Mailbox: Ryan Day outcoached, OSU line is soft, and about the Woody vs. Day comparison ...
Have more comments, questions? Reach out to me at bwhite1@dispatch.com
On Ohio State football
To the editor: I believe that Ryan Day was drastically outcoached in this (Northwestern) game, and I think he would admit that. He had no or little knowledge of how to hand a really bad weather day. He didn’t understand that you need to develop good running skills as a quarterback and learn a better feel when to run. He does not do that but focuses more on the pass. As you could see by this game, the Northwestern coach grasped this. He ran his quarterback more and focused on running. Day and the offense understand the pass game clearly. The offense, knowing the weather was going to be bad, should have focused on running 80% and pass 20% only to maintain timing. He will learn from this and hopefully C.J. gained insight that he is also dangerous and opens up the defense by the use of his legs.
Matthew Smith
To the editor: It seems our offensive line has returned to the finesse blocking style. That’s possibly one of several reasons Jim Bollman and Greg Studrawa are no longer coaching at OSU. But if OSU annually has one or two offensive linemen going to the the NFL and the others are very good, why do we finesse block? Try coming off the ball at a high rate, blast block, blow the defensive linemen up. It seems to me that there’s too much leaning, too much nudging and not a lot of moving defensive linemen off the ball.
Dan Cutillo
To Mr. White: The offensive line has already been taken to task. However, there is one more flaw that can be seen in the OSU offense. Why do the running backs run east and west to the sideline instead of north and south to the goal line? Also, why hasn't coach Day used more than one back? Perhaps another back may bring a different style and size that can help. One does not have to be a college coach to see these flaws. If I were coach Day, I would spend considerable practice time going over the running game.
Fausto J Garofalo, Jr., Columbus
To Matthew, Dan, Fausto: In some ways, this season looks like it might end like last season. In that regard, OSU fans might want to join letter writer Brent DeWees (below) and hope for help from Mother Nature.
To the editor: Hoping for 72 and sunny for the Michigan game.
Brent DeWees
To the editor: I wonder how many minutes and games Archie Griffin missed in his OSU career. He averaged at least 20 carries per game for four years. I’m not familiar with the injuries of the many other great running backs at OSU, i.e. George, Byars, Hyde. Why are our running backs missing so many minutes and games? Is it, nutrition, over training, field turf, player speed, helicopter mommies or what?
Dan Cutillo
To Dan: (Two letters in one week!) With TreVeyon Henderson, I believe there is just some bad luck with a foot injury that won't heal. It's tough to shake off a hurt foot when it's your job to run fast. But, he has had an injury history at Ohio State that doesn't bode well for his time in the NFL, where everybody plays hurt every week.
Dear sports editor: Every year we get together with family and friends to watch the Ohio State-Michigan game at noon. We’re fortunate to have the luxury to be able to dedicate this one day a year to a football game, consuming more than the usual amount of alcohol beginning at an unusually early hour. While noon isn’t exactly a prime-time slot for marketing a team to fans, with the game starting at 9 a.m. for Buckeye fans on the west coast, The Game markets itself.
Which really drives home how irksome it is for all of us preparing to watch the Buckeyes play their fourth noon start in a row against Indiana this Saturday. If one wants to watch, it’s hard to get a whole lot done before noon, and it’s similarly hard to get much done after the game ends at 3:30. And from a marketing perspective, fewer people countrywide see the Buckeyes. While Georgia, Clemson and Alabama are getting the eyes and the attention nationwide at 3:30 and 7:30, Fox sticks the Buckeyes with a bad time slot because dutiful fans will tune in to watch, week in and week out. It’s damned disrespectful. To the fans and the team. If Fox broadcasting can’t do right by their best product, then Ohio State and the Big Ten should factor this into their decisions when making future television deals.
Bob Young, Columbus
To Bob: I think there are some who might argue that a noon game actually gives them time to do things before and after the game, which usually ends by 4, long before dinner. Of course, if they consume "more than the usual amount of alcohol beginning at an unusually early hour," I can see how that wouldn't work.
To the editor: I respond to the letter of Nov. 6 listing three reasons Ryan Day is a better coach than Woody Hayes. First of all, this is a ridiculous comparison. It is similar to comparing Generals George Patton with U.S. Grant or saying that Joe Paterno was a superior coach to Knute Rockne. These men came from completely different eras with dissimilar methods, concepts and personnel.
