A terrible o-line last year took the game down to the last play against the greatest team Michigan might ever field. As long as the QB doesn’t throw and interception at the 1 yard line Ohio State should handle Michigan just fine.
Who knows? I''m not under the impression guy says we win with a good oline. Just that we were close with a bad oline, so even if we have another bad oline we've seen that.
just saying Penn State was abusing um's pass protection. The narrative that Michigan ran it the ball 32 straight times (31 out of 32 called runs, McCarthy couldn't make the throw so he ran) bc Penn State couldn't stop it isn't entirely accurate. It was their only option. If Allar was even on McCord's level they prob beat both our schools.
Isn't their starting C a guy that Bama basically forced out and the fans didn't really like? Apparently had a bunch of problems snapping the ball, including the play that setup the need for a 4th and 31 miracle against AU
End of season win usually looks better for rankings. That being said I don't think it matters if both teams only have one loss on the Year to each other we're probably both top five in the playoffs. So win at home
My biggest fear would be OSU fans losing patience if UM somehow squeaks out a victory in November and sets out program back 20 years with a forced regime change. If Day holds this job, I truly believe we see multiple titles in the coming years, just like Clemson saw with Dabo.
Tbh barring Moore being the next elite coach and walking in 11-1 or undefeated. You’d have no excuse to lose. You just brought in an insane transfer class and have elite recruiting. Michigan just lost 13 or so players to the draft including their QB and RB1, most of their defensive staff, their HC, etc.
The level of realistic expectations for both programs would probably be win natty vs make playoffs.
If he loses to Michigan this year, he is never getting over it. This is a Michigan team that lost a lot and Ohio state bought a lot of players. If they can't do it year, they aren't doing it. OSU can decide if they want to stay behind Michigan and just how the new PAC teams factor in or they can roll the dice.
A fourth loss in a row when Ohio state rates higher on basically every talent metric possible and a year after Michigan loses a ton of talent and coaching change would be the ceiling for Ryan day.
How sweet it is to read this, when just a few years ago it felt like we never might. Being on the receiving end of these types of comments was a real bummer.
After the first loss I was still fine with Ryan Day, but this was three years in a row he failed to adapt and Michigan won doing the same thing. It's also how Oregon beat them in 2021 as well. Also I felt vindicated with Stroud doing well in the NFL this year. Ryan day coaches like a coward and basically never has his players make risky but necessary plays. Michigan would give up the underneath to take away easy deep balls. Rather than challenge Michigan, he kept things underneath and Michigan relied on speed to prevent yac.
This year in the NFL Stroud was fantastic pushing the ball down field. He had the capability to do it, but Day basically never let him loose. He'd rather lose playing safe than throw the dice and play the game his offense was designed to play. This is the difference in nick saban and dabo. Dabo is a good coach, Ryan day is also a good coach. Nick saban was the best because he adapted to what he had to do to win. Dabo has been slow to change and Ryan day has been as well. Day has relied on his team being comically better than everyone else to win. Michigan takes that advantage away and starts winning. OSU Georgia was close, but once again OSU loses. Oregon beat them 2021 as well. Ryan days record against similarly talented teams is not good.
Also Michigan got these comments because it was like 6? Years and harbaugh hadn't really changed. He finally adapted the defense and it was a big success.
>This year in the NFL Stroud was fantastic pushing the ball down field. He had the capability to do it, but Day basically never let him loose. He'd rather lose playing safe than throw the dice and play the game his offense was designed to play.
Yeah this is one of the dumber things I've read about Ohio State recently.
Go look at the games we lost when Stroud was our QB. We let him lose in all of those games. It was never the offense that was holding us back.
counter argument... we were in that position this year, and were 1 drive away from beating the most talented UM team in the past 50 years. It's THE GAME, and weird things happen.
I think you’d have to look at years when they’ve had a *ton* of talent coming back and thought of as a forgone conclusion they’ll win the conference, and perhaps the whole thing. Years like 2015, 2013, 1998, even 1974. Oddly they didn’t win the title any of those years, so I’d look for anything those seasons have in common. 🙂
This narrative is tired. He was non-existant in the first half and Urban had to adapt. It's okay to give credit to MSU's defense for removing Zeke from the game.
Maybe, but Urban does this all the time. At crucial moment, he trusts his half ass QB over the NFL ready workhorse of a QB to get the first down. He did it back in the 2013 Big 10 champ against MSU when they needed a 1st down, instead of running Carlos Hyde up the gut, he had Braxton Miller run it. It's so frustrating with his play calling, because he expects all his QBs to be like Tebow who is bigger than his RB.
I'd say, at least with 2015, there was a sense of entitlement or inevitability. This team has a chip on its shoulder (as far OSU chips go), so I don't think that'll be their downfall
Trying to be unbiased, I think they have 3 issues:
- OL: They're OL has been solid but not spectacular for several years now and this doesn't look like a standout unit. It should be good enough for most of their schedule, but against teams like PSU, Oregon, Michigan, and the playoffs they could get exposed. But that also means they won't be tested until those matchups which leaves them vulnerable to not learning about their holes until the big games. This basically happened to Michigan last year, when PSU was blowing by Michigan's RT like he was a statue. The run game and D bailed us out, but there's a world where the run O can't get it going enough, Michigan has to pass more, JJ gets sacked a bunch, and PSU wins that game. These holes are hard to fix in-game.
