It's Monday morning.
Let's talk.
Here's what I'm thinking about this morning:
The roller coaster
Ohio State’s 2021 season is complete, and all I can think about is the roller coaster analogy.
It was one beloved by head coach Ryan Day and redshirt freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud, one depicting a message of never getting too high or too low over the course of a season.
It was a wave the Buckeyes rode all season long. It was a wave they really had to master: hitting rock bottom Week 2 against Oregon, building the team and the expectation back up over the course of the season back to that powerhouse mentality only to watch it crash down again in Ann Arbor.
And from rock bottom once again, Ohio State began to rise from the ashes at the Rose Bowl, putting together one of the most memorable comebacks in recent memory: trailing by 14 points at halftime with a team that looked a lot like the one that lost to Michigan to a team that was unstoppable offensively, a team that was violent defensively.
In the second half, Ohio State was that College Football Playoff team when all eyes were on Pasadena.
So where does that leave Ohio State?
Simply, the expectations are back.
Stroud — the self-proclaimed fourth-place villain — is back to looking like one of if not the best quarterback in college football, setting the tone of vengeance heading into his redshirt sophomore season.
Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba looks unmatched, taking the baton from Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson and running with it in a way that Ohio State has really never seen before.
Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. looks like he can be that second option in the pass game, that depth Stroud needs to continue that No. 1 scoring and total offense in the country.
And if the second half of the Rose Bowl is any indication, Ohio State’s defense is set up for a transformation in 2022, leaving a final impression of tenacity and violence, one set up perfectly as Jim Knowles is set to take over.
This is a team that’s set up seemingly perfectly in 2022, one that will likely continue to be the favorite to win the Big Ten and to hold a spot in the College Football Playoff as if nothing ever happened differently in 2021.
But, again, it’s about the roller coaster: not getting too high or too low for this team.
This Rose Bowl was a massive high, maybe as high as it’s been all year.
Now as the focus turns to 2022, how will Ohio State respond?
Time will only tell.
Let’s put C.J. Stroud’s and Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s records in perspective, shall we?
To say that Stroud and Smith-Njigba were special Saturday afternoon wouldn’t really do it justice.
Let’s start with the redshirt freshman signal caller.
He was the first quarterback in Ohio State history to eclipse the 500-yard mark, doing so with a level of accuracy and explosiveness that the Buckeyes really haven’t seen out of a quarterback. He was a quarterback that looked like he had something to prove.
What he’s done overall is really unprecedented in an Ohio State uniform. Stroud broke school single-season records in passer rating (186.56), passing yards per game (369.6) and completion percentage (71.9), each of which is top three in the country.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s Ohio State single-season records list is even longer: receiving yards (1,606), receptions (95), receptions per game (7.3) and receiving yards per game (123.5).
After the game, the pair got Chris Olave’s blessing, deeming them the “dynamic duo.”
But what they did together was not just special for the Big Ten or for Ohio State. What they did together was unprecedented. Period. And with any sort of consistency, it could be something that sets college football by storm in 2022.
Whatever’s next for Stroud and Smith-Njigba seems to be just a continuation of the special offense the pair helped with in 2021.
So now that the Rose Bowl is complete, what’s next with the coaching staff?
As the Rose Bowl ended, it all seemed very cut and dry.
Secondary coach Matt Barnes walked out of the Ohio State locker room and up the ramp toward the exit at Rose Bowl Stadium as Memphis’ new defensive coordinator, something that was in the works before the Buckeyes left Pasadena.
Knowles’ spot is now open and the coaching staff could be finalized as it stays if Day wants it that way.
Larry Johnson gave no indication after the Rose Bowl that 2021 was his final season with the program, while Kerry Coombs didn’t want to talk about what’s next for him and the program, but still showed that intensity, passion and love for the program after its second-half comeback, a span which the defense allowed only 10 points.
No long-term questions were answered in the hallway outside of Ohio State’s locker room, but it doesn’t seem to be a staff on its way to sweeping changes this offseason.
Some quick Rose Bowl notes
Eric Lammers put his thoughts out there as soon as the 2022 four-star defensive end made his decision, but here’s my two cents on the commitment:
It’s huge for the room, especially in terms of the reason why Abor chose Ohio State.
"Looking at the history at Ohio State and the defensive ends that coach (Larry) Johnson has coached," Abor told Rivals.com. "He's sent a lot of them to the NFL and they're performing at a high level. I've watched videos about how he trains his defensive ends. I like the system.
“Really just the relationship that I have with Larry Johnson," he said. "It be the little stuff that catch my eye at each school.”
