Colin: Not to throw a wet blanket on a Buckeye love fest not seen since the 2006 season, but did Michigan lay out the road map for another SEC destruction by neutralizing Chase Young and exposing an over rated pass defense?
Baver: I’m not concerned about Chase Young, but if Shaun Wade isn’t full-go for OSU’s remaining games, that worries me. I’ve watched The Game twice, and Young was double-teamed and held frequently. I’ll still concede that Young probably was not at his best in Ann Arbor, but after the season he has had, I’ll gladly give him a pass. I expect Chase to make more noise this week in Lucas Oil Stadium.
As for the Buckeye secondary, I think it’s fair to say they are not the same unit without Shaun Wade. They made adjustments in the second half, but UM receivers dropped maybe a half-dozen catchable balls in that half as well. The stats should have been worse. Even if Wade and everyone else is healthy the rest of the way, I think potential matchups against Clemson and/or LSU could be shoot-outs. Ohio St has not faced anything comparable to those two offenses.
Colin: On to better things, JK Dobbins and this O Line are moving into rare air. How good is this running game?
Baver: It’s what makes this offense tick. The pass blocking can be shaky at times, but not the OSU interior linemen (Jackson, Myers & Davis) maul defenders on running plays. With Dobbins, as we’ve discussed, the threat of the QB run and far better run blocking have of course helped boost Dobbins numbers. But anyone attributing his big year simply to those two things needs to look closer. Dobbins is running with far more attitude this year, and his acceleration is at another level. I had good view from C-deck near the 40-yard line for the Penn St game, and it was a different feel for me. One of the things that jumped out at me was how fast Dobbins was getting to the edge when he was 25+ carries into the game. I’d probably argue for JK as the team MVP this year over Fields and Chase Young...and that is saying something.
Colin: What impresses you most about Ryan Day’s play calling?
Baver: Not sure I can nail it down to one thing, so I’ll just shoot from the hip...
Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma is probably viewed as the most innovative mind in CFB today. Riley’s concepts are said to be blowing away the top offensive minds in the NFL. And when you watch the Sooners play, you can see it...you just find yourself saying, “Wow”.
While opposing D-coordinators are probably wondering what the hell Lincoln Riley is going to throw at them next, it’s almost seemed like the opposite so far with Ryan Day. With his rosy cheeks, Day looks like the nice, young boy from next door who always offers to help you with your yard work. Then, before the opposing DC knows it, Day has hit him with a variety of different big plays, and his defense is reeling. And when the DC thinks he has figured out a few things, Day is one step ahead of him. We saw that in Ann Arbor. Just when OSU fans and Don Brown thought OSU had moved on from crossing routes, Day dials up the crossing route to Garrett Wilson late in the 2nd quarter for a 41-yard gain.
I’m rambling a bit, but wanted to also mention the dozens of tweaks that Day has worked in this year. On the surface they seem little, but many of the plays that weren’t effective a year ago suddenly are this year. And this brings me back to Day’s unassuming demeanor that disguises the attack from a silent assassin.
Colin: Let’s be honest, playing Wisconsin again for the Big Ten Title just feels like a nuisance and a bore. Your thoughts on round 2? And if we lose do the Bucks still make the CFP and give me your best case seedings.
Baver: I think the Bucks are in for another similar game with Wisconsin with the Badgers holding their own early, while OSU exploits them late. The fast track indoors in Indy should allow Ohio St to show off their athleticism a bit more this time around. I have it Ohio St 42 Wisconsin 21. Still funnier things have happened, so let’s hope your nuisance doesn’t become a nightmare. If it does, OSU should still get in. A 2-loss Wisconsin team won’t get the nod over a 1-loss OSU team, plus you now have OSU’s rout of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and Alabama having bowed out. My guess is that Ohio St will be a #3 or #4 seed in the playoff should they lose to the Cheeseheads. A comfortable win means OSU secures the #1 seed regardless of how impressive LSU looks against Georgia.
Colin: Bonus question for Brian Phillips, why does Washington State light up every other team except their arch rivals the Washington Huskies?
Baver: Full disclosure, I don’t think I have caught a full Was-Was St game in 3 or 4 years. From what I saw last Friday (maybe a quarter and a half), the Huskies were often only rushing 3 down lineman and were still getting to Wazzu QB Anthony Gordon. As for the 7-straight WSU’s losses, Washington’s DC (and now their new HC) Jimmy Lake has loved running his mouth about it. Pretty arrogant, but it’s fair to say that Lake knows a thing or two about stopping Leach’s air raid.