Oregon Debuts Rose Bowl Uniforms
Regardless of all the talk coming out of Oregon about a blowout over the Buckeyes, Vegas isn’t convinced. And although the Ducks open as favorites, they are only favored by 3.5 points.
A close game doesn’t bode well for the Ducks. If they are to have a chance, they need to get out in a high scoring game. And while we keep hearing about Oregon’s offensive speed, other then Blount (who may or may not play) I don’t think these guys are that big (correct me if I’m wrong). The Buckeyes front four brings size and speed and know how to pressure a quarterback. Bringing pressure and containing the ball will be a key factor in this game.
Offensively, the Buckeye O line improved leaps and bounds post Purdue. I don’t know how many times Pryor was sacked in the last four or five games but I bet I can count them on one hand and still have a few fingers left over. Against Oregon State, Oregon eventually found their way through the line but they had troubles getting to Canfield. If he can get away, watch what happens when Pryor runs.
There’s been a lot of talk about the Oregon spread/read option offense. A reader shared a detailed analysis of the Oregon offense on an earlier post on this blog. To be honest, all those x’s and o’s were a little much for my youth hockey playing mind. As I understand it, it’s got something to do with reading the defensive end or tackle — depending on how you run the play.
As I said, all those x’s and o’s were a little much for me so I tossed the post over to Rob Harley at Harley in the Huddle. Harley comes from a long line of Ohio State history (somebody in his family built a “house”) and he played on the ’02 national championship team. I figured he might be able to provide a working man’s description of the Oregon offense.
Rob did a great job at providing a breakdown (links above). As I see it, defending against it comes down to:
1. a strong secondary (which the offense is trying to thin by spreading them across the field) that can cover in the open field
2. Pressuring the quarterback and containing the ball.
In the read option, one defensive player goes unblocked. The quarterback “reads” this unblocked player and moves the ball in the opposite direction.
What makes Oregon’s attack so effective is their ability to fake the read. If you watched Oregon/Oregon State, you could see how well they hid the ball. Even on the replays I was watching the wrong guy take off down the field. What Rob points out so well in his post is that the misdirection is just “window dressing” disguising a typical option attack. As in a traditional option, the key is sending the unblocked player in the wrong direction.
So to me the answer seems simple. Get two defenders into backfield — one for the quarterback and one for the guy on the option. This of course means that somebody on the offensive line is going to need to get beat which as we all know, isn’t that uncommon against the Ohio State defense. Pressure the quarterback. Pressure him again and when you can’t get to him, contain the option.
The Ohio State defense knows how to shut down an offense — especially against the run. They’ve only allowed an average of 84 yards/game on the ground which puts them at 5th in the nation. They’ve posted three shout outs this year and came close to getting two more. The Coleman lead secondary is no laughing matter either. They’ve proven themselves pretty good at putting points on the board. Something that might be a problem for Oregon.
So there you have it. Pressure the quarterback, contain the ball and win the secondary battles. Seems easy enough. If the Buckeyes hit hard and hit early they’ll throw Masoli off his game. Keep him off balance and this game is ours to win.
If you haven’t stopped by Rob’s site (Harley in the Huddle), be sure to check it out. He’s got a great mix of blogging and video analysis.
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The ignorance and myopia on this blog is alarming. A close game doesn’t bode well for Oregon? Seriously, because we haven’t won every game decided by single digits? This team thrives in pressure situations. The way to beat us is to jump to a big lead and hope you can hold on because at some point our offense will have a spurt. By the way, Ohio State couldn’t beat Purdue. They also couldn’t beat USC at home. Of course, all of this is meaningless. We played terribly in the beginning of the year and I surmise that that may be the case for Ohio State.
