Verbal Morphine for Buckeye Nation

December 31st, 2016 is a day that will forever ferment itself into the subconscious of alumni and affiliates of the great local tea?m. For the next 8 months until August 31st, all fans will grow ire hearing the verbal diarrhea produced by experts and pundits associated with ESPN and sports journalism outlets alike. Unfortunately, a large sector of this magical fan base will become jaded and call for changes one would have found unfathomable several months ago. Majority of these "fans" would never recognize the name John Cooper, or his 2-10-1 record vs. That Team Up North. It's rather understandable of millennials, seeing as many paid little attention to THE GAME this year in section 33B to be exact. Instead, they were worried about hitting up Kappa Sig after the game or what time they would hit up the Crystal Palace known as "Bullwinkles".

But that is not the focus of this article. I am looking to bring solace to fellow fans alike with information to help get over our worst loss since the 2007 BCS National Championship beat down at the hands of Urban Meyer's Florida Gators by a score of 42-14. Crack open an illicit Four Loko and let it hit the dome as you try to comprehend my following takes.

Without further ado, I'm going to go to work. Hold my beer.

?Change Is Inevitable (Within Reason)

Coming into this season, we were promised there would be changes in the offense and passing game. What we witnessed were the same struggles and results of an offense led by Ed Warriner and Tim Beck. While these two coaches are intelligent offensive minds, their talents of managing the play-calling has been nothing short of anemic. We find ourselves in situations where losses result in a game plan not centered around the offense's strength, the power-run scheme. Instead, roll out passing to get J.T. Barrett moving has been the focus in each of the past 4 losses under their command. With an offensive line that struggled in pass protection all season, it calls for a Pepper Brooks "Bold move Cotton" response from fellow fans.

In the post-game presser, Meyer went on the record to indicate some changes will be made to this offense. So the question is, what will that entail?

Majority of the #HotTakes I have encountered from the great Twitter dot com suggest Meyer & Co. should dump their record-setting quarterback for unproven, yet very talented, youngsters waiting to make their mark on the program.

This one may be my favorite take. Mr. Micah Swanson must not remember the days when the quarterback room that was so bare that Steve Bellisari was the best option in Jim Tressel's first season in-control. To suggest you will pass on a talented senior quarterback because you do not understand the fundamental issues of the entire offense is rather absurd. But, I digress, because it does not end here.

Weird. I have this unsettling feeling my boy Prime never witnessed Joe Bauserman. It would make sense, bandwagon fans would have some trouble remembering the 6-7 season in 2011 that I spent long nights between each game dissecting how in the world would Luke Fickell get his Interim Head Coach tag removed. This was because his only competent quarterback at the time was an arm punter at best. Actually, I'm sure Prime became aware when an awkward-looking freshman from Huber Heights, Ohio took over and made a statement against the Russell Wilson led Wisconsin Badgers.

To the fans who throw away their trust in Urban Meyer: Please go find a new team or move your bandwagon to Alabama. For the extended future, JTB the 4th will be the quarterback running onto the field in Bloomington, Indiana and I will be in attendance with my bootleg AliExpress Barrett jersey.

BUT. Like I said, change is inevitable. Tim Beck will take the Texas Offensive Coordinator position to allow for Urban to bring in a new offensive mind to revitalize the passing game.

Bringing In Reinforcements

Doug Meacham. Familiarize yourself with that name. This man is my #1 target that Urban should have considered in the past and should be his final decision this offseason. Meacham is the Co-Offensive Coordinator for the TCU Horned Frogs.

Meacham has perfected his own version of the up-tempo Spread Offense that fits the mold of what Meyer is looking for here at Ohio State. He has the tendency to become Air-Raid style, but at the end of the day, he does enough with the running backs to keep them as an integral part of his system. This season he featured Kyle Hicks, who made a name for himself as a serious threat in the passing game while pounding between the tackles in the running game. Receivers such as KaVontae Turpin mirror the type of receivers in Zone Six, and he had a break out season while growing in route running, speed, and separation from defensive backs. Meacham has shown the tools to groom mobile quarterbacks and receivers who can get open. Another key to his system is building depth and rotations so that TCU can consistently run up-tempo and tire out the opposition. While Meyer may find a better option in the coaching carousel, I find it hard to believe Meacham would not be a perfect match for our talent and player abilities. Until then, trust the process. Urban Meyer has a proven track record to find the help he needs.

Getting Your Ass Kicked Helps You Grow

The subtitle and photo speak for themselves. At some point, a loss reaches its limit in terms of emotional hurt. When 31-0 rolls around and there has been zero hope from your offense, you just have to laugh and shake it off. You are destined for a whooping and you need to take it with your pride held in check. Tweeting about everyone needing to get fired and starters to lose positions is an abomination. Instead, allow for this Fiesta Bowl to act as a catalyst for changing systematic errors that have crept up since the departure of Tom Herman.

The offensive line needs to be rebuilt. Greg Studrawa comes from a great background, but the line under his first year as coach turned out to be a huge liability. Zach Smith must see some improvement from the receivers in terms of route running and separation from defenders. J.T. Barrett declined in accuracy over the course of the season, and it felt like a case of wavering confidence. There were several plays in the Michigan game where he was patting the ball with indecision and second guessing his reads. Meyer needs to be careful and find ways to help grow his confidence in the offseason. Getting dominated in every fashion did not help that, but it will pay dividends in paving the road for adjustments in the system and pointing out weaknesses to work on before the 2017 season.

R-E-L-A-X. Yes, you have every right to be mad at the performance, but remember this was the youngest team in the FBS. Another 7 months to prepare and grow will only improve this program and Meyer will bring in the reinforcements to help guide it. Joe Burrow, Dwayne Haskins, and Tate Martell will not overtake Barrett as the starting quarterback, so chill out on your 50 tweets to Urban Meyer and J.T. Barrett asking for a change. In the end, you just contribute to the nasty stigma and stereotype this fan base carries during times of failure. We have one of the greatest recruiting classes in history coming in. The future is bright in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Follow Eleven Warriors for your daily dose of coverage on the program over the next several months and watch this team grow through the continuous reps in practice.

Until then, enjoy the success we have had and appreciate the adjustments we will make before Week One. Grab a case of beer (if you are 21 or in college, let's be honest) and chill out. At the end of the day, we are all just Armchair Quarterbacks trying to feel like our opinions and words mean something. If you need me, I will be caressing a newborn kitten that I shall name Admiral Nelson and proceed to crack open illicit Four Lokos by a fire place scripting new hot takes. In the meantime, get dumped then, Indiana. #GoBucks