Game Thread FIESTA BOWL: tOSU 21, Texas 24 (01-05-09)

[JohnnyCockfight]

First deep ball of the game. And Brian still almost made the catch. Great game by him.

Link

 

[GoBuckeyes81]

Well I think i've completly accepted the loss at this point. It was never that I was angry or mad at our beloved Buckeyes if anything it was quite the opposite. I can't believe they didnt get the win they rightfully deserved with the effort they put up. The real story of the game was we let a few big chances slip away but kept fighting no matter what. Through Beanie getting a concussion, through a 17-6 deficiet, through the media saying we didn't deserve to be in the game, through everyone saying this class will be remembered as chokers. Not to me damnit. This team played their hardest and that's all you can truly ask for as a fan. I would know i'm always a huge Cowboys fan and I had to watch a team with lack of heart choke. The Buckeyes played with the most heart I may have ever seen in a losing effort, I know it doesn't mean a win but for me this was a win.

GO Buckeyes!!!

 

[Buckeyefrankmp]

Play that drive 10 times, and I bet they get the necessary TD once. That's luck.

Wrong. Did you see the Texas/Texas Tech game? Texas had 5 minutes left and down in the game. They drive down and score with 1:23 left to take the lead. Do you see a trend here. Texas has done this kind of thing before. They are not lucky, they are good.

Play that drive 10 times, and I bet they get the necessary TD once. That's luck.

That's speculation. You can not make an argument (at least not a convincing one) on facts that has not happened.

 

[matt_thatsme]

They are well coached on how to run their system and they have a QB who knows how to run the system very well. I wonder what a team with Texas' O and Ohio State's D would look like. quote]


It would look like USC. I watched parts of the tOSU vs USC game (I know, I am a glutton for punishment). USC is sick, I hate them, but they have an assload of talent. Still, we are going to own them next year in Columbus.

 

[OSUsushichic]

I'm not really saying anything new here, but last night's game was heartbreaking, but a great hard-fought one. Both teams came to play their asses off. Pryor is amazing (hard to believe he's just a freshman), and Robo made some unbelievable catches. Despite the outcome, it was a fun game to watch -- definitely the best bowl game.

Third quarter absolutely killed us. What was so frustrating was how dominant statistically we were in the first half, and then to have the wind knocked out of us in the 3rd was crushing to our defense.

I kinda wish we could play Texas every year. They are a great matchup with us -- such similar programs. Their fans are a classy bunch and passionate as well. The last three games we've played against them have been exciting as hell. That's what college football is all about!

Thank you so much, seniors. You are such a classy bunch. You've represented the university very, very well. Good luck in your future endeavors. Shaun Lane, I hope you're OK.

 

[Buckeyefrankmp]

I kinda wish we could play Texas every year. They are a great matchup with us -- such similar programs. Their fans are a classy bunch and passionate as well. The last three games we've played against them have been exciting as hell. That's what college football is all about!

I agree. These type of games are what make a great rivalry. I have more respect for the Texas program than any other programs.

 

[matt_thatsme]

I don't hear JT being threatened so much as I hear people calling for Bollman's head. That list includes Earl Bruce (after the Penn State game he chewed on Bollman's ass for a good 45 minutes).

When you move the ball as much as the Buck's did for the first half of the game and all you have to show for it is 6 points you have to begin to wonder when this offense is going to grow up.

The inability of the offense to stay on the field in the 3rd quarter meant the defense was on the field and that meant that the energy the defense needed to stop that final drive had been spent earlier.

My criticism with Bollman is that lackluster performance of the O-line throughout the season which attributed to the O not staying on the field in the 3rd.
As far as JT goes, I love the guy. I think he is a wonderful HEAD COACH. He recruits well, he gets the players prepared for games, etc. However, I think it is too much for one man to do all the head coaching duties and do all the playcalling. Offenses have become so complex and at a big time program like tOSU a head coach has to spend so much time dealing with all the bullshit that fans like you and I don't even think of. I wish JT would give up some of the playcalling. I don't think he is bad at it, but I don't think the O can be utilized to the optimal level with a HC doing all the playcalling.

 

[zincfinger]

Post game analysis: The claims by the punditry that Texas played poorly miss the points made earlier that OSU played very poorly for a quarter. Further, the claims that Texas played poorly miss the obvious theme of the entire bowl season: The Big 12 is less than the media portrayed them to be. This is not a prediction about Thursday's game, it is just an obvious observation. After last night's game, taken within the context of the bowl season, is there ANY reason to doubt that Ohio State has the best defense that Texas played all year? There's the point that no one is making, and it speaks louder than any point that they ARE making.

