Stream-of-Consciousness Notes
2010 Rose Bowl - Ohio St. vs. Oregon
By
Pete Fiutak
-
2009
Rose Bowl Stream-of-Consciousness Notes
Pregame
- It might not have a superpower like recent USC teams, and it might not have the intrigue of the Sugar Bowl coming up later on, but Ohio State vs. Oregon is as much of a toss-up as any recent Rose Bowl and it should be good theater one way or another.
Either Ohio State wins and all is right in the world in Columbus, or Oregon wins, Ohio State can’t win a big game, and it’ll be another offseason of Jim Tressel and Big Ten bashers going crazy.
The Big Ten might be 2-2 so far, but it has been
strong this bowl season with Northwestern coming
within a few feet on a missed field goal away from
beating Auburn in the Outback and Minnesota losing
by one to Iowa State in the Insight (along with wins
by Wisconsin and Penn State), while the Pac 10 needs
this win to save face after a rough start to the
post-season. All along I’ve picked Ohio State for no
good reason other than I like the defense, but I
wouldn’t be the least bit shocked if Oregon’s
offense went ballistic and roared to a win.
Basically, a flipped a coin on my pick.
- Terrelle Pryor kneeling, praying in the middle of
the field: "Please make my offense better ... please
make my offense better."
- Enough with the whole Sully Sullenberger thing.
Calmness in the basic instinct of self-preservation
doesn't necessarily make a hero.
- Considering Oregon changes its outfits more than a
slew of six-year-old girls at a princess birthday
party, you'd think head coach Chip Kelly would be
better dressed.
First Quarter
Ohio State on its own 25
- Pound away. You know what you are, Ohio State.
Don't pretend to be Texas Tech.
- Ohio State pretends to be Texas Tech, Pryor almost
gets picked off, and now comes Tressel Ball. Run the
ball, miss the third down conversion throw, punt.
Live to fight another day.
- The short pass goes nowhere. Third and long.
- Uh oh ... Pryor takes off and runs for the first
down, but he can't run. A healthy Pryor tears up the
field and has a shot at taking it home, but he ran
for 24 on third and six. He was hobbling, struggled
with his cut, and got out of bounds. Watch Oregon
quickly adjust to make Pryor try to take off. The
big hitting linebackers will tee off on him.
- Five straight pass plays and Pryor is on.
- Kirk Herbstreit is so excited about OSU's hot
start that you can hear him jumping up and down in
the booth.
- If you're a golfer, you know how sometimes when
you have a slight injury you tend to play better
because you're more focused? That might be the case
with Pryor throwing the ball.
- Dan Herron gashes the Oregon defense with a big
run. Oregon's defensive front is getting flattened
early on.
- Pryor is on. He hits DeVier Posey in the hands in
the end zone and it's dropped. Oregon is hanging on
by a thread. 3rd and 10.
- Here comes the "he's got to make that catch"
comment ... wait for it ... wait for it ... wait for
it ...
- Herbstreit: "He's got to make that play."
- Pryor shot-puts his throw to Brandon Saine, Saine
blows up Talmadge Jackson, who should've made the
tackle, and it's touchdown OSU.
- That was a drive a month in the making. The OSU
coaching staff is basically saying, "Pryor, time to
earn your salary." So to speak ... ahem.
Ohio State 7 ... Oregon 0
Oregon on its own 26
- Oregon, come out throwing. Ohio
State will be frothing at the mouth to stop the run
and will overpursue.
- Two plays, two easy big plays.
- After two plays of the read-option running game,
Ohio State has it. The defensive front destroyed the
Oregon O line on both plays and there was nothing
there. If Cameron Heyward and the Buckeye defensive
line plays like this all game long, Oregon will be
shut down cold. The penetration is too great.
- TERRIFIC punt by Jackson Rice..
Ohio State on its own 3
- Oregon gets nailed with a facemask
and gets hit by a dumb play. LB Eddie Pleasant just
bailed out the Buckeyes.
- Uhhhhhh, Oregon. You'd better get something
out of your defensive line in a big hurry.
- Pryor can't move. He ran for a first down on 3rd
and 3 showing as much burst as me getting off the
couch after a morning of getting my butt on the
treadmill.
- This looks like an Ohio State team that's as mad
as hell and isn't going to take it anymore. On every
play, and at this tempo, you can almost hear the
team saying, "BCS this."
- Oregon doesn't have an answer on defense. Jeremiah
Masoli, get your track shoes on.
