2021 Game #2 | #3 Ohio State vs. #12 Oregon | September 11th, 2021 @ 12 PM EST

[Ohio]

I think Day was lucky in the past that he didn't have to adjust down his offense for his QB even though Haskins and Fields were fairly inexperienced. Burrow, Haskins, and Fields were all ready to run the vast majority of what Day wanted to do.

I just think Stroud needs the more typical path to developing a QB with easier reads, screens, and running the option. Just overall being more creative so they aren't reliant on Stroud as much to get the ball into playmakers hands.

College football offenses are constantly evolving. For Day to just run what he has been running for the last 3-4 years with a less developed QB wasn't going to result in enough of an offense.

Uh, Stroud threw for almost 500 yards today. The offense had over 600 total. He missed some throws, sure, but he wasn't the issue today at all.

Anyway, I know many have already given up on the season, but...Iowa is looking good against Iowa State. Hopefully Iowa runs the table to Indy..

 

[inliner311]

Uh, Stroud threw for almost 500 yards today. The offense had over 600 total. He missed some throws, sure, but he wasn't the issue today at all.

Anyway, I know many have already given up on the season, but...Iowa is looking good against Iowa State. Hopefully Iowa runs the table to Indy..

I think Stroud could be fine running this offense as time goes on. I just think we lost the game today because at critical points in the game they couldn't convert. The attack wasn't balanced and with a young QB, they knew they could force us to throw and Stroud would eventually make mistakes.

If Urban was still here, I bet we would have seen a very different approach to these last two games in terms of how the offense operated. This is an offense designed to put alot on the QB to throw the ball. We could have taken alot of pressure off Stroud with a more creative offense and balance out the load until he is ready to shoulder it. Day had the luxury that Haskins and Fields could shoulder that load day one while still being able to win games. I just don't think that's the typical route of a QB to be able to do that.

 

[Rich]

Eh, like I said with Fields we probably score 45.

But the same issue lingers from last year.

We could get through the Big Ten on offense alone and get to the playoff and then get absolutely fucking blitzed by Alabama. Same shit happens to Oklahoma year after year.

 

[Ohio]

I think Stroud could be fine running this offense as time goes on. I just think we lost the game today because at critical points in the game they couldn't convert. The attack wasn't balanced and with a young QB, they knew they could force us to throw and Stroud would eventually make mistakes.

If Urban was still here, I bet we would have seen a very different approach to these last two games in terms of how the offense operated. This is an offense designed to put alot on the QB to throw the ball. We could have taken alot of pressure off Stroud with a more creative offense and balance out the load until he is ready to shoulder it. Day had the luxury that Haskins and Fields could shoulder that load day one while still being able to win games. I just don't think that's the typical route of a QB to be able to do that.

That isn't Stroud's fault...

But, the offense had their opportunities, for sure. But Stroud shouldn't be expected to throw for 500 yards every week, he's not Dwayne Haskins. The fact we needed him to be to win this game is concerning to say the least. The OL got no push at all in the running game.

 

[Rich]

I guess I thought the O Line was fine.

They only gave up pressure at the end when OSU was throwing every down.

The RBs were getting 5 yards a carry.

More concerned with what seemed like a lack of big play ability out of them, though.

 

[inliner311]

That isn't Stroud's fault...

But, the offense had their opportunities, for sure. But Stroud shouldn't be expected to throw for 500 yards every week, he's not Dwayne Haskins. The fact we needed him to be to win this game is concerning to say the least. The OL got no push at all in the running game.

Right, I put it more on Day than anyone. Day had the luxury that Haskins and Fields could take on that load right away, even Burrow probably could have if they went that route. I'm not sure if Day just is inexperienced in that sense that he expected his freshman QB to be that ready. I don't think many coaches would expect that and would game plan accordingly.

Jet sweeps, screens, the option, etc are things that could take pressure off Stroud and put the ball in playmakers hands. Even just calling zone read plays where the QB is expected to run the ball would help. Stroud never takes the ball in the zone read so it might as well be a handoff.

I think Urban understood that you keep alot of those things in the offense so you can adapt easier when necessary. Day has purge alot of that kind of stuff from the offense but right now it's stuff this team probably needs to keep the offense going at a high level.

