Watch Chris Olave haul in another touchdown as Ohio State is rolling Indiana right now. #GoBucks
Even in the rain, C.J. Stroud is dropping dimes. Midway through the second quarter, Stroud has already thrown for 137 yards and two touchdowns. The latest TD coming by way of a 16-yard pinpoint pass to Chris Olave in the back of the end zone.
Olave ran a perfect route, as usual, timed his jump, and made a difficult catch look rather ordinary, beating the Indiana defensive back. This offense is loaded and just too many playmakers to account for everyone.
We thought the Buckeyes could put up some big points against the IU defense, but at this rate, it’s getting out of hand quickly as the Hoosiers have no answer for the Ohio State offense.
Watch Olave’s incredible catch below.
Only one player in @OhioStateFB history has more TD receptions than @chrisolave_: David Boston (34)
Let’s just say Akron doesn’t have Ohio State’s full and undivided attention.
Could QB CJ Stroud play through his banged up shoulder? If this was Penn State or Michigan State, yeah, probably. But he’s only available in an emergency situation, which means Jack Miller and Kyle McCord – most likely McCord – will get some live reps in.
Akron might not be ready to come in and go full Oregon on the Buckeyes, but it is coming off a win with good balance for the attack for the first time in a long time.
Okay, so it was a 35-14 victory over Bryant – a very small, private school in Rhode Island – but the Zips are doing a decent job overall controlling the clock thanks to a relatively efficient passing game. DJ Irons is hitting 76% of his passes with five scores and a pick, but …
Forget the quarterback situation; this is the game for the defense to get its stuff together.
It’s a bit overblown to call the Buckeye D a mess, but it’s not playing up to its talent level. The pieces are there to be fine, but it gave up over 500 yards in each of the last two games. That was fine against the Oregon offense, but Tulsa?
The defense could use a dominant performance no matter who it’s against. It’s not like Akron will have the offense to pull this off – or come even close – but at this point, the Buckeyes have to show that they really can rise up and play.
In other words, at least for a little while, they’re going to try.
All CJ Stroud has done is hit 62% of his passes for 963 yards and eight touchdowns in three games. He’s just getting started as he works his way into the gig, but you know what’s coming.
McCord will tear up the Akron secondary, and Miller will step in and hit 10-of-11 passes. All of a sudden, the talk will be about whether or not Stroud is the guy going forward. (BTW, he is.)
The Buckeyes will roll in this. They’re going to care enough to have a fun, happy moment playing the role of the bully to the paycheck team. This is when the D will look like it’s supposed to.
Don’t feel guilty about wanting to see the other Ohio State QBs! #Buckeyes
C.J. Stroud is not the reason Ohio State lost to Oregon and he has played very well, but you are not wrong for wanting to explore the other options. I recently saw the following tweet:
I don’t think anyone is saying CJ played poorly… Fair or not the standard he’s held to is Justin Fields.
Most people commenting are saying it is an unfair statement from former Buckeye linebacker Bobby Carpenter because Justin Fields is arguably the greatest quarterback to play for Ohio State. I agree finding a talent like Fields is rare, but Carpenter is 100% right and I struggle to see why people don’t agree.
Let’s look at Stroud’s play through three games. First, it needs to be noted that he is playing with arguably the greatest receiving corps in college football and Ohio State history. Through two games Stroud has suffered a few rough overthrows including two with under eight minutes left against Oregon, with one turning into an interception. Stroud has also already thrown two interceptions this season. Through two games, Stroud’s completion percentage sits at 62.4%. Last season Fields was sitting at a completion percentage of 87.76% through three games. I understand Fields was a freak, but it should be noted.
Now let’s look at the offensive production overall. The defense is getting all of the heat and rightfully so, but the Ohio State offense gained 612 total yards and only came away with four touchdowns against Oregon. That is not ideal. They were also 2 of 5 on fourth downs, also not an ideal statistic. If those stats don’t have you questioning the offense maybe this will.
The Buckeyes scored 28 points against Oregon at home with their two most valuable defenders out, one being arguably the best defender in the country. The week prior, Fresno State scored 24 points against this defense in Oregon with those two defenders actually playing! Maybe we can take into consideration that the Ducks were looking ahead, but at that point, we are just making excuses.
