Lots of thoughts... Where to start?
Someone mentioned numerous times that when our D doesn't show up, we're going to be in trouble.
Today seemed to both prove and disprove that notion.
The D didn't do all it normally does. But I think the offense actually stepped up and picked up some of the slack. Unfortunately, not enough.
It wasn't IMO a horrific defensive performance, just a 'human' one, whereas our D is normally superhuman. When I say they didn't do things they normally do, I meant lots of missed tackles, lots of looking like they had never seen anyone juke before, lots of missed opportunities.
I'm not taking anything away from Chris Perry. Who has to be one of the more underrated players in the country this year. I have a lot of respect for that kids ability and talent. On the other hand, I'm glad I never have to see him get up all slow and gimpy. I watched one other scUM game in its entirety this year. In that game, Perry did the same thing. Does he need a little extra attention? Is he just a fragile lad? I don't get it, but I found myself groaning and rolling my eyes everytime the fancy boy had to get up all slowly and carefully, only to trot back to the huddle immediately afterwards as if it had never happened. Maybe he's just seen Rudy one too many times, and is going for some intense drama to boost perceptions of his performances. He should just stick to being a RB, he's good enough to stand on those merits. He should indeed get Heisman votes. No chance of winning really, but he deserves to be mentioned. After Larry Fitz, Eli Manning, and 2-3 other guys, Perry should be in the next tier. Not enough to go to NY, but enough to get some props.
Michigan's OL was spectacular. I'm going to say they held more than any other team I've witnessed in the last 24 months or so, but that doesn't take away from the brilliant job they did.
Navarre was terrific. scUM fans don't give him enough credit, perhaps they will now.
Positives for us;
Krenzel was outstanding. I know there are some who will focus on his bad passes. That's just because you've been talking about those all year. Look at his stats, that's pretty solid stuff given the pressure he faced.
Jenkins was outstanding, as was Holmes, and -- well, I hesitate to come up with anyone on the offense not on the OL who didn't play well. I'm not going to dump on anyone, but I thought 3/4 of the OL really struggled today.
The D... I see some shots at the LBs here already. I guess some of that is deserved sort of, AJ in particular really seemed baffled by any jukes. But how can you ding AJ? He's a beast. Our pass rush was virtually non-existant. I'm not yet sure why, except that scUM's OL played a great game.
DBs, solid enough I thought more or less. Salley missed a few, but made more than he missed, and frankly shouldn't have been in a savior or goat position so many times.
This was a MUST WIN for the Weasels. They lost the last 2. This was back in their house. Our winning would send us back to the national championship game in all likelihood, and knock them out of their dream bowl, which is the Rose. I mean, I know, every game is must win, but this really was for them. And they got it. Clearly they wanted it and wanted it bad. Good for them it was in their house. Good for them they played like gods until about 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.
Right about then they started to show some cracks, and I think we made pretty good use of them.
CK getting dinged when he did was devastating I thought. He was on fire at that point. McMullen stepped in and (as always) played extremely well, but I still think we lost a little something there. Clearly it was gone when CK came back in, but we were pretty much cooked at that point.
I hope "fans" on other boards (and here for that matter), don't get too caught up in the bitterness that may come along with this loss. I saw a team that went down 3 scores, and didn't lose their heads. They kept plodding forward, and honestly -- when they came within 7, I thought they might really pull it out. Chris Perry had other plans. His girlish routine following plays aside, he seems like a great kid, and some distant part of me feels good for what he accomplished today. Maybe it was that bit before the game with his cancer-stricken mom, or maybe it was that even scUM fans were dogging him a bit before the season started. Eh, "good for him" is what I'm getting at. He put 150+ on what was at least statistically the best rushing D in the country. That's impressive.
SO.... What bowl? I'd love a rematch with Miami in the Orange. In fact, I'd have taken that over a Rosebowl meeting with WSU had USC jumped us. So if it works out that we wouldn't have made the Sugar anyway, some perverted part of me will find a tiny silver lining in todays loss.
Biggest crowd ever in NCAA history. Crazy. It sounded like it too. That may be the most hostile environment I've ever seen us play in, which is saying something. Next year, it's back in the Shoe. I'm already looking forward to revenge -- which makes me appreciate what is the greatest rivalry in all of sports (with an honorary exception to some of the historical greats like Army/Navy, the Ivy Leagues, etc.)
I had an odd sense of calm throughout the game. I still do now. I'm not really upset at all following the game. Disappointed? Sure. But I think my pride in our Buckeyes is overriding anything else. So many of these seniors have just been so great to watch, and each of them played a role in our first national title in decades. Sure, it would have been nice to have them go out 3-0 over the Weasels, but it doesn't take anything away from them as players in my point of view.
So again... What bowl is next. Then talks about next year. SO much going on. New QBs, new DL, new OL, new new new. Biggest overhaul we've faced in about 3-4 years I figure. Some might be addition by subtraction I suppose; LB *maybe?* if guys like Schlegel and some others live up to expectations. Does Fox stay at CB if someone like Whitner, Underwood and/or Youboty step up? Or if he moves to S, where do capable guys like Salley and Everett fill in? New punter. The 'great' Zwick/Smith debate. The neverending Clarett saga... Lots to come.
Anyway, enough yapping. Go Buckeyes!
