I said Ohio State was the best team in the nation

[Across The Field]

Does OSU have another game against a physical pro style offense prior to UM? I don't know their schedule, but would like to watch their defense again vs. that style of offense.

That style of offense is why I said to hold off on calling them better than last year's defense. You can shut down a spread offense with speed on defensive side of the ball. Last year's team could handle both styles of offense. Wisconsin showed this year's defense has a lot of work to get to that point.

Offensively -- I don't know how you could say they are more talented at the skill positions. JT Barrett has struggled throwing the ball and Weber/Samuel are a very good tandem, but Zeke was a combination of both players attributes combined in one player -- so much so, prior to the draft, they called him the closest they have seen to the perfect running back (elite speed, great hands, great at blitz pick ups)

I think down the road once you get this next recruiting class in, where you have what seems like a dozen 5 star recruits -- it could match last year's squad. But it'd be impossible to call this team more talented than last year's. If you truly feel that way -- which guys do you see as 1st round NFL picks?

They won't have another one on Wisconsin's level, no. I don't really think Wisconsin's offense showed anything for certain against us. They threw every sort of play at us that they could and still only wound up with 23 points. That's like trying to say michigan's defense can't handle a physical defense like Wisconsin's.

I think we have overall more talent this year, and they're playing with more cohesion than last year's team was at this point. Noah Brown is extremely talented (hence why he was going to start last year before his injury). Weber and Samuel are a great tandem, but yes, neither is Zeke. That said, having them both in the backfield is excellent for JT as opposed to just one guy. Also, Zeke wasn't as fast as Samuel. He is on another planet in terms of athleticism. Also, speaking of JT, he hasn't struggled throwing the ball outside of an extremely windy game against Indiana. Don't forget he dealt with 2-3 very bad drops against Wisconsin that if they were caught, would've meant a 300 yard/3 TD day for him.

On this team, I see 1st round potential in Weber (he's on pace to break the freshman total yards record at OSU), Elflein, Samuel, Hubbard, Bosa, Lewis, Hooker, Conley, McMillan, and possibly Baker. Obviously not all in 1 draft, but over the next 2-3 years.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Wrong... not only did I graduate from Ohio State in 2008 I was a D1 athlete there.

You aren't the best person to be advocating for the OSU brand. Doesn't shine a good light that you 'graduated from OSU', yet cannot comprehend the fact, like the people I was actually referring to -- you also are POSTING ON THIS SITE.

I don't care if you want to say you are Jim Tressel. I don't care if you want to say you are a D1 athlete. It is the internet -- you may as well tell us you are a millionaire and you are married to a super model. Fact is -- your opinion carries as much weight here as the next guy, no matter what story you drum up about yourself.

I don't think Across The Field went to OSU, but I have cordial conversations about UM and OSU, because he has intelligent responses and isn't just a blind homer.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Wrong... not only did I graduate from Ohio State in 2008 I was a D1 athlete there.

Volleyball?

 

[Across The Field]

You aren't the best person to be advocating for the OSU brand. Doesn't shine a good light that you 'graduated from OSU', yet cannot comprehend the fact, like the people I was actually referring to -- you also are POSTING ON THIS SITE.

I don't care if you want to say you are Jim Tressel. I don't care if you want to say you are a D1 athlete. It is the internet -- you may as well tell us you are a millionaire and you are married to a super model. Fact is -- your opinion carries as much weight here as the next guy, no matter what story you drum up about yourself.

I don't think Across The Field went to OSU, but I have cordial conversations about UM and OSU, because he has intelligent responses and isn't just a blind homer.

I'm a proud alum, muffucca.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

They won't have another one on Wisconsin's level, no. I don't really think Wisconsin's offense showed anything for certain against us. They threw every sort of play at us that they could and still only wound up with 23 points. That's like trying to say michigan's defense can't handle a physical defense like Wisconsin's.