C.J. Stroud was not much better, and in fact digressed against a far more inferior opponent in Tulsa, who lost to an FCS school two weeks prior.
Can Ohio State turn it on in the second half? Here are three things to ponder at halftime vs. Tulsa. #GoBucks
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
It’s going to take a perfect game for the Ducks to upset Ohio State, but we made our predictions, with one Ducks Wire writer saying it will happen.
The season started off with a bang for the Oregon Ducks a week ago as they defeated the Fresno State Bulldogs at home, but the win left fans wanting to see a bit more from their team.
While it was nice to watch a live football game take place in Autzen Stadium once again, the real main event comes this weekend in Columbus, Ohio. The No. 12 Ducks are traveling to take on the No. 3 Buckeyes in the FOX Big Noon Kickoff game, which will arguably the marquee game of the weekend.
Now one of the only things left to do is actually make our predictions.
As will happen every week of the season, the managing editor of Ducks Wire, Zachary Neel, will convene with staff writers Don Smalley and Andy Patton to preview the game, set expectations, and ultimately make a final prediction.
Here’s what Ducks Wire thinks about the game against Ohio State:
The Rushing Attack
Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
Question: It took a while for Oregon’s running game to get rolling against Fresno State, but we saw Minnesota have major success against Ohio State in that department last week. How much of an impact will CJ Verdell and Travis Dye have on Saturday? What do you think their stat-lines will be?
Zachary Neel: I do think that the Ducks are going to be able to find some success in this game, and it’s going to come off of the backs of both CJ Verdell and Travis Dye. They struggled to get going against Fresno, but Verdell got into a groove in the 4th quarter and helped put the game away for the Ducks. I think we can expect Oregon to come out and rely heavily on the rush early on, hoping to jump on Ohio State early and keep the ball away from the offense. In the end, I could see Verdell eclipsing 100-yards with 2 TDs, while Dye adds maybe 50-yards on the ground, with another 40-50 in receiving out of the backfield
Don Smalley: Minnesota’s Mohamed Ibrahim managed to run for 163 yards and two touchdowns, so the Buckeyes’ run defense isn’t incredible. Oregon’s offensive line is going to have to play better this week. If they assume they can just wear down the Buckeyes defensive line and wait to create holes in the fourth quarter, it’ll be way too late. The Ducks need to establish some kind of run game that tOSU respects to keep them off balance. If the upset occurs, Verdell goes for 120 and a couple of scores, and Dye goes for 80-90 yards with a score.
Andy Patton: How Verdell and Dye perform on Saturday will be, in my mind, the biggest x-factor between a win and a loss. Ohio State was vulnerable against the run last week, but Oregon will need to establish their running game early in the contest to get the Buckeyes on their heels. That will ease the pressure to perform off Brown in the early going while controlling the time of possession for the Ducks.
If the two backs can combine for three touchdowns and 200 or so rushing yards, this could be an upset. Anything less than that and things get a lot trickier.
Oregon’s elite defense will be put to the test this week, facing an Ohio State offense that is among the best in the nation.
Make no mistake, the Oregon defense is going to need all hands on deck in order to slow the Buckeyes down on Saturday.
Yes, Ohio State is going to throw out a redshirt freshman at quarterback making his first start at The Horseshoe. CJ Stroud was on the field for just a handful of plays in 2020, but won the starting job in the spring and he didn’t disappoint last week in his first real game action at Minnesota.
The former five-star recruit from Empire, Calif. led the Buckeyes to a 45-31 victory over the Golden Gophers by going 13-of-22 passing for 298 yards and four touchdowns.
Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports
Two of those scores went to Chris Olave, one of the best wide receivers in the country. The 6-foot-1 senior from San Ysidro, Calif. averaged 104 yards a game receiving last year. He caught more passes (50) in the abbreviated season of 2020 than he did in a full 2019 campaign (49).
But defenders can’t just pay attention to Olave as the Buckeyes have Garrett Wilson, named a second-team All-American by The Sporting News. Wilson was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2020 as a true sophomore, posting totals of 43 receptions for 723 yards, six touchdowns, and a team-best average of 16.8 yards per catch.
“I’m not sure I’ve had to face two first round picks,” Oregon defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter said. “A lot of times you’ll see a special guy and you can design coverages around to try and double him, but when you face two guys with the talent they have, it’s really, really difficult. Obviously, we have to present different looks, pressure their quarterback, but the biggest thing they do is the play-action game.