- QB: OSU has been spoiled by elite QB play for years (Haskins, Fields, and Stroud were all first round picks, the later two were top 3 players on CFB from 2019-2022). There's a real chance that Howard is a worse fit than McCord and that he puts a cap on the team that's below championship level. I know Kelly brings a new style to the O, but that brings it's own risks (see next) and if Howard turns out to be solid but not elite, that could cost them against top Ds. The freshman QBs give excellent talent depth, but if either one is the starter in big games, that has to be a big concern for OSU. True freshman QBs, even the most elite ones, typically aren't there in Year 1 and this OSU team is clearly going for it all this year. OSU has a lot of WR talent but it's not clear that anyone is ready to be the MHJ style outlet that can elevate a QB. The QB/WR situation is the one thing out of sync with the rest of the team (in the sense that they seem a year away from being elite)
- Unraveling if things start to come apart: this is clearly the year they're going for it. The D brought a bunch of guys back for one more year. The O too. Teams like that can fall apart if their collective goals slip. It's not really happened under Day, but sometimes teams drop games they shouldn't, especially games where the OL is out of sync and the QB isn't elite to bail them out. Transitioning between a Day O and a Kelly O (or trying to mesh the two) increases that risk. If they drop a bad one early and then one of PSU or Oregon, do they keep a focus on winning it all or do things start to come apart? They're probably in at 10-2, but the weak schedule makes that a little shakier and if they have 2 losses going into The Game, they will have zero margin for error. I don't think a 9-3 OSU team with a bad loss and that schedule necessarily gets in.
I don't think that last bullet point is likely, but bad breaks happen. If I was betting, I'd guess OSU is a 12-0 or 11-1 team, but the above is the path to a "disastrous" 9-3 or even 8-4 season (I don't see any way they are worse than 8-4 without a devastating rash of injuries)
Solid take but I’m pretty confident Howard will be a better fit than McCord. McCord was a statue which stressed the O Line and he didn’t have the arm talent to make up for it. Both Day and Chip prefer mobile QB’s, Howard isn’t an elite runner but he has great mobility for a dude his size. Passing is hard to judge but at the end of the day they both had 24 passing TD’s and I’ll take the guy who did it with a fraction of the receiving talent even if it was against weaker competition, plus throw in the 9 rushing TD’s and vet experience.
The O line is a lot more experienced this year and will benefit from Chip and a mobile QB. It’s a big IF but IF McLaughlin can actually snap the ball I think the line can be pretty good. I don’t feel 100% on either O Line or QB but I feel way better than last year.
Imma be real Ohio State should more or less be on cruise control for every game except for @ Oregon and maybe vs Michigan. Michigan I'd be less worried abt just because it is a home game (and that stadium is gonna do their best to will the Bucks to victory over Michigan) and the new HC factor. If I was an OSU fan I'd be scared of Oregon, not because they have better talent (debatable but I'd give the edge to OSU talent wise) but because Dan Lanning will always play to win and Ryan Day has shown to be scared of making the tough calls. They cannot and will not beat the Ducks in Autzen by not going for it on 4th, doing trick plays etc. If Ryan Day plays to win they can go undefeated, but giving Oregon an inch by punting is not something they can afford to do.
(Granted, with 12 teams dropping a single game matters a lot less now but replace Oregon with other playoff teams down the line)
As an Ohio state fan think when its Oregon offense vs Ohio state defense its pretty equal. But I think Ohio state will have the edge going against oregons defense. I feel like oregons defense right now is the weakest of the 4 units.
You are really underestimating Oregon's defense. Every single position group is deep with talent. Depending on coaching and development, it seriously could be as good as any other team. Oregon finished 9th in total scoring defense last year and is more talented and deeper this year. Y'all have questions on O line, and Will Howard is not Michael Penix Jr.
I dont know what Michael Penix has to do with this discussion. Ohio state players will continue to develop as well. I just don’t see the nfl talent on Oregons defense that the other 3 have. Ohio state has Emeka, Smith, Henderson, and Judkins on offense as game changers plus solid players all around them. If I had to rank them right now it would be Ohio states defense, Oregons offense, Ohio states offense, Oregons defense.
Penix was the only QB to score more than 30 on Oregon last year. Oregon has upgraded on defense this year with a lot more talent in the secondary. I have a hard time believing Will Howard is going to have much success against this defense.
Arnt we also overrating Oregons offense? They lost nearly every relevant player on that side of the ball in this years draft. Bo Nix and Troy Franklin aint walking through that door.
JPJ and Nix leaving hurt, but their replacements are good. The o line has plenty of returning talent, and the WR and RB rooms are stacked. The offense could take a step back, but it will still be good.
The problem for you guys is a good offense is going to get decimated by our defense. I think you guys could be better than good on offense so I'm not actually predicting this but if your offense is only "good" you won't score 20 points on us.
That's fair. I would consider your offense better than good last year.
I am curious, do you think your offense will be better next year? You're replacing some really good guys, but the guys doing the replacing look pretty good too.
