Scarlet Sunrise: Will Ohio State make change at kick returner?

COLUMBUS — Ohio State is fresh off the idle week, which it dubbed as an ‘Improvement Week.’ Well, the Buckeyes are looking to improve in all aspects after just two games, including at kick return.

After fourth-year receiver Jayden Ballard had a miscue on a kick return led to an offensive drive starting at their own 4-yard line, the Buckeyes are in evaluation mode to see if there are better options for that job.

Could Ballard lose that responsibility to second-year receiver Brandon Inniss, who has already taken over punt-return duties and done quite well? It’s a possibility, but head coach Ryan Day said Wednesday night during his short media session that no final decisions have been made.

“We got Brandon back there a little bit this week, so we’ll look at the film today,” Day said. “We just did some kickoff return. He and JB were both back there, so we’ll kind of evaluate it after today and see who we decide to put back there. I think they’ll probably both still return kicks. But who takes the first one we’ll probably decide here tomorrow.”

Asked if he thinks Inniss could handle both kick returns and punt returns, Day had a quick answer:

“Yes, I think he can.”

No final decisions have been made. But the Buckeyes want to see improvement from their kick-return game — and the special teams in general. Inniss might be the answer if a decision is made to move on from having Ballard as the primary kick returner.

Why Charles Huff’s comment about Buckeyes matters

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From Spencer Holbrook:

Ohio State is the favorite to win the Big Ten and the national title for a reason. The Buckeyes entered this season with insanely high ‘natty or bust’ expectations, and they’re a common pick among experts and pundits across the sport to win the whole thing come January.

So it shouldn’t be surprising to hear some folks think this Ohio State team is one of the most talented teams to come around in years.

But it was still a bit startling Tuesday evening to hear Marshall head coach Charles Huff speak about the Buckeyes ahead of their matchup on Saturday (Noon on FOX). Huff’s words about Ohio State should not be taken lightly — at all.

Why do Huff’s words matter? Well, look at his track record, one that dates back at least a decade of coaching either against or with championship-level rosters. He knows what they look like.

READ THE FULL STORY: Why Marshall coach Charles Huff’s comment about Buckeyes roster talent matters

ICYMI: Buckeyes now national title favorite after odds shift

The odds have shifted after two weeks of football season, and Ohio State is now the favorite to win the national title.

The Buckeyes have been second behind Georgia all offseason and for the first half of September. But the Bulldogs struggled in a one-point win at Kentucky on Saturday night, and the folks at Fanduel took notice.

Ohio State (+330) is now the betting favorite to win the national championship, passing up Georgia (+400). Texas (+500, Alabama (+750) and Oregon (+950) round out the top five; those five are the only five teams with odds smaller than +1000.

The Buckeyes haven’t truly been challenged yet; they will travel to Oregon on Oct. 12 for a top-10 matchup with championship implications. A week before, Ohio State will face Big Ten heavyweight Iowa. That’s when we’ll know if this team can win a national title.

The folks in the desert seem to think they can. That’s why Ohio State is now the betting favorite to win it all at the end of this season.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Marshall: 2 days
Ohio State at Oregon: 23 days
Ohio State at Penn State: 44 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 72 days

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