Thoughts on OSU mid-season and the QB Battle

I've been swamped with this new role.  I've gone from putting in "a light 40 hrs a week" to now working "an intense 50-55 hrs a week".  I'm sure I'm stealing the words right from your mouth, "Welcome to my life".

My thoughts are... its BEEN clear to me (this past week was just icing on the cake) that JT should / needs-to-be the guy.  I was a "JT guy" during the pre-season & coming into this season, but then I saw Cardale's performance vs. Va Tech, and I thought the Meyer made the correct choice; that is to say... I was all convinced Cardale was the right guy.  But around I'd say the Northern Illinois game, it started becoming clear to me that JT is/was the better fit for this team; especially for Meyer's offensive style.  I think the Western Michigan game was really just masking tape; it masked the fact that maybe Cardale can be "the guy".  But then we saw Cardale struggle again vs. Indiana, and continuing to struggle thereafter.

Here's Cardale's QBR game-by-game this season:

Week 1 vs Va Tech = 87.4

Week 2 vs Hawaii = 42.7

Week 3 vs N.Illinois = 6.3

Week 5 vs W.Michigan = 71.9

Week 6 vs Indiana = 11.5

Week 7 vs Maryland = 76.2

Week 8 vs Penn St = 14.2

I'm sorry, but that's not cutting it my any stretch of the imagination.  Cardale is driving a Ferrari.  It should not be that difficult.  The car should practically drive itself.  As I've said all along, there are simply too many weapons (almost to a fault) on this team to fail.  Ohio State has / should have an MASSIVE advantage at nearly every unit.  This job can't/shouldn't-be THAT hard.  And yet Jones has struggled mightily.  One has to wonder how much Jones cost himself by deciding to come back this year.  There were talks AT BEST last year about him being a 1st round draft pick; at worst, a 5th round draft pick.  I personally think 3rd round was more realistic.  After this season, I'm not so sure I'd say a 3rd round pick is very realistic at this point; 1st/2nd round is surely out of the question.  I still think on POTENTIAL ALONE he's at least a 5th round draft pick, but that's not really saying much.

JT proved he's the better quarterback this week.  Again, I feel the writing to this was on the wall when Meyer decided two weeks ago to bring JT in for the RedZone plays.  IMO, when you do that, you've essentially said JT is the better of the 2; and if that's the case, then why aren't you using JT all-day?  If JT doesn't start next week, I think that has to show/prove that there's some under-the-table handshake agreement between Jones and Meyer.  I have absolutely no idea how Meyer can go back to Jones, given the production woes we've seen from Cardale and how efficient JT was this past week.  Meyer said after the Hawaii (or maybe it was N.Illinois) game I think it was that in order for JT to start, he had to win the job from Cardale; and at that point, neither QB had performed well enough to "win" the job.  Well, guess what... JT performed well enough last week (IMO) to "win" the job.  So if we don't see JT starting next week, I think it's got to be pretty obvious then that there has to be some handshake deal then between Meyer and Jones.

Looking at the schedule moving forward... it's

@ Rutgers (cupcake)

vs Minnesota (shouldn't be terrible challenging)

@ Illinois (cupcake)

If Meyer does decide to roll with Cardale, then my point is... it's going to pretty much be ride or die then with Cardale; because those 3 games are powder puffs, and Jones should be able to at least put up halfway decent #'s.  And if Jones puts up halfway decent #'s, then you're not going to pull him.  So (IMO) if Meyer starts Cardale next week, we're pretty much going into Michigan State then with Cardale at QB.

This why I think now is the time to make a switch if you're going to make a switch... you still have 3 "cake" games to ease JT in and build up JT's confidence pre-Michigan State and get him acclimated to the game/team.  Give the keys to JT... let him beat-up on these 3 cupcakes and get any errors out of his system now, so that come Michigan State it's a well-oiled machine.

The probably is the remainder of the schedule from Michigan State on out:

vs Michigan State

@ Michigan

(IF we're fortunate enough to win both...) Big Ten Championship

Playoff

Championship

That's a murder's row of scheduling, if you ask me (granted the Big Ten Championship will likely be against Iowa, and Iowa isn't that great, but you can't underestimate those corn-fed boys).