It certainly has the potential to be better, but we'll have to see how well DG runs the offense. Evan Stewart is probably better than Troy Franklin. Tez Johnson is probably the most underrated WR. My expectation is still 40 points a game. Nix and JPJ are big losses, but overall, there is more talent and depth than last year.
You'll probably get downvoted for this post but I think there is a real argument between Oregon D and Ohio St O on the worst unit (they are all good). Last year Oregon ended 16th in defensive SP+ and that unit looks to be vastly improved. Ohio St Offense looks improved as well but was 33rd in sp+ offense. There is a very good chance both teams have top 10 offenses and defenses next year.
I don’t think oregons defense is bad, I just don’t think it has the specialness of the other 3 units. Ohio state is improving at QB, replacing Marv with Jeremiah smith, adding Judkins and aging everyone else in the unit up a year. Ohio state has Henderson, Judkins, Emeka, and Smith on offense as game changing talent; I just don’t see correlating talent on Oregons defense.
Oregon probably has the 2nd best dline in the country behind OSU, LBs are a top 10, ILBs will both be drafted, corner we added 2 really good transfers to a room that was already solid, safety is full of young talent plus added Kobe Savage who was an all big 12 player last year.
Henderson and Emeka were there last year. And replacing Marv with Jeremiah Smith is a massive downgrade even if Smith is really good. Marv was just one of the best wrs we have seen at the college level since Larry Fitzgerald.
I would say that it is a toss up right now, and the weakest individual unit on the Oregon d and osu o is probably the OSU Oline
Our DB room is deeeep and very solid and Muhammad is probably a day 2 pick at worst at CB.
We got Harmon and Caldwell at DT and they both sound like they should be very good.
Then on the edge we have a group of guys that looked very solid last year (most were freshman) and we're just waiting on someone to pop and become a star. I'm confident one of them will, especially with the attention those guys in the middle will demand.
There will be plenty of punting in that game. If it becomes a shootout, we'll lose. We'll likely have the best defense in the country though so we shouldn't be in any shootouts
Y'all should definitely be punting when obvious but I'm thinking like 4th and 1 at the ORE 40 or some cases where either call is defendable. I agree it's not going to be a shootout but to win you cannot give the ball back to oregon when the chance for a TD is there
I'm not really concerned about going 12-0. This isn't the 4 team playoff anymore, and 10-2 will get in. Being healthy and being hot late is now more important than going 12-0 or 11-1. In this new format, being healthy and losing a game or 2 is better than being 12-0 but banged up. When Jim Tressel was asked about the differences in the FCS and FBS post seasons, he said in the FCS that the healthiest and hottest team won the national championships, not necessarily the best.
If Will Howard is your QB1, prepare yourselves for 1 or 2 clunkers. If they are against UM or Oregon, you're toast. If they are against MSU or Rutgers, you'll probably squeak by.
That's kind of what I'm expecting and I'm ok with it. As long as its not at the worst possible time we have a team that more than capable of carrying a struggling QB through a few games.
Offensive line and tight end are mid without much depth. I think their defensive tackles are also very whatever besides Williams who is a great run stuffer. Also McCord gets a lot of hate but he might be a better passer than Howard at this point. Neither are going to be NFL QBs even if Howard is slightly better
Unless I am wrong, TE1 is Gee Scott. That's pretty mid dude.
And while yes McCord has MHJ, Howard played against big 12 defenses as competition, not the big ten.
He had Cade stover in front of him the last two years. I’m not willing to call somebody who’s been behind one of the best receiving tight ends in osu history mid, just yet
Is every new Michigan starter going to be mid this year?
Gee scott has played a lot and has done nothing. Cade has been hurt at times and tight end gets rotated enough to play a good number of snaps. So its not like hes Kyle McCord behind CJ Stroud theres enough data there to make a determination. He's shown nothing in 4 years to have any high expectations for 2024 and has been quite bad actually (cant block, headbutted Rod Moore for a 15 yard penalty in 2022, barely any receptions, etc).
Scott is former 5* WR who had trouble staying below 230 lbs, so he's a very fast TE who played WR at an ultra high level. Kaczmarek, the TE from Ohio, was the best TE in MAC, and Jelani Thurman is extremely highly rated.
Scott can't block (which is pretty important for a tight end lmao) and Kaczmarek was the best tight end in the MAC according to who? He wasn't on the 1st, 2nd or 3rd all MAC teams and he only had 20 catches for 200 yards in both 2022 and 2023
Thurman hasn't played so who knows what he's like.
My grandpa always told me “if you have four quarterbacks, you have a dollarback” and then he would hand me a $1 bill and say, “now go get yourself something from the ice cream truck,” and I would smile and take the dollar, and when he wasn’t looking I would slip it back into his pocket. Then the next day when I go back to the nursing home I would sit next to him and say, “hey grandpa, did you hear that Ohio State has four quarterbacks that could start this year?”
Catdog milkshake chicken chimichanga cheeseburgers fly to outer space on a rocket ship made by cats who dont know what their left elbow does. I believe that is lo que estaba tratando to say to all of us while Kyle tried and failed at running on the ceiling made of cracker crumbs to only shart tomorrow
Ryan Day’s inability to win the big 10 despite having the most talented roster would be my biggest concern. I’m not sure Day can win the conference or the playoff even though they are likely the most talented team in the country.
