Howard threw for over 300 yards with 2 TD and no interceptions, and he got the ball into JJ and Egbuka's hands regularly (combined for just under 200 yds with 2TD). His QB rating last night was higher than Gabriel's. I can see Trey, but Quin had a horrible game last night and averaged 1.9 yards a carry. I love the kid so far this year, but last night Oregon had his number, and he wasn't the solution to anything.
I think Q had whatever rumored hand injury leading up to this game, and after the fumble they seemed hesitant to put him in on anything other than passing or short yardage to gain a few and fall forward. I thought he'd have a big game and didn't seem himself.
The final drive was great up until the OPI. I liked the pass to Smith on the last drive, as with Simmons done they were less likely to pick up a decent amount of yards with a run and still have to burn a timeout. Refs could just as easily called holding on a run. It was an unlucky penalty due to a weak DB getting bodied when he tried to jam. He sold it and it just didn't go OSU's way. Day or someone in Day's ear needs to know the clock rules, but it seems odd that the refs would spot the ball and immediately run the clock without notifying both teams. Especially at the end of the game. Once there was 6 seconds to go, you're asking for a miracle. They're not hitting a 55 yarder, and as soon as Howard hesitated to throw the quick out, it was over.
The main thing that concerns me is the defensive staff possibly not being on the same page. You can't win like that and heads need to roll if they're not willing to put their egos aside and work with each other.
I'm a big fan of Day. I really want to see him succeed because, well, it means OSU succeeds. I also think he's a good blend of Tressel and Meyer. Even keeled and less likely to burn out than Meyer, but more aggressive and a better recruiter than Tressel. I still see that, but time is running out for him to deliver. No one is going to believe he can get it done until he does. The only frustrating part in all this are fans continuing to talk out of both sides of their mouths when it comes to Michigan. When OSU wins, they're dirtbag cheaters who pulled off one of the biggest cheating scams in college history. Obviously that's true. But when OSU losses, Day is John Cooper and either Michigan didn't cheat or Day was supposed to overcome 3 years of cheating anyway and beat them. Because like it or not, without that cheating, Day is close to what Urban Meyer was here.
Can't blame anyone who is frustrated and tired of the almosts and wants a fresh start. If you can't figure out a way to win with this combination of talent and experience, it feels like he never will. At this point I'm close to wanting a fresh start just so I can enjoy talking about the games and my favorite team again, and not have everything boil down to whether the coach is a choker, soft, etc.
This is way easier said than done.
Some people who overachieve at places do so due to having less pressure.
There are countless stories of someone doing well at a mid-major or lower P5 who didn't work out at a higher profile job.
At the end of the day, if the person you replace Day with doesn't win a title, it's a bust of a hire.
@Tomateaux Quinoa Gumbeaux sums up my opinion on replacing him perfectly. If you replace him with anyone other than a coach who wins 1 or more titles in 5 years, it's a failure. The odds of immediately finding another coach who wins the games he does, PLUS at least 50% of the ones he doesn't, is close to zero. It's a really tough spot being caught between some success, but not enough.
As for finding the guy that does less with more, Florida hired coaches who succeeded at CSU and Lafayette, and they fell flat on their faces. Fans were clamoring for Peterson to replace Tressel after the terrible post season runs of 06-08, and when he finally went to Washington he went 55-26, won a few conference titles, 0 top tier bowl games and retired.
If Day keeps failing in these big games, patience will run out and he'll be fired. It'll take care of itself. But I really hope he can find a way to get over the hump because I don't trust this AD to hire a moving target in the dark.
