The Motivation Myth?
Living in Ohio as I do (thank you for your sympathy) and working frequently at Ohio State University Hospitals (thank you for your sympathy), I perhaps have a glimpse into the psychology of OSU fans that some of you do not (which is good for your intestinal health). I can tell you from the 183 texts I received cussing me out for costing OSU a victory (this was the first time I openly rooted for OSU in my life), that these troglodytes are trying to rally. Having purged themselves with calls for OSU staff to be fired (not excluding Urban Meyer, seriously), they believe there is one silver lining in this cloud: the team will be motivated more than ever to beat TTUN.
There is a thread in 11 Warriors entitled:
WITHOUT THIS LOSS, TOSU WOULD OF HAVE A HARDER TIME BEATING TTUN
I call hogwash. I admit to having this thought flash through my head, but I think this is a prevalent myth in the minds of nervous fans, and rarely true.
Yeah i'm beyond disappointed about this loss like all of you guys are but, I think this loss should really light a fire under everyone's asses. We've been talking about how this team has lacked motivation and hasn't had a chip on their shoulder for the entire season. Now we got adversity and doubters who last year was the main fuel for our run. Yesterday our guys seemingly had nothing to play for and played not to lose. Against TTUN, are guys will be angry and very much doubted going into AA.
Occassionally, teams will rise up for a fired Earle Bruce or tragic Jerry Kill, but I think that people conflate such "motivating" events with the reality that those teams were good enough to play the game they did without the motivation. It didn't help us with Bo in 2006 (I was at that game), it didn't help VT yesterday win one for Beamer.
Ultimately, it comes down to match-ups, X and Os, talent and execution. This isn't some brilliant observation, I admit; I only make it because OSU, unlike what is said in the fool's post above, WAS motivated to win yesterday and had EVERYTHING to play for, but they had structural problems that prevented them from winning: average receivers, a QB that needs them to be open, a defense with SOME vulnerabilities, and a team that played absolutely no one during the season, which created a false paradigm that they were above having to give all the effort. This was confirmed in the post-game immature Elliott and Jones meltdowns. Michigan has as good a D line and a better secondary that MSU. The same structural challenges will confront OSU no matter how much more they want to win (which, is that even possible?). Our inferior LB may present an opporunity for them, yes. But will OSU motivate their way to inflicting the bad defeats seen in the RR era? No.
And jinxes aren't real, either.
November 22nd, 2015 at 10:53 AM ^
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November 22nd, 2015 at 10:57 AM ^
Makes it all the more important to come out swinging and land an early blow.
I believe Jim will have the team ready to do so.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:53 AM ^
November 22nd, 2015 at 5:39 PM ^
November 22nd, 2015 at 12:59 PM ^
November 22nd, 2015 at 3:44 PM ^
A group of individuals that still wants to be Michigan in spite of the intra-team hatred under the surface.
What does a submarine do?
SURFACE IT!
November 22nd, 2015 at 10:54 AM ^
First mistake.
You just view that site from afar and laugh...never try to make sense of anything.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:00 AM ^
Some truth there, but I was speaking more to this idea in general, which I have accepted in the past - we'll be motivated to beat Utah after what they did to use in that weird, embarrassing game last year; we'll be motivated to crush Minny because of what they did to Shane, and so on.
November 22nd, 2015 at 10:54 AM ^
November 22nd, 2015 at 4:06 PM ^
but at the coaching staff and each other.
November 22nd, 2015 at 10:54 AM ^
OSU's motivation is gone. There playoff chances are shot. They are fighting with the coaching staff. Look what happened to LSU when the season caved in. This isn't in say Utah or UCLA or even a school like Iowa where 11-1 is some kind of accomplishment. When you win the national title the prior year the next season is championship or bust especially when your return what OSU did.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:11 AM ^
Their top two or 3 goals, be in the CFB playoff, Win the B1G title, win the division, all got wiped as the kick went thru the uprights. There's a pride game, and a bowl game, which they are guaranteed to play.
The division I saw, postgame comments, was not of a team, more of a group of talented athletes who play largely for themselves and their own interests. Whatever the status of Jones, Elliott will eventually be, using the media forum to advertise "their last game" squarely points at their desire for individual capital gains (financially and emotional) and not about what they can do for their team.
The best thing, in my opinion, however, would be to treat them like a wounded animal, and dispatch them professionally by breaking their will to win, the best way I know how, is by getting up 3-4 TDs in the first half.
November 22nd, 2015 at 12:06 PM ^
That would be awesome. Just beat them to a pulp after all the losses we have suffered to them these past 10 years. It would be quite cathartic.
However, until that actually happens I will continue to believe The Game next week will be a close contest with either team having a chance late.
Regardless, any win against them will be sweet and 10-2 in any season is pretty special.
November 22nd, 2015 at 10:56 AM ^
WITHOUT THIS LOSS, TOSU WOULD OF HAVE A HARDER TIME BEATING TTUN
Nailed it.
November 22nd, 2015 at 10:54 AM ^
I dont think they are motivated, they acted like their entire season was over yesterday, and guys are thinking about the nfl and not the game next week. Kind of stupid when they are still in contention, but hey I'll take it. I hope we win 56-0.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:15 AM ^
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:21 AM ^
And Harbaugh must see this. He will have such a week of preparation (hopefully fixing the damn offsides/false starts) focused on, as the poster above said, HUNGER. As Bear Bryant said:
It's not the will to win that matters—everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters.
