Tough loss, folks. That was frustrating to watch. Had some more time to think about this one than usual because it was a late game and I had to get up to drive home from vacation this morning. So here we go...

Care: We're still in control of our destiny

The benefit of the expanded playoffs is that a one point loss, on the road, to the #3 team in the country means you're nowhere near close to out of the race. We can still achieve every goal we have this season.

That was a difficult game to watch as a subjective fan because we punched ourselves in the face repeatedly via unforced errors. Those, coupled with what felt like a gazillion false starts (props to Oregon fans for showing up big on their home field), were too much to overcome.

But we are still an excellent football team. We didn't lose to a shitty program, and the mental errors that occurred are both coachable and unlikely to happen again. Oregon is very good, and we knew that going in, we just didn't know where our weaknesses are because of our lax schedule. Now we know. Now we see how the coaches adjust because we ALL know how teams will attack us moving forward.

But there were still a lot of things that were positives coming out of that game that can help us moving forward...

Don't Care: About the bad breaks or good breaks in that game

We avoided an interception on the opening drive, but then lost a fumble (less of a fumble and more of a Clarett). We have shitty punters, but Oregon decided special teams were even less necessary and couldn't kick a field goal to save their life. We get a break with 12 men on the field (clock runoff issue still pending), but then get a ticky-tack OPI (also pending). Oregon plays without Burch, we lose Simmons and Tegra (somewhat). Oregon spits on us and they lose Holden (dumb. ass.), we lose the ability to try to throw downfield like Oregon did.

Breaks happen both ways every game. We got some great ones, and so did Oregon.

The issues with our team that lost us the game weren't because of luck (or lack of luck), it was roster management and lack of aggressiveness on defense.

Care: This offense is great

The offense for this team is great. Chip's influence and Howard's command of the playbook are both extremely fun to watch. There were miscues (fumbled snap, the last play of the game, etc), but nothing was a result of terrible coaching or an inability to make the right read or play call.

Everyone will get hung up on Howard's final decision, but please don't overlook the rest of the game where he played the best he's played all season, against the best defense he's faced, while working behind an injured offensive line for most of the game. He was dominant, precise, and in control the whole time. We are lucky to have him and he's all we need to win a championship. Our supporting cast at the skill positions is also as good as advertised, now that we've finally played a tough game.

Our offense moved the ball at will unless they shot themselves in the foot. I'd still like to see at least some of Day's deep-passing influence practiced in less risky games so that we can see if Howard really doesn't have that ability (his underthrow was egregious, but thank god JJ is JJ). We have to be able to pass downfield at some point and we really haven't committed to trying it. Maybe that's all we need to know: Chip knows we don't have it so we don't try it.

All in all, I give the offense a B+ for that game, as a whole, considering how well they moved even with the injuries on the O-line. It'd be an A if it weren't for the multiple false starts and one or two other plays.

Don't Care: Anti-Ryan Day online rhetoric

People need to chill. Yes, Day has a losing record against Top 5 teams. Some of that is on him. Some of it isn't. Also, what would his record be if some of those losses were vacated/reversed because of a cheating scandal?

We just lost a one point game, on the road, to the #3 team in the country. Holding onto that final timeout is a black mark, but Day's coaching over the course of that game wasn't the problem.

I have yet to see anyone complaining about Day provide a good solution. There isn't one. It is very, very likely you regress as a program from where Day has us right now with a new coach. And a positive regression for these close losses in big games seems far more likely than our team beginning to flounder. It's frustrating as a fan to not win the big one with the talent we've recruited, but there are teams just as talented as us that also don't win it all every single year.

Day will get his, I firmly believe that. He's made the correct decisions when it becomes necessary, runs a clean and exceptional program, and is about as good of an OSU representative as one can ask for in an industry filled with douchebags.

Believe in our coach and where this team is headed because learning a lesson like this in a season like this one is a good thing. We know where we need drastic improvement. Day is going to get us there.

Care: Knowles has to earn that paycheck from here on out, but Walton needs to as well

I have been a big defender of Knowles in the past. His defenses have been great at limiting big plays and making teams really earn their points. Last Saturday was the first time I've felt he was completely, utterly outclassed in every way. It was really tough to watch. The lack of aggressiveness was appalling because the few times we dialed it up it seemed to work. Knowles may have gone into his shell because of how much they were picking us apart deep, but giving Gabriel that much time to throw was the issue. That must change.

However, I don't put it all on Knowles. Walton needed to make a change in the game as well and sit Burke for at least a couple of series'. Put Jermaine in there and see how he does because it literally could not have been worse. That roster management was a massive failure. Sometimes your guy just has an off game and you need to let him get right before he plays again. That's partly on Burke, but our coaches are responsible for putting our guys in positions to succeed and when one guy is a liability to that degree, you have to make the change.

I expect our coaches will not let something like that happen again for four quarters. And Nebraska is a good team to see where we make adjustments because they'll be able to attack our corners pretty well.

Don't Care: Lack of impact by our DEs

I'm going to get slammed for this one, and I understand why. But let me explain:

JT and Jack Sawyer were huge recruits and have played well, at times. They aren't consistent and can disappear. I understand all of that and wish things were different and they were racking up crazy stats. They seemed to do nothing for most of the game against Oregon.

I want to see someone with more knowledge than me do a breakdown of our defensive calls for that game because we almost exclusively rushed four and didn't have our guys with their ears pinned back pretty much the entire game. I really don't think their job was to do much beyond contain Gabriel inside the pocket. It was a terrible strategy that also looks worse because on the rare chance we did something less vanilla we seemed to get pressure.

Our DEs are who they are. They are very good, and very talented. But they aren't going to be the guy that will annihilate talented tackles on a consistent basis. That sucks, but since we all know that we need to scheme them into better situations, or allow them to do their jobs so LBs or DBs are freed up to go after the QB. The coaches need to scheme around their weaknesses because they are still very good football players. At some point a very good football player might need a good coach who can put them in the best positions to change the game. Our coaches left them effectively on islands on Saturday and after it wasn't working, needed to provide assistance.

I wish they were game wreckers on a consistent basis. But I also don't have the expectations many people on here have. I want them to occupy blockers so Cody Simon can destroy the QB. I want them to force the QB up in the pocket that's collapsing because we send three guys right at the center and he can't go anywhere. I'd love for them to get sacks but vanity metrics don't matter to me.

Coaches write the story for what happens on the field. Right now they aren't doing a great job authoring up anything exciting.