Buckeyes showed no panic amidst Bobcats upset bid

Brian Davis drew a huge challenge in the third game of his head coaching career. Fresh off an upset of Rich Rodriguez’s West Virginia Mountaineers, Davis and his Ohio University Bobcats came into Ohio Stadium as 28-point underdogs against the No.1-ranked team in the country in front of 105,000+ spectators.

(Side note: Rodriguez, the former head coach at Connor Stalion’s alma mater, is accustomed to upsets and big losses.)

Ohio State won by exactly 28, but things were iffy in the early rounds of this fight. The Bobcats, fired up and unwilling to accept the betting odds, stuffed an OSU 4 th and goal attempt on the Buckeyes’ first drive, then forced Brian Hartline’s talented offense to settle for two field goals until 2:30 remained in the first half.

Following a Julian Sayin scoring strike to tight end Max Klare, OU drove deep enough into Buckeye territory to make the score 13-3 at halftime. Despite such a close score, Ohio State dominated statistically in the first half.

On the failed first drive, Jeremiah Smith became the fastest receiver in Buckeyes history to amass 1,500 yards, passing Jaxon Smith-NJigba.

The defense was once again stout. But in football, the score is all that matters.

Then it was 13-9. OU quarterback Parker Navarro connected with wide receiver Chase Hendricks for a 67-yard touchdown to start the second half. Buckeyes cornerback Lorenzo Styles appeared to have the leverage to tackle Hendricks around the OSU 25-yard-line, but uncharacteristically whiffed.

The Buckeye faithful started to feel a bit uneasy. I pictured Paul Finebaum joyfully moving Ohio State behind all 16 of his SEC favorites in the rankings.

But the Bobcats missed the PAT and didn’t score again. OSU went on a 24-0 run, winning the game 37-9. Freshman running back Bo Jackson channeled his inner Maurice Clarett, a motivational sideline presence in every game this season, by again leading all rushers with 109 yards (he had 108 last week).

This young man looks like a difference maker. His vision and speed are special attributes on a roster full of top talent.

The Buckeyes gave OU 50 yards on six penalties, nearly one third of the Bobcats’ total offensive output of 181 yards. They only had five penalties in the first two games.

Julian Sayin threw three touchdown passes, but also two interceptions. Ryan Day was obviously underwhelmed by his team’s performance in the post-game press conference, constantly lamenting the poor red zone execution.

But he also praised his players for not panicking when the score was close, noting he saw no fear in their eyes and discussing the learning opportunities this game presented.

If you rewind to last November, this team thrives on learning opportunities.

Keeping young men motivated is a tall task, which is a challenge every coach faces in every sport. When those young men play football in Columbus, Ohio, where they are idolized and, for several, monetized....the task grows infinitely more difficult.

But Day proved last season that he can handle the immense pressure of leading a team with possibly the most demanding fan base in all of sports, one that demands perfection.

With the talent on this roster and on the coaching staff, expect the Buckeyes to fire on all cylinders soon. Someday, they are going to lose a game. We’re so spoiled as fans that even a win feels like a loss.

Hats off to my undergrad alma mater, Ohio University (which has much more integrity than Connor Stalion’s alma mater), for the Rufus/Brutus rematch. Rufus should probably stretch his hammies before his next 100-yard dash, though.

And to the OU band for requesting to sit up top in the north end zone instead of the customary spot closest to the field....Classy!

O-H!

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Billy Bruce covers the Ohio State Buckeyes for tristatesportspage.com