Iowa Post Game Thoughts

[martinss01]

Okay, the Buckeyes just won their fifth straight Big Ten championship and earned their fifth straight trip to a BCS bowl game. So why am I not excited by this 27-24 win over Iowa? Maybe it's because winning the conference and going to a major bowl is becoming so damned ordinary. Yeah, I know that we're bound for the Rose Bowl - the Granddaddy of them all - but we've been to three national championship games (2002, 2006, 2007), three Fiesta Bowls (2003, 2005, 2008), and one Sugar Bowl (1998) since our last trip to Pasadena (1996), so it's not like we are long-suffering fans when it comes to meaningful post-season action. Maybe we're like the rich guy who finds a $100 bill in the street and doesn't even bother to bend down and pick it up - after a while, it's hard for the successful to get excited about even more success. Maybe we need a season like 2004 to get our priorities back in order ... but on second thought, I'd really rather not go there. Winning another Big Ten championship and going to another BCS bowl may be just a little bit boring and commonplace these days, but it's certainly better than the alternative.

this is our 5th straight big 10 title. thats woody territory. this is jt's first rose bowl. ...i really have to ask, why do you watch? do you watch because it makes you feel better to watch "your" team pummels the competition? or do you watch to see the kids go out and give their all win or loose?

A side note on the Rose Bowl.... I suppose that the Rose Bowl should still have a bit of special significance for us Ohio State fans, but we won't even get a shot at our traditional West Coast rival this year. With Southern Cal out of contention, we'll see Oregon, or Stanford, or Arizona, or ... who cares? It's just another more-or-less meaningless bowl game against another more-or-less meaningless opponent. Let's bring back the good old days (1967 to 1979), when the Rose Bowl was the de facto national championship game no less than seven times (1967, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979). Today, the Rose Bowl is just another multi-million dollar pay out from the BCS slush fund, nothing more. Only the BCS championship game means anything anymore, and since we're not going there, I don't really care where we go ... at least, I don't care as much as I should.

i don't care who we play. this is the rose bowl. this is my guys getting more time to grow and come together as a group before competing in one of the most celebrated sports venues against a very worthy adversary.

So, the season's not over yet ... still some work to do, still some business to accomplish. It's Weasel season!

think this might be the only thing we agree about. it is scum time. this game is more important than any other any year. its more important than the big 10 title, its more important than the nc. this is the game. records are irrelevant.

The Buckeyes take a two-score lead in the fourth quarter, they have their opponent on the ropes, 99 and 44/100 percent dead and buried, and then they give up a huge play (85-yard TD pass versus Navy, 99-yard kick-off return versus Iowa) to let the bad guys right back into the game. It's almost like watching a horror movie sometimes ... you know, Freddie Krueger, or Michael Myers, or Jason being shot up, hacked apart, burnt to a crisp only to return fully reanimated over and over and over again. But in any right and proper horror flick, the good guys always prevail in the final minutes and live happily ever after ... at least until the next sequel. And that's what happened again last night ... we survived ... just barely ... but we survived.

you do realize we always have this type of game the week before scum right? the score hasn't always been so close. but for the most part, this is the game we play every year before scum. some may call it chess, i suppose that could be accurate. ill call it how i see it. this was a get healthy game. seemed to me we wanted to work basic fundamentals, rest the kids we could, and keep the rest from doing anymore damage. for the most part, we accomplished that.

24 - 10 in the 4th. first things first, iowa is a very good team and is worthy of being the big 10 champ. i expected them to be good, i didnt think they were that good. second, with our d going into the 4th. id start calling a conservative game too.

imo, we showed up saturday looking to do just enough to win. well... we did that. literally.

4. Back to yesterday's game for a minute.... In 2004, the Buckeyes won a game in similar fasion, when Mike Nugent connected on a 54-yard field goal to beat Marshall 24-21 as time expired. Back then, it was a thrilling, exciting finish, one of the greatest finales of all time, and I was jumping up and down with sheer euphoria (okay, maybe that's a bit of hyperbole of my own, but you get my point) ... but six years later, I've had enough. I just want to win games the old-fashioned way, by pounding the living snot out of the opponent for sixty minutes, by running up the score, by going for two in the fourth quarter....

maybe im too young or maybe i have more of a connection to this team. but this win was 10 times that of the marshall win for me.

5. It's officially Michigan Week. 'Nuff said.

thank god for that. ive waited all year for this week.

 

[CalvinistBuck]

Okay, the Buckeyes just won their fifth straight Big Ten championship and earned their fifth straight trip to a BCS bowl game. So why am I not excited by this 27-24 win over Iowa? ... Winning another Big Ten championship and going to another BCS bowl may be just a little bit boring and commonplace these days, but it's certainly better than the alternative...I suppose that the Rose Bowl should still have a bit of special significance for us Ohio State fans, but we won't even get a shot at our traditional West Coast rival this year...Only the BCS championship game means anything anymore, and since we're not going there, I don't really care where we go ... at least, I don't care as much as I should.