Right now... I would never admit this to my Michigan friends, but BOTH Michigan State AND Michigan are BETTER football teams than we are.  Our defense is NOT as good as theirs are (at this point in the season), and our offense is HIGHLY suspect.  Yes... I do really think Michigan would beat us TODAY.

Put JT in... get him some reps... and roll the dice he's good enough to win you a Big Ten Championship.  I know Jason is going to shoot me, but screw the national championship hopes... I'm just playing for a Big Ten title at this point.  I think we'll be lucky right now to just sneak away with that.

Here's all you need to know about this past week vs. Penn State...

Jones: 34 plays, 141 total yards, 0 TDs, 4.1 yards per play

Barrett: 32 plays, 270 yards (240 rushing), 5 TDs, 8.4 yards per play

Scoring by Quarter, 1stQ 0, 2ndQ 21, 3rdQ 0, 4thQ 17.

Guess who played 1stQ and 3rdQ; and guess who played 2ndQ and 4thQ.

Before I move off the Cardale topic, I do want to be fair and go on record that I think the offensive play-calling has been atrocious.  I don't know if it's trying to 'hide' plays from MSU and Michigan or what, but they are NOT using Cardale like they when he was so successful last season.  Where are the deep plays downfield?  I know, I know... it's cuz we don't have anyone who can stretch the field deep - we're missing Devin Smith (Hey... who was the guy that went on record last season saying the guy we will miss most is Devin Smith... THIS GUY!)  But personally, I think that's a bunch of hogwash.  Sure Michael Thomas is more of a "possession" guy than a "speedster", but damnit... use him!  He might not blow by the DBs, but he'll out-jump them / make a play and win you the ball I bet.  I also trust Jalin Marshall and Braxton Miller to have the speed to fill the "Smith" role.  And I'm not saying you have to go deep ever play, heck even every quarter; but there's no reason why we can't at least 1-2 deep-balls per game.  If you're not... then why do you have Cardale in there?  Everyone knows Cardale's best card is his deepball/arm-strength.  So why aren't you using it?  If you're going to run all this read-option stuff, then why aren't you using JT when everyone knows that's a strength of JT's.  Makes no sense to me.  So my point is... the play-calling has not been very fair to Cardale.

I keep trying to tell my friends (especially Ulysses) that I really do believe Meyer & co. are saving Zeke.  Everyone (including myself at times) keeps crying/calling for Zeke... give the ball to Zeke... etc.  No, Meyer is not going to do this because Meyer knows he doesn't need to run Zeke 25-30 times to beat Hawaii, N.Illinois, W.Michigan, Indiana, Maryland.  But he IS going to need to give the ball 30-35 times to beat the likes of MSU, Michigan, win the Big Ten Championship, and if he's going to make a run into the playoffs.  So... I do truly believe that Meyer is conserving Zeke.

I think it's obvious too looking at the Box Score - Zeke's carries by week

Week 1 vs Va Tech 11 carries

Week 2 vs Hawaii 27 carries

Week 3 vs N.Illinois 23 carries

Week 4 vs W.Michigan 16 carries

Week 5 vs Indiana 23 carries

Week 6 vs Maryland 21 carries

Week 7 vs Penn St 27 carries

I'm not with you on the mad hatter trick punt nor am I with you on rushing 3 or 4.  1) we have Johnston and he's been back to lights out again after a shakey start at the beginning of the year.  2) I'm a big fan of blitzing and bringing different looks (blitzes from different areas).  Yeah Bosa, Washington, and Lewis can all get to the QB... but our 4th guy (Schutt) is worthless.  Plus, I haven't been too happy with our safeties (namely Vonn Bell) so I don't really trust our secondary to make a play.  I think we need to keep bringing pressure.  We're such a different/better team, IMO, when we do.

