Something was missing with the Buckeyes? Where did that start? – Terry Pluto

CLEVELAND, Ohio – It happened again.

That’s nan communicative of Ohio State’s 24-14 loss to Miami successful nan College Football Playoffs.

It wasn’t conscionable nan nonaccomplishment .. it was really nan Buckeyes lost.

It goes backmost to nan Big Ten title game, a 13-10 nonaccomplishment to Indiana.

In that game, Indiana was nan tougher team.

In that game, OSU backmost Julian Sayin was sacked 5 times.

In that game, nan Buckeyes missed a section goal.

But that crippled was written arsenic benignant of a hangover aft nan Buckeyes vanished their regular play pinch an overwhelming 27-9 triumph complete Michigan. That ended a 4-game losing streak to The Team Up North.

Sure, it would person been bully to hit Indiana and triumph nan Big Ten title. But for nan Buckeyes and each their antagonistic Michigan baggage, that triumph complete nan Wolverines was amended than moreover winning nan Big Ten.

Besides, nan Buckeyes were defending nationalist champions. They were headed to nan College Football Playoffs, wherever they rolled to nan nationalist title a twelvemonth ago.

No worries, they’d do it again, right?

Wrong.

What happened?

Focused desperation.

That’s what fueled OSU a twelvemonth agone aft it mislaid 13-10 to Michigan. The Buckeyes staggered into nan College Football Playoffs pinch astir experts having written them off.

Then came nan bulldozer to nan nationalist title.

The Buckeyes didn’t conscionable win, they buried 4 classed teams: Tennessee (42-17), Oregon (41-21), Texas (28-14) and Notre Dame (34-23).

At that point, nan Michigan nonaccomplishment was a dot successful OSU’s rearview mirror.

The bulldozer was still gassed up for nan 2025 season. OSU opened pinch a 14-7 triumph complete Texas. Then nan Buckeyes won their adjacent 10 games, nary 1 coming person than 18 points.

It was for illustration their play peaked pinch nan 27-9 triumph complete Michigan.

A week later was nan 13-10 nonaccomplishment to Indiana. But hey, they were owed for a clunker. The Buckeyes had won 15 successful a statement making love backmost to nan 2024 playoffs.

They’ll move it connected again erstwhile it really counts.

Something was missing

That focused desperation that drove nan bulldozer done nan 2024 playoffs and into nan regular play sputtered aft nan Michigan victory.

Indiana showed nan full assemblage shot world that nan Buckeyes whitethorn person nan astir talented roster successful nan country, they had mislaid their edge.

OSU backmost Julian Sayin was sacked only six times successful nan 11 regular play games. Indiana sacked him 5 times. They put Sayin nether pressure, and he struggled.

Let’s return that to another, higher level.

Indiana put OSU nether unit and nan Buckeyes didn’t respond. They kept it close. If a 29-yard section extremity was made, aliases if an official’s fourth-down telephone had not been changed, possibly they would person won.

Maybe.

The Bulldozer Buckeyes didn’t request immoderate Maybe’s to win. They conscionable rolled complete their ain mistakes and calls by nan officials,

What happened?

Indiana showed if you move nan crippled disfigured and onslaught nan Buckeyes physically, you had a chance to win. It besides was nan look Michigan utilized a fewer times successful nan caller past.

In their 13-10 nonaccomplishment to Indiana, nan Buckeyes didn’t people a constituent successful nan 2nd half.

In their nonaccomplishment to Miami, nan Buckeyes didn’t people a constituent successful nan first half. They had minus-6 yards rushing. They were humbled astatine nan statement of scrimmage by a bigger, tougher Miami protect line. Sayin besides threw a surface walk that was picked disconnected and tally backmost for a 72-yard Miami TD.

That scoreless first half Wednesday was nan first for nan Buckeyes since 2016.

I support reasoning astir nan sacks allowed by OSU.

Six successful 11 regular play games.

Five vs. Indiana.

Five vs. Miami.

There will beryllium a batch of clip discussing what went incorrect pinch nan Buckeyes. But successful nan end, nan Focused Desperation and nan beingness separator needed to triumph games for illustration this vanished aft they hit Michigan.

I'm grateful to my readers who person publication maine for decades. I'm nan writer of much than 30 books, a victor of nan National Headliner Award arsenic nan nation's champion sports columnist successful 2020 and champion sports writer in...