To be sure, the BCS has diluted the significance of the "Granddaddy of them All." And while it may appear that a two-loss team playing a non-USC team in the Rose Bowl isn't too spectacular given the recent fortunes of tOSU football team, I think the Buckeyes are right where they should be.

The 2009 Buckeyes are a good team in a sub-par conference that shouldn't be playing for a national title. Winning your conference and beating your rival (still on the "to do" list) are always the most important goals. Playing in a BCS bowl is a just reward and right where I had hoped the Bucks would be at this point in this season. Beat TSUN and win the Rose Bowl. Great--and achievable--goals.

Since the current team is loaded with Sophs and Juniors, the 2010 Buckeyes have legitimate hope to take this to the next level. In a bit of a rebuilding year, to win your conference and go to the Rose Bowl is a glorious thing. Let's celebrate!

 

[NFBuck]

Can someone make this emoticon: :2004: Except the guy is bashing himself with a Big 10 Champions' trophy and call it :2009:?

So we should all just shut up and color? Is constructive criticism really that bad? Should we just shut down the boards unless we just want to sit around and fellate ourselves?

I'm thrilled that we won another conference title and are heading to the Rose Bowl, but plenty happened that warrants discussion. God forbid some people don't have a "rainbows & lollipops" viewpoint. :!

 

[Muck]

My post game thoughts:

ROSES

:osu:

Mine =

The Game

 

[LordJeffBuck]

this is our 5th straight big 10 title. thats woody territory. this is jt's first rose bowl. ...i really have to ask, why do you watch? do you watch because it makes you feel better to watch "your" team pummels the competition? or do you watch to see the kids go out and give their all win or loose?

And why do you watch? So that you can make post-game (Purdue) commentary like this?

pryor sucks. the offensive scheme sucks. tressel sucks. actually no, the oline got flat out dominated. no thats not accurate either, it was far worse than being dominated. they played like ass.

 

[NFBuck]

And why do you watch? So that you can make post-game (Purdue) commentary like this?

The internet never forgets.

 

[FCollinsBuckeye]

And why do you watch? So that you can make post-game (Purdue) commentary like this?

Oh snap!



Seriously though, how many fans of how many teams would like to be dissecting a nail biter win of the conference championship clinching game?

This is Ohio State football, people. Three yards and a cloud of rubber pellets ain't going anywhere.

Go Bucks!! Beat M*chigan!!!

 

[Ttown]

I loved the game even as I sit here and wonder how tresselball can be so maddening at times.
I'm very happy we beat Iowa and now start scum week.
Go Bucks beat michigan!!

 

[CalvinistBuck]

Quite the opposite here. I was absolutely thrilled. The kids and I were exchanging high fives, hugs around... it was a good time and we all had smiles a mile wide.

Clinically... a dry analysis... nothing of what LJB and other have been saying is "wrong" I just don't agree. I'm not sick of winning big ten titles. I'm not "ho hum" about it in the least. If anything, I think this win was MORE exciting than some wins in years gone past. I'm not ho-hum about any bowl other than the BCS Title.

Vanilla schemes worked. Vanilla schemes were the plan. If Ryan Williams doesn't jump offsides, this game is 31-17. If Ohio State doesn't give up the long KO return, it's 24-10. If Ohio State didn't give up the KO return and Williams doesn't jump it's 31-10. I know that sounds like excuses... They did give up the KO and Williams did jump offsides... But, vanilla worked.. and given two slightly different results to these plays it could have looked like a [censored]in blow out. Sure, I would have liked to see Ohio State stretch the field or run some play action.. Sure I would have liked to see Ohio State turn up the heat on the Freshman QB... so what?

Far from "wanting more" I'm perfectly satisfied.

For the moment. Still gotta [censored] up Michigan.

I, too, celebrated. I was thrilled, but, truth be told, I also felt relief. The euphoria of Saine's 49-yard TD run (and the feeling that we were right where we needed to be) was so quickly erased by Iowa's 99-yard return. I read your (and the rest of the staff) analysis (thank you very much) and agreed that tOSU should win. My prediction was 27-13.

And, like you, I am very satisfied by the outcome.

However, I've read through this thread, and keep reading things like "if NW doesn't jump offsides" or "if the ST doesn't allow the 99-yard return." But that's football. That's all part of the game; and, part of what coaches plan for.

The "ifs" happened and what concerns me is that the Buckeyes put Iowa in a position to win the game after tOSU had managed the game pretty well for 50 mins. A couple of mid-range passes and a field goal at the end could've won it for Iowa. A Hawkeye TD, or even a FG, in OT would have had all of us very, very nervous.

