Outside of Fryar, there are 3 kids at OT who were 4-star top-20 players at that position coming out of HS.  You have to assume at least one of them makes a big jump this offseason...

"At one point last spring, OSU was considered front runners for both Davis and Raiola before pivoting solely to focus on Raiola."

They were in on both guys and pivoted to the top one who committed early.  You can't realistically take both so I'm not sure there's much of an animosity factor there.  Day reengages in earnest and points out that he can either go to a place where he will receive exceptional development while throwing to the most elite receiving corps in the nation and likely getting drafted in the top-10... or he can go to a place where he can hand off the ball 35 times a game while probably completing a handful of passes to average WRs enjoying busted coverages and/or TCU defensive backs... 

Zach Harrison certainly made plays as a Buckeye and PFFs assessment is valid. Some of his film is nauseating as he is so often just so damn close to getting a sack or forcing a fumble and stuffing his stat sheet, but it just didn't happen. It would be nice if the law of averages swings in his favor and he wrecks shop as a pro.

Those two are obviously fantastic WRs but Sauce was the highest graded player at his position per PFF and was also named first-team All-Pro, becoming the first rookie cornerback to achieve the honor since Hall-of-Famer Ronnie Lott... I'd say the others come up a bit short for the overall award but OPOY, absolutely a coin flip between the Buckeyes. 

I don't get a lot of warm fuzzies about the next group up but I'm going to reserve judgement.  There seem to be a lot of projects from Indiana which, in at least one case thus far, turned out all right.  The largely blue-chip OL this year proved it could stand toe to toe with GA but it's going to take a lot of overachieving for the next group to do the same.  Here's to overachieving.

It's not unreasonable to assume Allar will be pretty good, but that is some pretty amazing shade to throw on the OSU QB room by comparison given than an OSU QB has won Big Ten OPOY 7/10 years and the last 5 in a row.  Allar wasn't even a priority recruit for OSU.

The Best Damn No. 4 Team in the Land

2019 was gut wrenching due to the nature of how victory was stolen from an A+ team due to the unholy combo of inexplicable officiating and Olave breaking off his route on the final play.  That squad still had to contend with LSU though... I think they get it done but it's dicey.  This one hurt because injuries derailed what could have been an all-time performance.  I expected a competitive game but holy shit there were moments where it looked like OSU might beat them by 3 scores... can you imagine if they had been able to compete with a healthy JSN as well?  Day and this team proved they can be the Death Star we thought they could be with the right mindset, at least offensively.  The defense acquitted itself well at times and shit the bed at times.  If Ransom doesn't fall down... they probably do enough to win.

Adding to the pain this year is the fact that TCU made it to the final.  I feel that OSU has left 3 fairly easy national titles on the floor in the past decade.  Urban completely fumbled what was basically an NFL squad in 2015.  The 2012 team without a bowl ban plays a weak ND team instead of Bama.  2012 ND and 2022 TCU are the closest things to layups you're going to get in a NC game.  In that scenario, Urban and Saban are in a closer race for best coach ever... and if that kick lands true Day is probably notching his first of what I hope are several championships.  Alas...

I'm having to be selective on which OSU receivers get added to my all-Buckeye Madden roster... crazy 1st world problems.

The loss of several top draft picks meant the 2020 squad wasn't as talented as the 2019 group.  That Bama team in 2020 enjoyed a peaking roster on both sides of the ball and was absolutely stacked.  At full strength I could see it still being a game going into the 4th though Sarkisian was calling a hell of a game against us as the opposing OC... 

Those TEs are insane.  Likely need Sonny Styles to emerge in a big way to counter their physicality. A less talented 6'7" player from IU caught a TD pass against one of our safeties.  It's a tough ask to defend that for an entire game. 

That ESPN reporter is a twat.  I love how every 2020 NCG postmortem casually omits that half the OSU D-line was held out for COVID. And the 2019 team got absolutely jobbed and could have absolutely beaten an LSU team featuring amazing skill players and an average to mediocre offensive line.  They beat that Clemson team 9/10 times with a different officiating crew.

His singular data point is flawed.  TN had lost their QB by the 4th quarter... and being down multiple scores and letting SEC athletes tee off on your QB isn't great for offensive production in most cases.  As Ramzy has pointed out in various works over the last two weeks, Day tends to get cute and shy away from his difference makers, his 'aliens', in some contests which curbs the high-end talent advantage.  Certainly against the TUN.  He didn't do that in the Rose Bowl.  JSN could've had 400yds in that game.  There was no getting cute.  It was "I know you can't stop this kid so I'm going to bury you with him' and it was breathtaking to watch.  

