Football
10 Things We Learned from Overwhelming an Underwhelming NMSU Team
By Brandon CastelCOLUMBUS, Ohio – It wasn’t much of a game Saturday as New Mexico State showed up and took a beatdown from the Buckeyes in exchange for a quarter-of-a-million dollars at Ohio Stadium.
While most players agreed it was better than a bye week, it hardly seems like a fair exchange for Gene Smith to write them a check for the level of football we saw from the Aggies. That wasn’t even a tune-up out there, it was a glorified walkthrough with tackling dummies and blocking sleds.
Despite the lopsidedness of Ohio State’s 45-0 win, there were still things to be learned as we turn the page on the month of October.
10. New Mexico State is who we thought they were. Give the Ohio State coaches and players credit for making this week about themselves and about getting better for the upcoming stretch run because it would have been awfully hard to take this New Mexico State team seriously. Statistically, their offense was the worst in the country and yet OSU’s defense made them look even worse. They came in wanting to run the football and finished with 40 yards on 30 attempts. I can’t remember seeing a team that had only two penalties and three turnovers look that anemic offensively. The Buckeyes had their backups in most of the second half and NMSU still couldn’t manage a single first down.
9. “November to Remember” could end with a very forgettable game in Ann Arbor. It’s being called one of the toughest three-game stretches Ohio State has faced in the Big Ten under Head Coach Jim Tressel, but it’s looking more and more like a two-game schedule with a unofficial forfeit coming from archrival Michigan. The Wolverines were supposed to be back in year two under Rich Rodriguez after their 4-0 start, but the last five weeks have been an absolute disaster for the Maize and Blue. Since rallying to beat Indiana, the Wolverines are 1-4 with their only win coming over Delaware State. Things hit a season-low (the program-low was the loss to Appalachian State) Saturday with a 38-13 loss to previously 1-6 Illinois. After taking a 13-7 lead into halftime, UM allowed 31 unanswered points in the second half of an embarrassing display of quit. The defense is atrocious and if things don’t turnaround quick, the Buckeyes could blast Rodriguez right out of a job.
8.Opposing teams have taken notice of Jermil Martin. He carried the ball only three times for 11 yards Saturday, but it’s clear opposing coaches have taken notice of the 240-pound tailback after his 7-carry, 75-yard performance against Minnesota last week.
“I’m glad that didn’t pound that big guy at us, that No. 41. Boy, he’s a load. He’s gonna be a great player,” said first-year New Mexico State Head Coach DeWayne Walker, who coached the defense at UCLA last season.
7. Brandon Saine was not himself. Jump off the Brandon Saine train if you like, but there’s no question he was not himself Saturday after leaving the game last week with a concussion. Two weeks ago I wrote that Saine was Ohio State’s best player on offense and I’m not going to back down from that just because he ran for only 13 yards on seven carries against NMSU. When healthy, Saine was averaging 5.3 yards per carry, so it’s only fitting he would score his first touchdown of the season in a game where he averaged less than two yards per carry. Some of the blame has to go to the blocking, but Saine definitely looked hesitant and didn’t seem to run with as much power and determination as we have seen from him this season.
6. Jordan Hall is impressively reliable for a freshman. With Saine struggling, it opened the door for freshman Jordan Hall and all he did was rush for a game-high 90 yards on 10 carries. You have to be impressed with how much power he generates from his little body, but also with his reliability as a freshman. He is quick to the hole with very little wasted motion. He’s tough with good vision and doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. He doesn’t fumble the ball, doesn’t go the wrong way on handoffs or miss protection assignments, all things you might expect to see from a true freshman.
5. DeVier Posey is left-handed. Who knew? And more importantly, who knew Posey had a cannon? Of all the trick plays Tressel could have pulled Saturday, few would have expected the double-reverse pass, and even fewer had any inclination that Posey would deliver the kind of strike he threw to Dane Sanzenbacher for a touchdown. After the game, Posey credited the wind with helping his ball get to the end zone, but he also talked about being a quarterback all the way until high school.
4. Ohio State does have other receivers besides Posey. Along with his touchdown pass, Posey also led the Buckeyes in receiving (5 catches, 79 yards) for the third straight week. Unlike the last two, however, Posey was not Pryor’s only target. Five different players caught passes, including four receivers and a tight end. After disappearing in most of conference play, Sanzenbacher had a big day with four catches for 72 yards and freshman Duron Carter grabbed three balls for 82 yards.
3. The Buckeyes have serious issues on special teams. Watching his kickers and punters Saturday had to be a nightmare come to life for Tressel considering his obsession with special teams. Not only did starting kicker Aaron Pettrey go down with a knee injury after missing two 52-yard field goals (supposed to be his specialty), but backup Devin Barclay came on and missed two of his three attempts in the second half. To make matters worse, punter Jon Thoma averaged only 31.3 yards on his three punts. It looks like Pettrey could miss some time, possibly the season, but even if he is back out there next week, the Buckeyes have serious issues on special teams.
2. Terrelle Pryor is far-and-away the best QB on the roster. Remember all those people who called for Joe Bauserman after (or during) the Purdue game? We’ll let you off the hook because nobody really knew what to expect from Bauserman, but I think we can say Pryor’s job is safe. Bauserman played the entire second half, and while it was a tough spot for a guy who hasn’t played meaningful football in a long time, it’s clear he is not Steve Young waiting in the shadows of Joe Montana. Certainly I’m not comparing Pryor to Montana, but he may as well be as far as the quarterback situation is concerned at Ohio State. If they Buckeyes are going anywhere this year, they need Pryor to continue improving on what he has shown the last two weeks.
1. The left side of the offensive line continues to be a liability. With Justin Boren sidelined by a foot injury, senior Andrew Moses got the start at left guard Saturday and to say that he struggled would be an understatement. The former walk-on, who also served as the offensive captain, spent most of his day in the offensive backfield, and although Pryor was not sacked, he probably should have been two or three times. The Buckeyes should have Boren back for the Penn State game, but they will not have Mike Adams back, which means left tackle will continue to be a problem. It’s not that Adams was performing at an All-Big Ten level, but it became pretty clear Saturday that Jim Cordle just isn’t a left tackle. Maybe Andrew Miller can help settle the turmoil.
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