- Surprisingly, the OSU power running isn't working
quite as well as the quick timing throws.
- Kenny Rowe was able to get to Pryor, who almost
pulled a Vince Young and busted out of a sack.
- Nice stop, Oregon. Rowe got good pressure on Pryor
and the deep ball missed. It's an overstatement,
yeah, but Rowe on the last two plays might have
saved the game, at least early on.
Oregon on its own 9
- The OSU defensive line is dominating
the interior and is blowing up the read-option. The
option doesn't work on smart, quick, disciplined
defensive fronts.
- Heyward is KILLING LT Bo Thran.
- OOOOOHHHHHH. Anderson Russell dropped an
interception that would've gone for a score.
- Rice has to bust out the punt of his life ...
nice. He cranks it out to midfield.
- Nothing puts me in a bad mood faster than a
Beatles song ... except an ad that covers a Beatles
song.
Ohio State on the 50
- Oregon ... welcome to the adult
table.
- Brandon Saine blows past Rowe for a 44-yard pass
play, but he might had stepped out of bounds ...
he's in.
- that was an NFL throw from Pryor.
- Bad snap ... Pryor saves the play by getting to
the ball and preventing a disaster.
- There was a flashback to Vince Young when Pryor
got an opening, but he just doesn't have the one-cut
burst to blow past the Oregon linebackers. Third and
goal. Let him throw. he's on.
- No, no, no, no, no, no, no. The passing game is
working, Pryor is making the right decisions, and
OSU tries to run wide on third and goal. Oregon's
quickness in the back seven makes the stop.
- C'mon OSU, make a statement and go for it.
- Devin Barclay comes in for Aaron Pettrey to hit
the field goal. Pettrey must be dinged up.
Ohio State 10 ... Oregon 0
Oregon on its own 42
- Kenjon Barner is such a weapon. he's
going to break a kickoff return big before this game
is over. However, he might get lots of chacnces with
the way the Buckeyes are playing.
- Barner explodes on an end around for 37 yards, and
now the Ducks are in it. That's Oregon. That's the
high-tempo attack.
- Masoli rumbles for a nice gain. Alright, alright
... no we have a game.
First Quarter: Ohio State 10 ... Oregon 0
SECOND QUARTER
- Don't get cute, Oregon. Go with the run
to LaMichael James on the option ...
- Oregon gets stuffed, Masoli misses a pass, and the
end of the first quarter time out killed the
momentum. Field goal.
Ohio State 10 ... Oregon 3
Ohio State on its own 15
- The success of the Oregon offense
appears to have helped out the D. The D is now
playing with more tempo and is more active.
- The defensive line is starting to get more
penetration, and now it's third and long.
- Pryor isn't getting as much time to work, and now
all the momentum is on Oregon's side. The D was
waiting for Pryor to try to take off.
Oregon on the OSU 30
- Barner has changed this game around.
He came up with a 28-yard punt return.
- Now the Ducks are running the offense. Start to
run wide and get away from the defensive front.
Everything inside is getting stuffed.
- 3rd and 7 and Masoli has yet to do anything with
the passing game. He's 1-of-5.
- HUGE mistake ... false start. Oregon isn't going
to convert many, if any, 3rd and 12s against this D.
- Masoli had time, there was nothing there, and he
dumped it off to James. Again, Heyward is in the
backfield.
- Going for it on 4th and 9 and Masoli throws a
strike to Jeff Mahle. GREAT catch toeing the
sideline. First down and it wasn't reviewed. Thank
you up tempo offense.
- In the red zone, now it's time for the hammer.
LeGarrette Blount will get in soon ...
- ... but James comes up with a big run up the
middle. The Oregon interior is finally getting a bit
of a push.
- And here is Blount. He punches it in from four
yards out, stretching his hand over the goal line.
- Huh? He was called down? He looked like he got in.
That was absolutely a touchdown; he was sitting on
Kurt Coleman.
- Reviewed ... touchdown. Oregon has now officially
weathered the storm.
Ohio State 10 ... Oregon 10
Ohio State on its own 20
- Why isn't Ohio State going back to
what worked? The O has slowed to a standstill and
lost the tempo and rhythm that worked so well
before.
- The Buckeyes got a first down on a Herron run, but
the offense has started to creep back into the old
conservative mode.
- For the first time all game long, Oregon got
pressure and hit Pryor. Pryor was off.
- The running game is working the left side over
Justin Boren, who's burying the right side.
