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Ohio Football Topic
Topic: Missed Opportunities
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SBH
11/21/2019 9:40 AM
In retrospect, especially after watching Miami almost lose at home to winless Akron last night, it's simply amazing that we couldn't get it done in the MAC East this year. Losing at home to a not very good NIU was inexcusable. Choking at home against Miami when everything was on the line - also inexcusable. Most of the blame falls squarely on the folks who built and managed this defense.
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Mark Lembright '85
11/21/2019 9:43 AM
Truth be told, isn't "missed opportunities" the theme for the last 3 years?
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"G-Man"
11/21/2019 11:10 AM
SBH wrote:expand_more
In retrospect, especially after watching Miami almost lose at home to winless Akron last night, it's simply amazing that we couldn't get it done in the MAC East this year. Losing at home to a not very good NIU was inexcusable. Choking at home against Miami when everything was on the line - also inexcusable. Most of the blame falls squarely on the folks who built and managed this defense.

Its easy to blame the Defense but sometimes our Offense puts our Defense in bad situations like bad field position and they have to defend a short field, During NIU game Ohio Offense scored Zero points in 3rd quarter, during Fiami game Ohio Offense scored Zero points in 1st & 3rd quarter we lost both games by 3 points. its easy to blame the Defense but the Offensive play calling in those games get just as much blame.

Frank Solich Ohio Head Coach 2020 get it done !!!
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OhioBobcat
11/21/2019 11:56 AM
Mark Lembright '85 wrote:expand_more
Truth be told, isn't "missed opportunities" the theme for the last 3 years?
I would say yes. One could make the argument that Ohio was the best team in the MAC in each of the last three years. Just don't have the hardware to prove it.
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colobobcat66
11/21/2019 1:55 PM
OhioBobcat wrote:expand_more
Truth be told, isn't "missed opportunities" the theme for the last 3 years?
I would say yes. One could make the argument that Ohio was the best team in the MAC in each of the last three years. Just don't have the hardware to prove it.
I agree on last two years before this one, but not so sure about this year. Neither the defense not the offense on their game all year and some critical special team mistakes.
Last Edited: 11/21/2019 2:38:52 PM by colobobcat66
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MonroeClassmate
11/21/2019 6:27 PM
colobobcat66 wrote:expand_more
Truth be told, isn't "missed opportunities" the theme for the last 3 years?
I would say yes. One could make the argument that Ohio was the best team in the MAC in each of the last three years. Just don't have the hardware to prove it.
I agree on last two years before this one, but not so sure about this year. Neither the defense not the offense on their game all year and some critical special team mistakes.


In defense of this year, the lack of take-aways leads to a reduction in number of drives the offense has during a game. One or two drives extra, some with a short field, in close games may have been the difference.

The defense has not faced a great throwing team in the last 4-5 games so it is unknown if getting toasted would have ended like it did last season or continued to be easy pickins like it was early in both the last two seasons.
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L.C.
11/21/2019 6:35 PM
colobobcat66 wrote:expand_more
Truth be told, isn't "missed opportunities" the theme for the last 3 years?
I would say yes. One could make the argument that Ohio was the best team in the MAC in each of the last three years. Just don't have the hardware to prove it.
I agree on last two years before this one, but not so sure about this year. Neither the defense not the offense on their game all year and some critical special team mistakes.

Let's look at the games this year. I count five games the defense had an opportunity to be a difference maker at the end.
1. Marshall - let Marshall score to take the lead in the fourth, then let them burn the last 6 minutes of the clock
2. Buffalo - let Buffalo drive for a FG to win, but they missed. Let Buffalo score a TD in OT, but they missed the Extra point.
3. NIU - Let NIU drive for a TD with 8 minutes left, then a FG with 3:28 on the clock
4. Miami - let Miami score a TD with 12:52 left, then drive for a game winning FG at 3:48.
5. WMU - let WMU score the TD in OT.
It's hard to find much here to be happy about.

