SPORTS DAILY: Elliott shows lack of class after OSU loss

Longtime NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer, usually after losing in the playoffs, kept insisting play-calling was overrated.

His theory was that all plays are designed to score touchdowns or gain yards, so when they fail, it’s more a matter of execution.

Don't mention this anytime soon to Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, who threw his coaches under the proverbial bus Saturday night in the wake of the stunning outcome that was Michigan State 17, Ohio State 14.

Buckeye Nation could relate to Elliott’s pain and frustration while watching the offense sputter against the Spartans as it has for much of the season. No matter how betrayed he felt, however, Elliott simply should have credited Michigan State’s defense and resisted the urge to point fingers.

Fine young man. That’s what everyone says about Elliott. He didn’t show it this time.

Of course he was frustrated with his light workload and the failure of the overall plan, but the (former?) Heisman Trophy candidate came off sounding whiny. If he had some apple sauce in front of him, it probably would have wound up against the wall.

It’s as if Zeke never watched that Brady Bunch episode where Mike instructs Greg to “lose with dignity.”

Yes, the play-calling could have been better. Nobody is going to confuse Ed Warinner or Tim Beck with a cutting-edge offensive mind.

Even coach Urban Meyer, in his postgame press conference, sounded a bit confused about what had just happened as his star player turned against the coaching staff. Meyer calls many of the plays. Maybe he should have been calling all the plays?

But I’m not convinced there were miracles to be dialed up that would have worked wonders. It’s not like Michigan State has all these holes in its defense just waiting to be exploited.

That was a great unit dressed in green and white Saturday, and it played like one.

Too bad Ohio State’s best player couldn’t find the class or maturity to acknowledge that fact.

Always a good day when Oklahoma State loses

Whenever Mike Gundy loses, I'm never broken up about it. So that was my favorite college football result from Saturday: Baylor 45, Oklahoma State 35, knocking the Cowboys from the unbeaten ranks.

I’ve disliked Gundy since his infamous “I’m a man, I’m 40!” rant several years ago in which he publicly — and loudly — berated a reporter for writing a story he didn’t like.

It's an outburst for the ages on YouTube, so it's good in that sense, but if Gundy never won another game it wouldn't crush me.

Kentucky sleepwalks past WSU but now No. 1

It doesn't matter at all this early. Maybe it never really matters. But Kentucky is the No. 1 college basketball team in the land, supplanting North Carolina, at least according to CBS Sports insider Gary Parrish.

North Carolina lost to Northern Iowa on Saturday, knocking the Tar Heels down a peg, one day after Kentucky fooled around and had some unexpected trouble with a Wright State team that had fallen to Northern Illinois and Cal State Northridge.

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