- Oregon had the stop, sacked Pryor, but Brandon
Bair got nailed for a fasemask call. OSU was giving
away the drive by running and got bailed out.
- Pryor is getting time, is able to buy more on the
move, and he's keeping the offense moving.
- The OSU offense is trying to work over T.J. Ward.
Posey can beat him, and it seems like the Buckeyes
are setting things up for a big play.
- Nice answer so far to the Oregon score.
- Pryor is taking some chances with his throws. He's
going to get picked at a key time before this is
over.
- Pryor isn't getting much room to run, and he's not
taking off.
- That's the best he has looked all game ling
running the ball. He tore off to his right and
simply outran the Ducks.
- 4th and 1. You're Ohio State. You go for it and
you show your power game. Oregon is going to keep
scoring and this is a big chance for OSU to keep up
the pace.
- How many people watching this right now will watch
Cougar Town because Lisa Kudrow is making a
guest appearance?
- Wooooo ... right guard Bryant Browning collapsed
the Oregon line and Saine gets an easy first down.
- KEEP POWERING IT. 1st and goal, this is where you
use the bulk.
- Instead, Pryor air mails it out of bounds on a
timing pattern.
- Dumb, dumb, dumb. Why are you EVER throwing it
wide? Don't let the fast Oregon back seven be able
to run to the ball. OSU has completely botched this
drive, and if it doesn't get into the end zone,
these last two drives will be second-guessed for a
long time. Two straight power runs makes it 3rd and
goal from three instead of from 12.
- Field goal. Pryor didn't have anyone open and
almost gets picked off by Javes Lewis.
- Barclay nails the 30-yard field goal. This
should've been a soul-crushing drive, but instead it
turns out to be a win for the Ducks.
- How many people watching this are going to care
that there's a bonus Better Off Ted tonight
with the Sugar Bowl on at the same time?
Ohio State 13 ... Oregon 10
Oregon on its own 30
- I want to see that again. Cliff
Harris got blasted and fumbled the ball and Ohio
State got it, but on sight it looked like the ball
was out.
- His hip was down, but was the ball moving a bit?
OSU isn't going to win this, but it's close.
- 1:01 to play. How much does Masoli get to throw?
- Herbstreit and Musburger are obviously having a
lot of fun with this game. They're the best, the
absolute best.
- Fantastic throw in between coverage by Masoli. He
powered a ball over the top of two linebackers to
Lavasier Tuinei for a 23-yard gain.
- Ohio State's defense has become shockingly soft.
I'm stunned that the safeties aren't making more of
an impact.
- Oregon isn't taking it easy, and now it's 3rd and
7 with the potential to get burned. If Masoli
doesn't hit this, OSU gets the ball ...
- Interception. Doug Worthington gets a tip, Ross
Homan picks it off, and now OSU has a chance for
some late, cheap points.
Ohio State on the Oregon 46
- Pryor gets 19 days to throw and he
has no clue whatsoever what to do with the ball.
- He makes up for the gaffe with a missile to Dane
Sanzenbacher for a 25-yard gain.
- Ten seconds to play. Pettrey is working up, not
Barclay.
- On the 28, Pryor has to get rid of the ball in a
hurry, but he almost pulls a Colt McCoy in the Big
12 Championship and waits too long.
- Two seconds to play and Pettrey nails the
45-yarder.
- That's as well as Ohio State can play on offense
and it's only up six. Oregon, if it knew the Buckeye
attack would play this well, would be ecstatic to
only be down 16-10.
Second Quarter Score: Ohio State 16 ...
Oregon 10
Third Quarter
Don't kick it to Barner ... don't kick it
to Barner ...
Oregon on its own 45
- They kicked it to Barner, and they
went to Jared.
- James tears off a big run on the left side. He's
not getting much room to move, but he's slippery
enough to make things happen when he's on the move.
OSU can't seem to find him.
- Pass interference. Oregon is moving the ball and
is doing a great job of mixing it up.
- The OSU defensive front continues to control the
game. Oregon isn't getting the consistent big runs,
and Masoli isn't doing anything on the ground.
- 4th and 3, and Masoli throws a nice, safe pass for
the first down.
- After all the good things OSU did in the first
half, one good finish to this drive and Oregon has
the lead.
- Barner is KILLING the OSU D. Masoli draws in the
defensive front, throws a nice short pass to Barner,
and it's first and goal.
