Ohio State shows toughness with ‘thud’ tackling in spring game

Originally posted on Blue By Ninety | By Chris Peterson | Last updated 4/14/24

After getting embarrassed three years in a row by Michigan football , Ohio State head coach Ryan Day went on a rant on national television attacking an elderly man and proclaiming how “tough” Ohio State football was.

Saturday, during the Buckeyes’ spring game, he reminded the college football world just how tough his team is, by allowing his starters not to be tackled.

This isn’t a figment of people’s imagination either (I thought maybe I was imagining things). Yet, a football personality posted a clip on X, showing the Wing-T formation installed by Chip Kelly. Then, Ohio State proceeded to run it, with their starting offense, against a thud defense, which is really something.

Talk about Charmin Soft.

Single Wing ➡️ T-Formation

Chip Kelly starting off the Ohio State Spring Game with some Old School Football! pic.twitter.com/6ooJHfegGh

— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) April 13, 2024

Michigan football isn’t afraid to hit

It was also planned that way. The rest of the team tackled — meaning the second-stringers — but the first-team guys are so tough, that they can’t even handle live tackling during their spring game.

No wonder Michigan football fans aren’t shaking in their boots.

At the same time, Michigan football players taking part in spring practices are talking about how things are “as physical as ever.” They have even added another drill “the quest to Atlanta drill” — along with the beat Ohio/Georgia drills — to become physically and mentally tough for the challenge ahead.

Jim Harbaugh might be the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, but remember, the current Michigan football head coach, Sherrone Moore, beat Ohio State last year. He also beat a top-10 team, on the road, after running the ball 32 times in a row.

That’s toughness. Not thud tackling.

We’ll see which philosophy works in November but it’s been clear the past three years who’s tough and who isn’t.

This article first appeared on Blue By Ninety and was syndicated with permission.

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