-
New here? Register here now for access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Plus, stay connected and follow BP on Instagram @buckeyeplanet and Facebook.
- Thread starter NJ-Buckeye
- Start date
Yeah I was having issues saying that but fully agree.
That same gap keeps showing up. For whatever reason. At least the "Illinois issue" was because they had their front 6 going the wrong way from what Illinois was running. I don't know if I totally buy it though.
This isn't like the Oregon game in 2022 (or the Maryland game in 2018) when the defense couldn't get in the right position. This feels like a scheme issue (I won't say tackling again, that should be fixable). Maybe Timmons does matter that much? And we know Caleb Downs was a huge loss, but to this level? Both are possible.
Upvote
0
I could be wrong but Days new thing is that he seems now hell bent on doing things how the NFL does. The constant loads of TE sets for example. When we clearly do not have the personnel for it. Id pin the defensive issues on the same thing. They seem "confused" a lot, especially when we try to go zone. Maybe the scheme is just too complex and doesn't fit for this unit
Upvote
0
People screamed enough about "Day's offense sucks" that he's turned the reins completely over to Smith. Some of the weird ass play calls we've seen have been entirely out of an NFL playbook - you see some of the same crap on Sundays from bad OCs.
The 12 and 13 sets are entirely from the NFL and something Smith is well known for. The sad part is, if it just worked better in short yardage situations, the concepts aren't entirely bad, but the execution sucks right now. That's on the OC and the buck stops with Day as his boss.
Let's remember that when Day was an OC, he was all about crossing routes, "key" plays (which are WR screens out of an RPO look) and slants. A lot of the reputation for the receiving room started in that era where you stretched the defense horizontally and attacked them diagonally with guys like Paris Campbell and Terry McLaurin and then used guys like Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson as the deeper threats. Things changed a bit with JSN and MHJr but the basic concepts were similar with Kevin Wilson as OC. It started morphing the first time Hartline came through (an NFL guy really) until Kelly came along for 1 season, and in the year plus after he left, we've seen the offense go the other way fully, which again was Hartline.
The defense is likely a very similar copy to what Patricia ran last year, except he doesn't have the horses quite ready yet to make it work - even that's not the case, he has the horses, but they aren't ready for the race, so to speak. They've flashed what they might become with time, but time is up now. And the tackling tonight was inexcusable on any level.
Upvote
0
Like I said I knew deep down Smith wasn't a good hire but was willing to give it a chance because Patricia worked out last year and I thought the same of that. I think Day still has influence on the offense though, you still see enough of the crap that had Days name written all over it in the past. The combo of Art Smiths 12/13 personnel and the shit current time Ryan Day thinks is genius but never actually works is a tragic mix.
Upvote
0
I don't know how much influence he's put into it this year.
EDIT to add: They ran a little quick screen to Smith in the 3rd quarter that hasn't been run all year. I'd love to know where that call came from.
We've seen what happens when the defense is broken and he emphasized it in 2024. We saw it again this year after the Illinois debacle.
I think he's gone too far into the executive HC role frankly. And I think it hasn't helped that the OCs are running stuff for NFL guys for a team, even as talented as Ohio State, isn't full of NFL dudes.
I said it earlier today too - I think the schemes could both use some simplification. And in no uncertain terms am I cool with the seeming 20 yard gap in the middle of the defense that keeps showing up on passing plays. That's baffling to me - either someone is doing something wrong OR they are planning for something that isn't there.
Upvote
0
The amount of soft 3 man rush type shell we are seeing from the defense this year is classic mind bending NFL stupidity. The worst thing you can do with a struggling pass coverage is just let the QB have insane amounts of time to throw.
It's criminal to keep running a ton of heavy TE sets at this point as well. It's proven beyond a doubt to not work very well the majority of the time.
It's just all around stubbornness. If things CLEARLY aren't working you have to change it up. Which both there coordinators of course seem unwilling to do.
Upvote
0
One of the big things I tell the kids I coach is you have to learn as much from when you win as when you lose. It's much harder to learn when you have success.
They (meaning the OC and DC) don't have a choice now. Tendencies and "firewalls" in their thinking need to be broken.
Upvote
0
Think it's too late. Oregon is probably going to kill us with the same type of big hit plays USC did. If we tackle like we did today it could get ugly again.
Upvote
0
Interesting. I don't like the NFL stuff either, but it's because we aren't playing against NFL caliber defenses. A team with the talent Ohio State has should be able to just run crossing patterns and watch Olave torch Michigan for all the yards. The teams we're playing aren't going to have the talent to be able to stop us.
I feel like the NFL goes away from the splashy, fun college plays because they don't work. So you need TE bullshittery.
We went away from it just because.
Upvote
0
"Nothing cleanses the soul like getting the hell kicked out of you."
It may not have been that way by the stats, but if this team has any pride in what it does on defense, this performance will be a catalyst to something better, at least when it comes to the tackling portion.
Schematically? Don't know. We'll see.
Upvote
0
What I mean by "isn't full of NFL dudes" is the roster has what 90 guys on it? If more than 30 see more than practice squad time in the NFL it'll be amazing.
Other than that, yeah I agree. College and the NFL are different versions of the same game. Part of the reasons a lot of people prefer one over the other are based on those differences. I personally like the typical variance in offense you'll see in college whereas the NFL pretty typically has teams that run all the same stuff like you said.
Upvote
0