NFL Buckeyes (2017, Week 8)

Buckeye Nation is still riding on a high after the Silver Bullets pulled off a 15-point 4th quarter comeback against Penn State. Several former Buckeyes, now in the NFL, played as if they were inspired by the huge win.

Coming off arguably his best single game of his young NFL career, Ezekiel Elliott didn’t start so hot in a rivalry game against Washington. “Zeke” fumbled on the Cowboys opening drive that led to a Washington field goal. But like his alma mater, he had no trouble bouncing back. On the next possession he scored on a 13-yard touchdown run to put Dallas up 7-3. He finished the game with 150 rushing yards on 33 carries and one catch for 4 yards in Dallas’ 33-19 win.

Mike Nugent made his debut with the Cowboys making 4 of 5 field goals and connecting on all 3 of his extra point attempts. Terrelle Pryor was targeted once for Washington and finished with no catches.

Joey Bosa made 4 total tackles and a sack for the Los Angeles Chargers in their 13-21 loss to the New England Patriots. With his 8.5 sacks on the season Bosa now has the most sacks in NFL history through his first 20 games

New Orleans Saints leading receiver Michael Thomas caught 7 passes for 77 yards in their 20-12 victory over the Chicago Bears. Ted Ginn Junior caught 2 passes for 68 yards, had 3 punt returns for 22 yards and 1 kickoff return for 9 yards. Rookie Marshon Lattimore collected his second career interception and returned it 25 yards. He also defensed 2 passes and made 3 total tackles. Safety Vonn Bell made 5 tackles (2 solo) to aid the victory.

Malcolm Jenkins made 5 total tackles and had one pass defended to help the Philadelphia Eagles get a 33-10 win over the San Francisco 49ers and move to 7-1 on the season. That’s the best record in the NFL. 49ers running back Carlos Hyde rushed for 25 yards on 12 carries. He also caught 4 passes for 22 yards in defeat.

The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Detroit Lions 20-15 behind their defense led by Ryan Shazier and Cam Heyward. Heyward had a sack, 2 tackles for loss, 2 hits on quarterback Matthew Stafford and 3 tackles, while Shazier made 7 total tackles (6 solo) and one pass defensed. The Steelers are now 6-2 headed into their Bye week.

Kurt Coleman returned to the Carolina Panthers lineup after an injury that kept him out last week and recovered a fumble and made 9 total tackles in a 17-3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Rookie Curtis Samuel caught 2 passes for 15 yards and rushed once for 11 yards in the victory.

Tight end Nick Vannett played in possibly the game of the year. Vannett caught one pass for 8 yards for the Seattle Seahawks in their 41-38 win over the Houston Texans. Braxton Miller did not register any stats for Houston.

Adolphus Washington had 3 total tackles and one pass defensed for the Buffalo Bills in a 34-14 win over the Oakland Raiders.

Jets linebacker Darron Lee had 5 tackles (4 solo) and a pass defensed in New York’s 25-20 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

John Simon missed the Indianapolis Colts 24-23 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals with a neck injury. Rookie Malik Hooker was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday of last week. Josh Perry and Jonathan Hankins dressed for Indianapolis, but didn’t register any stats.

Bradley Roby had 2 tackles and Jeff Heuerman caught one pass for 11yards for the Denver Broncos in 29-19 loss their AFC West rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football.

Eli Apple and Curtis Grant of the New York Giants, Alex Boone of the Arizona Cardinals, the Green Bay Packers Corey Linsley and Michael Bennett of the Jacksonville Jaguars were all on a Bye.

Buckeyes Overcome Early Mistakes to Beat Penn State

Barrett carried the Buckeyes to a 4th quarter comeback win 39-38, over Penn State. Photo Credit: Aaron Dotser/USA Today

Remember when everyone around the nation, including some in Buckeye Nation, were bashing J.T. Barrett? I wish he’d go to the post game press conference and channel his inner Kirk Cousins right now.

Lead by the senior quarterback, the Buckeyes overcame several early mistakes on special teams, offense and coaching to overcome a 15 points fourth quarter deficit to knockoff the second ranked Penn State Nittany Lions 39-38.

Barrett completed 33 of 39 passes for 328 yards and 4 touchdowns. With this performance and the others since the loss to Oklahoma, he has firmly placed his name in the Heisman Trophy race.

But it wasn’t pretty. Here are my takeaways from the Buckeyes come from behind victory.

* THE SILVER BULLETS ARE THE BEST DAMN DEFENSE IN THE LAND.

Penn State came into the game averaging 463.3 yards per game (2nd in B1G). The Buckeyes held them to 283 total yards (192 passing, 91 rushing.)

