If you were like me, it was hard to sleep Saturday night.
For more than three quarters of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, it looked like Ohio State would face TCU with a national championship on the line. Georgia had different plans. It mounted a massive comeback during the fourth quarter and sent the Buckeyes back to Columbus with a disappointing loss.
Since the game ended, many thoughts have passed through my head, some good, some bad and a great many pondering what the future for Ryan Day and his program will look like. Here are my thoughts the day after Ohio State’s 42-41 loss to Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinal. (Also, happy New Year’s everyone, even if it wasn’t what many of us wanted).
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This team proved many wrong
Last night proved that Ohio State has the talent to battle with anyone in CFB. Last night was a measuring stick for the program and they had Georgia down. No excuses its part of the game while missing RB1, RB2, WR1, WR2, TE1, TE2 CJ Stroud was remarkable. Ryan Day had them ready.
— jbook™ (@jbook37) January 1, 2023
There was a lot of consternation in the media about the Buckeyes getting into the playoff as the last team. Well, they proved to a whole lot of people that they belonged among the top teams this year. Obviously they didn’t come out with a win, but not many gave them a chance and for the majority of the game, it looked like they could pull it out.
C.J. Stroud didn’t want to lose
What will CJ Stroud’s legacy be at Ohio State?
A quarterback who in the biggest game of his career gave every ounce he could, a truly legendary performance.
All along he said his goal was not to prove the doubters wrong, but the people who believed in him right: pic.twitter.com/JPATFPTOlh
— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) January 1, 2023
It wasn’t just this team that got dragged through the mud the last four weeks, it was Stroud too. Many questioned his toughness, his will, everything about his game. All he did was throw for 348 yards with four touchdowns and run for 34 and set up the Buckeyes to attempt a game-winning field goal, surprisingly with his legs. When Stroud enters the NFL draft, we are going to see plenty of highlights of his performance against the Bulldogs.
The last three losses have something in common
Teams leading by 14 or more points at any point of the 4th quarter were 19-0 in College Football Playoff games.
Georgia rings in the new year in a big way, becoming the first team to win a CFP game after trailing by 14+ in the 4th. pic.twitter.com/VcZtnMDU4d
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 1, 2023
The inability to finish late in the fourth quarter. Against our rivals, the Buckeyes allowed 14 points in 2021. This year they allowed 21. And last night to Georgia, Ohio State allowed 18.
Against the toughest competition, Ohio State has faltered late. Is it a mental issue? Is it a physical issue? That is something Day has to figure out this off-season and should be atop his to-do list. This might be the biggest offseason of his tenure, and he also has to fix …
The defense
Amazing how similar these numbers are for Ohio State (via @Dan_Hope), even though the games felt so different. The reality is the Buckeyes defense hasn’t been right since 2019, and that was the only consistently strong group since 2017. pic.twitter.com/MhC1YRLpIZ
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) January 1, 2023
When Jim Knowles was brought on, he was viewed as the savior of the defense and looked like that for much of the first half of the year. The luster wore off starting at Penn State when the defense gave up 31 points. In the final three games, the Buckeyes allowed 30 to Maryland, 45 to our rivals and 42 to Georgia. Up to PSU, the defense allowed a high of 21 points, and with this offense, a lot of games can be won that way. Like last year, it’s back to the drawing board on defense and the biggest issue is …
The secondary
Stetson Bennett's 190 pass yards are the most by any player in the 4th quarter of a playoff game. pic.twitter.com/01MIfHYgfc
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 1, 2023
Stetson Bennett is a good quarterback, but he will never be viewed as a great one. However, he looked great against the Buckeyes last night, throwing for 398 yards and three scores. This Bulldogs team isn’t known for moving the ball through the air, but it sure did against this secondary.
The cornerbacks played better, but once again finished without an interception, meaning the Buckeyes did not get an interception from its secondary all seasone. Safety Latham Ransom took some very bad angles, while Ronnie Hickman was a mixed bag. The misses in recruiting and the transfer portal in this position group have been well documented. Secondary coaches Tim Walton and Perry Eliano need to figure out a solution and fast.
Looking at next year’s team
Fought until the very end.
FINAL
OSU: 41
UGA: 42#GoBucks— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) January 1, 2023
A great many players are going to move on, either to the draft or into the portal. We will be watching the quarterback competition, but also the secondary. Hickman has already let us know he’s gone to the NFL. Tanner McCalister could be gone as well. Same goes for josh proctor and Cam Brown. This much maligned group could look completely different next fall which could be a good thing. The offensive line could lose three starters (Paris Johnson Jr., Luke Wypler, Dawand Jones) and maybe a fourth in Matthew Jones. Defensive end Zach Harrison and linebacker Tommy Eichenberg have decisions to make. The expectation is that the Buckeyes don’t rebuild, they reload. Day has a huge challenge in front of him.
Is Day on the hot seat now?
Ohio State has lost back-to-back games for the first time since the Jan 2014 Orange Bowl. Is Ryan Day on the hot seat?
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) January 1, 2023
That is one tough, he has lost just six games in his tenure, but three big ones the last two years: two to our rivals and the national semifinal against Georgia. I wouldn’t put him on the hot seat right now, but he really needs to prove himself all over again. We all have a John Cooper-like feeling about the way the program is going. I’d still rather have Day than Cooper, but I doubt Day will have the same long leash Coop was granted. Looking ahead the schedule will not be easy …
Next year’s schedule
The 2023 Ohio State Football Schedule‼️#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/FEftM9uIo5
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) October 26, 2022
The Buckeyes will travel to South Bend and Ann Arbor. The rest of the schedule should be fairly easy to handle, with the possible exception of Wisconsin in Camp Randall. But who knows how long it will take Luke Fickell to get that program to what he wants it to look like. Penn State is at home, but the Nittany Lions always play the Buckeyes tough. It’s always championship or bust in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, but it will not be easy next year.
Final thought - The sky is not falling
The Buckeyes fought til the end. Last Carmen OHIO of 2022. Thank you Buckeye Nation. pic.twitter.com/MEJObU4utq
— Ohio State Buckeyes 🌰 (@OhioStAthletics) January 1, 2023
This program is at a crossroads, but there is still hope. Recruiting has been great, the NFL pipeline still exists, 10-plus win seasons are the norm. This has been a rough last two seasons. It happens, it’s sports. There is only one college football champion, one conference champ. Yes, we’ve missed those goals the last two years, but in both seasons, the Buckeyes have had a chance. Like I mentioned earlier, this offseason is massive and we could see some changes, especially on defense and maybe with strength and conditioning. Time will tell but this is still one of the top programs in the country with a bright future.
