OHIO STATE VS YOUNGSTOWN STATE

ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 1ST, THE OHIO STATE BUCKEYES OPENED THE 2007 SEASON FACING JIM TRESSEL'S FORMER TEAM IN THE YOUNGSTOWN STATE PENGUINS. THE 105,038 SCREAMING FANS GOT TO WITNESS SOME NEW FACES AS THE BUCKEYES HAD SOME QUESTIONS LEFT UNANSWERED AS TO WHO WOULD STEP UP AND WHERE. THE GAME WENT PRETTY MUCH AS EXPECTED AS THE BUCKEYES ROLLED TO A 38-6 DECISIVE VICTORY. I AM NOT GOING TO GET INTO HOW I FEEL ABOUT TEAMS LIKE US FACING DIVISION 1-AA OPPENENTS AND APPARENTLY I HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT MISLED ACCORDING TO HOW THE DUDES FROM THE NORTH FAIRED THIS WEEKEND. TODD BOECKMAN WOULD GET HIS FIRST EVER START FOR THE BUCKS AND I THOUGHT HE PLAYED VERY WELL. HE HAS BEEN AROUND THE SYSTEM FOR A VERY LONG TIME NOW AND HE HAS JUST BEEN WAITING HIS TURN. HE ENDED UP COMPLETING 17 OF 23 PASSES FOR 225 YARDS AND 2 TOUCHDOWN PASSES. HE WAS VERY CRISP IN THE POCKET AND MADE GREAT DECISIONS. HE SEEMED TO BE IN COMPLETE COMMAND OF THE OFFENSE. THERE WERE KNOW WORRIES ON HOW HE KNEW THE OFFENSE, JUST A MATTER OF HOW WOULD PLAY. PEOPLE HAVE WONDERED SINCE THE SPRING GAME IF HE WOULD BE THE CLEAR CUT STARTER, AND I THINK AFTER SATURDAY, ALL OF THE QUARTERBACK QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED. HIS MAIN HOOK UP OF THE DAY WAS A FAVORITE OF MINE IN BRIAN ROBISKIE. YOU CAN JUST TELL THIS GUY HAS THE ABILITY TO BE A FANTASTIC RECEIVER AND HIS NUMBERS PROVED IT. HE LED THE WAY WITH 9 TOTAL CATCHES FOR 153 YARDS. THE PASSING GAME WAS EFFICIENT THE WHOLE WAY AS 9 DIFFERENT RECEIVERS CAUGHT A PASS IN THIS GAME. THE RUNNING GAME HAD ITS STRUGGLES, BUT YOU COULD TELL THE PENGUINS MAIN FOCUS WAS TO CONTAIN THE RUN AND THEY DID A HECK OF A JOB DOING JUST THAT. 3 DIFFERENT BACKS SHARED MOST OF THE WORK. CHRIS WELLS HAD MOST OF THE LOAD AS EXPECTED AS HE CARRIED IT 16 TIMES FOR 48 TOTAL YARDS. HE WAS DEFINITELY VERY UNHAPPY ABOUT HIS PERFORMANCE AFTER THE GAME, BUT WHEN HE WAS IN THE GAME, HE WAS THE MAIN FOCAL POINT FROM THAT YOUNGSTOWN STATE DEFENSE. EXPECT A LOT MORE OF THAT FROM DEFENSES AS THE SEASON GOES ON. MAURICE WELLS CARRIED IT 8 TIMES FOR 46 YARDS, AND FRESHMAN BRANDON SAINE HAD 10 CARRIES FOR 42 YARDS. SAINE WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE TO ME AND EXPECT BIG THINGS FROM THIS KID AS THE SEASON GOES ON. HE IS A NICE COMPLEMENT TO THE POWERFUL STRAIGHT AHEAD RUNNING OF BEANIE WELLS. ALL IN ALL THE BUCKEYE OFFENSE LOOKED PRETTY SOLID AS THEY ROLLED UP 417 YARDS OF TOTAL OFFENSE.

THE DEFENSE PLAYED A PRETTY GOOD GAME, AND MOST PEOPLE FEEL THAT THIS SAME D IS WHAT IS GOING TO CARRY US IF WE WANT A CHANCE AT ANOTHER BIG TEN TITLE. THEY GAVE UP LESS THAN 100 YARDS ON THE GROUND AND IN THE AIR, AS YOUNGSTOWN'S OFFENSE WAS JUST NO MATCH FOR THEM. LITTLE ANIMAL AND AUSTIN SPITLER LED THE WAY WITH 7 TACKLES A PIECE AND SPITLER INCLUDED A SACK AS WELL. AS EXPECTED, A LOT OF GUYS WERE ROTATED IN AND OUT OF THERE, BUT FROM WHAT I HAVE READ WE SHOULD EXPECT A LOT OF THAT THIS SEASON. WE HAVE SO MUCH DEPTH AT EACH POSITION RIGHT NOW, IT IS HARD NOT TO DO THAT. THEY WILL BE TESTED MORE WITH THE PASSING GAME NEXT WEEK WHEN THEY TAKE ON THE AKRON ZIPS.

WHAT CAN WE TAKE FROM THIS GAME? NOT A WHOLE LOT REALLY. IT WAS PRETTY MUCH WHAT EVERYONE EXPECTED FROM IT. THE PENGUINS PLAYED EXTREMELY HARD, BUT THE TALENT LEVEL JUST DOESNT MATCH UP WITH THE BUCKEYES. WE LEARNED ALREADY THAT DEFENSES ARE GOING TO DO WHATEVER THEY CAN TO CONTAIN THE RUNNING GAME. I REALIZE WE HAVE MUCH TOUGHER DEFENSES TO FACE, BUT I THINK WE LEARNED THAT WE DEFINITELY HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE A BALANCED OFFENSE. TODD CAN DEFINITELY GET THE JOB DONE AND WE HAVE GREAT RECEIVERS AND TIGHT ENDS TO GET THE BALL TO. I AM EXTREMELY EXCITED TO SEE WHAT WE DO FROM HERE ON OUT. THERE ARENT A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THINKING THAT WE CAN WIN THE BIG TEN, BUT I BEG TO DIFFER WITH THEM. WITH THE TALENT WE HAVE AND THE COACH WE HAVE, YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL. THE TIME IS HERE AGAIN ALREADY AND I CANT EVEN EXPRESS HOW EXCITED I AM ABOUT IT. THERE ISNT ANYTHING BETTER THAN COLLEGE FOOTBALL ON SATURDAYS.

NEXT WEEKEND THE BUCKEYES WILL HOST THE AKRON ZIPS AT THE SHOE, AND WE CAN EXPECT MORE OF THE SAME. THE ZIPS WILL FIGHT THEIR HEARTS OUT BUT THEY WILL BE NO MATCH FOR THIS BUCKEYE MACHINE

OHIO STATE 34

AKRON 7