Where was that offensive plan against Michigan?

Well, well, well. Look what happens when Ohio State does what it does best – getting the ball to its pass catchers.

Saturday’s 42-17 win over Tennessee in a first-round playoff game in a high-energy Horseshoe – thanks to a home crowd that drowned out the exceptionally large turnout of Vols fans – was the opposite of what happened against Michigan last month. Instead of throwing it in the gut over and over again, Ohio State coach Ryan Day and play caller Chip Kelly opted for what works.

The No. 8 seed Buckeyes entered the game with a pass-first game plan, and guess what? It worked.

Phew.

Now it’s off to the Rose Bowl for a rematch against number 1 seed Oregon. If Ohio State plays like it did Saturday, the Ducks, who beat OSU 32-31 on Oct. 12, will be in for a fight.

Where was this Ohio State offense against Michigan (or anyone else)?

Here’s a novel idea: get the ball to your playmakers and get out of their way. Who would have thought?

Repeat after me: “Wide receivers are the strength of the OSU offense.”

But for some reason, the offensive play call against Michigan went against that strength. The neighbor’s dog could have, and probably did, yell at the TV, “Stop running the ball up the middle.” But the Buckeyes kept trying to break the rock, and UM made them pay.

And let’s face it, it wasn’t just Michigan. Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly were reluctant to go all-in on the “pass to set up the run” philosophy all season, and an offense that was supposed to be out of this world didn’t leave orbit as often as it did she should have been.

Then there was Saturday’s opener against Tennessee, when Day and Kelly finally took to the air. Result: a 21-0 lead after one quarter that gave OSU enough of a cushion that ultimately became a comfortable sofa.

The Buckeyes showed off their skills, scoring on four of their first five plays and scoring on their opening series for the first time since the game against Oregon.

No team can completely give up on the run, but when your offensive line is a patchwork quilt, it’s up to you to play to your strengths. And Day finally did.

It was the embarrassment and embarrassment from Michigan that turned Ohio State University into the offense everyone thought it would be.

Ohio State’s defense is the real deal

Okay, enough about the offensive facelift.

The defense didn’t need any plastic surgery at all. Talk all you want about Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka and the sexy side of the ball, but for my money the defense deserves the MVP of the season. The Vols were outstanding again, recording four sacks and giving credit to a UT offense that ranked eighth nationally in scoring offense (37.3-point average) and ninth in rushing offense (232 yards). ) proved that life was difficult in general. The Buckeyes limited the Vols to 17 points and 152 yards on the ground.

Memo to Ohio State QB Will Howard: Don’t throw interceptions

I know, I know, easier said than done. Still, it shouldn’t be that hard to avoid when you have wide receivers like OSU. All Howard has to do is let Egbuka and Smith make plays. And preferably relatively simple games. Howard did this with two perfect passes to Smith; a 37-yard strike in the first quarter and a 22-yarder in the third quarter made it 28-10.

But he forced a first-half pass to Smith that Tennessee defensive back Will Brooks deflected in the back of the end zone, snuffing out a scoring opportunity that could have made it 28-0 with a field goal, or 24 :0. The risky pass was simply unnecessary given the score.

The shift in momentum led to Tennessee getting within 21-10 at halftime and the Vols getting the ball early in the second half. But Howard redeemed himself with the ball beautifully thrown to Smith early in the third quarter.

Otherwise, Howard played a heck of a game, finishing 24 of 29 for 311 yards and two touchdowns. The was the QB who can take OSU to the end. However, it may be an exaggeration to point out a potentially game-changing interception, but when OSU’s receivers are this good, there’s no reason to make simple plays more difficult.

Knoxville North as Tennessee fans stormed Ohio Stadium

Whether it was Ohio State season ticket holders reselling their seats to Tennessee fans or Vols Nation gaining access to a promo code that allowed UT fans to buy up more than their allotment of 3,500 seats, the Horseshoe was stuck lots of orange. Estimates put the crowd at 65% OSU fans and 35% UT fans, but regardless of the exact numbers, it was almost certainly the largest attendance by a visiting fan base in the stadium’s history.

Many Ohio State fans watching at home weren’t happy with Tennessee’s big turnout, but there was a positive side to Ticketgate. The smaller OSU crowd was louder than when the Shoe was 90% clad in scarlet and gray.

What is there? My guess is that the Ohio State fans who sold their tickets on the secondary market are the same ones sitting on their hands during games. Replacing them with loud and proud Buckeyes fans made a huge difference.

My suggestion to OSU athletic director Ross Bjork is to design fan seating in the future so that those who really care about making noise get some sort of preferential treatment. I know, a challenge given that big spenders want the prime real estate in the 1950s. But if you really want to change the atmosphere, then do what it takes to change it.

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Where was that offensive plan against Michigan?

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