Ryan Day has made it clear that he is not worried about style points. In the 12-team playoff era, Ohio State simply has to avoid losing three games to have a guaranteed spot in the postseason tournament.
OSU’s head coach doesn’t see the value in running up scores and piling on opponents, especially when he could spend the valuable in-game reps working on things that his team will need to be better at when playing higher-quality opponents.
And, with this year’s Ohio State offense, that means that getting as much extra work running the ball as possible has been a focus in more games than not. While that has ruffled the feathers of some in Buckeye Nation and has confused some in the national media who only watch highlights and look at box scores before spouting off ill-informed hot takes for clicks and clout, I have been fine with it because Day has proven that when his team sticks to the plan, good things happen.
So, while I appreciate and understand the philosophy, it is still gratifying — and a bit relieving — to occasionally be able to watch the Ohio State offense enter full Death Star Mode and impose its will on opposing defenses when first-year starting quarterback Julian Sayin is allowed to do what he does best, throw the ball at will. Despite the fact that the Camp Randall stats system literally shut down after the third quarter, Sayin finished the day with eye-popping career highs, going 36-for-42 (85.7%) for 394 yards and four touchdowns. And if he doesn’t rocket to the top of the Heisman Trophy conversation, then they need to stop giving individual awards.
The first quarter of the Buckeyes’ 34-0 win over Wisconsin was a reassuring reminder that while the offense might not yet be at the same level as previous incarnations, it has the potential to look like some of the most explosive OSU offenses of recent vintage. The second quarter was a mess of bad starting field position, penalties, and sloppy offensive line play, blowing up runs. But by the mid-third quarter, the Ohio State offense was back to exerting its dominance over a hapless Badger defense.
Clearly, the Buckeye running game needs some dramatic improvement before all is said and done if OSU is going to claim a second-straight national title, but watching Sayin carve up an admittedly subpar Badger defense was thrilling. He doesn’t yet have the deepball arm of Dwayne Haskins or even Will Howard, but the accuracy with which the QB throws the ball is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
In his postgame interview, Day told CBS’s Jenny Dell that they wanted to put a lot on Sayin’s plate and “push the envelope” before heading into the team’s second bye week Improvement Week. I’m glad that they allowed Sayin to get that performance on film, because I was honestly tired of him not getting the flowers that his exemplary performance deserved.
Now, with two weeks to go before the Buckeyes return to the field when Penn State comes to Columbus on Nov. 1, there is plety time to figure out why the offensive line (especially the right side) has struggled in the running game, and to determine the proper rotation of backs (I’d like to see the true freshmen Bo Jackson and Isaiah West as RBs 1 and 2), but I think what we saw today in Madison is what the offensive game plan is going to be moving forward.
Obviously, things will be more difficult against better competition, but barring a remarkable run game improvement between now and The Game, I believe the running attack is going to primarily consist of short passes; and considering how accurate Sayin is, those are probably just as secure as most handoffs.
Through seven games, Ryan Day and Brian Hartline have appeared uninterested in putting the pedal to the offensive metal, as they have been more concerned with figuring out what this high-performance machine is actually capable of. They have examined the offense’s weaknesses and by now should know them inside and out.
However, with five games left before the postseason (and six before the College Football Playoff), it’s time to start playing to the unit’s strengths. Julian Sayin is the most efficient and effective quarterback in college football, and it’s time for fans to finally see just how dominant the Buckeyes can be with him in full control of OSU’s impressive complement of offensive weapons.
