Before games, former Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy listened to “the frequency of God.”
Sporting large headphones, McCarthy often took 30-40 minutes before warmups to complete his meticulous routine. This pre-game routine involved bare-foot grounding, cross-legged meditation and the “frequency of God” listening, which was just really him listening to sounds tuned to 963hz, comparable to white noise.
The pre-game white noise allowed McCarthy to reach a new level of focus. And it showed in his play on the field.
McCarthy went on to lead the Michigan Wolverines to their first title since 1997. But what I find interesting about him, centers more on what he didn’t do than what he did.
He did not backpack his team to a title. It was quite the opposite. For all his talents, McCarthy felt more like a cog in the machine than a future Top 10 NFL Draft pick.
Sure, he did his job. Often very well. But there were times he just wasn’t asked to do very much. Like the time Michigan capped off a nine-point win over No. 9 Penn State by running the ball 32 straight times. Calling McCarthy a game manager feels harsh, but it doesn’t feel particularly far off.
In a bit of college football irony, this season’s JJ McCarthy is ready to line up under center for the same team McCarthy vanquished for two straight seasons. In 2024, former Kansas State transfer quarterback Will Howard should take a page from the JJ McCarthy Playbook if he hopes to lead the Buckeyes to a Big Ten and national title.
The JJ McCarthy Playbook
Unlike a lot of college playbooks in 2024, the JJ McCarthy Playbook is straightforward. If Will Howard follows these steps, he’ll get the McCarthy treatment en route to fanfare and postseason glory.
No own goals.
JJ McCarthy made a living off of not screwing up.
He played behind arguably the best offensive line in football. He had an excellent coaching brain trust calling the shots in Jim Harbaugh and OC Sherrone Moore. And had the luxury of handing off to a two-headed monster of running backs in Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. The defense was pretty dang good, too.
Follow the script. Do not freelance. Win ballgames. Repeat for 15 weeks.
Fortunately for Will Howard, his support system seems to be even more pronounced than what McCarthy had at his disposal.
After a relatively disappointing 2023, the Buckeyes loaded up in the portal, highlighted by the acquisition of running back Quinshon Judkins and safety Caleb Downs.
The defense is filled with upperclassmen studs and the skill talent on offense is just ridiculous. Coaching is a plus too, with the combined wizardry of head coach Ryan Day and new OC Chip Kelly. The only slight potential pitfall is the offense line. However, that should only matter in a few games and I suspect they’ll hold up just fine.
Develop an unwarranted chip on your shoulder.
JJ McCarthy and the Wolverines deceived the hell out of the American public. Instead of facing punishment from an analyst-led sign-stealing scandal, Michigan flipped the script and used its own actions to build a chip on its shoulders. You can’t make this stuff up.
What does this mean for Ohio State? They need to get mad about something. Pick a thing, anything.
Is the sun in your eyes on picture day? Did your car get a flat tire on the way to the facility? Is it a little cooler outside than you planned on it being?
Get mad. Get real mad. Print some t-shirts. Use it as a rallying cry. And be sure to tell College Gameday and Big Noon Saturday about it so the general public has to hear about it, too.
Just WIN, baby.
Despite former head coach Jim Harbaugh labeling McCarthy as “the greatest quarterback in Michigan history”, I suspect he taught he young padawan an important lesson early on.
You might not be the reason your team wins, but you damn sure cannot be the reason they lose.
For everything McCarthy did not do, he sure did a lot of winning. His teammates helped a lot with that, yes. But as the quarterback, he did what needed to be done to win. And there’s something to be said about that.
Howard needs to win and win a lot. This almost goes without saying at Ohio State, but it feels especially true this year. Ryan Day’s backside is hotter than a sidewalk in August. To keep his job, I suspect the Buckeyes will need to dominate the league, beat Michigan and win the title. Howard needs to find ways to win.
Will Howard has no excuse not to succeed in 2024.
He’s got the right coach. He’s got the right teammates. And now, he’s got the right playbook.
When Howard plays well, I suspect he’ll encounter the same type of game manager whispers that followed McCarthy. That’s alright. Crank up the white noise and just follow the playbook.