Football
The-Ozone Note and Quotebook
By John Porentas
It Just Worked: OSU's first touchdown of the game against Northwestern, a 42 yard pass from Todd Boeckman to Brian Robiskie, came on a call that was part of the OSU game plan. The Buckeyes thought the Wildcats would bite on a play action fake, so ran a play action pass that resulted in a touchdown. The problem was that the Wildcats didn't really do what the Buckeyes expected on the play.
"The first one we thought the safety was going to come up and bite the fake, but he never did, so Robo just ran by him," explained Boeckman.
"I saw he was even with him. Once Robo is even with him I'm going to get him the ball," Boeckman said.
Todd Boeckman Northwestern Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald was impressed by the play.
"I thought we had a good call on and obviously we didn't execute the call and it was just pitch and catch," said Fitzgerald.
"I give Ohio State credit; good protection, good throw, the throw was right on the money. The two gentlemen went out and made a play."
The first TD, which came at the 13:50 mark of the first quarter, opened the floodgates. The rest of the day was simply a matter of the OSU offense victimizing an overmatched Northwestern defense.
"The other ones we were just taking what the defense was giving us. If they're going to give us that long ball we're going to take it," Boeckman said.
Zoom!: Through the first three games of the season the Buckeye offense has gotten off to a slow start. That was anything but true against Northwestern. OSU had 21 points on the board with over seven minutes left to be played in the first quarter. The Buckeyes said after the game that it was no accident that they got off to such a fast start.
"These last three weeks we didn't come out as long as we'd like to. Today we had a great game plan put together. We came out strong and hit a lot of throws and runs. It was nice to come out like this," said Todd Boeckman.
The Buckeyes enjoyed the fast start, but it was murder for the Wildcats. Pat Fitzgerald was left wondering what to do next on the Northwestern sideline.
"We were down 21-0 and you don't have a call sheet that says 'Hey, let come back from 21-0 with about 11 minutes remaining in the first quarter," lamented Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald opted to have the Wildcats simply stick with what they were doing, a strategy that didn't exactly work out the greatest.
"We kept staying with the plan, trying to execute the plan and going three and out," he said.
Fitzgerald didn't know it, but he had a hand in motivating the Buckeyes to their fast start.
Kirk Barton "We've got to thank our video department because they put together a good little reel of audio clips from their coach," said OSU offensive tackle Kirk Barton.
"Then a video clip of the '04 game he they stormed the field on us at their place. So we had plenty of motivation and when you get called out, it's good to respond like this."
Every Phase: The Buckeyes were dominant in every phase of the game against the Wildcats, and that included special teams despite the fact that the kickoff return coverage team allowed a 99 yard return for touchdown. The Buckeyes outkicked the wildcats, blocked a kick, and with the exception of the play that went all the way, their kickoff coverage was exceptional. The Wildcats had miserable field position all day and the Buckeyes worked with a short field all day with predictable results, and much of that was due to dominance on special teams.
One of the players who stood out on special teams was freshman linebacker Brian Rolle who had a big hit on kickoff coverage and another big hit with a block on a punt return. Rolle said his physical plays were all in a days work.
"My expectations are to make plays. That's something I've been doing. I've got to get a little better at some things that I'm not doing perfect but that's something expected of all special teams players. We've got to make plays," said Rolle.
Rolle said that in his case, getting that first big hit in a game often leads to another, and then another.
"It just sets that standard for me to do it again. I kind of think 'If I got a big hit this time what's to stop me from going out and doing it next time?' It's what expected of you, I'm expected to make big hits so I'm going to try and do my best at what I have to do," he said.
Anderson Russell Rolle's big plays also fired up the rest of the Buckeyes. Big hits always catch the eye of onlookers, even those who are on the squad.
"Especially when we see guys on special teams flying around and knocking people out, it definitely gets us worked up on defense," said safety Anderson Russell.
"The biggest hit I saw today was Brian Rolle when he hit that guy on a punt. He knocked that guy out.
"We all got really psyched up on the sideline."