- I always seem to write this ... why wouldn't OSU
take a time out right here? Oregon is going in for a
score, the offense is up tempo and in a perfect
rhythm, and the Buckeyes need to do something to
break it up.
- On the goal line, and here comes Blount, but ...
- Masoli just gives Brian Rolle reason to hit the
weights this offseason after barreling over him for
a one-yard score.
- Ohio State is not being outphysicaled. Yes, I'm
making that a word. The scary part is that Oregon
isn't even humming offensively.
Oregon 17 ... Ohio State 16
Ohio State on its own 20
- Scoring points for OSU is like
pulling teeth, while Oregon makes it look too easy.
- OSU has take at least one shot deep. In a perfect
world, the Buckeyes would have a dangerous tight end
who can take away the linebackers over the middle.
- There isn't any mention of it, but Pryor isn't
being used enough to run the ball. He has turned
into just another passer.
- Now the Buckeyes go deep to Posey. He gets behind
Cliff Harris, Pryor throws a great ball, and that's
the play that will be there all game long as long as
the Duck back seven keeps cheating up.
- I'm shocked. A stretch run worked well. Oregon
wasn't able get to Saine and it was an easy downhill
run.
- Ohio State tries a slow, sad version of Oregon's
read option and it got erased by Brandon Bair.
- Oregon's linebackers are overcommitting a bit. A
naked bootleg might spring something big ... if
Pryor can run.
- This drive screams field goal.
- Pryor makes his worst throw of the game. He had
Sanzenbacher on a post for an easy touchdown and he
threw it behind him. It was a misread that he would
love to have back.
- Yup. Field goal. Ohio State's defense had better
come up with something to answer; the offense is
struggling a bit to much in the red zone because it
can't find a running game that consistently works.
- Is Luke Wilson fat?
Ohio State 19 ... Oregon 17
Oregon on its own 36
- Don't kick it to Barner ... don't kick it to Barner ...
- Seriously, it's called a squib. I don't think Ohio
State's coaches believe the special teams could
possibly tip in Oregon's favor.
- Eventually, Jeff Maehl is going to come up with a
big play. OSU is cheating up a bit.
- But it doesn't matter, James pants Coleman and
tears off a big run and now Oregon is on the verge
of getting in for a score. OSU is totally confused
and has no answer for Barner.
- It's a little chickenspit, but OSU should have a
player gets a bit dinged up here and there just to
slow things down.
- And there's the first really big mistake. Blount
never gets the ball with his eyes looking at the
defenders bearing down, he drops the ball and kicks
it out of the end zone. OSU survives a sure
touchdown drive and must come up with another long,
sustained drive like it got at the end of the first
half.
Ohio State on its own 20
- Pryor is growing up. He would've
NEVER been allowed to chuck it like this in
mid-October. No matter what happens the rest of this
game, Pryor will go into the offseason with the
expectations jacked through the roof (even more than
before).
- Fantastic play by Rowe. He's having a whale of a
game bothering Pryor more than anyone else on the
Oregon line.
- The Oregon defenders are dialed in to No. 2. They
Oregon D is basically going to pop Pryor every
chance it gets and will force someone else to make a
play.
- Pryor got greedy. On 3rd and 8, he not only blew
off a wide open Herron for a sure first down to go
deep for Posey, and if he had thrown a dart, he'd
have had a chance. He hangs it up, John Boyett gets
there, and Oregon erases the turnover from Blount.
Oregon on its own 43
- Uh oh. James runs into the locker
room with a dinged up shoulder. Masoli will have to
start running more.
- OSU is letting Masoli get rid of the ball and is
focusing on stopping him. The linebackers have to
take their chances with No. 2 running it.
- Again, Maehl is overdue for a big play.
- Masoli takes an unnecessary chance down the middle
of the field. Both teams are throwing haymakers and
both are missing.
- The Oregon jerseys, beyond being just an ugly nod
to Icarus, have unreadable numbers.
Ohio State on its own 13
- There's only a minute left in the
third. At some point the OSU offensive line has to
take over against the smallish Oregon defensive
front.
- OSU has gone back to its old ways, but it's
working. Crank out yards and time, make it a
manageable third down (it's 3rd and 3), and keep the
Oregon offense off the field.
- Excellent game. It's so nice not to have USC
around.
Third Quarter Score: Ohio State 19 ...
Oregon 17
FOURTH QUARTER
- WHY? OSU could've run for a first down on
3rd and 3, tried a slant pass that didn't work, and
now it's back to the Ducks.
