OFFENSE: F
The only thing worse than getting skunked is fumbling on your only trip to the red zone. Saw a lot of offensive linemen dropped on their keisters. 199 yards, 11 first downs, 2.1 yards per rush (with only one sack) … yuck, yuck, yuck. Can Troy Evans catch?
Andre Booker tried to do things he can do against Bowling Green. He would have scored against BG on one change of direction, but the Buckeyes stifled him at the line.
DEFENSE: D
Mario Harvey impressed me — again — but this unit really struggled. 17 plays of 10 or more yards, six of 20-plus, scoring plays of 45 and 65. Pass rush wasn’t great, secondary wasn’t great by any stretch. Rashad Jackson has been suspected of being a “practice superstar,” and he did nothing to prove otherwise. He changed to No. 5 and played corner like Willy Korn.
One mitigating factor: This unit was dealt a bad, bad hand early. A limited factor, yes, but you’ve got to help your defense out.
SPECIAL TEAMS: D
You get a 63-yard kickoff return and a blocked field goal for a touchdown and you should get a good grade, right? Well, Booker fumbles to start the game and the punt team commits FOUR penalties. Punts were less than 37 yards on average, with two double-digit returns. Missed field goal. Yuck.
QUARTERBACKING: D
I don’t know. Receivers betrayed BA at times, and there was a good pass rush on him. I’d like to see that pick-six again on video just to see how badly he forced it. Actually ran for a first down, but should never have run the other two times. Avoided sacks very well, considering.
COACHING: C-
Being a nice guy here, because the new staff was tackling a major task here. I liked what they did on the first possession of the second half; wish they did it earlier. … I think Lee Smith should have seen the ball more, even if the Buckeyes made it difficult … Martin Ward definitely looked the better RB.
OVERALL: F
Ohio State is good. Really, really good. This game doesn’t quite leave the bad taste of last year’s Virginia Tech game, but the start of the game was truly awful.
I thought of picking the Herd to beat WVU just to be a rabble-rouser, but I probably can’t do it.
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I have a bad feeling about our Head Coach. Does Doc = Sonny Randle? I hope not. Let’s see how he and the staff deal with the huge loss and if they can rally the team.
The Bad News Bears looked better than Marshall! As a former player at MU and a fan I was completely embarrased by the lack of preperation and execution!!! Marshall beat themselves.
Wow, a Sonny Randle comparison after one game against the 2nd best team Marshall has ever played (sorry tOSU, that ’01 Florida team was scary…). Doc obviously needed to play Coastal Carolina in the opener to work on some things.
The coaches need to figure out some things offensively… how much leash BA will be given and which receivers can make plays. That was my first time seeing Sullivan play. KInd of like watching a chinese fire drill– the kid plays with tremendous energy and will make something happen, good or bad. You get the feeling Graham has simply not inspired confidence in the coaches– expected him to play.