I was all over the place watching this game. From thinking Ohio could finish 2-10 to thinking they might still have a shot at the East. My incoherent thoughts:
- Feels like the Bobcats are 0-5. But they are 3-2 and a foot away from being 4-1 over a Top 25 team (although that team wouldn't be Top 25 if they had lost to Ohio).
- Can get away with spotting UMass and Kent St. 14-point leads, but no one else on the schedule (save BG).
- Buffalo appears to be the class of the East. Ohio's path would be to win out at home and one of three (@NIU, @WMU, @Miami) on the road. That assumes Buffalo loses at Toledo. Given the defense's current state, offense would need to have clean sheet in every game (except BG) to have a chance to win.
- Arkley tweeted at halftime that Kent St. is susceptible in the secondary but Ohio didn't test in first half. Appeared to be a concerted effort to get Papi the ball in the second half. Conversely, felt like Kent St. let Ohio off the hook in the second half.
- Feeling good about our WR trio (White, Odom, Meyer).
- Not sure what the numbers say but felt like front 7 tightened up in second half.
- Ohio goes into every year with 3 scholarship running backs and it's never enough. Time to re-think roster construction?
- Loved Hudson's hit on the WR screen.
- Not a big fan of Hagan celebrating hits after 20-yard gains. But I'm also beginning to think he's trying to instill some sort of emotion into the defense. Has been backing it up with his play. Sealed the Umass game with a pick and sealed the Kent St. game (twice) with a pick.
- Love Rourke and feel like we always have a chance with him, but not sure about his interception (ball slip out of his hands?) and the fumble on the 4th down option. Thought he had the first down.
- Which brings me to my next point, ESPN Plus is horrible. How can it be worse then ESPN3? Virtually no replays. Down and distance never accurate. So, really had no idea whether Rourke did or didn't have the first down on the option play but it looked to me like he had it.
- Neither team punted in the 2nd half.
- Play of the game may have been Austin Conrad's tackle for 2-yard loss when the Flashes were 3rd and 3 on the Ohio 9. Flashes settle for FG to make it 26-21 instead of getting a TD that would have made it a 2-possession game.
- How about that final drive? Rourke hits a stretching Meyer on 3rd and 5 to keep drive alive. Then he escapes the rush and gets hit out-of-bounds (really played up the hit). Big catch by Odom. Escapes the pocket and hits Ouellette for 20 on 2nd-and 17. Then, unlike UC, they finish the job.
- Barrett still had 40 seconds left and really forced a ball. Thought they still had time to get in FG position. And with the way their FG kicker was hitting...