He seems flashy but success will define it going forward. Guys want to play for OSU as well. I imagine that Sanders brings in alot of NIL as well. Which is mainly OSU's problem at the moment. 

Sawyer is playing next year as a starter. Be it Leo or true DE and Innis is not going to be a starter. Not with all the guys between him and that. 

It does not. The school is not paying the players. Outside entities are. 

It is possible, but he would have to be off the charts to come in and see significant time over the guys above him that are also talented. 

Yeah, I think he was brought in after the team was embarrassed against Clemson in the playoff to make the offense more diverse. 

Which I think is at least partly fixable. I agree it is different than it was for sure but it may not be bad. Giving players more power to transfer within reason. 

I have issues with the money. NFL free agency has alot of rules. 

OSU does have a talent advantage over Michigan. I am not sure that it can be argued otherwise, but that does not always mean you win all the time. Just edges things in your favor. 

For instance, OSU was far more injured everywhere last year than Michigan was. And they honestly had that game won. 

The points, IMO, do not matter as much as making plays to put the team in position to win. If you win 47-46 it is still a win in my books against a quality opponent. I rather it be 47-0 but we do not always get what we want. 

OSU's QB room has been much better than Michigan's. This year is potentially the only exception to that with McCarthy being experienced but unless he improves alot and Michigan relies on him more he was fairly inconsistent against everyone not named OSU. 

The main reason, I think, is that Michigan has not recruited particularly well and has to go to the portal. So their sales pitch has to be better at that point. 

That said, OSU has really only struggled in the portal this year that I recall. With CB and the OT needs they have. Before that they got the guys they were interested in but for the most part the roster was mostly guys recruited or walk ons. Which seems to be their preference. The developed here motto. 

I will say that OSU not being able to get a high end CB or OT has been a head scratcher for me. I am not saying five star just another high end guy. Alot of the teams they are fighting with have NIL and such. 

I also think because of the recruiting situation Michigan has more resources thrown at the portal and I am not clear OSU does. 

It is unlucky for sure. Sometimes if you try to do too much with one leg injury you can make the other more prone to injury. I am sure with the training staffs, crutches and so on being used properly the risk of that particularly problem is pretty much gone but it does happen. 

I mean based on rankings and so on it is not the most exciting thing but I will be rooting for him. Still hoping they go for a bigger fish in the spring. Not sure if this is a depth piece or starter piece. 

I agree with you, but I do understand the point. It loses something when you know how much the guys are getting paid to just go to a given school. There was a bit different to it when it was more amateurish. 

I supported NIL and still do to a point but it has run amock. 

I would think it would be better with experience. It was already better than it was before honestly. It was not perfect but it performed much better than I was hoping. They could have had one more stop against Georgia, but in losses it was easily a problem for both sides of the ball. 

Sure, but like I said in another way it goes both ways here. If the coverage makes the QB hesitate than that helps the DL get there. That was the case when Coombs was the DC. The QB could get the ball out so fast. The DL got alot of crap but the DL was getting back there really fast, but the QB was getting the ball out faster because the QB knew where to go and went there right away. 

The secondary and DL work off each other. We too often say it is the DL that helps the secondary but it is a two way street situation. They help each other. 

I think it goes both ways. If the ball comes out too fast the DL has no shot. Pressure can make a ball come out when a QB is not ready and this last year they did that fairly well I thought. I saw a stat where they were first in the league with pressures off four man fronts. 

We often look to the DL, but a big deal is how the secondary confuses things or makes things merky. The QB having to hold onto the ball another second is a big deal. 

When we knock OSUs DL, even in years where they are not as good the opposing QBs are getting it out fast and that is on the secondary as much as the line itself. With Coombs for instance it would not have mattered if a Young and Bosa were on that line. The QBs were getting the ball out so fast because they knew what the coverage was and that it would not change. 

You need both to be good enough. If one is particularly good it helps the other. 

I think it was justified to a point. As I do understand respect for the game. That said, if the offense already looked good I do not know why the starters needed to keep runnin the offense deep into the game. I would have taken a drive or two with the backup QB going at it. 

That said, I think Day got hammered so much, much of it unrreasonable to me, that it all becomes numb I guess. I am not saying that he did not deserve criticism but just judging by this board I have to wonder at times why he was not fired after each game. 

It is a case of the shiny new thing more than anything. McCord is very talented and has been in the system longer. Stroud beat him out and was crazy talented and the coaches liked what he brought to the table more. 

I think my only gripe, not against McCord, would be that it would have been nice to see him run the full offense for a drive or two at some point. He was obviously second string for a reason behind Stroud, but that does not mean he will not be successful. 

Remember though that at OSU even if you play well he will be torn up for not doing something well enough for somebody who will post enough to make sure that it feels like common knowledge. 

It does not make a difference to me. I feel NFL rivalries are generally not as heated as college ones. And it makes it a fun sort of thing. It is a unique situation though and I am sure it brings in a bit of money. 

Pretty sure that their coach brings a bit of NIL money along with him. I am sure he is a good recruiter as well but given he has no track record no way you get those kids away without loads of money too. 

If they are bringing in a veteran it is probably better to wait to the spring at this point. 

I feel they should prove something on the field before we give them that much credit on much. They will be more than one dimensional for sure and should win the west but that was where they were befoer anyway. 

I think being so close this past year hurts alot but it is true. Not many teams are even in the hunt at all. It seems like a couple may buy their way in though. 

In terms of passing, when he was on he was one of the most accurate QBs I have seen. He was crazy out there. The sad part was I think he would be ranked higher if the team around him pulled their weight a bit more. The defense in particular. 

He could have played better in places but was the reason they were in alot of the games or won them period. So, he deserves to be up there I think. Crazy talented. I wish that the Peach Bowl had one more defensive stop or even a stop on that two point conversion. Leaving on a national title would have been pretty epic and probably had him nearer the top.

IMO, Fields was more talented than Stroud overall, but Stroud was a better passer. Fields was a great passer and great athlete. Stroud was underappreciated there for sure but Fields was a better one. Stroud was at least as good as Haskins I think which says alot. 

I am not sure I agree with these. Guys do get put in against lesser teams in a blow out, but the play calls are not the normal offense. I think that is valid. I also think it depends on how much work the coaches think the starters need. 

I am fine with not rotating much when you get your set of guys. You do not want to rotate just to rotate. 

I mean it would have been great if McCord got to run the offense a few times but I do not think the coaches handled it badly or anything. 

I doubt it mattered, OSU played pretty well in the game. There are alot of what ifs in the game but lightening did not stop them in any way. 

I am not sure it will be that bad honestly. The QB play will drop off a bit but good WR and TE to catch out there and good RBs. OL has some questions on it but still should be good.