MI State Recap; Nebraska Preview

WOW.

That sums up the feelings I had after watching OSU hang on in a 17-16 victory against MSU at Spartan Field last weekend. That was true football -- you have a couple minutes to burn, you are up by 1 point, and you need to get a couple first downs to keep the clock moving and cling to a close win in a game that has been a battle in the trenches.

And they got the first downs when they needed them. I was truly impressed with the Offensive line and Carlos Hyde on the final series of plays. On 3rd & 4, I was biting my nails that they would at least get within inches on a first down so that maybe Braxton Miller could stretch out for the first down. But the offensive line spread some bodies and Hyde lunged forward, picking up more than 4 yards and guaranteeing a victory for the Buckeyes.

The Bucks did everything they could to give the game to the Spartans. Three turnovers to none, the Buckeyes technically should have lost the game. A missed field goal by MSU before the half made all the difference. Miller looked impressive at times -- even Troy Smith-esque in how he evaded tacklers, shook defenders off his ankles, and pulled an impressive spin move to extend a play and score. But he personally turned over the ball three times (I like to say 2.6666), and he isn't going to beat every team if he does that. And he did it during promising drives, which is truly momentum-crushing. The first was an interception, bound to happen, as Miller was getting a little too comfortable in staring down his target, and the linebacker pounced, making an awesome catch over his shoulder. (Earlier, Braxton had narrowly avoided being picked off while committing the same offense and staring down a receiver.) The second turnover was on a Miller scramble, where the defender seemed to catch him off guard and the tiniest tap on the ball knocked it loose. And the third (that 0.6666) was on a scramble where Miller appeared to hyperextend his knee, dropping the ball just before his knee hit the ground. I can forgive him this. A lot of fans don't, commenting that he should have held onto it until he hit the ground, but when you hurt yourself and your end goal is the NFL, I am sorry but I can truly understand dropping the football immediately.

But Miller made up for 2.6666 turnovers with one, beautiful, perfectly timed play: a scrambling pass to Devin Smith downfield, who had gained just enough space on his defender to catch the ball when Braxton escaped a tackle and tossed it to him on the run. It came just at the right time, and it made a statement that Miller was not giving up.

To add to the offensive playmakers, how about Kenny Guiton? I watched the replay of the game -- when Braxton went down on the first series of the game, Guiton was at his side immediately. It was almost comical -- he went over, checked on Braxton, and within seconds of some sort of conversation with Miller, Guiton threw on his helmet and ran on the field. Here is how I imagine that conversation:

Guiton: "Hey man, you alright?"
Miller: [groans] "I don't know man. I don't know."
Guiton: "Need me to go in?"
Miller: "Yeah man. Maybe."

And Guiton did what every back-up QB should be able to do in that situation (cough, Joe Bauserman, cough) -- you go in and just don't screw up. Urban Meyer must trust the heck out of Guiton too, because even when Miller was up and ready to go back in, he left Kenny G in there, and the Buckeyes scored.

As to the defense -- it was better. I want to complain about the secondary still playing very soft on their receivers, but they knocked enough balls out of receivers' hands and put enough pressure on to make them drop balls that I can't complain too much.
And MSU's strategy was just...weird. We all expected a heavy and steady dose of Le'Veon Bell, but we didn't see much beyond his catching abilities as a screen receiver. MSU chose to spread the field, likely as a result of game film (undoctored) that showed its success against the Buckeyes in previous games this season.
I still want to see more sacks. The Buckeyes are just not getting to the QB quite fast enough. I see the pressure there. Nate Williams is in the backfield almost every play. By the way, I love Williams in that LB slot. He fills it well as a leader.

And kudos to the special teams for a blocked punt.


Now, looking forward:

Nebraska is going to be a rough game. I watched them last week and thought maybe I misjudged them. They did NOT play well against Wisconsin in the first half. The defense barely pressured Wisconsin's young QB, who throws a beautiful spiral when he is given enough time. Wisconsin jumped ahead early in the game. And Burkhead couldn't get much going in the running game, nor did Taylor Martinez in either realm. But apparently after I fell asleep (cheering for a victory in a 17-16 win is exhausting you know), Nebraska mounted a strong comeback.
I am most worried about Martinez scrambling and Abdullah in the running game. He is scrappy. I am really not sure why he doesn't play more. I am also concerned about Nebraska passing all over us. It is obvious to anyone that our secondary needs work.

I am excited to see Pellini coach against Urban Meyer -- given that BOTH were rumored to be on the short list for OSU's coaching vacancy last season.

This will be the third game I will have attended this season, and I can already feel the energy of it. An 8 PM kickoff on national television is ELECTRIC in Columbus. I am gonna need a few adult beverages to make it through this one without hyperventilating. :)