What. The. Hell.
I think we all figured Bama for the win. Fair to say? I also think that most of us figured a closer game, probably a shootout after OSU blasted Clemson back to the Stone Age.
What the hell happened? I mean, yeah, Bama was spectacular. They've been that way all season. Sark has been stellar with the tools he has. Saban is Saban. Jones is an underrated QB, Harris is really difficult to tackle without a crowd, and Smith is like a Madden pro on a HS team. The O-line was pretty good, D-line was very good. It's Bama.
But OSU? You know what they looked like? Remember the Iowa game in 2017? Purdue 2018? Yeah. That's what they looked like.
Turning point in the game? Ryan Day settling for a field goal. Again. The game was over at that point. 5:21 left in the first half and that was all she wrote.
21-17.
28-17
35-17
Losing Preacher Man was not good for the Buckeyes. Having 13 players out including starters on the D-line was not good. But really, neither of those were the reason OSU lost as badly as they did. No, it was the coaching.
Ryan Day turned into Mr Coach Klein without his green notebook.
There is just no excuse for such poor play calling in a national championship game. He underutilized Fields and over utilized Teague, who is not an elite back. He's just not. He underutilized Olave and Wilson and the TEs. 4th and 1 and he runs Teague between the tackles? Not one shot down field (think about that one and recall the Clemson game)? What the hell? I am utterly baffled.
And don't get me started on Kerry Coombs. OK, too late. I can't even hit on all the things that were awful in the OSU D last night. The whole thing can be summed up in one play:
Coombs to Day: "What do you think our scheme should look like?"
Day: "Not sure, but we have to prevent them from hitting big plays."
Coombs: "You sure?"
Day: "Of course I'm sure!"
Coombs: "OK, you're the boss."
Coombs to the defensive staff: "I'm telling you, he said we should scheme prevent defense. Now get to work!"
I'm open to other ideas, but I'm thinking I've got it right.
So what we saw was as thorough a dismantling of a supposedly elite team as can be done. Like LSU last season. It was like Bama was having a light practice day and OSU was the practice squad.
Yes, it was a weird season. Congratulations to Alabama on a well deserved national championship.
Now, expand the damned playoff!
