Football
The Buckeye Watch
By Tom Orr
The Buckeyes' 24-17 loss in West Lafayette was pretty much meaningless. Yes, it snapped the Bucks' three-game win streak, and yes you always want to win every game, but if you were going to lose a game, this was the one to lose.
The last three wins ensured that the team is already bowl-eligible.
Let's say Ohio State beats Michigan next week; they would finish the regular season 7-4, most importantly, with a win over UM. What's the difference between 7-4 and 8-3? Virtually nothing. Neither one is a rip-roaring success, but if you beat Michigan and go to a bowl, it's never a bad season. You're not going to a BCS bowl game either way, and if you think there's a huge difference between going to the Outback Bowl and the Alamo Bowl, you're wrong.
Now let's say the team loses next week. What's the difference between being 6-5 with a loss against Michigan and being 7-4 with a loss against Michigan? Again... virtually nothing. I don't want to call it a failure (although it is). So let's just say that neither season is anything close to a success.
Look at it this way; in your mind, which season was better: 1991 or 1994? I would bet that 90% or more would say 1994. The difference in records was 9-4 compared to 8-4, but in 1994 the Bucks beat Michigan. In 1991 they didn't. Here's a hint: the difference isn't that half-game improvement from a Pigskin Classic win over Fresno State.
Years from now, all anyone will remember is how this team fared on November 20th. November 13th was a pleasant diversion from all the other crap that's been swirling around, but win or lose it wasn't going to make or break the season.
And yes, I felt the same way before the game.
Friday, 5:56 pm: Driving to my hotel, I pass the "welcome to Indiana" sign on the highway, and am reminded of Bobby Knight's classic jab. I'm paraphrasing here, but it was something like, "When I crossed the state line, the sign said 'welcome to Indiana.' It didn't say a damned thing about Purdue." You've gotta love Bobby.
Friday, 8:45 pm: I'm staying in Kokomo (an hour-plus outside West Lafayette), partly because I forgot to book a hotel room until the night before I left and partly to take another step toward completing my visits to every place named in the Beach Boys song of the same name. Sing it with me: Bermuda, Bahamas, come on pretty mama. Looking around the town however, I'm guessing that this is not the same Kokomo where they wanted to get there fast and then take it slow.
Saturday, 10:45 am: I arrive at Purdue well ahead of schedule and have some time to look around the campus for a while. Mackey Arena (home of the basketball teams) is a neat facility, although let's just say that getting inside here for a look wasn't exactly on the same level as Assembly Hall during last year's roadie to Bloomington.
2:50 pm: I find my seat, three rows from the top of the stadium in the north (closed) end. It's the left side of your TV screen. This is basically a mini-Horseshoe, just with no C-deck and south stands that look like the ones in Columbus back in the mid-80s. Incidentally, I'm also surrounded by Buckeye fans, which is a good thing. According to the seat map I got in the mail with my ticket, my seat (purchased independently of OSU on the Purdue website this summer) was right next to the Purdue student section. I was looking forward to a long afternoon of Clarett-related comments.
2:51 pm: Before we go any farther, I should point out that this is also the site of two absolute classics in a row between these teams. Back in 2000, Purdue came from behind to pull out a dramatic win that catapulted them to the Rose Bowl. Then two years ago, there was this one pass play...
2:56 pm: Trying to tune in the flagship station on the Purdue radio network (based about five miles from here) proves to be much more difficult than I anticipated. Even at the top of the stadium, with a pretty decent radio, the signal is like trying to get 1460 anywhere outside of I-270. Sometimes okay, then fading to static, then back again. This should be fun.
3:05 pm: This morning's paper said that Kyle Orton would be a game-time decision, but as they were going through lineups on the scoreboard, they listed Brandon Kirsch as the starter. He's a better scrambler than Orton, but he's not nearly as scary standing back in that pocket.
3:29 pm: Just like Northwestern, they have a mini-UPS truck deliver the gameball to the field. How delightfully tacky. I can't wait until Purdue really gets good at selling out, and the fans start chanting "Boiler UPS, Boiler UPS."
