Penguins in Review

So when I wrote last Saturday night that we'd review the Youngstown State victory "tomorrow", I'm sure our fearless readers understood that to mean "basically a week from now". Not that you were all on the edge of your seats for the groundbreaking analysis that would come after a ho-hum 38-6 victory against an in-state I-AA team. (whoops, treading carefully with that reference...more for later).

So what should you take away, just 14 hours away from a showdown with Akron?

*As we've been saying all along, Todd Boeckman started and performed quite well. No, he's not going to win a Heisman, but thus far he appears to have the tools to run the offense. It will be interesting to see how things go as the competition is amped up. Boeckman displayed a good connection with #1 WR Brian Robiskie, but seemed to miss other open receivers like Brian Hartline. And some of his careless throws could easily turn into interceptions down the road.

*Rob Schoenhoft didn't play a lot but didn't look good when he was in. A career 2nd teamer? That might be harsh at this point, but Schoenhoft should be further along than he is. He's the highest rated of the three scholarship quarterbacks, but seems caught in no man's land. He lacks Boeckman's familiarity with the offense and experience, and he doesn't have the athleticism or upside of Antonio Henton.

*Arguably the most talented player on the Buckeye roster, Chris Wells was a non-factor. And that's being generous to a player would claimed his "mind was elsewhere" during the first half. Fans are hoping that the (a) lack of significant opponent; (b) failure of the offensive line to step up; and (c) the unimaginative play calling were rally to blame. Could he still be shaking off the rust from a spring ankle injury?

*Brian Robiskie has officially replaced Lawrence Wilson as the junior most likely to make a surprise jump to the draft. He looks primed for a monster season, and his stock might not benefit from a senior season if he keeps producing this way.

*True freshmen Dane Sanzenbacher, Taurian Washington and Brandon Saine all scored touchdowns in their first contest. Folks, the '07 class may be small, but is going to be special. Saine looked every bit the part of an elite running back, showing off his elite speed and some nice moves. Sanzenbacher has been the talk of the camp, and despite a few drops, he looks like a keeper. Washington broke away on a long TD from Henton and showed a great burst and stride in the open field. Since he's from Michigan, any success will be all that sweeter.

*Good news: Maurice Wells was actually productive, as the coaches got him the ball in space and let him do his thing. Bad news: Saine looks like a legitimate threat to co-op the #2 RB spot.

*The offensive line was mediocre at best. Given their size, they should have blown Y-State off the ball at will. Instead, the short yardage game struggled. Jim Cordle and Steve Rehring in particular seemed out of sync. Alex Boone, who was extremely dedicated in the off-season after the Florida loss, didn't play anywhere near his talent level. On the plus side, backups Conner Smith and Bryant Browning were solid in limited reps. Browning, a former three-star from Glenville, appears poised to take Rehring's job if the big guy continues to struggle.

*The young defensive tackles were adequate but will need to improve. They have a set four player rotation with Todd Denlinger, Doug Worthington, Dexter Larimore and Nader Abdullah. At this juncture, none of them have the ability to wreak havoc and be a true difference maker. But give the lack of game experience, significant improvements are expected...fingers crossed.

*The loss of Lawrence Wilson cannot be underestimated. He had break-out written all over until the injury occurred, now OSU will have to cope with a reduced pass rush. Wilson could have had a better year than Gholston, though in some part due to the double teams Vernon will see. Now, the best that can be hoped for is a return in November for the big stretch. Though the injury is minor as far as breaks go, don't expect the coaches to rush him back. This is a future NFL defensive end, and OSU is not going to risk his future for a few snaps.

Robert Rose, Cameron Heyward and Alex Barrow will now assume the #2-4 spots at the end rotation. Rose is a monster waiting to happen, though he inexplicably didn't see a lot of action on Saturday. Heyward has shocked everyone with his size and strength as a true freshman, so he's going to get a ridiculous amount of on-the-job training.

*The linebackers failed to impress, at least by Ohio State standards. Yes, they made all of the plays and didn't seem to make a lot of mistakes. But they made a lot of stops a few yards down the field, and there were no big plays like turnover or tackles for loss. Ross Homan was the best of the bunch, Little Animal included. Marcus Freeman also seems like he's turning a corner. He'll be good this year, but he should be a great senior next season.

*A lot of open receivers, and almost all were missed by the Youngstown quarterback. Better teams will hit those receivers, so OSU must exert more pressure and cover tighter. The coaches love Donald Washington, but he plays like Dustin Fox, which I don't mean as a complement. Maybe there's something in the Tressel scheme that keeps these guys open in space.

*The best news in the secondary was the redshirt freshman Chimdi Chekwa and true freshman Gene Clifford were great in nickel situations. With Malcolm off to collect his money next year, the position looks to be in good hands.

*Kurt Coleman might have been the best player on the defensive side. He was hitting hard in run support and flying all over the place in coverage. Jamario O'Neal is going to have a tough time reclaiming his spot.