Ohio State may very well have snatched the Heisman Trophy from Saquon Barkley after he started the game looking to run away with it on the opening kickoff. Eight of Barkley’s 21 carries resulted in loss yardage. He finished the game with 44 rushing yards for an average of 2.1 per carry. Defensive Coordinator Greg Schiano and defensive line coach Larry Johnson had the perfect game plan to stop the most dynamic player in the country.

* J.T. WAS NEVER THE PROBLEM. 

As I’ve been saying all season, the supporting cast around Barrett hadn’t stepped up in big games, until Saturday night. When Barrett has time, and receivers run good routes to get open, J.T. will look like the Heisman finalist he was in 2014 and the guy who has now catapulted himself into the top of the conversation with this victory. Just Touchdowns is clutch! He completed his last 16 pass attempts and was 13 of 13 in the fourth quarter.

Johnnie Dixon and his two touchdowns in the fourth quarter will be all anyone talks about, but Austin Mack and K.J. Hill were huge keeping the chains moving. Hill finished with 12 receptions for 102 yards. I also can’t forget Marcus Baugh coming back from a huge drop early in the game to redeem himself for the game winner. When the skill guys play to their expectations around Barrett, this is the performance you’ll get from the Senior QB. He will look just like he did when he had Ezekiel Elliott, Devin Smith and Michael Thomas to name a few.

* POOR PLAY CALLING/COACHING SHOULD HAVE LOST THIS GAME

The majority of the finger-pointing the last two seasons in Columbus has been towards Barrett, but maybe it’s time to point the finger at Urban Meyer and his coaching staff. As poorly as the Senior QB has played in past big games, the coaching staff hasn’t put him or the rest of the Scarlet and Gray in the best positions to succeed.

This coaching staff hasn’t learned from the losses to Clemson in the 2017 College Football Playoff and Oklahoma in game two of this season that you can’t call plays on offense that go sideline to sideline. The top defenses are too quick. You need to throw it down field, even if it’s incomplete, just to loosen up the defense and put them on their heels.

Going for it on 4th and 8 in field goal range to end the first quarter was a panic move from Urban Meyer that I’ve never seen from him before in his career in Columbus or at the University of Florida. Had he allowed Nuernberger to kick what would have been a 35-yard field goal, and he made it, Ohio State would have been down one possession at halftime 28-20 with the ball to start the second half. Instead they went into the locker room down 11. Thankfully that decision didn’t come back to haunt them.

The game plan also needs to focus more on the best use of their best weapons. J.K. Dobbins getting only 13 carries isn’t enough. He finished the game with a per carry average of 6.8 for a total of 88 rushing yards. Dobbins is what Barkley was when he entered the B1G three years ago. He needs to be used more.

* THE SPECIAL TEAMS UNIT CONTINUES TO SUCK

It didn’t take long for this unit to show its flaws. Saquon Barkley took the opening kickoff 97-yards to pay dirt. They also allowed Koa Farmer, a linebacker, to return a pooch kick 60-yards to set up another touchdown. Coming off a Bye week were these problems had persisted for weeks, you would think this unit would have come out to play the perfect game. These mistakes still haven’t cost them a game, yet. I put emphasis on yet.

As bad as special teams was, I must them a big nod, because it was the blocked punt by Denzel Ward with 11:39 remaining in the game down 35-20 that turned the game. So there was a bit of redemption for the Buckeyes since it was as blocked field goal by Penn State last season that helped them complete the upset.

The first College Football Playoff poll will be released this week. The Buckeyes have a real shot to be in the first four, top five at worse.

Next up, the Iowa Hawkeyes in Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. Kickoff is yet to be determined.

NFL Buckeyes (2017, Week 7)

With the “amateur” Buckeyes on a Bye and preparing for their huge matchup with #2 ranked Penn State, this week the focus for Buckeye Nation was on several former Silver Bullets that had monster days in the NFL.

New Orleans Saints wide receivers Ted Ginn Junior and Michael Thomas had huge days in back in Big Ten country up in Wisconsin against the Green Bay Packers. Ginn caught 7 passes for 141 yards and Thomas caught 7 passes as well for 82 yards to lead the Saints to a 26-17 win over the Packers. Defensively, Vonn Bell made 4 total tackles; while Marshon Lattimore collected 3 total tackles and had one pass defensed in the victory.

Thanks to another court injunction in his favor, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was able to play against the San Francisco 49ers. This comes after a U.S. circuit court in New Orleans ruled to uphold the NFL’s six game suspension of him last week.