I think we have overall more talent this year, and they're playing with more cohesion than last year's team was at this point. Noah Brown is extremely talented (hence why he was going to start last year before his injury). Weber and Samuel are a great tandem, but yes, neither is Zeke. That said, having them both in the backfield is excellent for JT as opposed to just one guy. Also, Zeke wasn't as fast as Samuel. He is on another planet in terms of athleticism. Also, speaking of JT, he hasn't struggled throwing the ball outside of an extremely windy game against Indiana. Don't forget he dealt with 2-3 very bad drops against Wisconsin that if they were caught, would've meant a 300 yard/3 TD day for him.

On this team, I see 1st round potential in Weber (he's on pace to break the freshman total yards record at OSU), Elflein, Samuel, Hubbard, Bosa, Lewis, Hooker, Conley, McMillan, and possibly Baker. Obviously not all in 1 draft, but over the next 2-3 years.

Weber and Samuel. You got to see what happened when OSU faced teams who play defense. Weber went from putting up big numbers to 40-45 yards per game. He is a grinder, who will get the tough yards. He won't be a 1st round pick. He is a dime a dozen RB in the NFL.

Samuel is definitely athletic and I like him much more than Weber. His problem is his size. They list him as 199, which means he is closer to 190. And while you believe he is faster than Zeke -- his fastest 40 time they have for him is 4.36. Zeke's prior to the NFL draft was listed as 4.32. The combine brings out the truth and I'm guessing you will see him run the same as Zeke but 30 lbs lighter.

That's why I said -- you take the best from Samuel and the best in Weber, then add in some of the best hands and blitz pick ups in all of college last year and you have zeke.

This is another reason why I said I would have a hard time saying this year's team is more talented than last year's team.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

I'm a proud alum, muffucca.

i apologize. I didn't know, that has never been something we have discussed. I wish I could say the same about me and UM. Unfortunately, you need a damn near perfect GPA and huge ACT score to get in. I qualified with the ACT part, but no chance on the GPA.

 

[Across The Field]

Weber and Samuel. You got to see what happened when OSU faced teams who play defense. Weber went from putting up big numbers to 40-45 yards per game. He is a grinder, who will get the tough yards. He won't be a 1st round pick. He is a dime a dozen RB in the NFL.

Samuel is definitely athletic and I like him much more than Weber. His problem is his size. They list him as 199, which means he is closer to 190. And while you believe he is faster than Zeke -- his fastest 40 time they have for him is 4.36. Zeke's prior to the NFL draft was listed as 4.32. The combine brings out the truth and I'm guessing you will see him run the same as Zeke but 30 lbs lighter.

That's why I said -- you take the best from Samuel and the best in Weber, then add in some of the best hands and blitz pick ups in all of college last year and you have zeke.

This is another reason why I said I would have a hard time saying this year's team is more talented than last year's team.

I'm not saying Weber is as good as Zeke, but remember he's only 6 games into his career. Zeke's rushing stats in his first 6 games as a starter were: 44, 32, 65, 182, 139, and 69, and those were against Navy, Va Tech, Kent State, Cincinnati, Maryland and Rutgers. He didn't truly hit his stride until the second week of November of his RS Frosh year. While I don't necessarily think Weber is going to peel off 3 straight 200+ yard games to finish this season, he is definitely a very talented back. I think he's a better back than Hyde, and he went in the 2nd.

Samuel is a very different player than Zeke, as well. He is an elite weapon, one we were hoping Braxton would've been last year, and he's a true junior. If he keeps this up, he definitely has 1st round potential.

 

[Across The Field]

i apologize. I didn't know, that has never been something we have discussed. I wish I could say the same about me and UM. Unfortunately, you need a damn near perfect GPA and huge ACT score to get in. I qualified with the ACT part, but no chance on the GPA.

Ha, no worries. I don't think I've really brought that up often on this board. If I graduated HS in the last 3-5 years, I would've had the same problem at OSU. My ACT was great but my high school GPA was only like a 3.4.

 

[fishinabarrel]

Weber and Samuel. You got to see what happened when OSU faced teams who play defense. Weber went from putting up big numbers to 40-45 yards per game. He is a grinder, who will get the tough yards. He won't be a 1st round pick. He is a dime a dozen RB in the NFL.

Samuel is definitely athletic and I like him much more than Weber. His problem is his size. They list him as 199, which means he is closer to 190. And while you believe he is faster than Zeke -- his fastest 40 time they have for him is 4.36. Zeke's prior to the NFL draft was listed as 4.32. The combine brings out the truth and I'm guessing you will see him run the same as Zeke but 30 lbs lighter.

