Heads Up--tOSU Spring Game on CSTV Today
- Thread starter RJ Esq
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SoonerBS
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SHSUHorn said:
My sentiments exactly! I've posted it before, and I'll post it again -- Ohio State graduated 83% of last season's defensive production!!
JumpOnBoard
CTG Partner
It's obvious that we're not going to have the same defense as last year, and prolly not even close at the beginning of the year...what u saw in that game was alot of guys which the game was moving very quickly for them..
The reason tOSU is preseason number one is because of their offense...we haven't had an offense expected to produce 40 ppg in a blue's moon..pollsters love offense, but apparently coaches do to considering this was the coach's poll.
I still contend that our front seven will be fine, esp our front four..the LB's are more than adequate..are they comparable to AJ, Bobby, and Tony? No...but who says they have to be? But I guarantee you they're comparable to most units in any conference, and probably second in the Big Ten, behink the LB corps of PSU...and when u have an offense than can score, (and Special Team unit too), adequate can be more than enough..
The one thing that bothers me is where our games are placed in conference...besides the scUM game, all the toughies are in the first half..road test at UT, Iowa, and MSU...and home vs PSU...that's a tough draw...so the defense will have to mature really fast...I can't wait to see the group play when it counts to see what we have...
But it's real easy to say, they lost all that production, so they have no chance..
Fact is, all these top 10 teams have lost alot of something, and that's why it's so wide open...
Texas lost a once in a generation QB who single handedly beat us and USC...can't Colt McCoy or Snead replace that production in Week 2???....we'll see I guess...
We're talking football boys!!
The reason tOSU is preseason number one is because of their offense...we haven't had an offense expected to produce 40 ppg in a blue's moon..pollsters love offense, but apparently coaches do to considering this was the coach's poll.
I still contend that our front seven will be fine, esp our front four..the LB's are more than adequate..are they comparable to AJ, Bobby, and Tony? No...but who says they have to be? But I guarantee you they're comparable to most units in any conference, and probably second in the Big Ten, behink the LB corps of PSU...and when u have an offense than can score, (and Special Team unit too), adequate can be more than enough..
The one thing that bothers me is where our games are placed in conference...besides the scUM game, all the toughies are in the first half..road test at UT, Iowa, and MSU...and home vs PSU...that's a tough draw...so the defense will have to mature really fast...I can't wait to see the group play when it counts to see what we have...
But it's real easy to say, they lost all that production, so they have no chance..
Fact is, all these top 10 teams have lost alot of something, and that's why it's so wide open...
Texas lost a once in a generation QB who single handedly beat us and USC...can't Colt McCoy or Snead replace that production in Week 2???....we'll see I guess...
We're talking football boys!!
S
SoonerBS
Guest
"We're talking football boys!!"
Yes, we are!!
Yes, we are!!
SHSUHorn
Thief
VY didn't single handley beat tOSU. The defense won the game for Texas. Remember that tOSU had 5 possesions start on their own end of the field. Texas actually had three possesions in a row end in turnovers that gave the ball to tOSU inside the 30 yard line (Selvin Young fumble, and 2 picks by VY) and tOSU could only get FGs. Outside of the long TD pass to Holmes (the only TD tOSU scored) tOSU had no other big plays.
Ginn had 2 receptions for 7 yards. He along with the entire offense was shut down by the Texas defense. The Texas defense will be better then the one tOSU faced last year. That was only the second game of the year for DC Chizik so they'll probably see alot more different schemes and blitz packages then what they saw the first time around. This is why I really feel strong about Texas in this game (also because I went to school there lol). Texas matches up well with teams that use the spread and try and beat you with speed on offense. Isn't gonna happen. Teams that have been successful vs Texas have been pro style offenses with an inside power running attack and physical big WRs. Look at both rose Bowls Michigan with Hart, and Edwards at WR and USC when there offense took off it was because of Lindale White getting majority of the carries and they had no answer for the size of Jarrett.
Most true Longhorn fans that follow the team close are more scared of the true frosh Chris Wells then any other player on offense.
Should be a good one. jump, you gonna try and come down for the game?
Ginn had 2 receptions for 7 yards. He along with the entire offense was shut down by the Texas defense. The Texas defense will be better then the one tOSU faced last year. That was only the second game of the year for DC Chizik so they'll probably see alot more different schemes and blitz packages then what they saw the first time around. This is why I really feel strong about Texas in this game (also because I went to school there lol). Texas matches up well with teams that use the spread and try and beat you with speed on offense. Isn't gonna happen. Teams that have been successful vs Texas have been pro style offenses with an inside power running attack and physical big WRs. Look at both rose Bowls Michigan with Hart, and Edwards at WR and USC when there offense took off it was because of Lindale White getting majority of the carries and they had no answer for the size of Jarrett.
Most true Longhorn fans that follow the team close are more scared of the true frosh Chris Wells then any other player on offense.
Should be a good one. jump, you gonna try and come down for the game?
JumpOnBoard
CTG Partner
I was at this game, so I do remember it will...OSU had great field position and did absolutely nothing with it...the reason our offense struggled in that game is we had no identity...we were switching QB's every possession...Zwick was lost and Smith was rusty from not playing since Mich last year, after suspension vs OSU and Miami games...we ran it on first down every time and were as predictable as can be...Texas played well, but it was a draw at the line of scrimmage...the difference was we couldn't get the ball to the receivers because there was no chemisty and the timing was shit from the juggling of QB's...
