Well, that was fun.
While the game winning play is already being compared to some of the all time greats and will undoubtedly be remembered fondly for decades, the immediate impact of this game is also worth getting excited about.
Braxton Miller’s numbers weren’t the greatest, but anyone who watched him in action could see that his understanding of the offense and comfort level on the field are already well beyond earlier this year.
That is an exciting prospect for an Ohio State offense that has struggled mightily the entire season.
If Miller continues to progress and gain confidence in the passing game the offense should be able to do enough to continue winning games.
On that front, it is fortunate that the Buckeyes play two less-than-stellar defenses in Indiana and Purdue the next two weeks before a final stretch against Penn State and Michigan.
Here are my thoughts on the victory over the Badgers and on the Buckeyes moving forward.
The game can be split into three parts; the stalemate first half, the Buckeyes building some serious momentum at the start of the second half, and then falling apart at at the end only to be saved by a miracle pass from Miller.
We can thank the defense and especially the defensive line (more on them later) for keeping Wisconsin’s offense in check the entire first half and keeping the team in the game. Two huge sacks towards the end the half were particularly noteworthy and enjoyable.
Momentum started to swing Ohio State’s way from the very first play in the second half when Boom Herron ran 57 yards to set up Ohio State’s first touchdown. A blocked punt and another touchdown added to the momentum, and a 44 yard touchdown run by Braxton Miller put the Buckeyes up 26-17 with 4:39 left on the clock.
Unfortunately the collapse had already begun at that point.
A muffed punt by Jordan Hall that set up a TD, a missed assignment by Etienne Sabino that resulted in the longest run of the night for Wisconsin, a three-and-out from the offense, and another huge missed assignment by either Travis Howard or Christian Bryant (depending on the coverage) allowed the Badgers to take the lead with seconds remaining on the clock.
The good news is that without the near collapse the Buckeyes should have been able to win the game walking away, the bad news is that this is the second time (Nebraska) that the Buckeyes have squandered a big lead late in a game.
The defense is very young and had to replace a ton of starters from last season, but moving forward it would be nice to see some improved consistency and focus from them throughout games, particularly after performing so amazingly well for a majority of it.
The defensive line is very good. Holding the Badger offense to 10 rushing yards in the first half? Yeah, that happened- largely thanks to the effort of the defensive front.
John Simon is one of the best defenders in the country without a doubt. He is only a junior and it would be surprising if he wasn’t back next season.
Johnathan Hankins continues to get better every game and is quickly turning into an absolute force along the defensive front. He has All-American and high draft pick written all over him- and oh yeah, he is only a sophomore and will be back next season.
Michael Bennett, only a true freshman, is an explosive force along the line that provides a spark this year and looks like the next great player here.
Adam Bellamy is coming into his own as well, and while overshadowed by some of his teammates, he is plenty disruptive in his own right. Bellamy has two years of eligibility left.
Garrett Goebel rounded out the primary starters in this game. He is the least flashy of the bunch, but you’d expect that from the nose tackle. He brings a steady presence and wrestling background to the middle like many Buckeye standouts before him (Tim Anderson, Dexter Larimore) and he is a more than solid anchor. He is back next year.
The Buckeyes played without a LEO on the field the entire game, which makes sense against a power rush team.
I wouldn’t mind seeing that group as the primary starters for the rest of the season given the youth and inexperience from the LEOs without Nathan Williams.
Oh yeah, Nathan Williams could be back next year with a medical redshirt as well.
This group could be extremely special moving forward, and will no doubt be a huge key in the remaining games this season.
The secondary is good, but still prone to mistakes.
The group can basically be split into two: the young and explosive players that have mental lapses from time to time, and the young and explosive players that are solid.
Travis Howard and Christian Bryant make up the first group.
Bryant has been the target of some criticism in particular after jumping a route (and missing) that led to Wisconsin’s first TD as well as being involved in the miscommunication that led to the Badger’s final TD.
Bryant is an amazing talent that needs to play a little more under control. That will come with time, he is only a true sophomore.
Howard, on the other hand, is a RS junior and his lapses have been extra disappointing given the expectations for him at the beginning of the year. Offenses are clearly targeting his side of the field in the passing game and with his mistakes in coverage from time to time, that has hurt the Buckeyes at points.
You just hope that Howard continues to improve, but if not, the calls for Dominic Clarke to get a shot will grow.
Bradley Roby has been the surprise of the defense so far this season. Only a RS freshman, his emergence as the lockdown corner has been amazing to witness and his future is unbelievably bright.
C.J. Barnett is a prototypical safety; he covers a lot of ground and isn’t afraid to hit someone in pass coverage or in run support. His form tackle that stopped the Badgers on 3rd and short was a thing to behold. He has two years of eligibility left.
This is another group that should be amazing moving forward.
The linebackers, surprisingly, are the weak link on defense.
Andrew Sweat is solid but unspectacular, Strom Klein is a step slow in space, and Etienne Sabino continues to have mental lapses that leave him out of position at times (even though the 4th down stop was a shining example of what he is capable of when in the right spot).
Curtis Grant broke onto the depth chart recently and Ryan Shazier looks like the next star at LB for the Buckeyes, but as we wait for them to grow into the starting roles, it looks like the linebackers won’t be up to the lofty standards Columbus has come to expect.
Boom Herron is one of the best backs in the country.
The spark he brings to the offense is undeniable.
Like Novembers past, pounding the rock will be the key to victory all month.
With that in mind, thank goodness that Boom kept such a positive attitude throughout his suspension. Despite his mistakes, he is a true Buckeye and will be the key to finishing the season 4-0.
Jordan Hall has been solid but it would be nice to see him get the ball in space a bit more, leaving the second string runs up the middle to Carlos Hyde, who has disappeared of late.
Hyde’s drop off may be largely due to off field (possibly twitter related) forces, but getting him back involved in the run game would create a heavy one-two punch with Boom over the last weeks of the season.
If Hyde remains buried, Boom and Hall have proven to be more than capable, but the optimist in me would like to see all three involved if possible.
With the added dimension Braxton Miller brings to the run game, continuing to have success on the ground is my primary source of confidence moving forward (on offense at least).
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the offensive line stepping up big time as well. The return of Mike Adams has been huge, and the front five of Adams, Norwell, Brewster, Mewhort, Shugarts may be the best group the Buckeyes have fielded in a long time.
Shout out to the special teams.
Our kicking specialists are doing Tressel proud this season. Our coverage units continue to be amazing, and our kick return is above average, with a clutch big return setting up the game winning drive perfectly.
Momentum, Momentum, Momentum.
Oh yeah, and confidence.
If this young team can take the momentum and confidence they established against the Badgers and roll with it through the final four games, there is absolutely no reason they can’t win out.
The key will be on offense. If Braxton Miller continues to progress while the running game continues to excel, good times will be had by all.
Fingers crossed.
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