A common theme that I find in Day’s losses throughout his tenure at Ohio State is other team’s offensive strategies against our defenses and how that compliments their defensive game plan against a Ryan Day offense.
Harbaugh made the blueprint and Cristobal did a good job copying that last night. They know that they are at most positions less talented than the Buckeyes, so they simplify the game plan: Get 10 yards, get the first down. As we’ve unfortunately seen JJ McCarthy do a few times over the years, and watched again last night with Carson Beck, the short-intermediate pass game has killed us on 3rd Down in these losses. We win 1st and 2nd down on defense and turn it into a 3rd and a few and a simple pass play is drawn up and executed for the first down. This leads to these extensive, clock-eating drives that have happened against our defense. No big plays last night for Miami, but they bled us out all game long. Our defense could not get off the damn field.
On the other side of the ball, our offense could use that level of simplification. Teams know what Day wants to do on offense ultimately and they force him to adjust, which he usually doesn’t in these games he just keeps trying for better execution. Our entire first half against Miami and the majority of the game against Indiana, offensive drives ended unsuccessful after failing to piece together more than 1 or 2 first downs at a time and just punting it away. When the expected gameplan isn’t working after the first few drives because one season or another, Day needs to learn to simplify and just worry about getting the first down and keeping the offense on the field. With our talent if we wanted to go 10 yards at a time down the whole field, we shouldn’t be able to be stopped.
Day definitely failed on the offensive side of the ball in the postseason this year. Even with certain flaws like Sayins immobility and offensive line flaws, the game last night was very winnable much like the Indiana game. The offense didn’t put together a decently called drive until the first drive of the second half, took too damn long to wake up and adjust.
