Ohio State-Wisconsin Revisited

Before the year even started, everyone circled the game against Wisconsin as a defining moment for the season. We knew that a night game in a hostile environment would tell us a lot about where this team was.

Unfortunately, the team we saw Saturday didn't appear ready for such a big stage or for the pressures of being No. 1. I'm still shocked at how much we got pushed around and beat up in nearly every facet of the game. That was not Buckeye football Saturday night.

Anyway, I typically look back at our Five Things to Look For posts on Mondays, but after this loss, I would rather take an honest look at what happened.

1. The Nightmarish First Quarter

In the opening 12 seconds of the game, we knew the Buckeyes weren't prepared for the moment or stage they found themselves on. After a short kickoff, David Gilreath went 97 yards on the return, and Camp Randall went absolutely nuts. No one even touched Gilreath on the return or was even able to alter his path at all. It was another pitiful showing by the Buckeye special teams.

My dad has been freaking out over the special teams for weeks now, telling me it would cost us a game down the stretch, while I have been adamant that the staff could get the problem fixed.

Well, I was wrong. I still don't understand how a team like Ohio State, with all the weapons and four and five star players at their disposal, can continually be so bad on kickoff coverage.

After that kickoff return, things just got uglier. The Buckeyes were unable to move the ball anywhere and then got totally manhandled by John Clay and the Wisconsin offensive line. The team looked sluggish, which is amazing considering what was at stake, and the coaching staff didn't look prepared at all for what Wisconsin was throwing at them. The staff didn't come out and load up the box and force Tolzien to beat them with his arm as I expected, which I think was a huge mistake.

Instead, we watched the Buckeyes front seven get blown off the ball and show no resiliency in shedding blocks. To make matters worse, OSU's next drive would stall out at Wisconsin's 43 yard line, and the Badgers would drain the final 8:19 off the clock in the quarter on their way to a 10 minute, 89 yard scoring drive. Yes, the first quarter was one to forget. The one thing you can't do is play catch up with the Badgers because of their running game, and that's exactly what OSU did all night thanks to the opening 15 minutes. 

2. Terrible Coaching Decisions

As bad the first quarter was, I think some of Tressel's coaching decisions in the second quarter actually cost the Buckeyes the game. Down 21-0, the Buckeyes needed to put some points on the board, and they finally started to move the ball down the field. The staff realized that Wisconsin was going to allow them to run the ball, and thus we saw an assortment of running plays called for Herron and Pryor (only two passes called on that 12 play drive).

The problem was the play calling from Tressel that closed out this drive. The Buckeyes had first and goal from Wisconsin's three yards line, and Tressel dialed up two running plays for Pryor between the tackles along with a running play for Boom out of the Wildcat. While Pryor needs to take some criticism for not putting his head down and running with authority, these were all very weak play calls.

As many other blogs and writers have already pointed out, why not roll Pryor out at least once? Or even more perplexing, why run the Wildcat for Boom with no lead blocker and no threat of him throwing the ball? There was no reason to be conservative or be primarily concerned with turnovers, the defense was getting owned and the score was already 21-0.

The very next drive, Andrew Sweat did his best Ross Homan impression and came up with a huge interception. The Buckeyes had great field position at Wisconsin's 23 yard line, and I expected the Buckeyes to use this momentum to push in a score.

Instead, Tressel again got cute with random play calls. On first down, we saw a reverse to Dane Sanzenbacher followed by two pass attempts, the second of which led to a sack by J.J. Watt. I still don't understand why Tressel abandoned the running game that had been so successful on the previous drive. In fact, I think this drive along with the previous one actually cost the Buckeyes the game. Don't get me wrong the defense is also to blame, but being able to come away with at least one touchdown on either one of those drives would have been monumental knowing the second half comeback. 

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3. The Players Who Stood Out

I know my tone has been negative thus far, but there were a few positives to take away. First of all, I appreciate how the offense didn't lay down and did mount a comeback in the second half. Some of Tressel's previous squads would just quit when things started going bad, but the second half showed me this team is different and has it in them to run the table the rest of the way.

There were a few players who deserve some accolade for their performance. The first on the list has to be Dane Sanzenbacher. The guy is maybe the most underrated wide receiver to wear a Buckeye uniform, and gets little respect from the national media. Yet, week in and week out, he plays as tough as anyone on OSU's roster. In fact, he is arguably the offensive MVP so far this season.

As we witnessed Saturday, Pryor would not be near the quarterback he is without Dane on this team making some very tough catches to move the chains. I still am amazed at a few of the catches he hauled in against Wisky, especially the nine yard grab in the third quarter when he held on despite going airborne. In fact, I will be searching for a photo of that Gonzo-esque grab for my computer background this week.

Boom Herron was another guy that deserves some love after Saturday's performance. He had 19 carries for 91 yards and two touchdowns, while also adding two receptions for eight yards. Not only does the guy run tough and always seems fall forward (despite only being 200 pounds), but he is a touchdown machine. After not scoring in the opening game against Marshall, Boom has nine touchdowns in the last six games. I think it's time we give him some more respect.

Finally, I have to mention Andrew Sweat, who was second on the team with eight tackles while also adding an interception. I have been hard on Sweat this season, even though he has seen little time, but Saturday I finally saw why the coaches were so high on him.

4. The Players/Units Who Disappointed

I have to start with the defensive line, who, though they got little help from the defensive game plan, laid an egg Saturday night. They were coming off of their two best games of the season, so there was reason to be optimistic, but they just got thrown around by the big uglies in red and white. In fact, I saw a few plays where Kendricks (their tight end), was handling our defensive ends by himself.

Speaking of the DE's, they were pretty much invisible all game long. Maybe the most disappointing performance came from Cameron Heyward, who has yet to really break through this year. My dad has been complaining about Heyward for weeks now, who I have been defending, and again have been proven wrong. The guy just isn't dominating anyone like we thought he would. I think we have come to realize that this defensive line is nowhere close to the line last year, which was something we spent a lot of time talking/worrying about on this blog in the preseason. Up until this game, it hadn't reared its ugly head, but all the losses on the d-line from last year left this unit young and thin.  

On the offensive side of the ball, DeVier Posey was a guy who really looked to be going through the motions. I'm huge Posey fan and have been since watching him play in high school at La Salle, but he is really not the physical wideout we thought he would be this year. Is he still a good player, yes, but he has shown that he can be locked down by physical corners. Some of this has to do with him not wanting to lay his body out, much like what Sanzenbacher does.

In the second quarter, as the Buckeyes were trying to score, Pryor tried to hit Posey on a second down throw which went incomplete. Everyone blamed Pryor for a poor throw, but further investigation shows Posey quit on the route because of potential contact across the middle. Something that I am starting to see a lot more in his play.

I could talk about a few other areas (Rolle, the offensive tackles, and Pryor), but there is no reason to be overly negative. So there ya have it.

All in all...

Pretty frustrating night, where OSU got outplayed and outcoached. I don't think I will ever truly understand how we were so ill-prepared for Wisconsin's attack or why we came out so sluggish. This team will respond in a big way over the coming weeks, as Tressel teams always do.

Unfortunately though, I think we need to come to the realization that we will probably never win another National Championship until Tressel decides to change a few of his tendencies. I love Tres, and I would not trade him for anyone. With all the sleezy head coaches out there, it is a great to have a solid man who really invests in his players.

I'm just frustrated with him in a few areas, namely his conservatism and offensive play calls in big games. The one positive is that he often makes his biggest changes after the Buckeyes lose, and I think we will see a fresh look next week. In fact, I'm still predicting we run the table the rest of the way and share the Big Ten title.