November 22nd, 2015 at 5:45 PM ^
November 22nd, 2015 at 10:55 AM ^
Its THE Game. They will be motivated but so will we. Harbaugh.
November 22nd, 2015 at 10:57 AM ^
I'm not sure why people are assuming OSU will have the same game plan next week that they had yesterday. The weather was a HUGE factor in the awful play yesterday. Granted, they still should have done some other things, but the weather impacted what they would have done. I assume a much more wide open offense against UM next week.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:04 AM ^
Partially true, I think, but not completely. When things got desperate, did they choose not to run the wide-open offense type of plays because of the weather? I don't think so. I think their offense is predicated on panicked over-reaction to the zone read/power running game opening up the pass...REALLY opening up the pass. But they lack the receivers this year (they have one) and good assignment football can contain JT and Cardale. Doesn't mean we'll be good at assignment run defense (Indiana?), but they have to establish the same thing next week.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:26 AM ^
Weather had as much to do with the outcome as the teams. Personally I would have loved OSU to blow out MSU and come into AA yawing. Now they will be playing to make a point to the nation. The MSU lose is an outlier/aberration. OSU has many potential NFL players and they will be ready for Michigan.
"MIchigan should have beaten MSU and look at what we did to Michigan."
Concerned.
November 22nd, 2015 at 12:06 PM ^
Why are you concerned? It's OSU. It's always a great challenge. Michigan will bring it and so will OSU. What happens happens.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:41 AM ^
Yes, but major scheme changes don't work mid-season. It's like Brian's "position change" metric as a measure of worry at a particular position. Think UM/Purdue during RR's tenure with the switch the 3-3-5.
I know you mean subtler changes, but Urban's offensive scheme is predicated on accomplishing what they could not accomplish yesterday. To change that completely? I think that leads to as many issues as it does successes.
November 22nd, 2015 at 12:03 PM ^
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:04 AM ^
Yeah, that 11W thread is crap. As if a win against MSU would have made them come into Ann Arbor thinking "meh, whatever." But NOW, now they will care.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:10 AM ^
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:09 AM ^
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:10 AM ^
I don't think they know how to handle it. They've never played MSU before Michigan before and I'm sure they didn't expect to lose. In 1998 they played them in early in November so they did get their perfect season ruined but they weren't out of the national title race. They feel like their season is lost now because it was playoffs or bust.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:10 AM ^
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:12 AM ^
That much better? I don't think so. Maybe our injuries push MSU to a slight lead, but that is all, I think.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:21 AM ^
November 22nd, 2015 at 12:10 PM ^
Not so sure about McDowell. He had a decent year. We will see what he does next year.
My doubt comes from what they have done against really weak offenses. A big play here and there makes some DL look like monsters, when they really are not. I am not saying McDowell is not a great player, but you are comparing one player to all of M's DL. That is what irks me.
November 23rd, 2015 at 9:53 AM ^
Didn't intend to irk you. McDowell is the difference between their DL being better than our DL. Especially with Glasgow out of action. Sorry if this wasn't clear.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:28 AM ^
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November 22nd, 2015 at 2:11 PM ^
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:10 AM ^
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:23 AM ^
Harbaugh hasn't stayed more than four years anywhere...
and Meyer was at Florida for six years...
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:27 AM ^
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November 22nd, 2015 at 11:41 AM ^
The only thing I could possibly envision is Notre Dame if Kelly leaves, but it doesn't seem likely.
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November 22nd, 2015 at 11:53 AM ^
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November 22nd, 2015 at 12:17 PM ^
Meyer and Dantonio to the USCs would be fine by me. Probably not happening.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:10 AM ^
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:52 AM ^
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November 22nd, 2015 at 3:10 PM ^
The Only Thing yesterday's result did is tarnish the implications of The Game, not the intensity both teams will bring.
As for OSU's motivation to prepare for and bring it next Saturday, assuming implications have any bearing on this at all, they would still have been there if they had won. Their loss only changes the narrative, which is mostly for us fans and the talking-heads, anyways.
And, if your program is pathetic enough to constantly need it, you can spin the narrative of just about any game into motivation. Just watch Sparty; every time they win against anybody who counts, it's because they were 'disrespected' somehow.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:11 AM ^
I just don't think this group of Buckeyes gives a shit. We haven't been very good for a while, so there is no immediate recollection. And, they come in not to "play school' or play in The Game, but to get their tats, cars, and NFL contracts. That's what Urb's sells, and that's where his players' heads are. Can't turn a switch now and change it.
November 22nd, 2015 at 12:32 PM ^
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:18 AM ^
Angry or Hungry? I heard a coach say one time, I don't want my guys angry, I want them hungry. The lion doesn't hunt the wildebeast because he's mad at it, he's hungry.
Sure OSU might be angry, but I don't think they have played hungry all year. Harbs and M are thirsty (only way to get that bad taste out is to rinse it with a win, or such) and hungry.
I like our chances, going to be tough, but sorry 11W, losing does not make you better at winning.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:21 AM ^
Also, the Twitter meltdowns of the OSU players is further proof they wanted to win.