Our undersized defensive line is not really as undersized as it looks on paper because, for whatever reason, Oregon doesn’t like to update the media guide. They actually weigh: Bair DT/DE (270), Clark (280-285) DT/DE, Toeaina (292) DT, Montgomery (285) DT, Ferras (290) DT, Terrell Turner (255) DE, Tukuafu (262) DE, and Rowe (245) DE/OLB hypbrid. It’s really tough to gage these guys playing weights but I’ve taken the most recent information from beat writers and what the players said in actual interviews. I would not be surprised to see some of these guys playing heavier with the time off because guys like Bair and Clark are constantly trying to gain weight; Bair started his career at 234, was 250 last year, and is currently 270. Bair is the most undersized for what he plays but he’s an absolute physical speciman that is under 10% body fat at 270. He garnered All Pac-10 honorable mention as a junior and should be a favorite going into the next season, especially with additional weight gain with that 6’7″ frame. Rowe is also undersized but you will see him standing straight up and dropping into coverage to confuse offenses. He is a very versatile DE/OLB hybird that has 8.5 sacks on the season and is a 4.7 speed rusher. We rotate 8 guys very frequently to wear out the oline. There is little dropoff in the two deep. Bair and Clark will play a lot on the outside in our 3-3-5 and 3-4-4 looks. These guys are moving all over the place.
I hate looking at stats without understanding the context. We have a very good defense that ranks #1 in the Pac-10 in yards given up per play. Our scoring defense is #3 but teams end up running a lot plays against us due to our fast tempo. We also played one of the toughest OOC schedule in the country. You are going up against a very good defense that has all the tools to stop Pryor’s rushing prowess.
So we are ignorant because Oregon decided not to update their media guide? Does that make Oregon lazy?
I don’t think anyone with knowledge of football or even just watches football thinks OSU is going to dominate this game offensively. The recipe for the Buckeyes success is clock management and field position and lean heavily on a very good defense. If the Buckeyes can keep Oregon between the tackles it gives them a very good shot at shutting down a potent offense.
Oregon’s best shot to win is to keep Pryor between the tackles and not allow him to scramble for crucial first downs like we have seen from him all year and to make him beat you with his arm (which he hasn’t been able to).
Oregon has the talent to win this game, but so does Ohio State. And for all of the people that talk about speed and size, Ohio State had the fastest guy on the field during their NC loss vs. Florida. Unfortunately one guy can’t win a game alone and the field is only so big so speed can only take you so far.
And your comment “this team thrives on pressure situations”… Come on. Really? Everyone is going to say that about their team. We are all a bunch of homers but just as OSU lost to Purdue, Oregon lost to Boise St, and the star punched a guy and had to be restrained by the cops so he didn’t go into the stands. That seems to be letting the pressure get to you. I don’t point that out to talk trash but that all of these teams have their faults and at the end of the day they are just kids. So the pressure will get to them all.
Did anyone really think the betting line would be more than 3-5 points between two teams ranked 7th and 8th and each champions of their respective conferences? After all, Alabama is only a 5 point favorite over Texas even though the Crimson Tide stomped #1 Florida while the Longhorns squeaked out a 1 point win in the final seconds against Nebraska.
tOSU fans seem to be playing the underdog card for everything it’s worth. Oregon will go into this game with full respect for their opponent just as they have for every game. They’ll neither fear nor underestimate the Buckeyes knowing that there is nothing that can happen in the Rose Bowl that would exceed what they’ve already experienced this season. Expect the Ducks to be loose and ready to leave everything on the field, as I’m sure the Buckeyes will as well.
Good luck and may the best team win.
My ignorant comment is more about formulating an opinion about a game when you’ve clearly not scouted the opponent. It takes more than media guides and http://www.cfbstats.com to formulate an opinion. A co-worker, and Beaver fan, asked me what I thought about this game. My response: “I have no idea.” That is because I have no reference to Ohio State. I was trying to shed light on our team because I follow the team day to day.
The other thing: yes, our team is great under pressure. Both losses came from teams taking big leads. We won against Purdue by 2, Oregon State by 4, and Arizona by 6. In each of those games, we had to come back from a single digit deficit. If the game is close, I like our chances. This is primarily due to Masoli working well under pressure and the team’s conditioning (even your coach has acknowledged that your team will have to condition a lot to get ready). I am not saying that Ohio State won’t win a close one, just that the formula that you want to follow is one already paved by BSU and Stanford, which is take a double digit lead and hang on.
The comment about Blount is ludicrous. He was one guy that was restrained by the entire team. What is amazing is both teams showed restaint and didn’t let two knuckleheads (I am including Hout from BSU) cause an all out brawl, a la Miami a few years back. That was below the belt.
