October 1, 2025 • 32 mins
Buckeye Weekly Podcast: Breaking Down Oregon vs. Penn State - What Did We Learn?
In this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, hosts Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr discuss their insights after rewatching the Oregon vs. Penn State game. With Michigan not playing this week, they delve into an unbranded episode focused on potential future opponents for Ohio State. Key topics include the performance of quarterbacks Drew Allar and Dante Moore, the coaching decisions of James Franklin, and the overall gameplay and strategy of both teams. They also speculate on potential matchups later in the season, including the Big Ten Championship and the College Football Playoff. Join them as they analyze what these performances mean for Ohio State's upcoming games.
00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:12 Michigan Monday and Oregon Wednesday
01:34 Penn State vs. Oregon Game Recap
03:17 Penn State's Offensive Struggles
08:17 Drew Allar's Performance Analysis
12:34 Oregon's Offensive and Defensive Highlights
26:34 Special Teams and Final Thoughts
29:53 Looking Ahead: Ohio State's Potential Matchups
32:13 Conclusion and Sign-Off
In this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, hosts Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr discuss their insights after rewatching the Oregon vs. Penn State game. With Michigan not playing this week, they delve into an unbranded episode focused on potential future opponents for Ohio State. Key topics include the performance of quarterbacks Drew Allar and Dante Moore, the coaching decisions of James Franklin, and the overall gameplay and strategy of both teams. They also speculate on potential matchups later in the season, including the Big Ten Championship and the College Football Playoff. Join them as they analyze what these performances mean for Ohio State's upcoming games.
00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:12 Michigan Monday and Oregon Wednesday
01:34 Penn State vs. Oregon Game Recap
03:17 Penn State's Offensive Struggles
08:17 Drew Allar's Performance Analysis
12:34 Oregon's Offensive and Defensive Highlights
26:34 Special Teams and Final Thoughts
29:53 Looking Ahead: Ohio State's Potential Matchups
32:13 Conclusion and Sign-Off
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello, everybody, Welcome to the Buckeye Weekly podcast. I'm Tony
Gerdaman here as always with Tom or Tom.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
How's it going, Tony.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
We did not get a chance to do a Michigan
Monday show this week due to no fault of our own.
Michigan did not play, so there's really not a lot
to talk about there. However, Penn State and Oregon did play,
so we get to do an Oregon Wednesday.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Maybe. I don't know, how do we what are we?
What are we thinking here?
Speaker 1 (00:32):
We're not going to brand it because it's a one off,
so this is just I'm not saying it's it's trash,
it's not. I'm not saying this is a throwaway episode.
I'm saying we're just not going to brand it. It's
just a Buckeye Weekly where we look at Oregon and also,
by proxy, Penn State and share some thoughts on both
of these teams. Actually, we're looking at both teams time.
We're not just looking at Oregon. Wire State plays Penn
(00:55):
State later in the year, in about a month or so,
and so I think I know there's some valid reasons
for us to look at these two teams. And Tom,
I'm not sure when Ohio State plays Oregon, but a
kind of sneaking suspicion it could be the first Saturday
in December. The way things are going right.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Now, Yeah, they could very well play Penn State the
first Saturday in November and Oregon.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
The first Saturday in December.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
And you know, it's always possible could past one of
them on the first day of January as well, So
could start.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
A whole bunch of months with these teams. But this
is a great opportunity for us to.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
See Penn State in a big game. How did it go? Big, James, James,
how did it go?
Speaker 2 (01:42):
I'm sure it was great.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
No, Tom, it was not great. They lost thirty to
twenty four to Oregon and double overtime. The game was
tied three to three at the half. We're going to
talk a lot about this game, but Tom, can we
talk get just right to the point when Oregon scores
in the fourth quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, Jordan
(02:06):
Davison for Ohio State fans, that name, that recruiting fans,
that name might sound familiar. He scores a touchdown to
make it seventeen to three, and on the broadcast you
could hear a chance of let's go Ducks and fire Franklin.
And and it was not a big group of Oregon
fans in there. I think the group channing Fire Franklin
(02:28):
was probably larger than the group channing go Ducks. But
at that point, seventeen to three, Penn State was done.
So give them a lot of credit for coming back
and coming right back and marching right down the field
because that game was over.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Oh one hundred percent, that game was over. So it
was seventeen to three, and it was basically well and
less Penn State can pull a rabbit out of a
hat here and get a quick touchdown to get back
in the game and then get.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
A quick stop, there's no chance.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
And you know, they had done nothing offense really for
most of the game, and then they went right down
the field and scored, and you kind of have the
reaction of like, oh, good for them, and also where
has this been the whole game? Why have you been
if you can do this, why haven't you been doing this?
And you know, I looked at that, and then I
(03:21):
went back to Tony My the first note, I have Penn
State punting on fourth and nine at the plus thirty
six yard line, my dude, if.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
You do not want to lose football.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Games, do not coach like a loser. Punting on fourth
and nine at the plus thirty six is loser behavior
and you netted out sixteen yards of field position. Well done, incredible,
Bravo profiles encourage gold belief cover What are you doing?
(03:58):
Like have you you just get out of a time
machine from nineteen seventy four, like modern analytics say, that's like,
that's not even a decision like get You gain virtually
nothing out of it and you give up a possession
during We've been talking over and over again about the
(04:18):
fact that this is a limited possessions kind of era
in college football and you have to make the most
of your opportunities and you're not if it's fourth and
whatever on your own thirty six. Sure, I understand, but
Dan Lanning is over on the other sideline, playing to
win and going forward a bunch. And you know, we
can talk in a minute about all the side of
(04:40):
the ancillary benefits that come with that. But I mean,
like Kirk Farns is watching his TV and calling you
a coward, like what are you doing?
Speaker 1 (04:50):
And I wonder how much of that has to do
with James Franklin not believing that they can get nine
yards in one play because that is not easy for
them to do with their passing game the way it is.
We saw later in the game needing a big chunk
and they got it on a Drew Aller draw play,
and so to me, there's a lot of the there's
(05:12):
I don't know if it's a lack of confidence and
Drew Aller, and I would say for good reason, for
reasonable reason, But yeah, at that point, that's you see
most coaches like the third choice is to punt. Either
you're going to try a long field goal, you're going
to go for it. Most likely most people playing to
(05:32):
win obviously are going to go for it at that point,
especially that early in the first drive of the third quarter.
But at that point you're like, well, we don't want
to screw this up. And it's like, well, I mean,
you still got time in case something screws up. It's like, yeah,
but we only scored three points in the first half,
so we may only score three points in the second half,
and we can't give Oregon an opportunity. Instead, you know,
(05:56):
you punted, you pinned to Oregon at the twenty and
then they went eight yards for a touchdown. How'd that go?
