10 Keys to an Ohio State Victory Over The Miami Hurricanes This Saturday
This Saturday at Ohio Stadium will mark the first time the Ohio State Buckeyes and the University of Miami Hurricanes have met since they played in the Fiesta Bowl on January 2nd, 2003, for the mythical national championship. And while the Hurricanes will more than likely have revenge on their minds, this game has the all of makings of a close scoring affair, not unlike that hard fought night that saw the Buckeyes emerge victorious more than seven years ago. So what will it take for the Buckeyes to walk away from the 'Shoe with their arms raised in victory again? Here are ten things Ohio State needs to improve upon in order to start out the 2010 season 2-0:
10. Improved Special Teams Play From Start to Finish
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With the exception of the opening kickoff vs Marshall (which saw OSU force a fumble that led to a Buckeye touchdown), and a couple of punts downed deep inside Marshall territory, Ohio State's special teams play in its season opener was unusually inadequate for a Jim Tressel coached team. Ohio State cannot afford another to botch another field goal or let Miami run back any kickoffs. Ohio State was very fortunate that their special teams' miscues only resulted in seven points for Marshall; against the quicker, stronger Miami Hurricanes, making the same mistakes could cost the Buckeyes three touchdowns or more. Jim Tressel has no doubt stressed this to his team in practice this week, as his philosophy has always been good special teams play are key to any successful program. Buckeye fans should hope that his players got the message.
9. Ohio State Must Convert Third Down Opportunities Inside The Redzone
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Ohio State's achilles heel against ranked nonconference opponents the last several seasons has been their inability to convert third downs inside the redzone ( the opponents 20 yard line), which has led to many field goals or, at times, no points at all. Against a swarming Miami defense, and a high flying Miami offense led by quarterback Jacory Harris, Ohio State may need to score four or more touchdowns just to keep pace with the Hurricanes. Head coach Jim Tressel has a tendency to pull back the offensive gameplan once the offense reaches the opponents' redzone, with his mantra being that three points is better than no points at all. While that is true, I have a feeling that if Coach Tressel is settling for field goals rather than going for touchdowns when OSU gets that close to the endzone then it could be a long afternoon for the Buckeyes. Which is why converting third downs into first downs inside the redzone becomes all the more important, because it gives the offense more opportunities to put seven on the board instead of three.
8. Buckeyes Need to Win The Field Position Battle
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This one seems like a no-brainer, but it can't be emphasized enough. Should Ohio State have to cover the kind of real estate like they had to in this sequence against Marshall, it will put them well behind the eight ball. Terrelle Pryor is a mobile quarterback, yes, and Devier Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher have good speed as well, but even that advantage can be minimized if the OSU offense is pinned against its own goal line. Factor in that Miami is likely to blitz a lot more than Marshall tried, and one can see why this kind of scenario against the 'Canes can only lead to bad things. The best possible scenario for the Buckeyes would be that their average starting position be their own 35 yard line or better, but even if they start at their own 30 it wouldn't be all that bad.
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7. Ohio State's Defensive Backs Must Remain Disciplined Against Miami Receivers
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Ohio State's secondary, led by senior Chimdi Chekwa, is probably one of the more vulnerable groups on the Buckeye defense. That being said, it will be up to the veteran Chekwa, and up and comers like Zach Domicone, to stay disciplined against the speedy Miami wide receivers. It should not be a surprise to anyone that Jacory Harris and the Miami offense will try to test the ability of the Ohio State secondary early and often. As long as Chekwa and Domicone stay disciplined in coverage, and safeties Jermale Hines and Tyler Moeller provide help when needed, the Buckeyes should avoid the big play and put themselves in a position late in the game to go for the win.