Funny how he didn't run his mouth when it was Justin Fields and Chase Young on the stage.  CJ had too much class to point that out... or the fact it had been 24yrs since UM had a contender finish inside the top-5. 

You may be right; he likely has a lot of input in building the car... but Day tends to put it in neutral and drive off a cliff in pressure situations, at least in the only game that matters.  They should bring in an elite play caller from outside the program and hand him the keys...

I think you focus on the vertical passing game while sprinkling in some power runs between the tackles to keep them honest.  I think Miyan can get tough yards and Henderson can hopefully hit a homerun but for the most part it's going to be up to CJ to put points on the board.  I am praying for a JSN miracle...

All of that just to get an OSU v Bama title game (maybe). 

Right?? 10 goddamn rushing yards allowed in the first half.  If OSU executes just a little better on offense, they’ve got 24-28pts at half… figure UM only hits on one of those pass plays because, shit happens, it's 24-10 or 28-10 at half. One missed tackle and one backup safety, inexplicably playing early in the 2nd quarter, getting turned around in coverage... 

From there all the momentum is with the good guys and it's likely a romp in the 2nd half where Chip has a Michael Wiley type performance and CJ Stroud and Marvin Harrison cement their post season awards.

Perhaps the only thing this team is missing (other than truly dependable cover corners) is Urban's psychology degree. 

Saturday was an embarrassment however it could have easily gone the other way if you read Tuesday's post-mortem.  I had predicted a 45-20 final score in favor of OSU and the Buckeyes seemed poised to deliver that reckoning early on.  I saw what a prior loss to Clemson did for the rematch and I envisioned a similar performance.  OSU did not execute on 3rd down, played sloppy, and made unbelievably stupid mistakes from a penalty standpoint.  This game hinged on 5 plays that could have easily been stifled.  UM averaged barely 3yds/play outside of those defensive gaffes.  I think you're crazy if you think the outcome would be the same this weekend.  We saw the high-water mark of what this UM team can be.  JJ played like a 5-star for the first time ever.  They could not have performed better, yet outside of 5 plays they weren't shit offensively and defensively they were aided too much by OSU miscues.  I think they coaches make different calls... I think the players play looser and by extension more disciplined... they've already seen the worst it can go... they don't have time to stew or second guess, they just go out and ball.  35-10.

Yeah, they were definitely trying to make up for their 1st half in the eyes of the CFP committee.  It certainly helps when the weather is perfect and Rutgers 2nd half adjustment seemed to be 'throw it to the other team'...

It seemed like they got jobbed on 3 calls in the 4th quarter... then they still almost pulled it out.  Broke my heart when the WR just dropped the ball Fields put right on the hands... 

That last PSU TD really irked me... they went to a prevent type scheme and PSU just went right down the field on them.  MSU and Whisky padded their score sheets against the 2nd/3rd team, and Toledo's QB had to channel Vince Young while picking on an injured CB... overall not bad.  

This whole game was an avalanche of absurdity but in the end the Buckeyes flexed enough muscle to earn a solid W.  If you came of age during the '02 title run, a 21-7 victory would have more than satiated you.  We live in a different era now, but numerous factors conspired to deliver the results we saw Saturday.  That ridiculous wind/rain combo conspired with a peculiar case of the drops amongst most OSU pass catchers to curtail that vital part of the offense leading to a stacked box manned by (according to the announcer) one of the best defenses in the B1G statistically.  Also, Miyan is clearly banged up and not hitting the holes with the same authority we're accustomed to seeing.

NW is shit overall compared to OSU, I get it... but when OSU comes out flatter than the state of Nebraska playing a team with its hair on fire trying to salvage a lost season it certainly doesn't help matters.  Their RB ran like a grown man behind a consensus top-5 NFL draft pick at LT using creative run concepts aided by a QB pulling rabbits out of a hat on 3rd down, but it ultimately wasn't enough... ironically this seemed like the perfect game for a healthy dose of WR screens lol.

The clip was pure poetry... knowing that #14 was running his mouth before the Game touting his 'Florida Speed' just makes it so much more enjoyable.

As bad as that defense was... Hickman was the duct tape keeping it from getting worse.