Ohio State’s loss to Miami wouldn’t be near so painful if Miami was a great team. They are not. As a matter of fact, they might not even be a good team. Unfortunately, the Buckeye offensive performance was just that bad. Although the defense gave them every chance to get back in this game and even take control, it was as though the offensive coaching staff just refused to let it happen.
And yes, I put the blame on offensive coaching. As much as I want to give Coach Fickell a chance, to give him every benefit of the doubt, for most Ohio State fans (at least this one) the honeymoon is over. It is obvious that the young Braxton Miller has trouble with turnovers but by early in the first half, we could all see that Bauserman wasn’t going to get it done.
2/13 for a total 13 yards.
What more do you need to know? Bauserman went 2 for 13 for a total 13 yards passing. Miller manged to nearly double that in the 2 of 4 completed passes he threw. Miami quarterback Jacory Harris threw just as many Ohio State completions.
Yes, Bauserman has been a good soldier over the years. Yes, he has played the roll of the dutiful backup. And yes, he provides a maturity and leadership that this team so desperately needs. But as we saw im Illinois last year and again tonight, Bauserman is not the quarterback who is going to bring this Buckeye team back to their rightful position at the top.
There was a noticeable difference when Miller took to the field. Suddenly running backs are finding holes in the line. Instead of throwing the ball into the stands, the quarterback is turning it up field and gaining a few extra yards. When things got desperate, Miller just ran the ball himself. And it worked. At least until he dropped the ball.
The offensive coaching has to be called into question. It is frustrating enough to lose to a mid-level team like Miami but for Coach Fickell to to just quit is too much. Normally, I wouldn’t say that about a coach but when you fail to use any second half time outs in a game where the clock was a serious factor, what other conclusions can you draw? Although giving Miller the ball and letting him run late in the fourth quarter worked (until he fumbled), it seemed like such an after thought. By that time, the coaching staff had checked out. It was as though they were just letting the under classmen get a few reps.
The question must be asked, does Fickell know what it takes to coach offense? We know that the defensive coaching is in place but how about the other side of the ball. Take it a step further and you’ve got to worry about Miller. He’s demonstrated a problem with turnovers. Unlike Bauserman’s play style, these errors can be corrected under the guidance of a strong coach. It’s hard to believe that quarterback coach Nick Siciliano is that coach. It took three years for Pryor to overcome basic technical errors. What promise do we have that things will be different with Miller.
The refusal to pull Bauserman when his play obviously wasn’t working, the failure to show any sign of managing the clock in the second half and the general sense that the offense had just given up by midway through the fourth quarter is enough to put Fickell’s tenure at Ohio State into question. I’m not ready to see him go yet but he’s got a lot to prove in the coming weeks.
{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
Interesting…Miller was doing good until he fumbled, and they decided not to invest in the run game anymore. What else would you have them do? The passing was squat the whole game. How many times can you switch qb’s in and out? Still to many guys out with nobody else to go to on the bench. They had nothing left in the tank in the last 4 minutes or so, essentially, the game was over at that point. We played two lower-level games before playing a mid-level Miami team, one of those 1st two games should have been another mid-level team BEFORE Miami.
Agreed, kind of. Under the overall direction of a defensive specialist such as Fickell, Miami should not have scored so many points. Toledo should not have either. True, turnovers are a problem, which is on the offense. However, when the offense isn’t pulling their weight the defense needs to pull up morale with a few big stops. I think OSU is struggling on both sides of the line of scrimmage, at least compared to the standard us fans expect.
I think Bauserman should have been pulled when the offense struggled against Toledo. Don’t get me wrong, I like Bauserman, but he hasn’t gotten the job done. Miller may also have not been able to get the job done, but, at the same time, he needs to get ready to take over the offense after this year. And, of more immediate importance, he needs to be ready for the Big Ten season THIS year.
I think Fickell might eventually be the right man for the job. He needs to implement his vision and not defer to his former ‘co-workers.’ As a former wrestler, I have great respect for him. As a fan I am doubtful about his abilities as a head coach. As a Buckeye, I believe in him, since he’s a Buckeye himself, and want him to win. After all, this is only one loss. OSU can still win a Big 10 championship.
Like I said, I don’t want to give up on Fickell. He’s a Buckeye through and through and that’s important. I can’t say the same about Urban Meyer who seems to be the first name in line for the job. I also like the addition of Vrabel to the coaching staff. A plus for the defense but no help on offense.