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Right? Yeah, it's just it's and the first half Oregon's drives,
uh you know started on the uh twenty five, thirty two,
twenty five, twenty five, like you're you're you're punting at
a spot where it's like it's one first down from
where they've been starting all of their other drives. This
is not you know, this is not well, they've really
(06:23):
got to methodically.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Work their way. You're you're giving up.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
And the third the third down call there looked like
it was probably like a scramble kind of like a
draw maybe for for al or or something like that
to try and set up a fourth and more manageable
and he got tackled for no gain.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
It wasn't like it turned it into fourth and twenty three.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
It was fourth and nine. And if fourth and nine
is not a manageable down in distance for you, like
go play inner murals. Brother, that's just you're supposed to
be a national championship caliber team, and that's just that's
just a non competitive uh yeah, you know approach there
where they nine plays thirty nine yards five forty nine
(07:02):
off the clock, and it's like, well, you know, listen,
all we got to do is kill the clock and
we can win this game three to three. I just
I I was pretty apoplectic when I when I watched
that one I had I had somehow not heard about
that because we were still covering the you know, the
wrap up of the Ohio State game at that point,
and I had turned on the game on the radio
later and I listened to it, but I had missed that,
(07:23):
and I watched.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
It, it was like my jaw just dropped.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Why he he is good for like one or two
just absolutely bewildering game management decisions in every single game
like this, and that was that was definitely the one here.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Yeah, and then they only had Prince State only had
two drives of over forty yards. That was the drive
immediately after Penn State goes down seventeen three, they answer
back with a four play, seventy five yard touchdown drive
right down the field one minute fifty five next drive
to tie it fifteen plays, sixty two yards, six minutes
(08:02):
and thirty seven seconds to get it all the way down,
and a really good drive, which takes me kind of
to my next point, because that drive did not really
utilize drew Rowler's arm and maybe that's why things went
so well.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
He was again very unimpressive, waiting to be blown away
by him and Tom. We've also watched Minnesota play and
I was much more impressed with Drake Lindsay. They're at
your freshman quarterback and just that's the first time I've
ever seen him play. And I saw Mortar like there
(08:40):
and we'll talk about that in another episode. But Dreler
in this one fourteen for twenty five with an interception
for one hundred and thirty seven yards and two touchdowns.
That's you sacked twice long of thirty five people. They
got new receivers. They don't have Tyler Warren anymore, their
tight end. There's just nothing that excites you about him,
(09:01):
even when you see him play like he does not
look excited most of the time, and there's just nothing
that strikes fear and you about him. And I think
other than his legs. Credit that because he's running the
ball well, he did that against Ohio State last year.
You have to pay attention to that aspect of him.
But to me, he's a guy like, yeah, go ahead
(09:23):
and beat us with your arm if you can because
I don't think you can do it consistently throughout the
course of the game.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Yeah, I kept watching him and thinking he's a better
runner than you think and a worse passer than you think.
And he just you're right about his demeanor on the
field or his expression on the field. Like you you
kind of see different kinds of quarterbacks and you'll have
the you know, really yelly kind of quarterbacks that are
you know, the likable, yelly, kind of infiery, and then
(09:50):
the jerky kind of quarterbacks that you know, get an
arguments on the sidelines.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
You see all.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
Sorts of different guys. He reminds me a little of
Kyle mccor, just in terms of his meaner where Kyle
McCord like and you know, this is not kind of
Accord ended up.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Having a very good career in college.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
And you know this is not to say anything negative
about Kyle McCord. It just he was not like the
you know, fiery leader or the you know, cool confident guy.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
He was just he was just kind of.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Like, I don't know, maybe a little more quiet, and
you know, he would try to You would see the
locker room videos where he would be yelling and it
just never looked quite right. It never looked like he
you know, kind of looked like he was, you know,
starring as Kyle and now Kyle McCord starring as Ohio
State starting quarterback. And it never looked quite right. Drew Aller,
(10:39):
this is just you know, looking at his you know,
looking at his expression. But he just he constantly looks
scared or worried or just you know, he's not It's
not like an inspiring I feel like I'm like an
old school baseball scout, like he's got the good face,
like which is just so stupid. And here I am
saying it out loud, but he doesn't. His expression does
not make you feel like, oh yeah, this dude's got
(11:02):
this like it is not. It never is that kind
of look. And he, you know, they had the drive.
He made a heck of a throw on that first
touchdown for them. It's like, if you can do that,
why aren't you doing that more? I mean, they have
they brought in a whole new group of receivers and
then you look at the receiver totals in the game
and it's like, yeah, the leading receiver is four catches
(11:23):
for forty eight yards. Trevor Panna, who they brought in
from Penn State or from Syracuse. Speaking of con Acord,
two catches sixteen yards. He had more rushes and more
yards on the ground than he did through the air.
Three three rushes twenty two yards. So you know, at
some point, maybe it's not the receivers, is I think
(11:43):
maybe what I'm kind of thinking they're Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
And Andy koltal Nikki, their offensive coordinator. I don't know
if this is an actual setting saying these two Q
by half type of thing where you're trying so many
different things just that don't do anything you're It's like
the Indiana Jones where I think it's the Raiders of
(12:08):
the Lost Arc, or maybe it's Templo Dum. I get
him confused sometimes, but you know, he comes up against
this guy with a sword and he's doing all of
these things with the sword, and then you know, Indiana
Jones pulls out his pistol and shoots him. That's kind
of what Oregon's defense. They were Indiana Jones, and this
when Andy coldal Nicky's doing all of these things and
he's got all these guys moving around, and then you
(12:28):
know they just pull out the pistol and the defense
goes from there. And when you talk about Drew Rally,
then on the other side, Dante More, Oregon quarterback, this
is I think, Well, we saw him against the Oregon State,
I believe as well wear recently. I didn't actually know
that was Washington State Oregon, Washington Oregon State. I haven't
(12:51):
seen any organ State Tom, I don't know what I'm
talking about. I don't think I've seen any Dante More
this year. So I'm obviously a little bit at UCLA
did not get to see how much last year really
impressive this with him now, he was twenty nine to
thirty nine for two hundred and forty eight yard street touchdowns,
but there were times where he was inaccurate, so it's
not pinpoint just yet. But when you talk about demeanor,
he to me, he's a playmaker. He's stone faced like
(13:15):
he made the plays at the end of the game
to get this win. Never looked concerned, never looked like
it was too much for him, whereas for Drew Rowler,
so often it looks like it's too much for him.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Yeah, and you know, all you have to do is
look at the completion percentage in terms of the two
quarterbacks and Dante Moore seventy four percent, Dreweller fifty six percent,
and Dante Moore is the one on the road facing
the you know, the incredibly loud, hostile crowd, and it
looked it just was kind of okay, fine, no problem.
Right down the field, he had ten carries thirty five yards,
(13:49):
so he basically ran you know, Drew Allert felt like, wow,
he had really impressive game running. Dantemore basically matched him
and then threw for almost twice as many yards, more touchdowns,
one fewer pick. It was, it was he very clearly
won the game in terms of the quarterback position. And
you know, Oregan's offense was pretty consistent throughout the game.
(14:11):
They didn't have, you know, they didn't have the just
complete disappearing act that that Penn State did. Penn State had,
as you mentioned, two drives longer than thirty nine yards.
Oregon had four and eleven plays thirty nine plays, forty
six yards for a missed field goal, ten plays fifty
one yards for a field goal, two touchdown drives of
(14:33):
ten plays eighty ten plays seventy five and then scored
twice in overtime as well, which are obviously twenty five
yard drives, but they were just able to sustain drives
so much more.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
And a lot of that.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Was just you don't need to make the pinpoint drop
it in the basket, you know, C J. Stroud to
Jackson spit the jig, but in the Rose Bowl kind
of throws where it's like, how on earth did he
do that?
Speaker 2 (14:55):
You just seem to make the routine throws.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Dreller's throwing it behind guys. He's got he's got guys
running open over the middle, and he's thrown it behind
him and missing them. And you know, there was a drive.
