The below writeup elaborates on my reaction after OSU's coaching staff, otherwise calling a fantastic game Vs Georgia, bizarrely folded in the last minute:
"After calling a brilliant, aggressive game for better than 59 minutes, Day made a shocking decision to play for a long field goal attempt to earn a spot in the national title game."
"Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud had just done the unthinkable, breaking loose for a 27-yard gain that brought the Buckeyes to the Georgia 31-yard line. The Buckeyes had 24 seconds and 2 timeouts to finish the job."
"On first down, he chose to hand the ball to third-string running back Dallan Hayden. The message was clear: Ohio State was playing for 3 points. And anyone who attempts to tell you otherwise is delusional or lying...the play was a predictable failure. Hayden lost a yard. After a pair of incompletions, including a scrambling near-disaster that Stroud simply threw out of bounds to avoid taking a 15-yard sack, the Buckeyes settled for a 50-yard field goal attempt."
"Stroud was cooking. Georgia was on its heels. And on first down with the game in the balance, Day took the ball out of the hands of his back-to-back Heisman finalist...There was no time to spare when Day got cute. Or ultra-conservative. Or dumb. Maybe gutless? It’s hard to properly quantify — even though Day and Stroud said afterward that they liked the call and wouldn’t change it. And the fact he did get cute/conservative/dumb/gutless is incomprehensible given how he had called this entire game."
"It’s among the most baffling decisions in college football history...It’s a shame when the final 24 seconds can override the 59:36 before it. But that’s the College Football Playoff. Every second counts. Ohio State needed a full 60 minutes of good decisions from its head coach."
https://twitter.com/Buckeyes/status/1609520953473798146
Strongly disagree.
That play was called based on the defense Georgia was in. Sure- 4th string RB- pretty much without their too 3 all season.
That play was designed to gain 4-6 yards- but as Day said, if Georgia would have been in man coverage he would have gone for the end zone. Solid thinking. Especially with a kicker who has been money from 50 in all season. Indoor stadium. Crowd noise outrageous making communication difficult.
And remember, no Cade Stover- their best TE. No Gee Scott, their second best pass catching TE. No Marvin Harrison. Georgia- in a compacted area( almost red zone) playing zone in the back, hard press one on one on the split out wide outs, and blitzing the house.
Recipe for a turnover. The run- if blocked well ( it wasnt)has a good chance of breaking big.
The next 2 plays- before the FG attempt- tell you all you need to know, as he had Stoud in aggressive pass calls. First one thrown into tight coverage, tipped and could have been intercepted. Stroud had no time- all out Blitz. Next play- same defense. Stroud running for life immediately and no choice but to throw it away so as to preserve FG attempt.
Day had that team ready. He called an excellent offensive game. Losing Harrison for the entire Q4 hurt a lot. I give Georgia credit.
Kirby calling that timeout while ( and it was called during the play) OSU ran the fake punt successfully was brilliant. If Ohio State gets that first down this game was effectively over.
It was Jorge is very next offensive play, since all Ohio State now had to punt, or the defensive back fell down and they gave up a 70 yard touchdown.