This reminds me of the story Caden Curry’s parents told me about Larry Johnson: stopping a drill during a camp to go and hug their son, making sure that he knew how happy he was to see him. To many within the Ohio State defensive line room, past, present and future, Johnson has een all about relationships and development, getting to that next level.
With Abor, Curry and Kenyatta Jackson Jr., that expectation does not change one bit, which is why the expectation remains of bringing in top-tier defensive line talent.
It’s still the same revolving door that Chase Young, Nick and Joey Bosa went through. Abor, Jackson and Curry seem themselves as the next in line.
So what does Abor’s commitment mean to the rest of the room?
Ohio State should be set at defensive end. It’s now defensive tackle the Buckeyes have to worry about.
With a young and inexperienced room, a well-developed and ready 2022 recruit could come in and make an impact in the middle of a defensive line that was gashed against Michigan and gashed again, at times, against Utah.
Hero Kanu, who’s scheduled to make his announcement Jan. 8, and/or Christen Miller could be the fit Ohio State needs there. If not, Ohio State may need to look to the transfer portal just to find some depth. But it seems like the program’s confident one if not both defensive tackle prospects are on their way to Columbus.
On basketball: I told you to watch out for Malaki Branham.
I said this a few weeks ago in the aftermath of his first career-high game of 11 points against Penn State: he has all the tools to be a consistently impactful player for Ohio State this season. Yes, it would take some grooming, but Branham has the pieces to get there.
After his 35-point game against Nebraska, the same think applies.
Branham is a special player. The question remains on if he can do it on a daily basis.
The freshman forward was lights out, finding open space when the defense crashed the paint or focused on E.J. Liddell. If he can develop a balance between a 3-point shot and an ability to use his size and speed to gash opposing defenses, watch out. This kid could be special when it really counts.
Quick notes on Ohio State’s overtime win against Nebraska
It truly was a moment I couldn’t explain.
The “Moment of Loudness,” the brief period Utah took in the fourth quarter to honor Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe, who both tragically died nine months apart.
It was a simple, but extremely powerful gesture: phone flashlights held high, a cheer that soared seemingly above Rose Bowl Stadium, above the San Gabriel Mountains. What it felt like was a moment that shook the core of college football.
It stopped me in my tracks, made me get chills up and down my spine, made me tear up in, usually, one of the most stressful parts of any game day.
This was a moment that I will never forget, rivaled in emotion with the Iowa wave at Kinnick Stadium both in its simplicity and its power.
I was legitimately floored by the moment, something that made an unforgettable game even bigger, way past football.
It was truly an honor to witness.
Song of the Week
First of all, happy new year!
I’m excited to spend 2022 with you all.
Anyway, I started this column on my flight back from Los Angeles Sunday morning, listening periodically to MF Doom and Steely Dan.
Yes, I know: eclectic.
Let this set the tone for your week:
See you on the board.
Let's talk.
Here's what I'm thinking about this morning:
The roller coaster
Ohio State’s 2021 season is complete, and all I can think about is the roller coaster analogy.
It was one beloved by head coach Ryan Day and redshirt freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud, one depicting a message of never getting too high or too low over the course of a season.
It was a wave the Buckeyes rode all season long. It was a wave they really had to master: hitting rock bottom Week 2 against Oregon, building the team and the expectation back up over the course of the season back to that powerhouse mentality only to watch it crash down again in Ann Arbor.
And from rock bottom once again, Ohio State began to rise from the ashes at the Rose Bowl, putting together one of the most memorable comebacks in recent memory: trailing by 14 points at halftime with a team that looked a lot like the one that lost to Michigan to a team that was unstoppable offensively, a team that was violent defensively.
In the second half, Ohio State was that College Football Playoff team when all eyes were on Pasadena.
So where does that leave Ohio State?
Simply, the expectations are back.
Stroud — the self-proclaimed fourth-place villain — is back to looking like one of if not the best quarterback in college football, setting the tone of vengeance heading into his redshirt sophomore season.
Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba looks unmatched, taking the baton from Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson and running with it in a way that Ohio State has really never seen before.
Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. looks like he can be that second option in the pass game, that depth Stroud needs to continue that No. 1 scoring and total offense in the country.
And if the second half of the Rose Bowl is any indication, Ohio State’s defense is set up for a transformation in 2022, leaving a final impression of tenacity and violence, one set up perfectly as Jim Knowles is set to take over.
This is a team that’s set up seemingly perfectly in 2022, one that will likely continue to be the favorite to win the Big Ten and to hold a spot in the College Football Playoff as if nothing ever happened differently in 2021.
