OSU's D Line

Before we think about OSU, we need to beat Iowa first.

If Denard can't throw but can hold on to a ball and run, then we should find a way to get him in the offense. He's too electric to leave on the sidelines simply because he can't throw accurately due to injury.

No... If the coaches didn't want multiple running backs I'm going to say it will be one or the other for Ohio and the fact it will probably be denards last B1G game (baring Iowa or Minnesota doing something out of the ordinary) I feel morally inclined to think they want denard to ride off into the sunset. Just my 2 cents.

I imagine Borges already has plays designed to have both players on the field, with Gardner at QB... Even just for deception purposes.

Even with nerve damage, if you put Robinson in the slot and send him in motion on a jet sweep route the defense has to respect him, which would at least keep the linebackers a step behind.

Or maybe I'm giving Borges too much credit.

I expect the coaching staff to put out the player best able to win the game.  I wouldn't be surprised if you saw both out there at times in the backfield - they did it last year - but I still have concerns about Devin's passing ability right now, and OSU will definitely take that away from him if possible.  What the team really needs is for Fitz to keep running like he has toward the end of the Minny game and against NW.  That will help everyone against the OSU line.

I just can't imagine this happening. If Denard is healthy by then, he's taking snaps with Devin out wide. If not, then things stay as they are. 

 to play RB.  he wisely has avoided most of the punishing hits he rec'd in years past, but it wasn't much that made that nerve cost him 2 1/2 games.  if he wasn't able to play yesterday, i can't imagine any version of our offense that includes denard as a regular back.

like how Devin's skillset matches up with Borges' playcalling style. Don't get me wrong, I love Denard - but you can't deny the offense looks 100% different under Devin. DG can make the five step hitch look seamless. He can draw the D offsides and get a free bomb play (really love when he does that, yo). If I had a say in the matter, I would throw Denard in the slot and run screens and jet sweeps with him. Hell, let 'em go deep.

I do also see that the staff owes it to him to let him start as many games as he is physically able to. I will really miss getting to watch him in a winged helmet after this year. Shoelace has been a blast to cheer for, and the future seems bright in Ann Arbor. Go Blue!

If Denard is healthy, I wouldn't mind trying out some reverses to Devin where he has the option to run or throw it but I am not sure that they can both lineup in the backfield. With their weak depth at LB, I would feel better about trying to pound the ball with Fitz or Rawls, either MANBALL or out of the spread. Nebraska, Indana, and Cal were the only teams to really run successfully against them so we may be better off in the spread with Denard.

It's nice to see the playaction game working with Devin. It's also nice having some passes completed downfield and to the sidelines to help push back the defense and soften up things for the run. Those are the two biggest improvements I've seen with Devin at the helm. I don't think there is any doubt that if the offense sputters, DG will get some snaps at QB. Hopefully he can get in rhythm quickly if needed.

This was a very sneaky way of starting another Devin vs Denard at QB thread.

I think we will need to do whatever we can to put up as many points as we can on ohio. As I was watchign the game I just kept thinking...if this is what colter is doing, good god what is braxton going to do...

I'm pretty sure Borges and Co. are focused on Iowa right now.

Both Iowa and Ohio defenses are comparable, except Iowa has been a little better against the score.

The best thing Ohio has going thus far is their ridiculous turnover generation.

And since Michigan is the Big Ten Conf. "interception machine" (16 YTD), that's probably what's keeping Borges awake at night these days.

"There are signs that both our passing and running game are developing under Devin Gardner, but if Denard can play you want him on the field. (Denard IS yards!) " - from the OP

I do agree with others in that a far better assessment of what might unfold when it comes to playcalls will be possible after Iowa, it might be noteworthy to point out that, as of right now, the Buckeyes are only giving up an average of 107.9 yards on  the ground, but 259.7 yards per game average in the air. Going back to last year, we ran 68 offensive plays in the Game, 42 of which were run plays, but going by the numbers, I would hope that we try to exploit Division I's 97th best pass defense quite a bit, and if for any reason Denard did not play, the WCO sets that Gardner seems comfortable with would do just that based on what we've seen in the last two games. That being said, if Denard is ready to go, he is the QB and that as it should be. 

You will see both at QB in the OSU game if Lace is healthy. If Lace is not healthy to play QB, he will be somewhere in the offense to get 15 or more touches-Borges just needs to put the plan in place and simplify those touches.  This will be a nghtmare for Fickell and Company

Devin's unlocking things in the pass game that simply were not happening with Denard in the game. Look, there's no doubt Denard will get the nod, somehow, but if he can't throw AT ALL, he's going to be wildly ineffective. We'll see. He deserves to start if he can go, but if it's not working, I would think Borges would go to Gardner pretty quickly.

One thing's for sure... We will need at least 24 points to beat OSU. I have a bad feeling that our D will not hold up well against massive mis-direction and spread looks from the OSU offense. If it takes all manner of trick play and confusing personnel packages on offense, I hope we get some interesting game plan bits from Borges.

Also, Roy Roundtree. nice to have you back.

They have struggled all season with spread offenses. Denard would give us our best chance of success against them. Our biggest problem has been run production. If we can some how shore that up in the next week and a half we have a good chance of beating them.

I don't want to take anything away from who Denard has become on and off the field, but Devin's sense of the game seems more natural to me.  His talent is still raw and he needs more experience under his belt but with Devin we have a deep passing threat that we don't get with Denard.  We all love Denard but he hasn't made a great pass all year.

Devin has great instincts as a qb.  If healthy, I think Denard still starts out of respect to his senior season but I really like what I've seen in two games from Devin Gardner and I'm excited for next year.