Ohio State: Back to a top 2 team in the country? Or product of beating awful teams?
What’s the board’s thoughts on OSU?
On one hand, they’ve been an offensive machine since their loss to Oregon, looking absolutely unstoppable. And Day, after about three years, finally wised up and realized Master Teague is “just a guy” and benched him, which has immensely helped their run game.
On the other hand, Indiana is ranked around 60, Tulsa 80, Akron 130, Maryland 70 and Rutgers 80.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:02 AM ^
Both are true.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:52 AM ^
This is the correct take.
I feel like some things OSU is competition agnostic. Like their offensive line and wide receivers.
There just isn’t a team that matches up with them defensively, maybe Georgia. But Georgia offense is bad.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:53 AM ^
This is (mostly) correct.
Bama's defense is probably more capable of getting a stop when it needs it than OSU's defense. That keeps Bama as the 2nd best team with OSU the 3rd best team. So, actually: no, OSU's not the second best team.
It's also true that OSU's opponents have not been quality teams. But now PSU has been exposed so beating them might not even appear to be a quality win, which is why I was disappointed to see PSU lose yesterday...I would rather they enter the OSU game being highly ranked and considered a quality opponent. Who knows how long it will be until OSU will be regarded as having beaten a quality opponent. Perhaps not until Nov 27?
October 24th, 2021 at 12:32 PM ^
What does it matter?
If OSU wins the Big Ten, they will make the playoffs as the 2 seed. Alabama or Georgia will be the 1 seed no matter what, because of SEC bias. The loser of that game may still get in, but not as a 2 seed. Cincinnati is not getting in as a 2 seed if they get in at all. Oklahoma has been shaky and is not going to jump OSU if they get in.
So OSU is pretty much locked in as the CFP 2 seed if they win the Big Ten no matter how good or bad PSU / MSU / Michigan look.
October 24th, 2021 at 12:38 PM ^
I would much rather face Penn State directly after a loss. Franklin has an atrocious record ATS after a straight up loss.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:04 AM ^
So they've played on average the 84th best team in the nation outside of Oregon. They most certainly are outplaying the weaker competition, but we'll see how they perform against teams with depth, and not decimated with injuries. Nearly all the top B1G teams left are in the same boat. Look good against bad teams, and haven't really played anyone tough to prove otherwise.
October 25th, 2021 at 9:11 AM ^
They lost to Oregon... but they put up over 600 yards on offense against Oregon.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:06 AM ^
I'm not completely sold on MSU but they got bullied by Indiana.
Conversely, the Hoosiers looked like a ragdoll in the mouth of a rabid pitt-bull against OSU.
If they're not the second best team in the country I'm not sure who is.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:27 AM ^
We are. We are beating them.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:54 AM ^
I admire the enthusiasm but this looks like a game we're going to lose by 20 or 30+ right now
October 24th, 2021 at 12:55 PM ^
October 24th, 2021 at 5:02 PM ^
The OSU passing attack is made possible by good protection and the ability for Stroud to step up and deliver with very little pressure in the face. If Michigan is going to have a chance in the Game, it'll be because Hinton/Smith & Co get pressure up the middle. I think Hutchinson will pressure the edge...we just need to make it so Stroud can't step up and deliver accurately. If he doesn't get 6 seconds to throw every play, it'll be a lot easier to defend the pass...or at the very least, they'll have to drive the length of the field with a bunch of 7-10 yard throws. In that way, it is much more like Michigan's ball control offense and then you start to like Michigan's chances more because it won't likely be a shootout. I hope.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:57 AM ^
Love the optimism. Wish I shared it.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:27 AM ^
Wake Motherf***in' Forest.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:08 AM ^
The buckeyes are really good
October 24th, 2021 at 10:08 AM ^
What I’m wondering is, since their RS Frosh QB is playing so well, will BOTH of their five-star true Frosh QBs hit the road in the off-season?
Yes, it’s been pondered on here before, but not since their starter has settled into the offense like he has the past month.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:04 AM ^
If it was any other team in the country, one could likely expect 2 or 3 of Miller, McCord and Ewers to bolt if Stroud maintains the starting job, but since it's OSU, they'll $omehow convince all of them to stay
October 24th, 2021 at 11:34 AM ^
NIL makes $omehow possible for any team.
October 24th, 2021 at 12:34 PM ^
Good. Since everyone else was doing it anyway.