As for the game it was never in doubt for Elliott and the ‘Boys. The 2nd-year back carried the ball 26 times for 147 yards and scored 2 touchdowns. He also caught one pass for 72 yards for a touchdown in Dallas’ 40-10 victory.  One of his backups, Rod Smith, rushed 4 times for 50 yards and caught one pass for 5 yards in the win. For the Niners, Carlos Hyde rushed for 68 yards on 14 carries and caught 4 passes for 20 yards in defeat.

The Indianapolis Colts Ohio State trio of Malik Hooker, John Simon and Jonathan Hankins had a day to forget against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The rookie had 2 tackles, but had to leave the game with a knee injury and didn’t return. Simon only had 1 tackle and 1 QB hit and Hankins made 3 total tackles in the 27-0 loss. The Colts are now 2-5 on the season.

It was also a rough day for Rookie Curtis Samuel and his Carolina Panthers teammates. Samuel had a huge drop on a pitch from Cam Newton that resulted in a 75-yard touchdown return for the Chicago Bears. Samuel caught one pass for twenty yards in the 17-3 loss in the Windy City. 8-year safety Kurt Coleman did not play and was inactive for the game due to a knee injury.

Darron Lee registered 11 total tackles (9 solo) and forced a fumble for the New York Jets in their 31-28 loss to the Miami Dolphins in south Florida.

Nate Ebner had one tackle on special teams for the New England Patriots in their 23-7 win over the Atlanta Falcons in a Super Bowl 51 rematch on Sunday Night Football.

Ryan Shazier and Cam Heyward led the defense for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their 29-14 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Shazier led all players with 8 tackles (5 solo) and a tackle for loss, while Heyward made 4 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 hits on the quarterback and a sack in the victory.

Joey Bosa had 2 sacks and 2 tackles and a pass defended for the Los Angeles Chargers in their 21-0 win over AFC West division rival Denver Broncos. He now has 7.5 sacks on the season. Bradley Roby had 3 total tackles and 2 passes defended in defeat. Tight end Jeff Heuerman didn’t record any stats in the loss.

Eli Apple made 5 tackles (4 solo) and 2 passes defensed and Curtis Grant collected 6 tackles (4 solo) for the New York Giants in a 24-7 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks. Tight end Nick Vanett caught one pass for 12 yards to help Seattle get the victory.

Malcolm Jenkins of the Philadelphia Eagles faced off against Terrelle Pryor Senior and Washington in a NFC East clash on Monday Night Football in the “City of Brotherly Love.” Pryor senior didn’t get into the game  until his team’s third series. Once in the game, he was targeted 4 times and only caught 2 passes for 14 yards. For the Eagles, Malcolm Jenkins led the team with 10 solo tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss and a QB hit to lead Philadelphia to the 34-24 win. The Eagles now have the best record in the NFL at 6-1.

Braxton Miller and the Houston Texans were on a Bye this week. So was Taylor Decker of the Detroit Lions. Gareon Conley of the Oakland Raiders missed his fourth consecutive game with a shin injury. The Raiders beat the Kansas City Chiefs in dramatic fashion 31-30 on Thursday Night Football.

NFL Buckeyes (2017, week 6)

Ryan Shazier (50) has the leader of the Steelers D. Photo Courtesy: Steelers.com

 
Week Six in the NFL was busy for several Buckeyes with news of one being suspended, another’s season over and a couple of OSU Alumns reaching the end zone for the first time in their careers.

A three-judge panel for the U.S. Circuit Court of appeals in New Orleans upheld the NFL’s six-game suspension of Dallas Cowboys’ running back Ezekiel Elliott for domestic violence. As it stands, the 2nd-year running back would not be able to return to the team until November 23rd. But Zeke and his team are looking at other options to appeal the suspension. The Dallas Cowboys are on a Bye this week and the suspension could begin starting week seven.

Indianapolis Colts starting offensive lineman Jake Mewhort was placed on injured reserve after aggravating his knee in practice. The 2014 draft pick missed six games last season with an injury to the same knee.

Philadelphia Eagles Safety Malcolm Jenkins made 2 total tackles to help Philly get their fifth win of the season on Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers, 28-23. Rookie Curtis Samuel carried the ball once for eight yards in the loss. 8-year safety Kurt Coleman missed the loss with a knee injury.

The New Orleans Saints quad of Buckeyes in Michael Thomas, Ted Ginn, Vonn bell and Marshon Lattimore played in the wildest game of the weekend against the Detroit Lions. Ginn caught 4 passes for 66 yards, a touchdown and rushed once for 3 yards to help defeat the Lions 52-38. He also had 2 kick returns for 26 yards and 2 punt returns for 6 yards. The Saints leading receiver Michael Thomas only caught 3 passes for 11 yards. The 90 combined points are the most scored in an NFL game since 2015.

