POWERSPREAD

PRE-GAME

What’s Drew’s doing?

Studying up furiously on final game note preparations and trying to get up his first Live Commentary on Power Spread.

 

What Kurt’s doing?

Trying to get over to Stout NYC before the start of the game! Stout NYC is the new meeting place for OSU fan’s after a long run at Tonic NY in Times Square. Due to extenuating circumstances I’m unable to meet my PS buddy tonight, but most importantly have a TV from which to view the Urban Meyer Experience.

 

What’s Mike Doing?

My brother in law – the biggest Husker fan I know –  is breaking out the boxes of old baby stuff for his beautiful 6 mth old daughter and my niece, Makayla.  Something’s not right – less than an hour to THE GAME, MIKE!!  WHAT THE HECK’S GOING ON OUT THERE!??

 

WHAT WE SHOULD ALL BE DOING!

 

 

IT’S ALMOST TIME FOR KICKOFF

Well, now I am getting nervous -what’s new.  In my preview, I said that this could go either way, but after what I have seen this year – or more accurately, what I haven’t seen from Nebraska – I am going with OSU in a close high score victory.  But I also can’t imagine OSU going undefeated this year in the first year of the Urban Meyer Experience.  Inexperience, transition and possibly the worst talent on the field in over a decade and we are going undefeated??  The Big 10’s bad and Meyer and his assistants are good, but REALLY?  Well, if we win today, its a strong possibility.  And for that I have my doubts.

Oh yeah I forgot – IT’S IN COLUMBUS!!  GET READY FOR A BEAT DOWN, NEBRASKA!   My Bro In Law is a great guy, but he and I have been at it for years about Nebraska/OSU going back to the 90s when I still say OSU HAD THE MOST TALENT IN THE LAND!!  🙂

Mike believes that this game will come down to the QBs. He could be right, which in that case I give the nod to Nebraska due to more experience. BUT… I believe that my niece, Makayla, seems prepared to give better advice than Mike. And I’m pretty sure she would remind Mike that Tom Herman’s schemes are better than Nebraska’s.  Beck hampers Martinez. Herman finds ways to enhance the youthful Miller. For that, both Makayla and I say IT’S MILLER TIME!  

My other OSU buddy, Jimmy, just texted me – GAME ON!

 

 

NEBRASKA at OHIO STATE

1ST QUARTER – Nebraska to Kickoff

OSU1 – Bad Kick Return and offsides penalty to start.  More breakdowns and its pretty obvious that OSU is wayyy too pumped up.  Not surprising. Crowd is going CRAZY!

NEB1– DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE!  Shifting, sneaky, Passive Agressive Defense by the Buckeyes.  Great calls by Fickell and some great play from the front 7 led by our best player, DE John Simon, who had a sack!

Whoa – Devin Smith almost fumbled he PR!  GUYS HAVE TO SETTLE DOWN OUT THERE!

OSU2 – More very shoddy play. More bad fundamental play by Nebraska on 3rd down coverage by the underneath guy, but bad pass by Miller lets him off the hook!  Another punt.

NEB2 –  INT RETURN FOR TD BY OUR BEST DB, CB BRADLEY ROBY!!  7-0 OSU!

BIG PLAYS  BIG PLAYS   BIG PLAYS   SEE THE PREVIEW!   Predictable route scheme by Beck – again not helping out his QB!  Big Aggression by Roby – THE MEYER WAY!

BIG HIT ON THE KICKOFF BY FRESHMAN DB DEVIN BOGARD!!  WHOOO!!

NEB3 – INJ TO STARTING LB RYAN SHAZIER – Looks like a leg. Walks off the field on his own power.  FINALLY SOME GOOD POWER SPREAD BY NEBRASKA. They run a nice mis-direction scheme out of the zone read scheme for a huge gain setting up 1st and goal. Burkhead made a nice cutback on over pursuing OSU.  Why Nebraska doesn’t run this stuff more often is a mystery.

Sure enough Beck (OC for Nebraska) goes to a conventional scheme and takes 3 tries to finally get the ball in the endzone. I don’t think that was his plan to run down the play clock.

7-7 Nebraska ties it up! 

OSU3 – Now lets see if the Buckeyes settle down and get something going.

NOPE – I understand that the guys are young and its tough to do too much in the schemes, but I would like to see us mix up the play calling a bit more. Its Time… no?

Another punt

HUGE RETURN DEEP IN OSU TERRITORY AND ANOTHER BREAKDOWN IN THE BUCKEYE SPECIAL TEAMS!

NEB4 – MORE POWER SPREAD BY NEB – TWO PLAYS AND NEB DOWN TO THE OSU 2!  Nice fake out of a PS scheme but dropped TD pass by Neb.  Back to the I Formation and it works on 3rd Down for a TD!  It was a conventional set, but preceded by 3 PS plays in a row.  Conventional can still get the job done, but it has to be set up.  Typical Beck – at times he tries to mix too many schemes.  But other times he seems brilliant.  That was some great schemes and play calls on that short drive!  14-7 Nebraska!

