Brett Ludwiczak
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A very James Earl Jones look at Ohio State’s 13-10 loss to Michigan
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
The iconic actor was a Michigan graduate, and a number of his works describe what was seen Saturday in Columbus.
Buckeye Nation was left scratching their heads on Saturday as Ohio State fell to Michigan for the fourth-straight season. Heading into The Game, this year felt like the result was going to be different from the last three since the Wolverines had struggled most of the season, entering their regular season finale with a 6-5 record. Unfortunately, nothing can be taken for granted in a heated rivalry game as the Buckeyes have found out over the years.
Since Michigan won, we are going to give a nod to one of their most famous alums by using some works from James Earl Jones to describe what was seen on Saturday in Columbus.
After he was born in Mississippi, Jones moved to Michigan during the Great Migration, eventually graduating from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in 1955, majoring in drama. Known for his iconic voice, Jones became one of the most recognizable actors once his film career began 60 years ago. In September, Jones passes away at the age of 93.
Jones’ most famous role is that of Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise. Vader is known as one of the biggest villains in cinema, which fits Michigan because they are the biggest villains to Ohio State fans.
From the Connor Stalions cheating scandal which went a long way to helping the Wolverines win the title last year, to being a thorn in the side of the Buckeyes over the last four years. Right now Buckeye Nation feels like they are watching a movie where the bad guy wins.
This was supposed to be the year where Ryan Day channeled his Luke Skywalker and put down Darth Vader. I hope that reference is right because I’ve never really been into Star Wars, so I’m relying on a Cliff Notes version of the films.
The Buckeyes were more talented and on their home turf, yet they still couldn’t get the job done. Watching how the second half played out was nauseating since Ohio State was playing like their lightsabers were out of batteries. C-3PO could have probably called a better game than whatever the Buckeyes were trying to do.
In the end, Michigan said to Ohio State, “May the 4th be with you” since that’s how many straight losses the Buckeyes have had to eat from That Team Up North.
There’s no other way to describe what Ryan Day is in right now. It’s obvious that Michigan is in his head and there really might be some truth to Day being born on third base.
The game plan Day put together for Saturday’s game was baffling. Apparently Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly thought that continually trying to run the football was the best option even though the Wolverines have one of the best rush defenses in the country.
Michigan hasn’t done a lot right this year, but one of the few things they have excelled at is stopping the run. The choice to focus on the run was even more puzzling since Ohio State has three great receivers in Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, and Carnell Tate, while the Wolverines were without cornerback Will Johnson.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25768506/2187648548.jpg "Michigan v Ohio State")
Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
So what does the future hold for Day? It’s hard to believe Ohio State would fire their head coach since the Buckeyes are still in line for a spot in the playoffs, where anything can happen. A school isn’t going to fire their head coach if they make it to the semifinal or even go on to win a title.
If anything, Day will likely leave for an NFL job if a team comes calling, that way he can land in a cushy spot and save the university from having to make a tough decision. Until that happens, Day will have to grow some thick skin and eat all the criticism he is facing.
Speaking of the College Football Playoff, all hope is not lost for Ohio State. With two losses this season, with one of them coming to Oregon by a point in Eugene, the Buckeyes still can claim to be one of the best 12 teams in the country.
Wins over Penn State and Indiana in Top 5 clashes will help Ohio State out in their argument that they deserve a home playoff game. At least the loss to Michigan isn’t the most shocking by a playoff team this season, since that belongs to Notre Dame, who fell earlier this season at home to Northern Illinois.
What the Buckeyes need to do is reset and refocus ahead of a playoff game in a few weeks. With the loss, Ohio State won’t play in the Big Ten Championship Game, allowing them some extra time to recharge. Even though a Big Ten title was a goal of the team, not playing in Indianapolis on Saturday night isn’t the worst thing in the world.
At least the last time the Buckeyes went into a playoff game after missing the Big Ten Championship Game they nearly upset Georgia in 2022. Day just needs to lock himself in a room at the WHAC and put together a plan of attack when the matchups are announced.
