Well, I don't get to write too many posts after a loss. That is one of the benefits of supporting a program and team coached by Urban Meyer. They win. They win a lot. However, like every other coach in the history of sports, they also lose every once in a while. When they do, it is never a "good" loss. It basically sucks. Usually they do not play up to expectations. However, that is how sports work. It is so very, very rare that you play a great game and lose. When it does happen, you have one of the greatest games of all time.
Now, the question is always the same after a loss: where do they go from here? It is ALWAYS a simple answer. They go to work. The act itself though is incredibly hard. However, the act in itself is what makes this sport the greatest thing going as far as I am concerned. The great coaches, like Urban, gets paid a LOT of money to guide the players so as to make this happen. To get over 100 players and coaches to come together and fix their problems and get better is incredibly hard. It takes so many different things to happen. Here are some of the things that need to happen.
- Leadership........ it was lacking on Saturday. When things needed to get done, when a play needed to be made, it didn't happen. No one, other than JT and a few guys on defense, got it done. I thought JT did lead. In the second half, he was completing passes and making plays while others around him were not doing the same for the most part. What I loved most is he kept his composure when it was happening. He could have gone off of Prince, Jones, Clark, Baugh, and a few others when they made key mistakes. He didn't do that. Even better, his body language stays positive even in the post game interview. You can not ask for more than that. Players will rally to that. They just need a few more to do this stuff. I did see Price talk to Jordan after he messed up. More of that needed to happen. Price needs to make Prince better just like Decker did for him a few years ago when he was struggling. JT and Samuel need to get guys to step up in the passing game. They all need to come together on the run game. The head coach also needs to lead. He needs to give them one direction and get them headed that way. He needs to right this ship.
- Defensively, they actually played great. Yet, when PSU needed a play, they got it and OSU didn't. Defense is so tough because you could play great for 65 snaps and poorly for 5 and lose the game. That happened Saturday. When you look at the stats, from the defensive standpoint, it shouldn't have been close. Yet they lost. They just need to ratchet up a few things and then guys need to step up and lead when the moment arises. I can't really complain about the defense. Yes, keep them out of the endzone just before the half and knock some balls down when the chance is there. Thats it.
- Special teams. They weren't special. In my eyes, it cost them the game. The offense, while not great, did enough to win. The defense definitely did enough to win. Special teams swung the game so much it could not be overcome. To me, it was quicksand. Once a mistake was made, the kept sinking and making more mistakes. That is just mental toughness. You are on the road in bad conditions (it wasn't a hurricane, but the weather affects special teams more than anything). Get the job done. Instead, they imploded. It was players and coaches together on this one. When guys like Worley make critical mistakes, what do you say? Fix it and get better. Urban needs to take control of this or get out of it. I don't care which one he choses, just do it and get it done.
- Coaching....... the one topic and ignites passion both good and bad. The saying goes that when you win it is because of players and when you lose it is because of coaching. After all, you can't fire the players (though some coaches have figured out ways). It isn't fair, but we all know it comes with the territory. Now, what happened? That has so many different angles. Here they are.
- Defensively, I can't say anything bad about the coaching. The first drive they moved the ball. After that, they won jump balls and got great field position with special teams. You hold a team on the road to 276 yards and get one turnover, you are supposed to win.
- Offensively, I have a theory, though it is unproven and really can't be proven. Last year, I learned a lesson when it comes to the offense. You can NOT have a bunch of hands in the cookie jar. You have to have one vision and one guy who leads that. For me, that still is a mystery at OSU as to who that "one guy" is. As far as I can tell, we have three sets of hands in the cookie jar of play calling. That then means three visions of what they want to happen. Each vision could be a good one. Yet, you can't get them to work together. Urban needs to make a decision and then live with hit. Who is going to call the game and how does he want it called? He is the head coach. It is his program. So he needs to decide and live with it. If Warinner is calling it, then let him call it. Don't have him call your vision. Let Beck coach the QBs and provide info to the play calling, but don't let him call plays or call just the pass plays. Too many minds.
