Ohio State Football: Buckeyes need to avoid trap game in 2019

We all know the story of how Ohio State was their own worst enemy each of the last two years. The Buckeyes fell victim to “trap games” in both 2017 and 2018 and that still leave heads being scratched.

In 2017, JT Barrett and Ohio State had just completed one of the greatest comebacks in college football history against a Penn State team that once led by 18 points. The Buckeyes fought all the way back to win 39-38 thanks to a perfect statistical fourth quarter from Barrett and elite play from the defensive line.

The week following the comeback win, Ohio State played Iowa and fell behind after the first snap, literally, as Barrett was picked off for six points. The Hawkeyes never looked back and stunned the buckeyes 55-24. The grueling loss cost Ohio State a trip to the College Football Playoff.

Less than a year ago, the Ohio State Buckeyes traveled to the always unnerving West Lafayette to take on the Purdue Boilermakers under the lights. Purdue has historically played Ohio State tough, especially in the 2000s.

Last October brought out the horrors of Ross-Ade Stadium for the Buckeyes as the Boilermakers steamrolled the Buckeyes 49-20. Many wondered how a loss like this could happen again, in fact most are still curious. But again, the loss cost Ohio State a trip to the playoff after winning the Big Ten for the second consecutive season.

Though excuses get you nowhere, the loss at Iowa could be attributed to a “big win hangover” and the loss to Purdue could blame poor linebacker play. Nevertheless, those two games are thankfully in the past and can be learning experiences.

One of Ryan Day’s primary missions in his first year as head coach will be avoiding a trap game loss that will virtually eliminate a shot at the playoff regardless of total resume. Among the potential trap games in 2019 are Nebraska and Northwestern.

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The matchup against the Cornhuskers will be in Lincoln and likely at night with a very hostile crowd desperate for a signature win to jumpstart the program in year two of the Scott Frost era. Nebraska was a few bounces away from being a .500 football team last year and Frost will have his group around eight wins in 2019.

Facing Northwestern on the road is a game that worries me for a few reasons. First, it is on a Friday night which means it will be under the lights. Secondly, Pat Fitzgerald is one of the coaches in college football who does not get enough credit. His teams are always disciplined, well coached and rarely get blown out. This rematch of the Big Ten Championship will be a slugfest.

Many “what ifs” and hypotheticals have been geared toward the Iowa and Purdue losses after the fact. But Ryan Day and company have the opportunity to write their own script and avoid such poor performances. Based on the new hires on the coaching staff, escaping bad losses appears to be the case.

However, as we have learned based from the history of college football, always expect the unexpected.