I think it was, uh, I think it was right
before halftime. Penn State's got the ball at midfield, he's
got a tight end who is open.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
He throws it behind him.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
Then an incomplete passed on second down, incomplete pass on
third down. It's just an absolute golden opportunity to retake
the lead. And he's just thrown the ball behind the
receivers and that was it, and Penn State's Penn State's
receiving course fine, like this is this is the year
where I look at Penn State's receivers and go, I
don't think it's the receivers this year.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
I'm not I'm not buying that anymore.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
And Oregon's Organs receivers are okay, they're good, but they're
not you know, this is not the twenty nineteen LSU
receiver Corps or any of the recent Ohio State vintage
receiver corps. They get Decory and Moore, who's a true
freshman who is fantastic, and they get Gary Bright junior
who's okay, and you got Kenyan Cidek who's very, very
(15:54):
impressive as a tight end. But this is you know,
this is not you know, John John Taylor and Jerry
Rice or anything like that. They're fine, but Dante Moore
is making the throws to put them in a position
to make the plays. And that is you know, he's
he's got a long waist, you know, he's got a
ways to go still, and I think he's you know,
(16:15):
he's probably closer to Julian Sayan than he is to
Drew Aller at this point, where Julian Sane also has
you know, a little bit of ways to go as
a first year starter, but you can certainly see like,
oh yeah, this is what this is what they see
in him, and this is why this this is going
to work.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
And you know, you put.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Him across from Aler where he's throwing.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Fifty six percent completions.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
When you're not throwing it downfield, you're not throwing into
super tight windows downfield, it's just you're missing your throws.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
That that was a pretty stark contrast to me.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
And this is a very typical droller game going back
to last year as well. But well, Dante Moore, I
think there's something to be said for him sitting out
last year, not sitting out, but transferring and backing being
the backup to Dylan Gabriel, learning preparing. He looks prepared.
Now you mentioned Decoryan Moore, there's a lot of Garrett
Wilson and de Koran Moore, I think as he gets
(17:07):
older and he's already their number one receiver, and then
Kenyan Sadeik. To me, since we saw him last year,
maybe even before then, he's always been a problem in
terms of he's just a matchup problem. And when Oregan
wants to make that a point, making an emphasis and
take advantage of it, they can. When they don't, sometimes
he gets you lose sight of him. He's gets maybe
(17:30):
a little bit invisible, but then if you stop paying
attention to him, he's he's not your typical tight end.
He can make plays and make plays after the catch,
and good lead blocker and all those he's he's a
different kind of tight end and he's a weapon for them.
And just a lot more like offensively about Oregon than
(17:50):
Penn State. Even the running game. Dear Hill, the organ
running back looks extremely fast. You only had a long
of twenty four, but he was ten carries eighty two yards.
I mentioned Jordan Davison. They had a nice stat on
there where he's like ten for ten on the season
and picking up short yardage games of two yards are
last not been stuffed yet. But I was impressed with
(18:12):
the way Oregon handled the Penn State running game as well.
And maybe that's because of lack of respect for the
passing game, and you can focus more on that running
game because Kateron Allen fifty four yards rushing on twelve carries,
Nicholas sick Singleton twenty one right yards on eleven carries,
they were held completely in check.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
Yeah, Penn State felt like their game plan was we're
going to run the ball and we're gonna you know,
we're going to really establish it and we're gonna be
able to push them around, and they absolutely could not.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
It was Penn State.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
Those are two senior running backs. That's that's essentially Penn
State's version of Trevon Henderson and quin Shawn Judkins. And
those are two guys who very well might end up
number one and number two in Penn State history in
rushing yards. And they've been a duo together for four
years now. And this is the game where you know,
last year it's you know, Travan Henderson and Quinjohn Judkins
(19:08):
and everyone comes back and it's to win, you know,
to win these big games and to do this all
this stuff.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
And then you know, this was the game.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
You know, it's the white out, it's your last's senior gay,
you know, senior, and you're you're gonna you're gonna do it,
and you're gonna win this game against a top six
team because James frankl is four and twenty or whatever
it is against top six teams and then just you know,
can't they can't do it. The Penn State offensive line
was it was like fine, it was it wasn't they
didn't get dominated.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
But they also didn't.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
Assert their will at all, and you know, I think
Oregon's defense deserves a decent amount of credit for it.
You know, Bryce Betcher was very, very good at linebacker
for Oregon. But a guy that you know who has
sort of been a little bit of a punchline in
college football for a long time, Bear Alexander. He you know,
he was the guy who he was gonna oh boy,
(19:57):
you're not gonna believe what he's gonna do in the
sec Well, all right, you're not gonna believe it. He's
gonna do at USC uh well, uh, normally the guy
who ends up at his third school is that's that's
a story that ends with him just kind of like,
you know, just sort of like disappearing into the corn
like at the end of the field of dreams.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Where it's just kind of like where did he go
to have?
Speaker 3 (20:20):
You know, Bear Alexander was impressive in the middle of
that of that Oregon defensive line, but the defensive line
in the hole was good.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Maury Washington was the other guy who I wanted to
shout out.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
He had you know, you know, just one he had
one play where it was like a big tackle for
lost like an eight yard kind of tackle for loss.
But that the middle of that, the middle of that
Oregon defensive line.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
They've replaced a.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Lot of guys and you need, you know, you need
a lot of stuff to go right to have an
offense where you have one returning start of the center
was the only returning starter on Oregon's offense, and it
feels like they have kind of like just sort of
you know, the old we don't rebuild, we reload.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
That's when you're losing ten starters. That is not an
easy thing to do.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
Ohio State is functionally doing that on defense as well,
where I think they've got three returning starters for last
year and you're looking at it and you're like, I
don't know that they've lost a step. I kind of
feel that way about Organ's offense and the league Organ's defense.
They lost, you know, you lose Derek Harmon and it's like, well,
I mean, certainly they're not gonna be able to make
up for that. And then you just you look and
it's like, no, looks kind of like last year.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
My one note on Barry Alexander here is Barry Alexander
with an actual play. It's he did he played well
you saw him, You noticed him more than just complaining
on the sideline or something that was going to see.
And then of course you see mateyo unga La and
Tatum Tuyoti, who we the defensive ends, the edge rushers
that we saw last year and talked about and the
(21:50):
lead up to the Rose Bawl, those guys were both
making plays as well. Dylan Thieneman, former Purdue safety, gets
the game ceiling interception in the second overtime and real
quick to go back to Drew Roller. We talked about
how he completed fifty six percent of his passes in
this one. That's the third time this season in four
(22:10):
games where he's been under sixty percent. Started the season
with twenty two of twenty six against Nevada in a
three games since, fifty seven point six percent against FIU,
fifty five point two percent against Villanova, and then fifty
six percent against Oregon, which just coincides with the last
four games last year for Penn State. He was under
(22:31):
sixty percent in all of those. Now, those were all
postseason games, so you expect him to be a little
bit lower, but it's right in line with what he's
doing against Villanova and FIU. So again, I'm not not
to harp on him. And this is not like a
Gary Nova situation years ago where I had to lead a
bunch of tweets because I was just like, this feels mean.
(22:51):
I'm just talking stats here, just trying to keep it
even and then and I'm just looking through else through
and Dylan him and did give up. He was the
guy in the slot, like I believe gave up the
touchdown that made it seventeen to ten and late in
the fourth quarter on the kind of a slot fade
(23:12):
type of thing there. That's most of my notes here.
