This was an interesting game, big picture wise, since it was a very loseable game for Ohio State. If tOSU had lost, especially close like it was, it really would not have meant much of anything big picture wise, with PSU and TTUN on the schedule. If we were going to lose one, this is the one to lose. Yes, there's "the narrative" but that's just media talking heads looking for clicks. All that is forgotten at the end of the year. This game meant much more for ND.
Still, head and heart say two different things with 4 minutes left in the 4th, down 4 with a rookie QB, hobbled MHJ and a suspect O-line. Still, they somehow did it. This was the most 2002 victory I've seen in a long time. Someone posted "Kyle Mckrenzel" and I think that's pretty good. A lot of similarities there with more upside.
If the team can use this game as a "loss" in certain aspects, and come together and improve like you often do after a loss, then this will be even more a 2002 type victory.
I don't feel like either line is elite. Very little pressure from the D-line in passing, and they pretty much ran down our throats in the 2nd half, although much of that was ND calling the perfect run play for the alignment. Perhaps another case of having 9th year college QB playing. I know ND has maybe the best O-line we will see, but if want to be the best you have to beat the best. I don't feel we really "beat" them with the D-line and I'm not sure if they are going to get much better as the year goes on. It's a veteran unit.
The O-line was pretty good in pass protection, as they have been this year. Still no faith they can get that hard yard, either from the fans or the coaches. The O-line can improve quite a bit still, however.
Love what I'm seeing out of the defensive backfield. They just might save us this year. No big plays, no busts.
The offensive skill players are what we expect. Love seeing Henderson back to full speed and Traynum obviously has that dog in him. I think we will need Myan down the stretch and he will still be the old Myan.
Very hopeful about McCord. He was all over the place early on with several mis-reads and inaccurate throws, which is probably why Day dialed it back a bit. This was all most likely big game yips and hopefully next time he will be more accurate early on. I'm sure that he will, although for some QB's that's just who they are so we'll have to wait and see. We've definitely been spoiled with accurate QB's for the last 5 or so years. Haskins, Fields, and Stroud all had amazing touch and we've seen that from McCord but his early performance was a bit rough. If McCord had even JT Barrett level of throwing performance early on, I think Ohio State goes in to the half up 14-0 minimum. Seeing him improve in the 2nd half was encouraging and he didn't turn the ball over.
Even with the win, I'm really not liking Ryan Day's gameday coaching. He really needs to hand over play calling to Hartline. He will still have veto of course, he is the head coach so he can still make a call, but there is just too much going on for the head coach to be worrying about each and every offensive play call. So many bone headed calls. I don't understand it. Not using that last time out with 2:05 left was failing game management 101. The last play was a 3rd down with 3 seconds left on the clock. If we don't make it in, not calling that time out would have cost the game. If he calls the time out, and we still get the grounding call and 10 second runoff, we still have 15-20 seconds on the clock on that 3rd down, so you still have plenty of time to get in two plays. I don't get it but whatever. I guess it makes games exciting.
I think that if Ohio State and Notre Dame somehow meet again in the playoffs, Ohio State wins walking away.
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