OSU4 – OSU going to hurry up. Good call, but still poor play calling.  Schemes are fine, but not enough mixing it up and Nebraska’s playing their best game of the year to date!

On 3rd down a bullet pass by Miller but fantastic man coverage and diving interception by Senior Daimian Stafford. OVERRULED AFTER FURTHER REVIEW. It hit the ground first.  Another Punt by OSU’s inept offense.  The Buckeye fans will start calling for Tressel Ball pretty soon, but honestly there’s just a lack of talent this year.

FAKE PT!  GREAT CALL AS PUNTER BUCHANON IS A FORMER HIGH SCHOOL RUNNING BACK BUT HE FALLS JUST A YD SHORT!! 1st half not going the Bucks way!

 

 

2ND QUARTER

NEB5 – More PS by Nebraska and good play calling.  Both coordinators doing the best job they have done all year.  Beck is mixing in a lot of Power in the Power Spread.  Good Stuff.  Shazier is back in the game but Sabino is now out!  Shazier comes on a hidden blitz to slow Neb down near the goaline.  That’s all it took for Nebraska to shut it down and go back to the I set on 3rd down. Play action, but Simon all over Martinez, flushes him out for Shazier to make the TD saving shoestring tackle. Great pass coverage on the backside by Roby. This stop could prove crucial later on as again Beck Backs Down!

Nebraska FG 17-7

OSU5 – MILLER A HUGE RUN OUT OF THE READ OPTION!  GREAT MOVES. AGAIN MEYER IS ALL ABOUT THE BIG PLAYS – ITS WHY THE SEC WAS SO GOOD FOR 10 YEARS – NOT SPEED, NOT TALENT – AN AGGRESSIVE ATTITUDE FROM THE COACHES ON DOWN!  This is why Beck needed to stay aggressive and get that ball into the endzone for Nebraska!

Hyde in for the TD – OSU 14-17

NEB6 – No more PS for Neb and problems are back. Weak route call- easy for Roby to read and get his 2nd interception of the game – deep in Neb territory.

OSU6 – GREAT MIS DIRECTION PLAY ACTION OUT OF THE POWER SPREAD WITH TE IN THE FLAT ON THE BACKEND FOR AN EASY SCORE.

BIG PLAYS    BIG PLAYS    BIG PLAYS     THE URBAN MEYER EXPERIENCE

OSU 21- NEB 17

NEB7 – Huge pass play on 2nd and 17 by Martinez off play action out of the I Formation. Then a QB Sneak by Martinez for TD – NEB 24-21

Nothing special by the OC on that drive. That was all Martinez.  My Bro In Law hasn’t been happy with Martinez, but he’s got skills.  Beck needs to simplify and stay with one concept!  Not 4 or 5!   Stay with the PS, Beck!

OSU7 – FINALLY HERMAN TAKES THE REIGNS OFF!  Herman is mixing up, not only the play calling, but the PLAY CLOCK!  No Huddle most of the drive, but at different tempos. Some hurry up, some medium speed, some regular speed. This is the last piece of the Concept of Power Spread! First you use all the Field (2 Dimension), then the Air (3 Dimension) , then lastly after using all the SPACE you use the TIME!

With the mixing of Tempo added to some Play Action and Miller running – this PS scheme is impossible to stop. Then Deep Pass Down the Middle – we haven’t used that part of the SPACE all day!  Nebraska no chance – HIT THEM WHERE THEY AINT!

Hyde takes it in again – after another No Huddle – this time from 7 yards out! OSU back in front 28-24!

NEB8 – Fickell mixing up the defensive calls brilliantly now! PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE! Now you see it, now you don’t.  Nebraska has no idea where our athletes are coming from! WE ARE HAVING FUN AND LOOKING FASTER THAN WE ACTUALLY ARE!  JUST LIKE THE SEC!

OSU8 – Another Deep Middle Pass, but Miller misses this one. Some great schemes and play calling get us into FG position,  but poor execution by Miller gets us to 3rd and 10.  No Huddle has Nebraska in trouble and we would have had a pass for a first down, except Miller threw too low bringing up 4th&1. We got the first down out of the hurry up, but Neb called a Timeout. So we went right back to the misdirection QB counter out of the Power Spread set and Miller romps for a TD!! OSU 35-24!  WELCOME TO SEC FOOTBALL WHERE WE LOOK FASTER AND BETTER THAN WE ACTUALLY ARE THANKS TO AGGRESSIVE COACHING IDEAS AND ATTITUDE!

 

 

HALFTIME 

Not much to say.  This is what the Power Spread is all about.  This is what the SEC has been doing for the last 10 years. This is what Urban Meyer brings to the table. Agressive from every phase of the game – from the top down. Yes there will be mistakes. Yes there will be some risky play that will not work out.  But in the end its aggressor that wins in today’s game.  Making use of all the Field, Space and even the Time with all the great Athletes on the Field.  If OSU doesn’t lose now – don’t expect it in the future.

