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Football Ohio State vs. USC Preview By Tony Gerdeman |
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Saturday night in Columbus the 8th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes will host the 3rd-ranked USC Trojans.
The game will mark the 23rd meeting between the two schools, with USC holding the 12-9-1 overall advantage in the series.
The first game between these two universities took place in 1937 with the host Trojans coming away with the 13-12 victory. The Buckeyes have lost their last six against USC and haven’t beaten them since the Rose Bowl following the 1973 season.
The home team in this series has won 9 of the 15 matchups in the regular season and the average margin of victory has been 16.7 points.
USC is 67-27-2 all-time against Big Ten opponents and have won their last nine such meetings by an average of 24 points per game.
For their part, the Buckeyes are 50-24-2 against the Pac 10.
Jim Tressel is 8-7 against Top Ten opponents and 24-1 at home against non-conference foes. The Buckeyes are 6-2 all-time in night games in Ohio Stadium.
Pete Carroll has a 13-3 record against the Top Ten and hasn’t lost a regular season non-conference game since 2002. They also have not lost any game by more than a touchdown since Carroll’s first year at USC in 2001.
The Trojans haven’t played in front of 100,000+ people since the 1996 Rose Bowl against Northwestern.
The Buckeyes are 121-10-4 all-time in September home games.
When USC Has The Ball
Last week, USC mauled San Jose State 56-3 and the crowd was so raucous that the 10,000 empty seats weren’t even noticeable. In an offense that featured a 2:1 run/pass ratio, the Trojans were able to post 620 yards of offense against the overmatched Spartans.
Freshman quarterback Matt Barkley got the start and performed well. He finished the game 15-19 for 233 yards and a touchdown. However, he never went downfield any further than 20 yards or so and relied almost exclusively on play-action passes to open short receivers.
The Ohio State defense can expect more of the same from Barkley on Saturday night. However, in order to soften the up Buckeyes, he will need to go deep on occasion. When he does, now that it looks like it will be Kurt Coleman playing free safety, Coleman is going to have to mind his aggressive tendencies in order to protect his cornerbacks and provide them the help that they need.
The Buckeyes are going to have to put everything their defense has on display and hopefully Barkley will get caught window shopping.
There will be blitzes coming from all sides in an effort to negate what is universally-regarded as the best offensive line in the nation. However, the Buckeyes can’t rely strictly on blitzing in order to make noise. The front four is going to have to produce pressure and allow the back seven to cover all of Barkley’s receivers.
USC has not lost a game in which they won the turnover battle since Washington State beat them in 2002, so it is clear what the Buckeyes will have to do. They will need to get after Barkley with consistent, unending force and try to force him into mistakes. The freshman quarterback has urged the Ohio State defense to “bring it on”. It would be rude not to oblige.
Pete Carroll will do whatever he can to keep his quarterback out of trouble, but if the secondary can hold up against these receivers, then even when Barkley has time to find somebody, he may try to sneak a ball into a window that isn’t quite as open as he thought it would be. Cornerbacks Chimdi Chekwa, Andre Amos and Devon Torrence will likely all get their shot at trying to shut down star receiver Damian Williams, and while they won’t always be successful, they must always be successful in limiting his yards after the catch. Tackling is going to be essential all over the field on Saturday night because one missed tackle is all USC needs.
With signs pointing to Jermale Hines getting the start at strong safety, it will be interesting to see if he can make the same plays in coverage that Kurt Coleman has been able to make over the years. Nobody doubts Hines’ ability near the line of scrimmage, but with as much play-action as USC runs—especially to the tight ends—Hines is going to have be supremely disciplined.
Ten different Trojans caught passes last week, so there isn’t anybody on the field who won’t be a viable option for Barkley on Saturday.
Variety wasn’t just the spice of life in the passing game, as ten different Trojans also carried the ball against San Jose State. The USC running back rotation is well-documented and each player brings their own signature style with them. Though they may have different styles, they all have the same ability to score from anywhere. Last week, three different Trojan running backs had carries of at least 43 yards.
If the Ohio State front four isn’t slowing down the running game, then nothing else matters. The Buckeyes will need to focus their energy on stopping the run, and leave the freshman quarterback to try and beat them.
The Trojan running backs aren’t unaccustomed to fumbling, so when the Buckeyes are gang-tackling the ball-carrier there needs to be at least one Silver Bullet in there ripping at the ball.
Aside from simply stopping the run and the pass, the Buckeyes will also need to contend with momentum. The Trojans have scored 20 or more unanswered points in 13 of their last 15 games. The Buckeyes won’t be able to afford a similar run this week. It’s okay to trade punches, but you can’t allow a flurry and there’s definitely no room for Rope-A-Dope.
Offense isn’t the only place where the Buckeyes need to worry about the Trojans scoring, however, as Joe McKnight and Damian Williams are both dangerous in the punt return game. Overall, USC is fairly solid in the special teams, but the playmakers in the return game are what make this unit dangerous. As important as field position is for Jim Tressel, he can’t allow quality punts to be negated with even better returns.
Every yard is going to matter in this game, or at least it will for the Buckeyes.
When Ohio State Is On Offense
Last year against the Trojans, quarterback Terrelle Pryor carried the ball 11 times for 40 yards. If the Buckeyes want to win this week, he’ll need to either double his carries or triple his yards.