I’d much rather see an improving Miller take the snaps than Bauserman who has reached his pinnacle.
Fickell isn’t out of favor yet but he’s going to have to work much harder now to keep me on board. He is a defensive guy. If he has the capability to call the offense, then he needs to do it. If not, then he needs to turn the offense over to someone who can.
Bauserman is at best a 3rd string QB—can’t throw, move or create when under pressure— the WR’s are young and sometimes run bad routes, but Miller has a better chance to create with a run/pass option—-Fickell should have rolled the dice at the start of the season—-develop Miller asap—work on the passing game—keep it simple—let him gain experience—and use his ability to run and escape the pocket—combine that with the regular run game and some play action passes—yes, he will fumble and make some mistakes—but he will also complete some passes and make some big plays running—the offense has a much better chance to score—I think the “D” did a great job—they gave up a few big plays—but even being on the field so much due to lack of offense—they stopped miami enough to keep us in the game— Fickell needs to use the best talent he has and have the coaches focus on developing that talent NOW!!!
It is tough on a lose like that but keep your head up. The freashmen done a better job than the the 25 year old. He is going to make mistakes because of his age
For all those clamoring “TP would have gotten it done” (I’m looking at you, Columbus Dispatch!): suppose The Disgraced One was here this year, we would just be having these same problems next season, only without JoeBaus, leaving us Miller v Graham for QB. I am glad we are getting these things out of our hair this year instead of waiting another year to sort them out.
Coach Fick needs to concentrate on the defensive side of the ball, since that is where his expertise is. It certainly is an unwritten rule that a head coach must coach the offense. He also needs to tell Coach Bullhead that his o-line had better start knocking people on their butts or he will be gone if Fickell returns as head man next year, and Coach Nick had better start looking for a new place to coach as well. Where is Walt Harris these days?
FIRE FICKELL!
FIRE FICKELL!!
FIRE FICKELL!!!
It is obvious that he is in WAY over his head. tOSU has recruited enough talent to “compete” even in the down years and be a top 15 team. Fickell needs to get this thing figured out …… real quick.
Where have you been, Tony? Haven’t heard from you since before the LSU massacre in Dallas. Felling better?
No ……. not feeling better. Still pretty pissed off about it. I couldn’t even open up the sports page for a week. Oregon has some problems of their own right now on both sides of the ball (not to mention the NCAA investigation). Hopefully we can run the table for the rest of the year and get back to the Rosebowl.
On a side note …….. I think the conference realignments are pretty exciting. I would love to be able to play Texas and/or Oklahoma every year. I think we are taking a big step to finally getting something the resembles a playoff system. The Rosebowl would once again belong to both of our conferences and be a QTR final game. Looks like the gears are in motion to make this happen.
Correction …… Gonzo, you don’t have a stake in the Rosebowl every year. Arkansas may be just a “one hit wonder” (time will tell). By the way ……. how does it feel to have a 1-loss Oregon team ranked 4 spots higher than undefeated Arkansas in the AP?
Well, it’s kind of like this, if you know anything about football. West coast media help put those over rated nimcumpoops with a 3rd rate defense at pre-season #3 to begin with, so yeah, the math kind of adds up now doesn’t it?
As far as how I feel about it?…..well, that pretty much summed it up.
We now have a duckling and piggy in a pissing match.
Gonzo …..
Arkansas vs Missouri State = 51-7
Oregon vs Missouri State = 56-7
The math kind of adds up now doesn’t it. You still lose.
Just saw this on twitter: @gator_bowl: #poll Poll: Does #Ark score more than 20 pts. against #Bama? Who wins? http:twtpoll.com/iau5qp
What do you think?
No way, at best the get a touchdown.
Hogs – 27
Tide – 20
Transitive property. The most useless argument in sports.
That’s your argument? (lols!) I’ll bet you’re serious too.
One loss and allready it’s fire Fickell time, get real people. This is a rebuilding year like we Buckeye fans have not seen in a while. This is Fickells third game , lets wait and see what the rest of the season brings. You have unproven players on both sides of the ball, lets see how long it takes them to grow into the uniform they wear.
