CFB Opening Thursday Takeaways

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No, Ohio State's season did not end in the first half of the Aaron Lynch Womens Jersey first game. It was easy to panic. In the Buckeyes' last game of 2016, they scored zero points in an embarrassing playoff loss to Clemson after getting into the playoff despite not winning the Big Ten title. On the first Thursday night of the 2017 season, they looked unfortunately similar on offense: The receivers didn't get open, J.T. Barrett couldn't push the ball downfield and Ohio State trailed Indiana 14-13 at halftime. It was ugly and disconcerting, as if the addition of Kevin Wilson as the new offensive coordinator didn't mean anything.
And then … Ohio State's talent took over. Ohio State won 49-21, winning the second half 36-7. Against a solid Indiana defense that ranked 25th in yards per play allowed in 2016, the Buckeyes racked up 596 yards and 26 first downs, averaging 6.9 yards per play. Barrett threw for 304 yards and three TDs, with the help of big runs after the catch on touchdowns by Parris Campbell and Johnnie Dixon, and true freshman J.K. Dobbins http://www.49ersofficialsproshop.com/Blaine_Gabbert_Jersey_Cheap started at running back and ran 29 times for 181 yards and caught two passes for 24 yards. Last year's starter RB Mike Weber has been nursing a hamstring injury and didn't play; on Thursday, Dobbins looked like an instant star and is certainly going to have a big role going forward.
On the surface, the score and the final offensive statistics look fantastic. Let's not get carried away. There's a lot of work to be done, with Oklahoma visiting Columbus next week. Barrett was still uneven, and Dobbins carried the offense for a significant Authentic Bradley Pinion Youth Jersey portion of the game. Defensively, the line was predictably dominant, but a new-look secondary was torched by standout Indiana WR Simmie Cobbs, who caught 11 passes for 149 yards.
The problem areas are what was expected: The secondary is talented but raw with a lot of room for improvement, and the receiving corps is a work in progress that hasn't alleviated the concerns of last year. Week 1 is Week 1, though, and in a tricky opening road game against a conference opponent, Ohio State found a breakout star in Dobbins and won by four TDs. Life could be a whole lot worse.
A playoff run will require improvement in both areas, plus better play from Barrett, but the http://www.49ersofficialsproshop.com/Arik_Armstead_Jersey_Cheap second half is something Ohio State can build on.
Oklahoma State's offense looked like it's in peak form. Unlike the No. 2 Buckeyes, the No. 10 Cowboys wasted no time on offense. They quickly did what they do best in a 59-24 rout of Tulsa, and Mason Rudolph completed 20 of 24 passes for 303 yards and three TDs. By the middle of the first quarter, he had thrown a 44-yard TD pass to LSU transfer Tyron Johnson and a 40-yard TD pass to All-American James Washington. The Cowboys have arguably the nation's best receiving corps and one of the best quarterbacks, and they showed that. Plus, sophomore tailback Justice Hill added 132 yards on the ground. Tulsa, which won 10 games last year, was viewed as a potentially dangerous Week 1 opponent, but the Cowboys lived up to their top-10 billing to open the season.
Posted 01 Sep 2017

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