Week Two: No. 3 Ohio State vs. San Diego State—History Lesson, Trends, Thoughts and Score Prediction

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

The No. 3 Buckeyes look to improve to 2-0 on the young season this week as they host the San Diego State Aztecs.

The Buckeyes came out the gate fast last week against Buffalo before turnovers and the youthful inexperience of their defense allowed Buffalo to keep the game closer than was expected by myself and most college football analysts.

The Aztecs were among a handful of FBS teams that fell to FCS opponents last week, suffering a 40-19 defeat at home to Eastern Illinois.

On paper, this game should translate to an easy victory for tOSU, but only if the Buckeyes protect the ball better and improve defensively from last weeks performance.


Here are this weeks historical-data-tidbits and a few recent and/or ongoing trends for your consideration that might be of interest.

Ohio State—Buffalo History Lesson And Recent Trends

• Urban Meyer coached teams are 74-14 when ranked in the Top 25.

• Ohio State is 67-7 at Ohio Stadium since the start of the 2002 season.

• Ohio State is an astounding 276-0-1 all-time when scoring 35+ points.

• Head coach Urban Meyer is 43-4 in his career in games played in August/September.

• Ohio State's defense has only allowed 13 100-yard rushers in their last 62 games.

• Ohio State's defense has held opponents to 10 points or less 37 times since 2006.

• Ohio State looks to preserve the nation's longest winning streak, currently 13 games.

• Ohio State has held 74 opponents to 21 points or less since the start of the 2005 season.

• Ohio State has won 62 consecutive regular-season non-conference home games against unranked opponents.

• Ohio State is 3-0 all-time vs. San Diego St. and 7-1 all-time vs. current members of the Mountain West Conference.

A Couple Thoughts and Score Prediction

Last week, I, like many others, underestimated Buffalo. They had 17 or 18 returning starters from 2012 and as far as individual players, Bulls outside linebacker Khalil Mack might be as good of a pro prospect, though very much less heralded than, South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney.

After a lightning fast start in the first quarter, the Buckeyes jumped out to a 23-0 lead. That lead was cut to 10 twice after turnovers put the inexperienced Buckeye defense against the wall.

The good news is they say the biggest improvement all year comes in game two — AND — the Buckeyes are the big fish in the pond compared to the minnow that is San Diego State football.

Also, let's not forget that Ann Arbor's current coach was the SD State coach just a couple years back, so that's worth at least 2-3 extra "running it up" TDs in my book.

For the sake of bookies and/or betting men everywhere, hopefully the trends hold true for favored Ohio State this week.

Ohio State 66
San Diego State 10

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"It takes a little something special to be a great player. We don't have enough great players. TO HELL WITH THAT! We don't want to coach average! I don't wanna be around ya, why be around average?! Did you push yourself to be great today?" - Urban Meyer

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Week One: No. 2 Ohio State vs. Buffalo—History Lesson, Trends, Thoughts and Score Prediction

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

Before we kickoff the 2013 "History Lesson" season here at BlockONation, I thought this short video might get you more ready for Buckeye football than you already are—if that's even possible.



The No. 2 Buckeyes begin the 2013 season on Saturday as they play host to the Buffalo Bulls. ESPN2 will broadcast the game nationally at Noon.


Here are some historical-data-tidbits and a few recent and/or ongoing trends for your consideration that might be of interest.

Ohio State—Buffalo History Lesson And Recent Trends

• Ohio State is 32-2 in its last 34 season openers.

• Ohio State is 111-8-4 all-time in home season openers.

• Urban Meyer coached teams are 73-14 when ranked in the Top 25.

• Ohio State has opened the season with a win every year since 2000.

• Ohio State is 66-7 at Ohio Stadium since the start of the 2002 season.

• Ohio State and Buffalo are meeting for the first time on the gridiron.

• Ohio State is an astounding 275-0-1 all-time when scoring 35+ points.

• Ohio State is 17-0 vs. MAC teams since 2000, winning by an average of 27 ppg.

• Ohio State has won 34 consecutive home openers - Last loss was to PSU in 1978.

• Ohio State enters the season with the nation's longest winning streak at 12 games.

• Ohio State's defense has only allowed 13 100-yard rushers in their last 61 games.

• Ohio State's defense has held opponents to 10 points or less 37 times since 2006.

• Ohio State has held 73 opponents to 21 points or less since the start of the 2005 season.

• Ohio State has won 61 consecutive regular-season non-conference home games against unranked opponents.

