Ohio State Football: A rational look

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

As I said, the differences were stark in terms of the positions on the field, AND on the sideline. You post essentially acknowledges that.

OK? Do you want a cookie? Sorry for misunderstanding your position... as I took you to be implying that one approach (SC) is the only valid of the two... which is not my position.

 

[sparcboxbuck]

As for "Stark differences" there is only one I can think of....

USC plays every down like it's their last. Ohio State gave up after the Holding Pen. brought back Robo's TD. If Ohio State finnished their drives, the score is 14-14 at the half.

Things got out of hand after OSU laid down. THAT is the problem with this team... laying down. It happened against Florida and it happened again last Saturday. At least they played hard all game against LSU... but LSU was simply better.. big shock.. wasn't 07 a "rebuilding" year?

+1

The laying down part is what concerns me the most. Ask a player if anyone laid down and I'm sure that you'd get a "heck no," but then to read what it was like during half time... It may not have been laying down, but it wasn't standing up either.

My concern is the lessons learned by the youngsters (read: future) of this team. Someone(s) -- I don't believe that it can be just one -- needs to stand up and light a fire when the chips are down. Light a fire that won't go out.

I'm looking forward to the team never feeling like they are "out of it" ever again. That confidence and fire is what keeps guys pushing through the line, it's what keeps the wide outs running routes even though they know that it's not coming to them, it's the difference between this amp that goes to 10 and ours that goes to 11.

 

[ProudBuck67]

The air went out of me after the holding penalty too. I said out loud "here we go again with the penalties."

GO BUCKS!

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

I went to school during the latter half of the Earl Bruce years, then suffered through the Cooper years. Also, I was someone who never felt Cooper should have been fired--despite how frustrating those Michigan and bowl losses were-until the off-field problems spiraled out of control. During the Cooper years, I drew up an idea of what would make me happy from the Ohio State football program. It was something like this (remember there was no BCS system).

On-Field

1. Win an undisputed Big Ten title once every 4 years.
2. Win a shared or undisputed Big Ten title 3 out of every 5 years
3. Play in a New Year's Day Bowl Game 4 out of every 5 years
4. Make a national title run 3 times per decade
5. Win a national title once every decade
6. .500 record against Michigan
7. Winning record in bowl games
8. .500 record against top 10 teams

Off-Field

1. No NCAA violations whatsoever
2. Graduation rates in the top half of Big Ten programs
3. Strong presence on academic All Big Ten and All American lists
4. Support the athletic department to a degree that it requires no subsidies from the university's general fund

By the standards that I set up to judge Cooper, I'd say that JT has done a hell of a job. I was a little apprehensive about the off-field issues his first couple of years, but I think we'll all agree that whether it was a case of his learning the difference between running a big time program or simply getting Cooper's players off the team, he's stepped up in this regard also.

I'm not going to let one dismal game sour me on the state of the program.

 

[matcar]

OK? Do you want a cookie? Sorry for misunderstanding your position... as I took you to be implying that one approach (SC) is the only valid of the two... which is not my position.

Nah, I just had a donut so a cookie wouldn't cut it. No need to be defensive...

We just need to get better (stating the obvious). And as one poster stated, USC knows they need to get better too. I agree with that thought, and it is humbling to think that a team that won all phases of the game on Saturday and beat us by 32 is every bit as hungry to improve as we are. The team has it's work cut out...I'm sure they can do it, but I'm sensing from the rumor mill posts and elsewhere that it isn't going to be easy.

 

[RugbyBuck]

There was a time when you could absolutely count on Tressel & Co. to make halftime adjustments on both sides of the ball, especially on defense. We would know that if the game was close at the half we would win in in the second. We still win a lot of games, but I haven't seen/felt that way for a long time. Have we been so good that games are just another day at the office?

Before the season I wrote that I'd rather have this team than 2002. Clearly, I was wrong. This team may beat the hell out of Purdue rather than having to have Holy Buckeye to win, but that team stood up and punched a Miami team that was every bit as good as USC 2008 in the mouth.