Condolences, Buckeye Fan.

[Van]

I really feel for you. USC was there for the taking, and I have to imagine that were I an OSU fan this one would be really hard to swallow, mainly because I'd have to look at how my coach played this game compared to how USC's coach played it.

The USC offense was as intentionally vanilla as any game since the Oregon game in Autzen a couple years ago, when Booty was out and a rookie Sanchez had to sub for him, and Kiffin went with the most limited, milquetoast play calling ever.

Pretty much, it was the same thing tonight. However, when USC had chances to do something they went for it. 4th and goal from the two, they went for it, and they got it.

OSU? 4th and goal from the one, or less than one, and Tressell opts for the FG. Fourth and one from the USC 40, Tressell punts.

Meanwhile Carroll goes for it every time on 4th and short, and they convert every time.

Come the final drive, when USC had to have it, their O line stepped up.

OSU's line? They were never given the opportunity to make any statements. Think OSU maybe would've like to have those extra four points from that 4th and goal from the one? Think his O line wasn't pissed that Tressell watched Pete go for it, then Tressell wouldn't let them go for it, from a shorter distance?

Your team easily could've won tonight, had your coach played not to lose. Yeah, I know his nature is to be conservative, but Ohio St had to have this one tonight. Maybe this one time Tressell could've stuck his neck out, to try and stomp on USC's whenever he had the chance.

I really think a lot of other coaches could've won this game tonight for you, and you deserved better.

Observations from the game...

-Ohio Stadium was amazing. That was a wild atmosphere. That was every bit an SEC type atmosphere. Amazing sights, amazing electricity.

Just awesome.

-Ohio St has some gorgeous cheerleaders. Highly impressed by what I saw of them during College Gameday.

-Between the team and the building Ohio Stadium has to be one of the five toughest places to win for any road team. That place has to be worth ten points, easy.

-Ohio St's D deserved much better than what they received from their O. The D played more than well enough to win. They did their job, about as well as anybody could expect to do against USC in a big game. The O did not step up and do their job to protect that D. The D played with courage. The O didn't.

-Terrell Pryor is Fool's Gold. He's feast or famine, and if a D has enough speed to string him out then his poor throwing mechanics are eventually going to doom that offense. It's not a youth issue, either. We saw many QBs today who despite being just as young and even more inexperienced are still a lot more polished, poised and effective.

-Joe McKnight showed a toughness and grit USC fans have been waiting a long time to see. Yes, this is the first time he's been healthy during his USC career, but to see him be the go-to guy during crunch time on the road, with no fumbles, that's a huge step up for him.

-If USC hopes to have any chance of really being a title contender this year they're going to have to be willing to roll the dice and open up the playbook. They can't limit Barkley to throws of 15 yards and expect this offense to be title worthy. I understand why they limited the offense so much tonight: It was The Horseshoe, in what was only the second start for Barkley.

Fine. They only needed to get out of there with a win - any type of win. Style points weren't necesssary tonight. Tonight was merely a win and survive situation, so let the D and the running game carry the team.

That won't cut it all season long. They're going to have to stretch the field and make use of their skill people, and not just their RBs. Barkley is going to have to be allowed to start throwing deep outs and deeper seam patterns, just to open up the middle.

-USC's D showed surprising discipline, especially in lieu of the wild freelancing they've often been known for with some of their recent D's. For the most part they maintained their lanes, and they followed their assignments. They weren't constantly overrunning things, and leaving lanes for Pryor.

-I saw it against SJ ST, but tonight USC's kicker couldn't do it: Kick off deep into the end zone, negating the other team's return team. USC was losing the field position battle all game long, and while some of that was their vanilla O's inability to get out of their own way some of it was also their kicking game's inability to pin OSU deep.

-Speaking of the kicking game, it was pretty disappointing to see USC's kicker hit the cross bar from only 44 yards out. A kicker at this level has to have more leg than that, especially in perfect conditions like he enjoyed tonight.

-Speaking of the kicking game again, Stafon Johnson is not a kick returner. On USC's entire roster of explosive athletes they have to have a faster home run threat than a guy like Johnson, who's a great RB, but not a HR threat. I realize RoJo is injured, but they still need to have somebody else back there.

-Serious gut check win. No, OSU is not a great team, not this year, but there still aren't but a handful of teams who would've won there tonight.

-Like Jsc said in the other thead, I feel sorry for OSU. Their D, their O line and especially their fans deserve better than they're getting from their coach.