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Chick Ludwig covers the Cincinnati Bengals. He also writes about his other passions: college football, basketball and golf.Home > Blogs > Chick Ludwig At Large > Archives > 2009 > January > 06 > Entry
Ohio State’s defense takes a siesta in the Fiesta as Buckeyes fall to Texas, 24-21
BUT THE OFFENSE
DIDN’T HELP WITH
SLOW STARTS IN
1ST, 3RD QUARTERS
Here’s my take on Ohio State-Texas:
• Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel needs to call defensive coordinator Jim Heacock into his office and say, “Jimmy, thanks for the memories. Your defense helped us win at least a share of four Big Ten titles since 2002. But Monday night’s performance was unacceptable. You’re fired.”
• The Buckeyes scored the go-ahead touchdown too early. Down 17-15, all they needed was a field goal. I was hoping Daniel Herron would fall down at the 5-yard line and force Texas to use its final two time-outs. Ryan Pretorius would’ve kicked the winning chip-shot field goal with less than a minute to go. Buckeyes win, 18-17. Instead, Herron scored from 15-yards out with 2:05 remaining, giving Colt McCoy plenty of time to engineer the winning drive.
• Why wasn’t OSU cornerback Malcolm Jenkins assigned to cover Texas wideout Quan Cosby, who had 14 catches for 171 yards and 2 TDs? Jenkins stayed on one side of the field and the ‘Horns refused to throw his way. Heacock wasted Jenkins’ talent by not sticking him on Cosby.
• Texas’ hurry-up offense confused and abused the Buckeyes, who weren’t ready for it. The ‘Horns sliced through the Buckeyes’ slow-footed defense like a knife through hot butter.
• Red-zone defense Rule No. 1. Never ever ever ever ever let a receiver get past your last line of defense. The Buckeyes blitzed and McCoy played an easy game of pitch & catch with Cosby on a 26-yard TD pass with 0:16 remaining. Where was the safety help protecting the goal line and end zone? Nowhere to be found. Texas went 78 yards in 11 plays in 1 minute, 49 seconds. Easy, peasy, Japanesey.
• Gotta love the ‘Horns’ aggressiveness. They converted 3 of 4 fourth-down situations into first downs. They were in “four-down” mode the entire second half. All the gambling paid off.
• Texas exploited the Buckeyes’ weakness — the back end of the defense. McCoy completed an unbelievable 41 of 59 passes for 414 yards and two TDs. His only mistake was a goal-line interception that preserved OSU’s 6-3 halftime lead.
• How in the world do you rush for 203 yards, not turn the ball over and lose? You commit too many stupid penalties, get shutout in the third quarter with a pair of quick three-and-outs, and leave a weary defense on the field for too long so it can get cut up by a Longhorn gunslinger.
• Todd Boeckman will make a fine NFL quarterback because he’s a pocket passer and a great leader with a strong arm, good brain and excellent poise.
• Chris “Beanie” Wells is a fraud. The NFL team that drafts him is in for a lot of headaches because he disappears in big games. The old saying, “You can’t help the club when you’re in the tub,” fits him perfectly.
COMPLETE BOX SCORE AT:
http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/gameTrax?gameId=200901050083
Permalink | Comments (19) | Post your comment | Categories: College football
Comments
By Wildcat
January 6, 2009 12:46 PM | Link to this
Ohio State football is dated and boring. At least this one wasn’t another SEC whuppin.By Derrick
January 6, 2009 1:29 PM | Link to this
Just another big disappointment in a very long line of disappointments. They need a bigtime defensive coach now.By PaulyOH
January 6, 2009 1:36 PM | Link to this
Chick, you can’t blame OSU for scoring too fast at the end. You take the TD when you can get it. It also forced Texas to have to go for a TD rather than a FG. And quit with the Todd Boeckman love. He’s terrible. A statue. On that last possession with 16 seconds left and Texas in a prevent, Pryor should have been in at QB and he could have scrambled upfield 20 yards to set up a FG or closer shot at the end zone. Boeckman got sacked on a 3-man rush! The QB play, first with Boeckman, and then with an inexperienced Pryor forced into service, is what held back the Buckeyes the last two seasons.By I Heart Woody
January 6, 2009 1:38 PM | Link to this
Texas sucks! I can’t wait until next season when THE Ohio State takes on a brutal opener against Chillicothe Tech and wins by kicking 13 field goals, while shutting out these “so called” intermural champions from this junior college south of C-Bus! GO BUCKS! We rock the little guys!By PaulyOH
January 6, 2009 1:42 PM | Link to this
The defense was fine. They were gassed after being on the field for the entire third quarter because the offense took a nap. What Tressel needs to do is hire a new offensive coordinator AND turn over the play-calling to him. Again, thank God Boeckman is gone. Pity the sucker NFL team that drafts him…if he even gets drafted.By rb_spartan
January 6, 2009 2:17 PM | Link to this