“They get their running game doing, so you have to add more guys and that’s where they get their explosion plays from.”
Like the Ducks, Ohio State has a power tailback in Miyan Williams, a redshirt freshman, and a speed back in true freshman TreVeyon Henderson. Both are dangerous in their own ways as Williams powered his way to 125 yards on just nine carries and Henderson managed a 70-yard touchdown reception out of the backfield.
Ohio State likes to get their offensive weapons out in space and let their speed do the rest. The Minnesota defense didn’t have the capability to stay with the Buckeyes, but hopefully DeRuyter’s personnel can.
After a busy Week 1 of action around the Big Ten conference, the league announced player of the week honors. With a difficult Week 1 loss to Penn State, no Wisconsin Badgers were on the list as the Nittany Lions did have a standout performer honored.
Players from Iowa, Michigan State, and Ohio State joined the lone Nittany Lion in this weeks honors. Every week of the season, the Big Ten will name an offensive player of the week, defensive player of the week, special teams player of the week, and freshman of the week.
Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud hits freshman Marvin Harrison Jr. for the first score of the 2021 spring game.
Well, that didn’t take long. After Jack Miller led Team Buckeye down the field on a nice sustained drive, only to throw an interception in the endzone, C.J. Stroud took the field for Team Brutus.
After completing a couple of long throws to Chris Olave and true freshman Emeka Egbuka, Stroud found Marvin Harrison Jr. in the back of the endzone on a slant for the first touchdown of the spring game. You may remember, Harrison, the son of former NFL standout Marvin Harrison, was the first freshman to lose his black stripe earlier in the spring.
Take a look below at the scoring strike that was right on target to the true freshman.
C.J. Stoud hooks up with Marvin Harrison, Jr. for the first TD of the day, a five-yard strike. #GoBuckshttps://t.co/6MAVWSgOxj
The future looks good for the Buckeyes under center.
With Justin Fields most likely leaving for the greener pastures of the NFL next year, Ohio State will start looking at auditions for his replacement. Freshman C.J. Stroud added a nice line to his resume today with a 48-yard touchdown run.
With the game well in hand, Fields’ day is over. Enter Stroud to run the clock and end the game. On first down from the Spartan 48 yard line, Stroud saw and opening and took it all the way to the endzone.
Watch Stroud’s scamper in the video below.
Meet Ohio State's next QB, five-star freshman CJ Stroud, who just took a long run to the house. pic.twitter.com/QYbOkWXSAF
The future looks bright with the wealth of talent Ohio State has at the quarterback position.
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Massapequa (N.Y.) Plainedge three-star quarterback Dan Villari joined Michigan football in the NCAA early signing period.
[jwplayer BmUgTLrA-XNcErKyb]
Dan Villari is the lowest-rated Michigan quarterback signee in the Jim Harbaugh era.
And Villari – ranked No. 1,370 overall in his class – is well aware.
“I see it all over Twitter,” Villari said. “I’m going to prove them wrong.”
The Massapequa (N.Y.) Plainedge three-star prospect also understands he wasn’t Michigan’s first or second option.
The 2020 quarterback was supposed to be Phoenix (Ariz.) Pinnacle three-star JD Johnson until he medically retired due to a heart condition linked to a congenital heart defect called coarctation of the aorta.
Johnson, who was ranked No. 446 in the nation, spent three seasons as the backup to Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler before taking over at Pinnacle as a senior.
Michigan countered the situation by turning its focus to Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) 2020 four-star CJ Stroud, who took a two-day official visit from Dec. 6-7. Students at Crisler Center for U-M’s basketball game against Iowa chanted his name while he watched the 103-91 victory over the Hawkeyes.
But the scheme to get the nation’s top uncommitted quarterback didn’t work, as Stroud picked Ohio State over the Wolverines on Dec. 18, the first day of the NCAA early signing period.
After the retirement of Johnson and losing out on Stroud, Villari entered the picture.
“We began looking for another quarterback, and Dan Villari stood out at the time,” Harbaugh said on his “Attack Each Day” podcast. “He does everything offensively – runs and throws, and that’s how he came onto our radar.”
