BuckeyeChuck

October 1st, 2022 at 9:12 PM ^

The coaches are good with each other. They both handled the handshake like men, and handled the postgame press conference like men. They both acknowledge getting heated in the moment.

The punter was instructed during the week that if Rutgers showed a certain look and he thought he could get the first down, he had permission to take off running. They probably didn't expect that to happen when it was 49-10. And the kid needed 3 for the first down and got 22, so that part of the decision he made right.

Schiano has come to Columbus twice and both games were filled with Rutgers attempting trick plays, onside kicks, etc. Normal football goes out the door when the Scarlet Knights come to Columbus, which makes a punter converting a first down seem like par for the course in these games.

BoFan

October 1st, 2022 at 10:22 PM ^

I can’t remember if these guys were at Ohio at the same time? Maybe some former camaraderie.  

The justification you provided is fine.  I think the point is their seems to have been some hope on twitter for a fight.  

If they had a hug and warm handshake after the game that is sad. A firm handshake and a pat on the back, along with a “whats your deal” would have been much more fun. 

wolve1972

October 1st, 2022 at 8:28 PM ^

No it wasn't a fake punt - cmon - no coach will do that. It was all the punter's doing. Day said he plans to have a talk with his punter - Mirco - tomorrow. Here's Day talking about it after the game -

+ On the interaction with Greg Schiano in the fourth quarter, Day said they came after the punt and Jesse Mirco saw that he had nobody on him to the right so he took it. He took a shot on the sideline and then things got heated. “It was just coaches defending their side.” Day told Schiano after the game that he had a lot of respect for him. Day told Mirco they’d talk about his decision on Sunday.

 

DennisFranklinDaMan

October 1st, 2022 at 8:34 PM ^

I grew up assuming that everything Ohio State did was motivated by evil, but ... these rules of sports etiquette are always hard for me. If Rutgers is going to do everything it can to block the punt, why does Ohio State have to stop playing football?

It's like a an attempted base-stealer on a team down by seven getting pissed that the catches is trying to throw him out. What exactly are the rules you're proposing?

Don't get me wrong. If Rutgers was just going through the motions and conceding the game, then it would be asinine for OSU to drive up the score. But these are not only kids, but competitors. 

Eh, whatever. :-)

DennisFranklinDaMan

October 1st, 2022 at 8:52 PM ^

Yeah. Funny, I thought the controversy about Juwan's reaction was way overblown, but ... I didn't think what the Wisconsin coach did was that offensive, and I think he was actually just trying to explain to Juwan when it all exploded. 

I love Juwan, and I hope he's here for the next 20 years, but ... he was frustrated at a loss, and acted out. We've all been there. :-)

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

October 2nd, 2022 at 9:35 AM ^

I don't think the simple act of throwing out a basestealer is the equivalent of a fake punt.  That's more like breaking up a pass.  It's just reactionary.  I completely agree with the "if you're still playing then we're still playing" mentality, but there's a limit.  Calling pass plays for your third-string QB?  Completely fine.  Faking a punt?  Not fine.  The baseball equivalent might be bunting a runner over to third when you're already up by 11.  That will get everyone pissed off in a hurry and rightly so.

Mr. Elbel

October 2nd, 2022 at 12:00 AM ^

Honestly, I support everything that everyone did on this play except for the punter. I get that he’s trying to make a play and use a weakness they spotted on film, but aside from it being unnecessary, from just a football perspective that is not the time to put something like that on film. They will not see an overloaded line like that the rest of the season now. Could have saved that for a closer game. Now you’ve tipped that to your opponents and won’t have another opportunity.

Everything else about this I’m for. Smoke the punter who just ran for an unnecessary first down. Yes. Love it. Do that every single time. Especially in this case it actually brought consequences on the person responsible for making this play, which is great.

Love both coaches sticking up for their guys. It’s like when a manager takes on an ump. Even when he’s dead wrong, it still means something to the players for him to put himself out there like that. Schiano felt running for it was offensive and let Day know about it. Day just saw his punter get destroyed on a late hit. Deserved or not, he has to defend his guy there. Good on them for standing up for their side, especially Schiano for running across the field initially to get his guys back but then taking the opportunity to get some words in.

swn

October 1st, 2022 at 8:29 PM ^

If I put on my benefit-of-the-doubt-hat, I'm guessing the punter has an option and saw something and took it. If I'm putting on any other hat,  it's the fuck-the-no-class-Buckeyes-hat.

SD Larry

October 1st, 2022 at 8:40 PM ^

Ryan Day tough right there.  Edit. Just saw video.  B.S. move with 9 minutes left in game.  Punter took quite a shot out of bounds after though.  Glad others pointed out this was the punter and not Day's call. For what little its worth, imho, Schiano was probably better defensive coordinator at OSU than Day will ever hire there.

FrankTigers2

October 1st, 2022 at 8:49 PM ^

Don’t want them to score in a blowout, don’t let them.  
 

don’t go full steam to block punt if you don’t want other team to go full steam.  

Mmmm-43

October 1st, 2022 at 8:54 PM ^

Is Schiano the coach who had his players dive over the line to get to a QB who was taking a knee at the end of a game?  Yeah, eff him. 

Brhino

October 1st, 2022 at 9:02 PM ^

On the other hand, I was just reading the Rutgers blog and apparently when Rutgers took a 7-0 lead courtesy of the punt fumble, that was their first lead against Ohio State EVER.  So that's something.