Burke and Egbuka returning to OSU

To be honest I prefer that college football NIL funds go to kids that come back for the fourth year like we did and now OSU is doing.  It is a much better way compose a team.  They are going to be a handful next year.  I think they stole the idea directly from us but it is a smart move.

"WE" are the,"Champions, my friends!"

Actually somewhat impressed they managed to bring these guys back. 

That said, if MHJ comes back, I will seriously have to question that man's critical thinking skills. He literally has nothing to gain and everything to lose by doing so. 

Make 'em 0-4

They'll always be formidable because of their name and their talent base and of course the way their season ended left a sour taste in their mouth.  The thing is, they're returning veterans to a very good team this year; whereas last year we were returning veterans to an elite team; veterans who are demonstrably better than their returning seniors.  

That said, good for them.  They had to emulate what we did to stay in the conversation of title contenders and they did just that.  Now we'll see if their coaching and player leadership is up to the task.

Here's my dream scenario: Those guys will have wished they went pro when it turns out their decision to stay doesn't turn out as "rosy" as they thought. 

3rd base is going full Michigan roster construction - pay your own guys to stay.

There's a big difference imo between paying your players NIL to come back if they have mid round draft grades and convincing your players to come back against their own best interest when they have 1st round draft grades. OSU is doing the latter. Egbuka, Burke, JTT, and Sawyer were all being mocked in the mid to late first round to early second round. There's no way OSU was giving NIL to match that amount of money

Really surprised by Egbuka.

When you are a 1st-2nd round WR talent and eligible for the draft in a pass-happy league, you usually take it.

The problem is they still dont have an O Line and no depth - especially on the D Line. 

All of them searching for their gold pants

I really don't get this by either.  Both are essentially 1st round picks and frankly, getting drafted towards the bottom of the 1st round is actually a good thing.  Yes, you give up some money on the front end, but you get drafted by better teams....

I don't get this, especially, with their O-line in shambles and the QB positions isn't in the greatest of hands.  Nothing against Will Howard, kid is a baller, but he has never thrown for more than 2600 yards in a season..Its not like they are getting a kid thats gonna put up 3500-4000 yards passing.

Other than a couple short TD passes to Egbuka against Michigan the last 2 games I cant say I'm worried about him. Even though Michigan has been spinning Burkes head the past 2 games I'd say he's a returning player they needed just for experience, but again 0 gold pants for these guys.

They have a 3rd base coach and a Big 12 defensive coordinator.  Fuck em.

For all the moves they've made, they still have the same problem... culture. Carson Hinzman was essentially suspended for the bowl game, for telling how things are behind the scene... it's not good. I think it was Herbstreit that said... "Michigan is a team... Ohio State is a collection of talent."  That was true yesterday, and will probably be true for the season to come. Day hasn't been able to fix the internal issues. It remains to be seen, if he can going forward.

Here is an article on what Hinzman had to say, about the inner workings of his team. Pretty interesting and damning on Strength and Conditioning... an area in which Michigan is above and beyond OSU.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/ohio-state-player-reveals-too-much-as-podcast-gets-deleted/ar-AA1mk6hf

All these guys are coming back because of NIL money not because of Day's soft ass. Their fans and coaches have been complaining last few years about not getting NIL support.  After what happened with Michigan and their horrendous bowl game, I think the boosters are stepping up and paying now.  At this point I would not be surprised if MHJ returns as well.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness. - Oscar Wilde

I don’t use that as a slam or detractor of OSU’s players, but for their coaching staff and Ryan Day in particular. I think OSU (coaches, players and fans) thought their first two of the three losses to Michigan were truly because of factors outside of Michigan’s coaching and all around culture. I don’t think they believed that Michigan had really reached that pinnacle that would lead to dominance over them in the long run. Everything that led to those first two defeats were fluky plays, fluky sickness(flu), fluky weather, and fluky bounces of the ball that wasn’t going to be sustainable. 
 

But 2023 proved them wrong. Everything was in their favor for this season’s game. Poor play by Michigan leading up to the Game coupled with good to great play by OSU, loss of Michigan’s head coach for the game, outside shenanigans that should have been too big of an obstacle for Michigan’s players and coaches to overcome. And Michigan won anyways. 
 

At that point OSU had to do some true soul searching (even with their fans and message board “warriors” pushing excuses once again). OSU’s coaches, I believe, finally started looking at what Michigan was really doing that led to those three losses in a row.

We’ll see if that imitation game they are playing now gets them back on top. I personally don’t think it will as they aren’t really, truly addressing the real foundation that Michigan has built, that of the bedrock of culture and the solid building blocks of player development and real toughness. 

When the catapult investigation is complete, will Ryan Day return?

They are going to be loaded next year.  I get that we've taken control of the rivalry, but the game in Columbus next year is going to be extremely difficult to win.

That said, The Game will never be the same.  We can lose to OSU and still go to the playoff.  Winning the conference next year will be nearly impossible with our schedule anyway.

2024 is going to be the most difficult schedule any team has ever played.  Can't wait to see how Team 145 takes on the challenge.

Meh...we have more National Championships than they have gold pants.

Michigan's 2024 schedule is beyond fucking brutal. I just hope we have enough guys standing by the time we play OSU.

Neither Burke nor Egbuka were going to 1st round. 

The moment any of these guys committed to playing in the Cotton Bowl, I was pretty certain those guys were coming back. They have never beaten Michigan and not sure they want to be remembered like that especially if the NIL money can make them partially whole. I am also not certain how much of a lock some of them are for the 1st round.

If OSU doesn't win the title next year, there are going to be a lot of pissed off boosters. 

I think they're looking around thinking Day might end up coming out of all of this ahead next year just by sticking around. He can't beat Harbaugh's Michigan, but if Jim heads to the NFL that might not be an issue. Leave it to Ohio State to somehow come out ahead with Michigan winning it all. Hoping Jim sticks around long enough to completely crater their program. 

Look at OSU, using "The Michigan Method."

they are going to be scary next year, folks. don't stop clenching the buttocks just yet

Too bad it will all be in vain after Kenneth Grant beats Will Howard to the errant snaps.

Or maybe OSU will run the new Wishbone that actually looks like a wishbone.  QB in shotgun, main back behind him ~3yds, left safety back, 15 yds deep, right safety back also 15 yds deep.

Let them stay. We'll just beat them in Columbus again.

Egbuka's ceiling might be higher than you think - he just had surgery for a high ankle sprain he suffered in the Maryland game. So he was significantly < 100% vs. M this year.  

I actually feared Egbuka going into last year’s game. I honestly don’t anymore. And even as they build what seems like a juggernaut, you can’t help but feel like there’s a Karl Malone Lakers quality about this upcoming OSU squad.