Saints rookie Marshon Lattimore intercepted his first career pass and returned it 37 yards for his first career touchdown. His returned TD was one of five defensive or special teams returns for touchdowns in the game. That’s the most in the NFL since 2012. Lattimore also collected 5 total tackles and defended 2 passes. Vonn Bell made 5 total tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss and hit the Lions quarterback Matt Stafford twice.

Ryan Shazier and Cam Heyward of the Pittsburgh Steelers led the defense in their victory over the previously unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs. Shazier made 4 tackles and broke up a couple of passes. Heyward made 2 tackles and registered a hit on Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith in the 19-13 win.

Houston Texans’ wide receiver Braxton Miller caught his first career touchdown in acrobatic fashion to help the Texans knock off the Cleveland Browns 33-17.

Another former Buckeye caught his first career touchdown in primetime on Sunday Night Football. Denver Broncos tight end Jeff Heureman caught a 13-yard touchdown against the New York Giants. On the night he had 2 catches for a total of 24 yards in the Broncos 23-10 loss. Bradley Roby made 2 tackles in defeat. On the Giants side, Eli Apple collected 5 total tackles, defended 3 passes and recovered a fumble in the victory.

Joey Bosa had 3 tackles (2 solo), one forced fumble and a sack for the Los Angeles Chargers in their 17-16 come from behind victory over the Oakland Raiders. Oakland’s rookie cornerback Gareon Conley missed his third consecutive game with a shin injury.

Darron Lee of the New York Jets collected 6 tackles (4 solo); one pass defended and forced a fumble in their 24-17 loss in the battle for first place in the AFC East to the New England Patriots.

Terrelle Pryor Senior caught 3 passes for 27 yards for Washington in their 26-24 win over the San Francisco 49ers. Carlos Hyde scored 2 rushing touchdowns, but only had 28 yards rushing and caught 5 passes for 47 yards in defeat.

Indianapolis Colts linebacker John Simon had a huge night on Monday Night Football against the Tennessee Titans. He got his first career interception and returned it 26-yards for his first career touchdown. Simon also made 11 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack and 3 hits on Titans QB Marcus Mariota. But his career night wasn’t enough as Tennessee got the win 36-22.

Rookie safety Malik Hooker made 3 solo tackles and defended one pass, while Johnathan Hankins made 4 total tackles and got one hit in the QB in defeat.

How Long Can UCF Keep Scott Frost From Nebraska?

UCF’s Frost is the hottest coach in the NCAA, and his alma mater Nebraska may come calling. Photo Courtesy: College Football News

The 22nd ranked (Associate Press) UCF Knights steamrolled to 5-0 with a 63-21 victory on Saturday night against East Carolina. At the same time, Head Coach Scott Frost’s Alma Mater, Nebraska, endured a 56-14 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes, further increasing the heat on current Head Coach Mike Riley’s seat.

Nebraska has been in search of an athletic director after firing Shawn Eichorst, who had been with the program since 2012, back in September. With a new A.D. on the way, it’s likely he or she will be looking to hire a new coach for the cash cow that is the football program. The name on everyone’s lips to eventually replace Riley in Lincoln is Scott Frost.

See, Frost is a link to the most recent successful time in Cornhusker history that fans, alums, boosters and faculty are yearning for. UCF’s second year head coach was the starting quarterback for Nebraska’s 1997 squad that won a share of the National Championship, their last in school history. He was also Graduate Assistant coach under Frank Solich who replaced legendary coach Tom Osborne.

The 42-year old leader of the Knights has quickly put his stamp on his program in central Florida and has drawn high praise for taking a team that finished 0-12 the season before he arrived, to a bowl game in his rookie campaign and now at 5-0 is having the best season they’ve had since 2013 when the team finished 12-1 and Fiesta Bowl Champions.

Frost has learned the game at the feet of legends having played for Osborne, Bill Walsh, Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick and John Gruden, while having coached under Chip Kelly and Mark Helfrich in the hyper-advanced Oregon offense that won Marcus Mariota a Heisman and got them to a National Championship game in 2014. He’s brought all that knowledge to Orlando and its impressed many, especially his old school, with how quickly he’s turned the Knights around. 

Look closely at what he’s done in a short time. The Knights lead the American Athletic Conference in points per game at 50.6, having put up 60+ points twice, 51 in another and scoring no less than 38, while holding their opponents 16.8 points per game which also leads the AAC. They’re also first in the AAC in total offense, gaining 547.2 yards per game. Where do these numbers rank nationally? The 547.2 yards of total offense is 5th in the NCAA, the 50.6 points per game ranks first in the country, and the 16.8 points per game given up on defense ranks 14th nationally. The Knights are getting it done in all phases of the game, something the Cornhuskers desperately need.

