Hidden Plays: USC vs. Ohio State

That's how close the Buckeyes came to putting away USC. Seriously, how does Grant Schwartz NOT block this punt? With 10:26 remaining in the game and the Buckeyes clinging to 5-point lead, a blocked punt/TD sequence would've turned a taut, one-possession game into an insurmountable 22-10 lead for the OSU. Brutus would've gone Kool-Aid Man through the south stands, Schwartz could've commanded Columbus poon for decades, and even Tresselbot may have briefly considered something as outlandish as a fist pump, before realizing he'd probably incur a 15-yard penalty for taunting, and by gosh, what kind of message would that be sending? Let's take a closer look at a couple of hidden plays from Saturday's game.

HIDDEN PLAY #1

With the scoreboard framing the action, we see Schwartz descending upon USC punter, Billy O'Malley. Remember, it was almost exactly a quarter earlier ... at 9:03 of the 3rd ... when O'Malley let the snap slip through his fingers and he was forced to take a safety. The snap was high, but the punter has to make that play, especially on the road in what was until that moment a 10-10 ball game. That said, this play wasn't really the punter's fault, what with Schwartz's unimpeded progress.

If you're a USC fan in a real time, this sight can't fill you with much hope. Anytime the defender is barely visible because he's directly in front of the punter, Beamer Ball is sure to follow ... right?

Uhhh, no. That blurry object between O'Malley's helmet and the far goalpost? Yeah, that would be the ball not being blocked. OK, maybe the punter made an excellent adjustment during the kick. Shouldn't have mattered. Look at the first picture again. This isn't a guy stretching out to hopefully get his fingertips on the ball. Schwartz had time to lean over and untie O'Malley's shoes, let alone block the kick, and he somehow came up with the goose egg.

If you're Ohio State, you GOTTA make the play. USC's four 2nd half drives consisted of two 3-and-outs (including this one), a 4-and-out, and a stalled drive that ended in a punt. The Trojans offense was going nowhere, Barkley was getting dinged up, the crowd was going berzerk, and there was an opportunity to put the game away. Programs often point to signature wins. This was a signature loss. If you want a textbook lesson in playing not to lose instead of playing to win, Tresselbot and Ohio State conducted a graduate course (click link to read Chris Brown of Smart Football eviscerate the Sweater Vest).

HIDDEN PLAY #2

The scoreboard again frames the action for this hidden play. It's midway through the 3rd quarter, Buckeyes are up 2 and driving. Terrelle Pryor is flushed out of the pocket to his left, whereupon he and Brandon Saine (at the 20) ad-lib with the go pattern to the end zone.

Same play, end zone angle, here we can see Saine taking off. Curiously, we also see USC cornerback, Marshall Jones, watching Pryor throw a pass, and yet coming up to defend the run. That's what we like to call a breakdown in coverage.

Please note the complete lack of Trojans between Saine and the end zone. This had to be a pretty helpless feeling for Jones.

Here's the sideline view from a few seconds later, which clearly shows how wide open Saine was. I also like this angle because you can see the USC DB in the end zone in no position to help. Really, all Saine needed was a decently thrown ball and he could've walked into the end zone.

Unfortunately for Buckeye Nation, the momentum of Pryor's pass carried Saine out of bounds, and a few minutes later they'd settle for a 22-yard FG. Ohio State essentially left four points on the field, a not insignificant amount. A TD (and successful PAT) would've given Ohio State a 19-10 lead at a time when USC was having problems moving the ball. See above. A nine-point lead would not have been insurmountable, but it would've been commanding.

Granted, this was not a gimme pass. Throwing across your body, especially while members of the USC defense are chasing you, is exceedingly difficult. BUT, when you're the consensus #1 dual-threat QB in your recruiting class, these are the plays you gotta make. Potential is great, but I wanna see the 5-star talent make a 5-star play against a marquee program. No question, the rest of this season is gonna be a psychological challenge for Terrelle Pryor. How does he not lose confidence after Saturday? But, looked at another way, how confident should he be, given that he plays for the Tresselbot?