That's why I said -- you take the best from Samuel and the best in Weber, then add in some of the best hands and blitz pick ups in all of college last year and you have zeke.

This is another reason why I said I would have a hard time saying this year's team is more talented than last year's team.

Weber had a grand total of 11 carries against Wisconsin and a few of those were in short yardage situations. He wasn't exactly given the opportunity to put up big yards but still ended over 4 yards a carry

 

[fishinabarrel]

Weber had a grand total of 11 carries against Wisconsin and a few of those were in short yardage situations. He wasn't exactly given the opportunity to put up big yards but still ended over 4 yards a carry

Checked. Weber was give the ball on a 3rd and 2, two 4th and 1s, a 1st and goal from the 2, and the last play of the 4th quarter to run the time out. That's almost half his carries on very obvious run downs. I say he managed pretty damn well all things considered

 

[Across The Field]

Checked. Weber was give the ball on a 3rd and 2, two 4th and 1s, a 1st and goal from the 2, and the last play of the 4th quarter to run the time out. That's almost half his carries on very obvious run downs. I say he managed pretty damn well all things considered

Very excellent points. All things considered, he's had a fantastic season. I'll be really interested to see how he does at year's end against michigan and whomever we draw in the postseason.

 

[fishinabarrel]

Very excellent points. All things considered, he's had a fantastic season. I'll be really interested to see how he does at year's end against michigan and whomever we draw in the postseason.

By everything I've seen so far I think he is going to be very good. Only a redshirt freshman, he still has plenty of room to grow.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Ha, no worries. I don't think I've really brought that up often on this board. If I graduated HS in the last 3-5 years, I would've had the same problem at OSU. My ACT was great but my high school GPA was only like a 3.4.

Yeah -- I had a 3.1, but undergrads need to either be a scholarship athlete, or have a 3.85 or above GPA for UM. I screwed that up my first few years in HS, when I was more worried about having fun than my grades.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

I'm not saying Weber is as good as Zeke, but remember he's only 6 games into his career. Zeke's rushing stats in his first 6 games as a starter were: 44, 32, 65, 182, 139, and 69, and those were against Navy, Va Tech, Kent State, Cincinnati, Maryland and Rutgers. He didn't truly hit his stride until the second week of November of his RS Frosh year. While I don't necessarily think Weber is going to peel off 3 straight 200+ yard games to finish this season, he is definitely a very talented back. I think he's a better back than Hyde, and he went in the 2nd.

Samuel is a very different player than Zeke, as well. He is an elite weapon, one we were hoping Braxton would've been last year, and he's a true junior. If he keeps this up, he definitely has 1st round potential.

I suppose we shall see with Weber. He is someone who grew up playing about 10-15 minutes from my hometown. So I actually got to watch him play a few times in high school. I think he will be a very good back in OSU's offense, but unless he adopts Samuel's athleticism to go with his running style, he will be a guy who grinds out tough yards with the occasional 30+ yard run.

I think he will tear up soft defenses because of his tough running style, but think he will struggle against better defenses.

Samuel is a guy I think could be really special. If he can put some more size on him, without losing his explosion -- He could be a monster. He needs to add some weight though if he wants to be a RB at the next level, instead of a change of pace guy they bring in on 3rd down to catch balls out of the backfield. In college though -- he is a threat to take it to the house any time he touches the ball.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Checked. Weber was give the ball on a 3rd and 2, two 4th and 1s, a 1st and goal from the 2, and the last play of the 4th quarter to run the time out. That's almost half his carries on very obvious run downs. I say he managed pretty damn well all things considered

I think that tells you how the coaching staff views him. If you are in a dog fight with a very good Wisconsin team -- would you only be using a game changing RB in short yardage situations? If anything -- this tells me the OSU coaching staff see him along the lines I do -- A tough, gritty RB who will get you the tough yards.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

They won't have another one on Wisconsin's level, no. I don't really think Wisconsin's offense showed anything for certain against us. They threw every sort of play at us that they could and still only wound up with 23 points. That's like trying to say michigan's defense can't handle a physical defense like Wisconsin's.