Villari received an offer from Michigan, committed on the spot and signed – all occurring immediately following Stroud’s decision.
“I was in school and on my phone like the whole time,” Villari said. “I don’t think I paid attention to a thing in class.”
Michigan quarterback signee Dan Villari watches the Dec. 14 basketball game against Oregon at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor. (Isaiah Hole / WolverinesWire)
‘If CJ goes to Michigan, I’m out’
Michigan’s No. 1 option at quarterback – following the news of Johnson’s retirement – was Stroud. Led by quarterbacks coach Ben McDaniels, the coaching staff pushed hard for the 6-foot-3, 194-pound pro-style quarterback from California.
Villari was the backup plan.
Without having firm confidence in where Stroud was headed, Michigan told Villari he’d be offered at a different position if Stroud committed to the Wolverines. The coaches liked the 6-foot-4, 215-pound quarterback’s athletic ability but didn’t want to give up on the press for Stroud’s pledge.
That offer wasn’t enticing to Villari, but he still took an official visit from Dec. 13-14 – exactly one week after Stroud’s trip.
The night before the early signing period began, Villari spoke with McDaniels, who told him he would be calling after Stroud made his decision.
“If CJ goes to Michigan, I’m out,” Villari recalled telling McDaniels.
When Harbaugh reached out the morning of Stroud’s signing day festivities, Villari began to feel at peace.
“He said, ‘Inside sources say he’s going to pick Ohio State,'” Villari said of his conversation with Harbaugh. “He asked if I was in if he went (to Ohio State).”
Of course, Villari was all in on the Wolverines if he could commit on scholarship as the No. 1 quarterback option for the 2020 class.
Expecting Stroud to pick the Buckeyes but knowing nothing was etched in stone, Villari struggled to pay attention in school that Wednesday. He spent the entire morning on his phone, patiently waiting for the West Coast prospect to sign his letter of intent.
“I was anxious,” Villari said.
Villari’s phone eventually died, and he asked to use his teacher’s charger during class. While Villari’s phone was charging, Stroud announced his decision to attend Ohio State at 12:36 p.m. ET.
McDaniels, just as promised, called Villari roughly one minute later.
Villari didn’t answer. He wasn’t near his phone and was unaware Stroud had picked the Buckeyes.
“The next period I had off, so I went out to my car and gave (McDaniels) a call,” Villari said. “He offered me over the phone.”
Villari committed, signed and sent his national letter of intent at 9 p.m. that day, solidifying himself as Michigan’s quarterback in the 2020 class.
[lawrence-related id=18686,18582,18567,18481]
If Stroud would’ve picked Michigan, Villari said he was planning to wait until National Signing Day on Feb. 5 to see if three schools – Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and Syracuse – would give him a scholarship offer.
“That day, while I was waiting to see where CJ committed, Virginia Tech had two coaches hit me up and send me paragraphs about how they liked me and wanted to get started with the recruiting process,” Villari said.
Knowing the impact of Stroud’s impending commitment, Villari waited until after McDaniels delivered the news of his offer to send a text message back to the Hokie coaches.
“I’m locked in with Michigan,” he later said to them, “but I appreciate it.”
Jim Harbaugh smiles before Michigan’s 38-7 victory over Maryland on Nov. 2 at Maryland Stadium in College Park, Maryland. (Isaiah Hole / WolverinesWire)
‘He obviously had no idea who I was’
Plainedge coach Rob Shaver was suspended one game for a 61-13 victory Oct. 25 against South Shore. The reason for his suspension was due to a “lopsided scores policy” set in place by Nassau County. Both teams on Long Island were undefeated entering the contest.
Ultimately, Shaver’s suspension led to Michigan’s interest in Villari, who scored five touchdowns in the win.
“If I had to go through what I went through just for Dan to do this, then I’m in,” Shaver said. “You can run my name through the dirt. Obviously, it’s a ridiculous rule.”
Michigan assistant recruiting coordinator Nate Crutchfield noticed the story on Twitter and got Shaver’s contact information for Harbaugh to call the high school coach.
Harbaugh stuttered in an incorrect attempt to pronounce Villari’s last name on the first reference.
“He obviously had no idea who I was,” Villari said.
Despite the mispronunciation, Harbaugh’s conversation with Shaver led him to Villari’s cell phone a few days later.
