OSU’s offense: Consistently inconsistent
Right: Quarterback Todd Boeckman is not to blame for Ohio State’s offensive offense this season. (AP Photo)
Going into the 2008 tackle football season, on paper Ohio State had all the makings to return for their third-straight national championship game. Unfortunately, when you lined up the 11 guys on the rectangular field that measures 360 by 160 feet, that wasn’t the case.
This from a team that had several preseason All-Americans and five potential first-round selections in next April’s NFL Draft.
Preseason Heisman Trophy candidate Chris Wells suffered a turf toe injury in Ohio State’s easy 43-0 season-opening victory over Division I-AA opponent Youngstown State and missed the next three games.
Things were much tougher a week later playing against in-state rival Ohio, who finished the year 4-8, and the Buckeyes struggled to move the ball most of the game without Beanie.
Ohio State did manage to gain 162 yards on the ground, but had to run the ball 40 times to do so for an average of 4.1 yards per attempt. Daniel Herron and Maurice Wells combined for 98 of those yards.
Sixth-year senior Todd Boeckman was 16-of-26 passing, but 15 of his completions only covered 85 yards. His longest pass play of the day was a 25-yard pitch and catch to tight end Jake Ballard. Boeckman was also sacked three times.
Ohio pushed their lead to 14-6 when Ohio State center Jim Cordle was high and wide on his snap to Boeckman in shotgun formation, who then couldn’t come up with the ball in the end zone and the Bobcats’ recovered the loose pigskin for six.
The Buckeyes closed the gap on Boom Herron’s one-yard burst with 2:51 left in the third quarter, but Pretorius missed badly on the PAT, which made the score 14-12 in favor of the Bobcats.
Ohio State took the lead for good when backup cornerback Shaun Lane recovered a muffed punt before it rolled out-of-bounds at the Ohio 25 yard line. Six plays later, Brandon Saine plowed in from the two to put the Buckeyes up 19-14 with 14:00 remaining in the game.
Ray Small put the game on ice with 5:57 to go when he took a punt 69 yards to the house.
But Ohio State’s offensive woes continued mightily the following Saturday at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
Out of 12 games this season, Ohio State failed to score an offensive touchdown in three of them, with the first occasion coming against Southern California.
The Buckeyes managed to get just 207 yards of total offense, with 69 of those occurring on OSU’s only scoring drive of the game in the first quarter that gave Ohio State a brief 3-0 lead.
Of course, the Trojans went on to score 35 unanswered points to thoroughly embarrass the Buckeyes on national TV.
Boeckman was 14-of-21 passing and threw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and was sacked four times.
It was the last game Boeckman started for the Buckeyes.
For the Troy game a week later, true freshman Terrelle Pryor was named the starter after having played in the first three games coming off the bench.
Boeckman, though, cannot be blamed for Ohio State’s offensive struggles. Boeckman was just the scapegoat. The blame could be placed on head coach Jim Tressel with his unimaginative play-calling, and to the offensive line with their “Matador-style” blocking schemes.
The Buckeyes recorded two rather easy wins against Troy and Minnesota before venturing out on the road once again to face then 18th-ranked Wisconsin.
Though the Buckeyes outgained the Badgers 327-326, it took a 12-play, 80-yard drive capped off on a 11-yard run by Pryor to give Ohio State a 20-17 win.
Needing to go 80 yards in the fourth quarter, Pryor was 3-of-4 passing for 59 yards and scored the game-winner with 68 seconds left when he faked the option pitch to Beanie and slashed 11 yards for the score.
But there wasn’t much in the way of scoring or offensive production by Ohio State from the early in the first quarter until a little more than halfway through the fourth.
The Buckeyes covered 71 yards in six plays which was capped off on a 33-yard run by Wells that put Ohio State ahead 7-0 on the game’s opening possession.
On OSU’s next five possessions of the first half, the Buckeyes netted just 52 yards and two of those drives ended on turnovers, an interception by Pryor, and a fumble after Dane Sanzenbacher was crushed after a catch.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin was able to move the ball in the second quarter and mounted a 15-play, 91-yard scoring drive which took 8:16 off the clock, ending on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Evridge to Mickey Turner.
The Badgers went into the locker room at halftime leading 10-7 after Phillip Welch connected on a 20-yard field goal as time expired.
Ohio State’s Ryan Pretorius added two field goals, one from 21 yards in the third quarter that tied the game, and another with 10:52 left in the fourth quarter to give the Buckeyes a 13-10 advantage.
Wisconsin responded by going 63 yards, all on the ground, in 10 plays capped off on a 1-yard run by P.J. Hill before Pryor led the Buckeyes downfield for the game-winner.
The following Saturday in Columbus, Ohio State failed to score in offensive touchdown for the second time during the course of the 2008 season, yet defeated Purdue 16-3.
The Buckeyes’ lone TD against the Boilermakers came on a blocked punt by Malcolm Jenkins that was returned by Etienne Sabino.
After scoring 45 points in East Lansing, Ohio State came back home for their biggest game of the year, taking on third-ranked Penn State. And for the third time this season, the Buckeyes failed to score an offensive touchdown in a 13-6 loss to the Nittany Lions.
Ohio State led 6-3 going into the fourth quarter, but Pryor was sacked and fumbled at the OSU 38 yard line which set-up Penn State’s go-ahead touchdown.
On the Buckeyes last possession of the game, Pryor was intercepted by Lydell Sargeant in the end zone with 27 seconds left.
In Ohio State’s last three wins against Northwestern, Illinois and Michigan, the Buckeyes averaged 39 points per game.
So, have they turned the corner offensively? Was moving Pryor into the starting line-up the smart thing to do, or was it an act of desperation?
Clearly, the play of the offensive line has been troublesome all year. But after the loss to USC, did it really matter who played quarterback? Could Ohio State defeat Penn State with Boeckman calling the signals? Given the outcome, it was possible. But hindsight is 20/20.
I am going to have to think that Tressel was going with his best option to win this season, as well as looking towards the next two years when he put Pryor into the lineup. The experience he gained this year is invaluable.
I am not sure how much you can change your offensive schemes during the period pf practice time between the Michigan game and the Fiesta Bowl, but one thing is for sure, it’s time to be a little more imaginative and a little less predictable when it comes to the play-calling. And while Tressel has given the car keys to Pryor, it would be a good time to give him something better to drive than the Yugo the Buckeyes have been tooling around in for most of the season.
Through 12 games this season, Ohio State ranks 78th in the NCAA in total offense averaging 339.7 yards per game. Obviously with Beanie in the backfield, the Buckeyes did much better running the ball, averaging 191.6 yards per contest, good for 28th in the nation. The problem is, Ohio State ranks 104th in passing offense, netting just 148.1 yards per outing.
Looking ahead to the Fiesta Bowl, Texas is second in the nation in rushing defesne, but are ranked a whooping 104th in passing defense. The Longhorns only give up 73.6 yards per game on the ground, though they have yielded 266.3 yards per game through the air.
Jim, it looks as though if you want to beat Texas, you are going to have to throw the ball.
