I'm happy to report that was my favorite football game I've ever watched.
It featured an intentional safety from a fourth-string punter followed by two fumbles on consecutive offensive possessions, a punter who was legitimately the team MVP despite having a punt that traveled four yards and five Ohio State punts downed inside the six-yard line.
And at one point in the second quarter, the teams had more punts than combined rushing yards.
Michigan State's backup punter just fistbumped someone after an intentional safety, I cannot recommend this game enough
— BUM CHILLUPS (@edsbs) November 10, 2018
And then there was Michigan State answering Ohio State's two-quarterback system by tossing in a Targaryen who was somehow worse than the starter who went 11-for-28 with an interception.
It was a dream come true, and I'm just glad we all got to witness it together.
ICYMI
- Ohio State downs Sparty
- Notebook
- Quotebook
- Five Things
- Debriefing
- Three Key Stats
- Social Reax
- Game in Gifs
- Players of the Game
- Statagram
- Freshman Tracker
- What Mark Dantonio said about the game.
- Drue Chrisman's performance was crucial to Ohio State's win.
- It was a win, but Ohio State's offense still has nagging questions.
- Urban Meyer on Tate Martell packages: "I think we're going to do more of that."
- A bizarre stretch of an intentional safety and two consecutive turnovers doomed Spary.
Word of the Day: Agog.
THE PACKAGE THAT WAS PROMISED. It took almost 10 games, but the Tate Martell packages are officially here.
The Buckeyes once again had problems moving the ball in short yardage situations, so they popped in Martell and it looked like a whole new offense.
Ohio State will absolutely need that when the north comes to Columbus in two weeks.
From Doug Lesmerises of Cleveland.com:
If Ohio State had trouble with Michigan State’s defense (and their average of 4.1 yards per play would indicate that) wait until the Buckeyes get a load of the Wolverines, who entered the weekend giving up 48 fewer yards per game than any team in the country.
Martell should be part of the offensive plan on Nov. 24.
“I think we’re going to do more of that,” Meyer said after the win. “When you start to get in that part of the field, it’s rugged, especially against a defense like that. So I hope to use him more.”
...
There was times when Meyer was visibly frustrated by missed opportunities in the passing game. But that’s not why he put in Martell. He put in the backup because near the end zone, a running quarterback can still help the Buckeyes.
Everywhere else, a dynamic thrower helps the Buckeyes.
It doesn’t have to be a choice. It can be both. That’s what the Buckeyes will need against Michigan - one quarterback on the sideline watching and one quarterback in the game winning. Both should get their chances.
I wasn't too keen this idea a few weeks ago, but that was a bad take. Once I saw it in action, I realized I was wrong – it's fun as hell and gives the defense an extra thing to worry about.
There's a fine line between relying on gimmicks and utilizing all your weapons, but I'm getting to the point where I don't give a shit about that line as long as it's working.
Call it a gimmick if you want, but I just want yards and touchdowns.
DRUE CHRISMAN IN THE RECORD BOOKS. Drue Chrisman officially made his mark in the Ohio State record books on Saturday, but probably not how you're thinking.
See, lost in that Jim Tressel's wet dream of a game from the bottle flipping wonder was literally the worst punt in Ohio State history.
Its an honor Im just glad some lucky fan got to go home with a ball today https://t.co/aTr1MCKltp
— Drue Chrisman (@DChrisman91) November 10, 2018
After a four-yard boot, Michigan State got the ball at Ohio State's 35-yard line and ended up punting three plays later from the 34 – and getting that one yard was nothing short of an adventure.
That was the moment I realized that no matter how hard the Buckeyes tried, they could not possibly out-self-destruct Sparty. Michigan State is in a league of its own when it comes to self-inflicted disaster.
LUTHER MUHAMMAD GETS IT. Last night, Luther Muhammad had to guard John Konchar, a 6-foot-5, 205-pound guard who has been first-team All-Summit League the past three seasons.
And he locked him down.
Konchar typically averages 21 points per game, but he had just 13 points in 37 minutes, and some of those came when Muhammad wasn't on him.
It was a stellar defensive showing, and that's what Muhammad prides himself on.
From my good pal Colin Hass-Hill here at Eleven Warriors dot com:
“Everyone who plays basketball likes to score, but what is scoring if your guy is also scoring?” Muhammad said. “It's better when you score and also you're getting a stop and your man's not scoring, because if you score 20 and your man scores 20, you really ain't score.”
"If you score 20 and your man scores 20, you really ain't score,” is the most galaxy brain quote I've seen in some months, and he's absolutely right.
I think it's going to eventually hurt the Buckeyes that they don't seem to have a true go-to scorer this season, but they'll always have a chance to win games if they just keep the other team from scoring instead. Crazy how sports work.
DRAIN THE LAKE. A huge perk of the new Mirror Lake design is the ability to fully drain the lake, and do it quickly. It drains so fast Ohio State could even do it in reaction to students planning to jump in, but they aren't waiting for that to happen.
From Shelby Metzger of The Lantern:
Mirror Lake has been drained in an effort to discourage the “Mirror Lake jump,” according to an email from Ohio State’s Department of Public Safety.
“The safety of our campus community is always our top priority. Out of an abundance of caution and with the university’s focus on safety at top of mind, we are sharing that Mirror Lake has been temporarily drained,” said the email, which was co-signed by Jay Kasey, senior vice president of the Office of Administration and Planning, and Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston, senior vice president of the Office of Student Life.
The email reminded students that the Undergraduate Student Government called for an end to the jump, which traditionally occurred on the Tuesday before the Ohio State v. Michigan football game, three years prior.
“In 2015, Undergraduate Student Government approved a resolution calling for the end of the ‘Mirror Lake Jump,’” the email read. “The recent lake restoration, as well as this week’s draining, supports the university’s compelling commitment to end the Mirror Lake jump.”
This is a good call from the university and everyone involved.
I jumped in that near-frozen cesspool three times. I regret nothing about it and love the memories, but it's just not a tradition worth putting lives at risk.
NOT WAR READY. Nothing about Boston College was ready for a nationally-televised primetime matchup against the No. 2 team in the country – including the damn hot dogs.
This is unforgivable and a clear reflection of the disfunction and disorganization within the Boston College program, imo.
If you can't make hot dogs, how are you going to compete against playoff contenders?
LINK LOCKER. The fading battlefields of World War I... A bubbling pool of mud is on the move, and no one knows why... Cocaine-like motivation drug introduced at neuroscience conference... How the LAPD derailed an FBI agent's investigation into Biggie Smalls’ murder... The colleges that make the most money on rejected applications... Three new DNA studies are shaking up the history of humans in the Americas...
