Ohio State vs. Wisconsin
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
|
Ohio State offense vs. Wisconsin defense True freshman QB Terrelle Pryor obviously lacks ideal experience, and his passing skills need a lot of work, but Ohio State's offense is unquestionably more potent with him at the helm than with Todd Boeckman. Pass protection is a weakness, and starting WRs Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline are not a consistent vertical threat, so Boeckman's strong arm was not being utilized much anyway, and his immobility gets exposed behind a leaky offensive line. Pryor is athletic enough to avoid the pass rush and has proven capable of throwing efficiently enough to force opponents to at least somewhat respect the pass. Most importantly, he is now capable of properly executing the option with a healthy Chris "Beanie" Wells out of the shotgun and pistol formations, and that should give Ohio State one of the nation's most dynamic rushing attacks moving forward. That theory will be put to the test Saturday night against a solid all-round Wisconsin defense that ranks 30th nationally in scoring defense (17.0 ppg) and total yards allowed (305.5 ypg). The Badgers lack ideal size along their defensive front, but the group as a whole is quick, tough and instinctive. Senior DT Jason Chapman sets the tone inside and will give Buckeyes RG Ben Person all he can handle for four quarters, while RDE Matt Shaughnessy will use his nonstop motor, initial quickness and upper-body power to avoid phone-booth matchups versus Ohio State LOT Alex Boone, who has struggled versus top competition throughout most of his career. |
 |
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider. |
