What Went Wrong For Ohio State?

How did you feel about Michigan State 17, Ohio State 14 the moment it happened? Saturday’s game inside Spartan Stadium will kick at 3:30 p.m. with television coverage on ESPN. Franklin is quick to point out how many senior starters teams like Michigan and Michigan State are playing with. It won’t be an easy assignment. This was not a second-string malcontent lobbing criticism at the coaches, but a Heisman Trophy candidate and one of the most respected leaders – a Meyer favorite. Before we get to the predictions for this week, here is last week’s victor based on our Ohio State predictions. “They’re going to get that squared away”. “I agree it was the wrong time and place to say that I was going to leave after this year”.

Star defensive end Joey Bosa also weighed in on the situation, telling reporters that “he [Elliott] said what a lot of people were scared to say”. “I just know that whatever we have to do at all costs, we have to go win that game”.

An 11-1 Ohio State team would at worst be a Rose Bowl candidate that just won its fourth straight game against MI.

Jim Harbaugh has turned things around at MI.

“In our house and community, it was as (Michigan broadcaster) Bob Ufer put it, a ‘dastardly deed, ‘ and a ‘day that would live in infamy.’ That was my first experience in the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry and one of the greatest football games I still have ever seen”, Harbaugh said. “You think about (Cook’s) win-loss record and the success he’s had, and I think that’s why it’s so impressive they were able to pull off the win last week with quarterbacks that have not played a whole lot for them”. I mean, there’s no chance of me coming back next year. The Buckeyes finish the regular season at rival Michigan on Saturday, needing a win plus a Michigan State loss to Penn State to win the Big Ten East. He had 15 tackles against Ohio State in 1981 and 18 in 1982.

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, with his team set to square off with archrival MI this weekend, joined Elliott in trying to douse the controversy Monday by saying “we squashed it as a team”.

Meyer also said, “I couldn’t disagree with his comments – he should have gotten ball more”. “And I remember us missing a wide left (field goal attempt) right at the end as the clock ticked zero”.

Ohio State has an outside shot to win the Big Ten East Division.

Meyer said he regrets not taking a more active role in play-calling as Saturdays game went on, and said he will have more of a role moving forward. “And we’re going to do our best to get ready to play this week”.

Along with the negative comments about the coaching staff’s decision to give him just 12 carries, both Elliott and Cardale Jones mentioned that it would be their last game at Ohio State. Expect Elliott to make a big effort against the Wolverines to atone for his behavior a week ago. Michigan State’s roster included 20 black players when other teams had a half-dozen or less. The Michigan State game was lost in the trenches. The Wolverines (9-2, 6-1) feature a defense that is second nationally in total yards (263.1 per game) and sixth in scoring (14.9). “I think they have excellent players”. Last week in the loss to Michigan State, he caught one pass for three yards and ran twice for nine yards. No coach in college football has been up to the task of outpreparing and outscheming Saban in a big game like Meyer.