Lazy > Soft, I guess?
Last year I was inspired by seeing Michigan play out of their minds, getting contributions from all over the roster, and posted the screencap essay, No One Was Quiet That Day.
Today's diary is. . . not that. Today I present, with some schadenfreude but also some irritation, OSU's version: Everyone Was Quiet That Day. Well, not everyone. Mostly Denzel Burke, but a lot of Buckeyes chipped in.
Sources: Matthew Loves Ball, MGoBlog FFFF
Play #1: Johnson turns a short out into six, Sawyer has a lovely walk
That's #26 Cameron Brown about to whiff the tackle, but we're watching #33 Jack Sawyer here. He's a DE but a five-star one, and isn't far away. He should be able to clean this up. . . if he doesn't stop jogging.
Seriously, that's a WR. You're 270 pounds (per FFFF). You need to pick up the pace, now, or he's gone!
Dude, he's gone. But way to look like you tried. Appearances are important.
Play #2: Johnson post route, arms are for running
I want to go into this one with two assumptions: To play CB, you absolutely need to be able to lift your arms over your head to make plays on jump balls. Right? So it's not like anyone there has an injury or disability preventing that. Second, to run fast, you should pump your arms vigorously. It's what all the speedfast people do. So, #13 Cam Martinez, what are you doing?
You're already burned crispy. He's waving for the ball. Now would be a good time to kick it up a notch.
Anytime now, buddy.
He's at the fifteen. Pump your arms!
Never mind, we'll take the six, thank you.
Play #3: Not all QBs are soft
After modest gain, this QB keeper is dead. Four Bucks have an angle on McCarthy if #12 Lathan Ransom (lower left) gets off his block. That's superwunderexpensivekid DE #44 JT Tuimoloau in pursuit. I like JJ's speed, but if #10 Denzel Burke gets a hit on McCarthy that should slow him up enough and it's curtains for this play:
He does.
Wait, what's happening? And Ransom, what are you doing??
This is where we're at. Tuimoloau has whiffed his tackle, gotten back up and will saunter backwards out-of-bounds because he's done for the day. #10 Denzel Burke's half-hearted shoulder hit accomplished nothing and he's now on the ground. Ransom, finally realizing Michigan has stopped blocking him, sees the ball behind him and is moseying toward the play. #15 Tanner McCalister is being driven backwards by a 195-pound QB. Michigan already has the first down and #14 Ronnie Hickman is starting to look relevant until McCalister finally drags McCarthy down.
I'm chalking this up to OSU's roster full of Charmin'-soft QBs so maybe in practice this was all it took. Try harder next time, guys.
Play #4: Loveland corner route, Denzel Burke must be tired
#10 Denzel Burke (again), let's talk. I do understand in most contexts that Colston Loveland is long gone, but he's a TE, Ransom's a safety, and you don't know where the ball is. If Loveland has to slow down to adjust and Ransom gets a hand on him, maybe you can rally and live to fight another down. . .
eh, it's only a Michigan TD. They've had a bunch of those already.
This was Michigan's go-head touchdown, BTW. FIY. FWIW. IIRC. LOL.
What are you saving your energy for, anyway? Next week?
Play #5: We're not done yet?
At this point last year OSU was in desperation mode, making insane catches on offense and panicking on defense. It's reassuring to see a calmer, more sanguine OSU. Because it leads to more long touchdowns for Michigan.
OSU sent the house on Edwards' first long TD, leaving only #12 Lathan Ransom as the last line of defense. He's got an angle. Not a good one, but if Edwards is slowed down by a partial tackle, #10 Denzel Burke can rally.
If.
Burke is (finally!) running fast but not quite 100%. Maybe he was confident Ransom would make the tackle (despite everything thus far). Maybe he thought Edwards stepped out of bounds. Or maybe he's forgotten that OSU is now behind one score in the fourth quarter. In any case, when Edwards starts tiptoeing, he slows down.
And then speeds up again but it doesn't matter anymore.
Play to the whistle, kid. Or don't. In fact, never change, Burke.
