Buckeyes BCS hopes bounced by Spartans

With a shot at the National Championship on the line in the Big 10 title game,The Ohio State Buckeyes came out flat,moved with a strong run to take the lead before yet another defensive letdown would cost them everything in a stunning 34-24 loss to the Michigan State Spartans in Indianapolis.
The Buckeyes were led by Braxton Miller,who rushed for two scores and threw another.
The last ever (thank heavens) BCS poll will be announced tonight with Ohio State expected to go to either Miami for the Orange Bowl or New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl...

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1) The Buckeyes were their own worst enemy with too many defensive penalties to count to keep Spartan drives alive.
The secondary has killed this team all season with poor play and on this night,they were not good at all.

2) Speaking of the defense,can we please agree to part ways with Luke Fickel now?
Urban Meyer did the right thing in keeping a loyal Buckeye around after his help with the horrible situation in 2011,but his defense (especially the non-Ryan Shazier part of the back seven) has disappointed all season.
I expected that would come back to haunt OSU eventually,but I didn't expect it this soon.
Fickel will always have a place in Columbus,but the time is best for both parties.

3) I have some blame for the offense too as Braxton Miller was just 8 of 21 passing for barely over 100 yards.
Other than the 20 yard TD catch by Corey Brown,the passing game was filled with erratic passes and dropped balls and Miller was not exactly dynamite with his arm..

4) Miller was fine with his feet as he finished with over 100 yards and made the Spartans rock on their heels when he ran.
The problem was that when he was most effective was running without a plan.
Ohio State continually would run Miller out of an empty backfield,which tipped the Spartans and rarely worked for large amounts of yardage.
Ohio State never seemed to grasp that the Spartans were ready for that formation..

5) Ohio State ripped the "Nation's top defense" for 273 yards on the ground,which Gus Johnson told us constantly,but yet despite Carlos Hyde finishing with 118 yards for an average of 6.6 yards per carry,he only carried the ball 18 times.
When the Buckeyes took the lead,one would have expected it was time for Hyde to slam the Spartans like he had all year to other teams.
Unexpectedly,that didn't happen.

6) Ohio State did get another solid game from Joey Bosa.
The defensive strength of this team is up front and they are only getting better.
Next season with Bosa,Noah Spence,Adolphus Washington and Michael Bennett,this might be the best defensive line in the nation...

7) Give the Buckeyes credit,they could have mailed it in and didn't.
It truly was a three game set with the Spartans winning the first and last 20 minutes and the Buckeyes dominating the middle.
Ohio State showed some heart in erasing a 17 point lead and moving in front.
One could say many things about this game,but rolling over is not one of them one..

8) This loss showed a flaw in the Buckeyes that still will take some time for Urban Meyer to fix with another recruiting class or two.
The speed positions still are not where they need to be as the secondary and wide receivers still need to raised to another level.
Urban Meyer's goal when he took this job was to raise Ohio State to be able to compete at the national title level and they are close,but it still will take time to move the players that suit the Meyer system in as juniors and seniors in  and the more suited players for Tresselball out....

9) I don't blame Urban Meyer for going for it on fourth and one with the Buckeyes down one.
It's easy to second guess the play call of Miller when you have the bulldozer that is Carlos Hyde available,but Meyer said he wanted the ball in the hands of his best player and I suppose you cannot disagree with that thinking.

10) I still would have ran Carlos Hyde.

11) Finally,I am not sure what I want tonight from the bowl selection.
Do I want Alabama and a chance for redemption,but more likely a defeat or someone in the Orange Bowl most likely Clemson) that has a better chance of winning?
In any case,it's disappointing,but everyone loses,just hasn't happened in a while...

Photo Credit: Marvin Fong-Cleveland Plain Dealer