Someone mentioned numerous times that when our D doesn't show up, we're going to be in trouble.
Today seemed to both prove and disprove that notion.
The D didn't do all it normally does. But I think the offense actually stepped up and picked up some of the slack. Unfortunately, not enough.
It wasn't IMO a horrific defensive performance, just a 'human' one, whereas our D is normally superhuman. When I say they didn't do things they normally do, I meant lots of missed tackles, lots of looking like they had never seen anyone juke before, lots of missed opportunities.
I'm not taking anything away from Chris Perry. Who has to be one of the more underrated players in the country this year. I have a lot of respect for that kids ability and talent. On the other hand, I'm glad I never have to see him get up all slow and gimpy. I watched one other scUM game in its entirety this year. In that game, Perry did the same thing. Does he need a little extra attention? Is he just a fragile lad? I don't get it, but I found myself groaning and rolling my eyes everytime the fancy boy had to get up all slowly and carefully, only to trot back to the huddle immediately afterwards as if it had never happened. Maybe he's just seen Rudy one too many times, and is going for some intense drama to boost perceptions of his performances. He should just stick to being a RB, he's good enough to stand on those merits. He should indeed get Heisman votes. No chance of winning really, but he deserves to be mentioned. After Larry Fitz, Eli Manning, and 2-3 other guys, Perry should be in the next tier. Not enough to go to NY, but enough to get some props.
Michigan's OL was spectacular. I'm going to say they held more than any other team I've witnessed in the last 24 months or so, but that doesn't take away from the brilliant job they did.
Navarre was terrific. scUM fans don't give him enough credit, perhaps they will now.
Positives for us;
Krenzel was outstanding. I know there are some who will focus on his bad passes. That's just because you've been talking about those all year. Look at his stats, that's pretty solid stuff given the pressure he faced.
Jenkins was outstanding, as was Holmes, and -- well, I hesitate to come up with anyone on the offense not on the OL who didn't play well. I'm not going to dump on anyone, but I thought 3/4 of the OL really struggled today.
The D... I see some shots at the LBs here already. I guess some of that is deserved sort of, AJ in particular really seemed baffled by any jukes. But how can you ding AJ? He's a beast. Our pass rush was virtually non-existant. I'm not yet sure why, except that scUM's OL played a great game.
DBs, solid enough I thought more or less. Salley missed a few, but made more than he missed, and frankly shouldn't have been in a savior or goat position so many times.
This was a MUST WIN for the Weasels. They lost the last 2. This was back in their house. Our winning would send us back to the national championship game in all likelihood, and knock them out of their dream bowl, which is the Rose. I mean, I know, every game is must win, but this really was for them. And they got it. Clearly they wanted it and wanted it bad. Good for them it was in their house. Good for them they played like gods until about 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.
Right about then they started to show some cracks, and I think we made pretty good use of them.
CK getting dinged when he did was devastating I thought. He was on fire at that point. McMullen stepped in and (as always) played extremely well, but I still think we lost a little something there. Clearly it was gone when CK came back in, but we were pretty much cooked at that point.
I hope "fans" on other boards (and here for that matter), don't get too caught up in the bitterness that may come along with this loss. I saw a team that went down 3 scores, and didn't lose their heads. They kept plodding forward, and honestly -- when they came within 7, I thought they might really pull it out. Chris Perry had other plans. His girlish routine following plays aside, he seems like a great kid, and some distant part of me feels good for what he accomplished today. Maybe it was that bit before the game with his cancer-stricken mom, or maybe it was that even scUM fans were dogging him a bit before the season started. Eh, "good for him" is what I'm getting at. He put 150+ on what was at least statistically the best rushing D in the country. That's impressive.
SO.... What bowl? I'd love a rematch with Miami in the Orange. In fact, I'd have taken that over a Rosebowl meeting with WSU had USC jumped us. So if it works out that we wouldn't have made the Sugar anyway, some perverted part of me will find a tiny silver lining in todays loss.
Biggest crowd ever in NCAA history. Crazy. It sounded like it too. That may be the most hostile environment I've ever seen us play in, which is saying something. Next year, it's back in the Shoe. I'm already looking forward to revenge -- which makes me appreciate what is the greatest rivalry in all of sports (with an honorary exception to some of the historical greats like Army/Navy, the Ivy Leagues, etc.)
I had an odd sense of calm throughout the game. I still do now. I'm not really upset at all following the game. Disappointed? Sure. But I think my pride in our Buckeyes is overriding anything else. So many of these seniors have just been so great to watch, and each of them played a role in our first national title in decades. Sure, it would have been nice to have them go out 3-0 over the Weasels, but it doesn't take anything away from them as players in my point of view.
So again... What bowl is next. Then talks about next year. SO much going on. New QBs, new DL, new OL, new new new. Biggest overhaul we've faced in about 3-4 years I figure. Some might be addition by subtraction I suppose; LB *maybe?* if guys like Schlegel and some others live up to expectations. Does Fox stay at CB if someone like Whitner, Underwood and/or Youboty step up? Or if he moves to S, where do capable guys like Salley and Everett fill in? New punter. The 'great' Zwick/Smith debate. The neverending Clarett saga... Lots to come.
Anyway, enough yapping. Go Buckeyes!