I agree tackling - especially, or maybe even namely, in the secondary - has been horrific.  Unfortunately, this is something you have to know/settle with when you're getting Meyer.  Meyer has traditionally never had good tackling defenses - especially in the secondary.  I honestly believe this is attributed to the style of players he recruits.  Meyer's not recruiting the fundamental kids; Meyer's recruiting the pure, raw athletic kids.  Meyer wants the DB who's 6'0" and runs a 4.4 and will fly to the ball and hit you.  Meyer doesn't recruit the 5'10, 5'11" guy that's all heart and makes the sure-thing play.  Look at Vonn Bell... the guy is IMPACT or BUST; absolutely no in-between.  He's either going to make a pick for you or going to jar you hard enough to pop the ball out.  He's not going to breakup the pass or tackle you by the shoe-laces.  Very frustrating at times, but you just gotta know that's what you're getting when you get Meyer.

2015 - Week 5 Recap - Ohio State vs. Indiana

​Sorry this is getting out late.  I was swamped at work yesterday.

The offense of playcalling isn't the problem; the problem is the players aren't executing. There were a couple play calls I absolutely hated, however. Example: on a 3rd down play, they run a screen flare and had 0 other options. I'm sorry, but on a 'final down' play, you have to have more than 1 option.

In my opinion, Vonn Bell has had a terrible season. Sure he's better than average, but in my opinion - at least for this season - he has not played up to the hype. Another example is the careless mistake with the football at the goal line on that punt where Johnston beautiful dropped it at the 1 yard line. (Side note: Johnston has been awful this year as well). I will not be surprised when Bell is out of the NFL after 3 seasons. Way overhyped.

With Gareon Conley now out, we're going to find out just how serious Damon Webb's suspension truly is. If he's back next week, what's that tell ya?

Stu was right... Lewis had a monster game. He was everywhere.

This is not a "tough" team. In my opinion, this is a very soft team right not. Idk if it's a hangover from last season's championships, but at this very moment this is NOT a "tough" team.

Ohio State will lose to Michigan State if they don't figure something out fast. We're struggled to move the ball all season against poor defenses, and Michigan State has one of the better ones. How anyone thinks we're going to move the ball on them right now is beyond me. Aside from the Virginia Tech game, we've done absolutely nothing to prove otherwise.

I am sick and tired of waking up every Saturday and watching an anemic offense. Figure this shit out and right the ship NOW.

Indiana's Cobbs dropped two passes that easily would have moved the chains. I think the 1 still ended with an IU touchdown (so it didn't matter), but the 2nd one resulted in IU having to punt when the game was still 10-3 IU.

Unbelievable. Jalin Marshall coughs up the ball after Jones works magic to keep the play alive and find Marshall for a huge gain. Again... This team just is not mentally disciplined this year. Smh.

Wow... Joe Berger with a HUGE stop on reading the fake punt, recognizing the play... Tracking the punter down (reading the angle)... And making the play. Very nice to see from a lesser-known LB.

Lol. Zeke with another hurdle.

Would have loved to have seen Michael Thomas reel in that 1 hander on the end zone. That would have been impressive. (Same for Marshall a play later).

Wow... After holding IU and getting fantastic field position, OSU is only able to come away with 3 pts?! Are you kidding me?!?!

Hate IU's decision there w 3 min left in the 1st half to eat the delay of game penalty and NOT go for it on 4th and 2. If IU's coach is saying he wants to be aggressive this game, then what was THAT all about?!

Terrible penalty call on Braxton Miller on Zeke's touchdown reception. That was NOT a cut block.

Cardale Jones cannot be audible-ing the play there on 3rd and 19 before the end of the half. There's 8 seconds on the play clock and Jones walks up to the LoS to audible the play. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! And then because of that, the center has to snap the ball to avoid the delay of game, and Jones isn't ready to receive the snap. Cmon guys!

Unreal. Willoughby off the right upright. Smh. The snap was kinda high but Johnson was able to get it down. I wonder how much that really affected the kick.

Jack Willoughby needs to shave those armpits. They look like a hairy vagina.