Ginn isn't the same football player Texas faced last year...look at his second half numbers and remmeber the bowl game vs ND...he's a much improved route runner and much more polished...he's learned how to become a receiver and u can't compare the Ginn u saw in teh second game last year...he has supposedly but on twenty lbs, but that's irrelevan t to your argument, because even still, he is in no way a physical receiver...
As far as Young, he did everything Texas did on offense...they did nothing for 3 quarters of the game...they went 77 yds and scored the first possession and then the last two...the first possession he had like a forty yard run which accounted for a 2/5 of Texas yds on the ground in that play...then he found Swead down the field in the fourth quarter...I never saw the exact stats, but i would be surprised if Texas had five first downs combined after the first drive until the fourth quarter...the fourth quarter was all Vince Young...just like he was known for...he's a manchild..it was all AJ had to bring him down in the open field...alot of fun to watch...Jamal Charles did virtually nothing that game, and he played more than Selvin..
To recap, Texas defense played well, but we were our own worst enemy in that game...the field position our defense gave them and to come up empty time and again was playing havic w/ Zwick too...you could see it...our offense, esp a terrible Zwick and a rusty Smith...were not ready for that big of a game...
This year is going to be a four quarter game...when it comes to move the ball in a critical situation, I think tOSU is the team that's going to have the big advantage...both teams have the experienced O Line, but only one has the experienced quarterback...
You think one of us is going to convince the other here Horn??...lol.
JumpOnBoard
CTG Partner
SHSUHorn said:
I sure as hell wish I could, but my wife will 38 weeks pregnant the week this is played, so it's out of the question...
S
SoonerBS
Guest
"You think one of us is going to convince the other here Horn??...lol."
Speaking from personal experience on that quandry, I'd say you have a better chance at convincing Israel to stop bombing the hell out of Hezbollah.
Speaking from personal experience on that quandry, I'd say you have a better chance at convincing Israel to stop bombing the hell out of Hezbollah.
JumpOnBoard
CTG Partner
If I had to guess, I think it will be 60/40 to start the year...Pittman prolly gets 18 touches, and Wells 12....Pittman isnt' a slashing back though horn, he does all his damage between the tackles too for the most part...tOSU uses the spread to run it at the tackles and get better matchups vs the LB..now when they throw it, they take advantage of the fast receivers in space...whether its Pittman or Wells, the meat of the running, at least 80%, will come in the one gaps...
JumpOnBoard
CTG Partner
Just for u horn...
Just
Just
JumpOnBoard
CTG Partner
Wells makes Pittman look like a midget though...lol
JumpOnBoard
CTG Partner
From camp yesterday...
JumpOnBoard
CTG Partner
rjurewitz said:Old news...these were on Hornfans yesterday. :tired:
lmfao....
:down:
JumpOnBoard
CTG Partner
From Jersey scrimmage yesterday for ya Horn...
* Chris Wells -- When asked about his performance Tressel stated, “Chris (Wells) ran well. Chris is a good back. We’ve been saying that since he has been here.”
Get used to hearing it: Wells is all that and a bag of chips. He tore up the Ohio State run defense for several monstrous carries. Unofficially, he had 20 carries for 95 yards to lead all tailbacks and often carried a couple of defenders (along with the pigskin) for more than one yard.
Only on rare occasions was he stopped in the backfield or prevented from falling forward for at least a couple of yards. He also lowered his shoulder and embarrassed more than one defender at the point of contact.
Big Juan Garnier was shaken up after one tackle on the big back while Thaddeus Gibson ended up road kill when Wells ran him over like a possum on the freeway. The latter is the type of play that makes team highlight reels if against an opponent. Look for Wells to get the football on a regular basis
* Chris Wells -- When asked about his performance Tressel stated, “Chris (Wells) ran well. Chris is a good back. We’ve been saying that since he has been here.”
Get used to hearing it: Wells is all that and a bag of chips. He tore up the Ohio State run defense for several monstrous carries. Unofficially, he had 20 carries for 95 yards to lead all tailbacks and often carried a couple of defenders (along with the pigskin) for more than one yard.
Only on rare occasions was he stopped in the backfield or prevented from falling forward for at least a couple of yards. He also lowered his shoulder and embarrassed more than one defender at the point of contact.
Big Juan Garnier was shaken up after one tackle on the big back while Thaddeus Gibson ended up road kill when Wells ran him over like a possum on the freeway. The latter is the type of play that makes team highlight reels if against an opponent. Look for Wells to get the football on a regular basis
JumpOnBoard
CTG Partner
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Defense Pulls Out Thriller In Scrimmage [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Steve Helwagen
Bucknuts.com[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Aug 18, 2006[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]The Ohio State defense reprised its jersey scrimmage win from the spring, again defeating the offense by a scant single point to retain the coveted scarlet practice jerseys. The defense won 66-65. One of the keys to the win was sophomore linebacker Marcus Freeman, who had seven tackles, two tackles-for-loss and a sack. Click this free link for more.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]It came down to the 176th and final play before the defense was able to separate itself – at last – from the offense in Ohio State’s jersey scrimmage. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]
With the score tied at 65-65, OSU head coach Jim Tressel placed the ball at the 3-yard line for one of his renowned “end of the world” plays. The offense needed to score or the defense would retain the coveted scarlet practice jerseys.
