I can't remember seeing a team win with 1 completion. It was amazing that Illinois allowed us to run basically the same play over and over without ever making any adjustments. It was nice to not be outcoached for once.
Quarterbacks: C - Miller did what was expected of him...which was nothing. A better grade might be incomplete, but since he did not make any big mistakes, I will give him a C.
Running Backs: A - I forgot how much we were missing without Boom. He runs as hard as any running back out there. He is not the biggest, fastest, or most powerful, but he is good in all those facets and he finishes every run. I hope Hyde can learn how to finish runs from watching Boom, because he will be a great one if he can get that from Herron.
Wide Receivers: B - How can I give a B when no there were no receptions by the receivers? Run blocking. Boom was able to bounce it outside almost at will because the receivers were blocking so well. They were not allowing the Illini corners to set the edge, which opened up some big runs.
Offensive Line: B+ - That was some dominating run blocking. That is the best performance from an OSU line in a long time. They finally came out knowing they were going to blow the defensive line off the ball, and then they came out and did it with a nasty attitude that has been lacking in the past. They lose the A, however, because of the continued false start penalties.
Defensive Line: A+ - Hankins and Simon were unbelievable. Hankins is the best defensive tackle we have had since Dan Wilkinson. He is unblockable, and I like the fact that he can play any position on the line. Simon reminds me a lot of Cam Heyward. He is relentless and always seems to make a play when one is needed. I liked seeing Bennett get a lot of PT out there too. If we had a weakside defensive end to go with Hankins, Simon, and Bennett, we would have a top 5 defensive line nationally. Even without a good end, they are still pretty damn good.
Linebackers: C+ - We just have to face the fact that we don't have any great linebackers for the first time in a long time. Shazier could become our next great one, but he is not there yet. Sweat was solid and Sabino didn't get caught out of position, but I would still like to see them making more plays.
Defensive Backs: A - They finally hung on to the ball when they had shots at interceptions. Roby played great and Travis Howard make a great interception. I liked seeing our corners up playing press man to man coverage. That is not something we have seen much with this coaching staff. Moeller, Barnett, and Bryant all had good games too.
Special Teams: B - Basil is turning into a very good kicker. That was not an easy kick. Buchanan didn't have the greatest distance on his punts today, but he was consistent and got good hang time to allow our coverage teams to do well.
Coaching: B - The offensive coaches realized that with the windy conditions and Illinois' very good pass rush, that it was not good conditions to make Miller make plays through the air. Add to that Illinois not adjusting to the draw play, Bollman just kept calling what was working. It was nice to see a commitment to running the ball, especially when we needed to run some clock. Bollman apparently learned from the mistakes of the 2nd half of the Nebraska game. Defensively, the coaches came up with a great gameplan. They realized Scheelhaase is not a great passer, so they pressed the receivers and committed to stopping the run and the easy passes.
Officiating: A - I don't recall any bad calls...which is all I can ask from officials.
Announcers: D - Is it just me, or is Bob Davie one of the most annoying announcers out there? I can't stand him.
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Ohio State vs Illinois Preview
Ohio St. Offense vs Illinois Defense
The big question in this game is which Ohio State team is going to show up, and will it be for the whole game? Will is be the Ohio State team from the 1st half of the Nebraska game that looked like vintage Ohio State, or will it be the Ohio State team from the 2nd half of the Nebraska game which we have been seeing all year. The other big question is can Miller make it through the whole game. You can bet Illinois is going to be blitzing a lot and trying to get as many shots on him as they can. The line is going to have to protect him and he is going to need to be careful when running.
What I would like to see: Ohio State coming out playing like they did to start the Nebraska game. I want to see some creative play calling, an offensive line that dominates the line of scrimmage, and Braxton Miller keeping the defense off balance and on their heels. I want to see Miller make it through the game unscathed and keep the offense on the field long enough to give the defense enough rest so they are not gassed in crunch time.
What I expect to see: I expect to see them closer to what we have seen all year than what we saw in the first half at Nebraska. We have always struggled on offense at Illinois, so I would expect this offense to struggle at least as much as those in the past. Illinois' defense is allowing under 3 yards per carry rushing. That is not good for this offense because they are not good enough to move the ball consistently through the air.
Advantage: Illinois Defense
Illinois Offense vs Ohio St. Defense
Illinois has had an explosive and balanced offense this year. Scheelhaase is a good runner and passer, so it will be important for the defense to remain disciplined. Jenkins has been one of the 2 best receivers in the B1G this year, so it will be important to keep him from getting big plays.