Oregon on its own 32
- Oregon is going to power it a bit.
Blount is an NFL back and he needs to play like it
with James dinged up. He doesn't have blazing speed,
but the last thing the linebackers want to deal with
right now is the combination of Masoli's quickness
and Blount's power.
- Masoli has just eight yards rushing on six
carries.
- Again, it seems like Oregon is setting something
up for Maehl. But for now, the Ducks appear content
to run and get the normal offense on track.
- Masoli and Pryor are getting impatient. They're
trying to make plays that aren't there.
Ohio State on its own 19
- Not to beat this into the ground,
but this is where a good Big Ten team is supposed to
beat a Pac 10 team into the ground.
- Wisconsin would go on a long, brutal march right
now.
- Pryor comes up with the play he needs to make.
There was nothing there, he takes off, improvises,
and gets the first down.
- James comes out of the locker room for Oregon.
- Just like it was big for Oregon to stay in the
game after all the things OSU did in the first half,
for all the fireworks and all the good things Oregon
has done, OSU can go up nine with a long touchdown
drive.
- 11 minutes to play.
- 3rd and 5 and OSU connects on the slant throw to
Sanzenbacher that didn't work before. Oregon blew it
by laying off Sanzenbacher too far. That was easy.
- Pryor has no feel whatsoever. He's not reading the
second option at all, and he's not getting the
pressure from the back. Rowe is phenomenal.
- Now it's 3rd and 12 because Ohio State went away
from the power running game that would've made it
3rd and four. Yes, there are times when Tressel Ball
really works.
- MIRACULOUS. The play of the Rose Bowl. Pryor,
again having no feel and within a hair of getting
brought down, Pryor hangs it up for TE Jake Ballard
for a jump ball first down.
- 8:40 to play and OSU is still throwing, and then
it tried to run on 2nd and 10 with nothing
happening.
- Herbstreit is dead on right. A field goal would be
the norm for OSU in a Big Ten game, but the O has to
take a chance.
- Pryor's knee must be loose. He's running smoothly
taking off for a first down.
- Offsides Oregon.
- A field goal doesn't really help OSU. Being up
five isn't going to get it done.
- There we go. Herron for three yards on first down.
That's fine. Masoli can't hurt OSU on the sidelines.
- It's a coming out party for Pryor, and it's a
coming out party for Posey. Pryor throws a brilliant
pass, Posey makes the twisting grab for a touchdown.
It's under review, but he has it.
- 8 catches, 101 yards, 1 TD for Posey.
Ohio State 26 ... Oregon 17
Oregon on the Ohio State 38
- How fricking brilliant was that?
Everyone was focusing on stopping Barner, and Oregon
runs a reverse on the kickoff to Harris for a huge
gain.
- James is back in and slips and slides for a
five-yard gain.
- Heyward is having a big game, but so is Doug
Worthington. The much-maligned tackles of last year
are putting on a shot.
- GREAT tackle on James to force a 4th and 1. Now
you HAVE to kick the field goal with 5:25 to play.
- BTW, this piece is really, really hard to do when
Oregon is playing. There's just no time to type.
- Missed it. Rose Bowl.
- Chip Kelly was probably sick to kick the field
goal, and now this will eat at him all offseason.
Ohio State on its own 26
- This is where Justin Boren has to be
an NFL guard. Run behind him and pound away the
clock.
- Great penetration from the Oregon D. 2nd and 12
with 4:33 to go.
- Ooooooh. Pryor took a chance making a dangerous
pitch on the option. 3rd and 2.
- That's why you have a 6-6, 235-pound quarterback.
OSU simply runs right, Pryor runs downhill, easy
first down.
- Three minutes to play.
- I don't know the time of possession, but it has to
be at least 40-20 OSU.
- Fox has to love this. It's going to end just as
Tim Tebow starts yelling at someone.
- First down Pryor with the ball at midfield on a
pounding run by Saine.
- It's not Jim Tressel with 2:32 to play, but Oregon
is selling out. Posey can get wide open for an easy
score if OSU wants to take one shot deep.
- Instead, Tressel is letting Pryor become the
favorite for the 2010 Heisman.
- 1:30 to play
- Knee time.
- The Buckeyes pour Gatorade on Tressel and his
circuits spark and blow up.
- Dork on Tressel. He runs to meet Kelly at midfield
with his headset still on.
- Ohio State held on to the ball for 41:37.
FINAL SCORE: Ohio State 26 ... Oregon 17
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