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Ohio State football instant opinions: Ryan Day's seat gets even hotter
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- Ohio State football instant opinions: Ryan Day's seat gets even hotter
If it felt like the same old, same old, well, it was.
Four straight losses to Michigan after the unranked Wolverines pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the past 25 years − or maybe ever − by winning 13-10 in the Horseshoe.
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If Ohio State coach Ryan Day thought his seat was hot before the game, it just turned into an inferno. Everything that could go wrong pretty much did, including strange decision-making by the offensive coaching staff. Why try running the ball when it's not working? Clearly, UM has Day's number.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) gets tackled by Michigan Wolverines defensive end Cameron Brandt (91) during the first quarter of the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.
Ohio State insists on running ball when nothing there
Ohio State stuck to the Midwest mantra for most of the first half: Stay inside when things get cold outside.
Unfortunately for OSU, staying inside wasn't working at all against Michigan. I'm not sure why the Buckeyes kept trying to run up the middle against the Wolverines . Maybe they were trying to prove how tough they are in the trenches? But whatever the reason, it didn't work. Ohio State gained only 36 yards on 14 attempts (2.6 yards per carry) before halftime, with most of the runs coming up the middle. The final result wasn't much better: 77 yards on 26 carries.
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It was a classic case of pounding your head against the wall, hoping the door opens. By contrast, OSU started the final drive of the half at its own 25 with 2:15 remaining, then threw on nine of 10 plays, the capper resulting in a 10-yard touchdown to Jeremiah Smith that tied things at 10-10.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day is 1-4 against Michigan.
But then the offense went back to attempting to pound the rock, to no avail. Why?
It's true that 23 straight OSU-UM games were won by the team that had the most rushing yards, but it was clear early on that the Buckeyes were going to have to throw to set up the run, not vice versa. Or even abandon the run all together.
Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding missed field goal attempts from 38 and 34 yards Saturday.
Buckeyes kicker Jayden Fielding has a 'bad golf day'
Things are never good when a field goal kicker's kicks resemble my golf game. You know, the ball sails too far to the right and left.
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Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding had a rough day against Michigan, missing a 38-yard field goal attempt wide right in the second quarter that would have pulled OSU to 7-6, then missing a 34-yarder late in the third quarter that kept things tied at 10-10. The junior did make a 29-yard kick to get the Buckeyes on the scoreboard in the first quarter, but the missed kicks were back-breakers.
The Game often is decided by one or two key plays, and OSU watching six potential points go "out of bounds" spelled the difference between winning and losing.
And Michigan kicker Dominic Zvada made the difference, making kicks of 54 and 21 yards.
Will Howard puts scare into Buckeye Nation
More than a few hearts skipped a beat when Howard remained down after taking a hard hit with 10 minutes left in the second quarter. The fifth-year quarterback went into the medical tent, reportedly with a head injury, but emerged one play later.
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I've contended all season that Day keeps Howard in games too long, which can backfire if the starting QB leaves the game due to injury. Backup quarterback Devin Brown has attempted only 19 passes this season, which is not the most soothing feeling for fans.
Howard looked wobbly immediately after returning to the field, missing on his next three throws before steadying himself to complete six of his next seven.
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard lays on the ground after a hit from Michigan defensive back Makari Paige on Saturday.
Then again, you can't blame the head injury on the first of Howard's two interceptions, which happened before the injury. And the second pick only looked like Howard was confused.
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The question with Howard has always been whether he is good enough to win the biggest games. Most of his statistics were excellent entering Saturday, but impressive numbers never tell the whole story. It's not how good he is 90% of the time, but how bad he is 10% of the time.
Howard was especially ineffective on OSU's final series, throwing incomplete four straight times, with none of the throws coming close to being caught.
This story was updated to correct for an inaccuracy.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football vs Michigan: Ryan Day's seat gets even hotter
