Michigan Fan's Comments On Furls OL/DL Column

[swerb]

A guy I do business with is a huge Michigan fan. He caught Furls column this morning, and sent me the following reply ...

Thought it would be interesting for people to see the enemy mindset to Furls thoughts on the trenches, and the game as a whole.

good stuff. The key to me is if CH can pass, that opens up the run for MH. We have 3 good receivers in MM, SB and Arrington. Tight end is good too. If we can pass then Hart can run. Lot's of depth at RB and WR. UM is also #1 in the nation at ball control leading all schools in time of possession. Ginn, Gonzo and Smith can't beat us on the sidelines.

If our D - which is awfully good, can get OSU to punt often, you have a serious disadvantage. If you can control the ball, our D will tire - advantage OSU.

To me -whoever is moving the sticks the most had a big advantage. Smith has a sore thumb and we know it, Boone is hurt (will he even play?) and we know it. We are as healthy as we have been all year.

I'm curious as to his comments on UM D vs OSU O line. I don't see how it's even close - especially if Boone is out. Woodley, Taylor, Branch and Crable are very very tough and our LB, David Harrison is as good as Laurenitis.

Here is my amateur assessment:

QB OSU
RB UM
WR push
Oline UM
DLine UM
secondary OSU
Coach OSU
Kicker UM
LB's push
Home field OSU

Should be a damn good game.

[furls]

Well, I am glad to here he thought it was OK.

I really don't like the way he matches up OSU vs. UofM. Unfortunately, Troy Smith does not actually get to line up and throw against Chad Henne and etc, so I generally dont think that style of analysis is useful.

Here is the way I see it:

QB OSU
RB UofM (but it is closer than he thinks)
WR OSU by a WIDE MARGIN
Oline UofM
Dline UofM
Secondary OSU
Coach OSU
Kicker (i dont know enough about scUM's kicker to make a judgment, but pettrey has been very good of late)
LBs UofM
Homefield WILL BE FUCKING INSANELY OSU

[consigliere]

The ONE thing that worries me about this game is what happens in the trenches. Michigan is better on both sides of the ball on the line.....

The key will be the running game. We slow down Hart and force Michigan to have to go to Henne more often than the like, that's a big positive for us. It plays to our strength (secondary). And, the other key is Pittman/Wells getting the running game going to Smith is not under an all out blitz and pass rush all afternoon.

[furls]

Alex Boone will play.

[swerb]

I sent him back this ....

My initial thoughts are that OSU is definitely better at WR. They go 6 deep, all future 1st day NFL Draft picks. Breaston is overrated as a WR. Manningham and Arrington would both be the 3rd WR at tOSU.

Smith’s thumb is fine, as is Boone … who has been kept out as a precautionary measure. The thing I think you are underrating more than anything else is the OSU OL. They play ten guys, and the starting five is as good as any OL unit I’ve ever seen here. No penalties, great run and pass blockers. Experienced. Tough. Because they play 10, come the 4th quarter … they are fresher than the opponent, and just wear people down.

He came back with ...

good points and you are a much better student of the game than I. Though I doubt MM is 3rd string as many sites had him as a 1st team AA thru 1/2 season. When he is a senior - he will blow away TG (pussy - afraid of the middle - fast but a puss) and Gonzo who is very tough but not any better than MM right now as a sophomore..

SB does catch alot of balls - alot of slants and square outs. Leads team in receptions - not a deep threat though.

I do not know OSU well but I can only assume they are tough and deep at all positions. Rotating fresh legs at OL is huge come 4th. UM rotates on DL as well (Jamison, Van Alstyne, Biggs) but Branch and Woodley are as good as any 2 DL in the US.

Both 1st round picks. Insane tough, fast and nasty. Have wrecked havoc all year and should do so on Sat. They will not line up where Boone is - trust me. They'll take the weak side and make a mess of the OL.

I'm not a fan of Ginn as a WR as he is afraid of the middle. Great feet but NFL corners will kill him and he don't like getting tagged. I think he is overrated for Sunday. Those corners will teach him a lesson. Gonzo reminds me of Jurivicious. Solid #3 that isn't afraid of the middle of the field. Ginn is just really fast. That may be big on Saturday's but as you know, they're all fast on Sunday and will hit you into next week.

As a bi-stander - I like OSU at Home. If in AA, I'll take UM. If Henne is mistake free (and he has been most of year) and MM can get behind the corners, should be interesting. If Smith has all day in the pocket - we're toast.

[yargs7]

He came back with ...

[i]good points and you are a much better student of the game than I.

At least one suUM fan will admit that Buckeye fans are more knowledgable about the game of football.