Then to the actual comparisons:
1. Day is a risk-taker while Hayes was conservative: I think the writer refutes his own statement when he mentions the Penn State game. Woody surely would have taken the points. What's wrong with that? Also, didn't Hayes take risks when he inserted a freshman tailback who eventually went on to win two Heisman Trophies? Or when he contradicted naysayers by playing a young passing phenom from Bloomingburg who eventually set long-standing records for yards gained? As for providing an emotional lift for players, there was no one better than Hayes at motivating players. He knew how to stir the emotions.
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2. Day knows when to pass vs when to run: The recent game against Northwestern does not bear this out. He waited a long time before he realized that the quarterback run could be successful. And with C. J. Stroud missing his first several attempts, Day finally came to the conclusion that it just wasn't a day for throwing. Hayes, on the other hand, was something of a "weather wizard," always conscious of November weather, especially when it came to the TUN. He went so far as to conduct practice outside in unsavory conditions because he knew that is what they would encounter on game day.
3. Day is a back slapper, Hayes was not: This is true to a certain extent. Woody was always complimentary after the game. During the contest he was all business and his players were all agreed on one thing - he had their respect. An old military maxim goes, "Familiarity breeds contempt."
One more thing: Hayes relied on a handshake for a contract. He did not seek personal material gain and his deeds off the field and off camera are legend. We all agree that Woody crossed the line in the Clemson game. Would Ryan Day have been such a success in the 50s and 60s?
Don Denton, Westerville
On Ohio State basketball
To Brian: After playing a home basketball game in front of 10,000 empty seats, maybe OSU should consider occasional games vs. lower profile teams being played back in St. John Arena, where some of us would have preferred they still played anyway.
Dennis Singleton, Dayton
To Dennis: Value City Arena is too big to serve as a big home-court advantage. This season's early attendance, which represents the two smallest home crowds since at least the 2005-06 season (9,141 and 8,409, the former on a night when Ohio State students were given free tickets), should be alarming.
On high school football
To the editor: The OHSAA recently decided to increase the number of football teams qualifying for its annual playoffs from eight to 16 in each region. While they had managed their selection process for many years, the "everyone should get a trophy" crowd convinced them to change their formula to be more inclusive of additional teams because they "tried hard." They believed the experience the school, students, players and community would experience would be be memorable.
Well, I attended a first-round game. The higher-ranked team won by 40-plus points. The lower-ranked team was clearly overmatched and the lack of their fan base suggested they had very little support or interest. In fact, of the 32 games played, the higher-ranked team won 28 by an average of 21 points. The two real power regions (Southwest and Northeast Ohio) won by an average of four touchdowns. One team won by 10 touchdowns.
I'm a big fan of high school sports. However, I find the decision to add teams to the playoff mix because a coach, school, administration or fan base is upset with the previous selection process is extremely self-serving and selfish. After all, I don't see them buttoning a chin strap and getting their brains beat in by superior players and teams. Player safety and positive athletic experiences have been put at the rear of the process. Inexcusable by these self-appointed do-gooders.
Andrew Egloff, Cincinnati
To Andrew: If it hasn't done so, the OHSAA should ask each of the lower seeds that got crushed if they are happy they got in the playoffs. If coaches and athletic directors say the experience was negative, then the setup should be reconsidered.
On the Houston Astros
To Brian: Advocates for moving on from the Astros winning the 2017 World Series despite cheating disregard one very important factor. They were never contrite. If they were, I would agree. But without that, which would include returning the trophy and rings, I boo the Astros and players who have moved on to other teams.
Dennis Singleton, Dayton
More from The Mailbox
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Kudos to the performance at the Ohio State-Iowa football game ... by the bands
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Ryan Day, Ohio State football not preparing properly in case of CJ Stroud injury
'Aloof' Ohio State football players need to stop ignoring their adoring fans
Hating Ohio State football black uniforms; and why can't I watch halftime show?
Why don't all Ohio State football fans scream like crazy? Did refs cheat Crew?
Preview of Ohio State-Arkansas State game was 'arrogant'; plus advice on TV sound
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ryan Day was outcoached and Ohio State linemen are soft: Letters
