Thanks Kyle! As frustrated as we all are due to stratospheric expectations for this team, I take a small positive away from this game due to how many people are lauding both sides and the quality of play. This wasn't Georgia/Bama where one team shellacked the other and then fell asleep until they almost choked the game away. That was a messy, yet exciting second half. OSU v. Oregon was a much better game by 2 more consistent teams with offenses executing at a high level.

The problem is, the defense full of seniors was supposed to be the rock of the team and at the most crucial moments they lost individual matchups, got outschemed, and failed to be creative enough to surprised Oregon. If Knowles and LJ remain at odds it makes it so much harder to win a rematch and make a run in the playoffs. I'm hoping that somehow, finally in this bye week, Day can force them to have a breakthrough and change a few things up.

Urban was a great coach and people continue to build this myth that his teams were the hardest, toughest around that never got physically beat. Except they did against Michigan State & Clemson twice. 3 of those games had an NC berth riding it and they couldn't get stops or got blown out.

Fans love Meyer because he brought a perceived toughness and confidence with a run heavy offense and, with the exception of 2015-2016, beat up on bad Michigan teams. Between 2012-2014, Michigan was 20-18, and yet Meyer's far superior teams with a supposed mental edge, beat them by 6, 1, and 14. And in the 14 point win, it was a one possession game in the 4th.

If we're judging him as harshly as Day, his teams regularly came out flat, played down to their competition, and once he started replacing staff and managing the program for more than 3-4 years, the wheels came off just as they did at Florida. How many times do we need to go over his tenure here before fans accept that the main difference between Meyer and Day at OSU is that Meyer had one of his teams get red hot after adapting to injury. It was a fantastic coaching job, but doesn't eliminate the fact that 5 of his other seasons were varying levels of underachievement. The way people talk about him, I'd think he won 2-3 titles and regularly dominated CFP teams.

If Simmons doesn't get hurt, I'm confident the offense would continue to improve and become a dominant unit, making the defensive issues less concerning. Now it's more a matter of not regressing. Kelly and Day have more than enough brainpower to scheme around this against lesser teams, but in the playoffs they'll need the LT to win battles

I'd rather not move Fryar over to protect the blindside. I'm not down on him like some are, but he's not consistent enough in pass pro or athletic enough to deal with speed rushers. Zen or someone else needs to take the leap.

Oregon is probably the 3rd best team they've played since 2020. Bama in 2020 and Georgia in 2022 are the better 2. I don't think Oregon is in the same class as those 2, but there aren't a ton of CFB teams that can stress a defense like they can while having good lines and defenders. 

I think this is a more even-keeled response to that game that most will start to adopt as they reflect and hopefully as the defense rights the ship and buckles down. Burke really struggled biting on double moves or trying to cheat due to their offense rarely going deep in certain instances in prior games. The 2 bombs in the first half (I think he had very good coverage on the other TD, just a better throw and catch) completely changed the game and had the defense on their heels scrambling to figure out how to help their #1 cover corner and prevent more big plays.

They held them to 10 in the 2nd half, which honestly I would've taken in a heartbeat after watching the first, but still gave up way too many yards and couldn't get a stop sooner on the last drive. 

They have to find a way to get pressure. Right now the front 4 can sometimes do it, but no consistently, and their blitzes are not getting home. If they can't figure it out, any elite offense will move the ball through the air at will.

I know it's seen as an excuse by most of the fanbase, but I agree 100%. The cheating scandal alone has completely flipped the perception of him and the program and prevented him from playing for more conference titles. I don't think many understand the damage that's done to his image and the stress it's added to also trying to manage a team. None of us can control what happens going forward. If he can't get over the hump, he'll eventually be fired. But I sure as hell hope he can, not just to see the team win, but I think he brings a stability to the program that Meyer couldn't and top tier recruiting and aggressiveness that Tressel lacked.

My assumption is they don't do it weekly in season, excluding bye weeks or bowl practice. Wish they would do it more, but OSU has also been snakebitten with injuries.

I think we're all coming to the realization that a lot of the defensive stars that returned have maxed out their ability. That's not a terrible thing, but it means they need to be executing at a very high level to make up for the lack of game changing ability. They've been far too inconsistent. As for a rematch, I hope you're right. The loss of Simmons is a huge setback. With him I could've seen the offense becoming dominant, but without him they have no true OTs and could regress in some areas. He was one of the players they couldn't lose.