3:34 pm: Indiana (a four-point underdog and a pick on the Tip Sheet) was trailing Penn State by six, and apparently failed to convert on four cracks from the one. However... I'm told that the Lions took a safety to run out the clock, and turn a six-point margin of victory into four, and a loss into a push. To be fair, IU probably should have won and given me the outright win... but I'll take a push at this point.
3:37 pm: The Bucks receive the opening kickoff and fake a reverse to Ted Ginn. They've done that twice so far. I'm reeeeally hoping they're setting up an actual reverse to him for next week.
3:38 pm: Wow... the Bucks just did something interesting. They split Ginn out as a wingback and ran an option, although Troy Smith kept it. That's a fantastic way to get Ginn a few extra touches today.
3:40 pm: OSU ends up going three-and-out, but Sirjo Welch buries the returner on the punt. And yes, it is going to be Kirsch for the Boilermakers, at least to start.
3:42 pm: Mike Kudla hits Kirsch and forces a fumble, but the Boilermakers recover. Kirsch has been very turnover prone over the last few weeks. If OSU can give its offense a short field, that would really help them out.
3:45 pm: A Troy Smith draw and an option pitch to Ginn net 18 and 19 yards, respectively. OSU has it at the Purdue 35, and if they can consistently pick up just a third of what they're doing now, they'll be in really good shape.
3:49 pm: On 3rd-and-13, a screen pass (Yes! A screen pass!) to Mo Hall nets 12 yards, and turns a 56-yard field goal into a much more manageable 44-yarder.
3:50 pm: Mike Nugent drills it, and it's 3-0 Bucks with 10:47 left in the first. It's not quite last week's rocket-propelled start, but I'll take it.
3:59 pm: Purdue converts a 3rd-and-16 on a pass play, and even the Boilermaker announcers are saying Purdue got a really generous spot. They're estimating it was off by a yard-and-a-half, enough to turn fourth down into first down.
4:03 pm: Two big Buckeye defensive plays (Anthony Schlegel blowing up a 2nd-and-5 run and Simon Fraser stopping a 3rd-and-7) set up a Purdue 33-yard field goal. That ties the game at 3 with 4:26 left in the first. Still, holding them to three is a nice moral victory.
4:07 pm: A dropped pass by a wide open Ryan Hamby highlights a Buckeye three-and-out. The play was well designed, with playaction going one way and Smith rolling out and hitting him on the back side of the formation... he just has to catch it.
4:12 pm: The Boilermaker radio guys (homers, to be sure) say that Purdue just got another unbelievable break from the officials. They insist that a third down play was short of the sticks, and was marked as such. But the officials didn't bother with a measurement that could have confirmed that. Instead, they just awarded Purdue a first down. I can't see that well from my seat, but unless the radio guys are blind or insane, the Bucks have gotten hosed twice now.
4:14 pm: It's 3-3 at the end of the first quarter. The Buckeyes have 67 total yards, 47 of which came on the ground. Purdue has 85 total yards, only 35 of which are rushing yards. Overall, it wasn't a bad first quarter. If the Buckeyes can keep getting the ball to Ginn and find a way to get Santonio Holmes more involved, the offense looks like it's in decent shape. The defense needs to tackle better (as it has needed to do all season) but looking at least decent now, too. The only troubling thing is that OSU has most of its offense on two big plays, whereas Purdue has it on a string of shorter plays. Not only are those short plays easier to duplicate, they also help create lots of first downs and control the clock.
4:21 pm: Purdue just got a huge break. E.J. Underwood jumped a short pass route and had an interception for an easy touchdown right in his hands. And he dropped it. You might as well have put 10-3 on the board the second he caught it, because he had a full head of steam. He just couldn't hang on. (Cue flashback to Chris Gamble against Purdue in 2003.)
4:22 pm: Purdue just picked up another 3rd-and-10. This is starting to remind me of the 2000 game between these teams, when Purdue converted about 8,000 third downs, all on passes to their tight end. This memory does not fill me with joy.