I thought the drewal A running the ball reminded me
of like J. T. Barrett in big games. But drewaler
A grand the ball against Ohio State last year. Credit
to Dan Lanning for all of these fourth downs. But
a lot of these fourth downs is because you're running
(23:33):
the ball on third and seven and third and eight
and third nine, like you you're playing.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
With fire scarecrow.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
Well, I think that's one of these like ancillary benefits to.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Being aggressive and knowing.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
You're going to be aggressive on fourth down. You know,
do you ever watch Canadian football, like during the summer
of you ever watched CFL games In the Canadian Football League,
you get three downs and you watch first down and
second down, and then third down you have to punt
if you don't make your first down on your first
and you watch that and you're like, wow, this really
changes the game and how you're calling plays to only
(24:12):
have two downs before you have to punt as opposed
to three, Like, boy, that really changes your approach. Well,
guess what if you go in knowing if it's fourth
in anything less than four, we're going for it.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Guess what, you got an extra play.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
So that chain completely changes how you can call your
plays on first and second and third down. And if
it's third and seven, you don't need to get seven.
You need to get four five. And if the defense
is going, well, we're gonna stay at the sticks, so
we're not gonna go let you get a first out. Okay,
we'll go make it fourth and two or fourth and one,
and then guess what, we're gonna pick it up. Almost certainly,
(24:45):
almost guarantee you're gonna pick it up. I think Ordgan
is what five for seven on fourth down or something
like that, because it was all fourth and one, fourth and.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Two, and you can pick up a yard or two.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
That's you know, that's not particularly difficult. That completely changes
the calculus on offense and on defense and it and
it really you know, opens up all sorts of different
possibilities for you, you know, as a play caller, and
you know, to be a play caller and just know, yeah,
the coach is going to say go for it, and
he probably is in a lot of cases.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
Saying fourth and less than two were going for it.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
So you can just factor that into your first and
second and third down play calls. That completely changes things.
A couple negative things on on Oregon side. I was
not super impressed with Isaiah World, who is a left
tackle for Oregon. He I think was a Nevada transfer
and he was someone who you know, people were talking
about as this like incredible best tackle in the portal.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
And and he had a holding.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Call in Dennis Denisa or died Dennis Sutton right before halftime.
There was another one that the real long pass to
Kenyan Citik in the third quarter, uh, there was a
holding call that was not made where Deny Dentis Sutton
is like jumping up and down in the middle of
the play because it was such an obvious holding call
and it didn't get called.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
And then there was another one.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
Dante More had to scramble on the last play of
the third quarter kind of near midfield the drive when
it was I think it was drive. It was ten
to three, and you know this is the second touchdown drive.
And there was another one where it was like a
screamingly obvious holding call that didn't get called on him.
He was getting beat off the edge quite a bit.
And you know then Identis Sutton is a good defensive end,
(26:25):
but Isaiah World is someone who looks like he can
he can get got by the right edge rusher. So
that's probably something that you don't love to see out
of your left tackle, but that's sort of something new.
Monitor The other thing, Oregon special teams were not outstanding.
Atticus Sappington, who's their place kicker and also a revolutionary
war re enactory, he missed a field goal in the
(26:47):
early going, and they.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
Also their first punt of the game. I don't know
how bart was.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
It looked like it went about ten yards like it
was a punt that looked like they had like pulled
one of the students out of the student section to
like yoh, if you can pump this football twenty yards,
oh you win free rent for a month, and like,
oh good try well, you you know, here's twenty dollars
and don't spend it on beer like that. That was
it was like that kind of punt. So, you know,
that's it's not great. And when you when you're looking
(27:14):
at teams that are at the top level of the sport,
a lot of times it's the weak link that will
kind of get you when you're facing talent equated kind
of teams, and you know, this was this was certainly
certainly a talent equated kind of game.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Organ. You know, Organ, the narrative.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
Around this game, if Penn State had won that game
and they didn't come, they weren't too far from winning
that game. Organ fumbled the ball in the bottom half
of the first overtime, and if Penn State jumps on
that ball, the narrative around this is Dan Lanning, choker,
Dan Lanning, big game, Dan blows a seventeen to three league, gives.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Up twenty one unanswered.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
I mean, it was it was not far from that
being the narrative around this game. And so, you know,
neither of these teams looked unbeatable by any means. But
I you know, looking around the country, I don't think
I see anyone that I think like, oh, yeah, this
is this team, is this year's juggernaut, I you know,
But Oregon I look at and I think I have
(28:14):
get That game changed my mind a little bit in
terms of the likelihood of Oregon being able to win
the national championship this year. Penn State, like if this
is the year for Penn State. I don't know that
this is the year for Penn State. But Oregon, you know,
neither team had played anyone of any consequence before this game,
and they you know, it was a close game at
the end, but you know, Oregon to win on the
(28:37):
road like that, that was pretty impressive.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
It was.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
And if Penn State pulls this out, I'm still not sure.
I'm looking at this Penn State team going, oh, I
see them as national title possibilities. This looks like the
Penn State team we've seen for years on years on years,
and just because they bought it, brought a bunch of
people back, they they still look the same to me.
Nothing I saw changes that real quick. On the fourth downs.
(29:04):
I think they they attempted like there's only like three
or four drives for Oregon where they didn't have a
fourth down in town in the in the first quarter.
I think each drive they had a fourth down in time.
So yeah, if that's the mentality you're gonna go with,
you're gonna find out that you're gonna get more plays.
I think they had like seventy eight plays to Penn
State sixty and and they needed all all of them.
(29:26):
So anything else from this so this one time that
you wanted to touch on, I.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Think we covered. I think we covered everything.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
And just sprawling through my notes real quick, uh yes,
I have I have some all caps in my notes
on the Penn State punt on fourth and nine. But yeah,
that's a that's that's I think, that's I think the
big stuff. And and you know I I I think
I said this on a Buck Eyed Weekly show as
we were sort of like talking about this a little
bit indirectly. What is the over under on Ohio State
(29:56):
versus these two team games this season? Only one is
on the schedule Penn State in the regular season. I
think the over under to me is two and a half.
That Ohio State plays Oregon and Penn State two and
a half.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Times this year.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
What are you going with their Well.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
I think that's the only one where you have to
think about it, because if it's one and a half, boom,
I'll take the over on that one. More things have
to happen clearly to take the over. So i've I
would pro bubly go under because you're asking, well, yeah, no,
(30:36):
I'll go over. I'll go over because maybe Penn State
gets hot and they can you know, win a game
in playoffs or whatever it takes. And Oregon I don't
have a problem with them being number two right now.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
Frankly, I frankly wouldn't have a problem with them being
number one. I mean, if you know, Ohio State has
been solid. Ohio State has a good win over Texas,
the win over Washington on the road, that's a good win.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
But I don't think Ohio State.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Has been so dominant that it's like, well, obviously they.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
Have to be number one.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
You know, I think you could you could make a
case for Miami, you could make a case for Oregon
right now. So yeah, I and and I think if
Ohio State goes to Indianapolis, they're probably facing.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
One of these teams. You know, maybe it's Indiana.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
We'll see, but if Ohio State gets to Indianapolis, you're
probably facing one of these teams.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
And then if Ohio State.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
Gets to the semi finals, the national Championship game or
the national of the College Football Playoff, you're probably facing
one of these teams at some point in the quarters
or in the in the semis as well. Because it
just feels like Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, those are
probably three teams that are in the top eight or
so of the College Football Playoff rankings entering the entering
(31:49):
the CFP, so you're probably you figure odds are you're
going to bump into you know, these teams are going
to bump into each other somewhere along the line in
that CFP as well.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
Indiana that has to play both at Oregon and Penn State,
so if they make the playoffs this year, you assume
they had earned it. And then the next time we
see Oregon they will be hosting Indiana, which is gonna
be a fascinating game for all of us to watch.