As far as athletes, it would be naive to think that ours are faster because you’re in the Big – 10. OSU gets all kinds of blue chippers and our coach even acknowledged that your defense will be the best we’ve faced all year. We have purposely gone small and recruited kids with speed. For example, LMJ, our runningback, won the Texas 100 meter. Holland, one of our wide receivers, won the California 100 meter. We are really fast at linebacker because we use a nickle backer, an OLB/Safety hybrid, on the strongside, namely Eddie Pleasant, the third fastest guy behind the two aforementioned track stars. Our weakside backer, Paysinger, is a 4.55 guy that converted from wide receiver (he is not small though). Our end is an OLB/DE hybrid. So, again, we’ve gone smaller to put speed out there. Bair, our undersized DT, started out on offense at TE.
I really see this game not being a blowout. Never said that.
Bison
I never said you were ignorant, nor would I ever. My statement was that you called us ignorant in your original post. Go back and re-read.
The comment about Blount was merely to say that he let the pressure get to him. He is part of the team. By logic the team let pressure get to them and they lost. One player does not make a team, but one players actions do hinder a team and reflect the overall team.
Did anyone really think the betting line would be more than 3-5 points between two teams ranked 7th and 8th and each champions of their respective conferences? After all, Alabama is only a 5 point favorite over Texas even though they stomped #1 Florida while the Longhorns squeaked out a 1 point win in the final seconds against Nebraska.
tOSU fans seem to be playing the underdog card for everything it’s worth. Oregon will go into this game with full respect for their opponent just as they have for every game. They will neither fear nor underestimate the Buckeyes, knowing that there’s nothing that will happen in the Rose Bowl that could exceed what they’ve already experienced this season.
Good luck and may the best team win.
Sorry for the double post. Thought the first one got rejected.
We don’t block here at The Buckeye Blog. All are welcome to discuss and even talk trash. I guess there are some rules but Jim is all for lively discussion.
Mr. Tim,
(You deserve the honorific, putting up with the likes of we Quackers)
It’s been refreshing scanning new territory; have enjoyed reading civil, reasoned exchanges. I’m not a big fan of the blogosphere, but respectfully have read some great analysis here and even seen some photo/graph material on the DUCK offense that I doubt I would have seen on our own pond.
Am impressed with the Harley contributions, too. If you want to cross over, check out Ken Woody @ registerguard.com under blogs, (“X’s & O’s with Ken Woody”).
Tim, I understand the travel logic; I tend to needle –nothing personal. I think I’ve unwittingly helped turn you into a heckle-ee. Truth be known, it’s flying or nothing for trips over a few hundred miles these daze. . .we’re a couple/few decades removed from loading up the ’66 VW microbus with six, ahem, students –not to mention the hippy girl next door– and blasting off to Baja. (the quiet fishing village of San Felipe will never be the same. Come to think of it, we had to wrap the gas line with DUCK tape while coming back over the peninsular mountains that last trip. Back then the DUCK tape incident would have carried deeper meaning. Now it’s just tape.)
But I digress. Here’s wishing THAT Ohio State team and their fans the best of health on New Year’s Day, and the mental toughness to live with what surely will be a 26-16 Duck victory. Carry on, good Buckeye.
