On New Year’s Eve, Ohio State was completely shut down by Clemson in a 31-0 blowout. The Buckeyes couldn’t do much on offense, finishing with 215 yards of offense and nine first downs. Ohio State used a similar game plan that they have been using as of late, where junior J.T. Barrett is used on almost every down. Barrett threw the ball 33 times and ran 11 other times. Junior Curtis Samuel was also used, rushing six times and catching nine passes, but was held in check the entire game by Clemson.
The question that Buckeye fans are asking is, where did it go wrong? Ohio State’s offense has been among the most inconsistent in the FBS, able to put up 45 and 62 points against Oklahoma and Nebraska respectfully, but scoring 17 and 0 against Michigan State and Clemson. These are the things that led up to why Ohio State collapsed.
Why Ohio State Collapsed
Play-Calling
This is the most obvious thing that has been going wrong for the Ohio State offense recently. Co-offensive coordinators Tim Beck and Ed Warriner have come under fire lately due to their poor play-calling. With the amount of talent that Ohio State has on offense, fans are struggling to grasp why Barrett has the majority of the workload being put on him, and nothing is coming out of it. Against Clemson, Ohio State punted seven times, missed two field goals, threw two interceptions, fumbled once, and ended on downs once. Even when Michigan State was blown out 38-0 to Alabama last season, they were able to give more of a fight than Ohio State did this season. With players like Samuel, Mike Weber, Noah Brown, and Corey Smith, Ohio State should’ve been able to give more of a fight.
Fans have been calling for the firing of Beck since last season, especially after the Michigan State loss. Head coach Urban Meyer tried to resolve the issue by promoting Warriner to calling plays. However, Ohio State’s offense has still struggled. During this off-season, it will be interesting to see how Meyer handles the play-calling situation. He will likely make some changes because if he does not, Ohio State may be in danger of losing recruits in the future.
Mike Weber
The true freshman had his worst game of the season against Clemson. Weber fumbled twice, one lost to Clemson, and let an easy pass go through his hands. Buckeye fans expected mistakes from the young back, however, they played a key part in ending their season. However, Weber’s performance against Clemson really hurt Ohio State’s chances to even get back in the game. His early drop forced the Buckeyes into an early punt. The first fumble, which was lost to Clemson happened at the Ohio State 41-yard line and the second, made Ohio State lose all momentum and fumbled inside the Clemson 30-yard line. Buckeye fans will hope that crucial mistakes like these will not happen next season.
Weber does have a solid freshman year to build on however. He ended the seasons with 1,096 rushing yards, averaging six yards per carry, and scored nine touchdowns. For a freshman, he is well on his way to becoming a staple for the Ohio State offense. His only competition for touches is Samuel who has yet to decide if he’s going to the NFL Draft.
Overall
This was a sad end to Ohio State’s season. With all the controversy going on about leaving Penn State out of the playoffs and putting Ohio State in, it will likely be much more difficult to convince voters that a non-conference champion should be in the playoffs. Next season, the Buckeyes will be returning the majority of their starters. Despite the poor outcome, next season should give Buckeye fans a lot to cheer about. Next season, they face three out-of-conference opponents, all of which are home games. The difficult games for Ohio State next year will be travelling to face Michigan, Iowa, and Nebraska, and a home game against Penn State. Overall, it was a good season, especially after losing 16 starters, 15 of which are currently in the NFL.
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