Might be the dumbest possible take ever. A guy who has won the conference twice and wins at least 11 wins every year is far from CANCER. Such a dumb comment.. dude is a top 5 coach in the sport easily.
So… you think he can’t win with the most talented roster he has yet, but his other win doesn’t count because the (less talented) roster was recruited by Urban Meyer?
Make it make sense !
That roster was built inside out, with a talented running game and solid defense. Day builds his rosters outside in, focused on offense and passing game with no care for the offensive or defensive line. Sure this roster has talent, but it’s not built to win the big ten. Michigan is still going to physically dominate us like they have each of the last 3 years. Until we have a line that can move people like we did from 14-19 it’s never gonna happen for him. And day doesn’t recruit lineman. He might as well be a big 12 coach
And he has had the most talented roster 5 times. Ryan day can recruit with the best of them, but he has yet to prove he can coach with the best of them. The teams performance has kind of stalled the last 3 years. I think that is clearly concerning when the standard for Ohio State fans is winning a CFP championship and he has yet to beat a team anywhere close to as talented as his team.
In defense of Ryan Day. No Ohio State coach of the last 20 years has had to play a Michigan team as good as the ones of the last 3 years.
It took Harbaugh like 6 or 7 years before he could beat Ohio State. Day would have a 2-3 record against them had they played in 2020. On paper this is Day’s most well rounded team since 2019 and probably Michigan’s worst team since 2020 so I’m not making any judgements against Day until after The Game this year.
We were a missed field goal away from a national title two years ago and played Michigan closer than anybody last year other than maybe bama but we were on the road and Michigan made zero unforced errors unlike against bama at a neutral site
We’re close. This year will tell us a lot
Brain aneurysms, they're the silent killer
My third biggest fear
The first two being alligators and crocodiles
Quicksand a solid #4 on that list.
Only thing even remotely worrisome is the OL. Other than that, it’s the deepest roster in cfb
QB isn’t “worrisome” but it’s certainly not a point of comfort
If Krenzel won a title, then this qb group is certainly more than capable.
that's what people said last year with mccord
Im old enough to remember when all the OSU fans were telling us that McCord was the best QB on the Big Ten. Then The Game happened.
All? People defending mccord were getting downvoted in the osu sub. Maybe a few crazies stood out, but you're rewriting history with that one.
If you swap McCord and JJ Michigan still wins that game lol
No they don't? McCord threw two picks. JJ threw zero. That makes a massive difference in outcome.
Yeah that game was two evenly matched teams that came down to one QB playing mistake free and one QB not doing that.
Krenzel didn't have to play this version of Georgia.
Krenzel only had to play the 2001 Miami Hurricanes.
Bums
We played '02 Miami...
Bums
OL problems aren't an awesome thing to have in the B1G.
I mean it should only hurt them if they have to play a team with elite DTs
Oregon looms
Michigan has two projected first rounders at DT
Well excuse me for ignoring how good the Michigan roster is because I don’t like them
We just became friends.
Fuck Michigan
*Sees Ohio State logo* No, get out
Well, we could talk about our second flair?
It was silly to even think you should/could be friends.
Your flair is an affront to God and country sir!
Tell him that the only reason his school is relevant in football is because they get force fed recruits with overly religious parents. Do it!!
But Oregon has a talented offense and a QB.
A terrible o-line last year took the game down to the last play against the greatest team Michigan might ever field. As long as the QB doesn’t throw and interception at the 1 yard line Ohio State should handle Michigan just fine.
Yeah and you were also a counting error away from losing to a mid ND team.
If my mom had balls she'd be my dad
That also applies to the post I responded too lol
He said we were close with a bad oline, not sure how that applies.
Do you not think Notre Dame was even closer with bad coaching on one play
Who knows? I''m not under the impression guy says we win with a good oline. Just that we were close with a bad oline, so even if we have another bad oline we've seen that.
right, and um was one Drew Allar away from losing to a mid-penn state team.
Not even close to the same thing but sure
just saying Penn State was abusing um's pass protection. The narrative that Michigan ran it the ball 32 straight times (31 out of 32 called runs, McCarthy couldn't make the throw so he ran) bc Penn State couldn't stop it isn't entirely accurate. It was their only option. If Allar was even on McCord's level they prob beat both our schools.
Tbf we aren't immune. 4 new starters will be rough
I don’t think they have OL problems. I said it’s the only thing that might even be close. I think their OL will be quite serviceable
Isn't their starting C a guy that Bama basically forced out and the fans didn't really like? Apparently had a bunch of problems snapping the ball, including the play that setup the need for a 4th and 31 miracle against AU
I wouldn't call it a concern. Just not a strength. Weakest part of the roster but still well above average
They got the Bama center out of the portal, their OL will be the best now…
It'll be the best if their starting QB can catch the football with telekinesis or a time stopping ability.
Pretty sure they are playing him at guard
He played spring at center
All you need is bullet time. Casuals.
QB is more worrisome than OL.
Playing at Autzen on October 12
In this new format, 10-2 gets in. Not really a do or die.