- Teams keep playing a defense that they don't normally play. It catches the offense off guard and it takes them at least a quarter to get going. I don't think PSU did this. However, the past issues have put doubt into the minds of the offense. So when they don't score you can see it in their body language that doubt has set it. That now appears to be the problem, doubt. I know this because we have all seen them get it done just weeks ago. Their confidence is bad. At least that is the issue with the players. This is overcome with work and leadership. Prince didn't forget how to block. The DEs for PSU aren't that much better than the ones for Okie. He did it then and now he can't. That is confidence and mental toughness. He was lacking both yesterday. He isn't the only one.
- Play calling. I absolutely love this one. First, you must understand I view this as a play caller, not a guy watching the game. So my view is unique. Not many of us on here have done it before. It is SO VERY HARD TO DO. Nothing like having 8 seconds to make a call when things aren't working. I bet Warriner was dead tired Saturday. He made some bad calls. He also made some good ones that the players messed up. His game plan was ditched early and suddenly they were a west coast offense with the short passing game. Then when things started rolling, the OL forgot how to block. Now he has to figure out how to move the ball when the WRs are inconsistent, the OL is inconsistent, and the conditions aren't favorable. In the game thread, I was fine with people saying the play calls were terrible. I just asked "What do you think SHOULD be called then". I got "throw it on first down" and "throw a quick out". Now, those were good suggestions and actually go together. Get an easy throw in on first down when they are loaded against the run. Set up 2nd and medium. That is exactly what they needed. Would that have changed the game, doing those suggestions? Not really. Now, the theory of it might have. I will have to rewatch the game and also wait for Ross' breakdown to know for sure. What I do know is OSU kept getting into 2nd and long and ditched the run game.
- Samuel. How do you get him more involved? Easiest way, as many noted, was to put him at RB and give him the ball. Guess what? The defenses know that too. When he goes to RB, they sell out to stop the run. Also, you are then taking away your best receiving threat if you use him on play action. How do you fix this? Easy, get other guys to step up and make plays. Put him at RB and get guys to catch the ball off of play action. Get the OL to either run block for him or pass block when he is at RB. Have JT throw a good pass when he is at RB. Or, pull those receivers and put in more blockers and pound salt. Considering how the OL was playing, option two wouldn't be wise.
- Some of you have heard me say this before........ you learn far more about someone in a loss than in a win. We learned a whole lot Saturday. We know where the issues are. The coaches and players know where they are too. How they respond will define them and this season. MSU knows this all too well. Houston and Herman and also learning it. We know both of those programs are lead by very fine and proven coaches who do things in a very different way. Yet, they are losing. Now Urban has a program that is headed down instead of up. How will he respond? I love watching guys like him and Saban go about this. When Saban's team wasn't playing to his expectations, he let everyone know about it. He chewed out coaches and players with a 21 point lead. He tore into them at press conferences. It worked as they responded. How will Urban go about it? He missed the time where Saban got it done. Now he has to do it after a loss. Also, we learned a lot about some of the fans of this program. Anyone can support a winner. Can you support them when they are losers?
- Fans. We do not know just how much of an impact we have. When we go nuts about things like play calling, pass routes, and schemes, the players hear it. The media, like the guys on here, ask them about it. It is what helps put doubt it their minds. It is why coaches are so selective of who talks to the media and try and control what they say. Hey, if you tell a kid enough times his passing stinks, guess what happens to his passing? The saying I use is if you whip a dog enough times, you just get a whipped dog instead of an aggressive one. I actually enjoyed the game thread last night as some just lost their minds on it. We all pay a fee to do this. We are sick in the head because of it, but that is how this thing works. Well, we get to say stupid, dumb, and insane stuff because we earn that right. We go at eachother, having never even met, and get to where it even becomes personal. Yet, it never, ever helps. Next time, and there will be a next time, try and keep it level headed.
I don't have a lot of concrete stuff. The reason is that the issues with this team and program aren't concrete things. Guys have lost confidence. Coaches have lost confidence. They are not playing together as 9 units like Urban says. They all need to come together. Lets see how Urban does it. Also, lets see how the players do it. I didn't like was EzE said last year after the MSU game. I was critical of his words and how he chose to convey them (in the media). It worked though. They team responded. I am not going to give him all the credit. However, you need things like that. To me, there needs to be a shock to the system. Lets see how it happens. @Kirk Barton can tell you, things can get nasty in meetings and practice. However, it is needed. That shock is needed. Step up or fall down.
