#3 Ohio State (1-0, 1-0) at Indiana (0-1, 0-1) Postgame

[847badgerfan]

So, what to make of this outcome? Did watch much of it as my eyes were on UW.

The score is a bit shocking to me. Seems like a lot to clean up in Columbus??

That can be said for most of the teams in the conference.

[Mdot21]

I watched good chunk of the game. McCord will be fine. Ryan Day will work out the kinks. I think Chip Traynum and Miyan Williams are the best RBs on OSUs team. I felt Miyan already was better then Henderson. Think Traynum has gained ground and leveled up, don't know how you keep what that kid brings to the table off the field- his legs and thighs are like tree trunks, he's physical and breaks tackles but is also shifty and has burst/speed. OL is more of a concern imo than QB. 

[Abba]

Defense played as well as we had hoped.  Offensive problems are new QBs and the OL.  OL needs some time to gel, so hopefully these next 2 games can help w/ that.  I'm curious if Day will just settle in on McCord as the starter, or still try to work in Devin Brown.  

[Mdot21]

Defense played as well as we had hoped.  Offensive problems are new QBs and the OL.  OL needs some time to gel, so hopefully these next 2 games can help w/ that.  I'm curious if Day will just settle in on McCord as the starter, or still try to work in Devin Brown. 

imo you gotta give Devin Brown a start vs Youngstown State. Just to see what you got. Then you grade them both in the film room and nitpick them both to death, then you let them compete in practice leading up to the next game and whoever wins the job you start vs Western Kentucky and then ride with them til the wheels fall off.

[Honestbuckeye]

Defense played as well as we had hoped.  Offensive problems are new QBs and the OL.  OL needs some time to gel, so hopefully these next 2 games can help w/ that.  I'm curious if Day will just settle in on McCord as the starter, or still try to work in Devin Brown. 

Pretty good summary.

I would add:
-pass blocking was very good.  Zero sacks or QB hits given up
-run blocking was constantly missing a key defender- so many plays blown up by unblocked player. 
- Hoosiers ran a speed option- really designed to eat up clock    It worked to eat clock- buckeyes stuffed it.
- Day ran more 2 TE formations than he did ever before ( resembled Tressel at times)
- Downfield passing game was rarely called, Day wanted establish run to protect QB
- McCord still learning to read defense.  Made some NFL throws, but also botched some and didn’t see wide open WRs because they were 2nd or 3rd read.

With the exception of Brown not playing much at QB- it was fairly predictable.

[Temp430]

Good thing the Buckeyes have two more games to sand off the rough edges before they travel to South Bend.  

[Honestbuckeye]

It will be weird in a way. Ohio State hasn’t had an FCS opponent on their schedule in 10 years.  

Hopefully it just gives them reps- which is what the QBs and Offensive line needs.  

When they were blocking- they did well against their man, but Indiana did what everyone will do- disguise their run fronts really well.  The new guys( actually the group) really struggled at times figuring out who to block.  Many unblocked defenders made plays at or behind the LOS. 

[medinabuckeye1]

Pretty good summary.

I would add:
-pass blocking was very good.  Zero sacks or QB hits given up
-run blocking was constantly missing a key defender- so many plays blown up by unblocked player. 
- Hoosiers ran a speed option- really designed to eat up clock    It worked to eat clock- buckeyes stuffed it.
- Day ran more 2 TE formations than he did ever before ( resembled Tressel at times)
- Downfield passing game was rarely called, Day wanted establish run to protect QB
- McCord still learning to read defense.  Made some NFL throws, but also botched some and didn’t see wide open WRs because they were 2nd or 3rd read.

With the exception of Brown not playing much at QB- it was fairly predictable.

I think that you and @Abba and others have made some good points.  

Watching the game and in the immediate aftermath I was VERY concerned about tOSU for this year but now that I've had time to think on it for a bit, here are some counterpoints in an effort to avoid overreacting to one game:

The offense started slow last year as well.  You can say that it was Notre Dame and it was, but the Buckeyes only scored 21 on the Irish last year and they turned around the next week and gave up 26 to Marshall.  

The defense, if anything, looked better than expected.  You can say that it was Indiana and it was, but Indiana's lowest output last year was 10, against Michigan.  Ohio State just held them to three.  Their next worst output last year was 14 which they hit twice, vs PSU and @tOSU.  

In terms of margin, the Buckeyes just beat the Hoosiers by 20.  Here is how that stacks up compared to Indiana's nine league games last year:

• L to tOSU by 42, 56-14
• L to PSU by 31, 45-14
• L to M by 21, 31-10
• L to UNL by 14, 35-21
• L to PU by 14, 30-16
• L to RU by 7, 24-17
• L to UMD by 5, 38-33
• Beat MSU in 2OT
• Beat IL by 3

So tOSU's performance on Saturday was actually better defensively than ANY team did against IU last year and the MoV was better than all but tOSU, PSU, and M last year.  

It is more than likely going to be impossible to learn anything meaningful from the next two games so I guess we'll find out in South Bend on September 23.