January 11th, 2024 at 10:44 AM ^
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.
January 11th, 2024 at 10:49 AM ^
Hey, it worked for us - if I were other teams, I would be copying it as well!
January 11th, 2024 at 10:45 AM ^
"WE" are the,"Champions, my friends!"
January 11th, 2024 at 10:46 AM ^
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.
January 11th, 2024 at 12:30 PM ^
If he sat out the bowl game while healthy, and watched his team look like garbage, I wouldn't expect him back. And if he is back, would he just sit out as soon as OSU gets a second loss? If he comes back, odds are he spends the whole season thinking about the NFL and his health.
January 11th, 2024 at 10:47 AM ^
Make 'em 0-4
January 11th, 2024 at 10:49 AM ^
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.
January 11th, 2024 at 10:52 AM ^
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.
January 11th, 2024 at 12:10 PM ^
The thing is, with the 12-team playoff next year, OSU is almost certainly going to be in a position to play for it all regardless of what happens in the Michigan game. Unless they melt down and lose 3+ games, which isn't happening with the schedule that they have, they'll be in. I'd put money on that right now.
OSU has what boils down to a three game schedule next year. At PSU, at Oregon, home against Michigan. As long as they don't lose all three, they'll be in the playoff. I'm not sure they even lose more than one of those.
January 11th, 2024 at 12:39 PM ^
Very much true but having Michigan win in Columbus again, making it 4 straight years of Michigan domination, will be worth it regardless of what happens in the playoffs.
January 11th, 2024 at 10:56 AM ^
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
January 11th, 2024 at 10:57 AM ^
Even going "All IN" for next year, there is no way they go undefeated before The Game.
January 11th, 2024 at 11:01 AM ^
With these new super leagues next year, going undefeated or even only having 1-2 losses by the game each year will be an incredible achievement.
I think the new CFP is going to see teams getting in with 3 losses within the first few years.
January 11th, 2024 at 10:59 AM ^
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.
January 11th, 2024 at 11:00 AM ^
The problem is they still dont have an O Line and no depth - especially on the D Line.
January 11th, 2024 at 11:02 AM ^
All of them searching for their gold pants
January 11th, 2024 at 11:04 AM ^
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.
January 11th, 2024 at 12:14 PM ^
I think he can expect a reasonable uptick in passing yards because of the weapons he'll have to throw to. Especially if MHJ somehow makes the decision to come back, which isn't completely off the table.
That said, I'm not sure he's any better than Kyle McCord. I don't think he'll be bad by any stretch, but he's not the laser-dead-on-balls accuracy assassin that CJ Stroud was. But yeah, a lot is going to hinge on their OL.
I hope and pray Ryan Day tries to prove he's still the smartest guy in the room, outsmarts himself and puts McLaughlin at center for OSU.
January 11th, 2024 at 11:11 AM ^
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.
January 11th, 2024 at 11:13 AM ^
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.
January 11th, 2024 at 11:22 AM ^
It is hard to create a team when one player gets paid millions and the other gets vouchers to eat at the local campus pizza joint. That is what NIL has created and that is why places like Texas A&M and Miami are failing.
January 11th, 2024 at 11:15 AM ^
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.
January 11th, 2024 at 11:19 AM ^
Harrison won’t return. He is a top five draft lock and has a real chance to go #2 or even potentially #1.
January 11th, 2024 at 12:36 PM ^
MHJ returning would probably be the worst draft-related decision since the Chargers drafted Ryan Leaf. There is zero upside. It is possible that he is an idiot, but the bowl game opt out indicates that he is not exactly all-in for OSU.
January 11th, 2024 at 11:16 AM ^
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.
January 11th, 2024 at 11:20 AM ^
When the catapult investigation is complete, will Ryan Day return?
January 11th, 2024 at 11:34 AM ^
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.
January 11th, 2024 at 12:24 PM ^
When has OSU not been loaded? I do wonder if some of their highly-rated juniors or sophomores transfer out in the spring as they might not see the field for another year.
January 11th, 2024 at 12:54 PM ^
True, but our best team, maybe ever, just barely beat their team last year. It looks like the '24 version might be even more talented.
Look, I'm not scared or worried or sweating over here. But going to the Shoe to face that team is going to be a big test. I'd feel a lot more confident if all these guys weren't coming back.
That said, we're the National Champions, and there's nothing they can do to change that. GO BLUE!
January 11th, 2024 at 11:37 AM ^
Meh...we have more National Championships than they have gold pants.
January 11th, 2024 at 12:03 PM ^
Michigan's 2024 schedule is beyond fucking brutal. I just hope we have enough guys standing by the time we play OSU.
January 11th, 2024 at 12:19 PM ^
Neither Burke nor Egbuka were going to 1st round.
January 11th, 2024 at 12:20 PM ^
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.
January 11th, 2024 at 12:20 PM ^
If OSU doesn't win the title next year, there are going to be a lot of pissed off boosters.
January 11th, 2024 at 12:22 PM ^
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.
January 11th, 2024 at 12:40 PM ^
Look at OSU, using "The Michigan Method."
January 11th, 2024 at 12:47 PM ^
they are going to be scary next year, folks. don't stop clenching the buttocks just yet
January 11th, 2024 at 12:49 PM ^
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.
January 11th, 2024 at 1:10 PM ^
I have to believe they feel a lot like some of M's players did this year: Unfinished business. I respect that.
I'm not happy about it, but I respect it.
January 11th, 2024 at 1:15 PM ^
As long as JH and JM stay, the have no chance! Go Blue
January 11th, 2024 at 1:18 PM ^
They also have a VERY easy schedule
January 11th, 2024 at 1:39 PM ^
Let them stay. We'll just beat them in Columbus again.
January 11th, 2024 at 1:57 PM ^
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.
January 11th, 2024 at 6:22 PM ^
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.
January 11th, 2024 at 8:21 PM ^
They both want to lose to Michigan 4 straight