Tony Mazur discusses sports talk radio and DJ’ing at AppleBee’s – WFNY Podcast – 2015-09-21
September 22, 2015Josh McCown close to being cleared for practice
September 22, 2015The Ohio State Buckeyes offense did not look like their normal selves Saturday afternoon, but luckily for them, the defense stepped up, bailed them out, and led the Buckeyes to a 20-13 win over the Northern Illinois Huskies. Like every game, there are plenty of good things, bad things, and ugly things to discuss. Let’s dig in.
(P.S. We’re just three games into the season. All of us Ohio State fans need to stop overreacting and have faith that Urban Meyer and company will turn this thing around. Remember, the Buckeyes are still 3-0. That’s a good thing.)
The Good
The defense
For the second consecutive week, the Buckeyes leaned on the Silver Bullets, but this time, they bailed out an offense that scored just 20 points against a MAC school. A pick-six, plenty of pass breakups, and big days for Raekwon McMillan (10 tackles), Vonn Bell (10 tackles), and Tyquan Lewis (7 tackles) were among the highlights from the Buckeyes defense during Saturday’s win.
The defense allowed just 190 yards, including 80 yards through the air, holding an electric Northern Illinois offense to 13 points. Coming into Saturday, the Huskies were seventh in the NCAA in total offense, averaging 594 yards per game. The last time Northern Illinois was held to fewer than 200 yards of total offense? October 4, 2008, when they had 190 in a loss at Tennessee.
Ezekiel Elliott
He may not have scored a touchdown on Saturday, but Elliott’s 108-yard day was one of the few bright spots for Ohio State’s offense against Northern Illinois. It also represented the eighth consecutive game (and 13th for his career) in which he ran for over 100 yards. With their quarterbacks struggling, the Buckeyes have relied on the All-American running back and he has taken advantage of it.
Third-down defense
The Buckeyes held the Huskies to 6-of-20 on third down conversions. Whether it was the pressure that the Silver Bullets applied to Northern Illinois QB Drew Hare or the play by the secondary, the Ohio State defense stepped up, especially on third down.
Michael Thomas
The Buckeyes top receiver in 2015, Thomas was the leading receiver on Saturday and the only player to score a touchdown on offense. He finished the game with three receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown. Thomas’s 23-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter was the fourth reception of at least 20 yards that he has had this season. The touchdown was also his second of the season and 11th of his career.
Darron Lee
What can’t the sophomore linebacker do? He may have only had two tackles, but Lee had a crucial pick-six that he ran back for 41 yards late in the third quarter, to give the Buckeyes a 20-10 lead which wound up standing for good. The interception was the third of his career and the third touchdown he’s scored as a Buckeye (and the first on an interception return).
Kicker and Punter
Kicker Jack Willoughby, who struggled at times during the first two games of the season, converted both of his field goal attempts, with a long of 31 yards. Punter Cameron Johnston, with a relatively incredible six punts (that’s a lot for an Ohio State punter in a single game), averaged over 52 yards per punt on Saturday.
The Bad
There wasn’t really much bad; it was either good or ugly for the Buckeyes on Saturday.
The Ugly
The quarterbacks
For the second consecutive game, the quarterback play was a problem for Ohio State. Cardale Jones started the game, completing 4-of-9 passes for just 36 yards and two interceptions before he was relieved by J.T. Barrett. Barrett completed 11-of-19 passes for a touchdown, but he also threw an interception.
The offensive line
The “slobs,” as they are lovingly called, struggled again. Whether it has been miscommunication or just poor play, it isn’t a coincidence that Ohio State’s offense had a hard time scoring against Hawaii and Northern Illinois with the big guys up front unable to control the line of scrimmage.
Third-down offense
The Buckeyes converted just 2-of-13 third downs. If Ohio State wants to compete for a second consecutive College Football Playoff National Championship, they must convert more than 15 percent of their third downs.
The offense in general
Only 20 points against a MAC school? Ouch. With so many playmakers, 20 points against Northern Illinois is almost unacceptable. They may have been bailed out by the defense, but things must change for the Buckeyes offense.
The Buckeyes’ streak of consecutive games with at least three touchdowns ended at 31 on Saturday. Now, Baylor takes over the lead with 17 straight games. Ohio State did not score a rushing touchdown for the first time in 26 games as well.
Turnovers
Five (!) turnovers for Ohio State’s offense on Saturday. The weather may have been factor, including the downpour early in the game, but five turnovers is unbecoming for one of the best teams and best offenses in the country. With so many talented skill position players, five turnovers cannot happen again if you are the Buckeyes.
3 Comments
Offense only scored 13 against NIU.
never ever underestimate a MAC team … go rockets !!
Buckeyes started slow a year ago including their only loss so I’m not even going to groan but last Saturday looked more like the Browns then the Buckeyes.