October 24th, 2021 at 12:37 PM ^
I can’t see both Miller and McCord staying, especially if Ewers is anywhere near as good as projected. It’s certainly possible that both look elsewhere. I’m not saying that Miller is better than McCord, but I really like that kid and will he disappointed if he leaves. If he does, I hope he is a rock star wherever he lands.
October 24th, 2021 at 12:38 PM ^
I'm not sure about that. I kind of think the downside of not transferring is at least a couple rounds in the NFL Draft. Hard to imagine an NFL team spending a 1st - 4th round pick on a college backup. Meanwhile why not find an equivalent to the Jalen Hurts / Oklahoma situation?
October 24th, 2021 at 10:11 AM ^
All the good matchups are back loaded. The b10 does this purposefully - it props up teams rankings (5/10 top 10 2 weeks ago). And sets up the huge judgement day-like match ups late in The season.
5 weeks to go and all of PSU OSU MSU and UM still have to play each other
October 24th, 2021 at 10:35 AM ^
While I don’t disagree with you, it seems totally backwards to schedule it that way. In the hopes of bigger bowls and playoff resumes, shouldn’t the B1G be trying to schedule the mammoth games early so that once those are over the “good” teams should have the opportunity to rebound from the early in conference loss and make both teams look better.
Kind of like how the Wisconsin vs PSU and the Iowa vs Indiana games were expected to be behemoth, possible B1G Championship Game previews. Why not schedule MSU vs UM or UM vs PSU for week 1 as well? If it’s going to only be cross divisional I’m ok with that too. UM vs Nebraska in Week 1 would have been a good matchup with both programs having a ton of questions to answer right out of the gate, but with plenty of time to recover in the OOC portion of the schedule.
I’ll also admit I’d like to stop having my Thanksgiving weekend ruined by OSU every year. I know that game as the season ended is sacrosanct, but it’s only any fun when there is some possibility that UM could win. That possibility has been sorely lacking for a long time now.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:08 AM ^
Couldn’t possibly win? It’s been settled, don’t even watch. I’ll bet your house on it for you.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:21 AM ^
but it’s only any fun when there is some possibility that UM could win. That possibility has been sorely lacking for a long time now.
It was only two OSU games ago (2018) that we were favored. Granted, I think it will be extremely difficult to win this year, outside of a crazy weather game.
What I'd like is for the playoff to be expanded so that everything doesn't ride on this game. Every other level of college football has a 16-team playoff. Do it for Division I-A too.
October 24th, 2021 at 1:18 PM ^
People talk about crazy weather potentially giving Michigan an advantage against OSU. Yet, I just watched OSU flatten Indiana with the game partially played in a driving rain storm. I don't think weather is going to make a difference for either team.
October 24th, 2021 at 5:07 PM ^
The Michigan D is better against the pass and, more importantly for a bad weather game, against the run. Also the rush offense is stronger so I disagree with your comparison.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:23 PM ^
Their freshman QB is from California and so has played in rain plenty of times. Has he ever played in a snowstorm? I'll bet not. Fingers crossed for a blizzard on game day this year.
October 25th, 2021 at 6:09 AM ^
Huh? I lived down the road from Rancho Cucamonga for 2 years and it rained like thrice in that time.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:22 AM ^
Double post.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:17 AM ^
They are legit. A lot of improvements since they lost to Oregon. If they played Oregon today, I think OSU would win easily. I’m not sure which teams I would pick to beat them other than Georgia.
October 24th, 2021 at 12:05 PM ^
Yes, playing Oregon now would be a different story.
That's why I was so nervous about the first 2 games of the season (a conference road game + the marquee non-con matchup) happening at the beginning of the schedule with a QB who had never thrown a college pass and a lot of questions in the back-7 on D. After those 2 games it was a 4-week stretch of being able to get the experience that would have been necessary to be properly prepared for those first two games.
Players are now settling in to their roles on D, and a couple are emerging as stars, plus the QB has settled in. Had the schedule been flipped around (the valley of peace preceding the mountain peaks) the team would have been better prepared to win that game.
October 24th, 2021 at 1:20 PM ^
Can we move the UM-OSU game to the last Saturday in August, please?
October 24th, 2021 at 10:17 AM ^
they were an offensive machine AGAINST oregon. their problem was defense. It appears that the biggest shift has been the defense with a new playcaller and playing teams with no pulse.
