Well, an appearance like that was an inevitable. Rutgers got taken to the woodshed. Entering into the Big Ten there was a lot of pundits that thought every conference game would be like that. It took until game 7 after a 5-1 start to finally get there. When Braxton Miller went down and JT Barrett struggled in the first few games of the season it looked as though the Scarlet Knights might luck out and face a weakened Buckeyes' team. Barrett eventually figured it out, and their offense has been quite the juggernaut the last few weeks. It showed as they emasculated a Rutgers defense that has been overachieving based on expectations this year.
I wanted to be mad, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I hate that defeatist attitude. However, if you told me Rutgers would be 5-2 going into Nebraska I would have signed up for it in a heartbeat. In fact, I think next week's game is a much bigger litmus test than Ohio State. At this point it is clear that Ohio State and Michigan State are the class of the Big Ten. Everyone else kind of falls in the middle. I have a fair amount of confidence facing every other team left on the schedule with the exception of the Spartans. A good showing against Ohio State would have been nice, but maybe a nice ass beating is something this team needed. At least this years smack downs are at the hands of OSU and not Houston. Honestly still just happy to be in a conference where every game is a must watch. Yeah, I definitely talked myself into thinking Rutgers had a chance this past Saturday. That's just being a fan though. Rationality and fandom are far from one and the same. I wouldn't have it any other way. I always want to think my team is going to win. Like this Saturday for instance. Can't wait to show up to Nebraska and leave those corn fuckers in tears. That boy Abdullah ain't gonna know what hit him. Hope they learn how to throw a forward pass in the next couple days, because that Rutgers run defense is nicccce (sans last game, aberration). I don't want to make too big of a deal of this because it has very little effect on the outcome of the game. However, Urban Meyer going for it on 4th down twice while in field goal range up 30+ is an absolute joke. I don't like the term 'classless' because I think class is overrated. I will call it unnecessary though. I know the opposing view is that teams have to win by as many as possible to impress the playoff committee. Sorry, but I just don't believe that Ohio State is making the 4 team playoff based on 4 more points in a blowout against Rutgers. Like I said, not the biggest deal, but if Urban Meyer gets hit by a bus I probably won't shed any tears.
1 Comment
Dave
10/21/2014 06:52:55 am
Nice article by and large, but I want to make a counter. Urban going for it on 4th down is the opposite of running up the score. That gives the defending team a chance to have OSU come away with ZERO points by making a stop, and 4 and 6 has a much slimmer chance of success than a 25 yard FG. In fact, RU did stop OSU on one 4th down so OSU got nothing from that drive. I think Meyer's motivation might be geared more toward future games. If OSU is trailing MSU by 4 points and needs to convert a 4th down in the 4th QTR, it won't be a totally alien situation to them. I agree it's unnecessary as far as this particular games outcome, as it was when he went for it on 4th down (and got stopped) by Maryland. Had he kicked some FG's (assuming they'd be good.) Then OSU would've beaten Maryland by more, and possibly even RU. (Though that's not 100% for sure as one of his 4th down plays was converted to a TD in that game.)
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