Extra Points Prior To Kickoff

PASADENA, Calif. – The Rose Bowl is just a couple of hours away and it is time to make some final calls on the game. You already have seen our picks for who will win the game, but as I am sitting in the press box, looking at the perfectly manicured grass of the Rose Bowl, here are a few thoughts before kickoff.

WE AREN’T IN KETTERING ANYMORE

No, Ohio State doesn’t play games in Kettering (Ohio), but it was the first city with a K, to match-up with Kansas. The weather is perfect, the field is immaculate, there are no excuses that can be accepted when it comes to these conditions. About the closest one is “the sun got in my eyes”. Yes, a rug in a dome may be a faster surface, but for a team like Ohio State, these conditions are about perfect. Then again, Oregon is playing on the same field.

JEREMIAH SMITH IS A CHEAT CODE

We know about Smith, you know about Smith, Oregon knows about Smith. The Buckeye freshman had nine receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown last time around on 13 targets. Does Jeremiah need to be targeted 13 times? It wouldn’t hurt, but 10 seems to be the correct answer. It is on Smith and quarterback Will Howard to be on the same page. The Ducks can try and take Smith away, but that leaves Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate (among others) in single coverage OR it means a light box and a chance to run.

DILLON NEEDS TO BE ILLIN’

The Ducks have given up just 13 sacks and seven of them occurred in the first two games of the season. But and hear me out, if you can hit the quarterback, you can speed him up. You can also create a turnover or two. This is going to be a game where every position is critical and while there is no expectation for points one every possession, a sudden change could boost Ohio State’s chances. At worst, you get the Ducks behind the chains and get them out of their gameplan and could force a punt.

SCORES NOT YARDS

We fall in love with talking about yards, but the scoreboard doesn’t focus on yards, just points. Ohio State ran for 156 yards against Tennessee and while that was better than where Ohio State had been in a few other games, it was the four touchdowns that Ohio State scored on the ground that made the difference. Of course, field position plays a big role into all of this, if you have to march 75 yards on every drive, you are going to rack up some yards, but don’t fall victim to fixating on the yardage without remembering the true goal.

SPECIAL TEAMS HAVE NOT BEEN SPECIAL

In round one of this game, Ohio State’s special teams were not exactly sharp. The onside kick will be brought up, even if that came off a bad personal foul that allowed the Ducks to kick from midfield and have less risk if the play was unsuccessful. Even in the Tennessee game, Ohio State saw Caleb Downs fumble a punt, only to recover it, but no lost possessions here. If there was a way to tell the officials you are fair catching everything, the Buckeyes should do it.

PLAY LIKE THE FAVORITE

Yes, Ohio State is the No. 8 seed but are the betting favorite in this game. You can have a chip on your shoulder and that is fair after dropping the first game. But don’t come into this game looking at the Ducks as something bigger than they actually are. You played them down to one point, had a good shot of winning and it just was not your evening. Don’t play scared, don’t play tight, just play your game and profit.

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