No. 3 Ohio State lost 17-14 to No. 9 MI State on a 41-yard field goal as time expired by Michael Geiger. But if Iowa can topple Nebraska on Black Friday to take a 12-0 record into the Big Ten title game, MI State would get another chance to add to its impressive portfolio. “We focused on this moment”. Perhaps Meyer thought he could rest Elliott since MI State was without starting quarterback Connor Cook, but that plan backfired.
Advertisement
In the second half, MI State had 34 rushing attempts for 166 yards and the defense limited Ohio State to 17 plays. Defensively, MI is allowing 14.9 points and 263.1 yards per game. Most of his passes were softly lofted over the middle of the field, not showing his usual ability to put any power behind his throws.
Without Cook, the Spartans started Tyler O’Connor, and Damion Terry played, too.
Down 30-13 in the fourth quarter, TCU got within a point on Bram Kohlhausen’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Emanuel Porter with 51 seconds remaining.
No wonder Elliott said, “How we lost, I just feel like we weren’t put in the right opportunity to win this game, we weren’t put in the right situations to win this game”.
A somber Urban Meyer was also disappointed with a few of the offensive play selection, but admitted he calls a lot of the plays so the blame should be directed towards him.
“We came in with something to prove, usually when you have that you have a chip on your shoulder and you play a little bit better”. The Buckeyes’ Heisman Trophy-caliber running back carried just four times – twice in the second half – after getting eight touches on Ohio State’s first scoring drive.
Elliott’s comments came after he ran for only 33 yards against the Spartans, snapping his streak of 15 straight games with 100 yards or more. And he certainly didn’t sound like a player with anything to lose with Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer.
132 – Ohio State managed a measly 132 yards against MI State.
Terry took a hard sack by Sam Hubbard and fumbled late in the first quarter.
Mason Rudolph passed for 430 yards and three touchdowns for the Cowboys. The MI Wolverines ground game is averaging 161.3 yards per contest, and De’Veon Smith leads the way with 621 yards and six touchdowns. He found Aaron Burbridge for 36 yards on a third-and-14 from the MSU 36. But would they be able to fool OSU?
“Our other two guys played well”, Dantonio said. Quarterback J.T. Barrett denied the change affected the offense, saying, “Um, no, I don’t think so”. “I call a lot of plays anyways”.
The Big Ten got stood on its ear Saturday. Had the Buckeyes won they would have been headed to the BCS National championship.
The Big Ten East victor will earn a berth in the conference title game on December 5 in Indianapolis against Iowa.
“They’re hearing about it I know that”, co-defensive coordinator Mike Tressel said Monday on WDFN 1130 with Matt Shepard. It’s time for college football fans to stop praising Meyer as a great football coach, and really start looking deeper into things and try to figure out what he’s doing behind closed doors to make sure that his teams are always national championship contenders from year to year.
Advertisement
Elliott blamed the coach for his team’s inability to finish off close games, despite carrying the momentum. “I think there’s a sense of urgency”.