I disagree with PaulyOH and agree with Chick on Boeckman. Have you seen a worse passer than Pryor?He throws like a girl.(not that there’s anything wrong with that). If Pryor’s strength is his running, and Boeckman is a better “quarterback” with poise in the pocket and brains, then why not put Pryor in the backfield and as a slot receiver to get the ball in his hands, and let Boeckman throw and run the whole show. You take advantage of both their strengths. Could have done that all season.By Ted
January 6, 2009 2:41 PM | Link to this
Boeckman’s “good brain” betrayed him in the first play from scrimmage after the final Texas score. The situation’s desperate, and he can’t take the sack, gotta throw the ball. But he ate it. And Beanie disappears in big games? Really? Wonder what the Wolverines would say to that, once they catch their breath from chasing him into the end zone year after year.By PaulyOH
January 6, 2009 4:31 PM | Link to this
Boeckman is also 5 years older than Pryor. I would hope he would have more “poise.” As for “brains,” I see no evidence that Boeckman has more “brains” than Pryor. Oh. Wait. Boeckman’s white. He MUST have more “brains,” right? Whatever. And I have seen worse passers than Pryor…Steve Bellisari, Vince Young, Kirk Herbstreit just off the top of my head. It’s not like Boeckman was some great passer last night either. His one long pass was completed only because Robiskie made an incredible diving catch.By mpdmason
January 6, 2009 6:22 PM | Link to this
And you would keep the offensive coordinator?By chuck
January 6, 2009 7:42 PM | Link to this
PaulyOH, Pryor is the worst passer in college football. You can say he is a freshman, but he starts for OSU, and he could not win a game unless he is able to run. He would have been amazing playing for Barry Switzer at Oklahoma in 1985. If OSU ran the bone he would be their guy, but they do not and he could not throw a 5 yard pass to a wide open receiver.By Homer Simpson
January 6, 2009 8:21 PM | Link to this
I agree with Chuck. Pryor has no arm at all. If he is not moved to flanker or WR I will be surprised, and it will be a long 3 years. Great player, but not a QB in this offense. They need somebody that can throw the ball. Actually, he throws like he is hurt. Could that be?By PaulyOH
January 6, 2009 9:39 PM | Link to this
Pryor is not the worst passer in college football. Did ya see Nick Sheridan at Michigan? The thing about Pryor that I’ve noticed is that he seems very tentative when he’s throwing, like he’s thinking too much…aiming rather than just letting it fly. But regardless of his passing issues right now, Pryor still gave OSU a better chance to win than 5th-year statue Boeckman.By Brett Barnes
January 6, 2009 10:56 PM | Link to this
You are ridiculous. The defense gives up 24 to a team that averages well over 40, and you blame them? The offense lost the game. and Beanie (who is a wuss)had a concussion and was not able to play because of doctors precautions, so this time you are wrong about him also. Catch a clue. Give me a loss in a BCS game every year with ten wins and a win over Michigan. National championships come once every 34 years 1968, 2002, 2036. Spoiled Buckeye fans.By OSU fan
January 7, 2009 1:38 AM | Link to this
This is actually the best game Heacock called in a number of years. Pryors throwing was off due to an injured shoulder. OSU was a big under dog with no shot of winning. If OSU is able to captalize on 2 possible int’s gameover all is well.By photoman
January 7, 2009 6:32 AM | Link to this
Chris “Beanie” Wells probably thinks he will be drafted by the Bengals, so he is getting ready for their IR list.By jb
January 7, 2009 11:17 AM | Link to this
Re your points: 1. Tressel should fire himself as the OC play caller, Heacock did a fine job. 2. Take the points when you can get it. 3. Don’t know. 4. Agreed. 5. Agreed. 6. OSU should’ve done the same. 7. Colt was able to exploit because he was the best passer in that game, by no small margin. 8. Agreed. 9. Totally disagree with you on Boeckman (weak arm, made poor choices [throw it away!]) 10. Wells will be what he is now, an underacheiver.By Derrick
January 7, 2009 1:12 PM | Link to this
Pryor seems to throw a lob pass in every situation. This allows the coverage to close on the receiver while the ball is in its parabolic trajectory somewhere overhead. If he isn’t teamed up with a passing coach and throwing everyday until soring practice starts, he will not be any better at passing than he is now. I, too, have often thought that Tressel could have used both QBs better than he did all season. Also, I get the impression that Pryor may not the sharpest tack in the box, why else would he step out of bounds before crossing the first down marker or several yards before he would be tackled? I am also certain someone with football knowledge will explain this to me.By Rick "Fireball" Roberts
January 7, 2009 2:11 PM | Link to this
All in all, OSU wins this game if all the linebackers blitz or none of them blitz and go into zone cover instead of being caught within 5 yards of los.I agree with you on defense; half time should have taken care of prep for hurry up. This is the 3d bowl game the defensive calls & prep & adjustments have choked.By bill
January 8, 2009 8:08 AM | Link to this
Why not move Pryor to wide receiver? He definetly is not a quarterback!