The offense, with Troy Smith at quarterback, lined up with a spread five-receiver set. Smith, though, was wearing a black non-contact jersey, so a scramble to score the winning touchdown would not be in the cards. Instead, he threw a slant to Ted Ginn Jr. Safety Brandon Mitchell broke the pass up, giving the defense a hard fought 66-65 win.
“That was unusual,” Tressel said. “It ended up 65-65. I try to keep them close, but not that close. We said, ‘How are we going to settle this thing with us supposed to be at (the Agonis Club) banquet at 6:30 and it’s 6 o’clock already.’ We decided on one play to settle it with a two-point play.
“(The defense) competed all day. They got an experience today. It wasn’t like having 105,000 in the Horseshoe, but it was an experience.”
The jersey scrimmage was originally scheduled for Saturday. But Tressel moved it up one day to avoid predicted rain. Instead, the rain fell hard squarely on the helmets of the Buckeyes as they practiced for three hours on the Ohio Stadium turf.
“We rolled the dice a little bit, looking at the percent chance of rain,” Tressel said. “But you never know.
“We haven’t had many days like this. Do I like it? No. But I think you can gain something from conditions like this. If you’re on offense, when you watch the film it will remind you that turnovers can happen in conditions like that.”
Smith ended up 9 of 17 passing for 102 yards with an interception.
“Troy, when we limit him a little bit, I think it helps him work on some things a little bit,” Tressel said. “But I know sometimes when you have that black shirt on, it’s hard to show everything you want to show.”
Todd Boeckman was next and was 15 of 27 for 112 yards with two interceptions. Boeckman also had 5 carries for 47 yards and a touchdown.
Justin Zwick was 3 of 8 passing for 28 yards before leaving with an apparent shoulder injury. Rob Schoenhoft was 6 of 16 passing for 91 yards with a touchdown, crafting a well thrown ball between two receivers to walk-on Kyle Ruhl for a 41-yard touchdown.
“The thing that sticks in my mind the most was I didn’t want Justin to get banged,” Tressel said. “I wanted him to have a chance to compete with the other guys. I think Schoenhoft is doing a good job and Boeckman is doing a good job. There is a real battle going on there. I didn’t not want to give Justin a chance to compete under the same circumstances.
“I thought Robby did some nice things and Todd showed some things. We made some mistakes, too, with the picks and three or four fumbled snaps.”
Tressel discussed how the quarterbacks were rotated during the scrimmage.
“We’ve been rolling guys through,” he said. “We rolled Justin in with the ones and the twos. We rolled Todd in one time with the ones and the rest of the time with twos and threes. Robby spent most of his time with the twos and threes. I think we have to watch the film and keep watching practice.”
Freshman Chris Wells was the leading ground gainer with 95 yards on 20 carries. Antonio Pittman had eight carries for 35 yards and a touchdown. Maurice Wells had 13 carries for 32 yards.
“Chris ran well,” Tressel said. “Chris is a good back. Mo Wells is a good back. Antonio is a good back.”
Ted Ginn Jr. had three catches for 47 yards, while Brian Robiskie added four catches for 46 yards. Walk-on Derek Harden had five catches for 45 yards. Jake Ballard had a 31-yard catch, while Anthony Gonzalez had two catches for 24 yards.
In the kicking game, Ryan Pretorius missed a 34-yard PAT and a 34-yard field goal, although that was in the pouring down rain. He made a 23-yarder. Aaron Pettrey missed a 52-yard, but also made a 36-yarder.
“It wasn’t the best day to kick,” Tressel said. “We’ve got two solid guys and we’ll see who emerges.”
The defense got big points off six turnovers – three fumble recoveries and three interceptions. Interceptions were tallied by Mitchell, Kurt Coleman and Andre Amos. Aaron Gant, Dexter Larimore and Thaddeus Gibson recovered fumbles for the defense.
Some of the standouts on defense included linebacker Marcus Freeman (unofficially six tackles, two tackles-for-loss, one sack), Coleman (seven tackles, two pass break-ups and an interception), linebacker Larry Grant (six tackles, one for a loss and a pass break-up), safety Aaron Gant (eight tackles and a fumble recovery), Mitchell (four tackles, two pass break-ups and an interception), linebacker James Laurinaitis (six tackles with one for a loss), linebacker Thaddeus Gibson (seven tackles with a pass break-up), linebacker John Kerr (seven tackles with a sack), Larimore (four tackles and a fumble recovery) and defensive tackle David Patterson (two tackles-for-loss with a sack).
“That will be the fun thing to watch for me,” Tressel said. “I would guess in the first two games at least, we’ll have a whole bunch of people playing a lot of positions on the defensive side. One, because we don’t know for sure, and, two, when you play an early September game in Austin, you’ll have to roll people in.”
The Gory Details
As always, the scrimmage was contested with a unique scoring system. The offense got six points for touchdowns, three for field goals, one for first downs and an extra point for long plays. The defense got a point for forcing a fourth down, a point for negative plays and five points for turnovers.
The scrimmage was tight throughout the early portion as the first teams on each side went up against each other. Schoenhoft led the offense on a 12-play, 80-yard scoring march early. That included an 11-yard scramble where he lowered the shoulder on Coleman to get a first down. On third-and-8 from the defense’s 41-yard line, he threw a perfect pass to Ruhl. The receiver had gotten behind Shaun Lane and safety Grant Schwartz missed an attempt on the ball, allowing Ruhl to roll in for the score and a 13-6 lead for the offense.
