Reviewing the tape- Buckeyes defuse Rockets

Get ready for a few posts today on my only top to bottom off day of the week.
I have spent the time reviewing the tape of each of the three weekend games though,so the hard part is over-the easy part (if there is such as a thing) is actually typing them up.
If time permits,there will be two additional posts from the Melting Pot and a look at the Pirates march to 100 losses.....

The Ohio State Buckeyes were warned by the media that their game in Cleveland against the Toledo Rockets could be a trap game.
After all,Toledo had scored 54 points in a win over Big 12 member Colorado in their last game and the Buckeyes hadn't exactly looked like Air Coryell in either of their games.
However,the Buckeye defense controlled the Rockets with ease and only allowed one scoring opportunity and then stripped that away as well in a 38-0 cakewalk.
Terrelle Pryor threw for a career high of 262 yards and ran for over 100 more in the win.


Buckeye Branches

1) Terrelle Pryor did toss three touchdowns in the win,but threw two picks as well.
Pryor has plenty of arm and throws the hard pass with accuracy,but still struggles with the long ball.
I think this is because Pryor tends to throw the ball over his back foot when pressured and results in wild and inaccurate passes.

2) His long bomb to Dane Sanzenbacher was on the money though and from watching the replay,it looked to me that his technique was solid.
Pryor is always going to be a work in progress in the passing game,but one thing that I have seen is improvement throwing long-IF the offensive line gives him plenty of time.
I realize that sounds rudimentary,but Pryor seems to be almost in panic mode on long pass play calls that have even a medium rush level from the defense....

3) Another pedestrian game from Boom Herron with 42 yards on 15 carries,although he did score a touchdown.
Both Brandon Saine and freshman Jordan Hall rushed for more yards on few carries than Herron.

4) I liked what I saw from Jordan Hall in his first game action.
Hall ripped off a very nice 17 yard run against the Rockets and seemed to be comfortable in the offense.
Hopefully,Hall will continue to see action this week against Illinois..

5) Dane Sanzenbacher finished with 126 yards and two touchdowns on five catches,but still seems to be a better fit in the "Hartline" possession receiver role than the "Robiskie" as the number one receiver.
Its the speed issue as there is a big difference in running away from Toledo defenders and being run down by USC secondary players..

6) Toledo only threatened to score once as Eric Page attempted to battle his way into the end zone only to have the ball stripped away by Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell.
Ross Homan recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchback.
I am not sure how I feel on the whole stripping the ball issue.
It can pay big dividends,but as the Browns have seen in each of their first two games can result in runners being literally carried by runners..

7) Can you believe in this era of television that the station that I could find carrying the game was Altitude?
ESPN had the game since it was technically a Toledo home game and I am sure that stations in Ohio picked it up,but neither of the Fox Sports Ohio stations or Sports Time Ohio purchased it.
That left Altitude,a Colorado network that features the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets.
Thanks to them or I would have been on the outside looking in.

8) If Jim Tressel has someone on the kicking team that has short range accuracy,I might consider giving him some work.
Aaron Pettrey drills long field goals,but botches short ones as he smacked a short field goal off the upright against Toledo after an extra point miss vs Navy.
Just something to consider....

9) One player that has impressed me thus far is wideout Deiver Posey.
Posey shows a willingness to catch the ball over the middle and has some speed as well.
I look for things to only get better for Posey.

10) And finally, another tip of the cap to USC's Pete Carroll for losing to an inferior Pac 10 team for the third year in a row after a big non-conference win.
Carroll is an excellent big game coach,but seems to lose that touch shortly thereafter.
Say what you will about Jim Tressel,but the Bucks don't lose many games that they are favored by more than a few points.
Check our new poll on this topic..

Photo Credits;Tony Dejak-AP Photo