Pryor is as dynamic a player as there is in college football and he needs to be utilized. He must keep drives alive on third down more with his feet than his arm. The Buckeyes need to involve the entire field into Pryor’s running game. There is nobody on the field that can do what he can do, so why not let him do as much as he can? Let him rest against Toledo.
If Pryor is having success running the ballb both the running game and passing game open up for everybody else. If linebackers are keeping one eye on the quarterback while running backs Boom Herron and Brandon Saine are getting the ball, they will be able to get that extra yard they need to move the chains. And make no mistake, the more first downs the Buckeyes get, the better chance they will have of winning.
Throughout the spring and summer, the Ohio State coaches have openly talked about how the read-option really has no place in this offense; and that held true to form against Navy. However, don’t be surprised if the coaches were protesting just a bit too much and maybe we see some against a USC defense that is starting three new linebackers and two new defensive ends—including a redshirt freshman.
We can talk all we want about what Terrelle Pryor needs to do, but above all else, he needs to avoid the surge of doom that will be coming for him.
On first downs, USC likes to show a five-man front, and as if the five-man front wasn’t bad enough, they will also add in some inside blitzes. The blitzes also show up on third down as well, and they usually find a way through to the quarterback. When the Buckeyes go five wide, it’s probably safe to assume somebody will be coming from somewhere.
Of course, this is all assuming the Trojan defense will need to blitz. If the offensive line can’t handle the front four, Terrelle Pryor won't just be running for first downs, he'll be running for his immediate well being.
Last week, USC's back-up redshirt freshman defensive end Nick Perry had three tackles for loss and two sacks, so it’s not just starters Everson Griffen and Wes Horton who offensive tackles Andrew Miller, Jim Cordle and J.B. Shugarts will have to worry about.
If the Buckeyes have to help their tackles in pass protection a tight end like Jake Ballard will be eliminated as a pass receiver and OSU will lose what he can bring to the offense in that role. When the tight ends are involved in the passing game, a running back or two will likely have to stay in to help out. And if the running backs are having to assist with the defensive ends, then who is going to be there to help out on the inside blitzes? It's not a pleasant thought.
Regardless of what the Buckeyes are going to get out of their pass-blocking, the pocket will be relocated all over the field via rollouts and bootlegs. When Pryor is looking for a receiver, if the first or second option isn’t available, he needs to take the ball and get forward. There is no time to look for a third option. Pryor’s third option should be finding open space and running to it. Frankly, this is also a viable first option.
Obviously Pryor needs to be involved in the running game, but he will also need help. Running back Boom Herron had a relatively successful outing against the Trojans last year, rushing for 51 yards on 11 carries. This year a healthy Brandon Saine also gets a chance to see what he can do against USC. Together, they will need to hit whatever hole they can find and hit it hard. There will be times when the USC defenders are just looking for a big hit, so if Herron and Saine can keep their knees driving, there will be opportunities to break free of the scrum at the line of scrimmage. In this game, the Buckeye tailbacks cannot let one defender bring them down. Urgency should make it impossible to happen.
It’s fairly certain that USC is going to come into this game focused on stopping the run and force Terrelle Pryor to beat them with the pass. Therefore, sending a running back right up the gut on first down is a wasted play and needs to be scrapped completely until the defense loosens up a bit.
Safety Taylor Mays will be hanging around the line of scrimmage until he is forced not to. And middle linebacker Chris Galippo is going to be in the backfield until it costs them. Exploit this. Get USC out of their comfort zone, and there is nothing less comfortable than having to chase Terrelle Pryor around the football field.
A possible spark for the Buckeyes will come in the form of receiver Ray Small, who looks to be back this week. His punt returning abilities give the Buckeyes a chance to find some hidden yards and also the possibility of flipping the field position at any time.
Winning the battle of the special teams would be a huge boost to Ohio State’s chances and would allow them to overcome a mistake or two.
How It’ll End Up
USC is going to turn short passes into long-gainers. It’s going to happen. Expect it, accept it and move on. Receiver Damian Williams will probably be responsible for at least one of them, and it will likely end up in the endzone.
There will be no shutting the Trojans out. They are just too talented. So the Buckeyes will try to limit USC’s possessions, and that will involve Terrelle Pryor converting numerous third downs on the ground. Yes, the shortest path between two points may be a straight line, but the surest path on third down is following the daylight. The coaches will stress this, and it will work.
But limiting possessions only works when USC doesn’t have the ball.
The Buckeyes will sell-out to stop the run and allow Barkley to try and make a name for himself. Plays will be made by the Trojans and the Buckeyes cannot let themselves start thinking about “here we go again” when things start going south for a bit.
This game is going to be tough enough physically without letting the mental aspect wear the Buckeyes down. They need to be as strong of mind as they are of body.
The Buckeyes need to view this game as their 85 against USC’s 11. With everybody working together for the same common goal, those are odds you can get behind.
And Terrelle Pryor needs to have the type of game that defines a young career. He needs to be allowed to carry this team like Troy Smith always did against Michigan. That is what must happen.
And that is what will happen.
Because it has to.
Ohio State 27 – USC 23
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