Question on Sportsmanship

[GlideCat]

Up 35-20 first down inside the 10 with well inside two minutes to play...

It appeared that Oregon was not going to call their last two timeouts and just let the game end.

Should OSU have taken a knee and let the clock run out?

As a follow-up question, just before when it was 4th and 1 and a field goal would have made it an 18 point lead with less than two minutes to play, why go for it?

 

[Alaskawildkat]

I personally faulted the announcers more for not commenting how it would show great sportsmanship for the Buckeyes to be gracious at that point. I know Fitz would not have gone for a touchdown there but then We are Northwestern, and OSU is THE Ohio State. Nice touch to see in victory a number of the Ohio State Players kept up the gangsta persona by turning their caps around.

All in all happy for the Big Ten, but the win over Bama was much more meaningful and satisfying given that it was bad vs. badder and tonight it was against a much more likeable team and conference.

Got a kick out of Maurice Clarett's tweet, "We play football in Ohio." (Probably giving him too much credit though for knowingly making a play on Ohio State's 3rd String Quarterback's infamous comment about not "playing" school at OSU.)


This post was edited on 1/12 11:45 PM by Alaskawildkat

 

[MrCat95]

I'm playing to score as long as it is still just a two score game or my opponent is out of timeouts and can no longer stop the clock. I do not want to do a field goal there unless I absolutely have to because of a block kick risk.

You do not risk giving the ball back to a Heisman winner when it's only a two score game and one successful onside kick away from being a game again IMO. That Oregon team can score and score fast.
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[klemman]

For example, the OSU vs Minnesota game thus year.

 

[St_Henry_Buckeye]

Of course you should try to score another td. This is big boy football. Have you not watched Oregon this year? They did the same thing. Let the kids have fun. It did not appear Oregon's coach had a problem with it.

 

[Catslash]

Grapes too high?

 

[julescat]

That's right. No problem whatsoever with OSU continuing to play (especially with very simple runs). If Oregon wanted out with no more scoring then they should have punted. You're right that Helfrich correctly seemed to have no problem with it.

 

[TejasCat]

Originally posted by GlideCat:

Up 35-20 first down inside the 10 with well inside two minutes to play...

It appeared that Oregon was not going to call their last two timeouts and just let the game end.

Should OSU have taken a knee and let the clock run out?

As a follow-up question, just before when it was 4th and 1 and a field goal would have made it an 18 point lead with less than two minutes to play, why go for it?

1. Pretty sure Oregon would have used a timeout if they take a knee. Why risk that?
2. I really doubt they were gonna go for it. It was designed to draw them offsides. If not, they kick the FG. It worked.

 

[Bwm57]

I was fine with them running the ball or kicking the FG.
They were playing the best offense in the country you can't give them another chance.

 

[SmellyCat]

I don't like Ohio State at all and would probably jump at the chance to say they're running up the score, but I have no problem with that last TD. It's the championship! They didn't throw a bomb, they just went for runs up the middle, and they got one last chance to celebrate on the field before celebrating off the field. Good for them.

 

[Chicago Josh]

I didn't have a problem with them going for it on 4th and 1, because a first down gave them a chance to more or less run out the rest of the clock. I would have taken knees after that though, because pretty much the only way to lose in that situation is to fumble (with Oregon then coming up two super-fast scores), and that seems more likely on a real play than a kneel-down.

 

[olsh]

Pretty silly argument. I don't see how running the ball up the middle is running up anything.

 

[hdhntr1]

No. Oregon is too potent a team and had two timeouts. Not appropriate to kick the FG as if it was blocked and run back, they would be an onside kick away from getting back (see the Pitt game) Go for it and if stopped, Oregon gets the ball on their 1 yd line and if you score, game is definitely over.

 

[EvanstonCat]

NO.

I hate dOSU, and I was rooting for the Ducks, but Urban Meyer punching in another TD with a minute and change to go and sitting on a 2 TD+ lead already is exactly why he is probably the best coach in the game today.

On the same token, Fitz would have laid off not even in that last drive, but as he has on countless occasions he would have let the foot off the gas (or at least change utterly what is working) after half time up two scores (see @Penn State a few yeares back), and let Oregon come back and roll over us. It is one reason among many why we are a 5 win program and why the national championship is so remote for us under this regime, much to my dismay.

dOSU did what champions do. They leave nothing to chance. They are relentless. They have no mercy. They have no problem rolling up a score of 59-0 in the B1G championship game, a score without which they would probably not have made the playoff. And a score, which we will never hope to dream of attaining against anyone at NU. Anyone who saw years ago Fitz do exactly what he always does and let MSU come back to beat us after a 35-3 lead with a quarter and change to go should know, YOU NEVER EVER LET UP. You call it classy, I call it stupid. Disturbingly, Fitz never seems to have learned from his mistake, which appears to par for the course, but then I digress...

I hate dOSU and am disgusted by what they do off the field. On the field, we have much to learn from them.
This post was edited on 1/13 12:44 PM by EvanstonCat

 

[Fitz51]

The arguments against running the football there are weak.

Also, they should have handed off to Bo Cisek.

 

[d'son d]

Agree with MR...too potent an offense. On the other hand, I wonder if Oregon ever let up on their opponents when they were "way ahead". sort of like the old Haden Fry(Io_a) and Osborne (UNL)) never did. They didn't throw the ball but kept on plying football. A kick-off return for a TD takes 13swconds, give or take, and a recovered on-side kick gets great field position. So, I am on OSU's side on this one, never a question of sportsmanship but always regarding the opponent as a significant threat.

 

[TypeO]

"At least he didn't go for two!

" - Woody Hayes

 

[NU 71 72 74]

TypeO -- lol ^^ good one !

.02

and, Go Cats !!