A Couple Thoughts and Score Prediction

What to say about Buffalo? Hmmm. They are coming off a 4-8 season, and they probably aren't going to be very good in 2013. The good news is, I doubt there are many Bulls fans out there for me to offend with that statement.

Obviously the Buckeyes are superior and this game will be one-sided. The Bucks won't show much, or need to show much to win easily.

It should be interesting to see which young players get on the field and of those, which ones make a splash. That's all I got, so see you Saturday on Twitter—GO BUCKS!

Ohio State 55
Buffalo 6

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"It takes a little something special to be a great player. We don't have enough great players. TO HELL WITH THAT! We don't want to coach average! I don't wanna be around ya, why be around average?! Did you push yourself to be great today?" - Urban Meyer

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College Gameday Heading To East Lansing For No. 14 Ohio State At No. 21 Michigan State

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

I'm not sure if this game is actually being considered worthy of having the Gameday crew on-site or if it's just the best of the weak, week five matchups...


Whatever led to the decision, this obviously puts the national spotlight on both teams and the Big Ten, not that I care about the conference's image, because I don't—most likely because I don't live down south and piggyback the success of every team in the conference like SEC fans, but I digress.

The Spartans and the Buckeyes kick off at 3:30Pm on ABC to open conference play. Michigan State is 2-3 in games that Gameday has come to town for. Ohio State has won seven of the last eight meetings with MSU and has not lost in East Lansing since 1999.

The trends don't guarantee anything, but they do bode well for the Bucks, should they hold up.

— HD

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Top 25 Recap: Ohio State, Others (Excluding USC, Virginia Tech) Survive Upset Bids

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

Braxton Miller had the best game of his Buckeye career as the No. 12 Buckeyes (3-0) were fortunate enough to avoid the upset bug Saturday.

After leading 20-7 at the half, the OSU defense gave up a ton of yards and 21 second-half points, in what is one of their worst performances in years.

With the score tied at 28, Miller found a wide-open Devin Smith for a 72-yard-touchdown to put the Buckeyes up 35-28.

On their ensuing drive, Cal QB Zach Maynard overthrew his intended receiver and cornerback Christian Bryant intercepted the pass with under a minute and a half left to seal the win.

Miller finished the day 16 of 30 for 249 yards and four touchdown passes with one interception and had 12 carries for 75 yards and one rushing touchdown. The defense MUST improve, but as long as Miller is healthy, he is a Heisman front-runner and the Buckeyes will have a great chance to win every game.

The Top 10

No. 1 Alabama has no trouble steamrolling Arkansas 52-0. No. 2 USC did not fare so well—dropping their fourth straight to the Stanford Cardinal.

No. 3 LSU and No. 4 Oregon both cruised to 63-14 wins over Idaho and Tennessee Tech, respectively. No. 5 Florida State shutout Wake Forest, 52-0.

No. 7 Georgia blasted Florida Atlantic by a final of 56-20.

No. 8 South Carolina routed UAB (Ohio State's week four opponent), 49-6.

No. 9 West Virginia coasted to a 42-12 win over James Madison.

No. 20 Notre Dame suffocated No. 10 Michigan State in East Lansing, 20-3.

11-25 Notable Games

No. 14 Virginia Tech did what they pretty much always do every year and laid an egg vs. an inferior opponent, losing 35-17 to previously winless Pittsburgh.

No. 23 Tennessee led No. 18 Florida at the half, but the Gator defense was too much for the Vols in the second half and Florida remained undefeated with a 37-20 victory.

No. 19 Louisville held a 39-14 lead over UNC early in the fourth quarter, but had to withstand a late charge by the Tarheels and held on for a 39-34 win.

What these Top 25 results mean for Ohio State

USC will likely drop down to the 13-15 range and Michigan State might stay in the top 25, or drop out altogether. The teams that beat each of them, Stanford and Notre Dame, could both jump up near the top 10.

It looks like the best case for Ohio State is they move up to No. 10 ahead of USC and MSU. The worst case is they move up to No. 11. I don't think ND jumps OSU, but the voters could definitely and deservedly reward Stanford with a top 10 slot.

It wasn't pretty, but a win is a win. And while many of the experts and our own fans will be down on the Buckeyes after this, I, for one, believe winning a close game like this can be very beneficial as the season plays out.