What I would like to see: I want to see the defense punish Scheelhaase when he runs. The defensive line needs to come out and dominate like they did against Nebraska in the first half. The linebackers need to play much more disciplined and aggressive than they did against Nebraska. The DB's will keep the receivers of Illinois in front of them all game to prevent the big plays.
What I expect to see: I expect to see our defense struggle in this game. Our linebackers (primarily Sabino) were exposed in the Nebraska and Miami games as being undisciplined, not aggressive, and unable to get off blocks. The defensive backfield has also shown that they can be beat deep, which is not good against Jenkins. Overall, I expect the defense to hold their own, but will give up some big plays.
Advantage: Even
Advantages
QB: Illinois
RB: Ohio State
WR: Illinois
TE: Ohio State
OL: Ohio State
DL: Ohio State
LB: Illinois
DB: Even
Special Teams: Ohio State
Coaching: Illinois
Prediction: Both offenses will come out aggressive and both will be mildly successful to start the game off. Then, I see the defenses settling down and dominating the middle parts of the game. Illinois has been weak on special teams, so Ohio State will need to get a few big returns and keep Illinois from getting any good returns. I expect the Ohio State offense to get an early lead and the special teams to keep them ahead throughout the game, but Illinois will wear the defense down and score late to stay unbeaten and send Buckeye Nation to a new low. I see it as Illinois: 24 Ohio State: 20
The big question in this game is which Ohio State team is going to show up, and will it be for the whole game? Will is be the Ohio State team from the 1st half of the Nebraska game that looked like vintage Ohio State, or will it be the Ohio State team from the 2nd half of the Nebraska game which we have been seeing all year. The other big question is can Miller make it through the whole game. You can bet Illinois is going to be blitzing a lot and trying to get as many shots on him as they can. The line is going to have to protect him and he is going to need to be careful when running.
What I would like to see: Ohio State coming out playing like they did to start the Nebraska game. I want to see some creative play calling, an offensive line that dominates the line of scrimmage, and Braxton Miller keeping the defense off balance and on their heels. I want to see Miller make it through the game unscathed and keep the offense on the field long enough to give the defense enough rest so they are not gassed in crunch time.
What I expect to see: I expect to see them closer to what we have seen all year than what we saw in the first half at Nebraska. We have always struggled on offense at Illinois, so I would expect this offense to struggle at least as much as those in the past. Illinois' defense is allowing under 3 yards per carry rushing. That is not good for this offense because they are not good enough to move the ball consistently through the air.
Advantage: Illinois Defense
Illinois Offense vs Ohio St. Defense
Illinois has had an explosive and balanced offense this year. Scheelhaase is a good runner and passer, so it will be important for the defense to remain disciplined. Jenkins has been one of the 2 best receivers in the B1G this year, so it will be important to keep him from getting big plays.
What I would like to see: I want to see the defense punish Scheelhaase when he runs. The defensive line needs to come out and dominate like they did against Nebraska in the first half. The linebackers need to play much more disciplined and aggressive than they did against Nebraska. The DB's will keep the receivers of Illinois in front of them all game to prevent the big plays.
What I expect to see: I expect to see our defense struggle in this game. Our linebackers (primarily Sabino) were exposed in the Nebraska and Miami games as being undisciplined, not aggressive, and unable to get off blocks. The defensive backfield has also shown that they can be beat deep, which is not good against Jenkins. Overall, I expect the defense to hold their own, but will give up some big plays.
Advantage: Even
Advantages
QB: Illinois
RB: Ohio State
WR: Illinois
TE: Ohio State
OL: Ohio State
DL: Ohio State
LB: Illinois
DB: Even
Special Teams: Ohio State
Coaching: Illinois
Prediction: Both offenses will come out aggressive and both will be mildly successful to start the game off. Then, I see the defenses settling down and dominating the middle parts of the game. Illinois has been weak on special teams, so Ohio State will need to get a few big returns and keep Illinois from getting any good returns. I expect the Ohio State offense to get an early lead and the special teams to keep them ahead throughout the game, but Illinois will wear the defense down and score late to stay unbeaten and send Buckeye Nation to a new low. I see it as Illinois: 24 Ohio State: 20
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Look at recruiting needs
Right now we have 13 commits. We don't know how many scholarships will be taken away by the NCAA, but even if they take some away, I would not sign more than 18. My reasoning behind this is that we are not in the running for many top recruits right now. We also do not have a ton of needs right now because we already have such a young roster. Therefore, I would stockpile some scholarships for after this NCAA ruling comes down.