If the Knights’ continue on their current run, the Nebraska job would likely be Frost’s to turndown. And, if he wanted the job who could blame him? Look around the landscape of college football and several alums are heading up their cherished programs. Mark Richt has made his way back to south Florida and the University of Miami. Jim Harbaugh is in year three at Michigan. Kirby Smart is in year two at Georgia. All of them are doing very well and are firmly in the national championship chase. Coaches are highly competitive creatures, why wouldn’t Coach Frost believe he can do for his alma mater what the previously mentioned men have done at their schools?

It just sucks for UCF because this is a program with the immense talent in the Sunshine State, especially in central Florida, which should be a destination, not a stepping-stone. Just maybe not for this ball coach.

Takeaways From Buckeyes Shucking of Nebraska

J.T. Barrett has record performance in victory over Nebraska. Photo Credit: OhioStateBuckeyes.com

Here come the Buckeyes, out for blood and clicking at a time when it matters the most.

Ninth ranked Ohio State defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers 56-14 Saturday night in Lincoln. It was a complete beat down from opening kickoff to final horn.

Here are my biggest takeaways from their matchup with Nebraska.

* Barrett starts hot, stays hot.

J.T. might as well stand for Just Touchdowns. Barrett was 8 of 10 for 72 yards in the first quarter, connecting with six different receivers. He finished the game with 27 completions on 33 attempts for 325 yards and 5 touchdowns, connecting with 10 different receivers. He also rushed 10 times for 48 yards and 2 touchdowns. Those seven touchdowns he accounted for tied a school record for most responsible in a game in Buckeye history.

The young receiving core has finally gained his trust and he’s showing it by letting it rip. Two of his attempts down field drew pass interference penalties. Even if they’re not connecting on them, the threat of going deep with the speed at receiver is enough to get defenses off-balance, opening up more room to be exploited in the run game.

J.T. is looking like the guy from 2014. The one Buckeye Nation believed in whole-heartedly. He is sneakily getting his name back into the Heisman Trophy conversation.

* Offensive line doesn’t miss a beat, dominates.

Eight consecutive possessions to start the game end all in touchdowns.

Even with the shake up in the trenches with the injury to Branden Bowens, the line kept things together and kept Barrett clean. They only allowed one sack and that was pretty much a coverage sack. On 3^rd and 4^th down conversions they were 12 of 16 and gained 41 total first downs. The “Slobs” led the way for 633 total yards of offense with earned them a school record of five consecutive games with 500+ yards of offense.

* The Silver Bullets are firing on all cylinders, but the pass defense still needs work.

Nebraska managed 393 total yards, but it wasn’t as impressive as the box score would lead you to believe. For the game the Cornhuskers gained 15 first downs, and were 5 for 15 on 3^rd downs and 2 of 4 on 4^th down.

The disappointment for the Silver Bullets were the two big pass plays they gave up to J.D. Spielman, one a 77-yard touchdown for the ‘Huskers first score of the game. The nephew of Buckeye legend Chris Spielman caught 11 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown.

The Pass defense had bounced back to allow less than 100 passing yards in the previous four games after struggling against Indian and Oklahoma to start the season. Nebraska gained 349 yards through the air.

* J.K. Dobbins sets the tone.

Nebraska was giving up 147 rushing yards per game coming into the match up with the Buckeyes. So it was their weakness versus the Buckeyes strength. Ohio State took advantage to the tune of 279 yards for an average of 5.9 yards per carry.

The young freshman Dobbins set the tempo when he raced for a 52-yard touchdown run on first possession. He had 3 carries for 67 yards and one catch for 11 receiving yards on the first drive. He finished the game with 106 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown.

* Not-so-Special Teams and penalties.

The opening kickoff was kicked out of bounds giving the Cornhuskers the ball at their 35-yard line. That was the only miscue on Special Teams, but coming off of last week’s debacle, the last thing you wanted to do was start the game this week with such a flub. That and the penalties (7 for 53 yards) should be enough to give Coach Meyer the ammunition to stay on these guys during the weeks to come.

Next up… the highly anticipated match-up with Penn State in The ‘Shoe after the Bye week.

OTHER NOTES

With the victory, the Buckeyes got their 500th B1G conference win. It took them six fewer seasons than “That Team Up North” who got their 500th victory Saturday as well with their 27-20 overtime win over Indiana. The win also tied the Buckeyes with Nebraska for 4th most wins in NCAA history at 892.

