HC Ryan Day (2019 B1G Media COY)

[billmac91]

Know it doesn’t get the crowd pumped up, but the little things (like taking 3 points while up 28-7) instead of going for it on 4th and 2 are big steps forward for Day.

We arguably lost the Oregon last year bc we were too aggressive on 4th down. You get stopped on 4th and 2 and the game changes if they go down and make it 28-14. 31-7 just makes way more sense from protecting a game and playing winning percentage. Last year, I have no doubt Day goes for it….

I think it’s the evolution of being so aggressive as an OC to now understanding what gives the team the best chance to win as a HC.

 

[NFBuck]

I don't know 2019 looked pretty Death Star-ish till Clemson.

Yeah, that's fair. I forgot about the Hafley D.

 

[Systems_id]

Ryan Day is 38-4 as a head coach, but this is the first time he appears to have a fully armed and operational death star. They're clicking in all phases and kicking the shit out of everyone in their path. Now he just has to keep these guys focused and continue to look for areas for improvement and they are going to be damned near impossible to beat. This will be his toughest test yet.

Nah 2019 was obliterating teams from the word "jump". Still the best OSU team I've ever seen. Luck is the only thing that team was missing. If fully healthy they beat everyone in the playoffs by at least 2 TDs.

 

[Onebuckfan]

This team with Chase Young would exceed 2019. We just lack one monster at DE.

 

[Bestbuck36]

Run the damn offense in the fourth quarter please. McCord needs game management time. Should the unthinkable happen he needs to be able to go win a title if need be.

 

[MGMT]

Only complaint was the third and 5 run call in the red zone and I’m confident I’m not alone there. Felt like we could have easily gotten to a 4th and 1 deep in territory and still gotten it.

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

Run the damn offense in the fourth quarter please. McCord needs game management time. Should the unthinkable happen he needs to be able to go win a title if need be.

Only complaint was the third and 5 run call in the red zone and I’m confident I’m not alone there. Felt like we could have easily gotten to a 4th and 1 deep in territory and still gotten it.

I agree with '36 about running the whole offense with the backups (more on that subject in the next post), and I agree with MGMT on the 3rd and 5 call. What those things have in common is that the Buckeyes in general and Day in particular took it too easy on the Badgers.

And yet, as I posted in the week 4 thread (quoted below), Ohio State over-performed vs the spread more than any other top-ten team... in spite of not running the whole offense with the backups, in spite of calling a running play on 3rd and 5 with said backups and then punting on 4th and short when Wisconsin was in no danger of stopping the 4th down play, in spite of the Badgers leaving their starters in against the Buckeye 2nd string for their 2nd touchdown, in spite of the Badgers leaving their starters in against Buckeye freshmen for their 3rd touchdown.

Week 4 Top Ten Recap

All spreads are from the upset contest thread

1) Georgia: 44 point favorite over Kent State ... won 39-22 (spread -27)
2) Alabama: 40 point favorite over Vandy ... won 55-3 (spread +12)
3) Ohio St.: 18.5 point favorite over Wiscy ... won 52-21 (spread +12.5)
4) TTUN: 17 point favorite over Maryland ... won 34-27 (spread -10)
5) Clemson: 7 point favorite over Wake Forest... won 51-45 OT (spread -7)**

This isn't a casino, it's a measurement of performance. Regulation ended in a tie; mark it zero.​

6) Oklahoma: 13 point favorite over Kansas St ... lost 34-41 (spread -20)
7) So Cal: 6.5 point favorite over Oregon St ... won 17-14 (spread -3.5)**
8) Kentucky: 25.5 point favorite over N. Ill ... won 31-23 (spread -17.5)
9) Ok State: Bye Week
10) Arkansas: 2.5 point DOG to aTm ... lost 21-23 (spread +.5)**


First thing to note is that the above compares each team's results to the Vegas perception of them, not to the AP perception of them. It is clear from some of those lines that the Vegas perception and the AP perception were at variance. Most notably is that #23 aTm was favored over #10 Arkansas (and Vegas nailed that one). It could also be argued that Clemson being only a 7 point favorite over #21 Wake Forest is an indication that Vegas knew something that the AP voters didn't (shocking). A team that belongs at #7 should pound the Beavers pretty good, but Vegas had SoCal as only a 6.5 point favorite. These games have thus been marked with (**) to indicate that the result is more at variance with the AP ranking than with the spread. (One could argue that the TUN game should be marked as such; but to me the jury is out on both TTUN and MD)

When you consider that both #11 Tennessee and #12 NC State also under-performed vs the spread yesterday, it is clear that every single team in college football has either under-performed at least once this year or has played absolutely no one (looking at you Minnesota, though you clearly deserve to be ranked). The point here is that, after the top 3 (who have each had at least one bad game themselves), you can easily point to literally every team in college football and say, "That team does not belong in the top ten." But seven teams, aside from the top 3, DO belong in the top 10. One simply has to acknowledge; 1) the gulf between the top 3 and everyone else, and 2) the parity on that next tier. There isn't true parity in college football per se, but within tiers there is a great deal of parity. The second tier seems to be both larger and more flawed (farther below tier 1) than I remember it ever having been before. Or at least that's my perception of it after week 4.