The biggest need right now is at Offensive Tackle. We basically have 1 true tackle coming back next year (Norwell), so anyone of any quality could come in here and start from day 1. Losing Kalis to Michigan was devastating. The only other tackle we have a shot at, that is capable of coming in and starting, is Jordan Diamond out of Illinois. He is probably going to wait until very late in the recruiting process to make his decision. Even if we get Diamond (I don't think we will end up getting him), we need at least 1 other tackle to build some depth. The problem is that the top in-state tackles are committed elsewhere. I have my eyes on a tackle from Hamilton, Adam Pankey. Most of his offers right now are from MAC schools and a few Big East schools. He would not be able to contribute right away, but I like his raw skills. He is a dominating run blocker. He explodes off the ball and finishes his blocks. He will need to work on his pass blocking, but I like bringing him in as a future Right Tackle.
The other need is a weakside DE that can rush the passer. Luckily, we are high on the list of the best one in Ohio, Adolphus Washington. He is an absolute beast. He would be a huge get, and he could probably come in and be in the 2 deep right away. I am hoping we can also get Ifeadi Odenigbo out of Centerville. He is a bit of a project, but he has amazing raw talent.
If we could get Diamond, Washington, and Odenigbo, I would be ecstatic about this class. If we could get all three, I would still go after Dwayne Stanford, because we can always use a big receiver, and Pankey. That would give us 18. If we don't get Diamond, I would probably go after another Tackle project.
The biggest need right now is at Offensive Tackle. We basically have 1 true tackle coming back next year (Norwell), so anyone of any quality could come in here and start from day 1. Losing Kalis to Michigan was devastating. The only other tackle we have a shot at, that is capable of coming in and starting, is Jordan Diamond out of Illinois. He is probably going to wait until very late in the recruiting process to make his decision. Even if we get Diamond (I don't think we will end up getting him), we need at least 1 other tackle to build some depth. The problem is that the top in-state tackles are committed elsewhere. I have my eyes on a tackle from Hamilton, Adam Pankey. Most of his offers right now are from MAC schools and a few Big East schools. He would not be able to contribute right away, but I like his raw skills. He is a dominating run blocker. He explodes off the ball and finishes his blocks. He will need to work on his pass blocking, but I like bringing him in as a future Right Tackle.
The other need is a weakside DE that can rush the passer. Luckily, we are high on the list of the best one in Ohio, Adolphus Washington. He is an absolute beast. He would be a huge get, and he could probably come in and be in the 2 deep right away. I am hoping we can also get Ifeadi Odenigbo out of Centerville. He is a bit of a project, but he has amazing raw talent.
If we could get Diamond, Washington, and Odenigbo, I would be ecstatic about this class. If we could get all three, I would still go after Dwayne Stanford, because we can always use a big receiver, and Pankey. That would give us 18. If we don't get Diamond, I would probably go after another Tackle project.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Around the NCAA (Week 6)
National Top 10
- Alabama
- LSU
- Oklahoma
- Boise St
- Wisconsin
- Oklahoma St
- Clemson
- Stanford
- Oregon
- Arkansas
B1G Power Rankings
- Wisconsin
- Michigan St
- Michigan
- Illinois
- Nebraska
- Penn St
- Ohio St
- Northwestern
- Iowa
- Purdue
- Minnesota
- Indiana
SEC Power Rankings
- Alabama
- LSU
- Arkansas
- S. Carolina
- Georgia
- Auburn
- Florida
- Tennessee
- Mississippi St
- Vanderbilt
- Mississippi
- Kentucky
Big 12 Power Rankings
- Oklahoma
- Oklahoma St
- Kansas St
- Texas A&M
- Baylor
- Texas
- Texas Tech
- Missouri
- Iowa St
- Kansas
ACC Power Rankings
- Clemson
- Georgia Tech
- Virginia Tech
- North Carolina
- Wake Forest
- Florida State
- Miami
- Maryland
- Virginia
- NC State
- Duke
- Boston College
Big East Power Rankings
- West Virginia
- Rutgers
- Cincinnati
- Pittsburgh
- S. Florida
- Syracuse
- Louisville
- Connecticut
Pac 12 Power Rankings
- Stanford
- Oregon
- Arizona St
- USC
- Washington
- Washington St
- California
- Utah
- UCLA
- Oregon St
- Arizona
- Colorado
Conference Rankings
- SEC
- Big 12
- B1G
- ACC
- Pac 12
- Big East
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)