lot of you are plugged into ESPN probably even more than I am, but I figured you might like to know what I hear here in L.A. Beanie is coming to town, and the Trojans are nervous about him.

Buckeye06 · 09-07-2008, 07:49 AM

Well I wouldn't be so nervous about him if I was a LB for USC right now. If I was USC, I would do what UF did to Miami last night and go into a 5-3 set up front and force TB to be able to beat them downfield. If he shows he can do it a drive or two then change, but our wideouts have been dominated outside by two weaker teams.

SanDiegoBuckeye · 09-07-2008, 11:34 AM

Since USC doesn't run any type of spread-option offense, i'm very confident in our defense, especially with Donald Washington returning. I think the defense will use all sorts of blitz packages and will flush Sanchez out of the pocket often. I'm a bit worried about covering USC's RB's, though. USC likes to run a lot of HB screens and OU showed how bad our D struggles stopping screen passes. If we don't find a way to stop that, Joe McKnight will have a field day.

Our offense about gave me an anyuerism yesterday. Boeckman looked like 2nd quarter vs. LSU Boeckman. Our WR's couldn't get open. Dropped passes. NO BLOCKING

. I could go on. We really need Beanie to be full-go for this game or else we could very well be in trouble. USC has a pretty good DL, the best LB corps in the nation, and Taylor Mays who might be one of the best DB's in the nation. We can't allow USC to make us one-dimensional on offense or this game will be over quick. We must be able to run the ball and the only way to do so effectively against USC is to have a healthy Beanie Wells.

The OL also needs to do a better job blocking for Terrelle Pryor. USC will know Pryor is either going to run, pitch it to a RB or throw a short pass. I really wish the staff would have opened up the playbook more for him yesterday. I don't really buy the whole "don't give away too much the week before a big game" theory.

Arkhayne · 09-07-2008, 11:48 AM

Keeping the tricks for the big games is what makes Tressel 6-1 against tSUN.

SanDiegoBuckeye · 09-07-2008, 11:50 AM

True, but I think in Pryor's case they should have opened up the playbook a lot more than what they did yesterday.

Arapahoe · 09-07-2008, 12:03 PM

I think they should have too. We needed to get Pryor as many reps and looks as possible before the USC game. It's one thing doing it in practice but in a game is a whole different story.

louts8wings · 09-07-2008, 01:35 PM

i was at yesterdays game and that is the game i expected. tress didn't open the playbook up not till we were down by 2 scores. i expect to see a different team then we did yesterday. beanie is fine and will have to have a monster of a game for us to win. expect to see more of pryor. i have some good sources and from what i heard this week the game played exactly out the way tressel wanted it to.

SuperBuckFan08 · 09-07-2008, 03:48 PM

At least we know our boys won't give up when we need them most. That game may have been exactly what they needed to bring them back down to earth and let them know that even though they are expected to run over everyone this year, these teams have a different opinion and are more than willing to fight til the end to up end them.

Here's to another 2002 style season!

Arapahoe · 09-07-2008, 06:09 PM

I have a hard time believing that this team could be overly confident with the amount of returning seniors we have. Just my opinion. We just overlooked Ohio.