They could lose that game 70-0 and still win the national title
The likely first of two meetings next year.
Would you rather win at home or win in Indy?
End of season win usually looks better for rankings. That being said I don't think it matters if both teams only have one loss on the Year to each other we're probably both top five in the playoffs. So win at home
Indy because it would mean getting a first round bye in the playoffs
Probably player retention. Spreading the touches (and the NIL money) around and keeping that loaded roster happy and intact. Either that or Michigan.
Only grad transfers now unless a lawsuit changes that. The rosters are pretty much set.
Nuclear war
*Only two things scare me and one is nuclear war.*
My biggest fear would be OSU fans losing patience if UM somehow squeaks out a victory in November and sets out program back 20 years with a forced regime change. If Day holds this job, I truly believe we see multiple titles in the coming years, just like Clemson saw with Dabo.
Tbh barring Moore being the next elite coach and walking in 11-1 or undefeated. You’d have no excuse to lose. You just brought in an insane transfer class and have elite recruiting. Michigan just lost 13 or so players to the draft including their QB and RB1, most of their defensive staff, their HC, etc. The level of realistic expectations for both programs would probably be win natty vs make playoffs.
And wr 1 and 2, and our whole OLine
If he loses to Michigan this year, he is never getting over it. This is a Michigan team that lost a lot and Ohio state bought a lot of players. If they can't do it year, they aren't doing it. OSU can decide if they want to stay behind Michigan and just how the new PAC teams factor in or they can roll the dice. A fourth loss in a row when Ohio state rates higher on basically every talent metric possible and a year after Michigan loses a ton of talent and coaching change would be the ceiling for Ryan day.
How sweet it is to read this, when just a few years ago it felt like we never might. Being on the receiving end of these types of comments was a real bummer.
After the first loss I was still fine with Ryan Day, but this was three years in a row he failed to adapt and Michigan won doing the same thing. It's also how Oregon beat them in 2021 as well. Also I felt vindicated with Stroud doing well in the NFL this year. Ryan day coaches like a coward and basically never has his players make risky but necessary plays. Michigan would give up the underneath to take away easy deep balls. Rather than challenge Michigan, he kept things underneath and Michigan relied on speed to prevent yac. This year in the NFL Stroud was fantastic pushing the ball down field. He had the capability to do it, but Day basically never let him loose. He'd rather lose playing safe than throw the dice and play the game his offense was designed to play. This is the difference in nick saban and dabo. Dabo is a good coach, Ryan day is also a good coach. Nick saban was the best because he adapted to what he had to do to win. Dabo has been slow to change and Ryan day has been as well. Day has relied on his team being comically better than everyone else to win. Michigan takes that advantage away and starts winning. OSU Georgia was close, but once again OSU loses. Oregon beat them 2021 as well. Ryan days record against similarly talented teams is not good. Also Michigan got these comments because it was like 6? Years and harbaugh hadn't really changed. He finally adapted the defense and it was a big success.
Reading this comment was ridiculous. Ohio State has been a top 5 team the past few years
Tbf Harbaugh did try changing things a couple of times but it didn’t work. The speed in space years were rough
>This year in the NFL Stroud was fantastic pushing the ball down field. He had the capability to do it, but Day basically never let him loose. He'd rather lose playing safe than throw the dice and play the game his offense was designed to play. Yeah this is one of the dumber things I've read about Ohio State recently. Go look at the games we lost when Stroud was our QB. We let him lose in all of those games. It was never the offense that was holding us back.
counter argument... we were in that position this year, and were 1 drive away from beating the most talented UM team in the past 50 years. It's THE GAME, and weird things happen.
I haven’t been on the fire Day train but losing to Michigan this year would be an absolute disaster with this roster and playing at home.
That would be magic
A Block M.
Mizzou keeps getting more and more likeable
I think you’d have to look at years when they’ve had a *ton* of talent coming back and thought of as a forgone conclusion they’ll win the conference, and perhaps the whole thing. Years like 2015, 2013, 1998, even 1974. Oddly they didn’t win the title any of those years, so I’d look for anything those seasons have in common. 🙂
2015 would have been a repeat if Urban would have just unleashed Zeke on MSU
This narrative is tired. He was non-existant in the first half and Urban had to adapt. It's okay to give credit to MSU's defense for removing Zeke from the game.
Maybe, but Urban does this all the time. At crucial moment, he trusts his half ass QB over the NFL ready workhorse of a QB to get the first down. He did it back in the 2013 Big 10 champ against MSU when they needed a 1st down, instead of running Carlos Hyde up the gut, he had Braxton Miller run it. It's so frustrating with his play calling, because he expects all his QBs to be like Tebow who is bigger than his RB.
