Ohio State Football: Buckeyes need to learn how to win big games

The Ohio State football team won 11 games last season. They were one of the best teams in the country and should’ve won the national championship. The reason they didn’t is because they didn’t know how to win close games. They lost to both TTUN and Georgia in close affairs.

While TTUN ended up winning by 20+ points, that game was close until the final six minutes. Ohio State stopped doing what they had been doing all year and ended up losing because of it. They gave up big plays, couldn’t run the ball, and weren’t able to score in the fourth quarter.

A lot of the same things cropped up in the Peach Bowl against Georiga. They gave up big plays in the fourth quarter, were held scoreless, and ultimately blew a ten-point lead. It was a failure of the defense in the biggest moment of the season. But, it was a young team.

Next season, the Ohio State football team is mostly a veteran team. A lot of these players have had two or three seasons of starting experience. The experience in the Peach Bowl should help teach them what it takes to win a big game that gets close.

Ryan Day and his staff need to make sure that the players understand that there needs to be an extra layer of preparation for these games. The mental side of the game is what becomes most important in those types of contests. Whoever makes the fewest mistakes is going to win.

Hopefully, the team is able to get over the hump in these close games and actually come out victorious. We know that it’s a hard schedule for the Buckeyes so there will certainly be some close games. Winning those games will be the difference in Day getting another extension or possibly being shown the door.