The defense closed the gap as Gant recovered a fumbled carry by walk-on Joe Gantz, cutting the lead to 19-16. Shortly thereafter, a torrential downpour arrived, making it hard for the offense to get anything going. It went three-and-out on three of the next four series, allowing the defense to tie the game at 22-22.
It was still raining hard when a Smith pass went off Gonzalez’s hands and right to Mitchell for an interception, putting the defense up 28-24. Boeckman then threw a pair of interceptions on back-to-back plays. On the first one, his receiver, Robiskie, slipped. That allowed Coleman to make an easy pick.
Then, on the first play of the next series, Boeckman felt heat from freshman DE Robert Rose and threw off balance. Amos made the interception on that one, staking the defense to a 36-24 lead.
The defense enjoyed its largest lead at 48-29 after Gibson recovered a fumble by freshman quarterback Antonio Henton. But Henton rallied and led the offense on a 11-play, 59-yard march, capped by a 36-yard field goal by Pettrey to trim the defense’s lead to 48-37.
Boeckman later guided a seven-play, 56-yard touchdown march. He carried four times for 43 yards on the drive, including the 5-yard touchdown on a great cutback inside out of an option to the short side of the field. That cut the defense’s lead to 54-47.
The offense then got to start three straight series at the defense’s 12-yard line. Pittman bounced off a tackle attempt by Mitchell and scored on the first play of the first series. Pretorius hit a 23-yard field goal on the second one. The third one ended when Larimore recovered a fumbled snap by Schoenhoft. That left the defense up 59-58.
This is where Chris Wells went to work. He had 34 yards on seven carries on the next possession, setting up Pettrey’s 28-yard field goal for a 64-59 lead for the offense.
The offense netted just one first down on four straight series from the 50-yard line. The defense really stood tall during this 12-play sequence, including a hurry by Joel Penton, a break-up by Mitchell, a sack by Freeman, a break-up by Donald Washington, a break-up by Malcolm Jenkins and a tackle-for-loss by Jay Richardson.
Still, a clutch 17-yard pass from Smith to Gonzalez tied the scrimmage at 65-65 and set the stage for the final play. Tressel conferred with defensive coordinator Jim Heacock and they agreed to settle it with one showdown play at the 3. It could be argued that Mitchell fouled Ginn on the pass play, but there was no flag thrown and the defense was victorious.
Also Notable
* The defense won the jerseys after also winning the jersey scrimmage by one point (69-68) in the spring. Tressel holds these scrimmages during each spring practice and fall camp. The defense now enjoys a 7-6 all-time edge.
* Tressel was asked what it meant to hear his team will be No. 1 in the Associated Press poll – on the heels of getting the nod from Sports Illustrated earlier this week and from the USA Today coaches poll earlier in the month.
“We just go to work,” he said. “I mentioned to someone the other day that, at Ohio State, whether you’re ranked high or you’re not ranked high, the expectation to win all of your games is there. The guys who come here to school feel that way. The guys who come here to coach feel that way. So whether you are ranked there are not, you want to get that done. We know we have a lot of work to do.”
Tressel was asked if there is a point of pride to being No. 1.
“There really is at the end (of the season),” he said. “There is a point of pride when you’re named it then. When you’re named it at the beginning, I really don’t know what it can do for you. There’s a target on our chest when the silver helmets come out there.”
* Several front-line players did not play, including WR Brian Hartline, DE Lawrence Wilson, LB Mike D’Andrea and LB Ross Homan. Wilson and Homan are due back on Monday.
When asked when he expects D’Andrea to return, Tressel provided a somewhat ominous, “Not right away.”
* The Buckeyes will be back at Ohio Stadium Monday night for a free open practice for the public. Gates open at 6 p.m. There will be a one-hour autograph session from 7-8 p.m. with a practice on the field from 8-9:45 p.m.
“I don’t make those decisions,” Tressel said when asked why the practice was moved from 10,000-seat Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium to Ohio Stadium. “I wanted to practice at night and if people wanted to come, that’s great. We have an hour to sign autographs. We have a pretty tight schedule during preseason. We get a lot of requests for our guys to sign autographs. If a bunch of people show, it will be awesome.
“It will be a fundamental practice. It won’t be a scrimmage. They won’t see all kinds of secrets. It will be a big work day Monday.”
[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Steve Helwagen
Bucknuts.com[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Aug 18, 2006[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]The Ohio State defense reprised its jersey scrimmage win from the spring, again defeating the offense by a scant single point to retain the coveted scarlet practice jerseys. The defense won 66-65. One of the keys to the win was sophomore linebacker Marcus Freeman, who had seven tackles, two tackles-for-loss and a sack. Click this free link for more.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]It came down to the 176th and final play before the defense was able to separate itself – at last – from the offense in Ohio State’s jersey scrimmage. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]
With the score tied at 65-65, OSU head coach Jim Tressel placed the ball at the 3-yard line for one of his renowned “end of the world” plays. The offense needed to score or the defense would retain the coveted scarlet practice jerseys.
The offense, with Troy Smith at quarterback, lined up with a spread five-receiver set. Smith, though, was wearing a black non-contact jersey, so a scramble to score the winning touchdown would not be in the cards. Instead, he threw a slant to Ted Ginn Jr. Safety Brandon Mitchell broke the pass up, giving the defense a hard fought 66-65 win.