I think we have overall more talent this year, and they're playing with more cohesion than last year's team was at this point. Noah Brown is extremely talented (hence why he was going to start last year before his injury). Weber and Samuel are a great tandem, but yes, neither is Zeke. That said, having them both in the backfield is excellent for JT as opposed to just one guy. Also, Zeke wasn't as fast as Samuel. He is on another planet in terms of athleticism. Also, speaking of JT, he hasn't struggled throwing the ball outside of an extremely windy game against Indiana. Don't forget he dealt with 2-3 very bad drops against Wisconsin that if they were caught, would've meant a 300 yard/3 TD day for him.

On this team, I see 1st round potential in Weber (he's on pace to break the freshman total yards record at OSU), Elflein, Samuel, Hubbard, Bosa, Lewis, Hooker, Conley, McMillan, and possibly Baker. Obviously not all in 1 draft, but over the next 2-3 years.

Darn -- I was hoping to see them against a pro style offense again. Maybe it is a good thing for UM that they don't face another one until UM, so they don't have more time to play against it. I know you are saying Wisconsin threw everything at them, but plays like the Jet Sweep and all the motion plays are standard plays in a pro style offense. UM runs a Jet Sweep 3-5 times a game. And players are motioning all over the place on each play. So Wisconsin wasn't doing anything special -- it was just a different offense OSU was facing than all the spread teams they faced.

I can agree with the more cohesion part of last year's team, as last year's team seemed to take games off and just go through the motion. I think the NFL draft should confirm the talent this year isn't close to last year, yet. Could it be in a few years? It could. When you have 5 players drafted in the 1st 20 picks of the NFL draft -- it is tough to say we are more talented now.

The Oklahoma win on the road looked tremendous at the beginning of the year, until we got to see Oklahoma isn't as good as everyone thought they would be. Wisconsin was a better win in my opinion, but it also showed the defense has work to do.

I still would take OSU over Michigan right now and probably would do the same, even if it were at Michigan. I just do not like our QB and I think OSU will be able to pressure him at times and he hasn't shown any consistency. I think it will be a good game, but I think JT Barrett will make enough plays to win. This is why i wanted to see OSU against another physical running team -- I was hoping to see if another team could run from the pro style on them. It'd give me hope that UM would be able to.

 

[Across The Field]

Darn -- I was hoping to see them against a pro style offense again. Maybe it is a good thing for UM that they don't face another one until UM, so they don't have more time to play against it. I know you are saying Wisconsin threw everything at them, but plays like the Jet Sweep and all the motion plays are standard plays in a pro style offense. UM runs a Jet Sweep 3-5 times a game. And players are motioning all over the place on each play. So Wisconsin wasn't doing anything special -- it was just a different offense OSU was facing than all the spread teams they faced.

I can agree with the more cohesion part of last year's team, as last year's team seemed to take games off and just go through the motion. I think the NFL draft should confirm the talent this year isn't close to last year, yet. Could it be in a few years? It could. When you have 5 players drafted in the 1st 20 picks of the NFL draft -- it is tough to say we are more talented now.

The Oklahoma win on the road looked tremendous at the beginning of the year, until we got to see Oklahoma isn't as good as everyone thought they would be. Wisconsin was a better win in my opinion, but it also showed the defense has work to do.

I still would take OSU over Michigan right now and probably would do the same, even if it were at Michigan. I just do not like our QB and I think OSU will be able to pressure him at times and he hasn't shown any consistency. I think it will be a good game, but I think JT Barrett will make enough plays to win. This is why i wanted to see OSU against another physical running team -- I was hoping to see if another team could run from the pro style on them. It'd give me hope that UM would be able to.

In all the years facing Wisconsin, I can't recall them running the jet sweep that often. It was such a huge part of their first half drives. Without them I don't think they are as successful. I'm glad we got to face Wisconsin to get a better idea of how to defend them if michigan is running them as often as you say.

I definitely see what you're saying about last year's draft. I guess I'm being optimistic. I just see so much speed and aggression from this defense, especially in the pass rush. They're also one of the most opportunistic defenses I can ever recall OSU having in terms of creating TDs themselves.