But, again, it’s about the roller coaster: not getting too high or too low for this team.
This Rose Bowl was a massive high, maybe as high as it’s been all year.
Now as the focus turns to 2022, how will Ohio State respond?
Time will only tell.
Let’s put C.J. Stroud’s and Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s records in perspective, shall we?
To say that Stroud and Smith-Njigba were special Saturday afternoon wouldn’t really do it justice.
Let’s start with the redshirt freshman signal caller.
He was the first quarterback in Ohio State history to eclipse the 500-yard mark, doing so with a level of accuracy and explosiveness that the Buckeyes really haven’t seen out of a quarterback. He was a quarterback that looked like he had something to prove.
What he’s done overall is really unprecedented in an Ohio State uniform. Stroud broke school single-season records in passer rating (186.56), passing yards per game (369.6) and completion percentage (71.9), each of which is top three in the country.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s Ohio State single-season records list is even longer: receiving yards (1,606), receptions (95), receptions per game (7.3) and receiving yards per game (123.5).
After the game, the pair got Chris Olave’s blessing, deeming them the “dynamic duo.”
But what they did together was not just special for the Big Ten or for Ohio State. What they did together was unprecedented. Period. And with any sort of consistency, it could be something that sets college football by storm in 2022.
Whatever’s next for Stroud and Smith-Njigba seems to be just a continuation of the special offense the pair helped with in 2021.
So now that the Rose Bowl is complete, what’s next with the coaching staff?
As the Rose Bowl ended, it all seemed very cut and dry.
Secondary coach Matt Barnes walked out of the Ohio State locker room and up the ramp toward the exit at Rose Bowl Stadium as Memphis’ new defensive coordinator, something that was in the works before the Buckeyes left Pasadena.
Knowles’ spot is now open and the coaching staff could be finalized as it stays if Day wants it that way.
Larry Johnson gave no indication after the Rose Bowl that 2021 was his final season with the program, while Kerry Coombs didn’t want to talk about what’s next for him and the program, but still showed that intensity, passion and love for the program after its second-half comeback, a span which the defense allowed only 10 points.
No long-term questions were answered in the hallway outside of Ohio State’s locker room, but it doesn’t seem to be a staff on its way to sweeping changes this offseason.
Some quick Rose Bowl notes
- Cade Stover is going to be incredibly important to Ohio State next season, wherever he ends up. I mean, the path is there. It’s arguable that the most wide open positions for someone to make an impact in 2022 are the two positions Stover could play: tight end and linebacker. There were times that Stover looked like he played linebacker his entire college career against Utah, showing an intensity and comfortability in the middle of the defense. But Ohio State also needs that at tight end too, something offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Kevin Wilson made abundantly clear postgame. Stover apparently gets to choose where he goes, and Wilson said there won’t be another move, saying that Stover will develop wherever he ends up. The offensive and defensive coaches are kind of fighting for his services at this point. No matter where Stover lands this spring, he could prove to be huge.
- Marvin Harrison Jr. is going to step right in and do something special in Ohio State’s pass offense next season. What he showed against Utah was that he’s a trusted redzone threat, one that Stroud can rely on. He was consistent and electric really in his first opportunity to do that for the Ohio State offense. And postgame, it seemed like it was just inevitable for him. He wasn’t fazed. It almost seemed like something he expected to do when given the chance. Just watch him continue to shine heading into 2022.
- I do think there’s an issue with the balance of the offense between the run and the pass game. There were times in 2021 where TreVeyon Henderson, Miyan Williams and Master Teague III were not the stars of the show, but were explosive in their own rights. Late in the year, that kind of fell off. Yes, a 5.5 yards per carry average for a running back room is fine, but it’s not the expectation that Henderson brought. None of his runs against Utah’s highly-ranked run defense was very explosive, which worked out fine in the long run. But it may be something that needs tinkering, especially if opposing defenses change approaches and solely sell out for the passing game in 2022.
- Ohio State is going to need way more pressure up front to make what the defense did in the second half against Utah the norm.
- Tommy Eichenberg was incredibly good for Ohio State in the middle of the defense, something that could be a huge plus if he’s able to do that consistently in 2022. Would be a big boost for a defense that’s now looking for a new identity.
Eric Lammers put his thoughts out there as soon as the 2022 four-star defensive end made his decision, but here’s my two cents on the commitment:
It’s huge for the room, especially in terms of the reason why Abor chose Ohio State.