Oppositional NCAA ranks for for OSU and Oregon’s opponents:
NAVY:
Total Offense– 80
Total Defense– 44
Scoring Offense–53
Scoring Defense–33
Rushing Offense–3
Rushing Defense–41
Passing Offense–119
Passing Defense–60
Pass Eff. Def–56
USC::
Total Offense– 58
Total Defense– 42
Scoring Offense–64
Scoring Defense–21
Rushing Offense–39
Rushing Defense–42
Passing Offense–68
Passing Defense–52
Pass Eff. Def.–16
TOLEDO:
Total Offense– 16
Total Defense– 96
Scoring Offense–41(t)
Scoring Defense–116
Rushing Offense–51
Rushing Defense–86
Passing Offense–18
Passing Defense–91
Pass Eff. Def.–61
ILLINOIS:
Total Offense– 50
Total Defense– 91
Scoring Offense–82
Scoring Defense–95
Rushing Offense–18
Rushing Defense–76
Passing Offense–89
Passing Defense–100
Pass Eff. Def.–102
INDIANA:
Total Offense– 70
Total Defense– 89
Scoring Offense–84
Scoring Defense–93
Rushing Offense–97
Rushing Defense–78
Passing Offense–34
Passing Defense–92
Pass Eff. Def.–92
WISCONSIN:
Total Offense– 34
Total Defense– 18
Scoring Offense–21
Scoring Defense–41
Rushing Offense–15
Rushing Defense–8
Passing Offense–71
Passing Defense–66
Pass Eff. Def.–59
PURDUE:
Total Offense– 53
Total Defense– 68
Scoring Offense–56
Scoring Defense–90
Rushing Offense–77
Rushing Defense–94
Passing Offense–33
Passing Defense–40
Pass Eff. Def.–32
MINNESOTA:
Total Offense– 113
Total Defense– 61
Scoring Offense–98
Scoring Defense–56
Rushing Offense–112
Rushing Defense–64
Passing Offense–82
Passing Defense–59
Pass Eff. Def.–49
NEW MEXICO STATE:
Total Offense– 120
Total Defense– 104
Scoring Offense–120
Scoring Defense–101
Rushing Offense–67
Rushing Defense–115
Passing Offense–117
Passing Defense–38
Pass Eff. Def.–53
PENN STATE:
Total Offense– 36
Total Defense– 8
Scoring Offense–41(t)
Scoring Defense–4
Rushing Offense–38
Rushing Defense–10
Passing Offense–40
Passing Defense–19
Pass Eff. Def.–14
IOWA:
Total Offense– 93
Total Defense– 11
Scoring Offense–86
Scoring Defense–10
Rushing Offense–103
Rushing Defense–33
Passing Offense–54
Passing Defense–8
Pass Eff. Def.–4
MICHIGAN:
Total Offense– 59
Total Defense– 81
Scoring Offense–45
Scoring Defense–79
Rushing Offense–27
Rushing Defense–92
Passing Offense–81
Passing Defense–69
Pass Eff. Def.–73
OREGON:
Total Offense– 25
Total Defense– 32
Scoring Offense–7
Scoring Defense–52
Rushing Offense–6
Rushing Defense–38
Passing Offense–91
Passing Defense–37
Pass Eff. Def.–22
———————————
BOISE STATE:
Total Offense– 8
Total Defense– 13
Scoring Offense–1
Scoring Defense–16
Rushing Offense–20
Rushing Defense–39
Passing Offense–30
Passing Defense–13
Pass Eff. Def.–12
PURDUE:
Total Offense– 53
Total Defense– 68
Scoring Offense–56
Scoring Defense–90
Rushing Offense–77
Rushing Defense–94
Passing Offense–33
Passing Defense–40
Pass Eff. Def.–32
UTAH:
Total Offense– 54
Total Defense– 20
Scoring Offense–47
Scoring Defense–19
Rushing Offense–45
Rushing Defense–57
Passing Offense–55
Passing Defense–14
Pass Eff. Def.–9
CALIFORNIA:
Total Offense– 46
Total Defense– 70
Scoring Offense–47(t)
Scoring Defense–54
Rushing Offense–37
Rushing Defense–27
Passing Offense–50
Passing Defense–108
Pass Eff. Def.–82
WASHINGTON STATE:
Total Offense– 119
Total Defense– 120
Scoring Offense–119
Scoring Defense–118
Rushing Offense–118
Rushing Defense–117
Passing Offense–100
Passing Defense–116
Pass Eff. Def.–111
UCLA:
Total Offense– 88
Total Defense– 38
Scoring Offense–99
Scoring Defense–31
Rushing Offense–98
Rushing Defense–60
Passing Offense–52
Passing Defense–30
Pass Eff.Def.–41
WASHINGTON:
Total Offense– 63
Total Defense– 79
Scoring Offense–70
Scoring Defense–71
Rushing Offense–71
Rushing Defense–67
Passing Offense–42
Passing Defense–90
Pass Eff. Def.–97
USC::
Total Offense– 58
Total Defense– 42
Scoring Offense–64
Scoring Defense–21
Rushing Offense–39
Rushing Defense–42
Passing Offense–68