After that Knowles sent everyone on Edwards' second long TD, but I guess I can see his point. It's not like the second-to-last-guy was going to give him 100%. I wonder if this matters to recruits and NFL scouts. Did they notice? If Buckeyes weren't going to go all-out in this game, when?
Man, if I'm BuckeyeChuck I'm livid right now. I'm. . . sorry, man. I ain't even sarcastic. If Michigan did this in The Game, I'd be out of my mind. But since I'm a Michigan fan. . .
(P.S. Mrs. dragonchild: "Did OSU bet against themselves?")
November 27th, 2022 at 9:59 AM ^
A lot of work with that. Definitely diary-worthy. Thanks!
November 27th, 2022 at 7:00 PM ^
Funny that the guy laughing at the end in the gif is J.K. Simmons, a devout Buckeye fan. He stated as much when he narrated that documentary on rivalries. I am laughing at him today.
November 28th, 2022 at 11:38 AM ^
J Jonah Jameson being an Ohio fan is the most appropriate thing forever. Thank you so much for that information!
From now on, I will always have "Buckeye Fan" prominently in my mind whenever I read/view any Spider Man.
November 27th, 2022 at 10:03 AM ^
i take your points on all but the second johnson touchdown…partially because it’s all over as soon as jj let’s go of the ball, and no amount of sprinting is gonna close that gap. secondly because i personally know martinez a little bit…he’s no slacker front runner like most of that team. he’s a gamer.
November 27th, 2022 at 10:09 AM ^
I considered that. Unlike Sawyer or Burke he is churning his mighty little legs so I considered he just naturally runs that way and no one's coached it out of him. In which case, why has no one coached that out of him?
And FWIW, you never give up on a gap. Wind can shift the ball, guy can stumble, even fumble (remember Ronnie Bell?), anything can happen. If he's a gamer like you say, he's in a toxic environment and it's getting to him.
November 27th, 2022 at 10:20 AM ^
both good points, of course…part of my response is that OSU twitter was killing him, and yeah - burned crispy. but i didn’t see it as an effort thing, unlike the first johnson touchdown, or JJ’s run, or haskins’ last touchdown last year.
martinez really should’ve gone somewhere to play with the ball in his hand, fwiw. he was a pretty spectacular weapon all through high school.
November 27th, 2022 at 1:12 PM ^
From all I read, Michigan wanted him badly and had a spot for him. I know you're not asking us to feel sorry for him, but I don't. He's just another Buckeye to me now. I hope he enjoys that L and those fans.
November 27th, 2022 at 1:57 PM ^
I know you're not asking us to feel sorry for him
not at all, i get it.
November 27th, 2022 at 10:05 AM ^
Compared this to last year. . . half the team is chasing Corum, running all out, even though most of them don't stand a chance. And they do bring him down short of the TD.
What happened??
P.S. Edit: They need to cyan Denzel Burke next FFFF. I don't care how talented he is; he's a terrible teammate.
November 27th, 2022 at 11:39 AM ^
Blake's shit ankle prevented that one from being housed moreso than the Bucks (and I'm not trashing their effort; 100 percent Blake is...fast).
November 27th, 2022 at 12:28 PM ^
But they wouldn’t have caught him if they hadn’t tried, is my point.
November 27th, 2022 at 10:26 AM ^
The two are coequal and fall under entitled, which long may it lead to non-title seasons.
November 27th, 2022 at 10:47 AM ^
I took "soft" to mean things like Stroud cracking under pressure, which isn't his fault (people's brains are just wired the way they are), or their guards unable to run block because they're tackle-shaped. Their WRs balled out last year, and they ground out yards on the ground yesterday. The program isn't built for adversity, but I expect their athletes to have plenty of endurance and want-to.
So what I didn't expect to see was OSU dogging it in pursuit. You might make a case the others were beyond hope, but Johnson's first TD in particular struck me as a play they might've held down to merely a decent chunk if Sawyer doesn't take his sweet time. Why's that guy a five-star? Measurables don't matter if you don't play!
November 27th, 2022 at 11:40 AM ^
Agreed. Admittedly, I’m not being fine-grained and analytic, I just see both as symptomatic of a group that has, not without previous evidence, learned to think it can coast on off-field evaluations. Problem is when you coast, and the other guy finally finds the gas peddle, you’re going to get left in the dust for a stretch.
