Michael Cohen
College soccer and school basketball author
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Try as they may, the horns, woodwinds and percussionists of Ohio State’s famed marching band could not drown out the boos because the third quarter drew to an in depth Saturday afternoon. Clinging to an more and more tense five-point lead, the Buckeyes’ offense had simply gone three-and-out for the third time in a span of 4 possessions, with the one reprieve coming within the type of a surprising interception by quarterback Will Howard. The closing irritant for the Ohio Stadium crowd of 104,830 was a failed third-down carry by operating again TreVeyon Henderson, who was surrounded for destructive yardage because the offensive line capitulated. Some followers let their exasperation be heard because the punt workforce ready for service and the band continued to play as if nothing was flawed.
But there have been loads of issues with Ohio State’s heartbreaking 21-17 survival towards Nebraska, a mediocre Big Ten foe that, seven days earlier, had been garroted for 49 factors in a nationally televised implosion towards l ‘then no. 16 Indiana. The Cornhuskers got here right here as 25-plus level underdogs and underdogs of their final 26 video games towards ranked opponents, a streak that predates coach Matt Rhule. Yet there the Buckeyes have been, surprised and surprised and in disbelief at what they have been seeing, trailing by three with 10:47 remaining as soon as Nebraska tailback Dante Dowdell soared over the objective line for a 1-yard rating. At that second, and with all of the warts that had been uncovered, the concept Ohio State ought to be seen as among the best groups in school soccer – a bona fide contender to win its first nationwide championship since 2014 – appeared moderately farcical.
“It wasn’t good,” Howard mentioned. “But a win is a win.”
And the followers felt it. Sure, there have been some micro frustrations amid the collective disdain on a phenomenal fall day in Columbus. They have been vexed by an ineffective speeding assault that gained simply 2.1 yards per keep on 31 makes an attempt. They have been bothered by the porous blockage of the passage that appeared to hurry up time in Howard’s head. They have been irked by kicker Jayden Fielding’s shank discipline objective. They have been enraged by the three penalties referred to as towards cornerback Davison Igbinosun, regardless that certainly one of them was waved away. They have been livid over the ejection of linebacker Arvell Reese for focusing on and threw bottles onto the sector, briefly halting play whereas stadium personnel cleared particles. And they have been baffled that coach Ryan Day and his workers hadn’t achieved a greater job of energizing and reviving this group with two full weeks of observe after their crushing loss to Oregon.
But it was the macro nuances that the majority involved a fan base determined to purify itself after watching arch-rival Michigan win the Big Ten Championship and attain the College Football Playoff in three consecutive seasons, the final of which was punctuated by first nationwide convention. title in a decade. Indeed, what the Buckeyes displayed towards Nebraska was a far cry from the sort of gritty fourth-quarter victory that Day described in his postgame press convention, a false impression that raised quite a lot of eyebrows amongst reporters. No quantity of coach discuss or clichés might obscure the tough actuality going through Ohio State: that that is an immensely proficient soccer workforce that is not dwelling as much as expectations.
“We have to return and take a look at the movie and proper it as a result of (it is like) we’re within the playoffs now,” Howard mentioned. “Every sport is a very powerful sport. We cannot afford to place in a efficiency that we’re not as pleased with as at this time. And I feel at this time will wake us up and remind us that we’ve got to maintain grinding each single day, each single week and by no means get complacent, since you by no means know.”
The proven fact that Ohio State’s offensive malaise towards Nebraska might simply be juxtaposed with Indiana’s 56-7 rout utilized to the Cornhuskers final week solely compounded the priority. How might the Buckeyes, whose operating again tandem of Henderson and Quinshon Judkins is arguably the very best within the nation, be tackled behind the road of scrimmage seven occasions by a protection that surrendered 215 speeding yards and 6.5 yards for carryovers to considerably much less proficient gamers? Hoosiers? How might Ohio State, whose receiving trio of Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate is the envy of school soccer, convert simply as soon as on 10 third-down tries after Indiana moved the chains towards Nebraska at a 55.6% clip? How might an offense overseen by Day and first-year offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, thought of one of many sport’s brightest minds, produce 35 fewer factors than IU whereas going through the identical unit in subsequent weeks?
To various levels, all of those questions level again to Ohio State’s damage issues alongside the offensive line, the place beginning left deal with Josh Simmons is out for the season with an undisclosed left knee damage suffered within the loss to Oregon . Without Simmons, who had turn into the workforce’s finest lineman in his second season since arriving from San Diego State, offensive line coach Justin Frye tasked senior Zen Michalski with filling that position towards Nebraska regardless of having recorded simply 105 snaps in his first six video games.
A former four-star prospect within the 2021 recruiting cycle, Michalski struggled in his first profession begin earlier than exiting within the fourth quarter with what gave the impression to be a hip damage. He allowed a sack on Ohio State’s opening possession when defensive lineman Jimari Butler beat him on the line of scrimmage and appeared to overlook an task on every of the Buckeyes’ subsequent two drives, together with one which instantly contributed to a three-and-out. If not for lengthy landing throws by Howard, who linked with Tate for a 40-yard rating and Smith for a 60-yard rating, the revolving door of errors from the left facet would have confirmed much more damaging contemplating solely Judkins and Henderson. mixed for 54 yards speeding and failed to achieve the tip zone on the bottom.
“For our offensive line,” Judkins mentioned, “it positively wasn’t our greatest day offensively. But I feel these guys will determine it out. Coach Frye, , he is nice at what he does so far as teaching , and I feel it can positively repair the scenario for subsequent week, however I feel everybody can enhance.”
It’s a message that applies to just about everybody on the Ohio State workforce on a day when the Buckeyes wanted to engineer a 75-yard, eight-play landing run with 6:04 remaining within the fourth quarter to lastly regain the lead, when victory wasn’t assured till defender Jordan Hancock intercepted a poorly thrown ball by five-star freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola – a one-time OSU dedication – within the closing 90 seconds, when tenacity, want and can of a roster that reportedly prices greater than $20 million to lift have all been referred to as into query as the trail to an expanded College Football Playoff has quickly vanished.
That’s why boos may very well be heard all through the stadium on Saturday. And not even the Ohio State gang might overpower them.
“We’ll look again,” Day mentioned, “and discover that we should not be in video games like this, in all honesty. I imply, it is simply the way in which we take a look at issues.
“But we have been (at this time). Give Nebraska credit score.”
Michael Cohen covers school soccer and basketball for FOX Sports with a deal with the Big Ten. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.
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