You dislike the analysis that the game was close because Texas had a flat performance last night, but you like the analysis that the game was close because Texas was simply overrated? Aside from the fact that both of those interpretations are equally disparaging of OSU, I think they're both incorrect. How about the analysis that Texas is a very good team, played well last night, and that the game was close because they faced an opponent in Ohio State that, when playing well, is capable of going toe-to-toe with anyone? As a Buckeye fan, I greatly prefer that analysis, and I also honestly believe that it's the correct one.

 

[JimsSweaterVest]

To those who disagreed with my post about "The Buckeyes are back:"

We had people from all over the country rambling about how Ohio State and the Big Ten suck, how we shouldn't have been to the Fiesta, how some other school should have been invited instead, how Texas was going to run up the score on us like USC did, how we were going to lose like State Penn lost the Rose Bowl.

Instead, we made for riveting television and the advertisers got their money's worth. It was a loss still, but unlike the 3 previous big games we lost (Florida, LSU, and USC), we have nothing to be ashamed of, and we proved we can hang with the opposing team all the way. We proved we are a great team also, and sometimes one great team narrowly loses to another and there's no shame in that.

Last night went a long way towards silencing the ignorant loudmouth haters. (Mark May, were you watching?) After the three infamous meltdowns, the team seems back on track towards establishing Ohio State as a lean, mean, big-game winning machine. Now we have to prepare for the last stretch in which we prove we can win the big games against major opponents.

We can't sit around and feel sorry for ourselves. We have lots of hard work to do because we face USC in a few months. That will be our big test. If last night was any indication, the series of "big game meltdowns" is over, and we're back on track. Whatever "it" was, Tress seems to be fixing "it."

Call me a rambling dreamer, but I'm very optimistic.

 

[osugrad21]

Jim Tressel calls the plays. I hated that the O seemed to button it up for a time in the third quarter, but I also understand the Buckeyes wanting to try and grind it out a little to keep the Texas O off the field. Why couldn't they grind it out a little?

While you can't get on him for the play calling, Jim Bollman coaches the offensive line (THE weak link all season long). The offensive line has killed drives all season long with poor execution and with mental errors. They played well last night but there were also the ever present costly mental errors. Jim Tressel inserted himself into the offensive line group during practice after the USC game. That speaks volumes to me.

Bollman calls the offense...JT contributes.

 

[matt_thatsme]

Bollman calls the offense...JT contributes.

Everything that I have read indicates that Bollman makes recommendations, but JT does the play calling.


Tressel's call: He'll be final arbiter
Ohio State coach says he's open to input from assistants
BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Tressel's call: He'll be final arbiter

 

[lvbuckeye]

turning point of the game was our first third quarter drive.

the turning point of the game was Shaun Lane getting hurt.

 

[JackforPrez]

What a game

I'm completely satisfied with the players effort in this game, they left it out there on the field and should be proud of that. They held a great team in check the entire game. Hats off to a stellar Texas team; it wasn't a case of them being off, it was a case of our defense being the best they've seen all year long and that's what proves Texas doesn't belong in the NC game. Sanchez put up 413 yrds and 4 TD's, McCoy had 2 and Texas didn't score anywhere near the points everyone said they would. which should prove that OSU deserves some cred. It doesn't surprise me that ESPN, SI, etc. are calling it all Texas and giving no cred to tOSU whatsoever. Oh well, its more fun to realize what we have and watch them continue on in their pompous fashion, cluelessly.

Can't say I'm satisfied with JT's play calling throughout the whole of the game or the lack of adjustment on D in the second half, but thats not the players fault. I honestly believe that our players WILL the team to win in spite of the questionable coaching decisions at times, our guys are just talented and smart players. Krenzel willed his guys forward and I think we're going to see Pryor do the same thing the next few years. I agree with an earlier post that JT needs to give up some of the play calling. Let it be the Offensive Co's job Tres. I love ya buddy, but you need to dole out some control to other people.

Also, that was a fairly generous spot on 4th down to the 'Horns. Great season kids, take it out on USC when they come to town next year. Can't wait until next season. GO BUCKS!!!!

 

[jwinslow]

Everything that I have read indicates that Bollman makes recommendations, but JT does the play calling.

He's not guessing nor going by articles.

 

[buckeyesin07]

They are not lucky, they are good.

A team can be both. And Texas was last night. Still not sure why you're unable to comprehend that. Texas had zero margin for error in that last drive. Zero. Everything had to break just their way for them to win. And it did. They're lucky in that respect.