‘We must not be in videogames like this’: OSU win exposes more concerns than responses

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Try as they may, the horns and the percussionists from Ohio State’s popular marching band couldn’t drown out the boos as the 3rd quarter drew to a close on Saturday afternoon. Clinging to an progressively laden five-point lead, the Buckeyes’ offense had simply gone three-and-out for the 3rd time in a period of 4 ownerships, with the just reprieve coming in the kind of a gobsmacking interception by quarterback Will Howard. The mostcurrent irritant to the crowd of 104,830 at Ohio Stadium was a stoppedworking third-down bring from running back TreVeyon Henderson, who was covered for unfavorable yardage while the offensive line capitulated. Smatterings of fans let their exasperation be heard as the punt group prepared for responsibility and the band played on like absolutelynothing was incorrect.

But there were plenty of issues with Ohio State’s traumatic 21-17 survival versus Nebraska, a middling Big Ten opponent that, 7 days previous, was garroted by 49 points in a nationally telecasted implosion versus then-No. 16 Indiana. The Cornhuskers gothere here as underdogs of more than 25 points and losers of their last 26 videogames versus ranked challengers, a streak that precedes head coach Matt Rhule. And yet there stood the Buckeyes, surprised and stunned and disbelieving what they were seeing, tracking by 3 with 10: 47 staying when Nebraska tailback Dante Dowdell skyrocketed throughout the objective line for a 1-backyard rating. In that minute, and with all the warts that hadactually been exposed, the concept that Ohio State needto be seen as one of the finest groups in college football — a bonafide competitor to win its veryfirst nationwide champion consideringthat 2014 — felt rather farcical. 

“It wasn’t best,” Howard stated. “But a win is a win.”

And the fans might feel it. Sure, there were some micro disappointments inthemiddleof the cumulative contempt on a gorgeous fall day in Columbus. They were inflamed by an inadequate hurrying attack that just acquired 2.1 backyards per bring on 31 efforts. They were irritated by the permeable pass stopping that appeared to speedup the clock in Howard’s head. They were galled by the shanked field objective from kicker Jayden Fielding. They were incensed at the trio of charges called versus cornerback Davison Igbinosun, even if one of them was decreased. They were livid over the ejection of linebacker Arvell Reese for targeting and tossed bottles onto the field, briefly stopping the videogame as arena personnel cleared particles. And they were perplexed that head coach Ryan Day and his personnel hadn’t done a muchbetter task of stimulating and perkingup this lot with 2 complete weeks of practice consideringthat their soul-crushing loss to Oregon.

But it was the macro overtones that were far more worrying for a fan base desperate to clean itself after seeing archrival Michigan win the Big Ten Championship and reach the College Football Playoff in 3 successive seasons, the last of which was stressed with the conference’s initially nationwide title in a years. Indeed, what the Buckeyes showed versus Nebraska was far from the kind of gritty, fourth-quarter win that Day explained it to be in his postgame news conference, an equivocation that raised more than a coupleof eyebrows amongst pressreporters. No quantity of coach speak or cliché gushing might obfuscate the severe truth dealingwith Ohio State: that it is an profoundly talented football group falling brief of expectations.

“We’ve gotta go back and appearance at the movie and get it fixed duetothefactthat [it’s like] we’re in the playoffs now,” Howard stated. “Every videogame is the most essential videogame. We can’t manage to put a efficiency out there that we’re not proud of like today. And I believe today will wake us up and remind us that we’ve got to simply continue to grind every single day, every single week and not ever get contented, since you neverever understand.”

That Ohio State’s offensive despair versus Nebraska might be quickly juxtaposed with the 56-7 pounding Indiana used to the Cornhuskers last week just deepened the issue. How might the Buckeyes, whose running back tandem of Henderson and Quinshon Judkins is probably the finest in the nation, be dealtwith behind the line of skirmish 7 times by a defense that gaveup 215 hurrying backyards and 6.5 backyards per bring to the substantially less-talented Hoosiers? How might Ohio State, whose getting trio of Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate is the envy of college football, just transform assoonas in 10 attempts on 3rd down after Indiana moved the chains versus Nebraska at a 55.6% clip? How might an offense managed by Day and first-year offending organizer Chip Kelly, who is thoughtabout one of the brightest minds in the sport, fruitandvegetables 35 less points than IU did when dealingwith the exactsame system in succeeding weeks?

To differing degrees, all of those concerns point back to Ohio State’s injury issues along the offensive line, where beginning left dealwith Josh Simmons is out for the season with an concealed left knee injury suffered in the loss to Oregon. Without Simmons, who had progressed into the group’s finest lineman in his 2nd season consideringthat showingup from San Diego State, offensive line coach Justin Frye turnedover senior Zen Michalski to fill that function versus Nebraska regardlessof logging simply 105 snaps throughout the veryfirst 6 videogames.

A previous four-star possibility in the 2021 recruiting cycle, Michalski hadahardtime in his veryfirst profession start before leaving in the 4th quarter with what appeared to be a hip injury. He enabled a sack on Ohio State’s opening ownership when protective lineman Jimari Butler beat him at the line of skirmish and appeared to missouton an project on each of the Buckeyes’ next 2 drives, consistingof one that straight contributed to a three-and-out. Were it not for the prolonged goal tosses from Howard, who linked with Tate for a 40-yard rating and Smith for a 60-yard rating, the revolving door of errors off the left side would have tested even more harmful thinkingabout Judkins and Henderson just integrated for 54 hurrying lawns and stoppedworking to reach the end zone on the ground. 

“For our offensive line,” Judkins stated, “definitely wasn’t our finest day up front. But I believe those guys will get it fixed. Coach Frye, you understand, he is fantastic at what he does as far as training, and I believe he’ll certainly repair it for next week. But I believe everybody might enhance.”

It’s a message that used to almost every member of Ohio State’s group on an afternoon when the Buckeyes required to install an eight-play, 75-yard goal drive with 6: 04 staying in the 4th quarter to lastly recover the lead, when the success wasn’t ensured till defensive back Jordan Hancock obstructed a inadequately tossed ball from luxury freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola — a one-time OSU devote — in the last 90 seconds, when the durability and desire and will of a lineup that apparently expense more than $20 million to puttogether were all called into concern as the course towards an broadened College Football Playoff momentarily faded.

That’s why there were boos echoing around the arena on Saturday. And even the Ohio State band couldn’t overpower them. 

“We’re going to appearance back,” Day stated, “and discover that we needto not be in videogames like this, rather truthfully. I indicate, that’s simply the method we appearance at it.

“But we were[today] Give Nebraska credit.”

Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an focus on the Big Ten. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.

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