Pretty much sums up my feelings.
http://www.elevenwarriors.com/2014/01/31877/five-things-clemson-ohio-state-football#more
SILVER BLANKSTalk of how to fix the defense – or more importantly if fixing it requires the dismissal of any staff – has become increasingly contentious the last few weeks.
I’m content to trust how Meyer decides to handle things but that doesn’t mean those clamoring for a staff shakeup are whiny over reactors, as labeled by many, when you examine the product.
Has Ohio State had some injuries on that side of the ball this year? Absolutely. Have they also underperformed at a historically awful level? Yes.
Last night might have been rock bottom as for the first time in school history, Ohio State lost when scoring 35+ points, falling to 279-1-1 as Clemson became the sixth opponent to put at least 30 points up against the Silver Bullets.
Over the last four games, in which OSU went 2-2, the defense gave up 1,918 total yards, 28.5 points per game, let a historically bad Michigan offense put up 41 points and finished 10th in probably the worst power conference in Pass Defense (283.5) and 6th in Total Defense (393.6). Statistically, even Minnesota had a better defense in conference play this year.
[h=4] Against Clemson, the Bullets allowed the Tigers to set numerous Orange Bowl records including the most receiving yards by a player as Sammy Watkins racked up 227 with what felt like 200 of that coming on the same exact play. Watkins is unquestionably a next-level player but to allow the same play to shred your defense over and over and over again was tough on the eyes.[/h]
The worst moment, however, might have been when Clemson recorded the game-winning score via a version of throwback pass that has made the defense look incompetent in so many crucial situations this season.
Whether Fickell and others stay or go, what bothers me the most is what appears to be a lack of in-game adjustments combined with a potential misdiagnosis of personnel.
Am I really to believe that Vonn Bell improved so much during bowl prep that he became a better option than Pitt Brown? Bell made some mistakes but he also made some plays and that’s 50% more than what Brown was allowed to do for 12 games as Bell watched from the sideline. That troubles me.
Am I really to believe that Ohio State had no other option but to defend the Watkins screen the same way 10+ straight times? Am I really to believe that calling a corner blitz repeatedly only to get scorched was all based on OSU’s schematic advantage and they just got unlucky?
Sometimes you have to make change for the sake of change. Guys with much more impressive resumes than Luke Fickell have found themselves forced to leave an employer after many years of service because things aren’t working out.
Again, I’m for whatever Meyer thinks is the best course of action because I know he wants to win even more than any fan or blogger or writer or whomever, I just hope either way, I can quit reading comments/articles/tweets from people who treat Fickell like he’s a deity for reasons I simply can’t comprehend.
