Ohio State Snowflakes: The Opponent
I'll admit, I didn't see this coming. In my defense, I wasn't the only one. So, for the record, I get zero credit for predicting the outcome.
I'll pat myself on the back for one thing, though -- I saw a few glimmers of hope in the clips Alex posted. Back in the Offense FFFF:
Wilson decided to step out rather than fight for yards in the 2nd quarter down 3-7. Another clips shows Olave just giving up on a marginal throw. Good lord.
As I suspected, if they have a weakness at all, it's that they're soft on the inside. They're so accustomed to lording over everyone else that they can look flat-footed when someone has the audacity to try punching them in the mouth. Stroud might be even more of a glass snowflake than Haskins was; it's just that -- like Haskins -- he can afford to be because of that monstrous O-line.
Aside from basically playing prevent defense all game, the other key here is mental. . .
The receivers were death like we expected, but Henderson rushed for 4.4ypc (not terrible, but way below his season average), Stroud was sacked four times, and our O-line paved them for 299 yards rushing. Mouth: punched.
Post your HOT TAKES about the opponent here, but please refrain from "OSU sucks!" rabble. Not that that isn't fun to say right now, but if we did, that'd be the whole thread. Earnest takes only, please.
November 27th, 2021 at 9:15 PM ^
Moms delete if I crossed a line, but this didn't look like it belonged in the other snowflake threads.
I am opening up the floor for other takes, though, so. . . well, it seemed like a good idea.
November 27th, 2021 at 9:23 PM ^
Red zone: we went there 5 times and scored 5 touchdowns! Their red zone D was a true matador - Hassan was the bull
November 27th, 2021 at 9:27 PM ^
We were 6-7 in the red zone. The one miss was the INT. That actually seemed to calm Cade down. I don’t recall him trying to force anything after that. Such a heady QB.
November 27th, 2021 at 9:33 PM ^
I stand corrected - funny how Hassan served as an eraser of that bad memory!
November 27th, 2021 at 9:33 PM ^
Now that you mention it, I can't think of any rushing attack OSU's defense faced quite like Michigan's? Not two All-American RBs so much as just an opponent that hits you with 50 different flavors of MANBALL. MSU's star running back got injured early that game didn't he? They basically Luckeye'd that game, in typical OSU fashion.
So, in hindsight, OSU's rush D wasn't good so much as untested. The one guy on their schedule that might've given them problems, they didn't really have to face. (FFS, how many games have they won because the opponent lost a key player??)
November 27th, 2021 at 9:37 PM ^
Minnesota gave them some trouble in game 1, but we all figured that was the Coombs defense. Haskins and Mo Ibrahim are similar backs, and both pounded OSU.
November 27th, 2021 at 9:24 PM ^
I just posted this at the bottom of the Offense snowflake: OSU had ZERO tackles for loss. Their defense was sorely lacking in aggression. Their linebackers were pedestrian. Their d-line got no penetration. After watching the OSU-MSU game, I was afraid Harrison was going to deflect some passes and create some havoc. He didn’t.
November 27th, 2021 at 9:28 PM ^
I'm reading a lot about how the Buckeye defense lost them this game. It probably did, but that "2019-LSU-esque" offense only put up 27 points with "elite" coach Ryan Day calling the plays. Day may also have something to do with the disaster of a defensive coaching staff.
Imagine if he hadn't had Justin Fields fall into his lap in 2018?
November 27th, 2021 at 9:34 PM ^
Well…we did have Patterson fall into our lap, so what’s your point?
Michigan was the better team and better coached team. Let’s keep it at that.
November 28th, 2021 at 12:50 AM ^
My point is that Day seems to rely on just out talenting his opposition. Justin Fields was a jackpot transfer compared to Shae Patterson.
November 27th, 2021 at 9:46 PM ^
I don't think it makes sense to rip on Day and that offense considering what they did to other teams. The receivers were terrifying as advertised. If anything, Michigan's defense deserves a lot of credit, though there's a Snowflake thread for that.
I think the real story here is the softness of their linemen. Other teams handled Hutchinson and Haskins considerably better, with far less physical talent.
UFR will tell the real story, but the way I see it, OSU likes to beat you with talent, and why not, because they have a lot of it. But it feels more like Michigan challenged their toughness, and they fucking wilted.
November 27th, 2021 at 9:29 PM ^
Takes:
—those receivers. Good lord. But the rest of the team definitely looked like they weren’t ready for that level of competition.
—JSN is a chippy little bastard who talks a lot of shit. He’s amazing but I hate him.
—The defense looked like they’ve never played in a competitive game. The ends looked like they could rush but they had no idea what to do with a sophisticated rushing attack. Makes you wonder if they assumed UM would be forced to pass all day.
November 27th, 2021 at 9:51 PM ^
Well, they like to score quickly and force their opponents to try to keep up, and they rarely went off-script all season. In hindsight it seems they were hiding a weakness all season -- they weren't built to handle a gutter fight.
The thing that amuses me is that NFL scouts were definitely watching this game. Those receivers will still get drafted -- they did nothing to hurt their draft stocks today -- but I wonder what they think of those vaunted OSU lines right now.
November 28th, 2021 at 4:41 AM ^
JSN can ball. He's definitely one of those players that will literally make your brain explode, but he came to play today and made some truly incredible plays. I'll begrudgingly admit that guy is going to be a nightmare next year.
OSU's got a problem on defense. I don't want to say they are "soft", but they were not prepared for Michigan's physicality up front and from our backs. Gattis and Harbaugh identified that and they went after it ruthlessly. And it was a joy to watch.
November 27th, 2021 at 9:41 PM ^
It's nice to go on the buckeyes 11 warriors site and read the implosion going on there. Is glorious. Finally facing some adversity from their true hated rivals. Schadenfreude all around hahahaha!!!
November 27th, 2021 at 9:47 PM ^
Holy shit. I swear I've seen this same comment on our board here in the past. So happy to be on the other side of it.
Frankly I really dislike Kevin Wilson's old and tired, predictable play calling. Insists on running into the middle, and when it does'nt work, run into the middle again and again (starting possession of the 2nd half). If it is not working wake the heck UP! He has done that all season. Compare that to #ichigan's play calling that was creative and kept us off balance.
I think they underestimate just how dynamic their offense was. Our defense just did a hell of a job today. Great win all around.
November 27th, 2021 at 11:34 PM ^
The whole Buckeye team will review the tape and say what if. The O left alot of plays on the field today. I rewatched the game and the difference was so slight until the late second half drives.
November 28th, 2021 at 12:53 AM ^
Every fan thinks his own team's playcalling is predictable. It's the only team he's watched every game of, he knows their tendencies far better than any other. The other team seems "creative" if it's the only time you've really watched them all season.
But some of this is maybe a result of personnel choices they made? They're basically starting four tackles on their offensive line--Day wanted the best five linemen, and if that turned out to mean tackles had to be moved into both guard slots, so be it. Maybe that's ok for pass protection, but it's hard to have a creative multifaceted run game if your guards are a little oversized and stiff and don't pull well. They couldn't possibly run our offense. To be fair, we couldn't run theirs either.
On defense it's sort of the opposite--they've supposedly made a commitment to finding smaller, quicker defensive linemen and linebackers because they think it's what's needed to beat the game's best offenses, which of course means their own. Day's forgotten that a football game can turn into a streetfight; they need a rethink as bad as we did in 2010.
November 27th, 2021 at 9:46 PM ^
Michigan did everything it had to do today in order to win.
In order to win, Michigan's offense had to go on long, time consuming drives, and when they get to the red zone, convert with touchdowns. They did.
In order to win, Michigan's defense had to bend but don't break and limit if not eliminate big plays, because Ohio State's offense is too good to stop (side note, my goodness Ohio State's receivers are tremendous). They did.
In order to win, Michigan had to make less mistakes than Ohio State, like they've done in every game this season. They did.
In a series, Ohio State probably wins. But football isn't played in a series. And today, Michigan was the far superior team.
I love this team. #GoBlue
November 27th, 2021 at 9:46 PM ^
Their offense will be worse next year, they can’t just plug and replace Wilson and Olave - can they? Our offense most certainly will be better with either a veteran McNamara or a further developed McCarthy. Buckeyes next chance to win will be in 2024. Go Blue!
November 27th, 2021 at 9:59 PM ^
You never really replace top-tier talent; what you do is look at your recruits at camp, see what you have, and make that a feature of the offense.
In Michigan's case, we had Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum, so the coaches saw that and went, "We're gonna pave folks this season." When they depart, we're gonna have to change our scheme, because you don't replace that kind of talent.
I don't know who OSU's looking at -- everyone everywhere on that roster is stupid talented -- but it'd be a mistake to assume the departure of their receivers means an automatic downgrade. They might have someone even more ridiculous waiting for Olave and Wilson to get drafted, or Henderson might bust out next season. Cripes' sake until this season, every time an OSU star DE got drafted, they seemed to find an even better one. So I'm sure they'll find someone, even if the offense doesn't look the same.
November 27th, 2021 at 10:07 PM ^
They have the previous two #1 ranked receivers out of high school and Marvin Harrison Jr (son of that Marvin Harrison) waiting to replace Wilson and Olave… if you are going to try and replace those guys, that gives them a pretty good chance.
November 27th, 2021 at 10:19 PM ^
Five stars flame out every season, one guy has already been passed by his classmate and consistently replacing 1st rounders is not sustainable. Look at Zach Harrison, it just takes a slight drop in play for the window to be open. The way they recruit always gives them a chance though.
November 27th, 2021 at 10:47 PM ^
It's a numbers game, and OSU will continue to have the advantage. That's the reality. They'll be hungry next year.
Five-stars sometimes get out-worked by three-stars, though. OSU's best receiver was a 3-star; he showed up to play. OTOH, their five-star tackles got whipped today.
November 28th, 2021 at 4:49 AM ^
Appreciate where you are coming from, but don't count on it. There offensive depth chart is absolutely loaded. Olave and Wilson are probably both gone, but they have two big time prospects behind them. Stroud and Henderson are both back and another season better. That offense is always going to be juggernaut. Luckily, MacDonald figured got the self confirmation today you can stymie them with the right game plan, that goes a long way in trusting your scouting reports.
November 27th, 2021 at 10:56 PM ^
That receiver corps is as good as advertised, so it felt amazing to limit them.
Stroud is a weird QB though, pressure affects him sooo much. If he works that part of his game out he could be great, but I don't know, he needs like a Phil Jackson type or something to unlock him.
November 27th, 2021 at 11:26 PM ^
I don't think it's easy to fix a snowflake. If they had the mettle to turn into a junkyard dog, they wouldn't be a snowflake in the first place.
I think Cade's ability to handle pressure is underappreciated. He's no Drew Brees, but his mental toughness is a difference-maker in games.
November 27th, 2021 at 11:34 PM ^
Cade is underrated imo. I think something clicked for him in the MSU game, and while he hasn't been called on to do a ton, he's got a legit skill set. I hope he remains our starter as long as he has eligibility and he gets his shot in league.
November 28th, 2021 at 12:37 PM ^
I’d really like to see Petit-Frère (“Little Brother”) portal over to MSU.