After almost a month of football it seems as though #14 Ohio State has finally found the ingredients to the sweet tasting Buckeye victory brew. With the Big Ten season opening up against a much improved Minnesota squad from the year prior, a lackluster performance could have spelled disaster for the Buckeyes. However, with the return of a familiar face ( RB Chris Wells), an improving quarterback (Terrelle Pryor) and a revamped defense, which featured changes on the line as well as in the two-deep rotations, Jim Tressel’s team came ready to play on Saturday and answered many of the critics who questioned not only their on field ability but mental preparation as well. For the first time in years, there seems to be fresh-man life associated with this football team and to see veterans ans newbies playing together on the football field brings great excitement to the loyal Buckeye nation fanatics.

Listening to the comments of the masses on campus, the general feeling is that of a swagger, a grittiness in which OSU is playing with at this current moment. The score may show only a 13-point victory but for those in attendance or watching on television, it was as though this may be the beginning of the team so greatly hyped coming into the 2008 campaign. Besides USC, Minnesota is the most talented team they have faced thus far and while the Golden Gophers made some plays throughout the contest, the Bucks did a good job of making adjustments and keeping the maroon and gold off-balance with their multi-dimensional offensive attack. One featuring a healthy dose of the run with some sprinkled in passing. It would have been nice to see a little more intensity from the team in the second half but you have to expect this will come as teams become more competitive and individuals/units continue to improve in all aspects of the game. Here are some of DTI’s notes from the fourth victory of the season.

***Offense-

*Chris Wells looks as his last name indicates- After a four week absence including a sideline seat for the big showdown in Southern California, Beanie returned to field action and looked very much like the tailback who tore up the turf against the Penguins. Wearing a remodeled shoe, a highly protective lineman prototype, Wells accumulated 106 yards on 14 carries, including a highlight reel 28-yard sprint in which he leapfrogged over a Minnesota safety. No. 28 did have a fumble early in the affair which lead to a Golden Gopher field goal but was extremely impressive otherwise. In his three quarters of play, fans saw what they had hoped to from their prized offensive leader; exploding north to south with tremendous burst, pushing defenders back on the way to each yard marker. With Wisconsin next on the docket, expect a grueling practice for CW as the team prepares him for the wear and tear of 25 carries against a strong Badgers front. He was limited with his running footwear but should see a slimmed down version in the near future, further increasing his mobility.

*Terrelle Pryor takes one big step forward- After throwing a record four touchdown passes in his OSU debut, Pryor raised his game in start number two against a significantly stronger opponent. While his numbers may not jump off the screen to your sports joe schmo (8/13 70 1TD, 8/97 2TD), his calm demeanor against a Big Ten foe and overall execution, especially on long downs, showed he is making steady improvement and adjusting to life as the number one man. The combination of size and speed seems almost impossible to plan for and forces defenses to open up the field in order to contain the star. Jim Tressel said he would have liked to see him pass a few more times and he did throw some balls he would like to have back but he found Brian Robiskie in the end zone for a big conversion and checked down often, a positive for a player who has yet to become fully acclimated with his offense. With his reps increasing this week under center to 80-90%, expect him to focus more on converting with his arm as the box will be full of nasty defenders this upcoming game possible limiting his designed runs.

*The return of Brian Robiskie- One of the most sure handed offensive players heading into the 2008 season, “Robo” was anything but in the first three games against YSU, OU and USC’s secondary units. What had been an extremely disappointing start to the senior captain’s final year  in the scarlet and gray attire however, is quickly turning around. A big positive for an offense needing his leadership on and off the field. The leading wide out against the Gophers (8/90), his two touchdowns on jump routes to the back of the end zone helped put the game away. With a new quarterback under center and an increasingly difficult schedule, his value on this football team will continue to increase with each contest. While he maybe not be the fastest target in the Buckeye passing arsenal, his 6′3 frame and excellent route running technique makes him the top option in the air attack and you can expect his number to be called several times against the rigid Badgers secondary.

*O-Line looks fine- For the second consecutive week without left guard Steve Rehring, OSU’s revamped line put together a strong performance. New center Michael Brewster and left guard Jim Cordle make the offense quicker and more apt to picking up blitzes when their opponents stack the line on passing downs. While losing a two-year starter always is difficult, the injury allowed Jim Bollman to add some fresh blood to the front five and in the process brought in a bit more athleticism. Allowing only a pair of sacks and a couple of tackles for loss, the big men pushed back Minnesota all afternoon and allowed OSU to convert on the ground and with the pass. If the Bucks would have kept their foot on the pedal and not slowed down in the second half, they could have put 50 points on the scoreboard, a positive for a unit which had been under some scrutiny for playing soft football. It will take time before they really gel together but you have the feeling the process is underway. At tackle Alex Boone and Bryant Browning did a solid job limiting two talented ends Willie VanDesteeg and Derek Onwuachi while also stuffing the rush on pass plays. Cordle, Ben Person and Brewster were impressive in their isolation blocks as they opened up holes for Pryor, Wells and Daniel “Boom” Herron to make plays running the football to the tune of  279 yards. On a very good day there was one Achilles heel which Ohio State needs to remedy immediately: penalties. Whether it is a holding or false start call, the offensive line has had their share of mishaps in this category and mental mistakes must not become a theme for this offensive if they want to be successful, especially inside the red zone.