November 27th, 2022 at 10:29 AM ^
Wow. Hard to imagine you show up for The Game and put that in masquerading as effort.
November 27th, 2022 at 11:16 AM ^
I am sincerely in disbelief. Last game of the season, #2 vs. #3, battle of the undefeateds, B1G championship and CFP bids on the line, arch-rival revenge game, "soft" reputation to shake, home crowd. . . I expected OSU to play out of their minds. I didn't predict a Michigan win because I was concerned what an angry, hungry OSU would do. Instead it was eh, need to save my energy.
I really, honestly, want to know how the hell that happened. Even entitled players show up when they feel the stage is big enough. So this wasn't? How??
November 27th, 2022 at 12:23 PM ^
Better football minds than mine probably have more cogent reasons, but I was struck by how MUCH tOSU coaches talk about being tough. Below, I mention Hartline's contradiction, as he talked tough about how they don't just talk.
Maybe they convinced themselves that motivational speeches were their secret weapon: say it and it will happen. That works in movies, not so much in life.
By contrast, the TV folks caught Sainristil giving a speech on the sideline, and I enjoyed it, but more importantly he played a terrific game, with speed and poise and EFFORT.
November 27th, 2022 at 2:44 PM ^
Just like MSU has to put “Relentless” on the back of their helmets & on a big sign behind each end zone. If you have to be reminded to be relentless, that most likely means you’re not.
And chopping wood. And referring to Spartan Stadium as The Woodshed. That is also displayed on a sign in the stadium. Pee Wee football stuff.
November 27th, 2022 at 4:15 PM ^
if half the Pee Wee team got sent to Juvy
November 27th, 2022 at 11:22 AM ^
I enjoyed this and your other post, OP, thanks.
This is how a gap in talent (which is still significant and will be for at least a few more years if you trust recruiting rankings at all) can be overcome.
November 27th, 2022 at 11:37 AM ^
Sawyer's jog accounts for a TD. If he runs on that play he easily knocks an off balance Brown out of bounds.
November 27th, 2022 at 11:46 AM ^
their team is full of 5-stars. ours is full of 3-4 stars
team attitude starts and the top and filters down
our coaches >>>>> their coaches
November 27th, 2022 at 12:02 PM ^
Sawyer sat out a year for his high school to “save himself” for OSU. Maybe he was saving effort for the playoffs.
November 27th, 2022 at 12:12 PM ^
Love it. Mrs. Dragonchild does make a good point.
November 27th, 2022 at 12:15 PM ^
Nice work. I hadn't noticed the lack of effort. More Ryan Day coaching?
To be fair, tOSU coaches seem to TALK tougher than Michigan coaches. (Anybody else see Hartline talking tough about not doing-stuff-not-talking?)
Plus big points for Mrs. Dragonchild.
November 27th, 2022 at 12:27 PM ^
Speaking of BuckeyeChuck (who seems to genuinely be a good dude), I kinda wish he would stop by to give his thoughts. Unless he did somewhere already, and I missed it. If he hasn't, I completely understand, since he probably feels like he'd get dogpiled this soon after The Game.
November 27th, 2022 at 12:42 PM ^
I think it’s a little weird to hang out in enemy territory but BC makes for genuinely entertaining conversation. I ain’t sad for the loss (he’s had two decades of dominance to enjoy) but it is humiliating to see players you’re rooting for mail it in. Devin on a broken foot, this was not.
November 28th, 2022 at 9:58 AM ^
Hey, thanks for the shout-out! And I appreciate that you thinking of me.
I am quite irritated to see this, even for my minimally-emotional self. I sure do wish there was maximum effort from all players on every play for this game.
I'm very disappointed, but honestly not livid because I learned very slowly over the course of many, many years to not allow outcomes on the sporting field to affect my mood/attitude. If I start to get harsh with my children or speak sharply with my wife because of something that happened on the field, I know I've gotten too invested and I need to let go. I have no reason to allow a black cloud over my mood to negatively impact my household, for the sake of my wife & kids.
