Graphic by Ohio State Athletics
This is who Ohio State is right now. It is who we are as Buckeyes. This game was the Ryan Day Era in a nutshell. We beat up on the little teams and falter or get crushed by the teams we are here to beat. We paid millions to players and coaches to change this in the offseason after last year. But after another failure of the exact same kind that has plagued them since 2019, we’ve only proven that it is part of who we are. This is Ohio State.
Defense, Defense, Defense
Despite the change in coordinator and scheme after 2021, the Buckeyes continue to play poorly in big games on defense. Giving up big plays consistently in battle against top teams. Against the cheaters up north and Georgia in 2022, not getting off the field against ttun in 2023, Jim Knowles’ defense picked up where they left off. Knowles left Denzel Burke hanging out to dry with the same problem against Oregon. Burke had a really rough night against good Oregon receivers. That’s ok. It happens. But that he just was left to die on an island, over and over and over again after getting burned is inexcusable. After the first two or three you have to start giving him safety help or maybe even consider pulling him from the game for his own sake.
We gave him no help from Downs and Ransom. They didn’t sit him or switch him with Igbinosun, Hancock, or Matthews. The secondary was given no help from a pass rush that with this much talent and big names is simply putrid. The defense never sacked Dillon Gabriel and only made two tackles for a loss in the whole game. When Ohio State has its best teams they usually have good defensive coordinators. They’ve had Mark Dantonio, Luke Fickell, and Jim Heacock. That’s the expectation, that’s the standard. They didn’t consistently fail when needed the most.
Offensive Successes Matched by Critical Mistakes
Ohio State has improved massively in the Red Zone this season. It’s one of the few things that all the offseason changes have accomplished. In 25 trips to the Red Zone the Buckeyes have 24 touchdowns and a field goal. But with their Red Zone improvement is overshadowed by awful third down problems against the Ducks, going a measly 4 of 12.
The offense played well but made too many costly mistakes in critical moments. This again goes back to mentality and the current culture of the program. Will Howard had a good game, but he made three huge mistakes. Two bobble snaps, one on a third down that killed a drive and another on the final drive of the game that drained a ton of clock (though he was done no favors with the Buckeyes final timeout not being called). Then there is sliding to the ground letting the clock expire and keeping the Bucks from even attempting the long game-winning field goal.
Howard wasn’t alone in playing well but making mistakes. Stars like Quinshon Judkins turned the ball over and Jeremiah Smith had an offensive interference call that backed Ohio State out of field goal range on the final drive of the game.
Missing in Action in the Trenches
A big factor in their struggles in big games in the Ryan Day Era as been the play of their linemen. On both sides of the ball they have struggled. If you look at Oregon, what’s different now from them before Dan Lanning is how much better they are at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Lou Holtz was close to the truth. “You look at coach Day, he has lost to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, (Missouri, Oregon twice), and Michigan twice (thrice now) and everybody beats him because they’re more physical than Ohio State.”
I don’t like Holtz classification as more physical because I believe the Buckeye players are working hard. But Something is different. It’s easy to blame position coaches and coordinators but Day has the same defensive line coach that Urban Meyer had but the results could not be more different. Both Day and Meyer have had some lousy offensive line coaches, but again the results are so different.
The Difference
Meyer had losses to Purdue, Iowa, Penn State, Michigan State, Clemson and Virginia Tech but had wins over Alabama, Oregon, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, USC, and Washington. He had three Big Ten Championships, four New Years’ Six Bowl victories, an undefeated season and a National Championship. Day has losses to the top teams like Holtz mentioned in the quote above. His best wins are against Clemson and Utah in his only bowl victories in games affected by Covid, Penn State, Notre Dame in rebuilding years, and one-point losses to Georgia and Oregon.
I don’t believe Ryan Day is the man to lead Ohio State. For us to keep putting him up against the best is the equivalent of leaving a defender who getting beat badly in the same position with no help. The difference is unlike against the Ducks, things have been done for the past six seasons to try and give Ohio State the help as the Buckeyes continue to struggle in the same way. I hope I’m wrong. I hope I have to eat a giant plate of crow. That Ohio State goes 15-1 and wins the national championship. That every future time I write about Ohio State I have to say ‘I’m sorry Coach Day, I was wrong about you, you’re one of the greatest coaches ever.’