OSU's first drive in the 2nd half. Cardale scrambles on 3rd and 5 and the refs marked him just shy of the first. Cardale's knees never actually touched the ground. He landed on top of the defender and scooted forward and it should have been a first. Huge error on the officials (and Ohio State's coaches) part.

OSU holds IU 3 and out on IU's 2nd drive of the 2nd half. Big.

Shame on the ref who throws the flag on the "block in the back" return. The ref was 15 yards away from the play!!!

LOVE Dontre Wilson SPRINTING DESPERATELY down the field on Zeke's 55 yard TD run to get a block for him. Wilson was 5 yards behind Zeke and he sprinted out ahead of Zeke to pickup a key block downfield that sprung Zeke into the end zone. What an effort play. I hope Wilson gets the deserved praise for this play/hustle.

I think the coaching staff is intentionally trying NOT to give Zeke the ball, because I think the thought is... They need to save Zeke cuz they're gonna have to feed him 30x vs MSU and 25-30x vs Michigan and likely 30+ in the playoffs.

Shame on IU's fans for tapping out with 9min to go in the 3rd Q and only down 3 pts (13-10).

Wow. Ohio State catches a huge break with Sudfeld on the sideline here to start IU's 3rd (?) possession of the 2nd half. If Sudfeld can't go, that's the game.

Terrible pick there by Cardale. Can't have that you're moving the ball. You're in the Redzone. Gotta be smart / take care of the football. Jones never saw the LB the entire time. Granted it was a nice move by the LB, Jones has to do a better job of scanning the field and pickup that Linebacker.

Cobbs pushes off! How was that not offensive PI?!?! You gotta throw the flag there!

IU's Howard has a lot of heart. That kid has gritted it out now 3x. Wow.

IU's crowd now back in it at 17-13 IU.

Feel for Smith. Likely broken leg. He looked terrible shaken up.

Terrible spot on Thomas's 3rd down reception.

LOVE Zeke pulling away from the defenders on a 65 yard romp on 4th and inches. Elflein with a nice seal block. #BallDontLie

Feed Zeke more. Feed Zeke more.



Shame for IU Sudfeld can't go. The game is/was pretty much over as soon as Sudfeld came off the field. 5 3 & outs in the last 6 possessions. Proof is in the puddin

Unbelievable. Marshall with his 2nd fumble of the day. Secure the football! Meyer better have this guy running wind sprints.

The IU player that recovered the ball stepped out of bounds and was the first player to touch the ball. How in the world this play was not overturned in Ohio State's favor is beyond me. What are the Ohio State coaches in the booth watching? Why was that not challenged?

Omg. Tyvis ... You have to catch that INT. That was too big of a moment / would have been too big of a play to not "WIN" that play.

Ezekiel Elliott with another "GOOD LORD" moment. I LOVE how Thomas has the wheels to outrun the defense.

IU's Diamont looks like a college Johnny Manziel. Out runs Hubbard. Powell took a terrible angle. Lee gets sealed. Lord knows whatever the hell Bell was doing.

Johnston needs to sell the running into the kicker there. It looked like he pulled up to avoid contact. Take the hit!

Unbelievable. Bell misses a wide open tackle, because of that miss, Lee comes flying in and gets a 15 yard face mask automatic 1st down. Make the damn play Bell!

Washington comes up huge to get a holding call, and then Apple comes back with a terrible PI call.

Apple getting torched on the final drive.

Lol. Bell making a HUGE pass breakup just as Ulysses called it, after having a horrendous game.

Bottom line is... this team has some real issues.  They're not executing, and the play-calling could most definitely be better.  Injuries at WR are starting to pile-up, and suddenly one of the most deepest teams in the country is quickly becoming one of the most depleted teams in the country.  I still have faith Meyer will get this all sorted out, but Buckeye fans need to start bracing themselves for 1 of 2 things:

(1) a 1 loss season (Michigan State) + getting smoked in a bowl game

(2) a 2 loss season (Michigan State + PSU/Minnesota/Michigan) and out of the playoffs

I certainly don't want this to be 'Overreaction Monday', but the simple matter of the fact is... this team is NOT where they should be this late into the season.