Now, the question is always the same after a loss: where do they go from here? It is ALWAYS a simple answer. They go to work. The act itself though is incredibly hard. However, the act in itself is what makes this sport the greatest thing going as far as I am concerned. The great coaches, like Urban, gets paid a LOT of money to guide the players so as to make this happen. To get over 100 players and coaches to come together and fix their problems and get better is incredibly hard. It takes so many different things to happen. Here are some of the things that need to happen.
- Leadership........ it was lacking on Saturday. When things needed to get done, when a play needed to be made, it didn't happen. No one, other than JT and a few guys on defense, got it done. I thought JT did lead. In the second half, he was completing passes and making plays while others around him were not doing the same for the most part. What I loved most is he kept his composure when it was happening. He could have gone off of Prince, Jones, Clark, Baugh, and a few others when they made key mistakes. He didn't do that. Even better, his body language stays positive even in the post game interview. You can not ask for more than that. Players will rally to that. They just need a few more to do this stuff. I did see Price talk to Jordan after he messed up. More of that needed to happen. Price needs to make Prince better just like Decker did for him a few years ago when he was struggling. JT and Samuel need to get guys to step up in the passing game. They all need to come together on the run game. The head coach also needs to lead. He needs to give them one direction and get them headed that way. He needs to right this ship.
- Defensively, they actually played great. Yet, when PSU needed a play, they got it and OSU didn't. Defense is so tough because you could play great for 65 snaps and poorly for 5 and lose the game. That happened Saturday. When you look at the stats, from the defensive standpoint, it shouldn't have been close. Yet they lost. They just need to ratchet up a few things and then guys need to step up and lead when the moment arises. I can't really complain about the defense. Yes, keep them out of the endzone just before the half and knock some balls down when the chance is there. Thats it.
- Special teams. They weren't special. In my eyes, it cost them the game. The offense, while not great, did enough to win. The defense definitely did enough to win. Special teams swung the game so much it could not be overcome. To me, it was quicksand. Once a mistake was made, the kept sinking and making more mistakes. That is just mental toughness. You are on the road in bad conditions (it wasn't a hurricane, but the weather affects special teams more than anything). Get the job done. Instead, they imploded. It was players and coaches together on this one. When guys like Worley make critical mistakes, what do you say? Fix it and get better. Urban needs to take control of this or get out of it. I don't care which one he choses, just do it and get it done.
- Coaching....... the one topic and ignites passion both good and bad. The saying goes that when you win it is because of players and when you lose it is because of coaching. After all, you can't fire the players (though some coaches have figured out ways). It isn't fair, but we all know it comes with the territory. Now, what happened? That has so many different angles. Here they are.
- Defensively, I can't say anything bad about the coaching. The first drive they moved the ball. After that, they won jump balls and got great field position with special teams. You hold a team on the road to 276 yards and get one turnover, you are supposed to win.
- Offensively, I have a theory, though it is unproven and really can't be proven. Last year, I learned a lesson when it comes to the offense. You can NOT have a bunch of hands in the cookie jar. You have to have one vision and one guy who leads that. For me, that still is a mystery at OSU as to who that "one guy" is. As far as I can tell, we have three sets of hands in the cookie jar of play calling. That then means three visions of what they want to happen. Each vision could be a good one. Yet, you can't get them to work together. Urban needs to make a decision and then live with hit. Who is going to call the game and how does he want it called? He is the head coach. It is his program. So he needs to decide and live with it. If Warinner is calling it, then let him call it. Don't have him call your vision. Let Beck coach the QBs and provide info to the play calling, but don't let him call plays or call just the pass plays. Too many minds.
- Teams keep playing a defense that they don't normally play. It catches the offense off guard and it takes them at least a quarter to get going. I don't think PSU did this. However, the past issues have put doubt into the minds of the offense. So when they don't score you can see it in their body language that doubt has set it. That now appears to be the problem, doubt. I know this because we have all seen them get it done just weeks ago. Their confidence is bad. At least that is the issue with the players. This is overcome with work and leadership. Prince didn't forget how to block. The DEs for PSU aren't that much better than the ones for Okie. He did it then and now he can't. That is confidence and mental toughness. He was lacking both yesterday. He isn't the only one.