It’s easy to criticize the Buckeyes for their play on Saturday, but there was one player who did everything he could to lead the team to victory. Defensive end Jack Sawyer made an amazing play when he intercepted Davis Warren at the goal line in the fourth quarter with the game tied.
Some of the shine was taken away when he wasn’t able to wrap up Kalel Mullings on the game-winning drive, but it was a tough tackle for Sawyer to make and his teammates should have been able to finish the job on the tackle, so I’ll give him a pass there.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25768507/2187597990.jpg "Michigan v Ohio State")
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
What hurts so much about Saturday’s loss is knowing guys like Sawyer aren’t able to get their pair of gold pants. Sawyer is a Pickerington product, and it’s obvious the rivalry means a lot to him.
There have been times where Sawyer’s play hasn’t matched his recruiting ranking, but he is out there giving it his all and trying to make plays. Hopefully the Buckeyes can make a deep run in the playoff so Sawyer and the rest of the seniors’ decision to return to school for another year pays off.
While nothing is a given with how the transfer portal has changed college football, at least the way things stand now Ohio State should have two of the best players in college football on their squad next year. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs each had memorable moments on Saturday. Smith caught a touchdown, and Downs had 11 tackles and an interception in each of their first edition of the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry.
Why Smith wasn’t targeted more in the second half is an argument for another day, but he made a great move to get open for the first and only Ohio State touchdown of the day. Smith finished the regular season with 57 catches for 934 yards and 10 touchdowns. There’s no doubt Smith will be in the mix for the Biletnikoff Award next year since he’ll be even better with a year of college football under his belt.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25768509/2187065010.jpg "Michigan v Ohio State")
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
Downs has a chance for some national hardware this year as he is a finalist for the Thorpe and Bednarik Awards. The sophomore safety from Alabama had his best game in the scarlet and gray on Saturday. After a slow start to the season, Downs has playing better and better each week. Expect even more from Downs next year since he’ll have to shoulder even more of the defensive weight with so many starters moving on to the professional level.
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
The iconic actor was a Michigan graduate, and a number of his works describe what was seen Saturday in Columbus.
Buckeye Nation was left scratching their heads on Saturday as Ohio State fell to Michigan for the fourth-straight season. Heading into The Game, this year felt like the result was going to be different from the last three since the Wolverines had struggled most of the season, entering their regular season finale with a 6-5 record. Unfortunately, nothing can be taken for granted in a heated rivalry game as the Buckeyes have found out over the years.
Since Michigan won, we are going to give a nod to one of their most famous alums by using some works from James Earl Jones to describe what was seen on Saturday in Columbus.
After he was born in Mississippi, Jones moved to Michigan during the Great Migration, eventually graduating from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in 1955, majoring in drama. Known for his iconic voice, Jones became one of the most recognizable actors once his film career began 60 years ago. In September, Jones passes away at the age of 93.
Darth Vader
Jones’ most famous role is that of Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise. Vader is known as one of the biggest villains in cinema, which fits Michigan because they are the biggest villains to Ohio State fans.
From the Connor Stalions cheating scandal which went a long way to helping the Wolverines win the title last year, to being a thorn in the side of the Buckeyes over the last four years. Right now Buckeye Nation feels like they are watching a movie where the bad guy wins.
This was supposed to be the year where Ryan Day channeled his Luke Skywalker and put down Darth Vader. I hope that reference is right because I’ve never really been into Star Wars, so I’m relying on a Cliff Notes version of the films.
The Buckeyes were more talented and on their home turf, yet they still couldn’t get the job done. Watching how the second half played out was nauseating since Ohio State was playing like their lightsabers were out of batteries. C-3PO could have probably called a better game than whatever the Buckeyes were trying to do.
In the end, Michigan said to Ohio State, “May the 4th be with you” since that’s how many straight losses the Buckeyes have had to eat from That Team Up North.