So that will do it for us. If you want
to hit the thumbs up if you're watching on YouTube,
we would appreciate it. Five star rating. Review on all
of your podcast platforms of choice. Is always welcome and
(32:22):
of course so you can find us at Buckeye Huddle
dot com sun him Now say hello to us there
on the buck I'll Bucky Huddle message board presented by
Jeff Fruby's Columbus. So thank you all for tuning in
and we'll talk to you all later
Hello, everybody, Welcome to the Buckeye Weekly podcast. I'm Tony
Gerdaman here as always with Tom or Tom.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
How's it going, Tony.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
We did not get a chance to do a Michigan
Monday show this week due to no fault of our own.
Michigan did not play, so there's really not a lot
to talk about there. However, Penn State and Oregon did play,
so we get to do an Oregon Wednesday.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Maybe. I don't know, how do we what are we?
What are we thinking here?
Speaker 1 (00:32):
We're not going to brand it because it's a one off,
so this is just I'm not saying it's it's trash,
it's not. I'm not saying this is a throwaway episode.
I'm saying we're just not going to brand it. It's
just a Buckeye Weekly where we look at Oregon and also,
by proxy, Penn State and share some thoughts on both
of these teams. Actually, we're looking at both teams time.
We're not just looking at Oregon. Wire State plays Penn
(00:55):
State later in the year, in about a month or so,
and so I think I know there's some valid reasons
for us to look at these two teams. And Tom,
I'm not sure when Ohio State plays Oregon, but a
kind of sneaking suspicion it could be the first Saturday
in December. The way things are going right.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Now, Yeah, they could very well play Penn State the
first Saturday in November and Oregon.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
The first Saturday in December.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
And you know, it's always possible could past one of
them on the first day of January as well, So
could start.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
A whole bunch of months with these teams. But this
is a great opportunity for us to.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
See Penn State in a big game. How did it go? Big, James, James,
how did it go?
Speaker 2 (01:42):
I'm sure it was great.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
No, Tom, it was not great. They lost thirty to
twenty four to Oregon and double overtime. The game was
tied three to three at the half. We're going to
talk a lot about this game, but Tom, can we
talk get just right to the point when Oregon scores
in the fourth quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, Jordan
(02:06):
Davison for Ohio State fans, that name, that recruiting fans,
that name might sound familiar. He scores a touchdown to
make it seventeen to three, and on the broadcast you
could hear a chance of let's go Ducks and fire Franklin.
And and it was not a big group of Oregon
fans in there. I think the group channing Fire Franklin
(02:28):
was probably larger than the group channing go Ducks. But
at that point, seventeen to three, Penn State was done.
So give them a lot of credit for coming back
and coming right back and marching right down the field
because that game was over.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Oh one hundred percent, that game was over. So it
was seventeen to three, and it was basically well and
less Penn State can pull a rabbit out of a
hat here and get a quick touchdown to get back
in the game and then get.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
A quick stop, there's no chance.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
And you know, they had done nothing offense really for
most of the game, and then they went right down
the field and scored, and you kind of have the
reaction of like, oh, good for them, and also where
has this been the whole game? Why have you been
if you can do this, why haven't you been doing this?
And you know, I looked at that, and then I
(03:21):
went back to Tony My the first note, I have Penn
State punting on fourth and nine at the plus thirty
six yard line, my dude, if.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
You do not want to lose football.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Games, do not coach like a loser. Punting on fourth
and nine at the plus thirty six is loser behavior
and you netted out sixteen yards of field position. Well done, incredible,
Bravo profiles encourage gold belief cover What are you doing?
(03:58):
Like have you you just get out of a time
machine from nineteen seventy four, like modern analytics say, that's like,
that's not even a decision like get You gain virtually
nothing out of it and you give up a possession
during We've been talking over and over again about the
(04:18):
fact that this is a limited possessions kind of era
in college football and you have to make the most
of your opportunities and you're not if it's fourth and
whatever on your own thirty six. Sure, I understand, but
Dan Lanning is over on the other sideline, playing to
win and going forward a bunch. And you know, we
can talk in a minute about all the side of
(04:40):
the ancillary benefits that come with that. But I mean,
like Kirk Farns is watching his TV and calling you
a coward, like what are you doing?
Speaker 1 (04:50):
And I wonder how much of that has to do
with James Franklin not believing that they can get nine
yards in one play because that is not easy for
them to do with their passing game the way it is.
We saw later in the game needing a big chunk
and they got it on a Drew Aller draw play,
and so to me, there's a lot of the there's
(05:12):
I don't know if it's a lack of confidence and
Drew Aller, and I would say for good reason, for
reasonable reason, But yeah, at that point, that's you see
most coaches like the third choice is to punt. Either
you're going to try a long field goal, you're going
to go for it. Most likely most people playing to
(05:32):
win obviously are going to go for it at that point,
especially that early in the first drive of the third quarter.
But at that point you're like, well, we don't want
to screw this up. And it's like, well, I mean,
you still got time in case something screws up. It's like, yeah,
but we only scored three points in the first half,
so we may only score three points in the second half,
and we can't give Oregon an opportunity. Instead, you know,
(05:56):
you punted, you pinned to Oregon at the twenty and
then they went eight yards for a touchdown. How'd that go?
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Right? Yeah, it's just it's and the first half Oregon's drives,
uh you know started on the uh twenty five, thirty two,
twenty five, twenty five, like you're you're you're punting at
a spot where it's like it's one first down from
where they've been starting all of their other drives. This
is not you know, this is not well, they've really
(06:23):
got to methodically.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Work their way. You're you're giving up.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
And the third the third down call there looked like
it was probably like a scramble kind of like a
draw maybe for for al or or something like that
to try and set up a fourth and more manageable
and he got tackled for no gain.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
It wasn't like it turned it into fourth and twenty three.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
It was fourth and nine. And if fourth and nine
is not a manageable down in distance for you, like
go play inner murals. Brother, that's just you're supposed to
be a national championship caliber team, and that's just that's
just a non competitive uh yeah, you know approach there
where they nine plays thirty nine yards five forty nine
(07:02):
off the clock, and it's like, well, you know, listen,
all we got to do is kill the clock and
we can win this game three to three. I just
I I was pretty apoplectic when I when I watched
that one I had I had somehow not heard about
that because we were still covering the you know, the
wrap up of the Ohio State game at that point,
and I had turned on the game on the radio
later and I listened to it, but I had missed that,
(07:23):
and I watched.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
It, it was like my jaw just dropped.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Why he he is good for like one or two
just absolutely bewildering game management decisions in every single game
like this, and that was that was definitely the one here.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Yeah, and then they only had Prince State only had
two drives of over forty yards. That was the drive
immediately after Penn State goes down seventeen three, they answer
back with a four play, seventy five yard touchdown drive
right down the field one minute fifty five next drive
to tie it fifteen plays, sixty two yards, six minutes
(08:02):
and thirty seven seconds to get it all the way down,
and a really good drive, which takes me kind of
to my next point, because that drive did not really
utilize drew Rowler's arm and maybe that's why things went
so well.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
He was again very unimpressive, waiting to be blown away
by him and Tom. We've also watched Minnesota play and
I was much more impressed with Drake Lindsay. They're at
your freshman quarterback and just that's the first time I've
ever seen him play. And I saw Mortar like there
(08:40):
and we'll talk about that in another episode. But Dreler
in this one fourteen for twenty five with an interception
for one hundred and thirty seven yards and two touchdowns.