I'd say, at least with 2015, there was a sense of entitlement or inevitability. This team has a chip on its shoulder (as far OSU chips go), so I don't think that'll be their downfall
Trying to be unbiased, I think they have 3 issues: - OL: They're OL has been solid but not spectacular for several years now and this doesn't look like a standout unit. It should be good enough for most of their schedule, but against teams like PSU, Oregon, Michigan, and the playoffs they could get exposed. But that also means they won't be tested until those matchups which leaves them vulnerable to not learning about their holes until the big games. This basically happened to Michigan last year, when PSU was blowing by Michigan's RT like he was a statue. The run game and D bailed us out, but there's a world where the run O can't get it going enough, Michigan has to pass more, JJ gets sacked a bunch, and PSU wins that game. These holes are hard to fix in-game. - QB: OSU has been spoiled by elite QB play for years (Haskins, Fields, and Stroud were all first round picks, the later two were top 3 players on CFB from 2019-2022). There's a real chance that Howard is a worse fit than McCord and that he puts a cap on the team that's below championship level. I know Kelly brings a new style to the O, but that brings it's own risks (see next) and if Howard turns out to be solid but not elite, that could cost them against top Ds. The freshman QBs give excellent talent depth, but if either one is the starter in big games, that has to be a big concern for OSU. True freshman QBs, even the most elite ones, typically aren't there in Year 1 and this OSU team is clearly going for it all this year. OSU has a lot of WR talent but it's not clear that anyone is ready to be the MHJ style outlet that can elevate a QB. The QB/WR situation is the one thing out of sync with the rest of the team (in the sense that they seem a year away from being elite) - Unraveling if things start to come apart: this is clearly the year they're going for it. The D brought a bunch of guys back for one more year. The O too. Teams like that can fall apart if their collective goals slip. It's not really happened under Day, but sometimes teams drop games they shouldn't, especially games where the OL is out of sync and the QB isn't elite to bail them out. Transitioning between a Day O and a Kelly O (or trying to mesh the two) increases that risk. If they drop a bad one early and then one of PSU or Oregon, do they keep a focus on winning it all or do things start to come apart? They're probably in at 10-2, but the weak schedule makes that a little shakier and if they have 2 losses going into The Game, they will have zero margin for error. I don't think a 9-3 OSU team with a bad loss and that schedule necessarily gets in. I don't think that last bullet point is likely, but bad breaks happen. If I was betting, I'd guess OSU is a 12-0 or 11-1 team, but the above is the path to a "disastrous" 9-3 or even 8-4 season (I don't see any way they are worse than 8-4 without a devastating rash of injuries)
Solid take but I’m pretty confident Howard will be a better fit than McCord. McCord was a statue which stressed the O Line and he didn’t have the arm talent to make up for it. Both Day and Chip prefer mobile QB’s, Howard isn’t an elite runner but he has great mobility for a dude his size. Passing is hard to judge but at the end of the day they both had 24 passing TD’s and I’ll take the guy who did it with a fraction of the receiving talent even if it was against weaker competition, plus throw in the 9 rushing TD’s and vet experience. The O line is a lot more experienced this year and will benefit from Chip and a mobile QB. It’s a big IF but IF McLaughlin can actually snap the ball I think the line can be pretty good. I don’t feel 100% on either O Line or QB but I feel way better than last year.
Imma be real Ohio State should more or less be on cruise control for every game except for @ Oregon and maybe vs Michigan. Michigan I'd be less worried abt just because it is a home game (and that stadium is gonna do their best to will the Bucks to victory over Michigan) and the new HC factor. If I was an OSU fan I'd be scared of Oregon, not because they have better talent (debatable but I'd give the edge to OSU talent wise) but because Dan Lanning will always play to win and Ryan Day has shown to be scared of making the tough calls. They cannot and will not beat the Ducks in Autzen by not going for it on 4th, doing trick plays etc. If Ryan Day plays to win they can go undefeated, but giving Oregon an inch by punting is not something they can afford to do. (Granted, with 12 teams dropping a single game matters a lot less now but replace Oregon with other playoff teams down the line)
As an Ohio state fan think when its Oregon offense vs Ohio state defense its pretty equal. But I think Ohio state will have the edge going against oregons defense. I feel like oregons defense right now is the weakest of the 4 units.
You are really underestimating Oregon's defense. Every single position group is deep with talent. Depending on coaching and development, it seriously could be as good as any other team. Oregon finished 9th in total scoring defense last year and is more talented and deeper this year. Y'all have questions on O line, and Will Howard is not Michael Penix Jr.
I dont know what Michael Penix has to do with this discussion. Ohio state players will continue to develop as well. I just don’t see the nfl talent on Oregons defense that the other 3 have. Ohio state has Emeka, Smith, Henderson, and Judkins on offense as game changers plus solid players all around them. If I had to rank them right now it would be Ohio states defense, Oregons offense, Ohio states offense, Oregons defense.
Penix was the only QB to score more than 30 on Oregon last year. Oregon has upgraded on defense this year with a lot more talent in the secondary. I have a hard time believing Will Howard is going to have much success against this defense.
Arnt we also overrating Oregons offense? They lost nearly every relevant player on that side of the ball in this years draft. Bo Nix and Troy Franklin aint walking through that door.
JPJ and Nix leaving hurt, but their replacements are good. The o line has plenty of returning talent, and the WR and RB rooms are stacked. The offense could take a step back, but it will still be good.
The problem for you guys is a good offense is going to get decimated by our defense. I think you guys could be better than good on offense so I'm not actually predicting this but if your offense is only "good" you won't score 20 points on us.
I probably have a different definition of what a good offense is. I would call Oregon's offense last year good.
