Predictions at OSU
- Thread starter ftnfan62
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Does our loss to southern cal in 1998 not count because our starting QB Jarious Jackson was out for the game?
This feels a lot like the Georgia game a few years ago in Athens. ND will put up a fight, but never find any traction to take control of the game. Same old same old against top opponents.
Until they prove otherwise... OSU 38. ND 24
Until they prove otherwise... OSU 38. ND 24
With that win, we're still 1-9. I didn't count the 2020 regular season game because it wasn't just any player that Clemson was missing, it was Heisman Trophy winner and 2021 1st round pick, Trevor Lawrence. Bottom line and my original point, ND has done horrifically against teams like tOSU. I want nothing more than to see ND win and break that trend but, I just think it will be too much in Columbus.
Geez, you limit the discussion to games subsequent to 2000, and then you apparently further the discussion to games where the other team's QB was the top draft choice. Nothing like cherry picking.
I'm on the same page as you, I just don't like cherry picking. No worries.
The defense has to of significantly improved for ND to have a chance. Our safety, LBs, and second corner did not do good in coverage. That can't continue into this year. I expect our DLine to have moments (hopefully many) of domination, but if OSU employs a kinda OSU of oklahoma strategy to just pick on our corners/safeties that did poor last year, they either need to make plays or we have minimal shot to win. Lewis and the second safety can't give up every pass thrown at them and never make any plays.
If OSU hits a lot of big chunk plays that means our D hasn't gotten any better. Yes OSU brings back the best WR in the country and they have a ton of talent but they actually have about as much experience as we do at WR. They have talent so i'm sure they'll make some big plays, but they shouldn't be easy.
Last year OSU had 3 NFL ready WRs, maybe they do this year too, but they are young and it's first game of the season.
Our 3 top corners are experienced, either they've improved or they haven't. If they haven't this season never had much hope to begin with because you can't play college football today with 1 corner.
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I'm scared to death of bracy and Lewis. Until proven otherwise, they are a weak spot. Safety help should bail one out but one could potentially be caught in a bad one on one matchup trailing at any time. If pressure bails them out or they simply ball out, I'll feel very good about our chances. If they rotate with other corners I'll feel even better. I hate watching big games waiting for the secondary to get outmatched.
Ohio State will be pretty inexperienced at outside receiver but the guys they are legit 5* players with all the talent in the world and being coached by the best. One guy is Marvin Harrison Jr who is I think 6'4 200 and the other is Julian Fleming (finally healthy) and he's like a 6'2 200 burner. But the question you guys should be asking is how good is your slot cornerback in nickel packages because he's going to be going up against our best receiver who is a nightmare in the slot.
We have 3 experienced corners. I expect Bracy (who played a lot of slot last year) to play a lot of nickel. Bracy did better in nickel than he did when he was outside corner. ND has a lot of young talent at corner and the 3 oldest guys are first 3 in the depth chart. Hopefully that means they are playing well. Like mirer said above, i'm not crazy confident in 2 of our 3 corners, but our 1 corner is a shut down corner, he will not be in the slot though. They'll probalby put him on an island.
My biggest hope is this will be the best dline you play all regular season for sure. Deep, experienced, and talented.
Marvin Harrison is getting a lot of preseason hype as being awesome. I'm not sure what to make of that other than he'll probably be awesome. It seems like now that tOSU's state of the art badass passing offense is well and truly established, that every skill position player at QB and WR that comes through the system becomes a star, and a top draft pick.
So maybe the Harrison hype is a little bit on account on that. As well as being more or less justified, given recent past performance of tOSU offense. Has Harrison put up a lot of stats as a backup?
So maybe the Harrison hype is a little bit on account on that. As well as being more or less justified, given recent past performance of tOSU offense. Has Harrison put up a lot of stats as a backup?
Harrison played sparingly last year, but broke out in the Rose Bowl with 3 touchdown catches. He was a true freshman last season so he's going into his sophomore season, but he's always been ahead in getting the start outside. Another guy you might see a lot too is Emeka Egbuka, he's the 4th receiver but he should also be seeing a lot of snaps. He's also the kick returner, big fast player.
It'll either be Notre Dame or Michigan for best DL I imagine. I don't know much about the Notre Dame DL other than you guys have a really good DE.
We have 8 linemen that will play. Foskey get the pub but pressure will come from everywhere and they will rotate to stay fresh with very little drop off. If you put too much dedicated to foskey the se will get pressure. We may lack size in some alignments, but I'd expect a marathon. If your ol isn't in shape or rotating it could be a big advantage at the end of the game if it stays close. If ND gets pressure with the dl alone that gets really interesting because the linebackers are athletic and can play in space.
Ohio State doesn't really rotate OL, that's probably most teams least substituted positions. The starters are really talented and experienced though and we have a few capable backups. As for our DL, our coach said there could be as many as 12 guys that play throughout the season, it's our deepest unit on the field. Both teams OL will have to play well all game because the DL's will be fresh into the 4th quarter
Yeah we have 11 that we will rotate for the season, but don't think some will see the field Saturday.
Your left tackle is going to get seriously tested. Three deep there, and not much drop off from Foskey.
He may not seem like it but that's because he's tall and a long strider, he covers ground quickly.
ND fans have to be pensive about TB. He has not played much competitive football in 2+ years; and certainly not at the level or intensity that he will be-faced with on Sat. Typically, QB is the most important position in a game..
So the issue for the game, depending on your team:
TB or tOSU LB’s
So the issue for the game, depending on your team:
TB or tOSU LB’s
I'd say we beat Clemson more because they were missing about half dozen defensive starters in addition to Lawrence.
an honest perspective. CU started a true Fr. in his 1st game ever; at the holy grail of football; he had 480?
Clemson didn’t have 6 starters out, not even close. And the backup qb threw for more yards than any other qb against ND at ND stadium, so they certainly didn’t lose because of qb play. ND earned it that night, too bad we weren’t able to do that but once or twice in the last decade and then some. Let’s hope freeman pulls us out of that funk. We shall see pretty soon.
too bad we weren’t able to do that but once or twice in the last decade."
Once, if you're counting it.
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Trevor Lawrence, James Skalski, another starting linebacker named Mike Jones, and a defensive tackle named Tyler Davis all missed the game. Another defensive tackle, Xavier Thomas, missed the first half because he had been called for targeting the week before. So that's 4 and a half. I distinctly remember at least one defensive back getting injured and missing about half the game, so that's 5, which is close enough to "about half a dozen."
When both teams were at equal strength in the ACC championship game, the outcome was predictably much different.
He still uses trailing technique and is slow to respond to either the ball or the wr hands.
The fact is of Buchner falters there is zero chance in this game. Zero.
I think Buchner will be very good.
Buchner can be good or bad and if the corners cannot match up with the wrs we will lose. We need very strong corner play for the entire game.
The newly tooled oline for OSU should be more concerning than the linebackers. All highly rated, a few position changes, a new starter and most all returning starters under achieved last year. ND needs pressure to help the corners. The biggest question for OSU is can the oline give stroud time. If so we likely lose.
