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Can Urban Meyer Find a Teachable Moment for Himself?

+45 HS
NYWoodyFan's picture
December 3, 2017 at 2:09pm
252 Comments

It seems intuitively obvious to me that when J. T. Barrett trotted out last night and took every snap, that despite his guts and all his remarkable records, the committee became skeptical that this Ohio State team was better than last year's 31-0 playoff outfit. Two scores into Clemson-Miami, they stopped watching that debacle, and flipped full attention over to an Ohio State team that had an opportunity to make a statement, and all eyes were on our coach and quarterback.  That statement wilted and fizzled with a regression to all the bad boring offensive tendencies of the Urban Barrett era, replete with interceptions, fumbles, missed field goals, dropped passes, QB as bulldozer, and missed open receivers streaking down the field. No one in good conscience could send that offense to the Sugar Bowl after getting burned when they stuck their neck out for us last year. They went safe with Alabama, who at least won't get blown out.  And I have to admit, deep down, I wasn't convinced by Meyer's playcalling, decision-making, or post-game lobbying that he really thought, deep down, that he could beat Clemson either. 

I think the committee has the same impression that many Ohio State fans do, that Barrett and our 2005 offense wasn't going to beat Dabo's machine (I think they are wrong-we could have beaten Clemson, Syracuse did, a far worse loss than Iowa).  It isn't about being a "hater"--it's about putting players in the best position to win--as the committee certainly has no particular emotional ties to Barrett. That was before the pick six (3rd of the season?) and the missed wide receivers streaking for the end zone. That was before the stubborn Tim Tebow impersonation when the entire country knew Barrett would run the ball from the empty backfield--and while this might work against Wisconsin, it wasn't going to work against Wilkins and Lawrence of Clemson. Nothing in Ohio State's performance really indicated that in a big game, Ohio State was going to innovate enough to play with the best coach in college football, Dabo Sweeney (yep, face it).

I am certain that had Haskins played and played (well), we would have shown the committee that we were going to do what it takes to beat teams that load the box, and that we presented new problems and new dynamics that could win it all. If it means platooning or benching Barrett, then, by god, Urban Meyer was going to break with his stubborness and do it.  I think there was some optimism when they watched Haskins against Michigan. With Barrett's injury, there was an honorable excuse not to play him full-time and make some adjustments.

I understand Meyer's loyalty--it's commendable. He's a top five program CEO , and maybe the 10-20th best game time coach, if we are honest, right now. Woody often used the quote (Emerson?) that "Your greatest strength is your greatest weakness." And JT Barrett may have a career in the CFL or Arena league before he becomes a coach. But what we witnessed this season was a stubborness that I haven't seen since the Woody Hayes era. It's as if, at some deep psychological level, Meyer wants to replicate Hayes' innumerable late career failures, always coming up short against innovators (UCLA, USC, Stanford, leaving four or five NCs on the table). He's turned his job into a kind of familiar Columbus football "tragedy," a Hamlet, where he just can't pull the trigger on the big decisions because of his fundamental love of his (older) players. And he seems absolutely miserable right now doing it--plain to me that his enthusiasm is gone. I feel that he always knew that JTB wasn't going to get it done, that he had no moral choice but to let him play.  

For everyone that argued that 1-Qb is better than 2-QB, you were wrong. For everyone that said JTB will never win it all, you were right. The Greek tragedy has played out just as it seems to have been written in the stars. 

Urban is well-poised to win it all with Haskins next year, and Martell as the change-up QB. If so, Haskins will be one and done. He will have none of JT's records, and accomplish everything the didn't. It's time for Urban to change. Have fun. Let the offense go wild. Play with reckless abandon. Go for the jugular. Do not be the ghost of Woody Hayes. You can win with people, but talent and scheme aren't mutually exclusive. Losing with people sucks.

 

 

 

 

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