4:23 pm: Touchdown, Boilermakers. Brandon Kirsch hit Kyle Ingraham on a play-action pass, and it's 10-3 Purdue with 12:47 left in the second. The Boilers' last two drives have consisted of 14 plays each. That's not a good sign for this defense. The Buckeye offense needs to pick up a couple first downs and give them a chance to rest.
4:29 pm: Nope, it's a three-and-out. Troy Smith came up about eight yards short of the sticks on a scramble, but this time the officials didn't decide to simply award the offense with a first down. Not that I'm bitter.
4:34 pm: The Buckeye D just picked up a huge three-and-out, stopping Kirsch just short of the markers. The offense reeeeally needs to do something here.
4:38 pm: Nope, three-and-out the other way. Two quarterback draws and a swing pass to Ginn that was well short of the first down line. The Bucks are now 0-for-5 on third downs, and by my count, Purdue is 6-for-9. That's not a good way to win a football game.
4:40 pm: This time, the Buckeyes caught a break. Taylor Stubblefield was about 10 yards behind any Buckeye, but Kirsch underthrew him and it ended up incomplete. It should have been an 80-yard touchdown. The radio guys say he caught it, but there's no replay. Either the officials or the radio guys have been awful today. I'm still not sure which.
4:46 pm: After a Purdue three-and-out, the Buckeyes answer back with a three-and-out of their own. Santonio Holmes got his hands on a crossing route on third down, and looked like he could have run for a while, but he couldn't hang on. I'm hesitant to call it a drop, because the pass might not have been perfect, but Santonio probably should have caught that one.
4:48 pm: After a false start and a sack by Bobby Carpenter, Purdue is facing a 2nd-and-24 at their own 11. This is the kind of stop that could energize this Buckeye team and give them great field position. You just can't let them off the hook here.
4:50 pm: If you've followed this Buckeye team for more than two years, you already know what happened. Purdue got 12 yards on second down, and converted the third down. Have I mentioned the unsettling flashbacks to the 2000 game?
4:54 pm: Touchdown, Boilermakers. Ingraham just caught his second scoring strike of the afternoon, breaking a couple Buckeye tackles to get into the end zone. It's 17-3 Purdue with 1:31 still to play before the half. The total yardage is now 230-78 in favor of Purdue, while the time of possession is something like 18:39 to 9:30. I think that's what the announcers just said, but those numbers and 1:31 don't add up to 30:00. Whatever the actual numbers are... they're not good.
4:59 pm: Smith hits Hamby, who hangs on for a first down to the Buckeye 43. They only need 25 or 30 more yards to give Nugent a decent shot.
5:05 pm: The Bucks got it down to the Purdue 40, but Troy Smith took a sack, knocking them out of field goal range. After an incomplete pass, the Bucks have to punt instead. That sack is the kind of stupid play that just kills you. Just throw it away. Or pass protect. Either way.
5:07 pm: Halftime, it's 17-3 Purdue. So far, the Buckeye defense can't get off the field and the offense can't move the ball. Other than that, life is grand. Where's the end-around to Ted Ginn? Remember that? Where did it go?
5:26 pm: After a deep breath and a few minutes to regroup, I reassess. The game is certainly still within reach. The defense needs to force some turnovers and get the heck off the field on third down when they have a chance. The offense can't turn it over, and needs to find ways to get it to their playmakers, Ginn and Holmes.
5:27 pm: By the way, the sun has pretty much disappeared, and the 47 degree temperature at kickoff is a thing of the past. Finally... after months of waiting, Big Ten football weather is finally showing up. I don't know how it would affect the game, but I would love to see some snow flurries next Saturday.
5:27 pm: Halftime stats: Purdue has 54 rushing yards, 178 passing yards, for 232 overall. OSU has 53 rushing, 55 passing and 108 overall. You want balance, but you also want about 200 yards by the half.
5:31 pm: Marcus Green just came up with a big stop, stuffing the Boilers on third-and-1, to get the defense off the field.
5:33 pm: There's the turnover I wanted... it just went the wrong way. Troy Smith's pass hit Devon Lyons and bounced straight up in the air, right to a Boilermaker. Purdue got away with a couple of those in the first half. Now the Boilers have it at the Buckeye 46.