Though I doubt MM is 3rd string as many sites had him as a 1st team AA thru 1/2 season. When he is a senior - he will blow away TG (pussy - afraid of the middle - fast but a puss) and Gonzo who is very tough but not any better than MM right now as a sophomore..

Afraid of the middle? Ohio State's offensive scheme doesn't send it's outside recievers over the middle on slants, digs, or deep ins. To say that Ginn is afraid of the middle is ignorant. He will, however, run some crossing routes and has made some big plays on those. I can't remember seeing Teddy get alligator arms but I have seen him break alot of tackles.

SB does catch alot of balls - alot of slants and square outs. Leads team in receptions - not a deep threat though.

BREASTON-48 Catches for 537 yards and ONE measely TD.
GONZO-45 Catches for 673 yards and 7 TD's
GINN-51 Catches 677 yards and 8 TD's

Breaston is an average reciever.

I do not know OSU well

OBVIOUSLY

but I can only assume they are tough and deep at all positions. Rotating fresh legs at OL is huge come 4th. UM rotates on DL as well (Jamison, Van Alstyne, Biggs) but Branch and Woodley are as good as any 2 DL in the US.

Both 1st round picks. Insane tough, fast and nasty. Have wrecked havoc all year and should do so on Sat. They will not line up where Boone is - trust me. They'll take the weak side and make a mess of the OL.

Just like last year huh? It's not going to be Anthony Morrelli back there taking snaps. Why does everyone assume that M&%#%@&N's D-line will man handle OSU's O-line? Aren't these the same players from last year? I'm so sick of hearing about Woodley and Branch. Smith made them look silly last year!

I'm not a fan of Ginn as a WR as he is afraid of the middle. Great feet but NFL corners will kill him and he don't like getting tagged. I think he is overrated for Sunday. Those corners will teach him a lesson.

What Ted Ginn will or will not do in the NFL has absolutely ZERO revelance in Saturday's game. That was just dumb. Teach him a lesson? In what? How to suck?

Gonzo reminds me of Jurivicious. Solid #3 that isn't afraid of the middle of the field. Ginn is just really fast. That may be big on Saturday's but as you know, they're all fast on Sunday and will hit you into next week.

Yeah. He's exactly like Jurivicious. Except 6 inches shorter and he runs a 4.3. BRILLIANT. #3 Reciever? Hmmm. Does this guy watch college football or just throw on an ugly BLUE hat with a piss yellow M on it every 8 years or so when M(*^@#N doesn't suck?

If in AA, I'll take UM. If Henne is mistake free (and he has been most of year) and MM can get behind the corners, should be interesting.

If my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle.

Where'd you find this guy SWERB?

[consigliere]

I do agree on Ginn. He is VERY over-rated as a WR. He's a very good college WR....in the NFL his ceiling is Dennis Northcutt.

[furls]

Ginn has improved a lot. I have said since the beginning of the season that he is the second best receiver on this team, and I still stand by that statement.

Now, that being said, I do not think his ceiling is Dennis Northcut. I really don't think we have any idea what his ceiling is. He reminds me very much of Chris Gamble, bear with me a second.

Gamble came to Ohio State to play WR, but do to a shortage of DBs he ended up splitting time at corner and actually became a pretty decent college corner. He only played a couple of years here at corner and when he left folks had similar sentiments about him, basically he had a low ceiling. Look at Gamble now.

Ginn started here as a corner and became a WR because he could do alot with the ball. He started out trying to turn every catch into a punt return, but now he has accepted that you just hurry up and get what you can get on each catch. THis has made him a much better short yardage receiver, which is very important given the cushion that his speed demands.

We are really just seeing the beginning of Tedd Ginn's evolution. I would like to see him come back and evolve one more year, but I doubt he will. My guess is that he is going to do an NFL work out, card a ridiculous 40 and jump into the beginning of the first round. The key for him is that he will need an NFL team with the patience to make him a project and develop his talent into skills.

Now, for as for Ginn being a "pussy" over the middle; he clearly did have a problem with gator arms last year, but has been much better this year. The Buckeyes have not asked him to catch it over the middle much this year, for one reason or another. I am unsure whether it is based on scheme or ability, but frankly there has not been much of a reason to risk him over the middle in any game this year either.

Look at the season objectively, the Buckeyes have not needed the best out of their players yet this year. Who here really thinks that we have seen anything near the best of what Troy Smith has to offer this year? We have seen him make some great plays, but we have not seen him forced to play a great game... just like Ginn.

[consigliere]

Ok. His ceiling is Peter Warrick.