Well, here we are at halftime of the third game of the 2021 season and the Ohio State Buckeyes are struggling with the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. That’s right, the same Tulsa football team that lost to UC-Davis of the FCS level, the Buckeyes are only winning 13-6, with Tula actually scoring first.
I always try to be positive and I thought everyone was being harsh about the Minnesota game, but this team is just not very good right now and it’s painful to watch. This was supposed to be a tune-up game to pad the stats and check out some freshmen, and now I am sweating and scared. There is still time, but, good or bad, here are three things that warrant attention.
Next…Stroud has fallen into a pattern, an overthrown pattern
Umm … About those overthrows
Ok, I've been as firmly Team Stroud as anybody, but unless McCord, Miller, and Ewers all look like hot garbage, it's probably time to think about making the change, especially if C.J. is dealing with a shoulder injury.
Throws have been bad as have his decisions.
— Land-Grant Holy Land (@Landgrant33) September 18, 2021
C.J. Stroud has played poorly in the first half and that includes an interception that was thrown into double coverage. And you guessed it, it was another throw that was too high. It is a running joke that a huge percentage of his passes are too high. Stroud is good and he will likely clean it up in the second half as he always does, but do we want good or great?
Next….it’s not just Stroud, the offense as a whole is unimpressive
We need to see more from the Ohio State offense
Stroud AND Ewers are trending on Twitter. That should help you understand how Ohio State's offense is currently playing … against Tulsa
— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) September 18, 2021
The Ohio State offense has scored just ten points in total during the first quarter through three games. That is an issue and it is not all Stroud’s fault. The staff clearly can’t decide which running back to use as the bell-cow and the offensive line is not mauling anyone. The only excellent portion of the offense are the receivers. And even Chris Olave has been M.I.A. in this one so far.
NEXT … Is Tulsa going to take this down to the fourth quarter?
Ohio State finds itself in a dogfight now
This is the worst Ohio State defense since the turn of the century
— tOSU 2k22-23 champs (@tOSUownsyou) September 18, 2021
That’s right. The Tulsa Golden Hurricane is playing extremely well. It is moving the ball effortlessly and has stopped the Buckeye offense a few times already. Tulsa is only losing 13-6 and aside from some adjustments, it looks like Ohio State is in a dogfight. At least the Buckeye defense has only given up six points, but it doesn’t feel like the defense can bend much further without breaking.
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