This wasn't just coach-speak when Coach Tressel said after the game, "I know we need to get better." Even JT was probably thinking that he could have managed that 4th quarter a little better.

So, let's be fair. Thrilled?! Check. Relieved?! Check.

And, oh yeah. Beat M*ch*g*n!!

 

[rocketman]

So we should all just shut up and color? Is constructive criticism really that bad? Should we just shut down the boards unless we just want to sit around and fellate ourselves?

I'm thrilled that we won another conference title and are heading to the Rose Bowl, but plenty happened that warrants discussion. God forbid some people don't have a "rainbows & lollipops" viewpoint. :!

I suck at sarcasm. :(

 

[NFBuck]

I suck at sarcasm. :(

My bad.

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Yeah, I know the "ifs" sound like excuses. But, fact is you don't expect a 99 yard kick return against you. You don't game plan for it... "Well, we better throw the ball down the field, 'cause they have KO return for a score in them." When was the last time OSU gave up a KO return for a TD? I'm thinking Penn State 07? In a blow out? There may have been one from Michigan State, but I forget. In any case, it's not as if Ohio State knew going in that the chances of Iowa taking a kick back was likely.

As for the off-sides, you can't necessarily game plan for x amount of picks, or any amount of pick 6s as that one would have been. I'll give you that. Likewise, you can't expect that Chimdi would not catch an easy pick, instead pop it up and have their TE catch it on the very same drive.

You're right, it's part of the game.. It happens..
But, the point is - you come up with a plan, and you implement it. My point was that despite the result, the plan worked. It actually worked well (in my opinion), but for two very identifiable plays.

I don't disagree with LJB's analysis of the vanilla. It was. I would also have preferred a downfield passing attack and play action. I would have preferred attempts at turning the heat up on their QB. In terms of dry analysis and the like, I think LJB's post is on the money, more or less.

There's nothing wrong with looking in to "what went wrong" when done in a way more substantive than "This guy is horrible" and "That guy is a waste of a schollie"

My point is basically that it's pretty clear what the plan was going in, and but for 2 plays that play was potentially a 3 TD win, more or less. It almost slipped away. I'm glad it didn't, but I don't have much "alarm" because of it.

 

[CalvinistBuck]

My point is basically that it's pretty clear what the plan was going in, and but for 2 plays that play was potentially a 3 TD win, more or less. It almost slipped away. I'm glad it didn't, but I don't have much "alarm" because of it.

Admittedly, we don't gameplan for anomalies. But we prepare for the unexpected. We even try trick plays and onside kicks. My point of concern is that tOSU gave Iowa a chance to win a game that the Bucks had pretty good control of.

Would you have been alarmed if Iowa kicked a winning FG in the last seconds or Vandenberg throws a winning TD in OT? These two outcomes were more probable than a 99-yard kickoff return.

 

[Buckeneye]

We laugh at scUM fans for many of their "blind faith" in fraudriguez. We shouldn't do the same thing.

92-21 compared to 8-15, lets not try to use scUM fans or DR as a measuring stick

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Admittedly, we don't gameplan for anomalies. But we prepare for the unexpected. We even try trick plays and onside kicks. My point of concern is that tOSU gave Iowa a chance to win a game that the Bucks had pretty good control of.

I don't know... I felt pretty damn good at 24-10 that the game was over. Had the game ended that way, as it usually does in OSU games, this thread probably doesn't exist. Anyway, I'm not sure OSU gave Iowa a chance so much as Iowa - like they've done all season - seized the opportunity when they had to... and a little luck went their way too (The missed INT, pop up, catch). OSU persevered. I'd sure as hell rather win this sort of game than have a team like.. say USC.. put together a game winning drive on their last possession of the game after being stymied all game long.

I mean, hells bells, one of the advantages Iowa had was comfort in playing from behind or in close ball games. Now Ohio State knows the feeling too. There are always positives. And any coach will tell you, in any blow out, there are always negatives.

Would you have been alarmed if Iowa kicked a winning FG in the last seconds or Vandenberg throws a winning TD in OT? These two outcomes were more probable than a 99-yard kickoff return.

Of course I would have been serious pissed about such a result. I don't think I would blame Tresselball any more than I did after the USC loss though. It's designed to work. It usually does work. In the USC game it did not. In the Iowa game, it did.

Once again, I sure would have liked it if Ohio State came out and took charge the way everyone expected, and did so in ways that weren't so scripted. But, as I keep saying... according to the script Ohio State wins 24-10... or something like that... and no one gets hurt, Michigan's got another week of no film...

I have to believe there was a purpose in deciding on a game plan that was uncreative... and uncaring, really... I mean, Vanderberg was having success early, and nothing changed.... I have to believe there was a reason, and I believe that reason is - we don't have to change a thing to win by 2 scores. It almost slipped away, but that's exactly how it turned out but for that flurry at the end.