Despite early season success, there's still too high of expectations from some

Photo by Brian Mayhew

Photo by Brian Mayhew

Photo by Brian Mayhew

Can we all admit that we, the Buckeyes fans, are just fans and that the coaches know infinitely more about football than we do?

Thank you (smiley face, fist bump, and thumbs up emojis).

Last year’s national champions, who are currently the #1 ranked team in the nation with huge bullseyes on their backs, beat a good Washington Huskies team in Seattle on Saturday, 24-6. Yet, some of us appear disappointed by the final score.

Are we so spoiled by success that we expect them to mercy rule every non-ranked team they play, even across the country in conference games? That seems to be the case for the loudest voices, those Kirk Herbstreit calls “The ten percent.”

But I know most of us understand that the players, physical specimens that they are, are in their early twenties and late teens. Buckeyes coaches, just like coaches at all other programs, aren’t just football coaches. They are also teachers, observers, mentors, counselors, role models, and for many players, father figures.

They must factor mental maturity into their game plans for young guys who are full of muscle and energy but lack the life experiences and self-discipline that ultimately build a man. Most of these players have been idolized since their early teens and, as any young person would do, begin to believe they are so special they do not need to improve.

Bad attitudes, girlfriend drama, family struggles, and the insecurities most young men experience adds to a coach’s complexity. So, they are also motivators and disciplinarians, which requires patience, consistency, and empathy.

And then, they still must primarily focus on how to inspire these players to follow a plan to beat the opposing team....in this situation, nearly 2,500 miles away in a confusingly loud environment.

Incidentally, these coaches have families of their own and undoubtedly struggle to manage the stress of immense work expectations combined with family responsibilities.

The unrealistic demands to win every week and “Be Perfect” surely adds mountains of anxiety to their plates.

Piece of cake, right? (Another smiley face).

Yes, the offensive game plan against the Huskies was vanilla. But it was intentional and worked as planned. When your team’s defense shuts down the opposing offense, it makes sense to give your young quarterback experience instead of turning him loose and potentially killing his confidence. It makes sense to fine tune your running game. It makes sense not to take unnecessary risks this early in the season.

Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Brian Hartline know the talent they have at wide receiver without us reminding them on message boards or social media. They’re not going to play video games with their best players to benefit us. They’re building confidence, play by play, in quarterback Julian Sayin, their offensive line, their running backs, and their tight ends.

On the other side of the ball, new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is using the schemes that earned him three Super Bowl rings to build a dominant defense. Most people know about Caleb Downs, but names that weren’t well known before the season are emerging: Caden Curry (three sacks and five tackles for loss against Washington), Kayden McDonald (two sacks, one of which iced the game), Arvell Reese (who seems to be involved on every play), and Sonny “Block O” Styles help lead a unit that is as impressive as any in the country.

Patricia’s approach with these young men, his first year working with them, is a master class few new coaches with eight new starters could pull off. These Silver Bullets didn’t cast themselves.

Side notes: Bo Jackson had more carries than CJ Donaldson and James Peoples combined. It’s not just an awesome name. This kid is special. Carnell Tate made yet another highlight reel catch. With all the attention Jeremiah Smith gets from defenses, Tate and Sayin will be a combo many of us will remember after this season is finished. Davison Igbinosun, somewhat of a penalty liability last season, has emerged as a human blanket in the secondary. Aside from the opening drive, the Buckeyes executed in the red zone. OSU had five penalties in the game, one of which, a personal foul, was inexcusable. Young men. Growing pains.

Next up, the 3-1 Minnesota Golden Gophers come to Ohio Stadium this Saturday for a 7:30 kickoff, likely as huge underdogs.

Remember, if the Buckeyes aren’t winning 42-0 at halftime, we’re just fans doing fan things while we let coaches do coaching things.

O-H!