I do hope the coaches rip into the players for this; and if they don't then the coaches are the problem.
Oh yeah, and as for Cameron Martinez, that was his first and only play of the game with the base defense (he did play three other plays when they went dime).
November 28th, 2022 at 1:08 PM ^
Much respect BC. Glad we got ya'll but wishing you and your family the best
November 28th, 2022 at 7:58 PM ^
Good to see you Chuck. I sincerely mean that. I can remember forcing myself to just shut games off during the Hoke years to save my own sanity. Then I had to return to that during The Game in 2018 and 2019. The MSU Covid game nearly broke me for good. I still say I would likely enjoy sitting to watch a game alongside you, so long as it wasn't The Game. Probably would need to have neither of our teams involved.
November 27th, 2022 at 12:30 PM ^
Yes, the Wolverines have played many good teams this year, but as a defense, the Buckeyes ranks below Illinois and in short yardage, even dare I say the Spartans.
At half time they were glad they were ahead. By the middle of the 3rd quarter they realized they were seriously at risk of losing the game, and at this moment, they had to use a wargame term, a morale check - and they failed.
The game went on for another 15 minutes but they were already lost and the two Donovan Edwards runs was just to make it clear to even the most casual of fans.
November 27th, 2022 at 1:38 PM ^
I don’t know if anyone else saw it that way? Alex said OSU pushed UM around in the first half and felt M was lucky to be still in it.
But the cracks were there. The guy closest to the ball consistently played hard, but it was “spill and chill” (shakes fist at It’sNotAToomer) from there and eventually UM players made the last guy miss.
November 27th, 2022 at 1:11 PM ^
great great read to start my Sunday morning after the glorious victory yesterday.
Thanks for writing
November 27th, 2022 at 1:18 PM ^
Coach Knowles maybe needs to start charting loafs, huh? The "Spill and Kill" defense has turned into "Spill and Chill."
Nice diary, thanks!
November 27th, 2022 at 1:26 PM ^
LOL, I was thinking of ways to play on “spill and kill” and now I am angry at you for coming up with that first.
November 27th, 2022 at 5:02 PM ^
I imagine Don Brown's face angry at me and... *shudders*
November 27th, 2022 at 2:48 PM ^
From the time he was hired, I didn’t understand all the fuss about Knowles. He was a DC for a team in the Big 12, the conference known for the absence of defense.
November 28th, 2022 at 7:35 AM ^
It is worse than that. Unless he dramatically, magically improved in the last two years there is nothing in his career to suggest that he is an above average DC. His track record for 20 years is average in every conference he has coaches with an occasional good year thrown in. His track record has a fear factor of 3. He looked good before the Michigan game entirely on the stars that are on the team.
November 27th, 2022 at 2:21 PM ^
I submit one more play and OSU player that blow my mind from an effort stand point.
Stroud’s sideline throw after sitting in the pocket for 6 minutes that lost 4 yards because it was blown up right away. Just throw the ball OOB? That play made absolutely no sense. I was thinking, is Stroud trolling his coaches by making that throw?
Stroud’s insistence on not running. This is THE GAME! Granted, Stroud is not a burner, but, still, the dude doesn’t even try to run. That is absolutely laughable to me. I know it drives my Buckeye friends NUTS.
Appreciate the effort and completely agree with your analysis. One side was a TEAM, the other side were a bunch of individuals masquerading as a team. That’s why they are sawft and undisciplined and unable to right the ship when the waves come through.
November 27th, 2022 at 4:30 PM ^
But these dudes are stars.
November 27th, 2022 at 8:19 PM ^
In the Michigan side of the field video of the Colston TD, the DB covering Johnson grabs hold of him and tackles him into Colston, knocking Johnson down. (You can see Johnson waving his hands and looking for a flag before he realizes Colston has the ball and is running for a TD.)
And while the DB's move also knocks Colston a bit off balance he really messes with the other OSU DB, completely stopping both of them for a second. Colston takes off and JJ makes the throw.
November 27th, 2022 at 10:13 PM ^
Yeah this is nuts. Nice breakdown. This . . . . seems like a culture problem.
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