 

[Ohio]

I guess I thought the O Line was fine.

They only gave up pressure at the end when OSU was throwing every down.

The RBs were getting 5 yards a carry.

More concerned with what seemed like a lack of big play ability out of them, though.

I'm talking specifically about run blocking.

The RBs had nowhere to go today. They had to fight just to get 5 yards.

We lost in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

Right, I put it more on Day than anyone. Day had the luxury that Haskins and Fields could take on that load right away, even Burrow probably could have if they went that route. I'm not sure if Day just is inexperienced in that sense that he expected his freshman QB to be that ready. I don't think many coaches would expect that and would game plan accordingly.

Jet sweeps, screens, the option, etc are things that could take pressure off Stroud and put the ball in playmakers hands. Even just calling zone read plays where the QB is expected to run the ball would help. Stroud never takes the ball in the zone read so it might as well be a handoff.

I think Urban understood that you keep alot of those things in the offense so you can adapt easier when necessary. Day has purge alot of that kind of stuff from the offense but right now it's stuff this team probably needs to keep the offense going at a high level.

Fields never threw for 500 yards on a weekly basis, so I'm really not sure what you mean. The offense was generally very balanced with him. Haskins did it because he had to - the run game was broken that year, just as it was today.

Also, we've run a TON of WR screens the first 2 games. We threw downfield more today because we were down the entire game, much of it down 2 scores.

So between the run game being almost non-existent, and being down the entire game, we had to force the issue.

I do agree that Stroud needs to run the ball more, if for no other reason than to just show it as a threat. Today's offense was straight out of 2018. Full blown air raid. It isn't sustainable for this team, but it also shouldn't be necessary. Today, it was, and the results weren't good enough.

Run blocking needs to be better. And Stroud needs to keep a read a couple times a game.

 

[Rich]

3 of the last 4 seasons we've had a below average defense.

I don't mean below average by OSU standards. I mean below average nationally.

2018 was probably the worst??But last year was abd and this year seems to be on pace to be worse than that.

 

[Chris]

Yeah. At some point the defense needs to answer for their ineptitude. What happened to the silver bullets?

 

[inliner311]

Fields never threw for 500 yards on a weekly basis, so I'm really not sure what you mean. The offense was generally very balanced with him. Haskins did it because he had to - the run game was broken that year, just as it was today.

Also, we've run a TON of WR screens the first 2 games. We threw downfield more today because we were down the entire game, much of it down 2 scores.

So between the run game being almost non-existent, and being down the entire game, we had to force the issue.

I do agree that Stroud needs to run the ball more, if for no other reason than to just show it as a threat. Today's offense was straight out of 2018. Full blown air raid. It isn't sustainable for this team, but it also shouldn't be necessary. Today, it was, and the results weren't good enough.

Run blocking needs to be better. And Stroud needs to keep a read a couple times a game.

I think Oregon wanted to stop the run today and force Stroud to throw the ball while hoping he would make critical mistakes which he did. Teams could have tried that against Haskins or Fields but they were more likely to make them pay.

I went back and watched the condense play by play. We do run RB screens between the tackles but we rarely try to stretch the team out east west with a WR screens. I think there is alot that was once in the playbook that has been purged. Alot of the things that were extensions of the run game with the hybrid position and alot of the creative stuff they would do to get the running game going.

I think we have slowly moved from an offense that was an incorporation of Urban Meyer's offense with Day's offense to just purely Day's offense. I just don't think that's a good thing because alot of what Urban had in the offense took pressure off the QB.

 

[OptimusPrime]

I hate WR screens, so I noticed all of the ones they ran. And they ran several of them. I can't point out anything Day is doing wrong with the young QB except for calling bootlegs when the kid can't throw on the run. Stroud needs more experience so he can see the field better, but he isn't why they lost. Lack of talent on defense and an idiot coordinator is why they lost.

 

[Chris]

Just in time for it to be a month before we play another meaningful opponent.

 

[MattyFos.]

This place gets toxic after a loss.

 

[OptimusPrime]

Who knows what will happen later in the year, but the Ohio State team that played today wouldn't beat the Michigan team that is playing right now.

 

[Chris]

This place gets toxic after a loss.

I dont really see anything toxic. See lots of hard truths though.