5:35 pm: The OSU defense is finally buckling down. They just forced another three-and-out, so while the turnover lost a lot of field position, it wasn't the back-breaker it probably should have been. Purdue kicks it out of bounds, punting away from Ginn and Holmes.
5:39 pm: The 2004 offense in a nutshell: Troy Smith just took a delay of game, turning a 2nd-and-9 into a 2nd-and-14. This team isn't good enough to move the ball consistently, and they insist on taking ridiculous penalties like false starts and delays of game to make it even harder on themselves.
5:41 pm: Another Buckeye three-and-out. Frankly, at this rate it might take two touchdowns by the OSU defense or special teams to tie the game up.
5:45 pm: The defense forces another three-and-out. It feels like I've written "3+out" about 300 times on my notebook already.
5:46 pm: Ginn finally gets a chance to run a punt back and returns it to the 34 (a runback of 15 yards). Anyone want to wager on the chances that Michigan kicks it to him or Holmes next week? Slim? None?
5:48 pm: A little speed option pitch to Tony Pittman nets 20 yards, and the Buckeyes are finally in business in Purdue territory.
5:49 pm: Smith picks up a big gain on a draw aaaaaand... it's coming back for holding on Nick Mangold. Remember how I said earlier that this team kills itself? This is what I meant.
5:51 pm: Smith hits Devon Lyons, whose first career positive-yardage catch nets a first down to the 30. You've got to get seven here.
5:52 pm: And they do. Touchdown, Buckeyes. Santonio Holmes just made an unbelievable catch, stretching out to grab it, juggling it, and catching it again on his back in the end zone. It's now 17-10 Boilermakers and we've got an honest to goodness ballgame again. With 5:18 left in the third quarter, the defense needs to pick up another quick stop and give the offense a shot at tying the game.
6:02 pm: The defense gets that stop, the Bucks get the ball back, and Troy Smith makes me insane by ignoring an open Holmes and throwing into tight coverage for a near interception.
6:02 pm: On the very next play, Smith keeps it on the option and picks up a first down. Now I love him again.
6:04 pm: Smith hits Roy Hall for 42 yards, but he got caught from behind at the 18. That play was eerily similar to another Buckeye big play, for me at least. During the Michigan game in 1999, I was sitting in virtually the same spot and watched Jonathan Wells get caught from behind from almost the exact same angle. The Buckeyes didn't score on that drive and ended up losing by seven. Let's hope it doesn't happen again.
6:06 pm: End of the third quarter, it's 17-10 Purdue, but the Buckeyes have it 3rd-and-7 at the Boilermaker 15. You have to finish here. A field goal is okay, but I have this nasty feeling that Purdue has at least one good drive left in them. If they score again, field goals won't do it.
6:09 pm: Kyle Orton is apparently warming up somewhere on the sidelines. That could be interesting.
6:09 pm: I'm back to Troy Smith making me insane. He just threw into double coverage in the end zone and got picked off. That's probably at least somewhat my fault for bringing back the Jonathan Wells thing. I can't help it; I've watched too many of this team's games.
6:16 pm: And there's life again. Quinn Pitcock picked off a Kirsch pass and rumbled down to the Purdue 36. If he'd gone all the way, that would have ranked among the 10 most amazing plays I've seen at an OSU game. But he didn't. Still, it's 1st-and-10, with just 36 yards to go to tie it up.
6:17 pm: There's the end-around to Ginn. He picks up big yardage, all the way down to the 8. Now you HAVE to finish.
6:19 pm: AAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHH!!!! That's what I write when I can't write what I actually just said. Smith just pitched it to Pittman on an option, he fumbled it, and the Boilers got it back. That's two red zone possessions in a row with zero points. The absolute worst-case scenario should have been two field goals and a 17-16 deficit. Instead, it's still 17-10. Plus, with only 7:54 left, the clock is now becoming a factor.
6:21 pm: Orton trots in to start a drive at his own 6. That's extremely risky. Think about it; he's been standing on that cold sideline for 52 minutes, he hasn't played in a few weeks, and according to Tiller was only about 60/40 to play at all today. Now you stick this rusty guy in a tough situation like this? If he turns it over, Tiller will get raked over the coals.
