The Scare and Not The Kind You Think

 

It seems that the standards for journalism has decreased quite a bit. This is never more evident than in multiple news websites siting that, Tom Herman's last game as a coach at Ohio State would be finished after the Sugar Bowl. Hours later, Herman's wife tweeted that she knew nothing about the topic, leaving the faithful to breathe a sigh of relief. As Buckeye fans we must face the fact that there is a real possibility that our coaching staff may not be together forever. Last year, offensive line coach Ed Warinner interviewed for the Army Head Coach vacancy. This year, the University of Houston interviewed Herman, but all indication point to Herman staying at Ohio State until Herman says otherwise. Which brings me to my next point.

Urban Meyer assembled his coaching staff knowing that two things would happen: National Championships would be won and other Universities would be looking at his staff for head coach vacancies. I cannot say that I blame other programs for wanting our coaches, however, if I were Meyer I would be telling Gene Smith to give out raises or lose great coaches. I get that it is not fair to not want great assistant coaches to leave, but they do deserve a promotion if they chose to pursue one. On the opposite side though, Ohio State is and will always be a top tier program with the ability to compete on a yearly basis, leaving Buckeye Nation with the assumption that Ohio State should be able to pay coaches enough to not look anywhere else. We have seen coaching changes take place that offered reasoning behind the assumption that Athletic Directors were not willing to spend to keep. Take for instance Gary Andersen, whom received a raise after taking the vacancy at Oregon State from Wisconsin. One would assume that Wisconsin would be more enticing, considering Oregon State is not on the same level as Oregon, but still a good program. However, sometimes upper management can make a great program seem unbearable.

The battle of coaching styles and programs that were built based upon a philosophy will always rage on. Wisconsin was built upon the premise of a dominant running game established by a huge offensive line and huge running back. Under Coach Andersen, the Badgers produced multiple thousand yards backs, and a version of a spread throwing scheme. Therefore, the Badgers veered slightly away from the notion of running the ball down the opponents throat for 6o minutes. Another example, under Tressel the Buckeyes were anything but a spread offense scheme, like we are now. Under Tressel, the Buckeyes were a traditional under center, power running game, traditional throwing scheme that paid its dividend only partial time. However, under Meyer the team is totally different, with a modified running game, and shotgun formation only. This type of offense has paid its dividends for Buckeye Nation.

In the end, money and the lure of a top tier program is not always enough to satisfy a coach that is still seeking something more. As Buckeye Fans we have greatness to look forward too, but also coaching changes as other programs look at the most successful teams, than go after assistants. Tis the season to be thankful for what we have, so we should as such.

Ohio State Will Win If........

Since the end of the Michigan and Wisconsin all I have heard is.....how Ohio State will lose a close one because of how unstoppable Gordon is. In fact, we (Ohio State) are underdogs. These are my keys to the game.

Ohio State:
- Keep Wisconsin confined to the middle of the field. The majority of Melvin's runs start from him redirecting an inside run to the perimeter, than simply outrunning the defense once he gets outside.
- The front 4, and Lee have to get into the backfield quickly. The last time we stopped the run, Wisconsin threw the ball all over us. Stave is improving, but has not faced a defensive line with the speed we have.
- Raekwon and Curtis Grant will have to "spy" on Gordon and Stave. If Gordon has the ball, beat him to the edge or fill a gap. If Stave keeps the ball, either drop into coverage or follow his eyes for option plays to either side.
- Corner backs have to be put on notice. Ohio State will put an emphasis on stopping the run, so fakes may cause the defense to run away from the ball instead of to it leaving room for wide receivers to get open.
- Aggressive defenses can be taken advantage of. Quick throws to the outside to Jalin, Samuel, or Elliot will make blitzes useless, and one on one tackling situations.
- Do not try running right at their defense, take advantage of the speed advantage we have and get to the outside.
- Do not try too many Wildcat formation, quarterback draws, or jet sweeps. All the defense has to do is watch every game this year and they will see the same offensive setup every time. If Jalin is in the Wildcat, actually let him pass the ball, a bootleg maybe. That'll throw the defense for a loop.
- Short intermediate throws to speedy receivers that can accelerate in space (like Thomas against Michigan State, and Spencer against Minnesota)
-  Devin Smith has to be utilized. Shots down the field will cause Wisconsin to not pack as much in the box, but instead defend the pass, leaving space for runs up the middle.
- Ohio State cannot win grinding offense to defense time and time again. We must use our speed advantage and weaponry. Cardale will not win this game alone, but instead getting the ball quickly to the play makers. We must do this or we will be talking about next year's expectations instead of a college playoff birth.

O - H!!!!

Our Destiny Awaits

There are a few things I want to cover in this post: The Big Ten Championship, coaching changes are in season, and the Big Ten Will Be Back. Urban Meyer does not lose the same game twice, nor make the same mistake. The task of stopping Wisconsin seems almost too much to bear, but did we not hear the same thing the entire season, leading up to Michigan State. Granted our quarterback was not in his first start, but does it really matter? Last year, Michigan State, the first game, crushed our hopes of a National Championship with a defeat. This year, we face a Wisconsin team that has a crushing running back. Likewise though, if this team and season has proven anything, it is that they can overcome anything and triumph. This is why I have complete faith in Cardale. With the firing of Bo Pelini, and inching towards the same for Brady Hoke, schools are realizing their need to compete and their need to open their wallets much wider than usual. Nebraska realizes the same as Michigan, the need to hire a great coach is paramount to a speedy turn around. Every school in the Big Ten is looking for an Urban Meyer-ish hire. This means, hiring a coach that is a brand himself, that does not necessarily need a school, but instead builds and creates a brand from his own personality and traits. The marriage of Ohio State and Urban is a match made in heaven, and that coupling is something Nebraska and Michigan are looking for. When Lloyd Carr, Jim Tressel, Joe Paterno, and Barry Alavarez/Brett Bielema ruled the Big Ten, the SEC was no where to be found. However, since the recent downturn, the SEC is all you hear about.

A win in the Championship puts Ohio State into the Playoffs. As much as TCU would like to think they belong in the #4 at the end of the year, they don't. The Playoffs is going to be about the biggest names against the Biggest names, until the Big 12 has a Conference Championship. The Four Best Teams are the Four Biggest Names in College Football: Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Jimbo Fisher, and Mark Helfrich. Each of these teams has produced multiple Heisman Trophy Winners and Candidates. When people speak about these teams, their coaches names are mentioned as if they are sitting atop Mount Rushmore. When people speak about TCU or Baylor, their mentions are subtle. Could anyone imagine a better match up than Alabama and Ohio State, Florida State and Oregon. These match ups alone may be bigger than the National Championship itself.