Loss makes game more important

After all, its no secret MSUs weakness on defense has been in the secondary. Jim Harbaugh replaced him after last season and the entire vibe of the program has changed as well as the results on the field.

The Buckeyes didn’t get Elliott the football enough against Michigan State, and Meyer had already pointed the finger at himself in the postgame fallout, even before his star tailback stepped in front of microphones. “Most selfless player – one of the most selfless players I’ve ever coached and been around”. “I mean, it is just swinging as hard as you possibly can against very good players”. Now the Buckeyes have to bounce back emotionally against their biggest rival, and MI is eager to end Ohio State’s 21st-century dominance of The Game.

Obviously, sometimes the reason Ohio State lose the week before MI was because the team wasn’t as good that year. In fact, the coach said he agreed with Elliott’s critique.

What happens when you play with little intensity and your play calling leaves much to be desired?

“We’ve got to move on and it’s important for me as a leader to bring guys with me”, he said.

As Vandalia-Butler High School graduate and Ohio State offensive lineman Taylor Decker celebrates Thanksgiving with his family today he’ll count his blessings.

With a soft schedule, the Buckeyes will not overcome the one loss as they will not play in the Big Ten Championship game and have no more opportunities for quality wins. “My four years here, to say our class did its part to win four games, that would be huge”. We’ll ask him about it in Indy [at the scouting combine], or if we go back through there [in Columbus]. “We’re trying to figure out our plans and preparations to beat Ohio State”.

It was a bad day for Ohio State streaks.

Elliott is expected to be the top draft-eligible running back next spring, and league sources say his decision to publicly blast his coaches after Saturday’s 17-14 loss to Michigan State is sure to follow him through every step of the lengthy draft process.

Ohio State has won three straight and 10 of 11 in the series, its most dominant stretch since winning 11 of 15 from 1954-1968 and leading MI to hire Bo Schembechler to face his mentor, Woody Hayes…. There was no problem with going conservative last week, considering the weather conditions.

Could it have been just as effective if it had been delivered behind closed doors?

Saturday’s total is set at 45 points. Last season, Barrett suffered a season-ending dislocated ankle in the second half after rushing for 86 yards and two touchdowns and passing for 176 yards and a touchdown against the Wolverines. That year, a new coach took over Ann Arbor and began the most famed era of MI football.

But turn the clock back to 1998 when another loss to Michigan State crushed the national title hopes of another Ohio State team and it was an entirely different story. The Spartans held Ohio State to 132 yards of offense, and the Buckeyes were criticized for not doing more to test Michigan State’s shaky secondary.