***Defense-

*Revamped d-line fires on all cylinders- One significant difference in this week’s game as opposed to the first four was the overall improvement in the pressure applied by the OSU defense and their ability to limit the high reward plays from the offense they were attacking. With Thaddeus Gibson sliding to DE and Cameron Heyward moving inside to DT, Ohio State looked fast and well prepared to handle QB Adam Weber and his highly efficient spread attack. Defensive Coordinators Jim Heacock and Luke Fickell mixed and matched all afternoon, looking for the best combination possible on the down unit and it worked well. While the front four looked slow at times against Ohio and USC, this week they stayed in their lanes and outworked the offensive line on many of the plays. If not for the athleticism of the signal caller, UM would have given up a good handful of sacks and fumbles. With Lawrence Wilson and Gibson flanking one another, lines must bring extra help, allowing linebackers and tackles to slip inside and stuff the middle of the field. A bit of a surprise but without a doubt a positive move was the insertion of freshman hybrid DL Nathan Williams. Whether he was inside or outside, the youngster made plenty of plays on the field and looks to be a great addition this season. As it were, the Gophers rushed for only 81 yards and put up a good chunk of their 187 passing yards in the fourth quarter of the game. Inside, Cameron Heyward and Doug Worthington did a nice job of closing the lanes and forcing UM to go outside on rushing plays. With Dexter Larimore, Nader Abdallah and Robert Rose mixing in as well, OSU has a strong rotation heading into Madison against possible the best offensive line in the conference.

*Secondary unit plays up to first class billing- After several mediocre showings, the Buckeye secondary came to play to open up the Big Ten year. Credited with a tremendous passing attack, UM was forced to go away from many of their unconventional aerial tactics and the plan to hit their lengthy wide outs in single man coverage. Possible the biggest factor, Tim Brewster’s offense could never establish a consistent rhythm with one of the nation’s top pass catchers in Eric Decker and solid second option TE Jack Simmons. The cornerback trio of Malcolm Jenkins, Chimdi Chekwa and Donald Washington (1 INT) provided good coverage down field while Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell came over the top to bat away several long pass attempts. Unlike the prior week against Troy, the defensive backs made almost all of their tackles and looked quick off the line on short passes and mid-range in-routes. It is hard to put a finger on what specifically has lit a fire under this unit but they just seemed to have a bit of an buzz surrounding them. They high five on ever hit, got emotional on their missed tackles and pumped up the crowd when Hells Bells rang at Ohio Stadium; just the kind of enthusiasm and passion you would like to see out of a group who has had their fair share of ups and downs. With another turnover created via an interception, plays are being made out on the field, a sign the best is still yet to come in Columbus.

*Marcus Freeman retains his status as most talented LB- James Laurinaitis is without a doubt the best linebacker on this football team but he not the most talented; that credo goes to No.1 Marcus Freeman. He is as cold as he is hot sometimes but when he puts it together, the senior is downright nasty. Last Saturday Troy pointed out the former, this week it was the latter. The Huber Heights native was flying around the field like a man possessed and making one big tackle after another. He picked up a sack to go along with four tackles and could be seen going sideline to sideline through the extent of his playing time. He kept his targets in front of him and used his leverage to block off space better than he has in any game this year. It would be safe to say he should be about ready to round into form in the coming weeks. While Laurinaitis and Homan rack up the tackles and cause turnovers over the middle, it is this veteran who must make speed type plays and prove to be the catalyst deeper down field and towards the outer spacing of the playing field. Whether it is covering a WR/TE or spying on a mobile QB, his job will continue to maintain a level of high difficulty and his ability to answer the call will play a huge factor in the success of OSU’s defense against strong defenses in Wisconsin, Penn State, Illinois and Michigan State.

*Defensive coaching gets an A-- With school in session, it is only fitting someone gets a grade this week and it is defensive coordinators Heacock and Fickell who get a strong mark. Starting with the 4-3 base, the duo mixed and matched personal on the line, at LB and in the secondary while also using a lot of nickel and a bit of dime formations. The blitzing came off the end, from the middle and the corners which kept the offense guessing most of the time. While Weber had time to throw on occasion, he did not have the 60-yard strike or big run to set up a touchdown as he did against Bowling Green and Florida Atlantic. UM had to grind out their drives and took up a large portion of time to move the football across the field. Using athletes such as Williams, Sabino, Rolle, Gibson, K. Wells and Terry show their willingness to experiment and add creative elements to their schemes. It is also nice to see players being rewarded for strong play. Regardless of what they depth chart says, if a guy is making plays you should keep him in the game and they did just that. The only reason there is a minus is the score read 34-21 and not 34-6 which it could have if OSU kept up their intensity for 60 minutes as opposed to 48, still a big improvement from about 30 the week before.