We are all miserable people. I'll be honest, there were some moments in the first half where I caught myself being miserable. "Why did he throw it away? How'd he miss that block? Can anyone cover Cobbs?" This was certainly not the prettiest game of all time, but it was just fine for a season opener. I have heard more whining and complaining these past few days than normal in Columbus. JT sucks, the receivers suck, the secondary sucks, get rid of the coaches, blah blah blah. Many is Buckeye Nation will call me an apologist but let's get real.
1) USC was in a dogfight with Western Michigan at home
2) Texas got straight up beat by an inferior Maryland squad
3) Washington farted around with Rutgers
4) Louisville and the reigning Heisman winner had to fend off Purdue.
5) South Florida struggled with Stony Brook.
6) Baylor lost to an abstract construct.
7) UNLV fell in the greatest upset of all time against a guy named Howard
...but JT didn't complete every pass and Indiana crossed the 50...
I will dissect the Buckeyes game (briefly) and I will knock some of the issues we absolutely had, but we beat a decent (not great, but decent--I'd say 6-7 wins but the schedule is tough) IU squad at home, at night, in one of the biggest games in their history BY 28 FREAKING POINTS. Honestly, this is a coach's dream game. Comfortable win, some adversity, no turnovers, plenty of teachable moments.
Offense: B
While my intro defended JT a great deal, this was not the performance I was hoping for. It wasn't a bad performance like everyone would have you believe, but I was hoping for more. I think the main issue is his absolute aversion to turnovers. Don't get me wrong, that's a great thing...but you need to take some risks and he's still hesitant. It will (should?!?) come as the year progresses, but I was hoping to see a little more Brett Favre gunslinging (by the way, if he does start taking risks, I'm going to go ballistic when he gets skewered for throwing a pick or two). Also, stop arguing that the passing yards are mostly YAC. JT just needs to loosen up on a few deep balls a game and we'll be fine. The athletes at wide receiver aren't Calvin Johnsons, they're Percy Harvins (YAC type receivers). JT is built for that. On the "hey, that's cool" side, meet J.K. Dobbins. What a welcome debut in Bloomington. I wish he didn't have to break so many tackles, but I like the fact he did it. The big question is what's up with Weber. I really don't think he'll be Wally Pipped, but the talking heads have anointed Dobbins as the second coming. Don't forget how freakishly good Mike Weber was/is. I would not be surprised in the slightest for a 60-40 Weber split in touches next week (and that's ok). The biggest problem is sharing the load with all this talent. With regard to the receivers, we saw the entire gamut. Paris Campbell really fast and good and Paris Campbell dropsy drop. The halftime adjustments saw these guys getting many more touches in the second half with 10 yard passes...and that's JT's specialty. Keep feeding them and they'll be fine...but don't drop perfectly throw bombs...your QB needs credit for those.
Defense: B+
Again, definitely things to clean up, but not a bad first outing. The secondary is a green as...something that is really green (grass is too lame) and they got better as the game progressed. Also, Simmie Cobbs is really freaking good (might be the best receiver we face in the regular season). The defensive line was as good as advertised and will just be a nightmare for teams all year. There were a few miscommuncation plays but that's expected early on. I heard the broadcast (and Buckeye twitter) wondering how Lagow was throwing into tight windows so why can't JT? Just remember that Lagow also threw 2 picks. That's the trade off. Be careful what you wish for (to restate, I would like a little more risk, but not as much as most....there is a delicate balance). I would be remiss if I didn't mention one of the greatest plays of all time (that didn't count). Take a bow Robert Landers. That's a Touchdown in my eyes.
Special Teams: B+
No missed PATs, No missed FGs, no fumbled punts (woot), no kickoffs out of bounds (also woot). I'm still concerned with the risk reward of kicking short and attempting to pin people inside the 25. It works a lot, but is that extra 5 yards worth it when they break a decent return every once in a while. I'm more conservative on the kickoff and prefer to boot it into the endzone every time. I recall IU had a good return once, but it was a few days ago. Overall, nothing stands out on special teams, which is usually a good thing (take note FSU).
Coaching: B
Nice debut for the new offensive coaches. Not perfect, but nice. I thought the halftime adjustments on both sides of the ball were fantastic which is a real testament to the talent on the coaching roster. Kevin Wilson didn't go into a shell when things weren't working, but he tweaked until he found something that worked. Defensive coaches seemed to see the man defense wasn't super hot in the first half so threw in some more zone later. There were still some growing pains there, but outscoring an opponent 36-7 in the second half shows the dedication to training and concept. Still want more progress from JT but it was a ok for game one with these receivers. The decisions to go on 4th down were both correct decisions but the little jet sweep to Hill was a very curious playcall. I'm glad Urban still knows basic math, but the play call on 4th and short should be a simple one. They got cute and it cost them.
Overall: B+
Once again, 28 point win on the road, at night, in a hostile (sort of) environment (more than a normal IU game) in the first game of the season vs. a decent team with nothing to lose. Buckeyes weren't uber sharp and there are certainly gaps to fill, but I'm happy we had a real test for these young freshman. Oklahoma was trotting up and down the field last week, but I don't think they learned anything or got better last week. Indiana provided a chance for the Buckeyes to get better and get fired up for one of the 3 biggest games on their calendar. Game 1 to Game 2 usually yields the most improvement and I'm pumped for next week.
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