The Oklahoma win still is pretty impressive, given how we did against their high-powered offense. While it's not an elite win like we were hoping, it'll still likely end up being a road OOC ranked win when all is said and done, which I'm happy with. Plus it's not like they squeaked by; the owned that game from the start.

The Game this year has all the makings of another all-time great. Peppers' on offense frightens me, for sure. However I think if we can continuously rattle Speight we should have just enough on offense to take it. Either way, it definitely won't be 42-13 again.

 

[fishinabarrel]

I think that tells you how the coaching staff views him. If you are in a dog fight with a very good Wisconsin team -- would you only be using a game changing RB in short yardage situations? If anything -- this tells me the OSU coaching staff see him along the lines I do -- A tough, gritty RB who will get you the tough yards.

They must have felt the same way about Elliot last year against Michigan St. previous year when we had Braxton and Carlos Hyde. No, for whatever reason, Meyer can get vet basic and lean heavily on his QB in situations like that

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

In all the years facing Wisconsin, I can't recall them running the jet sweep that often. It was such a huge part of their first half drives. Without them I don't think they are as successful. I'm glad we got to face Wisconsin to get a better idea of how to defend them if michigan is running them as often as you say.

I definitely see what you're saying about last year's draft. I guess I'm being optimistic. I just see so much speed and aggression from this defense, especially in the pass rush. They're also one of the most opportunistic defenses I can ever recall OSU having in terms of creating TDs themselves.

The Oklahoma win still is pretty impressive, given how we did against their high-powered offense. While it's not an elite win like we were hoping, it'll still likely end up being a road OOC ranked win when all is said and done, which I'm happy with. Plus it's not like they squeaked by; the owned that game from the start.

The Game this year has all the makings of another all-time great. Peppers' on offense frightens me, for sure. However I think if we can continuously rattle Speight we should have just enough on offense to take it. Either way, it definitely won't be 42-13 again.

Yeah, the Jet Sweep is a standard play. I guessed on how many times UM has run it, but I just checked and they have run it 21 times with 4 different players -- Chesson and McDoom have the majority of those carries. Pro Style offenses use it to try and keep DE from crashing the ends. Gives them something else to think about, instead of just getting after the QB.

I agree, Oklahoma is still a great win. Even if they aren't as good as many thought. They still are REALLY tough to beat at home. I think OSU is right there with Clemson as the two teams behind Alabama. I just think they will need another year of experience to compete with them. Personally, even if UM were to beat OSU, I don't think they have enough offense to hang against Bama. Vegas seems to agree too. They put out early lines on possibly CFP matchups and OSU is a 7 point underdog to Bama. Louisville and Clemson are 7.5. Michigan is 8 and Washington is 12.

 

[Across The Field]

Yeah, the Jet Sweep is a standard play. I guessed on how many times UM has run it, but I just checked and they have run it 21 times with 4 different players -- Chesson and McDoom have the majority of those carries. Pro Style offenses use it to try and keep DE from crashing the ends. Gives them something else to think about, instead of just getting after the QB.

I agree, Oklahoma is still a great win. Even if they aren't as good as many thought. They still are REALLY tough to beat at home. I think OSU is right there with Clemson as the two teams behind Alabama. I just think they will need another year of experience to compete with them. Personally, even if UM were to beat OSU, I don't think they have enough offense to hang against Bama. Vegas seems to agree too. They put out early lines on possibly CFP matchups and OSU is a 7 point underdog to Bama. Louisville and Clemson are 7.5. Michigan is 8 and Washington is 12.

I don't agree on Clemson. Honestly, if the CFP started today, I'd say Bama, OSU, michigan and Washington should be the 4. Clemson has major holes on defense, and they didn't deserve to win the NC State game. Any D1 kicker worth a damn can hit a 33 yard FG from straight on. NC State lost that game, Clemson didn't win it. I think Bama, OSU, michigan and Washington would have no problem simply outscoring Clemson.

You might be right about being a year off. The Game is far from a guarantee either way. We still have 5 weeks for both teams to see what they've got. I think it's safe to say it is the game of the year in CFB though.