Passing Defense–52
Pass Eff. Def.–16
STANFORD:
Total Offense– 13
Total Defense– 85
Scoring Offense–10
Scoring Defense–65
Rushing Offense–11
Rushing Defense–61
Passing Offense–59
Passing Defense–105
Pass Eff. Def.–95
ARIZONA STATE:
Total Offense– 91
Total Defense– 12
Scoring Offense–91
Scoring Defense–28
Rushing Offense–95
Rushing Defense–18
Passing Offense–63
Passing Defense–24
Pass Eff. Def.–19
ARIZONA:
Total Offense– 40
Total Defense– 21
Scoring Offense–41(t)
Scoring Defense–46
Rushing Offense–47
Rushing Defense–22
Passing Offense–39
Passing Defense–43
Pass Eff. Def.–38
OREGON STATE:
Total Offense– 28
Total Defense– 50
Scoring Offense–22
Scoring Defense–51
Rushing Offense–64
Rushing Defense–25
Passing Offense–21
Passing Defense–87
Pass Eff. Def.–60
OHIO STATE:
Total Offense–71
Total Defense– 5
Scoring Offense–47(t)
Scoring Defense–5
Rushing Offense–19
Rushing Defense–5
Passing Offense–106
Passing Defense–17
Pass Eff. Def.–7
OSU has faced opponents who rank on average:
TOTAL OFFENSE–65
TOTAL DEFENSE– 59
SCORING OFFENSE–70
SCORING DEFENSE–62
RUSHING OFFENSE–45
RUSHING DEFENSE–62
PASSING OFFENSE–67
PASSING DEFENSE–58
PASS EFF. DEF.-51
OREGON has faced opponents who rank on average:
TOTAL OFFENSE–55
TOTAL DEFENSE– 52
SCORING OFFENSE–56
SCORING DEFENSE–51
RUSHING OFFENSE–60
RUSHING DEFENSE–52
PASSING OFFENSE–51
PASSING DEFENSE–60
PASS EFF. DEF.-51
I appreciate the kind words. I will have to check out the blog you mentioned. I have read a couple and have seen a lot more homerism than you will most likely see here.
On another self promoting note, the buckeye blog will be covering more than just football this year ( hopefully if Jim let’s me). I have already scheduled an interview with former Buckeye and current Washington Capital David Steckel and am hoping to grab more soon. I was thinking of may e grabbing a Oregon Duck to maybe compare what this game means to him or her. If you guys have any suggestions or you Buck fans want to hear from your favorite Buckeyes let me know. You can reach me on Twitter under my posts about the Buckeyes basketball team. If you want to hear from or about them and see where they are I will track them down.
Thanks All
Greetings Buckeyes….I have four tickets on the 10 yards line…row 40. They are in Buckeye territory. I am looking for a Buckeye fan with four similar tickets in the Duck sections. I would like to trade tickets so we can both enjoy the friend confines of our own fans……write me at: russ at addirector dot com.
Greetings Buckeyes….I have four tickets on the 10 yards line…row 40. They are in Buckeye territory. I am looking for a Buckeye fan with four similar tickets in the Duck sections. I would like to trade tickets so we can both enjoy the friendly confines of our own fans……write me at: russ at addirector dot com.
Tim, to address your comments regarding LeGarrette Blount & the team after the Boise State game, (NOT TO MAKE EXCUSES), but the young man had just lost an Aunt that basically raised him and his fiancee was ready to give birth. He is barely 20 years old. Alot of pressure and it was proven (film & witness statements) that the Boise State fans threatened him as well as called him the N word. Also, the video crew ran the “punch” over & over & over to incite the crowd. Of course they neglected to include the video of Mr. Hout taunting LeGarrette. Anyway, I wanted to clear that up a bit. I have to say our team has show more perserverance, drive and class than many of their peers. Pressure has been intense and all eyes have been on this program since the Boise State game. A bunch of 20 year olds deserve a huge pat on the back for what they’ve achieved. Hopefully, many of you will be able to attend the game because when you see the Ducks in person, they are amazing when firing on all cylinders.
