Ohio State's Family Feud: Inquiring Minds Want To Know Edition

Family Feud is a feature in which Dave and Drew throw around their opinions, which many times are quite the opposite of one another's, on various Buckeye football subjects. This edition takes a look at some of the issues that could be stumbling blocks to the Buckeyes in the coming weeks.

1.  How will the injuries impact the secondary as the season progresses?

Dave: No team can lose two starters from their defensive secondary and not feel the effects. Losing Barnett hurt because he was really coming on and was an aggressive player. However, losing Tyler Moeller is a huge blow because he was so versatile and brought such energy to the defense. One can only hope there won't be other injuries as the year progresses.

I think our corners are solid, though not quite as good as some anticipated they would be. Jermale Hines is an excellent player whether at safety or star. Like most Buckeye fans I am not sold on Orhian Johnson but hope that he gets more confident each game and starts to react rather than think. Christian Bryant is going to be a good one, but he may take his lumps the next few weeks. Young players like Travis Howard, Corey Brown, Dominic Clarke, and Jamie Wood need to come on and be ready to play.

However, the wild card may be veteran Nate Oliver. If he can remain healthy I think he can help out at safety or the star. The Indiana game is coming at a good time, because the Bucks need to be tested by a passing team. 

Drew: I agree with a lot of what you are saying, but it sounds like you have a bit more optimism than I do. I really think the injuries in the secondary will cost the Buckeyes a game down the stretch. This unit is just not very strong. Chekwa to me is not a No. 1 cornerback. He is very weak jamming guys at the line, and hardly ever turns his head to play the ball. Torrence isn't any better, and really got exposed against EMU when Chekwa went down. Don't get me wrong, both guys are sure tacklers, but they are average in coverage.

As for safety, well Jermale Hines is pretty much the only guy of note here. I really wish the Buckeyes had another option back there, because I feel his impact would be much better at the star. Sorry, I just fear Christian Bryant trying to tackle John Clay. And the sad thing is, Bryant at 5-9 178 pounds is the second most physical guy left in the secondary next to Hines. Especially compared to a guy like Orhian Johnson, who is just a ghost and disappears for long stretches of the game.

So yes, I have my worries. I think they can salvage enough to get the Buckeyes through most of the schedule, but between Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan, don't be surprised if we trip up somewhere. 

2.  Will Brandon Saine continue to share time at tailback or will he play more slot?

Dave:Jim Tressel's latest press conference did not give me a great deal of hope here. His greatest strength is also his greatest weakness, namely, his loyalty. While Saine is talented and did some good things last year, he is clearly not the best (or even second best) running back on the roster. I would like to see him used as an H-back or even a number three receiver because he is fast and has excellent hands.

My guess is that he will still play some running back, but that Herron will continue to get most of the carries. I do hope that the Indiana game is a chance to use Jordan Hall more, and see how he does against a Big Ten defense (even if it is one of the weakest in the conference).

Drew: I think we continue to see him get 5-8 carries a game, along with 3-4 receptions. Unless he gets his confidence back and starts looking like the guy we saw for the last four games last year, I don't expect much more production. Like you, I wish Jordan Hall and Jaamal Berry would get some more love, but Tressel seems dead set on Saine playing running back. The sad thing is that this wastes all the athleticism that Saine brings to the table.

We don't have a No. 3 receiver that comes close to Saine's speed and playmaking ability, yet we only see Saine get a few designed throws out of the backfield. Maybe I will be proven wrong in the coming weeks, but I just think Tressel may have missed the mark on this one.

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3.  What will be the long-term effect of Pryor's quad injury?

Dave: You can't help but worry about this, since Pryor's legs may be his greatest asset.  While I think he is becoming a much better passer, and has improved in the pocket, there is no doubt but that his forte is rolling out with the threat of tucking it and running.  Against Indiana I don't think we see him do much of either, as it will be a vanilla offensive attack featuring a lot of handoffs and some drop back passes. 

This may help the team in the long run, since Pryor needs to continue developing his pocket presence.  But against Wisconsin, the following week, he will have to be ready to run.  Every time he does we will all hold our breath, but to beat the better teams in conference OSU needs Pryor's legs.

Drew: Buckeye fans shouldn't have to worry about this as much as they are right now, but everyone knows how important his legs are in crunch time. This is even more magnified this year since the Buckeyes are having issues running the ball consistently, which is one of the staples of Tresselball. Hopefully Pryor can gut this out as he showed he could do last season, but if he can't Tressel is going to have to make some changes to help minimize the impact.

He may have to be a bit more gutsy in his play calling when the game is on the line (throwing the ball more) or find a way to get the aforementioned Berry and Hall a few more touches to show off their explosive playmaking ability.

4.  Will some pass catchers step up?

Dave:  In the Illinois game the Bucks had exactly one reliable receiver—Dane Sanzenbacher.  Again, to defeat the better competition (especially on the road) we need a more diversified attack.  Hopefully Posey will get his head out of his butt and start playing like he is capable, and I am guessing he will.  Getting Jake Stoneburner back will be a huge bonus, but before the season started I opined that he might struggle with injuries since he is a smallish tight end in a physical conference. 

Let's hope we can keep him healthy down the stretch.  Runners such as Saine, Herron, and Boren all have good hands and the coaching staff needs to exploit that. However, I am not sold on any of the other receivers at this point, and am keeping my fingers crossed that we can keep our top guys in the lineup. 

Drew: I am not worried here, I think we have plenty of weapons. Sure Posey had a bad game and Stoneburner was out, but that isn't going to be an every week thing. The only concern I have here is Tressel's play calling. I understand the benefits of Tresselball and being conservative, but that doesn't mean the offense has to go to pot. Earlier this year we saw a lot of quick hitting throws and different looks to get Pryor and the receivers in rhythm, but then this last week the offensive play calling reverted back to predictability.

They threw only in obvious passing situations, many times leaving Pryor to convert third and long. That obviously limits the throwing options, especially over the top, and leaves very little room for error. Let's hope Tressel comes out and wants to establish the passing attack a bit more Saturday, and uses some more creativity in how he gets guys like Posey involved.