This team was expected to win every game. This increases the pressure, but moreso for us fans who are thinking less about the game and more about the playoffs and future of OSU if Day fails. Playing at PSU will be very difficult, but it's also much more familiar and their offense can't attack the defense in the same way. If they can come out even or win the turnover battle, they win.

Yep, the truth is this team has few superstars and a lot of maxed out guys still struggling to be consistent. Now you're down your best OL and TE, and the defense has been exposed.

Nothing better than posters bragging about the team they love losing because it makes them right.

Have to think some of the Colorado talk is them playing a near mid-major schedule. Doubt that keeps going if they lose 3+ more and Deion's overall record remains mediocre.

Stewart looks like a phenom, but I'm not sure Keely is a take. Part of the problem comes from packing on weight too quickly, as well as what has to be a lot of frustration, but after two years in college there's no need to take a kid just because they were a past 5*.

I can't believe they stayed with him for so long. They would've followed him up the tunnel if he kept going.

Too much is getting made of the backups not playing. Dumb clock rules greatly shorten the number of plays being run compared to previous seasons, and teams rarely make entire line changes where every single starter goes out and is replaced with backups at the same time. On defense, they were rotating quite a bit, as none of the starters played more than 40 snaps. It was 21-0 in the middle of the 3rd, and 28-0 to start the 4th. It's not like this was 35-0 at halftime.

On offense, they're already rotating RBs and Peoples plays a lot for a 3rd stringer. 3 TEs are getting double digit snaps, and Inniss got 21 snaps as the #4 WR even though they're often running 2 TE sets. It was only the 3rd game with the full OL healthy and first that they decided on 1 RG. They need snaps to keep getting better.

This isn't an issue. Against a decent B10 opponent, you're not sitting guys at 21-0, especially after a messy first half. Even with all the experience, you're still building a team and setting lineups to play your hardest games. You can't be constantly worried about building next years team in game 5 this year. If backups are getting playing time, it's the cherry on top of a good win.

Their own staff started a bad walk-on and a guy who can't throw over Tuttle. In the 5 previous seasons he's barely broken 1,000 career passing yards. Their QB is as bad as it gets. A graduate and a walk-on who would be emergency 4th stringers anywhere else, and a overhyped workout warrior who reverts their offense to 1940s era football.

Didn't really tell us a whole lot other than MSU doesn't have the guys to keep up with good teams. Oregon is very good and it'll be a tough away game.

Gabriel threw that about 15 minutes too late.

Oregon should win by 21+, but this at least shows MSU is a decent, pain-in-the-ass to play. Not easy to come out fast and dominate them.

80s-90s QB: Germaine RB1: Byars RB2: George WR1: Carter WR2: Boston WR3: Glenn TE: Dudley If Byars doesn't break his foot and reaggravate it, he'd have a Heisman, be the clear scoring leader, and the #2 rusher in school history. All that and a good enough receiver to play TE in the NFL. 2000s QB: Stroud RB1: Elliott RB2: Dobbins WR1: MHJr. WR2: JSN WR3: Olave TE: Heuerman

If this is Knowles' main gameplan all season, no one will be happy. I agree that they need to tighten up and not let teams dictate the game, but they've also been rotating a lot and playing off to start games. Specifically at LB as they rotate 4-5 guys in all game. Maybe something's up and off with the defense, but I have a hard time thinking this all they have to offer and that Knowles is going to remain static in every game.

It was like both teams quit at halftime and then realized they still had to play. The 4th was basically DBs getting completely lost in coverage and struggling to wrap up afterwards. Fun as hell to watch the chaos, but it wasn't good football.

Yeah, I think people are conflating a crazy 4th quarter in which both teams' DBs forgot how to play with an all time classic game. Not that it isn't fun to rewatch, I just think there's a big difference between a back and forth classic between 2 great teams vs a wild, messy comeback after an initial blowout.

Haven't watched Williams a lot, but I'm sure he deserves the hype. He's quicker than Smith, but like you said also significantly smaller. Unfortunately people will base everything off stats and Smith isn't going to beat him there with Egbuka and Tate getting plenty of targets and Williams instantly becoming the top target on an Alabama team that's struggled to produce WRs in the last 3 years.

Not sure Knowles has found a way to balance aggression with preventing big plays. So far it's been blitzing LBs and giving DEs the green light to get upfield while playing soft coverage. Leaves the middle wide open for quicker passes and draws. Stop guess so much early in drives. They just don't have a dominant pass rusher or great blitzer who's a sure thing to get to the QB. They need to start Reese and find a fastball to get pressure.