Minnesota: Mr. Blackwell Would Not Be Happy
To that end, in an effort to summon karma of long ago, Minnesota did something they should have never done. They broke out the all gold look which was basically the most hideous thing ever seen on a college football field, if you don't count Oregon. I suppose the thought was noble but it didn't work and all they got out of it were a bunch of giggles and finger-pointing and a slot on Mr. Blackwell's worst dressed list. The weirdest thing of all is they warmed up in their normal unis during pregame only to switch to the mustard bottle look just before kickoff. Was that an intimidation thing?
Once the game started, the upset thoughts were chipped away to final piece of granite that simply formed a "W". The 30-7 victory was wasn't a work of art mind you but, in the end, the win was convincing and as expected. No one player had performances worthy of effusive praise which is somewhat disappointing bearing in mind the ineptitude of Minnesota's defense. Why? I'm not sure. Because of time constraints, I have only managed to review the first half but that alone has provided enough potpourri to pass along until I can write up the full game analysis.
The Ray Small Effect: I was tempted to say something like "The Large Small Effect" but The Dispatch already used all those puns. The fact of the matter is the Glenville WR is starting to make a name for himself based off his prodigious athletic skills. We here at BC have been on Ray's bandwagon even before he saw the field so his production really comes as no surprise to us. But, what about that Ginn-like running style? Case in point was the moment Small burst up field for a 37 yard gain off an end around. As soon as he turned the corner, the first thing Small does is tuck his chin, a technique so reminiscent of Ginn. The speed produced was reminiscent of Ginn as well.
Double Tight, Double Fullback: I love my formations and we saw a relatively new one against Minnesota that epitomized "Power". It occurred on Beanie Well's second touchdown run near the end of the first quarter. Ohio State lined up in I-Formation with double tight ends. We also used an extra fullback in motion (Tyler Whaley). At the snap, the play ends up being a counter with the most obnoxious lead blocking. We first lead with Ben Person who pulls from his right guard spot. Behind him is battering ram Dionte Johnson who kicks out a defender, behind Johnson is Whaley who, oh by the way, used to be our second team center last year. Then, not to be out done, the ball carrier is 240 lb Chris Wells. Naturally, the play worked as Wells worked over the remaining defender to find paydirt. Screenshot here of play as it begins:
The beautiful thing in
this play design is the defense cannot sell out to
stop the run. You can bet the pension there's an
additional branch to this call by leaking out one of
the tight ends and/or booting the QB from play
action. Good luck to our opponents in trying to
defend this shortage formation.
PotW: Another weird week where the
real Play of the Week is bypassed for something
sexier. Brian Robiskie's circus
catch gets the nod but Malcolm Jenkins
shouldn't feel slighted. MJ's interception was
the moment momentum was regained after
the defense mentally checked out for two
consecutive series. Some will say Beanie's third
and 6 carry (which lead to Robo's catch)
deserves merit but that third down play doesn't
happen with the interception. Lastly,
BuckeyeVision has some relevant video material
based on this week's opponent.
Case of the Ankles: Injures continue
to cause frustration with the staff and the Minnesota
game was no different. Beanie had his left ankle
sprain retaped mid game. Brian Hartline tweaked his
ankle in the first half. Anderson Russell went out of
the game with an ankle issue on Minnesota's only
scoring drive. Not an ankle but Steve Rehring went
out for a series or two with a shin issue. To be
completely clear, each player returned but more than
likely all will get some form of treatment this week.
Other Stuff: Various small items...
- Defensively one could have wished for a little tighter execution on the first half. It was clear Minnesota was trying to hit us with a dose of running back screens, a little option and the no huddle. We handled it much better in the second half allowing only 78 total yards.
- Punter AJ Trapasso got to use his robust running skills on an early punt fake. Trapasso starred at Pickerington as a running back and it showed as he displayed decent speed in picking up the first down. One can ask two questions here: a) why did it take so long to try and b) why try it against Minnesota?
- There is a drastic drop-off of talent from one Wells to the other. But, I think Mo Wells may be catching some unfair criticism. If you go back and chart his running plays, his per carry average is obliterated by late game totes into the teeth of a stacked line. We do this because we're simply running out the clock and preventing further injury to Beanie. I charted his Minnesota performance and removed the last two possessions. With those caveats, he rushed 11 times for 50 yards (4.5 avg.). Not fantastic but acceptable.