“That was unusual,” Tressel said. “It ended up 65-65. I try to keep them close, but not that close. We said, ‘How are we going to settle this thing with us supposed to be at (the Agonis Club) banquet at 6:30 and it’s 6 o’clock already.’ We decided on one play to settle it with a two-point play.
“(The defense) competed all day. They got an experience today. It wasn’t like having 105,000 in the Horseshoe, but it was an experience.”
The jersey scrimmage was originally scheduled for Saturday. But Tressel moved it up one day to avoid predicted rain. Instead, the rain fell hard squarely on the helmets of the Buckeyes as they practiced for three hours on the Ohio Stadium turf.
“We rolled the dice a little bit, looking at the percent chance of rain,” Tressel said. “But you never know.
“We haven’t had many days like this. Do I like it? No. But I think you can gain something from conditions like this. If you’re on offense, when you watch the film it will remind you that turnovers can happen in conditions like that.”
Smith ended up 9 of 17 passing for 102 yards with an interception.
“Troy, when we limit him a little bit, I think it helps him work on some things a little bit,” Tressel said. “But I know sometimes when you have that black shirt on, it’s hard to show everything you want to show.”
Todd Boeckman was next and was 15 of 27 for 112 yards with two interceptions. Boeckman also had 5 carries for 47 yards and a touchdown.
Justin Zwick was 3 of 8 passing for 28 yards before leaving with an apparent shoulder injury. Rob Schoenhoft was 6 of 16 passing for 91 yards with a touchdown, crafting a well thrown ball between two receivers to walk-on Kyle Ruhl for a 41-yard touchdown.
“The thing that sticks in my mind the most was I didn’t want Justin to get banged,” Tressel said. “I wanted him to have a chance to compete with the other guys. I think Schoenhoft is doing a good job and Boeckman is doing a good job. There is a real battle going on there. I didn’t not want to give Justin a chance to compete under the same circumstances.
“I thought Robby did some nice things and Todd showed some things. We made some mistakes, too, with the picks and three or four fumbled snaps.”
Tressel discussed how the quarterbacks were rotated during the scrimmage.
“We’ve been rolling guys through,” he said. “We rolled Justin in with the ones and the twos. We rolled Todd in one time with the ones and the rest of the time with twos and threes. Robby spent most of his time with the twos and threes. I think we have to watch the film and keep watching practice.”
Freshman Chris Wells was the leading ground gainer with 95 yards on 20 carries. Antonio Pittman had eight carries for 35 yards and a touchdown. Maurice Wells had 13 carries for 32 yards.
“Chris ran well,” Tressel said. “Chris is a good back. Mo Wells is a good back. Antonio is a good back.”
Ted Ginn Jr. had three catches for 47 yards, while Brian Robiskie added four catches for 46 yards. Walk-on Derek Harden had five catches for 45 yards. Jake Ballard had a 31-yard catch, while Anthony Gonzalez had two catches for 24 yards.
In the kicking game, Ryan Pretorius missed a 34-yard PAT and a 34-yard field goal, although that was in the pouring down rain. He made a 23-yarder. Aaron Pettrey missed a 52-yard, but also made a 36-yarder.
“It wasn’t the best day to kick,” Tressel said. “We’ve got two solid guys and we’ll see who emerges.”
The defense got big points off six turnovers – three fumble recoveries and three interceptions. Interceptions were tallied by Mitchell, Kurt Coleman and Andre Amos. Aaron Gant, Dexter Larimore and Thaddeus Gibson recovered fumbles for the defense.
Some of the standouts on defense included linebacker Marcus Freeman (unofficially six tackles, two tackles-for-loss, one sack), Coleman (seven tackles, two pass break-ups and an interception), linebacker Larry Grant (six tackles, one for a loss and a pass break-up), safety Aaron Gant (eight tackles and a fumble recovery), Mitchell (four tackles, two pass break-ups and an interception), linebacker James Laurinaitis (six tackles with one for a loss), linebacker Thaddeus Gibson (seven tackles with a pass break-up), linebacker John Kerr (seven tackles with a sack), Larimore (four tackles and a fumble recovery) and defensive tackle David Patterson (two tackles-for-loss with a sack).
“That will be the fun thing to watch for me,” Tressel said. “I would guess in the first two games at least, we’ll have a whole bunch of people playing a lot of positions on the defensive side. One, because we don’t know for sure, and, two, when you play an early September game in Austin, you’ll have to roll people in.”
The Gory Details
As always, the scrimmage was contested with a unique scoring system. The offense got six points for touchdowns, three for field goals, one for first downs and an extra point for long plays. The defense got a point for forcing a fourth down, a point for negative plays and five points for turnovers.
The scrimmage was tight throughout the early portion as the first teams on each side went up against each other. Schoenhoft led the offense on a 12-play, 80-yard scoring march early. That included an 11-yard scramble where he lowered the shoulder on Coleman to get a first down. On third-and-8 from the defense’s 41-yard line, he threw a perfect pass to Ruhl. The receiver had gotten behind Shaun Lane and safety Grant Schwartz missed an attempt on the ball, allowing Ruhl to roll in for the score and a 13-6 lead for the offense.
The defense closed the gap as Gant recovered a fumbled carry by walk-on Joe Gantz, cutting the lead to 19-16. Shortly thereafter, a torrential downpour arrived, making it hard for the offense to get anything going. It went three-and-out on three of the next four series, allowing the defense to tie the game at 22-22.
