The biggest problem with the Ohio State football program right now isn't JT, Reuben's ego, Zone 6, Stud's OL coaching, etc., etc. No, the real problem is that this program is losing its guts.
In contrast, Dabo Swinney has built his program on guts! Throughout his tenure as head coach at Clemson, Swinney has promoted his B.Y.O.G. - "Bring Your Own Guts!" - mantra, and it's really paid off in recent seasons. Since 2016, Clemson is 12-2 in "one possession" games (8 points or less scoring margin) and their success can only be attributed to their kids having a lot of guts. Here are Swinney's key principles of B.Y.O.G.:
- Coaches, managers and motivators are limited. They don't play the game. In the end, those who you lead will have to perform. Give them everything you have in preparation for that moment of performance. When the game starts it is the players who will have to execute and B.Y.O.G.
- Don't Quit
- "It ain't always perfect." / "Don't worry about our screwups." Forget the past. All that exists is the moment at hand.
The question is . . . How can Reuben bring more guts back to the Ohio State program? As we all know, Reuben has recruited a boatload of four and five star kids, but the past few seasons, the program's elite recruiting rankings have not translated into the Big Ten and National championships that we fans demand. Some fans worry that the program lost its edge or "juice" because many of these elite recruits aren't from Ohio and thus do not play with enough passion for the "home" state.
But that's nonsense. Past Buckeyes champions like Craig Krenzel, Will Smith, Ezekiel Elliot, Joey Bosa were not from Ohio . . . but what they did have was guts the size of elephant balls! So, when and why did Reuben lose his ability, as a talent evaluator, to sort between four star kids with guts and four star kids with no intestinal fortitude? When/why did he lose his ability to take the guts each kid brings to the program and make those guts bigger and more resilient?
