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Five Things to Watch for: Minnesota Golden Gopher Edition
David ThurmanOct 30, 2010
Drew Thurman (12:21 pm)
Check out our Know the Opposition feature for full information on Minnesota. Below we have five things to look for, as the Buckeyes head to TCF Bank Stadium tonight for the first time, where they will try to fix the road woes that have plagued them this year.
1) Watch to see how much pressure the defensive line can put on Adam Weber.
With a banged up secondary and linebacking core, the defensive line will need to bring it tonight. The task may not be as easy as we might expect though. While Adam Weber will never be confused for Usain Bolt, he is a wiley veteran that does have better mobility than many give him credit for. He also is part of an offense designed to help him get the ball out quickly to his receivers. On top of all of that, the Buckeye defensive line has struggled getting to the quarterback all year, and have helped contribute to a defense that is towards the bottom of the country in sacks. Last week the line finally broke through with three sacks though, and they will look to build off that success. So watch to see if the Buckeye defensive line can win the battle in the trenches and put pressure on Adam Weber all night. The defensive backfield will need help as they face a very tall, capable unit of Minnesota wide receivers, so this is an important matchup.
2) Watch to see if Corey "Philly" Brown's performance last week was a fluke.
The staff has been high on Brown, which showed last week as they made a conscious effort to put the ball in his hands. He had one rush for 18 yards to go along with two catches for 38 yards and a touchdown. While I wouldn't call it a breakout game, it definitely was a sign of the potential for Brown to be a contributor down the stretch. So tonight will be a good chance to see if the staff is serious about making him the No. 3 wide receiver, and also if Brown responds with another good game. The Gopher secondary has been gashed all season long, so Brown should have plenty of opportunities.
Check out our Know the Opposition feature for full information on Minnesota. Below we have five things to look for, as the Buckeyes head to TCF Bank Stadium tonight for the first time, where they will try to fix the road woes that have plagued them this year.
1) Watch to see how much pressure the defensive line can put on Adam Weber.
With a banged up secondary and linebacking core, the defensive line will need to bring it tonight. The task may not be as easy as we might expect though. While Adam Weber will never be confused for Usain Bolt, he is a wiley veteran that does have better mobility than many give him credit for. He also is part of an offense designed to help him get the ball out quickly to his receivers. On top of all of that, the Buckeye defensive line has struggled getting to the quarterback all year, and have helped contribute to a defense that is towards the bottom of the country in sacks. Last week the line finally broke through with three sacks though, and they will look to build off that success. So watch to see if the Buckeye defensive line can win the battle in the trenches and put pressure on Adam Weber all night. The defensive backfield will need help as they face a very tall, capable unit of Minnesota wide receivers, so this is an important matchup.
2) Watch to see if Corey "Philly" Brown's performance last week was a fluke.
The staff has been high on Brown, which showed last week as they made a conscious effort to put the ball in his hands. He had one rush for 18 yards to go along with two catches for 38 yards and a touchdown. While I wouldn't call it a breakout game, it definitely was a sign of the potential for Brown to be a contributor down the stretch. So tonight will be a good chance to see if the staff is serious about making him the No. 3 wide receiver, and also if Brown responds with another good game. The Gopher secondary has been gashed all season long, so Brown should have plenty of opportunities.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
3) Watch to see what youngsters get playing time on defense.
The injury issues on the defensive side of the ball leave the Buckeyes very thin in terms on experience. Just a quick glance at the depth chart and you will see a lot of youngsters now in the two deep (especially in the secondary). Luckily this game shouldn't be close, so Tressel and company can rotate in some of the reserves. So watch to see who gets playing time and who makes the most it. Guys like Storm Klein, Dorian Bell, Dominic Clarke, Jamie Wood and Zach Domicone could all see the field, and their performances could tell us if the defense has enough depth to make it through the final three games of the year.
4) Watch to see if Terrelle Pryor torches another weak secondary.
Pryor has feasted against weaker opponents all year, especially in Big Ten play. Three weeks ago he threw for a career high 334 yards and three touchdowns against Indiana, and then last week he had 270 yards with three more touchdowns in just over a half of work against Purdue. While Tressel will obviously want to pound the ball with Boom and continue the recent momentum in the running game, I expect Pryor to once again put up gaudy stats. He has yet to have a good game on the road this season, but Minnesota should be exactly what the doctor ordered.
5) Watch to see if the Buckeyes come out sleepwalking.
The only thing that worries me about this game is the potential for the players to take the Gophers lightly. They have a 1-7 record so far, they lost their head coach Tim Brewster two weeks ago, and quite frankly have been a joke all season long. It's not going to be hard for the team to think they can just walk through the Gophers tonight. The problem is that OSU brings a very banged up team to TCF Bank Stadium and has yet to look solid on the road this season. This team has no business sleepwalking tonight, and if they do, could be in a tighter game than they expected.
The injury issues on the defensive side of the ball leave the Buckeyes very thin in terms on experience. Just a quick glance at the depth chart and you will see a lot of youngsters now in the two deep (especially in the secondary). Luckily this game shouldn't be close, so Tressel and company can rotate in some of the reserves. So watch to see who gets playing time and who makes the most it. Guys like Storm Klein, Dorian Bell, Dominic Clarke, Jamie Wood and Zach Domicone could all see the field, and their performances could tell us if the defense has enough depth to make it through the final three games of the year.
4) Watch to see if Terrelle Pryor torches another weak secondary.
Pryor has feasted against weaker opponents all year, especially in Big Ten play. Three weeks ago he threw for a career high 334 yards and three touchdowns against Indiana, and then last week he had 270 yards with three more touchdowns in just over a half of work against Purdue. While Tressel will obviously want to pound the ball with Boom and continue the recent momentum in the running game, I expect Pryor to once again put up gaudy stats. He has yet to have a good game on the road this season, but Minnesota should be exactly what the doctor ordered.
5) Watch to see if the Buckeyes come out sleepwalking.
The only thing that worries me about this game is the potential for the players to take the Gophers lightly. They have a 1-7 record so far, they lost their head coach Tim Brewster two weeks ago, and quite frankly have been a joke all season long. It's not going to be hard for the team to think they can just walk through the Gophers tonight. The problem is that OSU brings a very banged up team to TCF Bank Stadium and has yet to look solid on the road this season. This team has no business sleepwalking tonight, and if they do, could be in a tighter game than they expected.
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.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