It was still raining hard when a Smith pass went off Gonzalez’s hands and right to Mitchell for an interception, putting the defense up 28-24. Boeckman then threw a pair of interceptions on back-to-back plays. On the first one, his receiver, Robiskie, slipped. That allowed Coleman to make an easy pick.
Then, on the first play of the next series, Boeckman felt heat from freshman DE Robert Rose and threw off balance. Amos made the interception on that one, staking the defense to a 36-24 lead.
The defense enjoyed its largest lead at 48-29 after Gibson recovered a fumble by freshman quarterback Antonio Henton. But Henton rallied and led the offense on a 11-play, 59-yard march, capped by a 36-yard field goal by Pettrey to trim the defense’s lead to 48-37.
Boeckman later guided a seven-play, 56-yard touchdown march. He carried four times for 43 yards on the drive, including the 5-yard touchdown on a great cutback inside out of an option to the short side of the field. That cut the defense’s lead to 54-47.
The offense then got to start three straight series at the defense’s 12-yard line. Pittman bounced off a tackle attempt by Mitchell and scored on the first play of the first series. Pretorius hit a 23-yard field goal on the second one. The third one ended when Larimore recovered a fumbled snap by Schoenhoft. That left the defense up 59-58.
This is where Chris Wells went to work. He had 34 yards on seven carries on the next possession, setting up Pettrey’s 28-yard field goal for a 64-59 lead for the offense.
The offense netted just one first down on four straight series from the 50-yard line. The defense really stood tall during this 12-play sequence, including a hurry by Joel Penton, a break-up by Mitchell, a sack by Freeman, a break-up by Donald Washington, a break-up by Malcolm Jenkins and a tackle-for-loss by Jay Richardson.
Still, a clutch 17-yard pass from Smith to Gonzalez tied the scrimmage at 65-65 and set the stage for the final play. Tressel conferred with defensive coordinator Jim Heacock and they agreed to settle it with one showdown play at the 3. It could be argued that Mitchell fouled Ginn on the pass play, but there was no flag thrown and the defense was victorious.
Also Notable
* The defense won the jerseys after also winning the jersey scrimmage by one point (69-68) in the spring. Tressel holds these scrimmages during each spring practice and fall camp. The defense now enjoys a 7-6 all-time edge.
* Tressel was asked what it meant to hear his team will be No. 1 in the Associated Press poll – on the heels of getting the nod from Sports Illustrated earlier this week and from the USA Today coaches poll earlier in the month.
“We just go to work,” he said. “I mentioned to someone the other day that, at Ohio State, whether you’re ranked high or you’re not ranked high, the expectation to win all of your games is there. The guys who come here to school feel that way. The guys who come here to coach feel that way. So whether you are ranked there are not, you want to get that done. We know we have a lot of work to do.”
Tressel was asked if there is a point of pride to being No. 1.
“There really is at the end (of the season),” he said. “There is a point of pride when you’re named it then. When you’re named it at the beginning, I really don’t know what it can do for you. There’s a target on our chest when the silver helmets come out there.”
* Several front-line players did not play, including WR Brian Hartline, DE Lawrence Wilson, LB Mike D’Andrea and LB Ross Homan. Wilson and Homan are due back on Monday.
When asked when he expects D’Andrea to return, Tressel provided a somewhat ominous, “Not right away.”
* The Buckeyes will be back at Ohio Stadium Monday night for a free open practice for the public. Gates open at 6 p.m. There will be a one-hour autograph session from 7-8 p.m. with a practice on the field from 8-9:45 p.m.
“I don’t make those decisions,” Tressel said when asked why the practice was moved from 10,000-seat Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium to Ohio Stadium. “I wanted to practice at night and if people wanted to come, that’s great. We have an hour to sign autographs. We have a pretty tight schedule during preseason. We get a lot of requests for our guys to sign autographs. If a bunch of people show, it will be awesome.
“It will be a fundamental practice. It won’t be a scrimmage. They won’t see all kinds of secrets. It will be a big work day Monday.”
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SHSUHorn
Thief
“That will be the fun thing to watch for me,” Tressel said. “I would guess in the first two games at least, we’ll have a whole bunch of people playing a lot of positions on the defensive side. One, because we don’t know for sure, and, two, when you play an early September game in Austin, you’ll have to roll people in.”
Very true. Not only are they replacing 9 starters they must also fill in the two deep. It was 103 degress in Austin for practice the other day.
Very true. Not only are they replacing 9 starters they must also fill in the two deep. It was 103 degress in Austin for practice the other day.
SHSUHorn
Thief
THE NEW LINEBACKERS?
The Ohio State linebacker corps has undergone drastic changes from last season as it tries to replace three NFL draft picks in A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel.
Those changes have continued as the Buckeyes have begun their preparations for the 2006 season. After entering fall practice with three preliminary starters, OSU linebackers coach Luke Fickell said the top of the depth chart has kept the same personnel but at different positions.
True sophomore James Laurinaitis is now the starting middle linebacker, with senior John Kerr as the weakside linebacker and sophomore Marcus Freeman at strongside. The three are being backed up by junior college transfer Larry Grant, true freshman Tyler Moeller and junior Curtis Terry, respectively.
"We've got six or seven guys who are competing for those spots," Fickell said. "We're moving guys around, trying to find the best fit."