That's you sacked twice long of thirty five people. They
got new receivers. They don't have Tyler Warren anymore, their
tight end. There's just nothing that excites you about him,
(09:01):
even when you see him play like he does not
look excited most of the time, and there's just nothing
that strikes fear and you about him. And I think
other than his legs. Credit that because he's running the
ball well, he did that against Ohio State last year.
You have to pay attention to that aspect of him.
But to me, he's a guy like, yeah, go ahead
(09:23):
and beat us with your arm if you can because
I don't think you can do it consistently throughout the
course of the game.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Yeah, I kept watching him and thinking he's a better
runner than you think and a worse passer than you think.
And he just you're right about his demeanor on the
field or his expression on the field. Like you you
kind of see different kinds of quarterbacks and you'll have
the you know, really yelly kind of quarterbacks that are
you know, the likable, yelly, kind of infiery, and then
(09:50):
the jerky kind of quarterbacks that you know, get an
arguments on the sidelines.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
You see all.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
Sorts of different guys. He reminds me a little of
Kyle mccor, just in terms of his meaner where Kyle
McCord like and you know, this is not kind of
Accord ended up.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Having a very good career in college.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
And you know this is not to say anything negative
about Kyle McCord. It just he was not like the
you know, fiery leader or the you know, cool confident guy.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
He was just he was just kind of.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Like, I don't know, maybe a little more quiet, and
you know, he would try to You would see the
locker room videos where he would be yelling and it
just never looked quite right. It never looked like he
you know, kind of looked like he was, you know,
starring as Kyle and now Kyle McCord starring as Ohio
State starting quarterback. And it never looked quite right. Drew Aller,
(10:39):
this is just you know, looking at his you know,
looking at his expression. But he just he constantly looks
scared or worried or just you know, he's not It's
not like an inspiring I feel like I'm like an
old school baseball scout, like he's got the good face,
like which is just so stupid. And here I am
saying it out loud, but he doesn't. His expression does
not make you feel like, oh yeah, this dude's got
(11:02):
this like it is not. It never is that kind
of look. And he, you know, they had the drive.
He made a heck of a throw on that first
touchdown for them. It's like, if you can do that,
why aren't you doing that more? I mean, they have
they brought in a whole new group of receivers and
then you look at the receiver totals in the game
and it's like, yeah, the leading receiver is four catches
(11:23):
for forty eight yards. Trevor Panna, who they brought in
from Penn State or from Syracuse. Speaking of con Acord,
two catches sixteen yards. He had more rushes and more
yards on the ground than he did through the air.
Three three rushes twenty two yards. So you know, at
some point, maybe it's not the receivers, is I think
(11:43):
maybe what I'm kind of thinking they're Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
And Andy koltal Nikki, their offensive coordinator. I don't know
if this is an actual setting saying these two Q
by half type of thing where you're trying so many
different things just that don't do anything you're It's like
the Indiana Jones where I think it's the Raiders of
(12:08):
the Lost Arc, or maybe it's Templo Dum. I get
him confused sometimes, but you know, he comes up against
this guy with a sword and he's doing all of
these things with the sword, and then you know, Indiana
Jones pulls out his pistol and shoots him. That's kind
of what Oregon's defense. They were Indiana Jones, and this
when Andy coldal Nicky's doing all of these things and
he's got all these guys moving around, and then you
(12:28):
know they just pull out the pistol and the defense
goes from there. And when you talk about Drew Rally,
then on the other side, Dante More, Oregon quarterback, this
is I think, Well, we saw him against the Oregon State,
I believe as well wear recently. I didn't actually know
that was Washington State Oregon, Washington Oregon State. I haven't
(12:51):
seen any organ State Tom, I don't know what I'm
talking about. I don't think I've seen any Dante More
this year. So I'm obviously a little bit at UCLA
did not get to see how much last year really
impressive this with him now, he was twenty nine to
thirty nine for two hundred and forty eight yard street touchdowns,
but there were times where he was inaccurate, so it's
not pinpoint just yet. But when you talk about demeanor,
he to me, he's a playmaker. He's stone faced like
(13:15):
he made the plays at the end of the game
to get this win. Never looked concerned, never looked like
it was too much for him, whereas for Drew Rowler,
so often it looks like it's too much for him.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Yeah, and you know, all you have to do is
look at the completion percentage in terms of the two
quarterbacks and Dante Moore seventy four percent, Dreweller fifty six percent,
and Dante Moore is the one on the road facing
the you know, the incredibly loud, hostile crowd, and it
looked it just was kind of okay, fine, no problem.
Right down the field, he had ten carries thirty five yards,
(13:49):
so he basically ran you know, Drew Allert felt like, wow,
he had really impressive game running. Dantemore basically matched him
and then threw for almost twice as many yards, more touchdowns,
one fewer pick. It was, it was he very clearly
won the game in terms of the quarterback position. And
you know, Oregan's offense was pretty consistent throughout the game.
(14:11):
They didn't have, you know, they didn't have the just
complete disappearing act that that Penn State did. Penn State had,
as you mentioned, two drives longer than thirty nine yards.
Oregon had four and eleven plays thirty nine plays, forty
six yards for a missed field goal, ten plays fifty
one yards for a field goal, two touchdown drives of
(14:33):
ten plays eighty ten plays seventy five and then scored
twice in overtime as well, which are obviously twenty five
yard drives, but they were just able to sustain drives
so much more.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
And a lot of that.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Was just you don't need to make the pinpoint drop
it in the basket, you know, C J. Stroud to
Jackson spit the jig, but in the Rose Bowl kind
of throws where it's like, how on earth did he
do that?
Speaker 2 (14:55):
You just seem to make the routine throws.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Dreller's throwing it behind guys. He's got he's got guys
running open over the middle, and he's thrown it behind
him and missing them. And you know, there was a drive.
I think it was, uh, I think it was right
before halftime. Penn State's got the ball at midfield, he's
got a tight end who is open.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
He throws it behind him.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
Then an incomplete passed on second down, incomplete pass on
third down. It's just an absolute golden opportunity to retake
the lead. And he's just thrown the ball behind the
receivers and that was it, and Penn State's Penn State's
receiving course fine, like this is this is the year
where I look at Penn State's receivers and go, I
don't think it's the receivers this year.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
I'm not I'm not buying that anymore.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
And Oregon's Organs receivers are okay, they're good, but they're
not you know, this is not the twenty nineteen LSU
receiver Corps or any of the recent Ohio State vintage
receiver corps. They get Decory and Moore, who's a true
freshman who is fantastic, and they get Gary Bright junior
who's okay, and you got Kenyan Cidek who's very, very
(15:54):
impressive as a tight end. But this is you know,
this is not you know, John John Taylor and Jerry
Rice or anything like that. They're fine, but Dante Moore
is making the throws to put them in a position
to make the plays. And that is you know, he's
he's got a long waist, you know, he's got a
ways to go still, and I think he's you know,
(16:15):
he's probably closer to Julian Sayan than he is to
Drew Aller at this point, where Julian Sane also has
you know, a little bit of ways to go as
a first year starter, but you can certainly see like,
oh yeah, this is what this is what they see
in him, and this is why this this is going
to work.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
And you know, you put.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Him across from Aler where he's throwing.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Fifty six percent completions.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
When you're not throwing it downfield, you're not throwing into
super tight windows downfield, it's just you're missing your throws.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
That that was a pretty stark contrast to me.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
And this is a very typical droller game going back
to last year as well. But well, Dante Moore, I
think there's something to be said for him sitting out
last year, not sitting out, but transferring and backing being
the backup to Dylan Gabriel, learning preparing. He looks prepared.