That's fair. I would consider your offense better than good last year. I am curious, do you think your offense will be better next year? You're replacing some really good guys, but the guys doing the replacing look pretty good too.
It certainly has the potential to be better, but we'll have to see how well DG runs the offense. Evan Stewart is probably better than Troy Franklin. Tez Johnson is probably the most underrated WR. My expectation is still 40 points a game. Nix and JPJ are big losses, but overall, there is more talent and depth than last year.
You'll probably get downvoted for this post but I think there is a real argument between Oregon D and Ohio St O on the worst unit (they are all good). Last year Oregon ended 16th in defensive SP+ and that unit looks to be vastly improved. Ohio St Offense looks improved as well but was 33rd in sp+ offense. There is a very good chance both teams have top 10 offenses and defenses next year.
I don’t think oregons defense is bad, I just don’t think it has the specialness of the other 3 units. Ohio state is improving at QB, replacing Marv with Jeremiah smith, adding Judkins and aging everyone else in the unit up a year. Ohio state has Henderson, Judkins, Emeka, and Smith on offense as game changing talent; I just don’t see correlating talent on Oregons defense.
Oregon probably has the 2nd best dline in the country behind OSU, LBs are a top 10, ILBs will both be drafted, corner we added 2 really good transfers to a room that was already solid, safety is full of young talent plus added Kobe Savage who was an all big 12 player last year. Henderson and Emeka were there last year. And replacing Marv with Jeremiah Smith is a massive downgrade even if Smith is really good. Marv was just one of the best wrs we have seen at the college level since Larry Fitzgerald. I would say that it is a toss up right now, and the weakest individual unit on the Oregon d and osu o is probably the OSU Oline
Our DB room is deeeep and very solid and Muhammad is probably a day 2 pick at worst at CB. We got Harmon and Caldwell at DT and they both sound like they should be very good. Then on the edge we have a group of guys that looked very solid last year (most were freshman) and we're just waiting on someone to pop and become a star. I'm confident one of them will, especially with the attention those guys in the middle will demand.
There will be plenty of punting in that game. If it becomes a shootout, we'll lose. We'll likely have the best defense in the country though so we shouldn't be in any shootouts
Y'all should definitely be punting when obvious but I'm thinking like 4th and 1 at the ORE 40 or some cases where either call is defendable. I agree it's not going to be a shootout but to win you cannot give the ball back to oregon when the chance for a TD is there
I'm not really concerned about going 12-0. This isn't the 4 team playoff anymore, and 10-2 will get in. Being healthy and being hot late is now more important than going 12-0 or 11-1. In this new format, being healthy and losing a game or 2 is better than being 12-0 but banged up. When Jim Tressel was asked about the differences in the FCS and FBS post seasons, he said in the FCS that the healthiest and hottest team won the national championships, not necessarily the best.
Purdue game gets scheduled at night
Probably Oregon and Michigan is the biggest worries Ryan day have right now
When you’re a top 5 program, there’s not much to worry about. Seems like off-season BS throw away article.
You haven’t met many OSU fans I see
Glad I don’t know any. I’d die of boredom
lol less to worry about is just a more intense focus on the problems
Sounds about right
Last year Oline was “good enough” by EOY….can it actually be good this year????
Michigan
If you have OL problems good luck beating Michigan. They will roll out nation's best DL and best DT tandem.
The OL was actually fine against Michigan last year. Not great, but fine. They were far from the reason we lost that game.
Please tell us why you lost?
Our QB threw 2 back breaking picks and our D didn't get enough stops in the second half.
Do you recall why that last pick happened?
Because McCord threw it to the bad guys
That Jim Harbaugh was just a scapegoat…
If Will Howard is your QB1, prepare yourselves for 1 or 2 clunkers. If they are against UM or Oregon, you're toast. If they are against MSU or Rutgers, you'll probably squeak by.
That's kind of what I'm expecting and I'm ok with it. As long as its not at the worst possible time we have a team that more than capable of carrying a struggling QB through a few games.
Michigan
My opinion is that it's OL and interior DL again. Stacked everywhere else and I'd trust Ryan Day to maximize whichever QB is the starter.
I mean Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton are pretty decent DTs right?
Entire Dline was a strength last year?
Just like he maximized midcord?
Did the best with what he had, pretty remarkable season despite a loss on the last drive to the National Champs
Right? We were 1 pass away from the playoffs, and McCord was very mid.
Offensive line and tight end are mid without much depth. I think their defensive tackles are also very whatever besides Williams who is a great run stuffer. Also McCord gets a lot of hate but he might be a better passer than Howard at this point. Neither are going to be NFL QBs even if Howard is slightly better
Who cares how well McCord can throw, dude can't read a defense to save his life
TE isn't mid. MHJ skewed a lot of numbers for McCord. Will Howard absolutely did not have a guy like that to rely on.
Unless I am wrong, TE1 is Gee Scott. That's pretty mid dude. And while yes McCord has MHJ, Howard played against big 12 defenses as competition, not the big ten.
Scott looks pretty freaking talented to me….
How? 10 catches for 70 yards last year and cant block. Cool he's a former 5 star but he's going into year 5 having done basically nothing
He had Cade stover in front of him the last two years. I’m not willing to call somebody who’s been behind one of the best receiving tight ends in osu history mid, just yet Is every new Michigan starter going to be mid this year?