For the game OSU outgained Northwestern 396 yards to 120. The Buckeyes turned the ball over twice, once on a fumble and once on an interception, while Northwestern suffered one fumble lost and two interceptions.
The output of the OSU offense was visible on the scoreboard, but it was the OSU defense that really lit up the Wildcats. They beat the Wildcats like a drum, both literally and figuratively. The Buckeye defense delivered dozens of big hits in the game and was relentless and disruptive, something that brought a smile to the face of defensive coordinator Jim Heacock.
"I felt we got better today. I really did. I thought we attacked a little bit better, I thought we got after the quarterback a little bit better. The whole emphasis right now is to be aggressive, be attacking and hopefully we get a little better every game," said Heacock.
The OSU front seven had a great day limiting Northwestern to no yards rushing, registering four sacks, a fumble recovery and a touchdown. Defensive back Anderson Russell also recorded a sack. According to Heacock, the big day by the front seven was made largely possible by OSU corners Malcolm Jenkins and Donald Washington.
"When you want to blitz, when you want to get after people and be a little bit more aggressive you have to look out there and see who your corners are, and I think Donald Washington and Malcolm have done a good job, and Chimdi has come in," said Heacock.
"Those guys, you can say what you want to, but you have a little bit more flexibility if you have guys who can play man. If you don't have guys who can play man you don't have that flexibility, so I give them a lot of credit. I think it's a nice team concept.
"We're all playing together as a team and we don't have a bunch of prima donnas or a bunch of guys looking for credit."
Looks Minor: OSU starting tailback Beanie Wells left the game at the end of the third quarter with what he described as a minor ankle injury, but one that does bother him particularly when he cuts. Wells said his injury occurred on the first play of the third quarter when his left ankle got rolled, but he was able to continue playing on it.
Beanie Wells "I'll be fine," said Wells.
Wells' said the plan for his ankle is a simple one.
"Ice and do a lot of rehab," he said. "I iced it a lot." (during the third quarter)
"I was told that Beanie was fine, but I decided not to put him back in, and I think he rolled it or whatever it happened to be, so he decided to put ice on it and call it a day, and we didn't really need him to go back in there," said OSU Head Coach Jim Tressel.
"I thought Mo Wells did some good things. Brandon Saine, I would expect maybe to miss one more game and Marcus Williams is a guy that we decided to play Marcus rather than take the red shirt off Danny Herron, but we think, if there ever comes that moment where the situation calls for it, that Danny Herron can be a contributor as well."
Depth Chart: OSU offensive lineman Kyle Mitchum returned to action this week after sitting out the early season rehabbing from an injury. Mitchum actually got into the game against Northwestern.
Kyle Mitchum "Monday he was back. We need to start getting him in little by little," said offensive coordinator Jim Bollman.
Mitchum's return will bring welcome depth to the offensive line depth chart.
Another position where there might be a change taking place on the depth chart is quarterback. Robbie Schoenhoft has been the backup to Todd Boeckman thus far this season, but against Northwestern Antonio Henton definitely got more playing time. Reporters asked Bollman if that was indicative of a change in the situation at the backup spot. Bollman was a little evasive.
"You never know how a season is going to progress. Chances are you're going to have to play with one of those guys (backups) in a game," said Bollman.
"We've been very fortunate that haven't had to do that very often, and that could happen, so you have to try to get them both some action and see who's ready to go, what you can do with both of them, and not necessarily who's ready to go but what they can do," Bollman said.
There is no question in Bollman's mind, however, who the number one guy is. Bollman likes what he is seeing in Todd Boeckman.
"I think he's doing a good job growing in his role," said Bollman.
"That's a hard spot. To be the quarterback at Ohio State University, that's a tough job, and I think each week he's handling that job a little bit better.
" Every week you're looking at what could have happened, what kind of decisions the guy made, which is still the most important deal, what kind of decisions the guy makes, and I see more and more good decisions."
Return to the-OZone Front Page
(c) 2007 The O-Zone, O-Zone
Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, rebroadcast,rewritten, or redistributed.