Ohio State has played substantially better opposition than most and yet I still feel like I don't know.
So far, offense:
Unless ND's defense is a LOT better than I'm giving them credit for, I think the tOSU offense has regressed considerably.
Defense:
They seem quite solid. Holding ND to 14 is great unless ND's offense is a LOT worse than I am giving them credit for.
The problem is that I'm more-or-less rating this solely on performance against ND and:
- I don't know how good they are, and
- That *MIGHT* have just been a really good or really bad game by one team or the other.
you and I see the football world differently. You are as good at "data" as anyone I have ever come across. I see the nuance, momentum, psychology, etc.
In a nutshell- you and I always disagree on "how good a team is" (you) versus "what a team is capable of" (me).
You say they offense has regressed. Well- the QB just got drafted early first round, and is already kicking ass in the NFL. Three starting offensive lineman were drafted and are now starting in the NFL. What other outcome could there possibly be- early in the season? It takes reps for both those positions to gain experience and have the game slow down for them. So- clearly, whatever potential they might reach is yet to come. The speed at which they are progressing is a pleasant surprise to me. For them to go into a night game against that high quality of an opponent, and find a way to win- is gravy. There is no way they could have done that in week 1.
Another aspect is this concept of "complimentary football". That phrase gets thrown around a lot, but I honestly don't think a lot of people understand what it means. So- an explosive offense, Like OSU has typically had, doesn't give their defense anywhere near the rest that a plodding, running offense does. How that often translates is- the defense tends to wear out later in games. You just saw it- Henderson scores on a 61 yarder, and the defense- who just did a great job, has to go right back on the field. And it happened again-- Ohio State went up tempo- moved right down to the red zone, and Fryar got that stupid penalty killing the drive. The Irish, again, get the ball right back. So- the explosive offense has to be extremely high % scoring, or it can work against you.
Ryan Day has mentioned "complimentary football" a ton this offseason, camp and this season. You see them running a much less aggressive offense at times, much less up tempo. This- IMHO- is one of the reasons why. That- and a brand new QB.
So given all of that:
Offense:
about where i would expect- maybe a tad ahead of schedule. QB, on schedule, Offensive line, maybe on schedule or a tad behind. WRs/RBs- nuff said.
Defense:
More than I hoped for. Changes to the scheme/understanding Knowles scheme are clearly improving things. LBs- good as expected. Defensive Line- not as many sacks- but consistent pressure forcing teams to get the ball out fast and preventing long passes. DBs/Safety- miles ahead of last year.
There is not a team I have watched that I think OSU could not hang with. Especialy as the season moves along. I dont know yet how good they can be, but it potentially is VERY DAMN GOOD.