Now you mentioned Decoryan Moore, there's a lot of Garrett
Wilson and de Koran Moore, I think as he gets
(17:07):
older and he's already their number one receiver, and then
Kenyan Sadeik. To me, since we saw him last year,
maybe even before then, he's always been a problem in
terms of he's just a matchup problem. And when Oregan
wants to make that a point, making an emphasis and
take advantage of it, they can. When they don't, sometimes
he gets you lose sight of him. He's gets maybe
(17:30):
a little bit invisible, but then if you stop paying
attention to him, he's he's not your typical tight end.
He can make plays and make plays after the catch,
and good lead blocker and all those he's he's a
different kind of tight end and he's a weapon for them.
And just a lot more like offensively about Oregon than
(17:50):
Penn State. Even the running game. Dear Hill, the organ
running back looks extremely fast. You only had a long
of twenty four, but he was ten carries eighty two yards.
I mentioned Jordan Davison. They had a nice stat on
there where he's like ten for ten on the season
and picking up short yardage games of two yards are
last not been stuffed yet. But I was impressed with
(18:12):
the way Oregon handled the Penn State running game as well.
And maybe that's because of lack of respect for the
passing game, and you can focus more on that running
game because Kateron Allen fifty four yards rushing on twelve carries,
Nicholas sick Singleton twenty one right yards on eleven carries,
they were held completely in check.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
Yeah, Penn State felt like their game plan was we're
going to run the ball and we're gonna you know,
we're going to really establish it and we're gonna be
able to push them around, and they absolutely could not.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
It was Penn State.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
Those are two senior running backs. That's that's essentially Penn
State's version of Trevon Henderson and quin Shawn Judkins. And
those are two guys who very well might end up
number one and number two in Penn State history in
rushing yards. And they've been a duo together for four
years now. And this is the game where you know,
last year it's you know, Travan Henderson and Quinjohn Judkins
(19:08):
and everyone comes back and it's to win, you know,
to win these big games and to do this all
this stuff.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
And then you know, this was the game.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
You know, it's the white out, it's your last's senior gay,
you know, senior, and you're you're gonna you're gonna do it,
and you're gonna win this game against a top six
team because James frankl is four and twenty or whatever
it is against top six teams and then just you know,
can't they can't do it. The Penn State offensive line
was it was like fine, it was it wasn't they
didn't get dominated.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
But they also didn't.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
Assert their will at all, and you know, I think
Oregon's defense deserves a decent amount of credit for it.
You know, Bryce Betcher was very, very good at linebacker
for Oregon. But a guy that you know who has
sort of been a little bit of a punchline in
college football for a long time, Bear Alexander. He you know,
he was the guy who he was gonna oh boy,
(19:57):
you're not gonna believe what he's gonna do in the
sec Well, all right, you're not gonna believe it. He's
gonna do at USC uh well, uh, normally the guy
who ends up at his third school is that's that's
a story that ends with him just kind of like,
you know, just sort of like disappearing into the corn
like at the end of the field of dreams.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Where it's just kind of like where did he go
to have?
Speaker 3 (20:20):
You know, Bear Alexander was impressive in the middle of
that of that Oregon defensive line, but the defensive line
in the hole was good.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Maury Washington was the other guy who I wanted to
shout out.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
He had you know, you know, just one he had
one play where it was like a big tackle for
lost like an eight yard kind of tackle for loss.
But that the middle of that, the middle of that
Oregon defensive line.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
They've replaced a.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Lot of guys and you need, you know, you need
a lot of stuff to go right to have an
offense where you have one returning start of the center
was the only returning starter on Oregon's offense, and it
feels like they have kind of like just sort of
you know, the old we don't rebuild, we reload.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
That's when you're losing ten starters. That is not an
easy thing to do.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
Ohio State is functionally doing that on defense as well,
where I think they've got three returning starters for last
year and you're looking at it and you're like, I
don't know that they've lost a step. I kind of
feel that way about Organ's offense and the league Organ's defense.
They lost, you know, you lose Derek Harmon and it's like, well,
I mean, certainly they're not gonna be able to make
up for that. And then you just you look and
it's like, no, looks kind of like last year.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
My one note on Barry Alexander here is Barry Alexander
with an actual play. It's he did he played well
you saw him, You noticed him more than just complaining
on the sideline or something that was going to see.
And then of course you see mateyo unga La and
Tatum Tuyoti, who we the defensive ends, the edge rushers
that we saw last year and talked about and the
(21:50):
lead up to the Rose Bawl, those guys were both
making plays as well. Dylan Thieneman, former Purdue safety, gets
the game ceiling interception in the second overtime and real
quick to go back to Drew Roller. We talked about
how he completed fifty six percent of his passes in
this one. That's the third time this season in four
(22:10):
games where he's been under sixty percent. Started the season
with twenty two of twenty six against Nevada in a
three games since, fifty seven point six percent against FIU,
fifty five point two percent against Villanova, and then fifty
six percent against Oregon, which just coincides with the last
four games last year for Penn State. He was under
(22:31):
sixty percent in all of those. Now, those were all
postseason games, so you expect him to be a little
bit lower, but it's right in line with what he's
doing against Villanova and FIU. So again, I'm not not
to harp on him. And this is not like a
Gary Nova situation years ago where I had to lead a
bunch of tweets because I was just like, this feels mean.
(22:51):
I'm just talking stats here, just trying to keep it
even and then and I'm just looking through else through
and Dylan him and did give up. He was the
guy in the slot, like I believe gave up the
touchdown that made it seventeen to ten and late in
the fourth quarter on the kind of a slot fade
(23:12):
type of thing there. That's most of my notes here.
I thought the drewal A running the ball reminded me
of like J. T. Barrett in big games. But drewaler
A grand the ball against Ohio State last year. Credit
to Dan Lanning for all of these fourth downs. But
a lot of these fourth downs is because you're running
(23:33):
the ball on third and seven and third and eight
and third nine, like you you're playing.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
With fire scarecrow.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
Well, I think that's one of these like ancillary benefits to.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Being aggressive and knowing.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
You're going to be aggressive on fourth down. You know,
do you ever watch Canadian football, like during the summer
of you ever watched CFL games In the Canadian Football League,
you get three downs and you watch first down and
second down, and then third down you have to punt
if you don't make your first down on your first
and you watch that and you're like, wow, this really
changes the game and how you're calling plays to only
(24:12):
have two downs before you have to punt as opposed
to three, Like, boy, that really changes your approach. Well,
guess what if you go in knowing if it's fourth
in anything less than four, we're going for it.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Guess what, you got an extra play.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
So that chain completely changes how you can call your
plays on first and second and third down. And if
it's third and seven, you don't need to get seven.