How about the offense?
1. Marshall - put Ohio in the lead with 11 min left, but couldn't score again at 7:45
2. Buffalo - Scored a TD to tie it with 1:51 left, nearly made a 52 yard FG, scored a TD in OT
3. NIU - scored tds on their last two possessions
4. Miami - scored a TD with 8:58 left to tie, but couldn't score again with 3:48 left
5. WMU - TD to tie it and send it to OT, FG in OT
Yes, the offense could have scored again against Marshall and Miami, and they could have gotten a TD in overtime against WMU, but for the most part, the offense was better than average at the end of these close games.
Last Edited: 11/21/2019 6:37:48 PM by L.C.
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Deciduous Forest Cat
11/21/2019 8:24 PM
OhioBobcat wrote:expand_more
Truth be told, isn't "missed opportunities" the theme for the last 3 years?
I would say yes. One could make the argument that Ohio was the best team in the MAC in each of the last three years. Just don't have the hardware to prove it.
I think we are a clear second in the East this season. There was no consistency on either side of the ball and we lost a ton of close games. I think we'll bounce back next year, but it doesn't make this year feel any better. in 2017 and 2018, I think we were the best team in the conference. I don't think any team that loses three conference home games can make any argument they were the best team.
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Deciduous Forest Cat
11/21/2019 8:24 PM
colobobcat66 wrote:expand_more
Truth be told, isn't "missed opportunities" the theme for the last 3 years?
I would say yes. One could make the argument that Ohio was the best team in the MAC in each of the last three years. Just don't have the hardware to prove it.
I agree on last two years before this one, but not so sure about this year. Neither the defense not the offense on their game all year and some critical special team mistakes.
What he said.
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cc-cat
11/21/2019 9:46 PM
SBH wrote:expand_more
In retrospect, especially after watching Miami almost lose at home to winless Akron last night, it's simply amazing that we couldn't get it done in the MAC East this year. Losing at home to a not very good NIU was inexcusable. Choking at home against Miami when everything was on the line - also inexcusable. Most of the blame falls squarely on the folks who built and managed this defense. [/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Mark Lembright '85] Truth be told, isn't "missed opportunities" the theme for the last 3 years?
Ahh Grasshopper - if opportunities are always missed are they indeed ever opportunities?
Last Edited: 11/22/2019 9:46:00 AM by cc-cat
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colobobcat66
11/22/2019 11:11 AM
L.C. wrote:expand_more
Truth be told, isn't "missed opportunities" the theme for the last 3 years?
I would say yes. One could make the argument that Ohio was the best team in the MAC in each of the last three years. Just don't have the hardware to prove it.
I agree on last two years before this one, but not so sure about this year. Neither the defense not the offense on their game all year and some critical special team mistakes.

Let's look at the games this year. I count five games the defense had an opportunity to be a difference maker at the end.
1. Marshall - let Marshall score to take the lead in the fourth, then let them burn the last 6 minutes of the clock
2. Buffalo - let Buffalo drive for a FG to win, but they missed. Let Buffalo score a TD in OT, but they missed the Extra point.
3. NIU - Let NIU drive for a TD with 8 minutes left, then a FG with 3:28 on the clock
4. Miami - let Miami score a TD with 12:52 left, then drive for a game winning FG at 3:48.
5. WMU - let WMU score the TD in OT.
It's hard to find much here to be happy about.

How about the offense?
1. Marshall - put Ohio in the lead with 11 min left, but couldn't score again at 7:45
2. Buffalo - Scored a TD to tie it with 1:51 left, nearly made a 52 yard FG, scored a TD in OT
3. NIU - scored tds on their last two possessions
4. Miami - scored a TD with 8:58 left to tie, but couldn't score again with 3:48 left
5. WMU - TD to tie it and send it to OT, FG in OT
Yes, the offense could have scored again against Marshall and Miami, and they could have gotten a TD in overtime against WMU, but for the most part, the offense was better than average at the end of these close games.
The problem is that there were times when the offense didn’t show up for long periods. It’s not that they didn’t show signs of being very good at times, it’s like I tried to say, they weren’t consistent and virtually disappeared at times.
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SBH
11/22/2019 11:14 AM
But come up with ONE stop in key situations in any of those games and we win.

It's on the D, IMO.
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OhioCatFan
11/22/2019 11:30 AM
SBH wrote:expand_more
But come up with ONE stop in key situations in any of those games and we win.

It's on the D, IMO.
Exactly!
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L.C.
11/22/2019 11:41 AM
SBH wrote:expand_more
But come up with ONE stop in key situations in any of those games and we win.

It's on the D, IMO.

If you look at ESPN Gamecast, when one team has the lead, and the other team has the ball with, say 70 yards to go and 5 minutes left, and needs a score to come from behind late in the game, ESPN usually shows that the team with the lead has about a 80% chance of winning. The odds of the team who is leading are less if more time is left, but higher when you are down to the last couple minutes. The distance to go also affects the odds, obviously, as does whether a TD is needed, or just a field goal. They come up with their odds based on a statistical analysis of all games with similar situations.

Think of it this way. A team may have 8-12 possessions in a game, but probably only drives the length of the field for a TD a couple times a game. The last two minutes should be no different. Thus, I think that the norm is for a defense to get a stop about 80% of the time, and ESPN's stats agree with that. Ohio did not come close to that. The offense, however, exceeded the 20% of the time you'd expect to see them make a long drive for a needed TD late in the game.
Last Edited: 11/22/2019 5:42:39 PM by L.C.
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