6:24 pm: Purdue goes three-and-out, including a really ugly throw by Orton. Ginn returns the punt to the Boilermaker 44. I've said the Bucks needed a touchdown before, but they REALLY need a touchdown now. With 6:17 left, I don't know how many more chances they're going to get.
6:27 pm: Smith runs a draw for eight yards. Doug Datish gets called for holding halfway across the field from where Smith was. I mean... come ON.
6:29 pm: Smith hits Tony Gonzalez, who makes a nice run after the catch, taking it down to the 6. This is where it's gotten dicey. I don't know what I'll do if they turn it over again, but I'm sure it won't be good.
6:32 pm: Smith rolls out and keeps on 3rd-and-goal from the 5 and sneaks it into the end zone. We're tied at 17 with 3:50 left. The Buckeyes have totally dominated the second half, outgaining the Boilermakers 222-71 since the break.
6:34 pm: Now that it's tied and it won't sound like sour grapes, I don't think I've ever been in a more annoying stadium than this one. The chants "1, 2, 3, 4, first down" and "Boiler up" are dumb enough, but the public address guy who screams like a schoolgirl every time Purdue has a first down... that's just ridiculous. Northwestern does the same thing (and I think Illinois does, too). If you want to be a cheerleader, put on a skirt and grab a megaphone. Otherwise, just tell me who had the ball, how much yardage they got, who made the tackle... and then shut the hell up. Oh yeah, their radio team is awful, too. If you go on the road with this team, you really gain an appreciation for how good the Buckeye guys are, ESPECIALLY Lachey and Karsatos. They actually give you information and insight. Their Boilermaker counterparts have been about as insightful as Bob Uecker's color guy in "Major League."
6:36 pm: Okay... deep breath... let's make sure to cover Seth Morales on this drive. Oh wait... I'm thinking of something else.
6:38 pm: Purdue gets a gift; a pass interference call on a completely uncatchable ball. I know I'm not being partisan because the Purdue radio guys just acknowledged it, too. That gives the Boilers a first down at the Buckeye 36.
6:40 pm: Brandon Jones runs 17 yards, and now the Boilers have it at the 11. It's a chipshot field goal from here, but with Purdue's inconsistencies at kicker, I'd still take my chances.
6:43 pm: Nope. The Boilers convert on a playaction pass, with all the action flowing one way, and the pass coming to a tight end off the backside. It was almost identical to the plays OSU has run twice to Hamby. Touchdown, and it's 24-17 Purdue.
6:45 pm: After a decent kickoff return by Maurice Hall, the Bucks start at their own 25 with 2:12 to play. Considering how bad this offense looked much of the game, I'm surprisingly confident.
6:46 pm: Whoops. Smith's pass went off of Ted Ginn on a slant, and right to a Purdue defender. Interception. If he caught it... who knows? That could have been seven. It would have at least been a first down. Instead, the defense needs to make a huge play for a turnover.
6:57 pm: Nope. Jerod Void just took a toss on 4th-and-2 and picked up the first down. That's your ballgame.
6:58 pm: Final score: Purdue 24, OSU 17. There are a few things to feel good about coming out of here. The offense showed some flashes of good things throughout the second half, and was tantalizingly close to four touchdown drives in one half. The defense really played superbly for most of the final 30 minutes. They did all of this on the road. But in the end, it's still a loss.
Now it's Michigan week, and while I wouldn't give this team particularly good odds in Ann Arbor right now, this one's in Columbus. Wisconsin fell apart in East Lansing, meaning a Wolverine win next weekend would send them back to Pasadena.
This actually sets up pretty well. A Wisconsin win and Michigan loss would send the Badgers to the Rose Bowl instead of the Wolvies. So get out your scarlet and gray... and your cardinal and white. Let's hope the Badgers can win their finale, and the Buckeyes can make some of the maize and blue folks cancel their flights to LAX. Because we ALL know how much fun it is to change your bowl plans.
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