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

Run the damn offense in the fourth quarter please. McCord needs game management time. Should the unthinkable happen he needs to be able to go win a title if need be.

Agree completely. Our culture has some beliefs that strike me as strange. Among these is the belief that it is unsportsmanlike to get your 2023 starters real-game reps running your whole offense, including passing plays; but it is not unsportsmanlike to leave your starters in a game when your opponent is playing their freshmen, as long as you're doing it when you're the one who's getting blown out. Why, in football, is it incumbent on the superior team to "tap out" on behalf of the lesser team? Why is it incumbent upon them to continue to "tap out" (play the 3rd string), even when the inferior team is still playing their starters? Even if we accept those beliefs as an off-shoot of the code of chivalry, it still does not explain how it is incumbent on the superior team to refrain from getting their next-year's-starters in-game reps with the whole offense. If I can accept the first two, if grudgingly, the inferior teams can shove the latter belief up their inferior asses. If they cry; drink their tears. Run the offense.

 

[Onebuckfan]

Agree completely. Our culture has some beliefs that strike me as strange. Among these is the belief that it is unsportsmanlike to get your 2023 starters real-game reps running your whole offense, including passing plays; but it is not unsportsmanlike to leave your starters in a game when your opponent is playing their freshmen, as long as you're doing it when you're the one who's getting blown out. Why, in football, is it incumbent on the superior team to "tap out" on behalf of the lesser team? Why is it incumbent upon them to continue to "tap out" (play the 3rd string), even when the inferior team is still playing their starters? Even if we accept those beliefs as an off-shoot of the code of chivalry, it still does not explain how it is incumbent on the superior team to refrain from getting their next-year's-starters in-game reps with the whole offense. If I can accept the first two, if grudgingly, the inferior teams can shove the latter belief up their inferior asses. If they cry; drink their tears. Run the offense.

There once was a code…Chic Harley lived by it.

 

[pnuts34]

Agree completely. Our culture has some beliefs that strike me as strange. Among these is the belief that it is unsportsmanlike to get your 2023 starters real-game reps running your whole offense, including passing plays; but it is not unsportsmanlike to leave your starters in a game when your opponent is playing their freshmen, as long as you're doing it when you're the one who's getting blown out. Why, in football, is it incumbent on the superior team to "tap out" on behalf of the lesser team? Why is it incumbent upon them to continue to "tap out" (play the 3rd string), even when the inferior team is still playing their starters? Even if we accept those beliefs as an off-shoot of the code of chivalry, it still does not explain how it is incumbent on the superior team to refrain from getting their next-year's-starters in-game reps with the whole offense. If I can accept the first two, if grudgingly, the inferior teams can shove the latter belief up their inferior asses. If they cry; drink their tears. Run the offense.

I think because coaches are in a small fraternity, and most have worked together in the past and don’t want to run it up on their buddy. So I’m guessing they don’t want to drop 80pts on a guy they may have Thanksgiving dinner with, were assistants on a team with or even played football with. It seems like an unwritten gentlemens agreement that fans will never understand.

 

[MGMT]

I think because coaches are in a small fraternity, and most have worked together in the past and don’t want to run it up on their buddy. So I’m guessing they don’t want to drop 80pts on a guy they may have Thanksgiving dinner with, were assistants on a team with or even played football with. It seems like an unwritten gentlemens agreement that fans will never understand.

underrated component of the sport to which the average can offers no attention. There’s a reason you’ll see players of opposing teams speaking with ours after the clock goes 0 for several minutes at a time.

Sportsmanship is a thing.

 

[1926Buckeyes]

Impressed with where the team is now compared to the same time last year. I'd also argue they're development is ahead of anyone not named Georgia. Still plenty to work on, but with key players still out and young guns still learning the ropes, I don't think they're goimg to peak too soon.

 

[sparcboxbuck]

underrated component of the sport to which the average can offers no attention. There’s a reason you’ll see players of opposing teams speaking with ours after the clock goes 0 for several minutes at a time.

Sportsmanship is a thing.

There are three times each year where that does not apply. The Game, playing state penn and one team that pissed you off last year for whatever reason and they just need to be put in their place.

Otherwise, yes.

 

[MGMT]

There are three times each year where that does not apply. The Game, playing state penn and one team that pissed you off last year for whatever reason and they just need to be put in their place.

Otherwise, yes.

obviously. I’d probably throw MSU in there too.

 

[NFBuck]

I think because coaches are in a small fraternity, and most have worked together in the past and don’t want to run it up on their buddy. So I’m guessing they don’t want to drop 80pts on a guy they may have Thanksgiving dinner with, were assistants on a team with or even played football with. It seems like an unwritten gentlemens agreement that fans will never understand.

I understand that and all, but...

Style points matter now more than ever. Take their fucking heads.