Will it change? Not against Penn state's offense. The best offenses they will play are MSU and us, and i wouldnt categorize either as "elite and dynamic". I'm not knocking us.. just saying what my eyes see.
They won't play anyone with a pulse other than the michigan teams until the playoff.. UNLESS..... AHEM.......
LETS GO BLUE!
October 24th, 2021 at 11:06 AM ^
The defense has also been featuring a lot more of the younger players over the upperclassmen since the Oregon game.
Namely, CB Denzel Burke, and "Bullet "Ronnie Hickman in the secondary has seen a significant bump in snap count since Matt Barnes took over as well as some of the younger D-Lineman. Plus, among the LBs, Steele Chambers just recently converted from playing RB for the past several seasons and has been growing exponentially into his new role.
The defense has some problem still for sure, but the personnel has also changed dramatically since Oregon.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:17 AM ^
They were playing bad teams close earlier in the year. Now they are routing them in the 1st quarter. So, they definitely improved. You have to keep their offense on the sideline and score TDs. If someone can do that, there is a chance. Otherwise, they are going to run through everyone. I am hoping Michigan is playing the long game with the way they are built. We will see.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:18 AM ^
Having two of the best receivers in all of college football would make anybody pretty good. It's what really stings about losing Bell.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:25 AM ^
Having a QB that can deliver those passes really helps, too. Yes, their WR group would make Cade look good but Cade would not be QB1 at OH State as it stands now.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:32 AM ^
The degree of difficulty of the passes Stroud has to make is somewhere between elementary school and Dad vs Kids football. It’s not hard to deliver the ball when Olave has 10 feet of separation down the field.
October 24th, 2021 at 2:00 PM ^
ESNY - that appears to be somewhat true - but he is also now throwing into some pretty small windows as well.
October 24th, 2021 at 12:21 PM ^
Nothing against Cade, but he would likely be QB4 after Stroud, McCord and Miller.
And if those three are down, i might take the Mullet before Cade.
MCCARTHY, on the other hand would be QB2
October 25th, 2021 at 7:13 AM ^
I'm not real high on McNamara, but McCord hasn't impressed me either, he's just played against real bad opposition and plays alongside the best offensive talent in the country. I do think Stroud is very good and would be our starter.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:19 AM ^
OSU’s offense is really good. No team in the conference has a good enough combo between offense and defense to keep up with them IMO. Michigan’s ball control offense is probably best suited to keep their offense off the field. But Michigan will probably still have to score TDs on 75% of their drives in a shortened game to win. I like our defense but OSU will probably be the first top notch passing game we will play.
OSU defense has improved but Indiana, Akron, Rutgers and Maryland have absolutely awful offenses. OSU is the best team in the conference but I think they lose in the playoff semis against a team whose offense can also score.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:51 AM ^
Agreed. I don't think anyone in the Big Ten has the offense to keep up with OSU's offense, but I think OSU's defense is soft enough that they'll lose in the semis
October 24th, 2021 at 12:39 PM ^
Alabama, not Georgia, would be their nightmare matchup.
October 24th, 2021 at 12:53 PM ^
Believe it our not, both 2021 OSU & 2021 Bama are built like that burrow lead LSU team.
They both have better defenses than that LSU team so it will be a 50-45 type game.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:20 AM ^
Both can be true. Both likely are true.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:55 AM ^
I pretty much agree with the consensus that you gotta keep OSU’s offense off the field. Exactly why Harbaugh is probably the only P5 coach still recruiting FB’s, he’s bound and determined to win with an old school power I-2 TE offense. It only works when you have comparable or better football players on your roster. OSU has 34 top 100 players on the roster and probably 17-20 top 50. That’s where you find most of your game changing/altering players. 6 on their offense will playing on Sundays next year. The rest the year after. All OSU needs is a average defense that gets the ball back half the time. Bottom line it’s Harbaughs old school “defense wins championships” approach vs the modern power spread offense tweaked by Day with a nfl passing schematic.
I do disagree with 2 points made earlier in this thread. Maryland’s best part of their team is their offense. At no time did I think OSU’s defense couldn’t get a stop on the terrapin offense.Maryland always has a capable offense. When locksley gets rolling he’s a very good play caller. Their defense has improved dramatically since Oregon. OSU is missing 2 starters on offense and 3 on defense,injuries and staying healthy is all part of preparation. Imo of course.