— HD

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Big Expectations — Buckeye Playmakers That Must Thrive For Ohio State in 2012

By Tim Bielik — BlockONation.com Featured Contributor

It's no secret that Ohio State's 2011 offense was utterly abysmal almost any way you look at it: scoring, rushing or passing.

The archaic offense that the Buckeyes ran last season is gone and now Urban Meyer's "power spread" offense has arrived, meaning that the days of boring, stagnant offenses are pretty much over.

Ohio State certainly has the potential to have a successful offense based on the young athletes they have been able to bring into Columbus in recent recruiting seasons.

Among the players that will need to step up this year are Corey Brown, Evan Spencer and Devin Smith (pictured, top right).

Each of those three receivers had their moments throughout last season — and in the case of Brown, two years. They are speedier receivers that work best in space and with shorter routes instead of going deep every single time.

Brown has to become much more consistent as far as catching the ball is concerned, with several crucial drops at bad times. Smith and Spencer were both young and needed a little bit of seasoning, which this offseason can help provide this team.

Jake Stoneburner will be an important part of the offense from the TE position, although he might not be in as good of shape as he would normally be because he cannot workout with the team until fall camps due to his arrest.

He presents a major mismatch when it comes to the passing game but always seemed to be underused in the past several seasons.

This year, he will be used as much as possible, especially considering the success Meyer and offensive coordinator Tom Herman have had developing Aaron Hernandez and — in Herman's case — James Casey at Rice.

As far as running backs go, OSU potentially has a solid one-two punch with Jordan Hall and Carlos Hyde (pictured at left), if and when Hall returns healthy from a recent off-the-field injury and subsequent surgery that is expected to sideline him for at least 10 weeks.

Hall is a shifty back who can catch the ball out of the backfield and make some screen plays as well as running up the middle. His game is multi-dimensional, which allows him to do a little bit of everything.

Hyde is the typical power back that will likely be used in red-zone packages, particularly the inside zone read plays that the OSU offense will be built around. His role may be that of a faster LeGarrette Blount, in that he has underrated speed to go with his size.

Hall and Hyde will make a strong tandem as far as running backs go, as they have had a year to gain experience and they each have some decent chemistry with sophomore QB Braxton Miller.

The players are certainly there for Ohio State. The only question is whether or not they will be able to make big things happen this season in a more athlete-friendly offense.

OSU has good athletes committed to their 2013 recruiting class, but this current group of veterans and incoming freshamn will have a chance to do some big things this year.

Spoiler Alert (sarcasm off) — The forseeable future is extremely bright at Ohio State.

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Fine Tuning: 5 Things Braxton Miller Must Do to Adapt to the Spread

By Luke Pashke — BlockONation.com Featured Contributor

As soon as the hiring of Urban Meyer was announced, I'm sure Braxton Miller was jumping for absolute joy. The system Miller was asked to perform last year was atrocious and completely unfit for Miller's skill set.

One of the many positive things Meyer brings with him is his trademarked spread system that focuses on putting his best players in the best positions to succeed—especially his quarterbacks.

Now the sophomore field general will be placed in the perfect system for his talents and should adapt quickly and well. This being said, Miller still has some work to do in order to put major points on the board in 2012.

Make Quicker Decisions

Meyer's spread offense is built on quick-hitting passes that require almost muscle memory reaction from the quarterback. The field general must know where his receivers are, where they will be and where he must put the ball in a flash.

Despite an excellent freshman year, Miller struggled to make quick decisions and often preferred to extend plays rather than get the ball out quickly.

This won't fly in the spread system, and Miller must know that. The better Miller knows his reads and is able to put the ball where it needs to be, the better this type of offense will be.

Read the Defensive End

The zone read is a staple in Meyer's offense. It is one of the most commonly run plays in his system and possibly the most important one. In order to see success from this certain play, the quarterback must read the defensive end precisely and effectively. This play does not work if the quarterback makes a misread.

Miller is a fantastic runner don't get me wrong, but sometimes the best plays he'll make next year will be when he leaves the ball with his running back. If Miller can develop effective decision making in the zone read, it will open up holes all over the defense and keep them on their heels.

Make the Right Decision Out of the Option

As stated before, Miller is an excellent runner.

We know he can drive a defensive coordinator crazy with his legs, but he must also kill defenses with his mind. Throughout his first season, Miller hardly ever pitched the ball on speed options and this sometimes hurt the Buckeyes offense.

The speed option is another commonly run play in Meyer's system, and if this offense wants to see great success, Miller must improve his decision making in the option game. Strictly running and ignoring the pitch will make the play one dimensional and easily stoppable.

