Criticizing play-calling is too easy, often misplaced and not something we try to do too often around here. After starting the week in the hospital with a previously undisclosed infection in his leg, the junior returned to the lineup Saturday, declared himself fully fit and then ripped the play calling in a 17-14 upset loss to No. 9 MI State at the Horseshoe. Was this the junior’s last game in Ohio Stadium? “There’s no chance I’m coming back next year”. However, it was on an Ohio State punt that the MI State special team’s issues once again cost them. It was the first time Ohio State has lost a regular season Big Ten game under Meyer after 30 straight victories.
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The Bears (9-1) crept back into the playoff race by handing Oklahoma State (10-1) its first loss of the season, 45-35 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. “Seemed like we were backed up a lot”. MI State responded after each one with a 75-yard touchdown drive. But MSU brought the Buckeyes down to the wire, and the game was settled on a 41-yard field goal by MSU kicker Michael Geiger.
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The Buckeyes’ 23-game winning streak? Not bad for a double-digit underdog missing its No. 1 offensive weapon. MI State led after exactly one play – the final one, just like its victory at MI last month.
NOTES: Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott was held to 33 yards and had his consecutive streak of 100-yard games stopped at 15….
The arrogance, or perhaps ignorance, of the Meyer-lead staff to not adjust their game plan proved to be fatal.
Both teams have a an outside chance to win the Big Ten East Division title.
That didn’t happen, which means MI still needs help to make it to the conference championship game even if it claims Round One between Buckeyes Coach Urban Meyer and his Wolverines counterpart Jim Harbaugh. States front seven defensively also controlled the line of scrimmage.
“I went this whole season knowing it was going to be a tight game”, Geiger said afterward. Elliott was happy to point a finger, and more. “We have to win next week. That’s a team we should beat”. Ohio State sputtered a few through 10 games but was never really challenged.
“The one thing that made a difference … this game we got to be the chaser”, Dantonio said. Those plays weren’t called anymore. “I’m disappointed in the situations we were put in”, Elliott told reporters. “I actually thought we won it a couple times, but we didn’t and you’ve just got to keep playing”. That it came after such a crushing loss and was delivered while being critical of Ohio State’s play calling was startling. I know it was raining, but what was not working for the offense tonight?
MI State countered with a nine play, 75 yard drive, culminating in a 12-yard touchdown pass from Tyler O’Connor to Trevon Pendleton.
COACH MEYER: They just run Q run, Q run, Q run.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Jake Coker threw two touchdown passes, Derrick Henry ran for two scores and Cyrus Jones returned two punts for touchdowns as Alabama trounced Charleston Southern in an Iron Bowl tuneup.
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Though no member of the Ohio State program is going to feel good about the Buckeyes’ undefeated season ending against MI State, everyone responsible for Ohio State’s offense should probably feel the worst. “From the very beginning, we were going to give the ball to the running backs and let the offensive line dominate”. Mission accomplished. As for whether Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett could punish the Spartans’ previous pass vulnerability, it wasn’t even close. He was 9-for-16 for 46 yards.