6. DE Cameron Heyward Must Get To QB Jacory Harris
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The knock on Ohio State defensive end Cameron Heyward is that he occasionally takes games off, only playing well against better than average competition. If that's true, the Buckeyes should hope that last week Heyward had his off game last week and is ready to roll on Saturday vs. the Hurricanes. Heyward seemed almost invisible at times in the season opener against Marshall, ending the game without a tackle or sack at all. If the Buckeyes are to be successful defensively, they will need Heyward to pressure Jacory Harris into making some mistakes. If Heyward can push through the Miami offensive line, that should also take some of the pressure off the secondary.
5. LB's Ross Homan and Brian Rolle Must Stuff Miami Run Game
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The one big knock against Ohio State linebacker Ross Homan is that he is too quiet. The opposite can be said for his teammate Brian Rolle, who never seems at a loss for words. On Saturday, it doesn't matter which of them is talking, as long as they let their actions on the field do all the talking. Homan and Rolle will be crucial to Ohio State's effort to stop the run, and it doesn't even matter that the Hurricanes are missing their top running back. These guys need to stop Miami's running attack, period.
4. Ohio State's O-Line Must Open Holes For Brandon Saine and Boom Herron
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One of the big questions surrounding Ohio State before the start of the 2010 was that with all the running backs they have on scholarship, who would end up getting the most playing time? Now, with the first game out of the way, it is apparent that Brandon Saine and Boom Herron will get the lion's share of the carries, with sophomore Jordan Hall and redshirt freshman Jamaal Berry spelling those two from time to time. What should be more apparent to fans and Ohio State coaches, however, is that neither Saine nor Herron have the explosiveness of an Eddie George, or are they bruisers like Beanie Wells. With that being said, it will be incumbent upon offensive tackles Justin Boren, Mike Adams, and the rest of the offensive line to open the holes necessary for the OSU run game to get going. Because while almost no one can catch Brandon Saine once he gets into the open field, it seems as if getting there sometimes can be a challenge.
3. Ohio State Needs to Get 'Philly' Brown The Ball
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It is not often that a freshman wide receiver makes an impact for Ohio State, let alone one on a team coached by Jim Tressel. Last season, all the buzz surrounded Duron Carter, son of former standout Cris Carter, who because of his pedigree might have been more hype than anything else. But it looks as if the true freshman Corey "Philly" Brown just might be the genuine article. There is no question that Saturday's game in the 'Shoe is going to be a track meet, and Ohio State is going to need all the burners they can get. And although it was against Marshall, this kid looked like he had some zip. Now if they can only get him the ball and let's see what he can do.
2. Terrelle Pryor Must Remain Poised Against Aggressive Hurricanes' D
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After his performance in last January's Rose Bowl vs. Oregon, there are many people who believe that Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor has finally established himself as one of the nation's elite players at his position. I am not one of those people, however, as I would like to see him perform like that for an entire season before everyone starts throwing all this praise on him. Indeed, it appears he has carried over his confidence from that game to this season as he looked impressive against Marshall; but considering that his opponent was not among the nation's elite defenses we need to look at that performance in its proper context. All in all, Pryor needs to maintain his composure against what is sure to be a much more aggressive Miami defense. If he can do that, and limit the number of times he tries to force a throw into bad coverage, he should do fine.
1. Head Coach Jim Tressel Needs to Call Winning Gameplan
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The knock on Ohio State head coach has been, from day one, that he coaches not to lose the game rather than coaching to win the game. Against Marshall, he seemed to go against own philosophy, opening it up early rather than pounding it down the Thundering Herd's collective throats. Of course, that was against what was admittedly the 90th ranked pass defense last season; the University of Miami's defense should be a considerably stiffer test. Miami is going to come into the game prepared to air it out, and should be expected to put up more than the seven points that the Buckeyes held Marshall to. Coach Tressel must not be afraid to take chances downfield, and go for it on situations like fourth and one deep inside Miami territory. There are going to be a lot of points scored in this game, no doubt; and the more Jim Tressel elects to play for three than seven the worse its going to hurt the Buckeyes chances. Hopefully for the Buckeye faithful Senator Jim has gotten this message and is ready to give Miami a taste of their own medicine.
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