Thoughts on the Ohio State Game

[JPhillips]

Ohio State looked good last night, not great, but good. The defense looks dominant already. The d-line in particular was very impressive. Washington couldn't get any run game going and lost yards on last least two third and short running plays. I know Washington isn't Michigan, but I think the run defense will be the team strength all year.

The pass defense was also very good. Williams caught ten balls and the QB threw for 250, but that is mostly due to the total abandonment of the run in the second half. OSU kept getting the QB early in the play. The d-line was able to beat the o-line almost at will. I can't recall more than a couple of plays where the qb looked comfortable. OSU controlled the pass game in general and Williams in particular. This sure didn't look like a team that passed for 4500 yards last year.

The offense has me a little concerned. Sure the two tbs gained over a hundred yards, but the under 4/ypc just isn't enough. This Washington team just doesn't have that good of a defense. The Bucks really need Clarett and his 5.6/ypc. When they have to face the tough defenses of the Big-10, mostly on the road, the run game has to be better.

The pass game looks good and far more open than last year. I like Carter at #2 with Gamble only occasionally in the slot. Three wide with Jenkins, Carter and Gamble leaves the defense with tough choices. I see a lot more passing this year.

Of course the key to the season will be Krenzel. If he goes down they are done. He is one of the most calm leaders I have seen on the football field. He is always looking to gain yards, but he hardly ever makes a bad decision. Zwick can't do half of the things Krenzel can.

If Krenzel stays healthy and Clarett comes back I think they have a shot at a repeat. Without Clarett or Krenzel I can't see them getting through the Big-10 without a loss. With five home games in a row and no real competition until Wisconsin, the should easily be 6-0. It will take a lot of luck, but Tressel could run off another 13 wins.

[korme]

I wasn't watching the game at 100%, but from what I saw, we looked pretty good. Washington had me worried going into the game too, but we prevailed.

Against most teams, Lydell Ross and Maurice Hall (both juniors) are going to do just fine. But it is a game like Michigan that we will really need Mr. Clarett.

[HeavyReign]

I wouldn't feel any satisfaction for stopping Washington from running the ball. They couldn't do it last year and they looked very similar last night. They could barely run on teams like Idaho last year.

I do think the Washington defense won't be that bad this year though. The run defense will be alright. They did hold OSU to a low enough ypc but once OSU had a big enough lead, there wasn't a lot of mystery about whether they would run or pass. The bigger problem is when they try to play zone on pass plays. Whenever they try it, it seems like someone always ends up open by 5-10 yards. When they play man the pass defense looks much better.

As a Washington fan, my main disappointment is that the team came out flat again in the first half. This has been a regular occurance the last several years. The staff has been good at making adjustments at halftime that usually allow the team to get back in the game but it is tough to do against a championship caliber team. If they come out like this against USC, it could get ugly as well.