Grading the Bucks: Week 7-- Minnesota

No Buckeye Nation...the sky isn't falling.

In a week that saw 4 top ten teams fall (albeit to mostly ranked competition) and a few more struggle mightily (looking at you ND and Texas), the Buckeyes won by 16 points.  Was it comfortable? Not really.  Was it more comfortable than more than half of the top 25? Definitely.  We should all know by now that there is Alabama and the rest at this point, so stop acting like the world is over after every 10 run given up.  The other team is trying to win too!

Offense: B-
Co-MVPs: Dwayne Haskins, QB and K.J. Hill, WR
The run game just isn't working, and that is a major concern.  The reason? The O-line isn't getting it done.  Prince was beaten like a drum in the second half (although that seems to be an aberration on the season) and there is no push at all in short yardage situations.  The 3rd and 4th and shorts are seriously concerning when the athletes in Scarlet and Gray are much more physically dominant.  From the bad to the good: Haskins has been phenomenal for essentially every game outside of PSU (and he was ok there).  The receiving corps has also improved, but no one makes me feel more secure than KJ Hill.  Don't look now, but I think he's at least a top 2 round pick in the NFL.  I watched the game on replay because watching it on my phone (which I did off and on at Cedar Point) wasn't enough.  Whenever a big 3rd down needed to be converted, the safety blanket of KJ Hill was used and he delivered.  He needs to start getting some more press.

Defense: C+
MVP: ?
The concern is the same as every week.  The interior line run defense is lacking and the linebackers aren't good enough to fill the gaps.  Werner was ok but too many simple slant routes repeatedly burning us (on back to back to back plays).  The gap discipline on run defense is also suspect.  The performance wasn't awful like everyone would have you believe, but it wasn't great.  The turnovers help, but the team also forced those (so they get credit).  We need a Ryan Shazier to fill the middle of the field up, but they don't grow on trees :(.

Special Teams: A
MVP: Blake Haubeil, K
Wow.  The most impressive performance (perhaps outside of Hill and Haskins) was turned in by the flawless stand-in performance of Blake Haubeil who was 3 for 3 in surprise FG kicking duties.  Most impressive in a reasonably close game.

Coaching: B
Overall, the team bent but didn't break.  The playcalling was still iffy in certain situations but overall just fine.  On a second watch of the game, the Buckeye offense moved the ball really well for te most part but always seemed to hit a wall (usually on an incomplete pass, run for 1, incomplete pass series).  The runs for nothing are just killing the momentum and the lack of push makes short yardage playcalling a nightmare (unless you have JT...).  The defense manned up when needed under Schiano but you could tell he had to beg and cajole to get the necessary effort.  I wish the players were more self-motivated in those instances.

Overall: B-
That may be too harsh given the eye-popping numbers and performances by Haskins lately (and only 14 points given up on D), but there were come warts.  Next week SCREAMS trap game so here's hoping we can scheme around the warts.  I have faith that talent will win out if put in a position to win....here's hopin'.