Scarlet Sunrise: Staying on schedule will be critical for Buckeyes offense in 2023

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Staying on schedule will be critical for Buckeyes offense in 2023

Whether it’s junior Kyle McCord or redshirt freshman Devin Brown under center, Ohio State will have a first-year starting quarterback this season.

During his five years as Buckeyes head coach, Ryan Day has learned just how vital an effective rushing attack is for a signal caller of that kind.

Ohio State’s Week 2 home loss to Oregon in 2021 was a wake-up call on that front, Day reiterated. Yes, the Buckeyes needed to play better defense in that game — a theme of that season, really — but they also could have ran the ball more to take some of the workload off the shoulders of C.J. Stroud, who wound up passing for 484 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in the 35-28 defeat.

“You have to be able to run the football,” Day said Monday. “When you get in the red zone, when you get in third down situations. First and second down, it sets up play-action pass. So it’s something that we’ve been spending a lot of time on. And I like our progress there. But we gotta keep going on it.”

Day emphasized that the Ohio State run game was not only especially important during Stroud’s first year as the starter but also Justin Fields’, too, back in 2019.

In addition to setting up the play-action pass, running the ball can keep Ohio State ahead of the sticks, ultimately creating manageable third down situations for either McCord or Brown.

“Staying on schedule is going to be critical,” Day said. “If you’re behind the sticks — anybody, forget who it is, [even if it’s] C.J. Stroud — that puts us in a bad spot. So we have to be efficient, we have to be good on first down. And that means we’ve gotta run the ball for four yards or more and then be able to execute efficiently the RPO game, the quick game and the play-action pass.”

OK, but how do you know if a rushing attack is actually coming along in training camp? Plus, the Buckeyes are simultaneously ushering in three new starting offensive linemen.

“You can tell,” Day said. “Week in and week out, day in and day out, you just feel it. The ball’s getting to the second level, Tre’s (TreVeyon Henderson) hitting the hole, the timing, the guys are rocking off the ball. You can see it when you’re out there. And there’s promise there.”

Day has talked effusively about Henderson, who led the Buckeyes in rushing in 2021 and is back to full strength after an injury-riddled sophomore season last year. That said, as talented as Henderson is, his success could be curtailed or furthered by the play of Ohio State’s new-look offensive line.

Things are starting to sort themselves out up front, though, according to left guard Donovan Jackson. He’s seen flashes from the Buckeyes’ rushing attack, even when contact is limited in training camp.

“It’s just making sure we’re all on the same page,” Jackson said. “On days when we can’t go full speed, and on days when we’re not in full pads, we’re able to still know if our run game’s hitting, if we’re all calculated at the same speed. If there’s guys looking around, that means you probably don’t know who’s on the same play as everybody else. So making sure we’re all dialed into what we’re doing is important.”

J.T. Tuimoloau faster, Jack Sawyer leaner: Both feeding off each other’s energy

Defensive ends J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer were both top-five overall prospects in the 2021 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. They both arrived at Ohio State with great expectations.

Tuimoloau and Sawyer have teased their potential the last two seasons but have yet to truly break out.

Now entering Year Three, the duo is expected to start together on opposite ends of the defensive line. How good can they be in 2023?

Well, that might depend on how they feed off each other.

For the full story, go here.

Kenyatta Jackson still turning heads in build-up to regular season for Buckeyes

Kenyatta Jackson couldn’t be ignored during the spring season. The second-year Ohio State defensive end was a disruptive force in the Buckeyes’ backfield through March and April.

He carried that momentum into summer workouts and now training camp.

At Big Ten Media Days, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said that Jackson “looks like an NFL player right now.” Longtime Buckeyes defensive line coach Larry Johnson mentioned Jackson in the same breath as expected starting defensive ends J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer Thursday.

Jackson is poised to play a significant role for Ohio State this season.

Here’s the latest on his development.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 15 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 100 days

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