 

 

3RD QUARTER

I text Mike that Meyer could win with Martinez!  Mike says that he thinks Martinez is playing for OSU.  Kurt then texts me that Meyer could win with Martinez and Burkhead. LOL . I foward the text to Mike.  Ahhhh… college football fans.

NEB1 – POWER SPREAD AGAIN AND RIGHT DOWN THE FIELD!  Why in God’s name doesn’t Neb stay in the Power Spread??  They get conservative again near the endzone, but again Martinez completes a clutch 3rd and goal TD pass for Nebraska 31-35.

OSU1 – MORE GREAT CALLS BY HERMAN. First deep pass down the middle off another mis-direction play action. Then Hyde once again puts the POWER in the Power Spread with another score OSU 42-NEB 31.  

TRESSEL BALL HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

NEB2 – NOW THE DEFENSE IS FIRED UP – SIMON AND COMPANY ALL OVER THE PLACE.  Beck is trying to go to a pure passing spread. Again, not sticking with a Plan – any plan.  Martinez almost pulls a 1st down out of the hat with a huge scramble, BUT THE SCHEME/CONCEPT JUST ISNT IN PLACE FOR SUCCESS AGAINST THIS KIND OF SEC AGGRESSION.

OSU 2 – OSU COREY “PHILLY” BROWN TAKES THE PUNT RETURN TO THE HOUSE!  SEC SPEED – NOOOO!!  — SEC AGGRESSION AND SCHEMES – EVEN ON SPECIAL TEAMS!! OSU 49-31!

NEB3 – Beck trying to stick with pure passing spread. NOT GOOD ENOUGH. OSU’s DC, Luke Fickell deserves big credit – zone blitzing, hiding coverages – pure Passive Agressive. He’s pulling out the stops today. Shazier, since he came back on the field, has been all over the place. Neb barely gets a first down on 4th and 1, but then with more poor scheming by Beck another big play for OSU – INT BY JOHNSON! OSU BALL

OSU3 – READ OPTION WITH HYDE AND MILLER. ONE WILDCAT WITH HYDE. Believe me this is Urban Meyer – we aren’t done yet!

 

 

4th QUARTER

OSU3 – SLOW TEMPO – but another great fake on the Read Option by Miller for another 1st down. Then the POWER in the power spread with Hyde straight up the gut- but fumble recovered by Nebraska.  WHO CARES!  It’s about aggression now – not mistakes! New Concept in town!  HYDE A BIG AGGRESSIVE RUN – I WILL TAKE THE FUMBLE!

NEB4 – And almost on Cue – Roby almost gets another Pick 6!  More great hidden blitzing by Fickel’s crew making our Defense look faster than the SEC – maybe they are! Maybe they always have been!

OSU4 – HUGE RUN HYDE. THEN 33 YD TD RUN BY ROD SMITH!  OSU 56-31.

ITS OFFICIAL – THE POWER SPREAD IS HERE TO STAY!

NEB5 – Basically all Martinez, using his legs, arms, whatever he can. Even completing a 1st down pass on 4th down near the goal line.  Then running in for a tough score. Good D the whole drive by OSU actually, but Martinez is better than Mike says. Neb 38 – OSU 56

JUST IN FROM KURT:  WHEN’S THE LAST TIME A TEAM PUT 38 ON OSU AND LOST?!?!

OSU5 – Stopped by penalty or would have been another drive.

NEB6 – ANOTHER BIG PLAY! SIMON SACK AND FBLE RECOVERY

OSU6 – ANOTHER TD BY POWER BACK HYDE OUT OF THE POWER SPREAD!!  

 

OSU 63   Nebraska 38

 

 

WRAP

It’s all coming together. As I screamed in tweets and on this website when I found out Meyer was coming to OSU – be prepared.  His PS schemes and aggressive attitude, combined with the great OSU program, were going to take the Big 10 by storm. Tressel had already built a juggernaut, but never had the proper offensive coordinator to really utilize the talent on hand. Clarett, Ginn, Wells, Pryor were all immense talents never fulfilled. Not always due just to schemes, but that certainly didn’t help. And for sure the running talents of Pryor were almost completely wasted on the illusion of turning him into the next Troy Smith.

Speaking of Troy, he was the one athlete who actually did fulfill his talent, becoming OSU’s best QB ever and winning the Heisman.  Only to fail in the Title game against yours truly. And believe me it wasn’t a speed issue that saw OSU fail so miserably to Florida in 2007. It also wasn’t talent. It was what it is now – SCHEMES, SCHEMES, SCHEMES and ATTITUDE. Florida exemplified what the SEC was all about. Not speed, but utilizing its speed, letting their players have fun and putting them in positions for their greatest possible success. This is what OSU has now and we won’t even need the incredible talent Tressel accumulated to bring the National Title back to the great state of Ohio.

~PS