The first half of the season ended with a thud (some would call it a dud) at Oregon. Here’s a smattering of how the Buckeyes got here, where they’re maybe going and what it’s like to travel cross-country for a conference game.
Columbus, OH – Some random and not-so-random thoughts, observations and experiences from the first half of the Ohio State football season in no particular order.
The Buckeyes are 5-1, and those who are paid to watch closely rank them the No. 4 team in the nation. Any type of loss used to mean a more precipitous drop in the polls. Now we measure losses in degrees. Are voters smarter? More analytical? More forgiving?
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Hot take No. 1: The new and improved Big Ten (Oregon is No. 1, Penn State No. 3, Ohio State No. 4) is the best conference in America.
Veteran columnist Jeff Gilbert writes Ohio State football and OHSAA sports for Press Pros Magazine.com.
As one reader wrote in this week’s “Reader Speaks” about the Buckeyes’ schedule this season: “Playing Akron and Western Michigan does not prepare you to play Oregon.”
Absolutely not a hot take. The cold, hard truth.
Many tried to give OSU a break on its scheduling by theorizing it was good that each opponent was a little better than the last in a perfect ramp up to the Ducks. Pure quackery.
Patsies will always be on the schedule. But the scheduling department can’t let a non-conference slate like that happen again. That’s not an excuse for why OSU lost. But you can’t say it wasn’t a factor when the first meaningful fourth quarter of the season came at Autzen Stadium.
By the way, when the Ducks play at home, the opponents feel like a fish out of water. The serene, idyllic setting in a tree-lined and mountain-backdropped Eugene belies the high-decibel fandom that awaits inside.
Somebody figured out how to use the mascot and certain music and video choices to keep that intimidating crowd loud. And who doesn’t love Puddles the Duck on the back of a custom Harley-Davidson leading the team onto the field.
If you ever get the opportunity to go, don’t say no.
Ryan Day’s vibe at Tuesday’s press conference felt different. He wasn’t decidedly angry, or at least he didn’t let it show. He wasn’t defensive except when I asked if there was a renewed focus, approach or a chip on their shoulder at practice since the Oregon loss. He downplayed that. To do otherwise would be admitting they weren’t properly focused and prepared for the Ducks.
However, you could tell Day was perturbed with more than just losing. Twice he said he was unhappy. The way it happened – no pass rush, his own clock management on the final drive, penalties – grates on coaches. They blame themselves. Nothing like self-blame to motivate a leader to demand more of himself and everyone around him.
Day is spending more time in defensive meetings. As he should. He hired those coaches. If they fail, he has no one to blame but himself. If there is a next time, expect a more focused and disciplined team. Don’t know if they will leave no doubt, but they are more than capable of flipping the fourth-quarter script on the Ducks.
Hot take No. 2: Ohio State and Oregon will play three times this season.
Don’t complain about Will Howard. I don’t need stats (which are impressive) to tell me he is a better-than-good college quarterback and a perfect fit for this team.
A veteran leader best serves a veteran team. Howard answered the questions about the end of the Oregon game without excuses. And when he said publicly that they will do everything they can to assure the Oregon blues don’t refrain, you figure his teammates believe him and will follow his lead.
No guarantees this team goes to Penn State and wins, beats Oregon (if it earns the chance) or wins it all. But unless all the words are cheap, this team won’t beat themselves again.
The offensive line is improved…dinged, but improved.
The offensive line is clearly better this year. Losing Josh Simmons at left tackle for the season hurts, but if this line is truly developing depth, then Zen Michalski will be a quality starter.
Day said Tuesday they liked Michalski’s play at Oregon after Simmons left the game. Lots of eyes will be on Michalski this week in pass protection and run blocking. Howard’s blind side has been clean, and lots of big runs have gone over and around the left side.
Hot take No. 3: After going against a defense that had answers in the second half, Chip Kelly now knows how to better game plan and call a game based on the skills of the offensive personnel he is still learning about in games.
Oregon is a long way from Ohio. Not so bad going out off a good night’s sleep. But coming back?
Short night. Then up at 5:20 Pacific time, drive two hours to Portland, fly to Denver, wait three hours in the terminal, fly to Cincinnati, drive 90 minutes home. All in a little less than 15 hours. Not complaining. Loved the trip, loved the stadium, loved the Oregon landscape.
And what’s an out-of-town trip without finding some good eats. I checked to see where Guy Fieri had been in Eugene on “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” I found Fisherman’s Market and a plate of the two largest and best-tasting deep-fried clams and chips ever. And a peanut butter brownie to wash it down.
Always, always go anywhere for the food. That’s not a hot take.
Much has been made of a supposed feud between defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and venerable line coach Larry Johnson. Not seen any actual evidence.
But it is clear not every assistant coach gets everything he wants. That’s never the case on any staff.
Defensive Coordinator Jim Knowles hasn’t needed the ‘Jack’ position because of Ohio State’s superior depth and talent.
Knowles came to town with the promise of installing the Jack position, a hybrid end/linebacker dude that would run around and make tackles in the backfield and generally create chaos. The next Ryan Shazier. Hasn’t happened.
Johnson’s traditional four-man line has remained intact. Day said Tuesday Knowles needed the Jack at previous schools because he didn’t have the depth and talent Ohio State recruits on the line.
But the pass rush of the past, led by the Bosa brothers and Chase Young, does not exist. Something must give. And Day spent a lot of time in defensive meetings after Oregon. Expect changes.
Day also said everyone leaves those meetings on the same page. But that doesn’t mean everyone gets what they want or what they’re used to. Or that there is a feud.
Saturday’s strategies against Nebraska, however, might reveal some compromises.
Howard’s slide with one second left was too late no matter how many times you re-watch it.
He didn’t gain a first down, so there is no automatic stopping of the clock.
What I saw was Brandon Inniss’ hands go up to call timeout at 0:00. That’s too late.
Hot take No. 4: Dan Lanning would make a great a lawyer if this football thing fails.
The NCAA moved with record pace to take out the loophole Lanning found when he purposely put 12 men on the field with 10 seconds to play. It worked. He got the stop and left the Buckeyes with six seconds.
Smart.
Many years ago I coached in a weekend basketball tournament with a rule that created unintended consequences. My team lost a close game we shouldn’t have in the round-robin format. When it came down to our final game, I saw an opportunity (or loophole) to assure my team would make it into the championship game.
Fewest points allowed throughout the round-robin games would break a tie. I knew we would win our final game, but I also knew we could only allow so many points. So after we gained an early 10-point lead, we held the ball for long periods of time to keep the score down. And we won the tournament.
Losing is not an acceptable alternative. And Day, opponent loopholes or not, often says you’re not allowed to lose at Ohio State.
Hot take No. 5: The Buckeyes won’t lose another game.
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