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1. First things first: You don't lose Joey Bosa, Zeke Elliott, Taylor Decker, Darron Lee, Michael Thomas, etc. etc. and get better as a team. That narrative, which was prevalent early in the season, was soundly disproven last night. While certain positions were upgraded in 2016 (Malik Hooker over Tyvis Powell, for example), the team as a whole suffered a tremendous depletion of talent, a depletion that could not be overcome in just one season.

2. Next, let's get past the "youngest team in CFB" bullshit already. That excuse might have been valid at the beginning of the season, but by last night everyone on the team was a full year older, in football terms, than they were on September 3rd. And a lot of those "young pups" are good enough to head to the NFL early. Youth and inexperience are often used as an excuse for lack of talent. I think that we need to question the level of talent on this team, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

3. Penn State fans like to blame every loss on officiating, cheating, and conspiracies. We like to blame every loss on play calling. While the play calling in last night's game was certainly not good, it was not play calling that caused dropped passes, overthrows, underthrows, fumbles, false starts, missed blocks, shanked field goals, and general lack of effort and execution from the offense.

4. Here's a perfect example of poor play calling and poor execution coming together to kill a drive: After the opening kick-off, Ohio State started with the ball in decent field position at their own 33-yard line. After two ill-designed plays (more on that later) that netted just two yards, Ohio State dialed up an old standby: the swing pass to a running back. The play lacked creativity and moved the ball laterally when the Buckeyes should have been attacking downfield. However, despite the poor play call, the Buckeyes still get a first down near midfield if Mike Weber simply catches the damned ball. The drop prevented the Buckeyes from gaining any momentum early and set the tone for the entire game.

5. The whole idea of a spread offense is to remove defenders from "the box" so that it is easier to operate inside the box. It is a good theory, and it works if utilized properly. However, the Buckeyes love to spread the field and then operate outside the box, with runs and passes to the edges of the field. In other words, the Buckeyes are moving defenders outside the box and then running plays at those very same defenders. The Buckeyes offense works best when they spread the field and then use misdirection plays (zone reads, counters) or exploit mismatches (Curtis Samuel on slants versus a linebacker) inside the box.

6. Another problem with the Buckeyes' offense is that they tend to over-spread the field by using five wide formations. This limits their options to a passing play (not a strong point of this offense) or a quarterback draw (an overused play that opposing defenses have adjusted to).

7. Urban Meyer's offense is broken. Is the problem coaching, personnel, or scheme, or some combination thereof? And most importantly, what will Urban do to fix this problem? Will there be a ceremonial scalp (Tim Beck)? Or will Urban be able to examine his own creation objectively and discern where it is failing?

8. J.T. Barrett is an enigma. Is he part of the problem or part of the solution?

9. The 31-0 loss to Clemson marked the first time the Buckeyes have been shut out since November 20, 1993, a 28-0 whitewashing at Michigan. Ohio State is now 0-3 versus Clemson, their worst record against any opponent (they are also 0-3 against Florida State). Ohio State has never beaten a team from South Carolina, as they are also 0-2 versus the University of South Carolina.
 
I certainly don't mean this as an excuse, but this team was a year early. 2014 was a year early too, and they had something that this one did not. I suppose what 14 had that this one didn't is a better staff on O, but despite this epic failure, I'm pretty confident going forward. I'd expect Urban's 2017 Buckeyes to resemble Vlad the Impaler.
 
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Clemson Autopsy

Yeah, apt word. Reminds me of the old story of when John McKay was coaching the Tampa Buccaneers when they were a winless expansion team, and asked about his team's execution. "I'm all for it."

Next year, with a new OC and new players, we'll be as optimistic as can be. As it should be for Buckeye fans. But the grieving will continue for awhile over this ugliness.
 
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Thanks for a very insightful analysis, as usual LJB. Points 4-6 are the core of it for me.

I would differ slightly and argue that youth is an issue, albeit not an excuse for the performance issues that you raise, as you argue. Kids are still growing at this age and when the next season starts, they'll be nearly a year older than today.

Another issue concerns the play of Barrett (point 8). I fully agree. Love the guy but can he get the job done? MacBuck and I appear to share the same level of optimism and disappointment. It's not that they lost but the way that they lost. I hope that this puts a chip on their shoulders for next year and fuels the off-season work ahead!
 
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It is 150% on the OC and some guys coaching on the offensive side.

They somehow managed to make JT Barrett worse after 2 years of experience. They somehow managed to not produce a single viable option at WR all year. They somehow managed to call the worst games ever. They do not adjust at all. Heck from the sounds of it they don't even follow a gameplan with some of Urbans comments.

The offensive staff is to blame 100%. I can accept losing, I can accept some young guys making mistakes, I cannot accept offensive guys refusing to adapt to the game. I cannot accept coaching on offense that somehow is setting back players. We have no offensive identity, not one. You cannot tell me without the raw talent we've signed at WR we cannot produce a legit WR?

10000% on Beck/Warriner, and the lack of producing talent on offense. Last year we saw them hinder a team that was probably the best we really ever had with a fantastic line, arguably best OSU rb ever, Michael Thomas etc. This year, they manage to produce nobody on the offensive side of the ball minus Curtis Samuel. Warriner needs to be demoted to OL only, Beck needs to be gone last month. We cannot continue to put up with lack of production and progression like that. Not with these high level rated kids. We aim to be a Bama level elite, and yet Bama had the stones to get rid of their cancerous OC before the NC game, we've put up with it for 2 years.

Enough is enough, massive changes are in need on offense. the D is solid, we need a Schiano like hiring on O.
 
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I would also say the Big10, and thus OSU just weren't as good as we thought. It should not have been 31-0, but it shouldn't have been very close either. OSU just wasn't ready this year.
Don't agree...if we even put some pressure on Clemson to throw the ball more who knows what happens. We allowed them to stay balanced all game because Clemson knew we couldnt come back unless they helped us with turnovers.

We had a capable QB with JT, a 1k yard running back, and the most explosive player in the country in Curtis Samuel.

With the correct coordinator we would've been in that game no issue.
 
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8. J.T. Barrett is an enigma. Is he part of the problem or part of the solution?

That is a great way to put it. I have been one of his biggest defenders, but "enigma" is a great word. We are talking about a player who is the Ohio State and B1G career TD leader. And one would presume he will shatter that record next year (assuming things get fixed), and end up with something like 140 TD's responsible for. And yet, he has accuracy issues intermittently that have definitely been part of the problem. I still think his decision-making is one of his better qualities. He doesn't turn the ball over much, and that is a big deal. But there were times this season where he needed to make a play, and didn't. It's hard, sitting at home in my recliner, to know whether that was all on him or on protection and/or his receivers, scheme, etc., but when the ball is thrown 6 feet over the head of the target, I have to put that on him. And finally, his leadership is supposed to be one of his biggest assets, but a great leader makes sure what happened Sat night doesn't happen. Maybe there were factors that his leadership couldn't overcome, but regardless, if you are the leader, it's on you.

I have tended to hold to Urban's idea that "the QB is a product of those around him." I think that is true. If so, then what was around him wasn't that good at times this year, and particularly Sat night. You look at him 2 years ago, with that cast around him as a very young player, and he was incredible. Still, as an experienced leader, you expect more than that shit show we witnessed in Phoenix. Enigma indeed.
 
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