Game balls go to J.T. Barrett and K.J. Hill Junior. Hill caught 7 passes for 80 yards and 2 touchdowns.

NFL Buckeyes (2017, Week 5)

Week five in the NFL started off with great news for a former Buckeye speedster.

The Buffalo Bills signed Corey “Philly” Brown. The 4-year wide receiver last played for the Carolina Panthers last season. He didn’t record any stats in the team’s 20-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Defensive tackle Adolphus Washington had 2 tackles for the Bills defeat.

New England Patriots’ special teams ace Nate Ebner made 2 tackles on Thursday Night Football against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also recovered an onside kick with 2:08 in the fourth quarter to preserve the 19-14 victory.

New York Jets 2nd-year linebacker Darron Lee returned to the Buckeye State to face the Cleveland Browns. He recorded 6 tackles (5 solo) for New York in their 17-14 win.

Ezekiel Elliott had 116 yards on 29 carries and caught one pass for 16 yards for the Dallas Cowboys in their 35-31 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Elliott’s former roommate at Ohio State, Joey Bosa, made 6 total tackles, forced a fumble and sacked Eli Manning twice for the LA Chargers in their 27-22 win over the New York Giants. It was their first win of the season while the Giants dropped to 0-5. Eli Apple had 5 solo tackles in a losing effort for the G-Men.

Malik Hooker’s streak of three games with an interception came to an end, but the rookie safety collected 5 tackles to help the Indianapolis Colts move to 2-3 with a 26-23 win over the San Francisco 49ers. John Simon made 4 tackles (3 solo) and Johnathan Hankins had 2 tackles in victory. Carlos Hyde rushed for 11 yards on only 8 carries and caught one pass for 7 yards in a losing effort for the San Francisco 49ers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers duo of Ryan Shazier and Cam Heyward had a rough day at the office. Shazier collected 8 tackles (5 solo) a pass defended and an interception, while Heyward made 2 tackles and had a QB hit in the Steelers 30-9 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Carolina Panthers safety Kurt Coleman had 2 tackles in the Panthers 27-24 win over the Detroit Lions. Rookie Curtis Samuel was targeted twice, but no catches in the victory.

Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins had 4 total tackles and a pass defended to help Philly defeat the Arizona Cardinals 34-7.

Oakland Raiders rookie defensive back Gareon Conley missed his second consecutive game with a shin injury. The injury ridden Raiders lost to the Baltimore Ravens 30-17.

Braxton Miller was inactive for the Houston Texans 42-34 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. This is the second consecutive week he was a healthy scratch.

The New Orleans Saints Buckeye contingent of Michael Thomas, Ted Ginn Junior, Marshon Lattimore and Vonn Bell were on a Bye. Their next game is next Sunday against the Detroit Lions. Bradley Roby, Jeff Heuerman of the Denver Broncos were also on a Bye and will play the New York Giants next Sunday night.

Takeaways From OSU’s Sloppy Win Over Maryland

Linebacker Dante Booker surveys the Maryland offense in the 62-14 win over the Terps. Photo Credit: OhioStateBuckeyes.com

The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Maryland Terrapins 62-14 Saturday in The ‘Shoe, but the game wasn’t as smooth or pretty as the final score would lead you to believe. During this stretch of the schedule where the Buckeyes are clearly the more dominant team, it’s more important how you look winning than just to get the W. Ohio State will have to be more impressive in their wins against inferior completion in order to impress the College Football Playoff Committee, especially with the Oklahoma Sooners losing.

With that being said, here are my takeaways from the Buckeyes win over the Terps.

* The Special teams unit was anything but, and is likely to get the brunt of the verbal attacks from the coaching staff this week. Everyone knows how seriously Coach Urban Meyer takes that unit. They allowed a 100-yard kickoff return by TY Johnson after scoring their second touchdown. On kickoffs, I always hated how they justified the lineup tight and to the left. Most teams spread the formation to create lanes of containment across the field.

From there the miscues poured in like a spring shower. A botched snap and hold on the extra point after their third touchdown, blocked kick on their fourth possession, shanked punt for 21 yards on the fifth possession, false start on a kickoff with 4:48 remaining in the 2nd quarter, and a 29-yard missed field goal by Sean Nuernberger on their first drive of the second half.

