![]() ![]() On the season the Buckeyes are ranked 48 th in scoring, 19 th in rushing, and allowed 19 sacks (40 th best in the nation, it should be noted that there are a ton of ties in this stat so both Oregon’s and OSU’s rankings are skewed) much like the Ducks they didn’t pass much as they were the 106 th passing attack in the country (another interesting note, both teams didn’t have much in overall passing yardage but they were pretty middle of the pack in YPA indicating that when they do choose to pass they often throw downfield). Ohio State has been incredibly inconsistent of the offensive side of the ball all season and if they want to beat Oregon Terrelle Pryor will almost certainly have to play his best game yet. The battle between the Buckeyes’ offense and the Ducks’ defense certainly isn’t being as focused on as much as the opposite one, but it will obviously be just as important in deciding the outcome of the game. Because of this the Buckeyes will be able to drop more players into coverage and increase their chances of picking off a stray pass or tackle a runner breaking for the edge. One thing that will work in the Buckeyes advantage is their defensive lines ability to generate immense pressure without needing help from blitzing linebackers or defensive backs. These two players will play at safety opposite Kurt Coleman but they will be especially important to the team’s success when they are playing the STAR position (safety/linebacker hybrid position, plays close the line of scrimmage) because whoever is at STAR will be the primary defensive player responsible for recognizing zone-read plays and stopping them close to the line of scrimmage. Two of the most important players for the Buckeyes are going to be safeties Jermale Hines and Anderson Russell. If defenders blow their assignments Masoli will find his pitchman for a big gain every time and if there is too much focus on stopping the pitch Masoli and James are both strong and fast enough to grind it out up the middle. In order to stop the Ducks the most important thing for the Buckeyes to do is play with discipline. ![]() ![]() But in addition to these two the Ducks will also get their receivers involved in the running game as pitchmen and will almost certainly give senior running back Legarrette Blount a few carries in short yard situations or whenever they want to rest James. The primary ball carriers for Oregon will be junior quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and freshman sensation LaMichael James. The reason for this is because the Ducks have an incredibly dynamic rushing attack that relies heavily on deception and misdirection to create big plays. When Oregon has the ball they will predominantly rely on the ground game to move the chains but unlike most of the top rushing attacks in the nation clock control is not their specialty. That being said all of these stats can be thrown out the window because the success that both teams had is in the past and neither of these teams have faced a challenge like the one that will be presented in this game. On offense the Ducks were 7 th in scoring, 6 th in rushing offense (4 th in YPC), and only allowed 12 sacks (12 th best in the nation) however they were 92 nd in passing offense. The Silver bullets ranked 5 th in scoring defense, had 23 interceptions and 10 recovered fumbles (23 forced), 4 th in rushing yards per attempt against, 7 th in passing yards per attempt against, 5 th in total defense, had 30 sacks (25h in the nation), and 1 st in three and outs. The premiere matchup in this game will be between the Buckeyes’ defense and the Duck’s dynamic offense. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |