Coaching
-it all starts and ends here. If Penn State uses the same coaching philosophies it did against Notre Dame the will lose by 700 or more points (that’s not a typo). Sitting back on defense and letting Ted Ginn and Tony Gonzalez run around until they are open is just plain stupid.
-Derrick Williams is a wide receiver, Anthony Morelli is a quarterback; I know you guys get confused sometimes.
-A.J. Wallace is not a free ticket to run the reverse, good teams will see this. Hell, I called the reverse last week when he came in and I’ve coached a total of 0 football games.
-For further rants see Black Shoe Diaries.
Defense
-Ted Ginn is not the only receiver on the field. It’s my personal belief that Tony Gonzalez is the more complete receiver of the two and it seems Ohio State is relying heavily on him – he has 17 receptions (2 more the Ginn) and 280 yards (27 more then Ginn). Limiting the big plays from these guys is crucial, force the Buckeyes to earn their score. Last year Penn State did a great job of doing just that, but this is a different year.
-Troy Smith is always a threat to run, but hasn’t been doing much of that this season. Penn State will have to bring more then 4 guys to get pressure but an all out blitz could spell doom if Smith gets past the blitz: containment is key. The Ohio State offensive line is really solid and pressure from the front four isn’t a realistic hope.
Offense
-I know very little about the Ohio State defense after replacing 9 starter and I’ve only been able to catch a portion of one game (Texas) and the entire unit looked great, so I can’t begin to come up with a weakness. I can say this much: use the new moronic clock rules to your advantage. Play ball control and shorten the game. Anytime you go up against a team with an explosive offense, the best defense is to limit the number of chances that offense has.
-You have a Tight End, use him. Exploit the inexperience of the linebackers, they’re talented but they may be overanxious. If Penn State can establish the run, play-action to the tight end will be open.
-No stupid turnovers. You don’t need a game of perfection, just don’t do anything stupid.
Special Teams
-I can’t stress the importance of special teams in any game, but especially in this one. Penn State has been able to produce at least one good return in each of their first three games, but most have been called back on penalties.
-On the flip side, Ginn is great you might try kicking away from him, and for the love of God, if someone fumbles the ball to you: JUMP ON IT! Don’t scoop and score.
-Unlike the offense, this unit MUST play absolutely perfect, and that hasn’t happened yet.
On a related topic as our friend over at Buckeye Commentary points out: imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. THEosu is calling for a "Sea of Scarlet" and Michigan is asking their fans to “Maize Out” Wisconsin. Charlatans!
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4 comments:
SHOCK THE WORLD!!!
2 points:
1) I agree that Anthony Gonzalez is the better receiver for OSU. Ginn is more dangerous with the ball in his hands, but Gonzalez is tougher to cover and has better hands.
2) Michigan has been doing a Maize Out for approximately 6-7 years now. It's been going on forever. I think the originators of the "white out" were the Winnipeg Jets fans back in the day. They were amazing.
Robert,
Then my apologies to the Michigan fans, I didn't realize that the "Maize Out" has been going on for so long. I did know that the "white out" idea wasn't completely new, but it is well executed. I’m simply amazed at the logistics of such a thing… asking someone to wear blue, white, yellow or red is easy to do, getting them to do so is another thing. Again, you do a great job of showing how little I know.
you know quite a bit as is evidenced from reading your blog. I'm only worthy of commenting when I see a little point that could be corrected. Tough loss for PSU yesterday, but they hung tough in a tough environment.
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