Moeller's stock has risen in the last week as he has seen more practice time while fellow true freshman Ross Homan has battled an injury. With Homan limited, Moeller has quickly developed a reputation as an athlete who simply makes plays.
"He's someone you notice," Fickell said. "He might not know where he's going or what he's doing, but by the time the ball gets to the line of scrimmage he seems to be there. You can't hide those kinds of things."
Freeman, who missed nearly the entire 2005 season after injuring his knee during the season-opening game against Miami and was subsequently sidelined by a staph infection, said the coaching staff is also using the rotation of linebackers differently than fans are used to seeing.
The linebacker said OSU has been keeping its linebackers off the line of scrimmage, relying on the defensive line – and specifically the defensive ends – to make plays and control the line.
"Each person brings a different thing," Freeman said. "I'm not the player that Bobby Carpenter was. They probably don't want to put me on the line like they put Bobby Carpenter on the line. They've taken us off the line a little bit to let us run more freely and use our talents."
In addition to Homan's injury, Fickell seemed less than enthusiastic about the chances of having senior linebacker Mike D'Andrea available for the season. The coach discussed how he will contribute for the team this season, but not necessarily on Saturdays.
"He's had some good days, he's had some bad days," Fickell said. "We need some things from him, whether he's on the field or not. He will contribute. You might not see it, the media might not see it, the people watching on TV might not see it, but I know I see it and the guys see it and feel it and that's really what matters."
With five freshman linebackers on the roster, it has been speculated that a few will redshirt this season. Mark Johnson will likely take a redshirt as he recovers from an injury, but Fickell hinted as to who else could be held out of the season.
If his injury persists, Homan could also be redshirted as well. In addition, Thaddeus Gibson could spend the season off the field with a redshirt.
"You would think one, maybe two would redshirt, but maybe just one," Fickell said. "It's still early to tell. Injuries dictate a lot of things. If we have the luxury of redshirting anybody, it's a good thing."
The Ohio State linebacker corps has undergone drastic changes from last season as it tries to replace three NFL draft picks in A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel.
Those changes have continued as the Buckeyes have begun their preparations for the 2006 season. After entering fall practice with three preliminary starters, OSU linebackers coach Luke Fickell said the top of the depth chart has kept the same personnel but at different positions.
True sophomore James Laurinaitis is now the starting middle linebacker, with senior John Kerr as the weakside linebacker and sophomore Marcus Freeman at strongside. The three are being backed up by junior college transfer Larry Grant, true freshman Tyler Moeller and junior Curtis Terry, respectively.
"We've got six or seven guys who are competing for those spots," Fickell said. "We're moving guys around, trying to find the best fit."
Moeller's stock has risen in the last week as he has seen more practice time while fellow true freshman Ross Homan has battled an injury. With Homan limited, Moeller has quickly developed a reputation as an athlete who simply makes plays.
"He's someone you notice," Fickell said. "He might not know where he's going or what he's doing, but by the time the ball gets to the line of scrimmage he seems to be there. You can't hide those kinds of things."
Freeman, who missed nearly the entire 2005 season after injuring his knee during the season-opening game against Miami and was subsequently sidelined by a staph infection, said the coaching staff is also using the rotation of linebackers differently than fans are used to seeing.
The linebacker said OSU has been keeping its linebackers off the line of scrimmage, relying on the defensive line – and specifically the defensive ends – to make plays and control the line.
"Each person brings a different thing," Freeman said. "I'm not the player that Bobby Carpenter was. They probably don't want to put me on the line like they put Bobby Carpenter on the line. They've taken us off the line a little bit to let us run more freely and use our talents."
In addition to Homan's injury, Fickell seemed less than enthusiastic about the chances of having senior linebacker Mike D'Andrea available for the season. The coach discussed how he will contribute for the team this season, but not necessarily on Saturdays.
"He's had some good days, he's had some bad days," Fickell said. "We need some things from him, whether he's on the field or not. He will contribute. You might not see it, the media might not see it, the people watching on TV might not see it, but I know I see it and the guys see it and feel it and that's really what matters."
With five freshman linebackers on the roster, it has been speculated that a few will redshirt this season. Mark Johnson will likely take a redshirt as he recovers from an injury, but Fickell hinted as to who else could be held out of the season.
If his injury persists, Homan could also be redshirted as well. In addition, Thaddeus Gibson could spend the season off the field with a redshirt.
"You would think one, maybe two would redshirt, but maybe just one," Fickell said. "It's still early to tell. Injuries dictate a lot of things. If we have the luxury of redshirting anybody, it's a good thing."
SHSUHorn
Thief
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Here are 10 other things the Buckeyes told us Friday:
1. The backup quarterback job looks to be up in the air, especially after senior Justin Zwick injured his left shoulder on a John Kerr sack. Zwick slammed his helmet to the ground while walking off the field and ended the game with his shoulder wrapped in a bandage.
In unofficial stats, Zwick was 3-of-9 for 26 yards. Sophomore Todd Boeckman was 15-of-32 for 105 yards and two interceptions. Freshman Rob Schoenhoft was 6-of-16 for 92 yards and made the throw of the game, firing a 41-yard touchdown pass on the run. If the Buckeyes needed their backup tomorrow, the answer wouldn't be easy, though Schoenhoft would be intriguing.
2. Running backs Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells were never on the field together, an always scintillating prospect. Pittman carried nine times for 33 yards. Wells carried 20 times for 98 yards. You never get tired of watching Wells square himself and deliver a blow to a tackler, as Thaddeus Gibson was reminded on one play.
