To my surprise, TTUN took down Bama fair and square. The following represent a few thoughts that emerged when reflecting on this season.

On TTUN: 

1. Clearly the best they've been in a very long time, maybe ever? It pains me to admit, but they are really excellent. They had no sign-stealing (I'll get to that don't worry) advantage over Bama. Saban is the best college football coach in history and Harbaugh beat him and with lesser talent. 

2. TTUN's formula starts up front. They have become absolutely dominant in the trenches. Don't get me wrong, Corum is an excellent RB and McCarthy can extend plays and is a gamer who rarely makes mistakes. But they win with a dominant O-line and amazing defense.

3.They are obviously very well-coached on both sides of the ball. This might actually be their biggest advantage. The players rarely make mistakes, they play confidently and they are mentally tough. I'm not saying all of this because I like it. I hate it. But Harbaugh has put together a tremendous staff and there's no denying it.

4. An important reminder- Harbaugh lost 5 in a row to OSU, then ducked us, then finally won. FIVE losses. He also had lost 6 consecutive Bowl games prior to tonight. Their fans certainly thought it was a lost cause but are obviously ecstatic he stuck around. I'm not saying this to suggest Day will certainly turn things around. I don't know that. But I do know that coaches can get better and make the changes to improve the on-field product.

5. I expect TTUN to take a step back next season, independent of the cheating allegations. They're going to put a bunch of dudes in the league and it seems doubtful that their next QB/RB tandem will be as good as or better than McCarthy/Corum.

6. I still think they will be hammered by the NCAA, even if/when they win it all this year. That gives me some hope. I don't know who will all be back next season staff-wise, but I will be surprised if we see Harbaugh, Minter and Moore and we know Stallions is gone... :) There is no doubt that they broke rules. Let's hope the NCAA acts swiftly and appropriately.

On OSU:

1. Day rightfully deserves some criticism for how his teams have played in big games the last few season, most notably against TTUN. However, it is completely fair and reasonable to acknowledge that he isn't facing the TTUN teams of old. Meyer never had to beat a TTUN team that could legitimately hold their own against Bama. Period. 

2. OSU just had its best defense since the legendary 2019 version. For that we should be grateful, as an elite defense has unfortunately been the exception under Day, not the rule. I feel confident about that side of the ball as long as we have Knowles. If this season showed anything, it's that an excellent defense can keep you in games and prevent embarrassing losses. We need to recruit better on the D-line though (more on that below). 

3. OSU just had its worst QB play in Day's tenure. I don't know what to expect next season, but I seriously doubt that OSU continues to have mediocre (by our standards) QB play going forward. 

4. OSU MUST improve on the OL. Yes, they got better as the season went on and had some inexperienced guys to start the season, but there is no excuse for some of their poor play. And they ended the season with maybe their worst performance (I haven't reviewed the stats or grades). I'm sure Day intellectually understands the importance of winning the LOS and establishing the run, but under his tenure the on-field product has been lacking far too frequently. OSU's elite skill player talent has masked some of the core issues. I'm not saying we shouldn't be thrilled to have guys like Air Noland, Mylan Graham and Jeremiah Smith. I'm just noting that for the future to be better, OSU needs to either recruit better up front, coach better, or both. 

5. Recruiting- it's the wild, wild west right now. OSU continues to put together solid classes through the chaos, but isn't dominating OL or DL recruiting and that's a concern. I understand the collectives not wanting to overspend on unproven guys, but if that's the approach then we have to crush it in the portal. Otherwise, fall behind we will (Yoda voice). That's a legit concern in my mind.

6. Culture/mojo/chemistry- On one hand, there are bright spots. Guys like Stover, Igbinosun, Burke, Eich and Jack Sawyer seem to embody toughness and physicality. On the other hand, there were times when OSU got pushed around in embarrassing fashion by teams like Mizzou and Maryland. I used to think Marotti was untouchable since he's the same guy who was there under Urban, but something just feels different. Or maybe it's just the OL missing assignments or executing. I don't know and I'd love to hear your collective thoughts, but is it coaching, talent up front, or some other issue? It just seems like the blocking execution was absolutely awful at times and our guys were getting blown off the ball or were otherwise unable to move defenders out of the way. 

In many if not most of Day's losses, OSU is right there in the first half and then chokes it away in the second. Again, I'd love to hear your thoughts but to me this is a coaching/culture/mental toughness thing and I think it all starts at the top. Confidence seems to be a missing ingredient. Being able to endure a fight and finish strong is an art and perhaps require a mindset or attitude that isn't being fostered right now in the Woody. 

I like Coach Day but do believe he will be coaching for his job next year, especially if the NCAA punishes TTUN and Harbaugh is gone. I hope he has meaningful conversations with former Buckeyes and is able to dig deep and build on the good and improve the bad. The program isn't in shambles but some things must get better.

I think the loss to Mizzou rightfully left a bad taste in our mouth, but the circumstances surrounding that game were also unusual. This same season though, Day beat PSU and ND and lost to TTUN on the road by the same number of points that Saban did. While frustrating, I don't think that's disgraceful. I'm not saying it was a successful season. It clearly wasn't. But I don't believe the program is in ruins either.

I'm very curious to see how this offseason goes for both programs. For now, I'm choosing a measured degree of optimism.

Please feel free to respectfully share your thoughts on my observations and perspective.