"Looking at the history at Ohio State and the defensive ends that coach (Larry) Johnson has coached," Abor told Rivals.com. "He's sent a lot of them to the NFL and they're performing at a high level. I've watched videos about how he trains his defensive ends. I like the system.
“Really just the relationship that I have with Larry Johnson," he said. "It be the little stuff that catch my eye at each school.”
This reminds me of the story Caden Curry’s parents told me about Larry Johnson: stopping a drill during a camp to go and hug their son, making sure that he knew how happy he was to see him. To many within the Ohio State defensive line room, past, present and future, Johnson has een all about relationships and development, getting to that next level.
With Abor, Curry and Kenyatta Jackson Jr., that expectation does not change one bit, which is why the expectation remains of bringing in top-tier defensive line talent.
It’s still the same revolving door that Chase Young, Nick and Joey Bosa went through. Abor, Jackson and Curry seem themselves as the next in line.
So what does Abor’s commitment mean to the rest of the room?
Ohio State should be set at defensive end. It’s now defensive tackle the Buckeyes have to worry about.
With a young and inexperienced room, a well-developed and ready 2022 recruit could come in and make an impact in the middle of a defensive line that was gashed against Michigan and gashed again, at times, against Utah.
Hero Kanu, who’s scheduled to make his announcement Jan. 8, and/or Christen Miller could be the fit Ohio State needs there. If not, Ohio State may need to look to the transfer portal just to find some depth. But it seems like the program’s confident one if not both defensive tackle prospects are on their way to Columbus.
On basketball: I told you to watch out for Malaki Branham.
I said this a few weeks ago in the aftermath of his first career-high game of 11 points against Penn State: he has all the tools to be a consistently impactful player for Ohio State this season. Yes, it would take some grooming, but Branham has the pieces to get there.
After his 35-point game against Nebraska, the same think applies.
Branham is a special player. The question remains on if he can do it on a daily basis.
The freshman forward was lights out, finding open space when the defense crashed the paint or focused on E.J. Liddell. If he can develop a balance between a 3-point shot and an ability to use his size and speed to gash opposing defenses, watch out. This kid could be special when it really counts.
Quick notes on Ohio State’s overtime win against Nebraska
- Speaking of special, this is no surprise, but Ohio State really got a good one in Jamari Wheeler. Not only is he the defensive playmaker the Buckeyes expected him to be out of Penn State, but he is a streaky shooter, fitting the mold of some of the best 3-point shooters on the field. Chris Holtmann said after the game that he’s pretty much pulling his hair out asking Wheeler to be aggressive offensively. If he can be, he will be one of the most important pieces to Ohio State as the calendar turns to 2022.
- E.J. Liddell’s importance to Ohio State can be shown in everything else he did on the floor except score. He was a primary rebounder, finding success on the glass, including three offensive boards. He was a distributor, leading the team with five assists as Nebraska defenders crashed on him, finding the open man to lead to scores. He was a rim protector, adding three blocks. He was clutch, hitting five of six attempts from the free-throw line. Liddell had his worst offensive game of his career in terms of shooting percentage, well, at least since going 0-6 against Northwestern last season. But he was still incredibly important to Ohio State, carrying a +7 plus/minus against the Cornhuskers.
- Zed Key is a ferocious rebounder. That’s it. He can go up against anyone.
- Ohio State gets too 3-point happy too easily, especially early in games. The focus at points should be to work inside-out, establishing a presence in and around the rim, especially with easy two-point makes and open up the 3-point play from there. Yes, Ohio State was taking what Nebraska was giving them and it worked out, but there was a stretch that it seemed all Ohio State ws trying for was 3s and none were falling.
It truly was a moment I couldn’t explain.
The “Moment of Loudness,” the brief period Utah took in the fourth quarter to honor Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe, who both tragically died nine months apart.
It was a simple, but extremely powerful gesture: phone flashlights held high, a cheer that soared seemingly above Rose Bowl Stadium, above the San Gabriel Mountains. What it felt like was a moment that shook the core of college football.
It stopped me in my tracks, made me get chills up and down my spine, made me tear up in, usually, one of the most stressful parts of any game day.
This was a moment that I will never forget, rivaled in emotion with the Iowa wave at Kinnick Stadium both in its simplicity and its power.
I was legitimately floored by the moment, something that made an unforgettable game even bigger, way past football.
It was truly an honor to witness.
Song of the Week
First of all, happy new year!
I’m excited to spend 2022 with you all.
Anyway, I started this column on my flight back from Los Angeles Sunday morning, listening periodically to MF Doom and Steely Dan.
Yes, I know: eclectic.
Let this set the tone for your week:
See you on the board.
