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.