Clear and Present Danger
There’s no other way to describe what Ryan Day is in right now. It’s obvious that Michigan is in his head and there really might be some truth to Day being born on third base.
The game plan Day put together for Saturday’s game was baffling. Apparently Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly thought that continually trying to run the football was the best option even though the Wolverines have one of the best rush defenses in the country.
Michigan hasn’t done a lot right this year, but one of the few things they have excelled at is stopping the run. The choice to focus on the run was even more puzzling since Ohio State has three great receivers in Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, and Carnell Tate, while the Wolverines were without cornerback Will Johnson.
So what does the future hold for Day? It’s hard to believe Ohio State would fire their head coach since the Buckeyes are still in line for a spot in the playoffs, where anything can happen. A school isn’t going to fire their head coach if they make it to the semifinal or even go on to win a title.
If anything, Day will likely leave for an NFL job if a team comes calling, that way he can land in a cushy spot and save the university from having to make a tough decision. Until that happens, Day will have to grow some thick skin and eat all the criticism he is facing.
A Piece of the Action
Speaking of the College Football Playoff, all hope is not lost for Ohio State. With two losses this season, with one of them coming to Oregon by a point in Eugene, the Buckeyes still can claim to be one of the best 12 teams in the country.
Wins over Penn State and Indiana in Top 5 clashes will help Ohio State out in their argument that they deserve a home playoff game. At least the loss to Michigan isn’t the most shocking by a playoff team this season, since that belongs to Notre Dame, who fell earlier this season at home to Northern Illinois.
What the Buckeyes need to do is reset and refocus ahead of a playoff game in a few weeks. With the loss, Ohio State won’t play in the Big Ten Championship Game, allowing them some extra time to recharge. Even though a Big Ten title was a goal of the team, not playing in Indianapolis on Saturday night isn’t the worst thing in the world.
At least the last time the Buckeyes went into a playoff game after missing the Big Ten Championship Game they nearly upset Georgia in 2022. Day just needs to lock himself in a room at the WHAC and put together a plan of attack when the matchups are announced.
Jack and the Beanstalk
It’s easy to criticize the Buckeyes for their play on Saturday, but there was one player who did everything he could to lead the team to victory. Defensive end Jack Sawyer made an amazing play when he intercepted Davis Warren at the goal line in the fourth quarter with the game tied.
Some of the shine was taken away when he wasn’t able to wrap up Kalel Mullings on the game-winning drive, but it was a tough tackle for Sawyer to make and his teammates should have been able to finish the job on the tackle, so I’ll give him a pass there.
What hurts so much about Saturday’s loss is knowing guys like Sawyer aren’t able to get their pair of gold pants. Sawyer is a Pickerington product, and it’s obvious the rivalry means a lot to him.
There have been times where Sawyer’s play hasn’t matched his recruiting ranking, but he is out there giving it his all and trying to make plays. Hopefully the Buckeyes can make a deep run in the playoff so Sawyer and the rest of the seniors’ decision to return to school for another year pays off.
Best of the Best
While nothing is a given with how the transfer portal has changed college football, at least the way things stand now Ohio State should have two of the best players in college football on their squad next year. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs each had memorable moments on Saturday. Smith caught a touchdown, and Downs had 11 tackles and an interception in each of their first edition of the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry.
Why Smith wasn’t targeted more in the second half is an argument for another day, but he made a great move to get open for the first and only Ohio State touchdown of the day. Smith finished the regular season with 57 catches for 934 yards and 10 touchdowns. There’s no doubt Smith will be in the mix for the Biletnikoff Award next year since he’ll be even better with a year of college football under his belt.
Downs has a chance for some national hardware this year as he is a finalist for the Thorpe and Bednarik Awards. The sophomore safety from Alabama had his best game in the scarlet and gray on Saturday. After a slow start to the season, Downs has playing better and better each week. Expect even more from Downs next year since he’ll have to shoulder even more of the defensive weight with so many starters moving on to the professional level.
Continue reading...