Urban Meyer spins the focus ahead to Michigan, while his team copes with its first loss in 24 games.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - "It's not a secret that coach is not a normal guy. He's crazy about that rivalry."
Ohio State guard Taylor Decker said that before the season began of the rivalry with You Know Who, Up You Know Where.
It's not the same vibe this week. It's not the same rivalry, either, at least by feel.
Blue used to make the Ohio State coach see red. He would note a visitor's ensemble with distaste. Monday, the sky over the Woody Hayes Athletic Center was gray. Only the mood was the shade the coach hates.
It's his job to change the emotional coloration of Buckeye football because this week is, as has been said before in a religious context, different from all others. You better believe that holds in the cult of Urban Meyer and the culture of Ohio State football.
By the afternoon, "mum" was again the word. Or, at least, two of its letters were. Scarlet taped "x's" covered offending m's all over the athletic complex.
I'd even say "-u- is the word," but nobody would know any-ore about what is -eant there than about why Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott disappeared against the Spartans as far as carries went Saturday night. All but his -outh vanished, anyway. That still hangs over the loss like the Cheshire cat's grin.
"Hang over" would be the correct term, although not in the sense of the after-effects of a kegger at the Delta house.
"They had something happen that hadn't happened in, I think 400-some days," said Meyer. "That's my job and our coaching staff's job, and leaders' job, to make sure there is focus and attention to detail. The good thing is you're playing a very good team."
Still fewer questions about "The Game" itself might have been asked than ever before at the start of "The Week." Only five such were asked out of 30 Monday to the coach.
The final game of the season used to measure how far the two traditional powers had come. This might still apply to the team with the fictional superhero's name as a mascot. The Wolverines are 9-2. They were 5-7 last season.
Khaki Boy is their new coach. You've probably heard of him.
Instead, most of the talk was about what Ohio State lost Saturday night -- in its invincible aura, in confident quarterback play that ran two deep in the national championship season, in play-calling that didn't look as if it came out of a Woody vs. Bo time capsule.
Michigan State beat the Buckeyes on a field goal as time ran out, 17-14. The only time the Spartans were ahead was when the game was over. The same applied to their victory over the M Squad, except control of the game was not asserted until the "Fail to the Victors" punt play as time expired.
Basically, the Spartans lucked out against the -aize and blue and dominated Ohio State. Against the Buckeyes, the Spartans led in yardage (294-132), first downs (17-5) and time of possession (38:10-21:50).
It was inevitable to veteran Urbanologists that he would come out, resolutely defending Elliott, putting the focus on "The Game" ahead and not the one behind.
"That kid you're talking about, he's one of my favorite of all times. The Elliott-Meyer family, that's a 30-year relationship, especially with his mom and dad, too, and two sisters. So, it's sealed. He's good to go," Meyer said.
Said Decker on Monday, "For us it is a regular week. In the media world, it isn't because we don't lose around here very often."
Perfection, someone observed, is a tough standard to measure up to.
"But that's what you come here for," Decker said. "I don't think too many kids come out of high school wanting to go to programs where losing five games is OK."
This week, however, is not real adversity. Jim Tressel in his first season in 2001 lost starting quarterback Steve Bellisari to a drunk driving violation two weeks before "The Game," then benched his first replacement, Scott McMullen, after one game, and went - Holy shades of Cardale Jones! - with the third man, Craig Krenzel.
The Buckeyes then won a rivalry-changing game in Ann Arbor.
Asked to articulate the rivalry in terms of the pall cast over the team by defeat, Decker said, "It's something that transcends just me and my teammates. It's a lot bigger than that. There are people before us at both our program and theirs that made this the best rivalry ever. If we sold it short, we'd be doing a disservice to all the players and all the greats who have been here and there."
The Buckeyes are 3-and-0 in "The Game" under Meyer. The best thing about it is the chance to go 4-and-0.
