The Game
- Defense played great. OSU had to earn everything they got. No big plays (nor do I recall any guys running alone deep where Howard simply missed the throw). Shut down the run game. Never quit. Good tackling.
- Some say that Day was trying to win a certain way (by running the ball) that was out of character. Perhaps, I'm not sure. But I think part of it is that he didn't really trust Howard (in terms of his accuracy and making mistakes) and feared our pass rush. And this is true especially after Howard almost got knocked out. And really, this looked to be the case. Howard threw 2 picks and almost threw 2 more (despite not being in a game where OSU was down). Howard is also not a guy that really is going to beat you with his legs.
- Can't believe OSU never got called with an offensive holding. Then again we never did either. I guess the refs were just letting them play.
- I thought we got too conservative with the offensive play calling. I would have liked to see us mix in a few more passes - especially on first down.
- I thought the call to throw the ball into the end zone (on the INT) was great. It looked like Warren just missed the throw. But based on Moore's comments, it's possible that Hansen didn't run the route right. I think this probably why we didn't throw more . . . Warren is just a bit erratic with his throwing. He has a good arm and his throws look very good at times but he does have a tendency to throw picks.
- All the credit in the world to Zvada - he's a machine. But let's also give credit to the kick team in general - long snapper, line, holder. They were perfect yesterday.
- Mullings is a machine. IMO, he has not been 100 percent for much of the 2nd half of the season. He has taken a pounding. But he is always fighting for yards and never fumbles.
- Offensive line played good enough. No sacks. Not many negative rushing plays (although even our run calls - which tended to be right up the middle - protected against this possibility).
- If I'm an OSU fan, I wouldn't have felt good about the hiring of Chip Kelly. I don't like one head coach (DaY0 hiring a coordinator (Kelly) who has a better history as a head coach than the head coach. It feels like a pressure hire and not necessarily a good chemistry hire.
The Future
- People in general to push for out with the old and in with the new. To me, this demonstrates a lack of patience and emotional decision making. For example, look at OSU. Why the hell is Howard the QB when you could have had a more experienced McCord back - and a guy that was pretty good last year??? There is something to be said for continuity in your program. I think this is something that Harbaugh understood . . . and hopefully Moore does as well.
- With that said, before I get too focused on the portal, I'm looking to bring back guys from THIS YEAR'S team before expressly or implicitly showing them the door. Young football players improve - whether in season or between seasons. Our staff will have a better sense of the character, talent, and work ethic of players on this year's team vs. guys from other teams.
- I think it is a delicate balancing act about how to handle NIL money, maintaining continuity on your roster, bringing in transfers, and being careful about avoiding inequity on the roster (e.g., young or unproven players getting lots of money while veteran players get much less). Raw talent is far from everything when it comes to winning. The best coaches and programs will learn how to deal with this. We will see how Moore does.
- Everyone is in a rush to replace Campbell. I'm not sure this will happen. He really didn't have much to work with this year. It's tough to have much of an offense without a solid/dependable QB, a young/inexperienced/often banged up offensive line, and really not wide receiver playmakers. I know people complain about his play calling but the reality is, every game plan that he comes up with is approved by Moore.
- I worry about going after a guy like McCulley. Why did he leave the IU team . . . a team having a great season and that should be in the playoffs?
- Team never quit this year and that portends well for Moore and the future.
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