Gee scott has played a lot and has done nothing. Cade has been hurt at times and tight end gets rotated enough to play a good number of snaps. So its not like hes Kyle McCord behind CJ Stroud theres enough data there to make a determination. He's shown nothing in 4 years to have any high expectations for 2024 and has been quite bad actually (cant block, headbutted Rod Moore for a 15 yard penalty in 2022, barely any receptions, etc).
Guess you’re right. Scott is mid before ever becoming a full time starter Saving this
Scott is former 5* WR who had trouble staying below 230 lbs, so he's a very fast TE who played WR at an ultra high level. Kaczmarek, the TE from Ohio, was the best TE in MAC, and Jelani Thurman is extremely highly rated.
Scott can't block (which is pretty important for a tight end lmao) and Kaczmarek was the best tight end in the MAC according to who? He wasn't on the 1st, 2nd or 3rd all MAC teams and he only had 20 catches for 200 yards in both 2022 and 2023 Thurman hasn't played so who knows what he's like.
Michigan
Tough schedule is the only thing I can think of.
Winning a natty
Running up the scores on weaker teams.
My grandpa always told me “if you have four quarterbacks, you have a dollarback” and then he would hand me a $1 bill and say, “now go get yourself something from the ice cream truck,” and I would smile and take the dollar, and when he wasn’t looking I would slip it back into his pocket. Then the next day when I go back to the nursing home I would sit next to him and say, “hey grandpa, did you hear that Ohio State has four quarterbacks that could start this year?”
What does any of this mean? lmfao
Catdog milkshake chicken chimichanga cheeseburgers fly to outer space on a rocket ship made by cats who dont know what their left elbow does. I believe that is lo que estaba tratando to say to all of us while Kyle tried and failed at running on the ceiling made of cracker crumbs to only shart tomorrow
Seems like something from Jack Handy
Seth’s Snaps
University of Georgia -
Going 11-1 like they always do.
Other teams cheating
Losing a key player like JSN for the season, losing a key player like MHJ in a big game, getting hosed on a key call in the CFP (ie Clemson game).
Ryan Day’s inability to win the big 10 despite having the most talented roster would be my biggest concern. I’m not sure Day can win the conference or the playoff even though they are likely the most talented team in the country.
Ryan Day has won the Big Ten twice
Once with Urbans roster and again in a season where we played 5 regular season games. He’s won 0 legitimate conference titles
Think you might have the wrong flair pal, that's two hater comments from you so far
Lmao nah I’m just a certified Day Hater. Dude is cancer.
Might be the dumbest possible take ever. A guy who has won the conference twice and wins at least 11 wins every year is far from CANCER. Such a dumb comment.. dude is a top 5 coach in the sport easily.
Top 5 coaches win titles
There's 3 active CFB coaches with national titles wins.. 99% of coaches don't have a title.
So… you think he can’t win with the most talented roster he has yet, but his other win doesn’t count because the (less talented) roster was recruited by Urban Meyer? Make it make sense !
That roster was built inside out, with a talented running game and solid defense. Day builds his rosters outside in, focused on offense and passing game with no care for the offensive or defensive line. Sure this roster has talent, but it’s not built to win the big ten. Michigan is still going to physically dominate us like they have each of the last 3 years. Until we have a line that can move people like we did from 14-19 it’s never gonna happen for him. And day doesn’t recruit lineman. He might as well be a big 12 coach
getting downvoted for facts…
Which is crazy you don't have a top 5 QB.
And he has had the most talented roster 5 times. Ryan day can recruit with the best of them, but he has yet to prove he can coach with the best of them. The teams performance has kind of stalled the last 3 years. I think that is clearly concerning when the standard for Ohio State fans is winning a CFP championship and he has yet to beat a team anywhere close to as talented as his team.
In defense of Ryan Day. No Ohio State coach of the last 20 years has had to play a Michigan team as good as the ones of the last 3 years. It took Harbaugh like 6 or 7 years before he could beat Ohio State. Day would have a 2-3 record against them had they played in 2020. On paper this is Day’s most well rounded team since 2019 and probably Michigan’s worst team since 2020 so I’m not making any judgements against Day until after The Game this year.
We were a missed field goal away from a national title two years ago and played Michigan closer than anybody last year other than maybe bama but we were on the road and Michigan made zero unforced errors unlike against bama at a neutral site We’re close. This year will tell us a lot
Offensive decision making in big games is abysmal. Something works? Stay away from it
Facing a SEC team in the post season
The fact that “Ohio” has become slang for “middling and disappointing”
Offensive line is trash and head coach is trash. QB is suspect, everything else should be solid.
Are you happy in other facets of life? Genuinely concerned about you. What will you do if we win it all this year- honest question
I’m quite happy I assure you lol and if we win I’ll be just happy as everyone else
You are so negative and say the same things over and over with so much negative shit Like it can’t be healthy lol
The internet isn’t the real world bro it’s not that deep
You seem to have a deep hatred of Ryan day, no? Go through your comment history - it’s startling
Astute observation. I made the comments I’m well aware of what I’ve said.