Ohio State’s offense might be too focused on passing the ball

“We discussed that. Really through about a six-game run there, we were a nice balance as far as run-pass ratio, throwing for a little bit more than we have. But, yeah, that's a much different makeup right now than when we were a heavy, heavy -- used to be about a 70 percent run. It's about about 55 (run)/45 (pass) now.”

- Urban Meyer via Bill Landis, Cleveland.com

One of the many things pointed to in the reason Ohio State was so embarrassed at Kinnick Stadium this past Saturday was that the Buckeyes did a common mistake in nearly all of their losses the past few seasons - go away from running the ball. In addition to J.T. Barrett throwing four interceptions, Ohio State seemingly forgot that their running backs were viable options, even in a game the team was trailing in. Barrett had more carries than J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber had combined, which should no doubt raise a few eyebrows, considering the success that the Buckeyes have always had running the ball.

So Bill Landis took a look at the offense every season since Urban Meyer has been the head coach and found that nearly every season, the levels for how much the team is running vs. throwing has changed drastically. Ohio State is at its most successful when it can force its will by running the ball and controlling the tempo of the game. When the Buckeyes are forced to throw, that’s when things get hairy. Be sure to check out the article for more of the percentages.

“The Buckeyes suffered a football disembowelment. There’s no overstating how bad this was. It was arguably the worst loss Urban Meyer’s ever taken, complete with not only giving up 55 points to Iowa but the equally fun getting stunted on via special teams fakes in the fourth quarter.”

- Alex Kirshner, SB Nation

Ohio State got blown out by Iowa to a tune of 55-24, in case you didn’t already have that etched into your brain. And while it hurt Saturday (and still hurts, if we’re being honest), there comes a time when you have to take a step back and have some perspective. In this week’s edition of schadenfreude, Alex Kirshner of SB Nation takes a look at some of the reactions from Twitter, Reddit, and some message boards to find the hottest takes and the largest meltdowns possible coming from Ohio State fans.

Keep in mind it’s all in good fun, but some of the stuff is pretty out there, including a fan worried that Ohio State might lose it’s sponsorship from Papa Johns? There’s also non-Ohio State related stuff so if you want to read up on how Penn State fans are doing after dropping to Michigan State, there’s always that to brighten your day.

“Dan Dakich has never been one to shy away from giving his opinion on matters pertaining to college basketball (or other walks of life), no matter how much they might stir things up.

So here's another crazy one: Dakich has picked Ohio State basketball to reach the Final Four this year.”

- Bill Landis, Cleveland.com

It’s just about time for college basketball to be starting up again, and that means the new era begins for Ohio State. New head coach Chris Holtmann has replaced Thad Matta and expectations are fairly low all around Columbus. With a handful of new players coming on board including some walk-ons and transfers, there’s certain to be a learning curve for the new Buckeyes and rightfully so. However, that hasn’t stopped Dan Dakich from predicting that Ohio State will be in the Final Four come March. And yes, THAT Final Four — as in the one in the NCAA tournament.

Anyone other than Dakich has pretty much agreed that the Buckeyes will likely be hanging around the bottom of the conference, let alone the entire country. Of course, you also have to factor in that Dakich’s son, Andrew Dakich now plays for the Buckeyes as well, so it’s possible he might have some scarlet and gray-colored glasses when making this prediction.

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