“I’m sitting in my room and got a call from a random number from Ann Arbor,” Villari said. “I picked it up thinking it was going to be a recruiting coordinator, but it was him.
“I was like, ‘Woah.'”
Harbaugh brought up a preferred walk-on deal where Villari would spend his first season in Ann Arbor as a walk-on quarterback before taking a scholarship for the 2021 season.
Already with offers from UMass, Fordham, Albany, Buffalo, Central Connecticut State and Kent State, Villari told Harbaugh he would be taking the scholarship route out of high school.
“Kent State came in, saw him make three throws and offered him on the spot,” Shaver said. “UMass watched us in warmups and said, ‘Holy crap. This kid isn’t taken yet?’ They offered him right on the spot.”
As the season continued, Villari continued sending Michigan his game film.
Harbaugh called back to explain the preferred walk-on was the worst-case scenario. Villari didn’t budge.
A week before Villari’s Dec. 13-14 visit, Harbaugh went to Plainedge with McDaniels and offensive coordinator Josh Gattis to see the quarterback.
The three coaches were impressed and named Villari as the second option to Stroud, eventually leading to him being appointed as the top choice.
“In my mind, they were probably thinking, ‘How did anyone miss this guy?'” Shaver said. “When Harbaugh and those guys came here, they were taken aback at how Syracuse, Boston College and those schools missed out.”
‘He looks like an NFL quarterback’
When Villari began working with Long Island area quarterback trainer James Brady as a freshman, a football wasn’t used for four-straight private sessions. Instead, Brady worked with Villari on his confidence, a piece of his character that was severely lacking at the time.
“We had conversations about things that were going on in his life, his approach to the game and his attitude about himself,” Brady said. “He put in a lot of time, like journaling, to help make him realize he can do anything he chooses if he puts in the work.”
As Villari’s confidence grew, he went from a 5-foot-10, 160-pound freshman to a 6-foot-4, 215-pound senior. He worked relentlessly on himself off the field from an internal standpoint, resulting in the creation of the person he always wanted to become.
Villari carried the ball 121 times for 1,522 yards and 23 touchdowns along with completing 67-of-113 passes for 1,306 yards with 13 touchdowns against one interception during his senior season.
The Red Devils finished the 2019 campaign with a 12-0 record.
Shaver said Villari’s size gives him an advantage as a quarterback. His favorite exercises are the squat and deadlift.
“Most kids like curls and bench presses, but he’s not like that,” Shaver said. “He looks like an NFL quarterback.”
How tight the football spins, how straight it flies and his ability to put different tempos on the ball were the most common aspects of Villari’s quarterbacking abilities that impressed college coaches.
Over the past year, he’s made progress in the fundamentals of his footwork, which has helped him with his anticipation.
Brady compared Villari to Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, who threw for 3,273 yards and 41 touchdowns against three interceptions as a sophomore in 2019.
“His size, athleticism, arm talent, confidence, the way he plays the game,” Brady said. “Occasionally, Dan will have a tendency in his mechanics to get a little long, meaning he drops the ball below his elbow as he brings the ball back. Justin Fields does the same exact thing.
“That’s just something guys that have elite talent can sometimes get away with, but it can affect the flight of the ball, and we want to clean that up.”
Villari is locked in as a member of the Wolverines, and he’s prepared to start his journey to discredit the doubters that only view him as Harbaugh’s third option.
As a two-year starter at Plainedge, Villari finished with a 23-1 overall record.
“Everything I do, I have to win,” Villari said. “I’m the ultimate competitor. They’ll see I’m going to do whatever it takes to win games and championships.”
Focusing on his self-esteem with Brady as a 15-year-old has officially paid off. Even when the world seems to doubt him, Villari is as confident as ever in his potential to lead Michigan to new heights.
Shaver – the coach whose suspension helped lead to his quarterback’s offer from the Wolverines – also thinks Villari has a bright future ahead.
“If he prepares himself, which I think he will, and gets an opportunity,” Shaver said, “then I think all the people are going to stop doubting.”
Villari believes at least half of his critics haven’t watched his film, instead only focusing on stars and rankings, so he doesn’t worry about what those people have to say.
He’s only concentrated on his growth as a Wolverine.
“I know coach McDaniels is going to develop me,” Villari said, “so I’m blocking out the noise.”
