Post-Game Comments
• With 4:12 left in the game, I was preparing to write the lazy postmortem. You know, something like: "Play calling .... lack of adjustments .... soft team .... short yardage red zone Clemson 2019 .... John Cooper .... season over wait until next year." While we can, and some of us undoubtedly will, discuss our team's and our coach's shortcomings over the upcoming days and weeks, today all of that negative talk (or constructive criticism) has to be put on hold because It happened. After failing to convert a 3rd-and-1 and a 4th-and-1 from Notre Dame's 11-yard line down 14-10, the Buckeye defense somehow forced a quick punt (assist to the ND coaching staff), and the Buckeye offense went 65 yards in the final 1:26 of the game (and they literally needed every last second) to score the game-winning touchdown and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
• The final drive took a staggering 15 plays to complete, meaning that Ohio State ran one play every 5.7 seconds. Kyle McCord will deservedly get much credit for leading his team down the field in clutch time, but if you look just at the raw numbers you won't be all that impressed: 5 completions in 14 attempts (one spike) with an intentional grounding penalty thrown into the mix. Where McCord earned his NIL money was on the plays where the Buckeyes needed him the most, converting first downs on 3rd-and-10, 3rd-and-19, and 4th-and-7 to keep the improbable drive alive.
• Some of our posters claimed that McCord entered The Pantheon after that game-winning drive, joining the likes of Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields, and CJ Stroud as Buckeye legends. Another poster dubbed him Kyle McKrenzel. Right now, I'm inclined to the hold the latter position – lots of awkwardness and ugliness with moments of sublime beauty delivered right on time. Haskins, Fields, and Stroud were all Heisman finalists and first round draft choices and prototype quarterbacks, but Krenzel won a national championship.
• Much has already been said about Ohio State's final play, the Chip Trayanum 1-yard touchdown run to win the game. Most of that talk has been along the lines of Ryan Day being a lunatic for calling a run with just 7 seconds left on the clock. But it was the right call. Ohio State needed one yard and Ryan Day dialed up the play mostly likely to gain him that one yard. Sure, if that run failed then it was game over, but an incomplete pass might have used up those final 7 seconds anyway. And as mentioned above, Kyle McCord hadn't exactly been surgically shredding Notre Dame's defense during the previous 14 plays, he didn't really have the proverbial hot hand. Maybe Day felt that McCord wasn't quite ready for that moment of crowning glory so he took the ball out of his hands and the pressure off of his back. Maybe Day went into Kevin Stefanski smartest guy in the room mode and called a play against type. Or maybe Day (or McCord) checked into a running play after noticing that Notre Dame had only 10 men on the field and that the missing man was the right defensive end. In any event, it was the right play call because the play worked and the Buckeyes won the game.
• People have already asked whether last night's game was an instant classic. I have two answers: Yes, and maybe. Yes, because it was a matchup of top-10 teams from historic programs that had an epic finish. Maybe, because this game might not seem so special if Ohio State fails to finish the season strongly – if the Buckeyes end up 9-4 with a middling bowl game, then this becomes just another really nice win with a few memorable highlights.
• Now that the final comeback drive has entered Buckeye lore, what do we call it? The Drive is too simple and obvious, and that term has already been appropriated by Cleveland Browns fans. Something with "Miracle" in the name would make sense, especially because it happened in view of Touchdown Jesus, but that route is a bit to clichéd for my tastes. I'm sure that there are names floating around cyberspace as I type – let me know if your see or hear any good ones.
• The rushing numbers for both teams were fairly similar: Ohio State had 27 carries for 126 yards (4.7 average) and 2 touchdowns, while Notre Dame had 38 carries for 177 yards (4.7 average) and 1 touchdown. The difference was in how each team gained its yardage – Ohio State had a 61-yard touchdown run from TreVeyon Henderson (that's why he's special, folks) and not much else; Notre Dame was able to consistently pound the ball behind their outstanding offensive line.
• Like Kyle McCord, JT Tuimoloau came up big when it mattered the most. On Notre Dame's final drive, he had a 5-yard TFL and a batted pass on consecutive plays to force the Irish into 3rd-and-15 and an eventual punt.
• Ryan Day's Ric Flair postgame interview was equal parts inspiring and hilarious – maybe next time he'll be sporting dark shades and flashing a solid gold Rolex. People will undoubtedly bash Day for calling out Lou Holtz, but in this Coach Prime Era of college football playing the disrespect card and delivering it with vigor and style will get you noticed. Nice guys finish last, and quiet guys don't make SportsCenter. And besides, college football is entertainment, so who can complain when a head coach is entertaining?
* My father was born in December of 1936. He has never seen Notre Dame beat Ohio State in football. May he live another 100 years.