Ohio State trying to understand inability to play up to expectations
Ezekiel Elliott was not the only Ohio State player frustrated Saturday.
The aftermath of Ohio State's crushing loss to Michigan State has been illuminating. This is what happens when mini-dynasties abruptly end -- there's second-guessing, immense frustration and psychoanalysis of what went wrong, even as The Game looms.
Ohio State star defensive end Joey Bosa offered a glimpse into what 2015 has been like for him. Bosa, who had three critical offsides penalties against the Spartans, described a difficult year that began with his Week 1 suspension and has included “personal battles that I've been through,” the details of which he declined to discuss.
“Football is a stressful, stressful, stressful thing,” Bosa said. “It's a great thing and it brings a lot of people closer together and makes a lot of great memories. But it's a very stressful thing, especially when you play at such a high level at a place like this and eyes are you on 24/7. It just wears you down. This is like another bump in the road, but we've gotten over things like this before and we're going to do it again.”
The first edition of Urban Meyer vs. Jim Harbaugh was supposed to be about two of the best coaches in football taking the intense Ohio State-Michigan rivalry to even new heights. That may still happen.
But the larger story that Ohio State players, coaches and fans are trying to understand is how a team this talented didn't play up to expectations. The Buckeyes were the first unanimous preseason No. 1 in AP Top 25 history. They have talent at virtually every position. The College Football Playoff Selection Committee gave the Buckeyes a pass for three weeks by keeping them No. 3 despite some uninspired performances on offense against weak competition. The committee, like the Buckeyes and their fans, kept believing the team's best games were still ahead.
Instead, Ohio State lost at home to Michigan State's backup quarterback during the one of the few true tests for the Buckeyes that everyone had circled all year. There isn't one simple answer why Ohio State underachieved. There are several pieces to the equation.
For starters, repeating as a national champion is incredibly difficult by nature. Last year's championship run was a joy ride for the Buckeyes, who won it all a year earlier than expected. “The Grind,” a banner noted in the Ohio State's indoor practice facility, is always less fun than “The Chase,” which was the theme of the 2014 team.
“It's kind of funny that everybody talks about the pressure of trying to repeat,” Ohio State linebacker Joshua Perry said. “I don't know if that's what it was here. It's just pressure -- not even pressure, just the process of trying to make sure we were the most prepared team going out there every week.”
When talking about Ohio State's uneven season, what we're really discussing is its offense. The defense has largely played at an elite level and is better than in 2014. The Buckeyes' defense ranks second nationally in points allowed and fifth in yards per play allowed.
Tom Herman's departure after 2014 to become Houston's coach was a major loss, and not just due to his play calling as offensive coordinator. He was also the quarterbacks coach and the voice in the room that J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones heard and trusted every day. Ohio State's quarterback play has gone from excellent (second in pass efficiency in 2014) to pretty average (38th in 2015).
Meyer never settled on Jones or Barrett until he named Barrett the starter on Oct. 20. Less than two weeks later, Barrett got arrested for driving under the influence and was suspended one game, displaying poor decision-making and leadership off the field.
Last week against Michigan State, Barrett played poorly while completing 9-of-16 passes for 46 yards. He wasn't helped by some drops and the poor weather, but he also made some bad decisions. It was only Barrett's third start of the season. Repetitions and chemistry matter at quarterback. Ohio State had 10 games to figure out its passing game before Michigan State -- a team that struggles in pass defense this year and got lit up by Barrett in 2014 -- and failed to do so.
From the start, Meyer had a difficult challenge: How to show loyalty to two quarterbacks who both heavily contributed to a national championship. You can only play one at a time. In reality, Jones' NFL stock probably would have been higher if he had left for the NFL after last season's three-game postseason run. Instead, NFL teams now definitively know some of his weaknesses that got captured on film this season and got him benched.
Entire article:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...derstand-inability-to-play-up-to-expectations