3. Defensive end Lawrence Wilson, receiver Brian Hartline and linebackers Ross Homan and Mike D'Andrea sat out with injuries. D'Andrea didn't even put on a uniform, and it might be time to realize his career, ravaged by knee injuries, is close to over.
4. Moved from middle linebacker to weakside linebacker, you wondered whether the next move for Kerr, a St. Ignatius grad, was out of the starting lineup. But he was active and delivered several hard shots from A.J. Hawk's old spot.
5. Junior-college transfer Larry Grant's a hitter. Backing up at middle linebacker, that's easy to see.
6. That open competition at left guard really is open. Tim Schafer started there, but Steve Rehring and Jon Skinner also worked with the first team, and it was Rehring who was on the field for the final drive of the day.
7. Glenville's Jamario O'Neal is in an uphill fight to start at safety. The secondary jobs can still change any day, but Mitchell and sophomore Nick Patterson played the safety spots with the first-team defense. Big plays can change that, but it's up to O'Neal to make them, and he did have a nice open-field tackle on Wells. Backup corners Andre Amos, Donald Washington and Kurt Coleman played well.
8. The defensive line is very deep, with Quinn Pitcock, David Patterson and Joel Penton rotating like three starters at two tackle spots. Both Vern Gholston and Jay Richardson disrupted things from the ends Friday. And freshman end Robert Rose continues to force the Buckeyes to find ways to get him on the field.
9. Nothing was learned about the kicking game, other than it's not so great in the rain. Sophomore Ryan Pretorius missed a 34-yard field goal and a long extra point after a 15-yard penalty, then made a 24-yard field goal. Freshman Aaron Pettrey missed a 52-yard field goal, but made a 28-yarder and a 36-yarder. That battle has a ways to go.
10. Not the best of days for the Buckeyes. The scrimmage had been scheduled for 11 a.m. today but was moved up to 3 p.m. Friday because rain was in the forecast. What happened? It rained so hard, it looked like Ohio Stadium was under a waterfall. Then, with the team running late and headed for a banquet, the planned interview session with players was eliminated, leaving only a hurried Tressel to comment on the most important day of the preseason.
Here are 10 other things the Buckeyes told us Friday:
1. The backup quarterback job looks to be up in the air, especially after senior Justin Zwick injured his left shoulder on a John Kerr sack. Zwick slammed his helmet to the ground while walking off the field and ended the game with his shoulder wrapped in a bandage.
In unofficial stats, Zwick was 3-of-9 for 26 yards. Sophomore Todd Boeckman was 15-of-32 for 105 yards and two interceptions. Freshman Rob Schoenhoft was 6-of-16 for 92 yards and made the throw of the game, firing a 41-yard touchdown pass on the run. If the Buckeyes needed their backup tomorrow, the answer wouldn't be easy, though Schoenhoft would be intriguing.
2. Running backs Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells were never on the field together, an always scintillating prospect. Pittman carried nine times for 33 yards. Wells carried 20 times for 98 yards. You never get tired of watching Wells square himself and deliver a blow to a tackler, as Thaddeus Gibson was reminded on one play.
3. Defensive end Lawrence Wilson, receiver Brian Hartline and linebackers Ross Homan and Mike D'Andrea sat out with injuries. D'Andrea didn't even put on a uniform, and it might be time to realize his career, ravaged by knee injuries, is close to over.
4. Moved from middle linebacker to weakside linebacker, you wondered whether the next move for Kerr, a St. Ignatius grad, was out of the starting lineup. But he was active and delivered several hard shots from A.J. Hawk's old spot.
5. Junior-college transfer Larry Grant's a hitter. Backing up at middle linebacker, that's easy to see.
6. That open competition at left guard really is open. Tim Schafer started there, but Steve Rehring and Jon Skinner also worked with the first team, and it was Rehring who was on the field for the final drive of the day.
7. Glenville's Jamario O'Neal is in an uphill fight to start at safety. The secondary jobs can still change any day, but Mitchell and sophomore Nick Patterson played the safety spots with the first-team defense. Big plays can change that, but it's up to O'Neal to make them, and he did have a nice open-field tackle on Wells. Backup corners Andre Amos, Donald Washington and Kurt Coleman played well.
8. The defensive line is very deep, with Quinn Pitcock, David Patterson and Joel Penton rotating like three starters at two tackle spots. Both Vern Gholston and Jay Richardson disrupted things from the ends Friday. And freshman end Robert Rose continues to force the Buckeyes to find ways to get him on the field.
9. Nothing was learned about the kicking game, other than it's not so great in the rain. Sophomore Ryan Pretorius missed a 34-yard field goal and a long extra point after a 15-yard penalty, then made a 24-yard field goal. Freshman Aaron Pettrey missed a 52-yard field goal, but made a 28-yarder and a 36-yarder. That battle has a ways to go.
10. Not the best of days for the Buckeyes. The scrimmage had been scheduled for 11 a.m. today but was moved up to 3 p.m. Friday because rain was in the forecast. What happened? It rained so hard, it looked like Ohio Stadium was under a waterfall. Then, with the team running late and headed for a banquet, the planned interview session with players was eliminated, leaving only a hurried Tressel to comment on the most important day of the preseason.
Croc69wheat
Bubble Boy
Very well put Jump. GO BUCKS.....lol:cheers:
