The clock struck midnight on the Buckeyes precisely two weeks earlier than it did a year ago.
Last year, Ohio State went into Iowa City high and mighty following a dramatic win over Penn State. They were high on life, and were subsequently tagged with a 55-24 blemish that never left them.
This year, they went into West Lafayette following a difficult win over Minnesota and were high on nothing. And yet the results were the same, almost. This time it was a 49-20 misunderstanding that got out of hand just like the Iowa game last year did.
Last year showed us that these kinds of games were possible.
This season showed us that they are now to be expected.
So what other nihilistic things did we learn from Saturday night’s loss at Purdue?
1. There is no fix for the running game.
The running game isn’t broken, this is just how it is. It has been put together with parts that don’t work. The offensive line has a lack of physicality that has taken what was once a staple of Ohio State football and made it the most glaring weakness on a team that has plenty. There usually is no switch-flipping when it comes to demeanor. You can’t change the DNA of an offensive line if nothing changes in the five players providing the blood samples. This is arguably the worst running game in Ohio State football history. And this comes after some of the best.
2. This is not Dwayne Haskins’ fault.
Dwayne Haskins and Urban Meyer don’t fit, and that’s not Dwayne Haskins’ fault. If you can’t find a way to build your offense around the best passing quarterback in Ohio State history, that is your fault and it is the fault of your offense. And the sad thing is that this isn’t a new problem. We saw it happen in 2015 as well. Back then it was the fault of Ed Warinner and Tim Beck, however.
3. The leadership is missing up front and so is the proper demeanor.
Pat Elflein is gone. Billy Price isn’t walking through that door, and neither is Jamarco Jones. The leadership on the offensive line is on the hot seat right now. Pride needs to become a factor and a driving force, because right now there is no team left on Ohio State’s schedule who has any fear of the OSU running game. After the game, Terry McLaurin said the Ohio State offensive line is the heartbeat of the team. Right now that heartbeat is nearing flat-line status. Following the loss, Isaiah Prince spoke to the team in the locker room. Billy Price did the same thing last year, but I wonder if Prince did it because he saw it done the year before, or because he felt compelled to challenge the team and let them know that there are standards to uphold.
4. Tate Martell must play.
I understand that Dwayne Haskins is very, very good, but if Ohio State can split time for two very talented players like K.J. Hill and Parris Campbell, then they can spare seven or eight snaps for Tate Martell. Now that a loss has happened, maybe Urban Meyer and Ryan Day will be less concerned about Martell blowing things for them. At this point, he seems like the only possible help for the running game. Haskins can throw the ball 38 times instead of 44. Let Tate play.
5. The attention to details is gone.
I don’t want to get too far down a speculative rabbit hole, but penalties are a head coach and program problem. As the saying goes, you’re either coaching it or allowing it to happen, and in both cases they are the head coach’s fault. This has been a very difficult year for Urban Meyer and maybe aspects of it have caught up with him when it comes to the smaller — yet still very important — details. On-field discipline is at an all-time low and after every third-down stop on defense people scan the field looking for a flag to keep the drive alive.
6. There are no answers.
After the game, Urban Meyer faced about a dozen questions wondering how this happened and how does it get fixed. Meyer offered nothing of substance, other than a need to get things fixed. Him not giving any type of answer isn’t significant. That’s what coaches do. However, this was week eight and we’re seeing the same problems we’ve seen all year long. There are no answers. Not this year. The Buckeyes were going to try and throw their way out of it and outscore the opponent as long as they could. And then they ran into a .500 team that outcoached them, outschemed them, and put more effort on the field than the Buckeyes could handle. And yet this coming week, Purdue heads to Michigan State, where they will probably lose by two touchdowns somehow.
7. No, your least-favorite coach isn’t going anywhere.
Even with a bye week, don’t expect anything to happen. Urban Meyer did fire an assistant coach for the first time ever back in July, but you saw what it took for that to happen. Giving up 49 points to Purdue or rushing for 76 yards isn’t going to put anybody in the unemployment line. The real question is if Meyer still puts the same demands on his coaches that he used to. If he doesn’t, that’s fine, just let people know so that they can recalibrate their expectations.
8. Personnel changes need to happen.
The offensive line isn’t working, so something needs to change there. Brady Taylor and Branden Bowen are possibly going to be back for the Nebraska game. I don’t know if that’s too soon for them to return. I would like to see what the running game looks like with Josh Myers at center and Michael Jordan back to left guard. Or maybe see what Wyatt Davis can do at guard. Urban Meyer has said over the past few weeks that Davis is very close to playing. I know the coaches are loyal to this starting five, but that loyalty goes both ways. The offensive line isn’t the only area where some changes could possibly help, but it is the place to start.
9. This version of the Buckeyes isn’t beating Michigan.
It’s just not. And they won’t even keep it close. A one-dimensional offense against a Don Brown defense is asking for disaster. Running the ball is more important in this game than in any other game. Ever. Just go back and look at the numbers. And right now, Michigan is running the ball well and using quarterback Shea Patterson on the ground as well. The good news for Buckeye fans is that maybe this is what it will take for fixes to start getting made. Small sacrifice, right?
10. Defenses are okay with bending and not breaking.
Ohio State put up 546 yards of total offense, yet only had 20 points to show for it. The reason? They were 0-5 in the red zone when it came to scoring touchdowns. Heck, they were 2-5 in simply scoring points. An opposing head coach will happily bend and allow the Ohio State offense into the red zone because right now they’re having issues punching the ball into the end zone. Bending and not breaking sure seems like a pretty good attack, especially if the Buckeye defense is going to let you score touchdowns when they’re on the field. In 2015, Urban Meyer had this same problem with Cardale Jones — a drop-back passer. They eventually mixed J.T. Barrett in as the red-zone quarterback. It’s amazing that this is still a problem.
Bonus: There’s nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you.
But I’m pretty sure we already knew this.
Let me say this again. The exchange between the AN and the TH is way too close to the line off scrimmage. When Robbins get the ball and all he sees is three big butts of his OL and he has no momentum and his vision line of sight is almost zero, he can not see running lanes very well and if he sees anything he does not have any momentum to busy through any tackles and he has no room to make cuts of he needs to. Step back the exchange and you will see the difference.
Sorry darn auto spell check…
Exchange between QB and RB…
Dobbins…
As I’ve said for weeks, Schiano needs to go. He can’t coach and never could. Also, Meyer has lost it. He stands on the sidelines and makes faces after the Buckeyes commit yet another stupid penalty. This team has poor coaching and it shows in their total lack of discipline. Time for a new defensive coordinator and, dare I say, maybe a new head coach.
Playing Martel has nothing to do with the defense! Defense is terrible, poorly coached! Clean house!
It must be tough for a team captain to lead when he’s one of the biggest offenders of unforced errors.
We need to switch to a shorter center and move Michael Jordan back out to guard.
We need to get rid of all the excess action behind the line of scrimmage, while the ball is in play, and start making the action take place downfield.
With the move of Jordan back to guard and the move back to a traditional sized center, we need to change the basic offensive scheme. This is not an read/run option team. This is not a read/run quarterback. So why then do we have a read/run designed offensive line and offensive scheme?
RPO’s are fine. They’re in widespread use around the NFL. They need to be reduced. This will reduce action behind the line with the ball in play. But this is a pro style passing team with a pro style passer. They need a pro style running game to maintain balance. That’s off tackle/ off guard. straight forward running. Your power sweeps. Iso’s Pitches. Draws, since shotgun should still be the favored formation with this team. This will open up play action passing.
And finally, more plays from under center. The move to a shorter center allows for this. The change of the offensive scheme should cry for this. The inability inside the red zone to pinch it in with a smaller field is DUE TO and directly a result of our inability to ever play from under center.
Bonus: fix the defense. Leverage. Teach. Switch players. Play freshmen. Move a fullback (or in our case a tight end, since we don’t ever use them) to Linebacker. We do these things and Meyer is correct about this coaching staff being one of the best, and we can still salvage something this season and bring hope for next season.
Well said. Agree completely
This is still a very good team,
The Offensive Line are very good pass blockers.
The receivers are the best group we’ve ever had.
Haskins is a professional quarterback playing for us.
We are wasting too many play calls trying to run up the middle
Your running quarterback would never have beaten Alabama.
The Penn State game takes a lot out of both teams..
In Woody’s day, they would beat Michigan and go out and lose a ball game to a lesser team.
I would rather have the players and coaches that we have versus any other team.
I blame the adoring Columbus sports press for all of this. They sre never seriously skeptical snd they allow the players to talk about each other as being phenominal. Save all the praise for the end of the season. Ohio State Football is seriously over-rated and all of the coaches are overpaid. Ohio State plays better when they are favoured to lose. Stop the adulation. Favor them to lose.
1. Perhaps the suspension of coach Meyer and not having him in Fall camp was a much bigger deal than we all thought. I wonder if he was running the Fall camp things would be different today. Dobbins, Okudah, Victor, and others have stalled or regressed this year.
2. While we all were optimistic this year because of the favorable schedule, Haskins and the returning receivers, we all knew that the O line, D backs, Special teams, and Linebackers were big question marks entering the season.
3. Meyer won’t change coaches in mid-season. Sadly he looks and sounds like a defeated man.
1. The problems on offense are 100% due to the line..penalties and missed assignments are putting them behind schedule and NO offense in the world can consistently recover..for me Knox has been the biggest culprit
2. Defensively, the fact we only run man-press has killed us..the Big Ten has the best coaches in the country right now and you only give them 1 look, of course we are going to get gashed..I said before the TCU game we have to start mixing in some zone looks but I don’t know if it’s hubris or what but we are making it easy for opponents to out scheme us
3. All this week I hoped we would put Williamson on Moore because I thought that would give us the best chance to contain him..he is our quickest and most physical corner..putting Wade on him was like having a greyhound against a whippet..Wade is a fine player but quickness and physicality are not his best attributes
4. I do not share y’alls fire people or the seasons over sentiment..if the past few years have taught us anything about this program it’s that they respond to losses aggressively..so calm down, they have two weeks to fix things..if we see the same lackluster effort/performance again,then it’s time to panic
“Best passing quarterback in Ohio State history”…That’s getting a little ahead of and full of yourself. He’s obviously a great passer but it takes more than passing to be the best quarterback blah, blah, blah. If you don’t win the game the stats are useless except for some hack to use in his article. .
Let’s be honest. It doesn’t (shouldn’t) take a Dwayne Haskins to be the best passing QB in OSU history. Joe Germaine, who along with Bobby Hoying, is widely lauded as one of the former, and his position coach at the Bengals basically said Germaine couldn’t hit a house if it was 20 yards downfield. Let that sink in for a minute…
And Bobby Hoying… immense talent. Immense arm. Played in the NFL to a modicum of success. Had an immensely talented team surrounding him. Yet was a slightly above average team at best. Lost to Michigan. That speaks to the COACHING and the CULTURE around the program at that time, don’t you think? Perhaps it speaks to both around this current program as well.
Oh, and by the way, Haskins is by far and by all definitions the best PASSING QB in OSU history. By all measurable passing statistics. Best from a mechanics perspective as well. Take the word “passing” out of the comment and perhaps your angry response would have some merit. Yes, there’s more to being a great qb than just passing. Winning, leadership, the desire to have the ball in that man’s hands at the end of the game and nobody else’s…
But the comment made by the journalist in the above post was “…greatest passing QB…” and that statement is entirely and inarguably accurate.
The preseason off-field stuff can take a huge toll on a leader. It creates and fosters monstrous stress. I went through a relative similar situation a few years ago and I can assure you, it has a lingering residual affect from which it is hard to recover. You get beat down, stuffed into a hole and it’s very hard to climb out of it. It affected me for an entire year. Yes, something like that is very real. I’m not trying to excuse Meyer. Even before that happened, in past seasons he has had a propensity for stubbornness, being too loyal to his coaches as friends, and over-thinks and over-complicates the offense by being too involved. He really needs to let Day and Wilson handle things and be hands-off. However, that preseason mess really can scar an individual to the point where it is mentally and emotionally distracting, making it very hard to think clearly and objectively. That could be much of the problem with what’s going on. Bottom line, though, is that I’m sick of it just like everyone else, and it needs to get fixed.
Could Urb be done
the suspension ticked him off
Headaches and collapse on the field ((don’t remember which game)
Says he has a cysts and gets headaches. The team really looks off. worse than Iowa game.
Sounds a lot like Florida when he left and he left florida in a mess
NO way we beat ichigan
Tate getting playing time will be Interesting as he seems to bring more leadership/I’ll carry the team attitude than Haskins, but we don’t know what goes on in the huddle. Why is everyone so protective of Haskins, he is the QB so it goes both ways, 3pts is on him, red zone issues against bad MN and Purdue defenses is on him and when they win he gets the credit
Wonderful top ten and spot on.
1. Fire the OL coach and two weeks to break in decent talent with at least a mediocre coach.
2. I dont blame Haskins.
3. The game was lost in the middle of this contest. Four drives deep into Purdue and 3 points. Traditionally that would of been 3 TDs meaning OSU 27 to. 14.
4. The D did not play that bad. Purdues first 28 pts. came after 3rd and 4th down penalties and conversions.
5. Our LBs are lost.
6. Remember this is still a mediocre Pudue team.
7. Tate can be played enough to present
The threat of the run game to possibly make the O potent again.
8. Haskins had an exceptional night however he missed two open guys in the opening drive that could of rechanged the game.
9. This is now now boot camp and basic training for the OL the next 13 days.
10. This is not all of Meyers faults. Like AL Meyer and his coach and players get picked over year after year.
If martell plays he has to run the offense not just come in and run the ball. Use him in the red zone or at least inside the 10. Dobbins and weber have been good in the zone read scheme but might not fit this style of running game due to both being smaller backs. At times it looks like they have room and cant seem to break a tackle which might break the run open. We have two freshmen both bigger backs. Give them some carries? Maybe time to play some of these highly ranked freshman LBs also. They cant make any fewer plays than our current starters. Why no Dante Booker at LB? Its obvious personnel changes are necessary or we lose at least two more games. Then major coaching changes after the season. I wouldnt be a bit surprised if urban walked away after the season. You can see it coming. He looks like a whipped dog.
Not true. They arexbei v gang tackles and smacked behind the LOS.
Buckeye Nation deserves better than this shit show..We have watched this all year, and have a head coach that will not answer to ,nor explain from his point of view, what he sees, and exactly what changes he will make to fix it…At least be honest with us, tell us the truth…We may not like your answers, but at least we can respect you for being honest with us….Unfortunately Coach still in LIE mode..Unfortunately I have to agree with you, Tony, he will not change coaching at this point, I fully agree that Tate Martell has to see some snaps, just to maybe change momentum when needed..Haskins is a wonderful QB, but I believe mixing it up would loosen Defenses .As far as OUR “BREAK and COMPLETELY SHATTER” defense-just simplify it with base 4-3 with no” EXOTIC” twist…Just play straight up–the way we play is no 2nd level at snap…ridiculous. The running game is a shocker.. I agree there needs to be a personnel change..move Jordan back to guard..Prince needs to be sat down, he is obviously not focussed, same goes for Rashod Berry. Allowing the same players, week after week to make costly mental errors is not good coaching..The only way to change that outcome is to take away their PRIVILEGE to be on the field..If there are no negative reinforcement or punishment for poor performance , then how can the problem ever be corrected…New Blood on O Line is needed–There has to be hungrier players to plug in, even with little game experience…could they actually do worse…I think not. As far as Michigan, I believe this will be the year Har-booger gets his 1st win…God that is gonna hurt…but based on products on the field thus far, Michigan is a complete football team, whereas we are merely a !/2 dimensional team, not even a full 1 dimensional…..Maybe next year
What I learned this season is that team sports are really team sports. If you have one weak link, the whole team hurts. If you have two weak links, you don’t really have a team to speak of. I also learned that college football coaches that deserve their current salaries are rare, and Ohio State really does not have any of those at any position. You have a couple of coaches on offense being paid more than one million a year and they can’t figure out how to run the ball for two yards. You then have a couple of guys making a bunch money and they cant stop anything any team with a pulse. Finally, when Meyer first hired, he said he will hold his coaches accountable. He has not the last couple of years. Schiano should have never been back this year and Davis, and… Gene Smith needs to sit him down and see what his plans are as far as coaching changes. If there are no plans for change, Gene needs to start defining the next chapter without looking back.
What makes the running game so sad is that you have two highly proven 1,000 yard rushers suffering behind a piece of garbage O-line that is fat, slow, sloppy and poorly coached!! I would say it is broken! The problems are malignant, and the changes necessary and needed to be made are outside of Meyer’s comfort box, so just get used to it!
Yes!
I think that all the off field drama took a big toll on Urban Meyer. I’m sure it was extremely stressful and regardless of how anyone feels about what happened or the outcome, his reputation was called into question and that’s an uncomfortable place to be as a leader. I’m sure this also put strain in his relationships, both personal and professional.
I’m not putting all the blame on him, but he is the head coach of this team and a lot of the issues this season are coaching related–namely not improving from week to week.
Hi Randy- you sound like a very kind person. Please understand my negative remarks are not directed at you, they are intended as cautionary for fans (especially those who have “seen the movie before” and can feel history repeating itself in a bad way…)
People like Urban Meyer have an urgent desire for 3 commodities professionally: wealth, fame/credit for success, and control. The one thing these guys do NOT want is to be called into question/held accountable for their decisions- it is like garlic to a vampire for them. Meyer’s current “problems” (making 6 mil a year and being granted more leash than anyone would care to admit on any number of fronts) are of his own making. His propensity for hiring buddies/family members etc is obnoxious and should have been stopped years ago. Regarding actual football matters, he sticks his nose in on the offensive side and has permitted his team to lose an identity that has been hard earned for decades. He treats fans like idiots during press appearances and is giving the impression of someone who is on cruise control…
Here’s the problem. I don’t give a rip about Meyer, I care about a team whose name was forged decades before he was a gleam in Gene Smith’s eye. The program is at a tipping point where it can do 2 things- find someone who hasn’t checked out, or let this guy slowly circle the drain (with about $25 million dollars and the adoration of many fans, so the drain ain’t a bad place to be). The offseason should be interesting.
Non sense. Hes missing his assistants save the psychology for Dr. Phil.
Kurt- explain your remark?
No one feels worse than Urban.you make him into a villain. We’ve seen this same thing in 14 15 and last year when OSU was shreddedby at …Iowa. . His response. Run the table. I find it quite arrogant that u find him totally self absorbed. Urban is the one who has given us arguably the best 6 years of OSU fb history. Our passing game has never been better and our super star just left and our team is stacked with nothing but quality. Hes earned every cent
Remember his buddies went 3 and 0 and were all pretty good head coaches. If you’ve followed OSU football undercUrban we’ve seen other units struggle especially after keyassistant coachingvdepartures and changes. Our O spun out after at Tom H became a long horn and its interestongvthatvour back 7 seems lost as Combs and Fickell have split. Try to give the man some slack or have we all become a bit too spoiled.
Okay Kurt, so your Dr. Phil comment was directed at me. That’s a mistake…
1) You find ME arrogant when describing someone else as self absorbed? That one writes it’s own punch line. (And Meyer is not the only head coach who fits the description, he happens to be the HC at the place I follow).
2) The current team is “stacked with quality”? Umm…no, not amongst coaches or players. Some quality? Sure. Stacked? Nope, that’s wrong.
3) Meyer gets “slack” in the form of outrageous pay and perks (such as hiring family members and pals out of hand). What you are reading in these comments is people who are growing tired of the act, and it ain’t just me…
4) Finally, you can stick the Dr. Phil remark where the sun doesn’t shine, Kurt. The entire thread of comments to the article touched on sports psychology, people’s mental and emotional states, etc. Has the team done well under his watch? Yes. Do all good things come to an end? Yep.
And all this time i understood that one of Meyer’s strengths was as a master ,
Right on Tony!?
I agree with it all!