You need to get four five. And if the defense
is going, well, we're gonna stay at the sticks, so
we're not gonna go let you get a first out. Okay,
we'll go make it fourth and two or fourth and one,
and then guess what, we're gonna pick it up. Almost certainly,
(24:45):
almost guarantee you're gonna pick it up. I think Ordgan
is what five for seven on fourth down or something
like that, because it was all fourth and one, fourth and.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Two, and you can pick up a yard or two.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
That's you know, that's not particularly difficult. That completely changes
the calculus on offense and on defense and it and
it really you know, opens up all sorts of different
possibilities for you, you know, as a play caller, and
you know, to be a play caller and just know, yeah,
the coach is going to say go for it, and
he probably is in a lot of cases.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
Saying fourth and less than two were going for it.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
So you can just factor that into your first and
second and third down play calls. That completely changes things.
A couple negative things on on Oregon side. I was
not super impressed with Isaiah World, who is a left
tackle for Oregon. He I think was a Nevada transfer
and he was someone who you know, people were talking
about as this like incredible best tackle in the portal.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
And and he had a holding.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Call in Dennis Denisa or died Dennis Sutton right before halftime.
There was another one that the real long pass to
Kenyan Citik in the third quarter, uh, there was a
holding call that was not made where Deny Dentis Sutton
is like jumping up and down in the middle of
the play because it was such an obvious holding call
and it didn't get called.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
And then there was another one.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
Dante More had to scramble on the last play of
the third quarter kind of near midfield the drive when
it was I think it was drive. It was ten
to three, and you know this is the second touchdown drive.
And there was another one where it was like a
screamingly obvious holding call that didn't get called on him.
He was getting beat off the edge quite a bit.
And you know then Identis Sutton is a good defensive end,
(26:25):
but Isaiah World is someone who looks like he can
he can get got by the right edge rusher. So
that's probably something that you don't love to see out
of your left tackle, but that's sort of something new.
Monitor The other thing, Oregon special teams were not outstanding.
Atticus Sappington, who's their place kicker and also a revolutionary
war re enactory, he missed a field goal in the
(26:47):
early going, and they.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
Also their first punt of the game. I don't know
how bart was.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
It looked like it went about ten yards like it
was a punt that looked like they had like pulled
one of the students out of the student section to
like yoh, if you can pump this football twenty yards,
oh you win free rent for a month, and like,
oh good try well, you you know, here's twenty dollars
and don't spend it on beer like that. That was
it was like that kind of punt. So, you know,
that's it's not great. And when you when you're looking
(27:14):
at teams that are at the top level of the sport,
a lot of times it's the weak link that will
kind of get you when you're facing talent equated kind
of teams, and you know, this was this was certainly
certainly a talent equated kind of game.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Organ. You know, Organ, the narrative.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
Around this game, if Penn State had won that game
and they didn't come, they weren't too far from winning
that game. Organ fumbled the ball in the bottom half
of the first overtime, and if Penn State jumps on
that ball, the narrative around this is Dan Lanning, choker,
Dan Lanning, big game, Dan blows a seventeen to three league, gives.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Up twenty one unanswered.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
I mean, it was it was not far from that
being the narrative around this game. And so, you know,
neither of these teams looked unbeatable by any means. But
I you know, looking around the country, I don't think
I see anyone that I think like, oh, yeah, this
is this team, is this year's juggernaut, I you know,
But Oregon I look at and I think I have
(28:14):
get That game changed my mind a little bit in
terms of the likelihood of Oregon being able to win
the national championship this year. Penn State, like if this
is the year for Penn State. I don't know that
this is the year for Penn State. But Oregon, you know,
neither team had played anyone of any consequence before this game,
and they you know, it was a close game at
the end, but you know, Oregon to win on the
(28:37):
road like that, that was pretty impressive.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
It was.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
And if Penn State pulls this out, I'm still not sure.
I'm looking at this Penn State team going, oh, I
see them as national title possibilities. This looks like the
Penn State team we've seen for years on years on years,
and just because they bought it, brought a bunch of
people back, they they still look the same to me.
Nothing I saw changes that real quick. On the fourth downs.
(29:04):
I think they they attempted like there's only like three
or four drives for Oregon where they didn't have a
fourth down in town in the in the first quarter.
I think each drive they had a fourth down in time.
So yeah, if that's the mentality you're gonna go with,
you're gonna find out that you're gonna get more plays.
I think they had like seventy eight plays to Penn
State sixty and and they needed all all of them.
(29:26):
So anything else from this so this one time that
you wanted to touch on, I.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Think we covered. I think we covered everything.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
And just sprawling through my notes real quick, uh yes,
I have I have some all caps in my notes
on the Penn State punt on fourth and nine. But yeah,
that's a that's that's I think, that's I think the
big stuff. And and you know I I I think
I said this on a Buck Eyed Weekly show as
we were sort of like talking about this a little
bit indirectly. What is the over under on Ohio State
(29:56):
versus these two team games this season? Only one is
on the schedule Penn State in the regular season. I
think the over under to me is two and a half.
That Ohio State plays Oregon and Penn State two and
a half.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Times this year.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
What are you going with their Well.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
I think that's the only one where you have to
think about it, because if it's one and a half, boom,
I'll take the over on that one. More things have
to happen clearly to take the over. So i've I
would pro bubly go under because you're asking, well, yeah, no,
(30:36):
I'll go over. I'll go over because maybe Penn State
gets hot and they can you know, win a game
in playoffs or whatever it takes. And Oregon I don't
have a problem with them being number two right now.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
Frankly, I frankly wouldn't have a problem with them being
number one. I mean, if you know, Ohio State has
been solid. Ohio State has a good win over Texas,
the win over Washington on the road, that's a good win.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
But I don't think Ohio State.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Has been so dominant that it's like, well, obviously they.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
Have to be number one.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
You know, I think you could you could make a
case for Miami, you could make a case for Oregon
right now. So yeah, I and and I think if
Ohio State goes to Indianapolis, they're probably facing.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
One of these teams. You know, maybe it's Indiana.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
We'll see, but if Ohio State gets to Indianapolis, you're
probably facing one of these teams.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
And then if Ohio State.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
Gets to the semi finals, the national Championship game or
the national of the College Football Playoff, you're probably facing
one of these teams at some point in the quarters
or in the in the semis as well. Because it
just feels like Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, those are
probably three teams that are in the top eight or
so of the College Football Playoff rankings entering the entering
(31:49):
the CFP, so you're probably you figure odds are you're
going to bump into you know, these teams are going
to bump into each other somewhere along the line in
that CFP as well.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
Indiana that has to play both at Oregon and Penn State,
so if they make the playoffs this year, you assume
they had earned it. And then the next time we
see Oregon they will be hosting Indiana, which is gonna
be a fascinating game for all of us to watch.
So that will do it for us. If you want
to hit the thumbs up if you're watching on YouTube,
we would appreciate it. Five star rating. Review on all
of your podcast platforms of choice. Is always welcome and
(32:22):
of course so you can find us at Buckeye Huddle
dot com sun him Now say hello to us there
on the buck I'll Bucky Huddle message board presented by
Jeff Fruby's Columbus. So thank you all for tuning in
and we'll talk to you all later
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