If Miller really wants to march down the field, he must trust his running back and pitch the ball when necessary.

Make Accurate, Short Passes

Although Miller did have an excellent freshman season at Ohio State, he has plenty of room to improve in the passing game. He showed potential in a mostly pathetic passing attack last season, but struggled greatly at times with his accuracy and placement.

In the spread offense, accuracy in the short passing game will be paramount.

Miller must be able to connect on the quick-hitting passing routes with precision in order to avoid turnovers and "third and longs," and move the ball on all downs. When throwing quick screens, Miller must be able to place the ball in the best position for his receiver to run after the catch.

Difficult throws to grab completely kill a screen before they even start.

Although these may be viewed as the "little things," they will be the difference in this offense being a great unit or a mediocre one.

Distribute the Ball to All of His Weapons

Braxton Miller is an excellent player and clearly the main attraction on this offense, but he cannot be the only attraction. The sophomore quarterback is an absolute competitor and gamer, and has already shown the ability to completely take over a game and this is easily his greatest attribute.

However, at times, it appeared as if Miller would rather do it on his own rather than put faith in his teammates.

I don't think this is a result of a lack of trust in his teammates as much as it is how competitive he is. But if he puts too much on his shoulders, this offense will fail.

Like a point guard, Miller must spread the ball all over the field and get his numerous weapons involved throughout the game.

This offense is very versatile and focuses primarily on attacking the defense from every angle and stretching them to the max, and if Miller facilitates the ball while also dominating with his legs, the end zone will become very familiar to this offense.

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Urban Meyer's 5 Biggest Challenges at Ohio State for 2012

By Tyler Waddell — BlockONation.com Featured Contributor

Urban Meyer has dominated his opponents at every school he's coached; the two-time national champion carries a 104-23 record (81.9 percent) heading into his first season with Ohio State, which is second behind Boise State's Chris Petersen as the current leader in winning percentage.

However, his debut in the Big Ten isn't guaranteed to be a walk in the park. The Buckeyes are coming off their first losing season in 23 years, one in which the offense was stagnant and the defense underachieved.

Although the NCAA-imposed postseason ban alleviates any major pressures to win, the Ohio State football program is used to winning and expects Meyer to get it right back to the top as the best team in the conference.

With an almost entirely new coaching staff, offensive playbook and way of life, Meyer and the "most talented team in the Big Ten" are striving for improvement every day and look to stay extremely competitive in the Leaders division.

But for he and his team to continue doing so, he'll have to get past these challenges that lay ahead.

It seems as if it's a perfect "us against the world" type of situation, where Ohio State and the football program just can't do anything right for the moment.

On May 4, highly-touted linebacker recruit Alex Anzalone de-commited from the Buckeyes after a ridiculous run-in with a superfan, who just happened to be a sex offender in the state of Kentucky.

This of course made national news and put an unwanted spotlight on the school and coach Urban Meyer, who had been on a recruiting tear up until then. No player has committed to Ohio State since the incident.

Just two weeks later, athletic director Gene Smith released a report that showed the university had 46 secondary violations committed through 21 different sports that included assistant football coach Mike Vrabel using smokeless tobacco on the sideline and head coach Urban Meyer wishing luck to a recruit during a non-contact period.

"It's nothing that troubles me," Smith said, according to SI.com. "It's normal operating business. It's nothing that troubles me. I've seen all the cases, we know all the cases. You look at them, and they're inadvertent mistakes."

A bit silly if you ask me, but it definitely added another target to the program's back in the eyes of the media and rival fans.

And most recently, tight end Jake Stoneburner and left tackle Jack Mewhort were arrested last weekend for obstructing official business. The two were then suspended indefinitely by the university, which could potentially be a huge blow for the developing offense.

With all this occurring within a month's time, I can only imagine Meyer's frustration. The Buckeyes need to throw everything behind them and move forward, tip-toeing into the regular season and staying quiet up until they are again bowl eligible.

Anything else would be undesired attention.

After racing to an incredibly fast start for the 2013 recruiting class by receiving verbal commitments from 13 prospective athletes, Urban Meyer is now either taking it slow or is in a rut.

On April 30, 3-star linebacker Lewis Neal de-committed from Ohio State after being offered a scholarship by LSU (which he has not accepted).

And then of course was the infamous Alex Anzalone case, as the 4-star linebacker re-opened his recruiting market just a few short days later.

