Jack Sawyer, Connor Stalions, trade claims about 2022 Ohio State-Michigan Game
Jack Sawyer appeared on Cameron Hayward's Not Just Football podcast last week, along with fellow Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith.
The entire set (from about 8:30 to 50:00) was fun and wide-ranging, and while I'm sure all Steelers fans will really enjoy it, there are lots of moments for Buckeye fans to appreciate throughout. One section that has been making the rounds more recently is Sawyer's take on his losses to Michigan.
Sawyer, we know, went 0-4 vs Michigan in his career. The closest two games were the last two years (Michigan won by three in 2024 and six in 2023), but 2022 quite obviously stuck out in his mind.
"I think they beat us straight up last year, obviously, and the year before, but my sophomore year, we left the field and we were like, 'This feels weird.' We lost by double digits, and it felt like we had beat the [expletive] out of them all game. You know, we ran a screen pass that we had never put in––not the formation, not the look, anything. And you see them on the sideline, they're doing [the signs], and we change it, we audible to it or whatever, and when we run it, all the D-linemen as soon as the ball is snapped, the linebackers, everybody, they sniffed it out."
Sawyer is, of course, referring to the Conor Stalions sign-stealing scandal, something that did not go unnoticed by Stalions himself. He replied, attempting to "disprove" Sawyer's claim.
This is noteworthy for a few reasons. First of all, Stalions' response makes no sense. Sawyer admitted it was a play they had never run before. Stalions couldn't have stolen the sign with game film. All he needs to do is say that. Instead, he goes on a detailed explanation of how he deduced the play. Now, I have no idea precisely what signs Michigan stole or what they knew, but this definitely seems like a situation of, to quote Shakespeare, "protesting too much."
But it's also an important lesson in how both memory and competitiveness works. In the end, the Buckeyes got blown out in 2022, mostly because they couldn't get stops in the second half. The games where Sawyer felt "they straight up beat us" were both tighter games, and games Ohio State probably should have won. Yet the fact that everyone knows that Michigan stole signs in the 2022 game means that game will stick in the stomachs of Buckeye fans and players, possible forever.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Lambert-Smith among Hall of Fame game standouts
The Fantasy Football Happy Hour crew discuss some of the top storylines from the Hall of Fame game, including the performance from Chargers rookie KeAndre Lambert-Smith and what to expect from the Lions offense in 2025.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Steelers connected to former Aaron Rodgers teammate in trade with Packers
Steelers connected to former Aaron Rodgers teammate in trade with Packers originally appeared on The Sporting News The Pittsburgh Steelers have been connected to a trade with the Green Bay Packers involving a former teammate of Aaron Rodgers. Newsweek's Evan Massey lists the Steelers as a potential landing spot for Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs. Doubs could be the odd man out [in the Packers' wide receiver room]. In a contract year, Green Bay could choose to ship him off to a wide receiver-needy team for draft capital," Massey wrote. The Steelers could use another capable player in the wide receiver room, as the team lacks starting-caliber options outside of DK Metcalf and Calvin Austin, who primarily operates in the slot. Doubs is entering the final year of his deal in 2025, and the Packers receiver group is loaded with young talent, so the 25-year-old could become expendable. Despite playing in just 13 games last year, Doubs nearly posted a career year with 46 receptions for 601 yards and four touchdowns. In 2023, the Nevada product played all 17 games and snagged 59 catches for 674 yards and eight touchdowns. During his rookie campaign in 2022 with Rodgers, Doubs was able to post 425 yards and three touchdowns. The former fourth-round pick already has chemistry with the Steelers starting quarterback and shouldn't cost too much to acquire in a deal with Green Bay, making him a logical trade target. Signing Doubs to an extension also shouldn't be too expensive, even if he has a solid 2025 campaign. Pittsburgh needs to bolster the talent in the receiver room, and trading for Doubs is a realistic and savvy answer. The Steelers will kick off the preseason at EverBank Stadium versus the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday. We'll see how the receivers perform in that game, which should signal whether Pittsburgh needs to make a move or stay put with what they have. MORE PITTSBURGH STEELERS NEWS Stephen A. Smith rips George Pickens for Cowboys-Steelers comments Former Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher a 'name to watch' for Tennessee Titans Steelers beat writer offers 'concerning' updates for Pittsburgh's offense Steelers analyst predicts Micah Parsons trade package for Pittsburgh
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
James van Riemsdyk Excited To Join Former USA Teammate Patrick Kane With Red Wings
As one of the more active teams in free agency during the offseason, the Detroit Red Wings have brought in multiple new players that will suit up for them in the upcoming 2025-26 NHL Season. One new face in Detroit is veteran forward James van Riemsdyk, who had spent the last two seasons playing for the Boston Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets, respectively. The former second overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft behind his now-current Red Wings teammate Patrick Kane, van Riemsdyk brings 1,082 games of experience to a team hoping to break their postseason drought. Having already played with multiple high-profile veteran players during his career like Claude Giroux, Danny Briere, Brad Marchand, and John Tavares, van Riemsdyk will be bringing his own leadership style to the Red Wings as he explained via the club's official website. Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 'It's a full-time commitment,' van Riemsdyk explained shortly after signing. 'Whether that's your preparation, being ready to practice, being ready to play and being ready to recover to get ready for the next game. Just trying to do the right things like that every day. And just trying to bring positive energy to the group and on the bench. It can be a long year, lots of ups and downs, so I think you need to have some of that sounding board just to help things stay even keeled when maybe things aren't going your way.' Throughout his career, van Riemsdyk has been known for making a living around the net and the lip of the crease in a style similar to that of former four-time Stanley Cup champion forward Tomas Holmstrom. van Riemsdyk also brings considerable experience in the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Red Wings, having skated in 82 career playoff games, including a trip to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final (against Kane's Blackhawks). Having already trained with Kane and represented the United States alongside him as part of the 2014 Sochi Olympics as well as the World Juniors Championships and World Cup, van Riemsdyk is looking forward to playing with Kane for the first time on an NHL roster. '(Kane) is one of my really good buddies and we've obviously been through this whole journey over the years together in a lot of ways,' van Riemsdyk said. 'Through some different USA Hockey things, with training or bouncing ideas off each other for stuff like that, so really exciting that we get a chance to do all that." van Riemsdyk, Kane, and the rest of the Red Wings are now just over one month away from the start of Training Camp, held annually in Traverse City, Michigan. Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