Individually these mistakes would be enough to drown the Buckeyes against a better opponent. Much like the block field goal at Penn State last season that essentially lost that game. This unit has been a problem for a while now. The two missed field goals against Michigan made that win more difficult than it had to be. And as much as I’d like to forget it, the two missed field goals against Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal preserved the 31-0 shut out for the eventual National Champions. Sometimes it has to get worse before it gets better. And it’s at its absolute worst right now. Coach Meyer cut his teeth on special teams and I have no doubt that he’ll correct these mistakes before it cost them again in 2017.

* Like last week, the penalties piled up for the Scarlet and Gray. Against Rutgers the Zebras hit them up 10 times for 106 yards. This week against Maryland it was 8 penalties for 85 yards. So I guess you can there was some improvement. The Buckeyes are 95th out of 130 in the NCAA in penalties, and are the most penalized team in the B1G.

* Speaking of penalties, the targeting rule is the worst rule in ALL OF SPORTS!! No hyperbole. Denzel Ward was ejected for putting his shoulder into the chest of Taivon Jacobs after he made a catch causing him to flip backwards and lose the ball­–it should have been called a fumble–which Ward picked up and was running for a TD when the play was called dead and the flag thrown.

Here’s my suggestion to improve the rule. Go ahead throw the flag and review it on the field.But there should be two levels of discipline like flagrant fouls in basketball. Flagrant one: for incidental contact above the shoulders and to the head and neck area. That would result in a 15-yard penalty. Flagrant two, the more egregious attack on the head and neck area that would bring a 15-yard penalty and ejection of the offending player. I think that would be pleasing to all parties. I agree that a rule is necessary to encourage player safety, but since its use in play the application of it has been ridiculous flubbed by officials.

The rule also shouldn’t come with an automatic suspension. The Monday after the game, have the play reviewed by the higher-ups at conference commissioners’ office, someone other than the game officials. Then decide if the offense is warranted of a suspension for the upcoming game.

* JT stays steady. Buckeye Nation is split on Barrett’s ability to put this team on his back and carry them back to the College Football Playoffs and a National Championship. But he just continues to get the job done. Saturday he connected with seven different receivers while throwing three touchdowns for 261 passing yards on 20 completions against 31 attempts. Oh and he ran for 59 yards and a touchdown.  Buckeye Nation, Just Touchdowns Barrett is fine!

* The defense was stout once again. Maryland was only able to gain 66 (50 rushing; 16 passing) 26 of those came in the first half when the first string was still in. They also only allowed 7 points. Defensive Coordinator Greg Schiano’s unit has not given up 100 yards passing since losing to Oklahoma. I don’t care about the level of competition they’ve face since. In this era of College Football when everyone is putting up video game numbers, their play is very impressive.

It’s on to Lincoln, Nebraska to face the Cornhuskers. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:37 pm.

OTHER NOTES

Urban Meyer is now 10-1 versus his former assistant coaches turned head coaches. Maryland’s head coach D.J. Durkin was on Meyer’s staff at Bowling Green (2001-2002) and at Florida.

In their four game win streak, the Buckeyes have outscored their opponents 210-42.

NFL Buckeyes (2017, Week 4)

It was the former Silver Bullet defenders that represented well for THE Ohio State Buckeye Alumni in the NFL in week four.

Cam Heyward and Ryan Shazier led the way for the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Baltimore Ravens. Heyward recorded two sacks, forced a fumble and recovered it to go along with 4 tackles (3 solo) and 2 hits on the QB. Shazier had an interception and made 11 tackles (10 solo), 1 tackle for loss and broke up 3 passes in the 26-9 victory for the Steelers who moved to 3-1 and first place in the AFC North.

On Sunday Night Football, Malik Hooker was doing “Malik Hooker things” against the Seattle Seahawks. The Indianapolis Colts’ rookie safety captured his 3rd career interception in as many games. He also made 3 tackles (1 solo). Linebacker John Simon had 4 tackles (1 solo) and defensive tackle Jonathan Hankins had 4 tackles (1 solo), a tackle for loss, 1.5 sacks and 2 hits on the quarterback in the Colts 46-18 loss.

Joey Bosa and the Los Angeles Chargers faced Malcolm Jenkins and the Philadelphia Eagles in southern California. Bosa collected 6 tackles (5 solo) and 1 QB hit. Jenkins made 6 tackles (5 solo) to help the Eagles get the 26-24 win to move to 3-1. The Chargers drop to 0-4 and last place in the AFC West, while the Eagles moved to 3-1 and 1st place in the NFC East.

Michael Thomas made it back into the end zone for the New Orleans Saints across the bond. Thomas scored on a 3-yard touchdown pass against the Miami Dolphins in London to help the Saints win 20-0. He also had 8 catches and 89 yards on the day. Ted Ginn Junior caught 2 passes for 25 yards and had 1 rush for 9 yards. He also had 3 punt returns for 26 yards. On the defensive side, Vonn Bell made 4 solo tackles and 1 pass defended, while Marshon Lattimore had 5 solo tackles to hold the shutout and get New Orleans to 2-2.

Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 85 yards on 21 carries, and caught 4 passes for 54 yards against the Los Angeles Rams, but it wasn’t enough to get the win. The Dallas Cowboys lost 35-30 to fall to 2-2.

Carlos Hyde rushed for 68 yards on 16 carries and made 5 catches for 27 yards for the San Francisco 49ers in their 18-15 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The 49ers are now 0-4.

Eli Apple made 4 tackles and defended 2 passes for the New York Giants in their 25-23 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The “G-Men” are winless at 0-4.

New York Jets linebacker Darron Lee made 7 tackles (4 solo) and 1 tackle for loss to help them beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 23-20 in overtime. The Jets are 2-2 and are tied with the New England Patriots for 2nd place in the AFC East.

Kurt Coleman made 2 tackles (1 solo) for the Carolina Panthers in their 33-30 victory over the New England Patriots. Nate Ebner also had 2 tackles (1 solo) for the Patriots.

Gareon Conley was inactive for the Oakland Raiders game against the Denver Broncos. Bronco’s cornerback Bradley Roby made 2 tackles and defended one pass to help the Denver get the 16-10 victory.

Monday Night Football, Terrelle Pryor Senior of Washington caught a 44-yard touchdown pass on the first possession of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s his first TD with his new team and the longest of his career. He finished the night with 3 catches for 70 yards in the 29-20 loss. Washington is tied with the Dallas Cowboys for 2nd place in the NFC East at 2-2.

Buckeyes Trounce Scarlet Knights

Johnnie Dixon III, scores on a 70-yard TD pass, his first of two vs. Rutgers. Photo Credit: Ohiostatebuckeyes.com

As expected, the Ohio State Buckeyes beat the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 56-0 in Piscataway, New Jersey to move to 4-1 on the season and 2-0 in the B1G. It was a sluggish start for the Scarlet and Gray, almost as if they were playing down to the level of competition. The offense only mustered seven points in the first quarter before exploding for 28 in the second stanza.

J.T. Barrett got things going and had typical night by his standards completing 14 of 22 passes for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns. With that performance he passed Art Schlicter for first on the Buckeyes All-Time Passing Yards list. He also rushed for 89 yards. As a team they put up 618 total yards (276 rushing and 342 passing). That averages out to 9.1 yards per play.

The Silver Bullet defense got the shutout while allowing only 209 total yards (117 rushing and 92 passing). 77 of those yards came in the 1st half. For the game Rutgers averaged 3.1 yards per play. The Buckeye D also picked off freshman quarterback Johnathan Lewis twice and had nine tackles for loss.

Even with the shutout, it wasn’t a perfectly played game. Coach Meyer won’t be pleased with the amount of penalties. The Buckeyes were dinged eleven times for 121 yards. That will be their detriment if they continue to be that sloppy against the top teams in the conference.

I was posed the question this week, “is the lower level of competition hurting the Buckeyes?” My answer, yes in the polls and no on the field.

This team is finding a rhythm and its confidence in the last three weeks versus Army, UNLV and Rutgers. As I said last week, these are the type of teams that Ohio State normally plays in the first couple of weeks of the season to prepare for an Oklahoma or a Big Ten road opener. They didn’t get the chance to ease into the season and it showed against the Indiana Hoosiers and the Sooners, especially in pass defense.

Now they’re starting look like a team that’s found its identity. That identity is an old school power running game via the spread formation that opens up the passing attack. While allowing a stout defense to terrorize opposing offenses.

Lesser competition or not, the Bucks are rounding into form with their focus on that late October matchup with Penn State. Hopefully that’s when Buckeye Nation will see the fruits of their current labor.

It’s on to Maryland (3-1), next Saturday in “The ‘Shoe.” Kickoff is set for 4:07 pm.

OTHER NOTES

In addition to becoming OSU’s All-Time Passing yards leader, Barrett now has 10,000+ career total yards (rushing & passing). He is the first in Buckeye history and only the 11th B1G player to reach that milestone.

Mike Weber returned from an injured hamstring to run for three touchdowns in the first half. He finished the game with the game with 44 rushing yards on ten carries.

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE GAME:

Johnnie Dixon III, 3 catches for 115 yards and 2 touchdowns and DeMario McCall, 11 carries 103 rushing yards a touchdown and 1 catch for 35 yards and a touchdown.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME:

Linebacker Dante Booker had an interception and a sack.