247Sports.com currently has Meyer's 2013 class No. 10 overall, even though his last commitment came from 5-star defensive lineman on April 23.

Michigan ranks No. 1 with 19 total verbals—five more than second-place Alabama.

Although national signing day isn't until February, Meyer needs to continue building around his strong class by grabbing another high-profile receiver, offensive lineman, linebacker and more.

Which I expect he will do at his own pace.

With the hiring of Urban Meyer comes the offense that won him two national championships at Florida. His spread-option scheme revolves around playmakers, like Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin and Aaron Hernandez.

Braxton Miller, Jordan Hall and Jake Stoneburner are expected to be those guys in 2012.

However, any time there's a huge transition with the offensive playbook, every skill player needs to dedicate himself to learn it and live it.

In this particular change, the quarterback gets a lot of attention. Miller is still developing as a passer and a decision-maker, but has vastly improved since the beginning of spring workouts and has proven to be a leader.

It's the guys around him that are extremely critical to the offense's overall performance, and this is where Meyer is a little concerned.

Devin Smith, Evan Spencer, Corey "Philly" Brown, Hall and Stoneburner—all Jim Tressel or Luke Fickell recruits—are expected to fill these roles to start the season. Every single one of them will need to play in sync with Miller to find an early rhythm and sustain it, while continuing to develop and get better.

It is up to Meyer and the coaching staff to get them where they need to be by Week 1.

Due to the improper benefits scandal led by former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor in 2010, the Buckeyes are facing a one-year bowl ban that will even hold them back from a potential Big Ten title appearance.

This could be the season that nobody cares about, where every regular season matchup becomes meaningless because of the end result—or lack of.

But that's not the case.

“It is still my goal to hire excellent coaches, recruit great student-athletes who want to be a part of this program and to win on and off the field," said Meyer after the NCAA released the news, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

Players said the Buckeyes could follow the example of Southern California, which received a tighter NCAA sanction with a two-year ban. It went 10-2 last season and are projected to be the No. 1 team to beat in 2012.

Meyer will need to maintain a high-spirited locker room throughout the regular season and continue encouraging his players—especially the seniors—to leave everything on the field and play to the best of their ability on every down.

And to look forward to November 24.

The most important—and probably most challenging—portion of Urban Meyer's to-do list for 2012 is to beat arch-rival Michigan.

And with the postseason ban in place, the mood is set just right.

The Wolverines will make a visit to Columbus on November 24 where they will play a very hungry Buckeyes team that will likely take the matchup like it's the national championship.

105,000-plus fans will gather around the 'shoe and form a January-like atmosphere, giving Ohio State the right inspiration to hand Michigan its ninth loss against the Silver Bullets over the last decade.

A victory here would allow the Buckeyes to carry an incredible amount of momentum heading into the 2013 season, where they are expected to make a title run.

It won't be easy, but a win against Michigan in his first year as OSU's head coach would be huge for Meyer.

And it could possibly start a new version of the Ten Year War.

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Ohio State Football 2012: Depth Chartin' Part I — Quarterback and Running Back

Ohio State finally began Spring Football this week.

Practices under new head coach Urban Meyer have been labeled intense, but that's not exactly shocking given the annual expectation level at Ohio State.

With many early-arrivals from the highly-touted 2012 recruiting class already on campus, several position, and depth chart battles have emerged.

Just after NSD, Meyer stated that he did not recruit guys to redshirt at Ohio State — a refreshing and welcomed change from previous seasons where seemingly seniority sometimes mattered more when it came to playing time than on-the-field talent.

Jim Tressel was a great coach but most would agree that he was often too loyal to his upperclassmen.

It does not matter how long any player has been in the program. No one should earn their playing time based on seniority (cough, Joe Bauserman, cough). The best 22 players should start regardless of what class designation they belong to, period — and Meyer gets that.

By the time the Scarlet and Gray game is played on April 21st, the depth chart should be pretty firmly set. There is, however, still some time to jostle things around a bit and for guys to move up in the ranks, so with that in mind, here's a very early look at how the depth chart is shaping up at several key positions.

Quarterback

Obviously, there's no quarterback controversy in Columbus — Meyer was practically frothing at the mouth during his introduction press conference over the prospect of coaching Braxton Miller, but Buckeye fans shouldn't soon forget that Meyer played two quarterbacks while at Florida back in 2006 (Chris Leak and some guy named Tebow) and that turned out pretty well for them (41-14).

