Ohio State's OL struggled against IU and Miami last season. They yielded 10 sacks across those final two games (losses) and the team rushed for just 58 yards against us and 45 against Miami.
They've got a new OC (Arthur Smith, OC for the Steelers last season), but there were lingering concerns about their OL heading into this season. There was some last-minute shuffling last week against Maryland when starting right tackle Austin Siereveld was ruled out on game day, reportedly due to illness. Despite OSU's lopsided win, and rushing for 207 yards (against a bad Maryland D), there were issues with the OL. Sayin was sacked twice, the starting OL surrendered 3 TFLs on run plays, and Sayin was pressured on 35% of his dropbacks. Not certain if Siereveld will be back this week but, if their OL plays like that again and if Sayin's frequently dealing with 3rd and long, they'll be in trouble against us, notwithstanding their star WR.
Northwestern and Nebraska's tight ends had success against us. Assuming Sayin goes through his progressions and doesn't try to force it to Smith, which he has a tendency to do, look for TE Nate Roberts to be a target. Sayin connected on a 68-yard TD pass to Roberts last week against Maryland.
Good call on the TEs being a potential problem. If you or any other poster can detail the various ways IU goes about covering TEs I'd be interested in knowing.........My understanding is that Savage primarily plays against two TE sets, but is he the one most responsible....or is it pure zone by the 3 LBs? If there is only 1 TE, is that mostly Baldwin's responsibility?
4-5 times selectively to put the notion in his head, Sayin's and the OC. A wrinkle placed appropriately.
I was hoping AJ was gonna be 'that guy', but it's clear to me he is not, so it will have to be a collective effort.
How is it clear? Per Cig, he's missed a ton of time, as in a majority of the time he's been here. And, he comes in and plays less than a half, seemingly doing well and now you've determined he's not "the guy"? If by "the guy" you meant the next DAngelo Ponds, that was way too high an expectation to have imo. Ponds would be on the Mt Rushmore of IU football players in my life, and we may not have another DB for a very long time that is that good. But, if Harris can just become a competent starter, we're much better on the field and with depth. Heck, I'm hoping to see improvement with just a full week of practice behind him, and some actual film to review. My hopes have gone up for him in the last 5 days, by a good bit!
Harris will play. Hopefully he has a strong game. Jaylen Bell has been OK, but a bit hit or miss. I think he was the DB who just fell down against Nebraska? Fortunately they missed the touchdown. We got there just in time to push him OB. Harris might really help.
I think we need to slip some guys behind the line, they will be trying to plug hole similar to Nebraska. So I think our TEs will for the first time this year catch a few balls. Brock Schott catches a big one when we surprise them.
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I don't know if you stop Jeremiah Smith in any real capacity but you focus on making sure to tackle him. If you want to keep him under 140yds, you have to eliminate as much YAC as you can. Maybe that means staying on your feet instead of defending the pass so you can push him out of bounds while he is in the air or at least wrap him up. Make him earn those yards all through the air.
Pretty much a nothing burger, probably.
In the last two poor conditions and weather in season Conf games Indiana has played like we had last Saturday against Nebraska.
Wisconsin at home last season in the winds.
Ohio St. on the road in '24 in the rainy drizzle cold.
The bounce back next opponent after each of the games above was Purdue, and an utter humiliating beatdown of the Boilers.
Just maybe, IUFB plays sharp coming off weather impacted games?
@middawg Yeah, sounds like a nothing burger to me. Saturday wasn't really a bad weather day, as it was gorgeous just windy. Hard for me to imagine the impact weather overall would have week to week but especially wind on an otherwise gorgeous day. Besides, at least one of those PU games was also a bad weather game with cold so if weather was affecting their play, seems like it would've lessened the PU beat down. I think it has more to do with PU being really bad and Cig being Cig.
I think two tough games in a row instead of just one will have us practicing well and ready to hit and perform on Saturday.
May not go our way, but I think we'll be able to match any OSU intensity at least. Hopefully we will be mentally sharp too.
@middawg Yeah, sounds like a nothing burger to me. Saturday wasn't really a bad weather day, as it was gorgeous just windy. Hard for me to imagine the impact weather overall would have week to week but especially wind on an otherwise gorgeous day. Besides, at least one of those PU games was also a bad weather game with cold so if weather was affecting their play, seems like it would've lessened the PU beat down. I think it has more to do with PU being really bad and Cig being Cig.
Yeah, just wondering if Focus and Attention to the smallest details reaches all time highs when weather affects the game strategy and flow.
Ohio St. has an elite checkdown game to their backs and TEs.
Taking this away from the jump and for the entire game is one of my keys to victory.
They do, and our corners are suspect.
If the checkdowns remain 'elite' when it's a harried Sayen.
I remember him tossing some key short ones off the mark last year, under pressure. But part of why I'm worried is, he's older and probably better. But I still trust Haines to have some tricks ready, to get to him.
This is one I do not expect to win I think we lose by about 10 but I certainly hope I am wrong. Also, it is almost a crime this is not a 7pm game on national tv.
@kkott I agree that the weather wasn't horrible, but it allowed Nebraska to pull off their strategy of loading the box and stopping our run much easier than otherwise I think. They gambled that Hoover wouldn't beat them over the top either with or without the wind. That gamble paid off until it didn't.
I would love Ohio St to adopt this similar strategy personally. I watch a good portion of their games and we can absolutely take advantage of their corner, Devin Sanchez, if manned up. Becker/Marsh will burn him or he will get PI after PI if we test him.
Ohio State's OL struggled against IU and Miami last season. They yielded 10 sacks across those final two games (losses) and the team rushed for just 58 yards against us and 45 against Miami.
They've got a new OC (Arthur Smith, OC for the Steelers last season), but there were lingering concerns about their OL heading into this season. There was some last-minute shuffling last week against Maryland when starting right tackle Austin Siereveld was ruled out on game day, reportedly due to illness. Despite OSU's lopsided win, and rushing for 207 yards (against a bad Maryland D), there were issues with the OL. Sayin was sacked twice, the starting OL surrendered 3 TFLs on run plays, and Sayin was pressured on 35% of his dropbacks. Not certain if Siereveld will be back this week but, if their OL plays like that again and if Sayin's frequently dealing with 3rd and long, they'll be in trouble against us, notwithstanding their star WR.
Northwestern and Nebraska's tight ends had success against us. Assuming Sayin goes through his progressions and doesn't try to force it to Smith, which he has a tendency to do, look for TE Nate Roberts to be a target. Sayin connected on a 68-yard TD pass to Roberts last week against Maryland.
Good call on the TEs being a potential problem. If you or any other poster can detail the various ways IU goes about covering TEs I'd be interested in knowing.........My understanding is that Savage primarily plays against two TE sets, but is he the one most responsible....or is it pure zone by the 3 LBs? If there is only 1 TE, is that mostly Baldwin's responsibility?
A lot of it was checkdowns for short gains. I do remember in the NW game, though, a couple of long TE receptions. There was one sideline reception (can't remember if was Dehnicke or Honig) where the TE did a great job of keeping a foot in, and there was another, pretty deep pass to Dehnicke who caught it over Zachman, I think. I'm not sure what coverage we were in on those plays.