They can run plays when you’re barely looking and definitely not ready. I have seen many defensive players drop to their knees begging for a time out against our offense. Not kidding. I look forward to a great game and watching Terrell (who almost was a Duck) play.
I’ve been offline all weekend so I’m sorry I didn’t check in sooner. I have to say, I’m impressed with the discussion. As I’ve mentioned in the past, we can’t get the SEC fans anywhere near this level of debate.
Granted, the uniform thing is silly (and I stole it from a Penn State site) and so is the back and forth about the Ducks/Buckeye. Did you notice the picture I use next to this signature (circa 1965) ? Not really the most intimidating of mascots but it works for me. It’s going to be hard to let Oregon off the hook for the uniforms though. It’s just such a drastic difference between Ohio State and Oregon.
As for the game, the one thing that keeps coming back to me is the confidence of this Oregon fan base. They’re also really hung up on USC and Purdue. The Buckeyes were asleep through the Purdue game. Not an excuse but it was a wake up call and the play changed dramatically at that point.
As for USC, I was there and it was a great game. The Buckeyes beat themselves more then USC beat the Buckeyes. Tressel didn’t go for the kill when he had the chance — especially the choice to punt instead of the long field goal. The Buckeyes had a kicker who’d made it from that range. And of course, there’s this which was on a fourth down and would have significantly changed the game. Again, why Tressel didn’t call for the review is beyond me.
There is also something to be said for USC not bouncing back after the Ohio State game. I’m not the first to say they left everything in Columbus that night. The Buckeyes recovered well from what was a very difficult loss.
My point in saying that a close game doesn’t bode well for Oregon is that if it’s close, it’s because the Ohio State defense is shutting down the Oregon option. One of my biggest concerns is the time off for Ohio State. It hurts them every year and the Buckeyes have tended to over prepare and have had trouble in bowl games changing the scheme mid game. By the time the Rose Bowl comes around, it will be seven weeks (I think I counted that right) since Michigan game. It’s just too long a break.
I like GoDucks suggestion of three keys to the game. What I think I’ll do is expand that into another post.
As for Buckeye fans not selling out Rose Bowl tickets. I’m finding that hard to believe however, cost is a huge factor. When you price air fare (which tripled out of Columbus the second the Iowa game was over) and hotel accommodations, you’re in for $1,000 or so and you don’t even have a ticket. That’s if you go by yourself. Take the wife or a family and it doubles from there.
Even so, it is amazing how well the Buckeyes travel. Just ask Phoenix. There is no Rose Bowl let down. However, until I find a free ride, I’m afraid the cost is keeping me at home.
I watched ESPN bowl prediction show last night and the experts two had OSU winning because of their defense and had OSU ranked high on their board. Only Jesse Palmer had Oregon winning
but had them ranked low in probability. They are only predictions witch really are meaningless as they are only someones rational. I like the fact that they also believe OSU’s defense will stop the mighty Ducks. Quack-Quack
Well, I think a discussion of this OSU defense is warranted. How is it that they will stop the O offense? I would like to hear the game plan. Is it shutting down the middle with the gap control of larger big 10 players, thereby negating LaMichael James? Is it stunting another with the hopes of getting two D uncovered in the O backfield (remember we always leave 1 uncovered to option off of). Or will Coleman & crew cover all possibilities so that the ducks become predictable with having to run, thereby reverting to a team that takes more than an average 2:30 / possession to score.
Well, I think a discussion of this OSU defense is warranted. How is it that they will stop the O offense? I would like to hear the game plan. Is it shutting down the middle with the gap control of larger big 10 players, thereby negating LaMichael James? Is it stunting another with the hopes of getting two D uncovered in the O backfield (remember we always leave 1 uncovered to option off of). Or will Coleman & crew cover all possibilities so that the ducks become predictable with having to run, thereby reverting to a team that takes more than an average 2:30 / possession to score.
Once I hear the strategy, I might be able to comment how Kelly may react, or if I feel OSU is on track ( PS… I think there is a right answer to stopping the ducks!)
oops, apologies for double posting…I misspelled the first challenge, but it still went through
Ohio State Buckeyes 2009 Highlights Video, watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLHAYmWvlvk
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