Miller is the starter, but a solid backup QB is just as important, especially when you have a dual-threat QB who's going to take some hits — which means backup Kenny Guiton and freshman Cardale Jones will both need to be game-ready.

So far, Meyer has liked what he's seen from both Miller and Guiton, saying "Both those kids, the answer is yes, they can throw." Now, there's all the other stuff that goes on, but they can physically throw the ball, both of them. I feel good about those guys."

When he's gotten the chance to play, Guiton has shown he can guide the offense, and given Meyer's comments, he could occasionally find himself on the field, if for no other reason than to mix things up and keep opposing defenses guessing, or to give Braxton a quick breather and/or some in-game coaching — something he sorely lacked in 2011.

Depth Chart

Braxton Miller

Kenny Guiton

Cardale Jones

Running Back

While the hierarchy at quarterback has been established, determining the backfield pecking order could be described as a blurry quandary — not so much because of a lack of talent or depth, but rather, a lack of "working together" experience between the new staff and the players, and because the incumbent, Boom Herron, is gone.

Jordan Hall and Carlos Hyde are experienced-ish, while Rod Smith isn't — when he did play (ever-so-sparingly) in 2011, he fumbled away the ball, and his spot on the offense altogether temporarily when he was moved to defense — nor is 5-star true freshman, Bri'onte Dunn.

With the loss of Herron to graduation, no clear-cut starter returns or has emerged as of yet, so all four backs have been getting reps early on. Meyer said they have momentum and "as long as that continues the talent there is fine."

Hall is the most experienced, but unlike Hyde, he is unlikely to be a workhorse back that could carry the ball 20 times per game. Instead, dumping the ball off to him on a halfback screen or out of the slot would suit Hall's talents much better.

Hyde has drawn comparisons to Beanie Wells and even Eddie George. He's not as fast as Beanie, or as dynamic as Eddie, but he does have decent speed and power, and most importantly, he protects the football. In 2011, Hyde averaged 5.4 yards per rush and fumbled just twice in 106 carries.

While Smith and Dunn were both heavily recruited and highly rated coming out of H.S., they must both prove themselves on the field the rest of the spring and this fall.

The arrival of Warren Ball, a 4-star RB in the 2012 class, will also affect the final depth chart this fall. Between Ball and Dunn, one of them might have to redshirt this season, rather than waste a year of eligibility.

Depth Chart (subject to change)

Carlos Hyde

Jordan Hall

Bri'onte Dunn

Rod Smith

Warren Ball

Coming soon

Part II — Wide Receiver

Part III — D-Line / Linebacker

Part IV — Safety / Cornerback

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Ohio State vs. Purdue — Week 11 (Game 10) Outlook, History Lesson, and Prediction

OSU/Purdue—A Few Opening Thoughts...

Ohio State visits Purdue this Saturday for the first time since the then-seventh-ranked Buckeyes left West Lafayette, a 26-18 loser in 2009.


2010 Flashback: Dan "Boom" Herron stretches for the goaline vs. Purdue.
In the last five meetings, the Buckeyes are just 2-3 against Purdue -- a recent trend they most certainly want to reverse this weekend -- especially if they hope to preserve their chances of playing for the 2011 Big Ten crown in December.


Team Rankings / Players of Note

Purdue

The Purdue offense ranks 83^rd nationally at 367 yards per game. They are 74^th in total defense (43^rd vs. the pass, 92^nd vs. the run), allowing an average of 400 yards per game, and rank 58^th in points allowed per game (26.4).

Quarterback Caleb TerBush has thrown for 1,386, with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. His passer efficiency rating is 130. He also has 183 yards rushing and one touchdown.

At running back, Ralph Bolden leads the team with 469 yards and three touchdowns, followed closely by Akeem Shavers, who has gained 338 yards on the ground and scored five times.

The Boilermakers have a trio of wide receivers with over 25 receptions and 300-plus yards. Antavian Edision has 26 catches for 367 yards and two touchdowns -- Justin Siller has 34 catches for 342 yards and one touchdown -- and O.J. Ross has 29 catches for 326 yards and three touchdowns.


Ohio State

Ohio State is 106^th in total offense (319 yards per game) nationally. They are 16^th in total defense (29^th vs. the pass, 27^th vs. the run), allowing an average of 312 yards per game, and rank 14^th in points allowed per game (18.1).

The Silver Bullets have 21 sacks and 10 interceptions through nine games.