I told everyone from the beginning Bauserman was a scarry QB. Put Miller in and let him grow into the postion like Tresell did with Pryor. One thing for sure he needs to hold the ball close in so it doesn’t get knowed out. I’m not goint to panic yet, it’s to early lets take a deep breath and lets get ready for Colorado.
Carl,
Technically tOSU has one loss …….. but a 27-22 win over Toledo wouldn’t be considered a victory by most.
Fickell won’t be fired, if anything he’ll still be retained as a defensive coordinator in the offseason.
Last night was pretty maddening though. I don’t know what’s going on with Braxton, but he’s have had trouble twice now taking snaps from the shotgun. Regardless, I don’t think that warranted pulling him out after one play for Bauserman. Let’s be real about Bauserman. He’s not a quarterback. He’s a guy with a strong arm. He doesn’t do his reads quickly. He doesn’t make great decisions. He doesn’t always look for his check down receiver. He isn’t poised in the pocket. We basically have a guy behind center right now that’s either throwing it out of bounds or taking seven yard losses.
I really can’t believe, if anything, that we were being sold that Bauserman was our best chance to compete now. What? Because he’s a redshirt senior? This isn’t Penn State. Players earn their role on this team. We do not give a shit about tenure here. I saw flashes last night despite the fumble that Braxton Miller isn’t only our best chance to win, but also our best chance to fucking move the ball. This is Todd Boeckman vs. Terrelle Pryor all over again, with the exception that I’d rather have Todd Boeckman than Joe Bauserman.
If Bauserman takes another meaningful snap, the coaching staff needs to be dumped. If they can’t see what everyone else can see, then they are not capable of doing the job. We need to let Braxton make his mistakes and use them to coach him up. If Fickle doesn’t right the ship quickly, he and the entire staff will be gone. Don’t believe for a second that another head coach would come in and not bring their own staff. Maybe a good cleaning is what they need. No part of the team was up to standard last night.
If Fickell can’t get it together, I think a house cleaning is exactly what we’re in for. Right now, this is Tressel’s coaching staff.
Huh. Mebbe we should rethink this Art Schlichter to prison bit.
Here in C-bus, we’re wondering if he has any eligibility left…
(Three time-outs left? WTF?)
Starting back field for the rest of the season should be: Miller Quarterback; halfback, Hall, fullback, Hyde…Fickell need to get more involve with his offense and quit standing there like a victory is going to fall in his lap….And get some advice from Tressal…
Wow, Bauserman was awful and Miller not much better, but at least he provided some positive yardage (and two turnovers as well). The question with respect to the quarterback should be, who gives the Buckeyes the best chance to win? My opinion – Miller. Look Bauserman has had five years to win the job and while I deeply respect him not quitting, there is a reason he never started before this year.
I think the play calling for Miller was awful. You watched Bauserman roll out a couple of times, but almost every pass attempt by Miller was a five or seven step drop. Get him outside the pocket and force the corners, linebackers and safeties to make a read on whether to stay in coverage or step up which will help free up the receivers. Also, run some shorter routes on first and second downs where a quarterback has enough time to find the open receiver. The line did a decent job of protecting, but too many times both quarterbacks were forced to throw the ball before receivers had even turned to look for the ball.
Also, find some players who can catch the ball. It is not that difficult, I watched pee wee players make catches yesterday.
As for Fickell, he is a rookie head coach and will make some mistakes like not using time outs. Get used to it. I think he will be good, but as mentioned in the post, he needs some help on the offensive side which he will not get from the current offensive coordinator. Plenty of defensive coaches have been great head coaches, but I think the key to the formula is a great offensive coordinator which Ohio State has not had in a long while. I like Jim Bollman as a line coach, but his play calling is awful.
Unfortunately for Mr. Fickell he is on a pretty short leash. Circumstances handed him control of the team this year, but if he doesn’t get up to speed quickly, he won’t get a second year.
Blame whichever side of the ball you like, but I don’t believe for a second that we do not have the talent to win a Big Ten championship.
Luke is in the big boy chair now and if the team doesn’t succeed this season, the blame rests squarely on the shoulders of the coaching staff.
Can anyone tell me the last time the Buckeyes didn’t score a TD in a game?
Was it USC in 2008? Trying to settle up a bet and my Droid is not searching very well. Can post here but not search!
It was 2008 35 to 3.
Last time was 2008, but it was against Penn State at home.
In 1998 they lost to michigan 28-0.