- Play calling. I absolutely love this one. First, you must understand I view this as a play caller, not a guy watching the game. So my view is unique. Not many of us on here have done it before. It is SO VERY HARD TO DO. Nothing like having 8 seconds to make a call when things aren't working. I bet Warriner was dead tired Saturday. He made some bad calls. He also made some good ones that the players messed up. His game plan was ditched early and suddenly they were a west coast offense with the short passing game. Then when things started rolling, the OL forgot how to block. Now he has to figure out how to move the ball when the WRs are inconsistent, the OL is inconsistent, and the conditions aren't favorable. In the game thread, I was fine with people saying the play calls were terrible. I just asked "What do you think SHOULD be called then". I got "throw it on first down" and "throw a quick out". Now, those were good suggestions and actually go together. Get an easy throw in on first down when they are loaded against the run. Set up 2nd and medium. That is exactly what they needed. Would that have changed the game, doing those suggestions? Not really. Now, the theory of it might have. I will have to rewatch the game and also wait for Ross' breakdown to know for sure. What I do know is OSU kept getting into 2nd and long and ditched the run game.
- Samuel. How do you get him more involved? Easiest way, as many noted, was to put him at RB and give him the ball. Guess what? The defenses know that too. When he goes to RB, they sell out to stop the run. Also, you are then taking away your best receiving threat if you use him on play action. How do you fix this? Easy, get other guys to step up and make plays. Put him at RB and get guys to catch the ball off of play action. Get the OL to either run block for him or pass block when he is at RB. Have JT throw a good pass when he is at RB. Or, pull those receivers and put in more blockers and pound salt. Considering how the OL was playing, option two wouldn't be wise.
- Some of you have heard me say this before........ you learn far more about someone in a loss than in a win. We learned a whole lot Saturday. We know where the issues are. The coaches and players know where they are too. How they respond will define them and this season. MSU knows this all too well. Houston and Herman and also learning it. We know both of those programs are lead by very fine and proven coaches who do things in a very different way. Yet, they are losing. Now Urban has a program that is headed down instead of up. How will he respond? I love watching guys like him and Saban go about this. When Saban's team wasn't playing to his expectations, he let everyone know about it. He chewed out coaches and players with a 21 point lead. He tore into them at press conferences. It worked as they responded. How will Urban go about it? He missed the time where Saban got it done. Now he has to do it after a loss. Also, we learned a lot about some of the fans of this program. Anyone can support a winner. Can you support them when they are losers?
- Fans. We do not know just how much of an impact we have. When we go nuts about things like play calling, pass routes, and schemes, the players hear it. The media, like the guys on here, ask them about it. It is what helps put doubt it their minds. It is why coaches are so selective of who talks to the media and try and control what they say. Hey, if you tell a kid enough times his passing stinks, guess what happens to his passing? The saying I use is if you whip a dog enough times, you just get a whipped dog instead of an aggressive one. I actually enjoyed the game thread last night as some just lost their minds on it. We all pay a fee to do this. We are sick in the head because of it, but that is how this thing works. Well, we get to say stupid, dumb, and insane stuff because we earn that right. We go at eachother, having never even met, and get to where it even becomes personal. Yet, it never, ever helps. Next time, and there will be a next time, try and keep it level headed.
I don't have a lot of concrete stuff. The reason is that the issues with this team and program aren't concrete things. Guys have lost confidence. Coaches have lost confidence. They are not playing together as 9 units like Urban says. They all need to come together. Lets see how Urban does it. Also, lets see how the players do it. I didn't like was EzE said last year after the MSU game. I was critical of his words and how he chose to convey them (in the media). It worked though. They team responded. I am not going to give him all the credit. However, you need things like that. To me, there needs to be a shock to the system. Lets see how it happens. @Kirk Barton can tell you, things can get nasty in meetings and practice. However, it is needed. That shock is needed. Step up or fall down.