On the season, QB Braxton Miller has 547 passing yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions. He also has 447 yards on the ground and four rushing touchdowns. His current passer efficiency rating is 132.

Jordan Hall may play this week after missing the Indiana game. In his absence, team rushing leader Carlos Hyde broke the 100-yard barrier and now has 513 yards and six touchdowns. Dan Herron also broke the 100-yard barrier (as did Braxton Miller) and now has 415 yards and two scores.

Devin Smith leads the team in yardage with 227 yards on 10 catches, including four for scores. TE Jake Stoneburner is second on the team with 150 yards, and still leads in receptions and touchdowns, with 12 and six respectively. Neither had a reception against Indiana, but the fact that the Buckeyes had well over 300 yards rushing in the game is directly attributable to that.


Ohio State—Purdue History Lesson And Trends

• Ohio State is 38-13-2 all-time vs. Purdue.

• Ohio State is 18-1 in all November games since 2005.

• Ohio State is 108-54-8 all-time in November road games.

• Ohio State is 12-7 all-time vs. Purdue in West Lafayette.

• Ohio State is 9-0 on the road in November games since 2005.

• Ohio State is 2-3 vs. Purdue in the last five games at West Lafayette.

• Ohio State is now 4-2 with Braxton Miller as their starting quarterback.

• Ohio State is 21-1 when running back Dan Herron rushes for at least 55 yards.

• Ohio State has won 13 of their last 16 games against Purdue, dating back to 1989.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just nine 100-yard rushers in their last 59 games.

• In the last 10 meetings between Ohio State and Purdue, the visiting team is just 2-8.

• Ohio State has held 67 opponents to 21 points or less since the start of the 2005 season.

• Ohio State's defense has held their opponent to fewer than 10 points 31 times since 2006.

• Ohio State has lost just two games in the month of November since their last loss to Michigan on November 22^nd, 2003 (@ Purdue 2004, vs. Illinois 2007).

• Purdue is 11-4 all-time on games played on November 11th.

• Purdue is 1-1 against Ohio State under head coach Danny Hope.

• Purdue has outgained Ohio State in seven of the last 10 meetings.

• Purdue has won three of the last five meetings at home against Ohio State.

• Purdue is third nationally and first in the Big Ten in kickoff return average (27.3).

• Purdue has not had a 100-yard rusher since 9/03/11 (Ralph Bolden) vs. Middle Tennessee State.

• Purdue's defense surrendered 605 total yards to Wisconsin last week (11/05/11), including 223 yards on the ground and three touchdowns to RB Montee Ball.


Final Thoughts and Score Prediction

It would seem obvious to me that another big week for the Buckeye running game in on tap.

Nothing personal against Jordan Hall, but I kind of hope he misses again this week so we can all see more of Carlos Hyde. I love this kid -- he's the next Beanie Wells!


Carlos Hyde has a mean stiffarm and he just looks the part of a brusing-Buckeye-back, don't you think?
The defense must play better -- Purdue is most definitely better than Indiana -- but Ohio State has plenty of motivation in this game.

What, with revenge for the 2009 loss in Ross-Ade Stadium, not to mention, a shot at the 2011 title game and a potential Rose Bowl berth hanging in the balance.

Something tells me it could be close into the third quarter, but the Bucks will get separation in the end, and a win for the good guys should be in order this time in West Lafayette.


Ohio State 41
Purdue 20


"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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Ohio State-Illinois—Week 7 Game Highlights

Finally, we see just how great the defense is and how good the offense can be pounding the rock, as the Buckeyes handed the Illini their 1st loss.

Woody would be so proud.

This Ohio State-Illinois highlight video was produced by lednerk and is brought to you exclusively by BlockONation.com

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Ohio State vs. No. 14 Illinois: Week 7 Game Outlook, History Lesson, and Prediction

I have been super-busy this week at home and in the Pharmacy, but fear-not my loyal BlockONation posse', for here is this weeks feature (well, part of it anyway).

The rest should be finished sometime Friday evening/night.

I at least wanted to post the History and Trends ASAP as I know many of my blog and Twitter followers look forward to that section immensely!

Chew on this for now gang -- the rest will be updated with links posted on Twitter and Facebook tonight when it's 100% done -- thanks!



OSU/Ill—A Few Opening Thoughts...

Gameplan: You play, to win, the game...


Brief Game Outlook / Players of Note

Three yards and a cloud of dust.

