Treating 2nd and Short as a throwaway down

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Let me say that I'm still a Kiffin fan and we wouldn't have been in the Final Four this year without him. However, last night we got stuck in the mindset of forcing things on offense instead of going with what was working. That seems to be a trend in some of our bigger game losses over the years. Its why we got rid of Nuss. Why we would get cute on 2nd/3rd and short is beyond me and to be honest, Kiffin has been guilty of it all year. Instead of running the ball to move the chains last night, we would call a low percentage pass play that ends up being forced to Amari or White. I'll never understand the philosophy that 2nd and short is a throwaway down. I'm just as frustrated with that as I am the terrible 3rd Down Defense. In big games with titles on the line, we refuse to take what the defense gives us.

Credit to Ohio State. They whipped us physically and outcoached us. They didn't bend over once we went up 21-6.

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