Maurice Clarett provided a voice of reason to Ohio State football supporters following Saturday’s loss to Oregon.
Buckeyes fans were predictably angry after watching them fall 32-31 to the Ducks in their first matchup as Big Ten counterparts. Ryan Day still has an 87.1 winning percentage (61-9) as Ohio State’s head coach, but he fell to 1-7 against teams ranked in the top five. A former OSU standout delivered a level response to Saturday’s disappointing outcome.
“Wins and losses come with life and sports. They love you when you’re up and kick you when you’re down,” Clarett wrote Sunday on social media. “I’ve grown to not be phased by either extreme. The only thing that matters and moves the needle is the work you get up and put in daily. Sounds cliche but it is what it is.”
The former Ohio State running back won’t stop fans from voicing their concerns, but he hopes the team can drown out that noise.
“Fans have a right to be fans. They do what fans do,” Clarett wrote in a follow-up post. “That’s what makes all of this a thing anyway. I just don’t put too much stock into their craziness.”
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Ohio State narrowly lost a back-and-forth road game against another national championship contender. It’s hardly the end of the world, particularly in a new 12-team College Football Playoff.
While he felt Saturday’s game had some “sloppy” moments, Clarett nevertheless celebrated a “great” collision of “two heavyweight teams.” He said there’s nothing to do but learn from the defeat.
Clarett credited Oregon as “a good football team who played better” than Ohio State at home. The Buckeyes committed some costly penalties and allowed some big plays, but he’s not giving up on his alma mater.
“I’m sure everyone sees now that college football isn’t a cakewalk. The national championship won’t be handed to us. We have to rightfully go out and earn it,” Clarett said. “The question comes down to ‘how will we respond and what will we learn?’
“It’s a long season. I’m still picking us to win it all, but you have to focus week in and week out.”
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