O-line, Boom Herron, Jordan Hall


Ohio State—Illinois History Lesson And Trends

• Ohio State last lost to Illinois in Champaign in 1991.

• Ohio State is 114-64-8 all-time in October road games.

• Ohio State is 34-17 vs. opponents ranked in the top 25 since 2001.

• Ohio State is 0-2 in the Big Ten for just the second time since 1993.

• Ohio State is 62-30-4 overall vs. Illinois and 33-12 all-time in Champaign.

• Ohio State defense has held opponent to fewer than 10 points 30 times since 2006.

• Ohio State defense has allowed just seven 100-yard rushers in their last 40 games.

• Ohio State has held 65 of 79 opponents to 21 points or less since the start of the 2005 season.

• Ohio State has won 5 of the last 6 overall meetings, and has won 8 games in a row on the road vs. Illinois.

• Since 1990, the visiting team is 14-5 in the OSU-ILL series.

• Illinois is just 1-5 against Ohio State under coach Ron Zook.

•.Illinois is 18-32 vs. Big Ten opponents since 2005 under Zook.

• Illinois has 1,357 rushing yards through 6 games while holding opponents to just 478 yards rushing.

• Illinois, is 9-4-1 vs. Ohio State and have won the last 5 meetings against OSU when ranked in the AP top 25.

• Illinois is 6-0 for the first time since 1951, when it finished 9-0-1 to earn a share of the national championship.

• Illinois has won 7 games in row dating back to 2010, their longest winning streak since the 2001 season -- The last time an Illinois team won 8 games in a row was 1983.


Final Thoughts and Score Prediction

Low scoring, defensive battle was expected, and that's exactly what happened.

Pre-game prediction would have been:

Ohio State 23
Illinois 16

For the record, BlockONation guaranteed an Ohio State win over Illinois via Twitter at 11:13AM Saturday morning -- more than 4 hours before the game...


"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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A Few Post-Nebraska-Game Thoughts on the State of Ohio State Football...

Ohio State Shocked the World -- if only for 2 & 1/2 quarters in Lincoln, Nebraska last night -- then, they got shell-shocked as the Cornhuskers came back from a 27-6 third-quarter deficit to defeat the Buckeyes 34-27.

Ohio State was an 11-point underdog, so in a lot of ways, this performance was above and beyond what many expected from the Bucks. That being said, we don't play for moral victories at The Ohio State University -- this ain't Ann Arbor people -- it's still a loss.

Why/How OSU Imploded and Ultimately Lost

1. Braxton Miller injured his ankle midway through the third and he was unable to return

2. The coaches brought in the incapable Joe Bauserman -- to replace the injured Miller -- who has proven he is, well, incapable.

3. After having success running the ball most of the game and with the previously noted incapable Bauserman in under center, the coaches mind-blowingly decided to pass more than run (10 passing plays vs. eight running plays). Bauserman proceeded to go 1 for 10 for 13 yards with a sack and an interception. Several of his passes looked like they would have been over the head of the Jolly Green Giant.

4. For the game, Jordan Hall had 17 carries for 49 yards (2.9 ypc) and no touchdowns. Carlos Hyde has 13 carries for 104 yards (8.0 ypc) and two touchdowns. So why in the world did Hyde only get two more carries than Hall (nine to seven) in the third and fourth quarters? Have our coaches never head of "going with the hot hand"? And again, why were we passing more than running with the lead and with Bauserman in at QB? Bauserman isn't the one who must shoulder the blame for the loss. He's not a good QB, which is painfully obvious to everyone not named Fickell or Bollman, but he didn't put himself in the game when Miller came out, Luke Fickell and Jim Bollman did, and that's where the real blame falls.

To Sum Everything Up

The Buckeyes had this game in the bag, had Miller not gotten hurt. After that, our chances of winning evaporated because of a lack of planning by the coaches. There's no excuse for not planning ahead for just this type of situation, period.

Simply put, Ohio State was owning Nebraska until the Miller injury, and the appearance of Bauserman instead of Kenny Guiton or Taylor Graham deflated the team and stole the momentum.

It would be nice to have answers to all of these questions and explanations on these repeatedly unwise coaching decisions -- not to mention how nice it would have been to get a huge win in what can be justifiably deemed as a very winnable game

Too bad the coaches got in the way.

Important memo to the OSU coaching staff:

NO MORE BAUSERMAN...
WE'RE TALKING NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER...
GOT IT? K, THANKS!

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"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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Braxton Miller image copyright of Eric Francis / Getty Images