Ohio State-Minnesota: Quick Review

Dave Thurman (11:19 pm)

It was a lot more treat than trick on the night before Halloween at TCF Stadium.  Although we'll have a much more complete review tomorrow here are a few things that stood out to me:

1.  The offensive line dominated

They have taken their lumps from fans and media this year, but the big guys played great tonight and opened some huge holes for the running backs, besides offering Terrelle Pryor terrific protection.

2. Boom is in a groove

There is no doubt who the bellcow is now, as Daniel "Boom" Herron is running hard and with tremendous confidence.

On the other hand, Brandon Saine continues to play tippy-toe when he enters the game, and one wonders why he is getting carries that could be given to Jamaal Berry.

3.  Posey got his mojo back

He played pretty well last week, but looked like his old self Saturday night, catching short, intermediate and long passes.  The question is, can he do it against a good, physical defense?

4.  Brian Rolle gave us a scare and then came back with a bad attitude

Rolle left the field early with an ankle injury but came back to play the best I have seen him perform all year. 

Considering how thin the Bucks are at linebacker, it was a relief to see him back on the field. 

However, Devon Torrence took a knee to the head, and did not return.  Hopefully, he'll be fine after the bye week. 

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5.  Special teams were mostly good

For once this year, the OSU special teams actually scored, and almost did it twice.  It was great to see Jonathan Newsome block a punt that was recovered in the end zone by Zach Domicone. 

And, Jordan Hall came about 2 yards short of taking a punt return to the house, showing some nifty moves before jetting 70 yards down the sideline.  If only Barclay hadn't missed a 21-yard field goal, the Buckeyes would have received an "A" in this area.

6. Orhian Johnson's coverage skills need work

When Weber had time to throw, he picked apart the secondary and most of the time it seemed like Johnson was the culprit. 

I don't think Gant is great in coverage either, and he did his best Anderson Russell imitation, by dropping an interception. 

On a positive note, I thought Travis Howard played well at corner after replacing Torrence.

7.  Terrelle Pryor quietly had an excellent night

He may not be putting up Cameron Newton numbers but he threw for a very high percentage, featuring about every throw in the book. 

He also used his legs at just the right times.  Other than a boneheaded interception in the end zone, he was near perfect.

8.  The defense made excellent adjustments

When it was obvious that Adam Weber would eat up the depleted secondary if given time, Heacock cooked up blitzes from every angle, and the Silver Bullets played fast, taking it to the Gophers. 

 It begs the question of why OSU doesn't blitz more often.

That's all for now.  Check back tomorrow for a little more detailed analysis.