Scarlet Sunrise: How aggressive Buckeyes are depends on level of trust in QB, O-Line
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How aggressive Buckeyes are depends on level of trust in QB, O-Line
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day didn’t want to be reckless when opening the season, and Big Ten play, on the road with a new starting quarterback and three new starting offensive linemen.
The most important thing at Indiana was to leave Bloomington with a win, Day reiterated.
That’s why he ended up abandoning his plan to switch out starting quarterback Kyle McCord with Devin Brown for multiple series worth of meaningful snaps. And that’s why he called the game more conservative.
So when will Day flip the switch from conservative to aggressive play calling?
“It’s probably the art of coaching is figuring that out and figuring how much and how aggressive we can be,” Day said Tuesday. “I think that’s trust over time. It has a big part to do with the quarterback, and it has a lot to do with the offensive line. I think that the more trust that we all have in them, the more we can let it rip.
“But my job is to make sure we win games here. And when the defense is playing well, and we have some inexperienced guys in there, you gotta make sure you do what’s right, make sure you get on that plane with a win. It’s not always pretty, not always fun, frustrating at times, but at least we get to check that box. Now, we gotta identify the areas we gotta improve on.”
Ohio State did take some shots downfield in the passing game. But McCord was 3-of-13 on passes that traveled 10 or more yards in the air, according to Pro Football Focus.
That number is a bit misleading, though, because he would have had more completions in that category had, for instance, Julian Fleming came down with the deep ball on his post route in the first quarter and had Marvin Harrison Jr. not committed illegal touching on his touchdown reception in the third quarter.
Still, the Buckeyes have room for improvement in the big play department. Once that happens, things will snowball offensively — in a good way.
“We threw some that we missed, and I think if you connect on those, you’re probably more likely to call more and you get into a rhythm,” Day said. “When you don’t, you kind of look up, and it’s an incomplete pass, and then the clock’s not running and you need that thing to run to make sure you’re leaving with a win. So I think it’s a little bit of this, a little bit of that.”
Day continued: “I think if we can be on schedule running the football and getting four yards and being in 2nd-and-6 as opposed to 2nd-and-10 or 2nd-and-9, that makes a big difference as well. So I think it all goes together with the execution. And I think the more our guys work and the more we play, certainly the more aggressive we’ll be.”
Ryan Day confident that Buckeyes offensive line issues are ‘correctable’
Ohio State starting right tackle Josh Fryar was the only Buckeyes offensive lineman to grade out a “champion” during their 23-3 win at Indiana over the weekend.
Head coach Ryan Day was candid when discussing Ohio State’s struggles up front. Often, the Buckeyes failed to pick up Indiana defenders shooting through the gap. It’s a reason why Ohio State was 1-of-7 on 3rd-and-short this past Saturday. The O-Line was fine in pass protection, but they were far too inconsistent in the run blocking department.
Growing pains were expected, to a certain degree. After all, the Buckeyes had to replace three NFL draftees in the trenches, all of whom made 53-man rosters.
On the bright side, the issues up front are correctable, according to Day. And it helps that the Buckeyes now have back-to-back home games against Youngstown State and Western Kentucky to get rid of those hiccups.
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Off to great start, Ohio State defense striving for higher standard in 2023
Ohio State aced the pop quiz that was the Indiana offense over the weekend. Coordinator Jim Knowles and his defense hardly prepared to see the triple option from a Hoosiers team that was tied for eighth nationally last year in pass attempts per game.
Nevertheless, the Buckeyes adapted quickly in the second year of Knowles’ system. They held Indiana to 153 total yards — including 71 rushing yards on 33 carries, or 2.2 yards per rush — 10 first downs and, most importantly, three points.
“When you’re sitting up there in the box, and you see that,” Knowles said, “you’re like, ‘OK, I know what to do. But I haven’t made a legal tackle since 1986. So I know what to do, but do they know what to do?’ It’s an indicator that we can handle the controlled chaos that happens during a game.”
Ohio State is processing faster and expecting more this year under Knowles. Learn more here.
Ohio State drops in Week 2 AP Poll after low-scoring opener
Ohio State dropped from No. 3 to No. 5 in this week’s AP Top 25 after an underwhelming offensive effort at Indiana in its season and Big Ten opener.
The Buckeyes are one of four Big Ten teams in the Top 25 right now. They are accompanied by No. 2 Michigan, No. 7 Penn State and No. 19 Wisconsin.
They have to play those other three teams later this season, in addition to now-No. 10 Notre Dame on Sept. 23. The Fighting Irish are 2-0 after Week 0 and Week 1 blowout wins.
To get the latest on the AP Poll, head on over here.
Counting down
Buckeyes vs. Youngstown State: 4 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 80 days
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